Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival and transfer to Pantanal
Our tour begins in Cuiaba in the morning, usually after a flight from Sao Paulo. Upon arrival, we board the air-conditioned van and drive to the edge of the fabulous Pantanal and check into our lodge. With any luck we will be greeted by the local flock of Hyacinth Macaws! We are likely to encounter some birds here that are difficult to find in the interior of the Pantanal and we search for species such as White-fronted Woodpecker and Bearded Tachuri as we gain an introduction to the rich birdlife of this area. After dinner, we have an evening walk to enjoy the sunset and look for nighthawks and owls. Night at Piuval Lodge.

Day 2 - Transfer to Porto Jofre
Today we enjoy our first of several days in the Pantanal. This vast alluvial plain lying along the Parana River is only 100m above sea level, and ranks as one of the biggest freshwater wetlands on earth. The numbers of waterbirds is quite simply staggering - thousands of herons, egrets, waterfowl, ibises, spoonbills and others - along with large numbers of caimans and capybaras. It is seasonally flooded between October and March, and then begins to dry out such that in July and August fish and their predators are concentrated in the remaining pools.

As we drive along the famous Transpantaneira, a dirt road that traverses the Pantanal, we have our first introduction to this incredibly rich area with wildlife in abundance. We may see up to 100 species this morning! We take a night drive for owls and possibly Band-tailed Nighthawk, ocelots and crab-eating foxes. Night at Porto Jofre.

Day 3 - Full day boat trip on Cuiaba River
Another unforgettable day!. After breakfast, we depart for a full day boat trip on the Cuiaba River, a highlight of the tour. We have a good chance of seeing Jaguar; the Pantanal cat is actually larger than the Amazonian one. We explore the margins of the river in search of this great cat, as well as other impressive fauna and flora. We should end up with well over a hundred species, an impressive array of wetland birds perhaps including Sunbittern and Sungrebe. It is not only the wetland birds that will keep us occupied here. The dry scrub and woodland is home to Cinereous-breasted Spinetail, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Turquoise-fronted Parrot and Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant. Perhaps a Marsh Deer or even Giant Anteater may distract us from our birding. We arrive back at the hotel in mid-afternoon, for a siesta or a late afternoon walk in the hotel grounds. Night in Porto Jofre.

Days 4 and 5 - Birding and transfer to Santa Teresa Lodge
Today our drive should net us a host of new species, and we will look for those that we have not found already as we head for a two-night stay at Santa Tereza. Again, we will have ample opportunity to bird and photograph the profusion of species along this further 50 miles of the Transpantaneira. Birds throng the wetlands; we will especially look for scarcer species such as the shy Plumbeous Ibis, Ringed Teal among the common whistling-ducks and Comb Ducks, Maguari Storks and Rufescent Tiger-herons. Raptors are seemingly everywhere: Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures, Crane, Black-collared and Savanna Hawks, Gray-headed and Snail Kites and Aplomado Falcons. On slightly higher ground, gallery forests have taken hold, and are often alive with wildlife. It is in these forests that we search for Toco Toucans, Bare-faced Curassows, and Chestnut-bellied Guans. As well as these spectacular birds, we may see Great Rufous Woodcreeper and White Woodpecker in this area. At our lodge, we will likely awaken to the loud haunting cries of Southern Screamers as these odd birds herald the dawn. We will start the day with a forest walk which should reveal many birds including Matto Grosso Antbird, Helmeted Manakin, and Large-billed Antwren. We are likely to encounter several flycatchers, ground-doves including Long-tailed, horneros, cardinals and seedeaters, and possibly White-naped Xenopsaris. We will also see a wide variety of animals such as anacondas, black-howler monkeys, brown capuchin, black-tailed marmoset, and even Jaguar is possible. A boatride should reveal more of the Pantanal specialties and wetland species including Jabiru, all five South American Kingfishers, and especially we watch for the impressive Giant Otter. Nights in Santa Tereza.

Days 6 and 7 – Pantanal to Chapada dos Guimaraes Tableland
Today we leave the Pantanal and travel to Cuiabá and on to the National Park of Chapada dos Guimarães Tableland. The scenic views in this magnificent park are astonishing! Situated at the western edge of the Planalto do Mato Grosso, the canyonlands and waterfalls of this park are truly impressive. We can expect a wide diversity of wildlife, from macaws to seriemas, with luck perhaps Pheasant Cuckoo. We witness the fascinating display of Streamer-tailed Tyrants, moving their wings and tails as the pair duets. We search for some of the endemics of the Cerrado (dry scrub savanna), including White-rumped and Band-tailed Tanagers. Blue-winged Macaws are also possible. Nights in Chapada.

Day 8 - Transfer to Cuiaba and onto Alta Floresta and Rio Cristalino
We have early morning birding at Chapada for more Cerrado specialties such as Collared Crescent-chest, Plumbeous Seedeater, Black-throated Saltator, and Campo Suiriri. Then we depart for the Cuiabá airport, on time for our noon flight to Alta Floresta and on to the wonderful Rio Cristalino Lodge reached by boat journey, about 20 minutes, set in pristine untouched Amazonian rainforest. Night at Rio Cristalino Lodge.

Days 9 - 11 - Rio Cristalino Lodge
We have three full days to explore this wonderful Lodge. It is set just off the black waters (no mosquitoes) of the Rio Cristalino in the Amazon, and the area has the richest species list for all Amazonian Brazil, at over 470 species. There is superb birding on a fine network of trails through floodplain and terra firma forest, amazing canopy views from a platform (Kawall’s Parrot possible here) and riverine habitats accessed by boats. There are so many possibilities, from Zigzag Heron to Peruvian Recurvebill, Razor-billed Curassows to Rose-breasted Chat. There are good chances of antswarms with the attendant antbirds, cotingas and other frugivores at fruiting trees with many specialties. These may include Bare-eyed Antbird, Pompadour Cotinga, Black-girdled and Gilded Barbet, Red-necked Aracari and we chance upon a group of Dark-winged Trumpeters or a "booming" Amazonian Umbrellabird. Maybe we’ll see a Brazilian Tapir on one of our walks! Nights at Rio Cristalino Lodge.

Day 12 - From Rio Cristalino Lodge to Alta Floresta, Flight to Cuiaba
After another morning of exploring the area around the lodge, we reluctantly leave this magical place and head for Alta Floresta, looking for wildlife on the way. We then catch a flight to Cuiaba. Night in Cuiaba.

Day 13 - Flight to Sao Paulo and transfer to Intervales
Today we leave Cuiaba, catch a plane to Sao Paulo, and then transfer to the next marvelous location on our tour, Intervales State Park. Night in Intervales.

Days 14 & 15 - Intervales State Park
Intervales State Park is located in the Paranapiacaba mountain range about 270 km south of São Paulo. The park covers a variety of habitats at varying altitudes from just above sea level to around 1100m, and this elevation gradient results in an impressive suite of species. The park supports many endemic and interesting species of the Atlantic rain forest: Solitary Tinamou, Black-fronted Piping-Guan, Blue-bellied Parrot, Rusty-breasted Nunlet, Crescent-chested Puffbird , Saffron Toucanet, Pale-browed Treehunter, Pin-tailed Manakin, Hooded Berryeater, Cinnamon-vented Piha , Bare-throated Bellbird, and Golden-winged Cacique, to mention just a few. Birding along the roads may give us views of the graceful Mantled Hawk, bamboo thickets may contain White-collared Foliage-Gleaner, Black-billed Scythebill, Buffy-fronted and Temminck’s Seedeater, both bamboo specialists, and Brown-breasted Bamboo-Tyrant, and lush forests are filled with antshrikes, antbirds, antwrens and antpittas, and if we are very lucky we may see a rare species or two such as Helmeted Woodpecker or Swallow-tailed Cotinga. Night drives may reveal the spectacular Long-trained and Silky-tailed Nightjar, Black-capped Screech-Owl, and Rusty-barred Owl.

Day 16 - Return to Sao Paulo and departure
After a final morning of birding this rich area we return to Sao Paulo in time to catch our evening flights home after this wonderful adventure.

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What to Expect

You can expect some early morning, before breakfast excursions so we can be in the field for dawn. Everywhere in the tropics it is desirable to be in good habitat by daybreak when bird activity and song are at their peak. We concentrate on “edge” birding until the light is good enough to enter forest trails. Often we retreat to our hotel around noon for lunch and a short siesta. We bird in the cool of the late afternoon and have a few night drives to look for nocturnal wildlife.

Our tour includes three in-country air flights and some long drives of several hours duration, in order to reach some key sites. Mostly, however, we travel short distances with most of our time spent outdoors rather than in a bus. Birding will be mainly from quiet roads; we enter forest areas on relatively wide and easy-to-follow trails. The weather will be rather hot with a mixture of sun and cloud and occasional drizzle or rain. Stout, waterproof footwear is an advantage and a light rain jacket and waterproof hat are essential! Mosquitoes and other biting insects should not be a problem on this tour but precautions should always be taken.

Accommodations vary from superb lodges to comfortable accommodations. Most meals will be taken at the lodges. On some days we have picnic lunches prepared for us in order to maximize our time in the field and allow a more flexible schedule. In the evening, after dinner, we discuss the day’s events and sightings and list the birds and other wildlife seen, and a briefing for the next day's activities.