CENTRAL BRAZIL – Brazilian Merganser and Cerrado specialities.

During this tour we’ll concentrate our birding efforts in some of the most threatened and least visited habitats of South America; natural savanna grasslands and Cerrado. The São Francisco river meanders through the Cerrado of Canastra National Park and this is the home of our most wanted bird of this tour – the threatened Brazilian Merganser. The gallery forest will also hold our attention for gems such as Helmeted Manakin but this tour also includes some Atlantic Forest species as we visit Caraca National Park where Swallow-tailed Cotingas can be seen. Our tour of Central Brazil finishes in Cipo with yet more endemics and range restricted species. South America is not particularly renowned for mammal viewing opportunities but Central Brazil with its Giant Anteaters and Maned Wolves is perhaps the exception (especially if combined with the Pantanal!).
                                 
This tour may be combined with:
BRAZIL – The Southern Pantanal and Emas National Park.

Dates: 19 – 26 June 2010.

Group size: Limited to ten participants.

Price: £1395.00 per person from São Paulo.

Single room supplement: £210.00.

Includes: All services from Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo on day 1 until returning there on day 8, meals from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on day 8, transport, accommodation, drinking water on bus, services of tour leader and local guide, gratuities to drivers and local guides.

Not included: International airfare to Brazil, airport departure tax, transfers to Guarulhos International Airport prior to the commencement of the tour, beverages with meals, drinks (water will be available on bus), phone calls and items of a personal nature.

Tour leaders: Colin Bushell and Fred Tavares.

ITINERARY.

Day 1. We meet in São Paulo for our internal flight to Belo Horizonte. On arrival we’ll meet up with our ground agents and drive to the marvellous Canastra National Park. We should arrive at Canastra with time to spare for some birding in the grasslands or Cerrado nearby. Overnight Canastra.

Days 2 – 3. Two full days to explore the magnificent Canastra National Park. We’ll focus on finding one of the world’s rarest ducks – Brazilian Merganser - along the Rio São Francisco and enlist local help to ensure success in finding our target bird today. Canastra is probably the best site on the tour to see Brasilia Tapaculo as well as a variety of open country and grassland species like Red-legged Seriema, Campo Miner, Cock-tailed Tyrant, Sharp-tailed Tyrant, Hellmayr’s Pipit and Stripe-tailed Yellow-Finch. We’ll search areas just outside the park below high escarpment for Golden-capped Parakeet and Stripe-breasted Starthroat but we’ll make sure we are present in the park one late afternoon to increase our chances of seeing Giant Anteater. Giant Anteaters have very poor eyesight but an acute sense of smell, so providing we approach one in the correct manner we can expect exceptionally close views should we locate one. Overnights near Canastra National Park.

Day 4. A travel day today as we leave Canastra for Caraca NP. We may arrive in time for some birding at Caraca or maybe see the legendary Maned Wolves that Caraca is famed for. Overnight near Caraca.

Days 5 – 6. Two full days to explore the fabulous Caraca National Park. Caraca is of course famous for the Maned Wolf as seeing this mammal is virtually guaranteed here as individuals arrive every evening at the steps of the monastery where they are fed. It would be worth visiting Caraca just for the Maned Wolf but there are many attractions for the most single-minded birder as well. Hyacinth Visorbearer, Serra Antwren, Grey-backed Tachuri, Buff-throated Pampa-Finch, Brasilia and White-breasted Tapaculos are all present here. Caraca is also a very good site to see the incredible Swallow-tailed Cotinga and we’ll be checking exposed perches at the forest edge for this enigmatic species. Overnight Caraca.

Day 7. We’ll leave Caraca this morning and we’ll be able to bird the rocky savanna before going to our hotel near Cipo National Park. The reserve lies at the edge of the Serra do Espinhaco and protects campo habitat in the higher sections with a mixture of gallery forest and Cerrado lower down. Our target birds here will include a variety of species from each habitat, many of them endemic to Brazil. These include Cipo Canastero, Hyacinth Visorbearer, Grey-backed Tachuri and Buff-throated Pampa-Finch. Overnight near Cipo.

Day 8. Some final birding may be possible before taking the short journey to the airport in Belo Horizonte where we’ll connect with flights to São Paulo (or joining up with other Toucan Birding Tours departures in Brazil).

PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE YOUR FLIGHT TO BRAZIL UNTIL CONFIRMATION OF THIS DEPARTURE HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM TOUCAN BIRDING TOURS. Thank you.

Top | About | Tours | Mexico | Cuba | Venezuela | Ecuador | Peru | Brazil | Terms | Contact