Birding in Mato Grosso and Brazil

BRAZIL

The Northern Pantanal

24 - 29 April 2009

trip report and photos by Bradley Davis

(bradley@birdingmatogrosso.com)

 

participants: Benjamin and Emma Hill

 

Introduction: Ben and Emma contacted me early in the year asking if I could help arrange and guide a visit to the Pantanal to combine with their April trip to some well-known sites in south-east Brazil. April marks the end of rainy season in these parts, and indeed our week was practically cloudless and there was certainly no rain. Nevertheless, the Pantanal was full of water as a result of the season - it is, after all, the world's largest freshwater wetland area. Though this didn't hurt the birding at all it did mean that we missed many of the large animals for which the Pantanal is famous. We made up for our poor fortune on big game with a high quality sighting of a charismatic and extremely obliging cat - more on that in the daily accounts. Our overall bird list would be slightly higher in the dry season months of September-October, but mostly only due to the presence of a number of migrant species, particularly a handful of widespread austral migrant tyrant-flycatchers. In other words, we saw just about everything we came for.

 

 

Itinerary:

 

April 24: Travel from Cuiaba to Pousada Piuval in the Pantanal south of Pocone.

April 25: Birding at Pousada Piuval and along the Transpantaneira.

April 26: Birding at Pousada Piuval. Afternoon boat ride on the Bento Gomes river.

April 27: Travel south on the Transpantaneira. Afternoon boat ride on the Pixaim river.

April 28: Birding gallery forest trail at Hotel Mato Grosso. Afternoon drive 70 km south on the Transpantaneira, returning in the evening.

April 29: Birding gallery forest behind the hotel. Return to Cuiaba in the afternoon.

 

 

Pantanal scene

Daily accounts:

 

April 24^th: I met Ben and Emma this morning at an airport hotel in Cuiaba. After a quick exchange of pleasantries and some squeezing of luggage into our VW Gol, we were off and away across Varzea Grande, our destination: the northern Pantanal. An hour and a half later, the birds began to flow freely south of Pocone as we kicked things off with a group of eight Greater Rheas browsing an unseen food source with Southern Caracaras at the back of a stony field. Continuing south, we soon found a Snail Kite upon each and every available perch, often looking down upon flooded fields dotted with Great, Cattle and Snowy Egrets, Whistling Heron, Bare-faced Ibis, Maguari Stork and pairs of stately Jabiru. A stop just north of our first lodge produced a few hummingbirds: Gilded Sapphire, White-tailed Goldenthroat and Glittering-throated Emerald. These three species proved to be quite common in the flowering marshes throughout the trip. We also saw our first Unicoloured Blackbirds, Grayish Saltator, Yellow-chinned Spinetail and Rusty-collared Seedeater. Two groups totaling eight Toco Toucans moved through the area, an odd sight the first time for birders accustomed to seeing toucans inside forest. We continued a short distance to the Pousada Piuval, our base for the first three nights of the trip. Though it was nearly mid-day, the new birds continued apace with Picui and Long-tailed Ground-Dove, Peach-fronted Parakeet, White Woodpecker, a trio of Chotoy Spinetails and a pair of Purplish Jays. Also on the entrance road and at a marsh beside the lodge we found Pearl Kite, Chaco Chachalaca, Black-bellied and White-faced Whistling-Ducks, Southern Screamer, Plumbeous Ibis, Pied Lapwing, Roseate Spoonbill, Buff-necked Ibis and a host of other waterbirds. All this before check-in and lunch!

       

Roseate Spoonbill and Chaco Chachalaca

 

After a nice lunch at the pousada and a short break during the heat of the day, we returned to the field in mid-afternoon, birding from the car and by boat en route to an observation tower overlooking extensive marshes at the edge of the Bento Gomes river. New birds included Gray-necked Wood-Rail, Muscovy Duck, Yellow-billed Tern, Black-collared Hawk, Gray-crested Cacholote, Thrush-like Wren, Squirrel Cuckoo, Great Antshrike, Solitary Cacique and a Little Woodpecker at eye level from the tower. There was plenty to look at, both near and far, and the surrounding marsh held many Southern Screamers, various herons and a few families of Capybara. We scoped a trio of Black Howler Monkeys in the canopy of a distant forest island.

 

Heading back to the lodge we found a pair of Great Horned Owl at dusk and watched a flight of Nacunda Nighthawks over the Bento Gomes river as the light faded. A couple of Brazilian Rabbits were seen during the short drive to the lodge.

 

April 25^th: Today was our first full day in the Pantanal. We awoke to the sounds of Thrush-like Wrens and Chopi Blackbirds, and watched a handsome Rufescent Tiger-Heron hunting a stone's throw from the lodge over breakfast. We tried in vain to quickly pass the array of waterbirds in the surrounding flooded fields in an effort to reach some nearby forest before the morning heated up. In the forest Emma spotted a Great Rufous Woodcreeper in a grove of Attalea palms, and our subsequent stop produced not only that bird but also Red-billed Scythebill, Black-fronted Nunbirds, a Dull-capped Attila and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. A foray to a nearby forest island brought our first scope views of Hyacinth Macaws, a threesome occupying a nest tree. Here we had quite a bit of activity, finding Yellow-rumped Cacique and Orange-winged Amazon before hearing and tracking down a calling Pale-crested Woodpecker. I firmly believe this is one of the classiest members of a terrific family, and the northern Pantanal must be just about the easiest place in the world to see it. While Ben and I admired the woodpecker, Emma was stalking a troop of Brown Capuchins for photos when she suddenly called out, 'anteater!'. Sure enough, she had found a rather tame Southern Tamandua, an odd species of arboreal anteater.

 

Back at the car we found another the new mammal, the adorable Black-tailed Marmoset. Our attention was quickly diverted by the appearance of a handsome male Blue-crowned Trogon perched in the open nearby - unusually, this turned out to be our only sighting of the trip. At a stop in dry forest near the river we managed to stir up a band of passerines with some pygmy-owl imitations, which proved an effective method to get close views of Flavescent and White-bellied Warblers, an energetic pair of Masked Gnatcatchers, Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher and Stripe-necked Tody-Tyrant. A Gray-headed Tanager was somewhat more elusive, only putting in a brief appearance. We did eventually make it to the river's edge where our pilot awaited us to head downstream on the Bento Gomes again. 

 

The river itself was quiet, but our destination was a small patch of forest near the tower we visited the previous day. We were once again greeted by the same pair of Great Horned Owls (now tell me - do these guys ever sleep!?), whom we duly admired before wandering over to a bank of dense tangles to call in a pair of Mato Grosso Antbirds. We had nice views of the female, and adequate views of the male. Enough to decide we didn't need to see much more and turned our attention to other birds. In that spirit, a couple of Blue-throated Piping-Guans were a bit more satisfying, but the stubborn pair of White-lored Spinetails we eventually called in were more in line with the former species.

Great Horned Owl

 

An evening spotlighting session on the lodge property was mostly unproductive, yielding a handful of Brazilian Rabbits, some Capybaras and a single Common Potoo. Upon our return to the lodge there was a Great Horned Owl perched on the radio mast.

 

April 26^th: Before breakfast we were admiring a gang of White Woodpeckers on the lodge grounds. After a bite to eat we headed to a pair of forest islands separated by a patch of flooded savannah. En route we found Chestnut-bellied Guans, a lone Greater Rhea, and a particularly active flooded field teeming with Wood Storks, egrets and an imposing pair of Jabiru. Southern Caracaras chased a stork around, hoping to force it to drop a particularly tasty-looking fish it had just caught.

 

Inside the first forest island we watched a group of five Hyacinth Macaws at close range. We had repeated excellent views of this, the symbol of the Pantanal, the world's largest parrot, throughout the morning feeding, resting and in flight. A true delight. A limping Undulated Tinamou walked unconcernedly under our noses moments before we chanced upon a smart Crane Hawk which appeared to be trying to extricate an unseen prey item from a rotting stump before we flushed it. Trying to re-find the hawk, we instead saw a lone Chestnut-eared Aracari sitting quietly halfway to the canopy. A flurry of activity at the forest edge revealed Rufous-tailed Jacamar, a female Helmeted Manakin and a pair of Sayaca Tanagers. Between the two forest islands we found Black-bellied, White-faced and even Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, Whistling Heron, more Hyacinth Macaws and many common waterbirds. A Rusty-backed Spinetail responded to tape boldly, flying over to show well from the edge of a nearby thicket at the water's edge.

 

The second forest island was fairly quiet as we headed to another observation tower with a good view over the forest canopy and nearby wetlands. The sun was already hot and activity was rather low, but we did pick up our only Bat Falcon and Lafresnaye's Woodcreeper of the trip. In spite of excellent conditions for soaring raptors, in scanning the skies we only found storks, an Anhinga or two, and many vultures soaring on thermals. Another group of tourists soon arrived at the tower, and we decided to descend to the forest. Activity had picked up a little, and we soon found Fuscous Flycatcher, a male Plain Antvireo, a scraggly Blue-crowned Motmot, Sepia-capped Flycatcher and a dustbathing Striped Cuckoo. Proceeding as far as the water surrounding the forest island allowed us, we picked up our first Pale-legged Hornero, an adult Great Black-Hawk and a smart male Large-billed Antwren. Walking back to the car we enjoyed more close views of at least 15 Hyacinth Macaws (see title photo). Near the lodge we found a non-breeding White-faced Ibis, our only of the trip.

 

Lunch was highlighted by some impressive feats in eating by some Brazilian high school students visiting for the weekend. After a short break we birded the entrance road at Piuval in search of a particular target, and sure enough we quickly spotted a pair of Red-legged Seriema resting in the shade. A rather tame Greater Rhea watched us inquisitively before strolling behind some nearby scrub. Near the main road we stopped to bird some dry forest where I managed to attract a number of passerines with pygmy-owl imitations: Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant, Mouse-coloured Tyrannulet, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Masked Gnatcatcher and Red-crested Finch all came to check us out. A trio of Blue-crowned Parakeets flew overhead moments before I spotted a South American Coati. While trying for views of this "nose bear" a Marsh Deer flashed past us in a split-second.

Greater Rhea near Pousada Piuval

We then returned to the Bento Gomes river for a final boat ride, stopping first to admire three Collared Plovers sitting on a wooden bridge near the lodge. We met our pilot and loaded into the boat, heading upstream on the Bento Gomes closely examining the masses of floating vegetation along the fringes of the bay. We flushed many Wattled Jacanas and Striated Herons as flocks of Orange-winged Amazons streamed overhead, heading to night roosts. Finally, as the sun began to settle low in the western sky, we flushed a smaller, tawnier heron - our target, the Least Bittern. This obliging individual perched in the open on a slender stem, preening, cleaning its bill, and even calling once as we drank in the details - a brilliant end to an excellent day!

 

April 27^th: After breakfast we packed up the car and said our farewells to Pousada Piuval. A stop at the dry forest we had birded the previous afternoon was quiet, so we continued onward to the famous Transpantaneira, the Pantanal highway from Pocone to Porto Jofre. South of the SEMA checkpoint we picked up our only Yellowish Pipit of the trip. A stop at the monument to St. Francis of Assisi - patron saint of animals and the environment - produced some new birds including Barred Antshrike, Large Elaenia, Common Tody-Flycatcher and a flashy Golden-green Woodpecker along with Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Bran-coloured Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike and others. An area of drier fields and open scrubland had a flock of 20 to 30 Nanday Parakeets, one of the day's top targets. We enjoyed these handsome parrots in the scope as they fed on the ground for a while before moving up to perch atop a couple of mango trees. We finally left the parakeets behind, continuing south passing a parade of usual suspects: paired Jabirus, many actively nest-building, squabbling flocks of Wood Storks, Snail Kites everywhere. A large kettle of vultures held two adult King Vultures.

 

We arrived at our riverside lodge, the Hotel Mato Grosso on the rio Pixaim, in late morning. After checking in quickly, there was still time before lunch and thus we hopped back in the car to head south on the Transpantaneira. A few kilometres and several rickety bridges later, we pulled up to a large papyrus swamp where we quickly found our target, three stunning male Scarlet-headed Blackbirds. Other new species here included a nice Azure Gallinule and a male Double-collared Seedeater.

 

In the afternoon we took a boat ride on the Pixaim river. The water levels were much higher than most birders have seen them, in accordance with our 'out-of-season' visit. Activity and bird numbers were quite a bit lower high than I'm used to during other seasons, but we nevertheless managed a few new birds including Green-and-rufous Kingfisher, a flock of ten Golden-collared Macaws, and a pair of Moustached Wrens. Otherwise we simply enjoyed the experience of navigating this pleasant river and being treated to close views of Bare-faced Curassow, several Blue-throated Piping-Guans, Chestnut-bellied Guans and a particularly photogenic Black-collared Hawk. Upon our return to the landing at our hotel, Nacunda Nighthawks had replaced the hordes of two species of Amazona parrots in the dimming skies. We resolved to take a short walk along the landing strip behind the hotel to look for nightjars, with only mild success in turning up some Pauraques and a female Spot-tailed Nightjar.

The Rio Pixaim in April

April 28^th: This morning we decided to bird a trail behind our hotel in gallery forest along the Pixaim river. The river was quite high and part of the loop trail was still flooded, so we had to content ourselves with the higher half of things. Birding was not compromised - before breakfast we saw Undulated Tinamou, Bare-faced Curassow, Chestnut-bellied Guan, Buff-bellied Hermit, several Toco Toucans, White-lored Spinetail, Red-billed Scythebill, Streaked Xenops, a female Helmeted Manakin, Hooded Tanager, Chestnut-bellied Conebill and Tropical Parula. A short foray down a side trail turned up the expected Rusty-backed Antwren, a pair of which approached closely after some work with the tape.

 

We returned for a late and leisurely breakfast at the hotel before adjourning to spend the balance of the morning taking some photographs and watching the busy hotel feeders. These were attended by Red-crested and Yellow-billed Cardinals, Picazuro Pigeon, Saffron Finch, Bay-winged Cowbird, Palm Tanager, Purplish Jay, and Chestnut-eared Aracari.

 

Immediately after lunch we loaded up the car for a journey south on the Transpantaneira, heading for the Campos do Jofre. En route we picked up our only Greater Ani of the trip in addition to the ubiquitous White-tipped Dove, many dust-bathing Chaco Chachalacas, and a group of a dozen South American Coatis crossing a bridge with their tails at attention. Some 50 km south of Pixaim we stopped in some nice forest on a quiet side road for Fawn-breasted Wren. At another stop we added American Pygmy Kingfisher and White-bellied Seedeater.

 

We arrived at the campos in mid-afternoon, our progress on the road slowed by many loafing families of Capybara. The vast marshes here were dotted with White-headed Marsh-Tyrant, Black-backed Water-Tyrant, innumerous Wattled Jacanas and a couple of Azure Gallinules. High water levels had Cocoi Herons and Great Egrets fishing from atop fence posts. Some speculative playback from the road soon produced a pair of Cinereous-breasted Spinetails in nearby bushes, accompanied by a somewhat out-of-place Little Woodpecker. The afternoon gave way to evening as we watched a pair of Bare-faced Curassows on and near the road, many Toco Toucans, a Striped Cuckoo, Snail Kites heading to communal roosts, and Band-tailed Nighthawks heading to hunt over the extensive marshes. Just north of the open campos the forest closed in on the road again, and soon enough we spotted a shape sitting on the road. In the dim light we could tell it was obviously a cat - an Ocelot! This magnificent animal sat unconcernedly on the road in front of us for a number of minutes, alternately cleaning itself then getting up and walking toward the car before stopping to clean some more. It showed momentary interest in a Pauraque before continuing toward us, arriving within ten metres of our vehicle before strolling off into the verge, apparently ending this magnificent encounter. Not so; a bit of squeaking was all it took to coax an inquisitive catty head out from the roadside, and amazingly the animal came even closer before crossing the road and jumping a fence up into a tree beside the road. It was here we left this showstopper, deciding to move on and leave it to its evening routine.

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Southern Screamer

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Bird List:                           

The following list reflects our observations of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians from 24-29 April 2009 in the northern Pantanal.

 

Heard birds are marked with an 'H'.

 

		RHEAS	RHEIDAE
1		Greater Rhea	Rhea americana
		TINAMOUS	TINAMIDAE
2		Undulated Tinamou	Crypturellus undulatus
		CORMORANTS	PHALACROCORACIDAE
3		Neotropic Cormorant	Phalacrocorax brasilianus
		ANHINGAS	ANHINGIDAE
4		Anhinga	Anhinga anhinga
		HERONS, EGRETS, & BITTERNS	ARDEIDAE
5		Whistling Heron	Syrigma sibilatrix
6		Cocoi Heron	Ardea cocoi
7		Great Egret	Ardea alba
8		Snowy Egret	Egretta thula
9		Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis
10		Striated Heron	Butorides striata
11		Black-crowned Night-Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax
12		Rufescent Tiger-Heron	Tigrisoma lineatum
13		Least Bittern	Ixobrychus exilis
		STORKS	CICONIIDAE
14		Wood Stork	Mycteria americana
15		Maguari Stork	Ciconia maguari
16		Jabiru	Jabiru mycteria
		IBIS AND SPOONBILLS	THRESKIORNITHIDAE
17		Plumbeous Ibis	Theristicus caerulescens
18		Buff-necked Ibis	Theristicus caudatus
19		Green Ibis	Mesembrinibis cayennensis
20		Bare-faced Ibis	Phimosus infuscatus
21		White-faced Ibis	Plegadis chihi
22		Roseate Spoonbill	Platalea ajaja
		SCREAMERS	ANHIMIDAE
23		Southern Screamer	Chauna torquata
		DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS	ANATIDAE
24		Fulvous Whistling-Duck	Dendrocygna bicolor
25		White-faced Whistling-Duck	Dendrocygna viduata
26		Black-bellied Whistling-Duck	Dendrocygna autumnalis
27		Muscovy Duck	Cairina moschata
28		Brazilian Teal	Amazonetta brasiliensis
		NEW WORLD VULTURES	CATHARTIDAE
29		Black Vulture	Coragyps atratus
30		Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura
31		Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture	Cathartes burrovianus
32		King Vulture	Sarcoramphus papa
		HAWKS, EAGLES, AND KITES	ACCIPITRIDAE
33		Swallow-tailed Kite	Elanoides forficatus
34		Pearl Kite	Gampsonyx swainsonii
35		Snail Kite	Rostrhamus sociabilis
36		Crane Hawk	Geranospiza caerulescens
37		Great Black-Hawk	Buteogallus urubitinga
38		Savanna Hawk	Buteogallus meridionalis
39		Black-collared Hawk	Busarellus nigricollis
40		Roadside Hawk	Buteo magnirostris
		FALCONS AND CARACARAS	FALCONIDAE
41		Southern Caracara	Caracara plancus
42		Yellow-headed Caracara	Milvago chimachima
43		Laughing Falcon	Herpetotheres cachinnans
44		Aplomado Falcon	Falco femoralis
45		Bat Falcon	Falco rufigularis