October 11-28, 2024 with Bret Whitney & Marcelo Barreiros
The tour got off to an auspicious start, everyone arriving just fine and with all their luggage.
For our first birding outing (12 October), we met in the lobby at 10:30 to drive about an hour north to a property called Sítio Ouro Velho where we had a spectacular, Minas Gerais style, wood-fired lunch. Habitat was open country with easy access to a slope of ancient, volcanic rock where we had superb views of Pygmy Nightjars, Picui Ground-Doves, Picazuro Pigeons, Greater Ani, Guira Cuckoos, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Whistling Heron, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, White-tailed Hawk, Peach-fronted Parakeet, White-rumped Monjita, Campo Troupial, and Red-cowled Cardinal. Particularly entertaining was a nest of Red-legged Seriemas. We also found two species we had never before seen on Part 1 of our Southeast Brazil tour: a group of three Maguari Storks and a pair of White Monjitas. Many of the above birds have colonized southern Espírito Santo and beyond from the seasonally drier habitats of Northeast Brazil following widespread clearance of forest that began in earnest with government incentives starting at least as far back as the 1960s. An afternoon stop along the border of an extensive stand of mangroves quickly produced Bicolored Conebills, Straight-billed Woodcreeper (disjunct, local subspecies bahiae), and a handsome Blond-crested Woodpecker.
Next morning, birding got underway with a stroll across the street to scope shorebirds and some gulls and terns, mostly species we wouldn’t see elsewhere on the itinerary. We then continued to a block of middle-elevation montane forest an hour or so away. Fortunately, the roads in there were high and dry (if wet, they can be too slippery and mucky to do with our vans) and we enjoyed great views of Minute Hermits on an active lek, Rufous-throated Sapphire, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Yellow-eared and White-browed woodpeckers, Sooretama Slaty-Antshrike, Scaled Antbird, Streaked Xenops, Swallow-tailed Manakin, and Flame-crested, White-bellied, and Yellow-backed tanagers. But the biggest crowd-pleasers were a fabulous pair of Crescent-chested Puffbirds and at least two Kinglet Manakins (a recent split from Striped Manakin of western Amazonia) that allowed everyone nice scope views. A strategic lunch stop with feeders added several more flashy birds, especially Gilt-edged and Green-headed tanagers, Violaceous and Chestnut-bellied euphonias, and a colorful couple of Blue-naped Chlorophonias that came in as we were having our own lunch at nearby picnic tables. A good rain overnight boded well for seeing Cherry-throated Tanager in the morning, we were told…
The mountains of southern Espírito Santo are the last refuge for the ultra-rare Cherry-throated Tanager. Only about 20 individuals, in three groups, are known to survive, most of them at the Kaetés Reserve. We dedicated two days to getting a view of at least one Cherry-throated Tanager, but it simply was not to be this time around. Although the local researchers monitoring the tanagers every day had been able to show them to other birders just a couple of days before our arrival, the best we could do was to hear them, twice, on our first afternoon at the reserve. The large mixed-species flock the tanagers travel with was present, and we saw everything else in the flock, but they just were not foraging with these other birds. The local researchers felt it likely the tanagers were busy building a new nest to replace their previous, failed nest, stimulated especially by last night’s rain, which had been the first for quite some time. Let’s hope that was indeed what was keeping the tanagers we heard busy, and that the researchers at the reserve will be able to locate and monitor a second nesting effort. (As of 1 December, they are seeing the tanagers regularly but the birds have not yet settled into construction of a new nest.) Among the highlights in and around Kaetés were Rufous-thighed Kite, our first Surucua Trogons, Atlantic Black-throated Trogon, Saffron Toucanet, Channel-billed Toucan, huge Robust Woodpeckers, Star-throated Antwren, Spot-breasted Antvireo, White-bibbed Antbird, Scaled Woodcreeper, Ochre-breasted and Buff-fronted foliage-gleaners, Pallid Spinetail, Hooded Berryeater, Bare-throated Bellbirds bonging away, Cinnamon-vented Piha, Greenish Schiffornis, Oustalet’s Tyrannulet, Rough-legged and Greenish tyrannulets, Blue-billed Black-Tyrant, Gray-hooded Attila, Rufous-crowned Greenlet, Fawn-breasted, Azure-shouldered, and Golden-chevroned tanagers, and very low, close Rufous-headed Tanagers. That was quite a haul, to be sure, but truly outstanding were excellent, repeated views of a singing White-breasted Tapaculo, an adult male Pin-tailed Manakin that flew up to us at point-blank range, and three nests of Swallow-tailed Cotingas(!!!) – and then, after dark, spectacular experiences with Giant Snipe and a male Long-trained Nightjar, both of which posed perfectly. Check out the videos!
Out of Santa Teresa, Espírito Santo, we visited the fantastic hummingbird feeders at Pousada Vita Verde, where 15 species were in attendance! Several Frilled Coquettes and Amethyst Woodstars were probably the headliners, with three species of hermits punctuating the action (and we picked up the fourth hermit, a Dusky-throated, the next afternoon at the feeders at Mello Leitão in Santa Teresa). We enjoyed more forest birding at the nearby Augusto Ruschi Biological Reserve, where we found Buff-bellied Puffbird (nice spotting, Tom Evans!), Spot-billed Toucanet, Spot-backed Antshrike, Salvadori’s Antwren (great views!), Black-capped Foliage-gleaner, Wied’s Tyrant-Manakin, Sharpbill, and Black-goggled Tanager. We also had an awesome evening afield at Augusto Ruschi during which we threw the spotlights on, in quick succession, a Long-tailed Potoo (of the seldom-seen, nominate, Atlantic Forest subspecies), Mottled Owl, and Tawny-browed Owl. East Brazilian Chachalaca and Buffy-headed Marmosets were also seen in the area. Lowland birding at the Linhares Reserve produced the ardently hoped-for Red-billed Curassow, Least Pygmy-Owl, Collared Trogon (rare in the Atlantic Forest), a seldom-seen Golden-green Woodpecker (Atlantic Forest endemic subspecies polyzonus), Maroon-faced and Ochre-marked parakeets, Red-browed Parrot, Blue-winged Macaw, Ringed Woodpecker (distinctive subspecies tinnunculus, endemic to the Atlantic Forest), and a Black-headed Berryeater that certainly kept us in a state of suspense before behaving perfectly! We also enjoyed good views of Geoffroy’s Tufted-ear Marmoset, Brown Capuchin, Masked Titi Monkey, a Nine-banded Armadillo, and South American Coati in Espírito Santo.
Our good friend Ricardo Barbosa, who takes care of most of the logistical details on our Brazil tours and is a fantastic birder, joined us for a few days of the Rio de Janeiro portion of the tour. Unfortunately, our first full day of birding in Rio, on Pico de Caledônia, was pretty much of a washout. We did manage to get a few species that came in low and close for excellent views despite the fog and drizzle, such as Large-tailed (aka “Starry-night”) Antshrike, Rufous-tailed Antbird, Bay-chested Warbling-Finch, and for some of us, also Rufous Gnateater and Thick-billed Saltator, but heavier rain soon set in and the hoped-for Gray-winged Cotinga was utterly, thoroughly, weathered out. That happens on occasion (although it’s been only twice in 10+ years now). A post-lunch stop in remnant semideciduous woodland produced a pair of Serra Antwrens, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Hangnest Tody-Tyrant (with its hanging nest!), Rufous-capped Spinetail, and, to our united delight, some Three-toed Jacamars! En route to Itatiaia National Park, we efficiently scooped up White-throated Woodcreeper, Dusky-tailed Antbird, Planalto Tyrannulet, Blackish-blue Seedeater (nice!), Chestnut-headed Tanager, Half-collared Sparrow, a passel of Brassy-breasted Tanagers (below eye-level!), and even a Black-and-gold Cotinga!
Itatiaia National Park was, as always, a fabulous birding venue. We started in the “high country”, in fact, along the highest-elevation road in all of Brazil which straddles the Rio de Janeiro / Minas Gerais state boundary. It covers a wonderful gradient of humid forest habitats from about 5300 feet elevation to above natural treeline at around 7800 feet. Weather started off perfectly with high overcast and light wind, and mixed-species flocks were good. The very first bird to show well was a beautiful Sharp-billed Treehunter, followed by Buff-throated Warbling-Finches, Thick-billed Saltator, a very cooperative Serra do Mar Bristle-Tyrant, Gray-capped Tyrannulet, White-spotted Woodpecker, Rufous-backed Antvireo, Pallid Spinetail, Scaled Woodcreeper, an excellent comparison of Greenish and Mottle-cheeked tyrannulets, Yellow-legged Thrush, Hooded Siskin, Diademed Tanager and several other species of tanagers seen well earlier in the tour. During the flock action, a male Green-crowned Plovercrest came in to feed at some flowers then sat to look at us for a moment. That was very fortunate, as everyone got to see it, some even in the scope, before it took off – and it was the only one we saw; the two leks higher up the road, where we usually find at least one singing male, were silent that morning, after light rain set in. Several other species we saw very nicely in the morning included a singing White-browed Warbler, a pair of Araucaria Tit-Spinetails, Shear-tailed Gray-Tyrant, and two Mouse-colored Tapaculos that behaved themselves remarkably well. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for a singing Rufous-tailed Antthrush that, despite coming in quite close, was spotted by only to a couple of us. Foggy, drizzly conditions above treeline cleared somewhat after our picnic lunch near the guard station, allowing us to find Velvety Black-Tyrant, Gray-backed Tachuri and the highly range-restricted Itatiaia Spinetail right away. On the way back down the mountain, another mixed-species flock produced good views of the much-wanted Black-capped Piprites, and we lucked out bigtime with a White-rumped Hawk that cruised low over the road, showing off its contrasty white wing linings and banded tail. A stop at lower elevations in open country produced good views of a pair of Crested Black-Tyrants, which made for all three species of black-tyrants that day! The feeders at our lovely hotel in the national park were hopping with hummers, tanagers, and other birds right up to dusk and dinnertime. Several male and female Brazilian Rubys and Frilled Coquettes, and great views of Red-breasted Toucans, were especially appreciated. Although not really unexpected (as it has been expanding eastward into deforested terrain for decades now), a Curl-crested Jay at the feeders was a first for me in Itatiaia National Park.
Trail birding at lower elevations in Itatiaia was also excellent for Ferruginous and Ochre-rumped antbirds, White-shouldered Fire-eye, Planalto Woodcreeper, a pair of Black-billed Scythebills, a fantastic scope study of a White-browed Foliage-gleaner, Gray-hooded Flycatcher, Fork-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant, Swainson’s Flycatcher, Uniform Finch, and both Olive-green and Brown tanagers, two highly distinctive genera endemic to the Atlantic Forest biome of Brazil. Especially rewarding, I think, were great views of two species difficult to glimpse in the montane forest understory, one right after the other: Slaty Bristlefront and Such’s Antthrush.
The Ubatuba area truly is a birding paradise! Our first morning there, at famous Fazenda Angelim, was very birdy. New for us there were Spotted Bamboowren (although it took a while!), Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet, Rufous-margined Antwren, White-bearded Manakin, a pair of Buff-throated Purpletufts apparently in the initial stages of nest construction, Lemon-chested Greenlet (the disjunct, nominate population restricted to coastal southeast Brazil), and Temminck’s Seedeater (another seeding bamboo nomad). After a well-appointed lunch complete with a sushi bar, and a rejuvenating siesta (as we did on many days of the tour), we went straight to one of the best hummingbird venues anywhere, Sítio Folha Seca, the property of our longtime friend, Jonas. We racked up 11 species of hummers there, including who-knows-how-many Saw-billed Hermits, multiple Festive Coquettes, and several Black-throated Mangos that were firsts for us. At the same time, brilliant Brazilian Tanagers and a couple of flashy Red-necked Tanagers came in close at the fruit feeders. We also picked up White-necked Hawk (good spotting, Tristan!), Gray-cowled Wood-Rail (good spotting, Tom Fiore!), Tufted Antshrike, Squamate Antbird, a surprise Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Sao Paulo Bristle-Tyrant, Eye-ringed Tody-Tyrant, Gray-headed Elaenia, Long-billed Wren, White-bellied Seedeater, Chestnut-bellied Seed-Finch, and Sooty Grassquit around Ubatuba.
The final day of North of the Tropic saw us ascending the coast range toward the megalopolis of São Paulo. It was a rather rainy day, but we managed to find some great birds along the way, including Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, a Rufous-tailed Attila recently arrived from its Amazonian wintering quarters, Olivaceous Elaenia, and a pair of Green-throated Euphonias busily building a nest. Our final mega-target for the tour was Marsh Antwren. We would need to visit a specific corner of a tucked-away marsh, where we had had great success with seeing the bird on past tours. Sure enough, within 30 minutes of our arrival, we spotted a male Marsh Antwren sneaking in from well out in the extraordinarily dry “marsh” (largely overgrown with thick grass) to eventually come right up to the edge of the road – fabulous! We took advantage of a little extra time to see Rufous-sided Crake, Orange-breasted Thornbird, and Black-capped Donacobius there as well before making our way to our hotel near the São Paulo airport. Once there, a couple of members of our group had ample time to clean up, repack, and take the shuttle to the airport for flights home. The balance of us met a couple of new folks coming in for Part 2, South of the Capricorn, for dinner. 10 of the 12 participants on each part of the tour did the whole, Spectacular thing!
You can see my complete trip report on eBird at this link: https://ebird.org/tripreport/310118
You can download a combined PDF of this page and the eBird report at this link: https://fieldguides.com/triplists/sb124TRIPLIST.pdf
Bret Whitney and Marcelo Barreiros