Birding in Mato Grosso and Brazil
Birdfinding information and guided tours in Amazonia and beyond
Southern Amazonia: Cristalino Lodge and the Rio Azul
Above: sunrise from the canopy tower at Cristalino; and the crystal clear waters of the Rio Azul
Join us to delve into the secrets of the southern Amazon basin!
18 - 29 May 2009 (12 days)
08 - 19 June 2009 (12 days)
02 - 13 November 2009 (12 days)
08 - 19 June 2009 (12 days)
02 - 13 November 2009 (12 days)
DAY 1: Arrival in Alta Floresta in the afternoon. We'll meet you at the airport and transfer immediately to the nearby Floresta Amazônica Hotel, a comfortable modern hotel with its own private rainforest reserve. After a short rest, we'll head out to bird open areas around the town of Alta Floresta to see numerous Blue-and-yellow, Chestnut-fronted and Red-bellied Macaws with a stop at a marsh where we'll try for Gray-breasted, Rufous-sided and Ash-throated Crakes. After dinner at the hotel we'll do some owling on the grounds where Crested Owl, Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, Blackish Nightjar and even Long-tailed Potoo are possible. Night at the Floresta Amazônica Hotel.
DAY 2: This morning will be spent on the trail system in the forest at the hotel, which became famous in recent years thanks to its observable Harpy Eagle nest. While the birds are no longer actively nesting, there is always a slight possibility that we may find the juvenile. In part due to his fame, this young male apparently is rather accustomed to human proximity and is occasionally observed at forest edges near the hotel. Eagles aside, the hotel fragment is a good place to find a few species difficult elsewhere in the region such as Rufous-necked Puffbird, Cinnamon-throated Woodcreeper, Chestnut-tailed Antbird and Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant. We'll hear the haunting song of the Brazilian Tinamou, locally known as the 'clock partridge' for its mournful call marking each passing hour; the forest here is actually one of the best places to see this elusive bird, and if we hear one close by we'll give it a shot.
After lunch we load into pickups to transfer to the Pousada Rio Azul, roughly four hours over bumpy roads from Alta Floresta. We'll stop to look at a few birds along the way, including a try for Point-tailed Palmcreeper at a well-known stakeout. Species typical of the open cattle pastures along our route include Pearl Kite, Burrowing Owl, Orange-winged Amazon and Red-breasted Blackbird. A stop at a flooded area with many dead snags should produce Muscovy Duck and typically hosts many swifts and swallows. Night at the Pousada Rio Azul.
DAY 3: Waking up before dawn is a daily ritual for the naturalist in Amazonia. Thankfully we'll clear our bleary eyes with plenty of coffee, juice and a buffet breakfast each morning before the forest-falcons, tinamous and woodcreepers stir the first strains of the dawn chorus. This morning we'll head for the river, but not before trying for the Black-banded and Red-billed Woodcreepers which pass through the lodge clearing each day at dawn and dusk.
Our morning boat ride will take us to the forest reserve of a neighbouring ranch where we will bird the extensive stands of Guadua bamboo found within the selectively logged forest here in search of a number of species restricted to this special Amazonian habitat. Birding along the river before we reach the bamboo, we'll concentrate on finding a star bird of the Rio Azul - the spectacular Crimson Topaz. This ruby-and-gold giant is the largest hummingbird in Brazil and second largest in the world. On both of our trips in 2007 we found multiple individuals of this species along the river at a couple of locations. In October 2007 we saw no fewer than 5 in a single day! Other birds we should see from the river and on the short trail we walk to pass a set of rapids include Sunbittern, Great Black-Hawk, Speckled Chachalaca, Hoatzin, Sulphury Flycatcher and Spotted Tody-Flycatcher amongst a variety of toucans and aracaris, swifts and parrots - the river itself is an excellent place to see Bald Parrot.
A complex network of old logging roads crisscross the forest where we make landfall, and we'll use these roads and a couple of short trails to bird the bamboo. This habitat holds a number of specialist species, several of which are only found only in SE Peru and east Amazonian Brazil. These include the globally threatened Chestnut-throated Spinetail, Dusky-cheeked and Chestnut-crowned Foliage-gleaners, Manu Antbird, Striated Antbird of the subochracea subspecies (likely to be split as a separate species) and Dusky-tailed Flatbill. The logged terra firme forest here has White-throated Tinamou, Pavonine Quetzal, Paradise Jacamar, Tawny-throated Leaftosser, Black-faced Antthrush, Chestnut-belted Gnateater, Purple-throated Cotinga, White-browed Purpletuft and Tooth-billed Wren. After a full morning's birding we'll return to the lodge for a well-earned lunch and a rest.
Chestnut-belted Gnateater (Conopophaga aurita snethlageae)
In the Handbook of the Birds of the World, B. Whitney writes that the snethlageae race may be better treated as a full species, the Snethlage's Gnateater, in a return to Hellmayr's (1924) treatment. This one is common on the trails at the Rio Azul
After the break we'll climb into the lodge's truck and drive out into the open country of the nearby cattle ranches to look for a host of birds which have adapted to the man-made pastoral landscapes: Least Grebe, White-tailed, Snail and Pearl Kites, White-tailed Hawk, Orange-winged Amazon, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, and Grassland Sparrow are all out here. A stop at a man-made reservoir will have our best views of dozens of Red-bellied Macaws as they come to roost. Afterwards we'll drive up to a small hill overlooking the reservoir and a narrow strip of riparian forest dominated by palm trees, where we wait for the appearance of individuals from a small local population of Hyacinth Macaws. This bird is typically considered a specialty of the Pantanal, but there is a healthy population on the Serra do Cachimbo, the range of hills where the Rio Azul rises. Several pairs occur in the matrix of pasture land and riparian forest corridors on the ranches near the pousada, and we'll make a special effort to see this magnificent threatened macaw, the largest parrot in the world. Spotlighting on the way back to the lodge may turn up a Great Potoo or a Little Nightjar.
DAY 4: Birding this morning will be in a small patch of stunted campina, a type of shrubby forest found in white sandy soils. We'll try to get the specialties in as quickly as we can before the sun really begins to bake: Bronzy Jacamar, Natterer's Slaty-Antshrike, White-fringed Antwren, Black Manakin, Pale-bellied Mourner, "Campinarana" Flycatcher, White-naped Xenopsaris and Black-faced Tanager are all here. Green-tailed Goldenthroat and Amethyst Woodstar attend the many wildflowers at low levels along the birding track. The true spectacle of the morning will be the impressive numbers of macaws and parrots we'll see flying over the as they commute from roosts to feeding areas. Amongst the dozen or species to expect will be many Blue-and Yellow and Scarlet Macaws, White-eyed Parakeets, Orange-winged Amazon, Yellow-crowned Amazon and the poorly known Kawall's Amazon. We may also see the grostequely compelling Bald Parrot, a species first described to science in 2002 from this region. The species is often seen flying over the low campinas in singles or pairs.
After lunch and a break during the intense
early afternoon heat, the birding will begin mid-afternoon along the
short path to the river's edge. Between the lodge and the boat we may
find Blue-necked Jacamar or a Yellow-browed Antbird. River edge species
such as Striped Woodcreeper, Glossy Antshrike, Streaked Antwren and
Cinnamon Attila should make a quick look at a small oxbow lagoon
worthwhile before we climb into the boat for another look at the Rio
Azul. The recently split Madeira Parakeet occurs in large flocks along
the course of the river, and our boat trip should also produce
White-banded Swallow, Red-capped Cardinal, Swallow Tanager and perhaps
a Red-fronted Piping-Guan as we drift
downstream with the motor turned off. As we return to the lodge at dusk
we should see Short-tailed Nighthawk hawking the myriad insects over
the river; Ladder-tailed Nightjar is also possible.
DAY 5: We'll start the morning with a look for the Yellow-browed Antbird which holds a territory near the lodge before starting our trail, an old road once used to transport boats around one of the many small rapids on the Rio Azul. The beginning of this track has been a good spot in our scouting trips for the Tapajós Hermit, a bird which has yet to be formally described as a full species. This species has been reported from the region as Dark-throated Hermit, Little Hermit and Hermit sp. nov., but it will apparently be described as Phaethornis aethopyga and named the Tapajós Hermit. It is common enough at the Pousada Rio Azul, where we found two individuals visiting flowering bushes in the lodge clearing at regular intervals throughout the day in May 2008! Other key species along the wide trail include Brown-banded Puffbird, Black-faced Antbird, Chestnut-belted Gnateater, Snow-capped Manakin, Guianan Gnatcatcher and Short-billed Honeycreeper. We'll walk as far as the river's edge, where we should find the handsome Flame-crowned Manakin in the stunted igapó.
In the afternoon we will either return to the stunted forest we birded on the Day 4 to mop up any specialties we may have missed the first time around, or we'll bird the taller campinarana forest alongside the stunted stuff. Our targets will include the scarce and poorly-known Cinnamon Manakin-Tyrant (I still prefer the name Neopipo!) as well as Plush-crested Jay and the area looks excellent for Rusty-breasted Nunlet. A wood-quail of uncertain identification but resembling Starred has been seen a couple of times in this forest. Canopy flocks at the edges may hold Black-girdled Barbet, Tooth-billed Wren, Guianan Gnatcatcher and White-vented and Rufous-bellied Euphonia.
DAY 6: This morning we'll return to the same neighbouring ranch by truck, using their access roads to reach the other side of the bamboo-dominated forest reserve. While a number of the specialties are the same, it's always a good idea to have two shots at the best species! A stop at the edge of the forest may produce Laughing Falcon, Spix's Guan and Amazonian Oropendola. In the past we have found Blackish and Manu Antbirds side by side at this location, along with Plain-crowned Spinetail and Large-headed Flatbill. Typically this stretch of road is so productive that we walk only a few hundred metres along it in the course of a morning's birding, progress being crushed by large mixed flocks and single singing skulkers. The bamboo-forest mosaic here is good for Chestnut-winged, Dusky-cheeked and Pará Foliage-gleaners as well as Broad-billed Motmot, Great Jacamar and Collared Puffbird. We may see a mixed flock form before our very eyes as a White-winged Shrike-Tanager calls them together; Rose-breasted Chat, Dusky-capped Greenlet, Sclater's Antwren and Rufous-tailed Xenops may heed the call, and they could be joined by Black-capped and Pink-throated Becard.
On the drive back for lunch we'll stop briefly at the ranch's reservoir, where we may find a Black-backed Water-Tyrant or Chestnut-bellied Seed-Finch.
The afternoon will be dedicated to a loop trail from the lodge clearing through seasonally flooded igapó forest and taller transitional terra firme-type forest. Key species are White-bearded Hermit, Golden-crowned Spadebill, Rufous-faced Antbird and Dot-backed Antbird in the igapó, and Pavonine Quetzal, White-bellied Tody-Tyrant, White-crested Spadebill, White-crowned and Fiery-capped Manakins and the fabulous Musician Wren in the tall forest. Arriving back to the clearing at dusk we should see Blackish Nightjar as it awakens on its day roost, and a late walk down the entrance road could turn up a Little Tinamou or Razor-billed Curassow as they forage along the edges of the track.
DAY 7: Our last morning at the Rio Azul will be something of a wild card reserved for our needs amongst the special birds of the area, particularly those which we will not see at our next location.
After an early lunch we will head back toward Alta Floresta and the Teles Pires river where staff from the Cristalino Jungle Lodge will be awaiting us for the transfer by boat up the world famous Cristalino river. Night at the Cristalino Jungle Lodge.
DAY 8: Today we'll start well before dawn with a short boat trip to look for the incredible Zigzag Heron. This unique heron is rare throughout its wide range, but several pairs are resident on the Cristalino river and the local guides and boatmen know exactly where to look for this enigmatic bird. After breakfast we'll hit the extensive trail system behind the lodge on our way to Cristalino's showpiece attraction, the 50 metre (150 foot) canopy tower. The installation of this sturdy tower has made a number of difficult canopy-dwelling species much easier to find at Cristalino than elsewhere in the Amazon basin. Our targets here will include Yellow-shouldered Grosbeak, Paradise Tanager, Red-billed Pied-Tanager, Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher, Lineated Woodcreeper and Red-stained Woodpecker in mixed flocks, while scanning the many exposed perches could turn up an exquisite Pompadour Cotinga or a Striolated Puffbird. Raptors feature highly during most canopy sessions here, and we'll hope for a White-browed Hawk or an Ornate Hawk-Eagle. Eye-level flybys of three large macaws are not uncommon amongst the dozen or so pscittacids we could see here which also include White-bellied and Orange-cheeked Parrot. The canopy tower has platforms at three different levels, so even those less inclined to climb to the very top can bird productively.
In the afternoon we'll take a boat trip to the large Teles Pires river where we'll look for Amazonian Umbrellabird. A large island in this river is good for Glossy Antshrike, Rusty-backed Spinetail, Drab Water-Tyrant and Yellow-bellied Dacnis. A side trip to a set of smaller islands should produce the cute Amazonian Tyrannulet without much difficulty. Returning to the lodge in the evening we'll get the spotlights out to look for Ladder-tailed Nightjar, potoos and mammals such as Paca or perhaps the arboreal Kinkajou.
DAY 9: In four full days we really only manage to scratch the surface of the potential at the Cristalino river. Since a large number of the 'regular' species and a healthy proportion of the major targets should be taken care of, our birding strategy will not only be dictated by what we need, but also by our wildest dreams. The Cacau trail hosted a territorial Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo in 2007, and armed with tape of that species we'll search for antswarms, pig swarms and anything else a ground-cuckoo might follow. In the end we'll probably have to settle with Dark-winged Trumpeter, Cryptic Forest-Falcon, Chestnut-crowned Foliage-gleaner and Band-tailed Manakin.
We should be back at the lodge with plenty of time before lunch, so it might be interesting to sit on the floating dock with a cold drink in hand while keeping eyes open for soaring raptors or a flyby Orange-cheeked Parrot. Nearby Swallow-wings, kingfishers, or Red-capped Cardinals could provide photographic opportunities.
In the afternoon we will take a boat trip upriver as far as the Castanheira (Brazil Nut) trail. The massive castanheira is an attraction here, but we'll not take our eyes off the prize for long as this is a good area for Thrush-like Antpitta. The late afternoon is an excellent time of day to simply drift downstream in the boat searching for birds along the river's edge or heading to roost for the night. Three species of cracids are possible, and we may see a Sungrebe or a Rufescent Tiger-Heron.
DAY 10: Today we may either head back to the tower or bird a nearby trail to a salt lick inside the forest where Crimson-bellied Parakeet often descends to ingest minerals. This area is usually good for Lawrence's Thrush, Blue-crowned Trogon and White-bellied Tody-Tyrant in addition to Variegated Antpitta which we'll give a good effort if one is singing nearby. Vine tangles and bamboo forest on this loop trail could produce Dot-winged Antwren (of emiliae subspecies, possibly a good split), Blue-backed Manakin and Curve-billed Scythebill. On the way back to the lodge we'll check out a known Banded Antbird territory to try for this handsome low-density species.
Seasonal streams within tall terra firme forest are an interesting feature of the landscape along the Cristalino river. In the late afternoons, many different species of birds come to drink water and bathe in these streams. This phenomenon is most pronounced in the middle of the dry season before the streams dry up completely, but the streams attract birds year-round. If we pick a good spot we may see a number of hummingbirds splashing about at the edge of the water; Pectoral Sparrow and Cinereous Mourner are also both possible at the stream we'll visit.
DAY 11: For our final morning's birding we'll take a short boat ride to the foot of the Serra trail. This trail features a short climb up to a rocky outcropping with excellent views over the river and surrounding forest. The stunted semi-deciduous forest atop this dome holds
a number of species which are not found elsewhere around Cristalino. Some of these we will already have seen at the Rio Azul, but Pied and Spotted Puffbirds, Rufous Casiornis and Spotted Tanager may still be new. The Serra trail is one of two areas on the Rio Cristalino where the rare and outrageous Fiery-tailed Awlbill has been found in the past. Needless to say we'll sort carefully through any Black-throated Mangoes we see up here.
The afternoon is a bit of a wild card, but we may want to check out the extensive bamboo on either the Haffer or Taboca trails for Rufous-capped Nunlet or Chestnut-throated Spinetail. A delicious farewell dinner comprised of traditional local dishes will make you want to stay another week!
DAY 12: After an early breakfast we say our goodbyes and transfer to the Teles Pires river where we'll bird on the Butterfly trail before meeting with our transport back to Alta Floresta. After a farewell lunch in town, you will be shuttled to the airport for the early afternoon flight to Cuiabá where you may either spend the night or make onward connections to São Paulo and home.
PRICE: The cost of this tour is $2900 USD/CAD per person, starting and ending in Alta Floresta. The price includes all accommodation, food and drinking water throughout the tour, all local transport, translation services and professional birding guide throughout the trip. We will be happy to provide advice regarding domestic travel (by air or comfortable coach from Cuiabá) to help the tour begin and end smoothly.
[The tour price is based on exchange rates and local prices as of 01 May 2008 and is subject to change.]
Just one participant is required for this tour to run.
DIFFICULTY: Fairly easy. All birding is done from flat trails (with one more difficult trail at Cristalino), roads or a small boat. The heat and humidity, combined with long birding mornings, can wear Northern birders down. We will always rest in the afternoons after lunch during the heat of the day before starting out as bird activity starts to pick up again. A small fold-up portable chair or stool can be extremely useful.
CLIMATE: Hot and humid.
May is a transitional month between the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the dry. Rain is possible during our stay, but it is unlikely that it should interfere with our birding.
June marks the beginning of the dry season. Rain is quite unlikely during this time.
November is a transitional month between the end of the dry season and the beginning of the wet. Rain is possible during our stay, but it is unlikely that it should interfere with birding.
ACCOMMODATION: Good to very good. The cabins at the Pousada Rio Azul are rustic but have air-conditioning; the accommodation at the Cristalino Jungle Lodge is comfortable with ceiling fans. Food is excellent throughout. Power at both lodges is provided by a generator which is turned on during meals and in the evening for charging batteries.
For inquiries as to availability and pricing in other currencies, please contact us via e-mail at sclateria@yahoo.ca
DAY 2: This morning will be spent on the trail system in the forest at the hotel, which became famous in recent years thanks to its observable Harpy Eagle nest. While the birds are no longer actively nesting, there is always a slight possibility that we may find the juvenile. In part due to his fame, this young male apparently is rather accustomed to human proximity and is occasionally observed at forest edges near the hotel. Eagles aside, the hotel fragment is a good place to find a few species difficult elsewhere in the region such as Rufous-necked Puffbird, Cinnamon-throated Woodcreeper, Chestnut-tailed Antbird and Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant. We'll hear the haunting song of the Brazilian Tinamou, locally known as the 'clock partridge' for its mournful call marking each passing hour; the forest here is actually one of the best places to see this elusive bird, and if we hear one close by we'll give it a shot.
After lunch we load into pickups to transfer to the Pousada Rio Azul, roughly four hours over bumpy roads from Alta Floresta. We'll stop to look at a few birds along the way, including a try for Point-tailed Palmcreeper at a well-known stakeout. Species typical of the open cattle pastures along our route include Pearl Kite, Burrowing Owl, Orange-winged Amazon and Red-breasted Blackbird. A stop at a flooded area with many dead snags should produce Muscovy Duck and typically hosts many swifts and swallows. Night at the Pousada Rio Azul.
DAY 3: Waking up before dawn is a daily ritual for the naturalist in Amazonia. Thankfully we'll clear our bleary eyes with plenty of coffee, juice and a buffet breakfast each morning before the forest-falcons, tinamous and woodcreepers stir the first strains of the dawn chorus. This morning we'll head for the river, but not before trying for the Black-banded and Red-billed Woodcreepers which pass through the lodge clearing each day at dawn and dusk.
Our morning boat ride will take us to the forest reserve of a neighbouring ranch where we will bird the extensive stands of Guadua bamboo found within the selectively logged forest here in search of a number of species restricted to this special Amazonian habitat. Birding along the river before we reach the bamboo, we'll concentrate on finding a star bird of the Rio Azul - the spectacular Crimson Topaz. This ruby-and-gold giant is the largest hummingbird in Brazil and second largest in the world. On both of our trips in 2007 we found multiple individuals of this species along the river at a couple of locations. In October 2007 we saw no fewer than 5 in a single day! Other birds we should see from the river and on the short trail we walk to pass a set of rapids include Sunbittern, Great Black-Hawk, Speckled Chachalaca, Hoatzin, Sulphury Flycatcher and Spotted Tody-Flycatcher amongst a variety of toucans and aracaris, swifts and parrots - the river itself is an excellent place to see Bald Parrot.
A complex network of old logging roads crisscross the forest where we make landfall, and we'll use these roads and a couple of short trails to bird the bamboo. This habitat holds a number of specialist species, several of which are only found only in SE Peru and east Amazonian Brazil. These include the globally threatened Chestnut-throated Spinetail, Dusky-cheeked and Chestnut-crowned Foliage-gleaners, Manu Antbird, Striated Antbird of the subochracea subspecies (likely to be split as a separate species) and Dusky-tailed Flatbill. The logged terra firme forest here has White-throated Tinamou, Pavonine Quetzal, Paradise Jacamar, Tawny-throated Leaftosser, Black-faced Antthrush, Chestnut-belted Gnateater, Purple-throated Cotinga, White-browed Purpletuft and Tooth-billed Wren. After a full morning's birding we'll return to the lodge for a well-earned lunch and a rest.
Chestnut-belted Gnateater (Conopophaga aurita snethlageae)
In the Handbook of the Birds of the World, B. Whitney writes that the snethlageae race may be better treated as a full species, the Snethlage's Gnateater, in a return to Hellmayr's (1924) treatment. This one is common on the trails at the Rio Azul
After the break we'll climb into the lodge's truck and drive out into the open country of the nearby cattle ranches to look for a host of birds which have adapted to the man-made pastoral landscapes: Least Grebe, White-tailed, Snail and Pearl Kites, White-tailed Hawk, Orange-winged Amazon, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, and Grassland Sparrow are all out here. A stop at a man-made reservoir will have our best views of dozens of Red-bellied Macaws as they come to roost. Afterwards we'll drive up to a small hill overlooking the reservoir and a narrow strip of riparian forest dominated by palm trees, where we wait for the appearance of individuals from a small local population of Hyacinth Macaws. This bird is typically considered a specialty of the Pantanal, but there is a healthy population on the Serra do Cachimbo, the range of hills where the Rio Azul rises. Several pairs occur in the matrix of pasture land and riparian forest corridors on the ranches near the pousada, and we'll make a special effort to see this magnificent threatened macaw, the largest parrot in the world. Spotlighting on the way back to the lodge may turn up a Great Potoo or a Little Nightjar.
DAY 4: Birding this morning will be in a small patch of stunted campina, a type of shrubby forest found in white sandy soils. We'll try to get the specialties in as quickly as we can before the sun really begins to bake: Bronzy Jacamar, Natterer's Slaty-Antshrike, White-fringed Antwren, Black Manakin, Pale-bellied Mourner, "Campinarana" Flycatcher, White-naped Xenopsaris and Black-faced Tanager are all here. Green-tailed Goldenthroat and Amethyst Woodstar attend the many wildflowers at low levels along the birding track. The true spectacle of the morning will be the impressive numbers of macaws and parrots we'll see flying over the as they commute from roosts to feeding areas. Amongst the dozen or species to expect will be many Blue-and Yellow and Scarlet Macaws, White-eyed Parakeets, Orange-winged Amazon, Yellow-crowned Amazon and the poorly known Kawall's Amazon. We may also see the grostequely compelling Bald Parrot, a species first described to science in 2002 from this region. The species is often seen flying over the low campinas in singles or pairs.
After lunch and a break during the intense
early afternoon heat, the birding will begin mid-afternoon along the
short path to the river's edge. Between the lodge and the boat we may
find Blue-necked Jacamar or a Yellow-browed Antbird. River edge species
such as Striped Woodcreeper, Glossy Antshrike, Streaked Antwren and
Cinnamon Attila should make a quick look at a small oxbow lagoon
worthwhile before we climb into the boat for another look at the Rio
Azul. The recently split Madeira Parakeet occurs in large flocks along
the course of the river, and our boat trip should also produce
White-banded Swallow, Red-capped Cardinal, Swallow Tanager and perhaps
a Red-fronted Piping-Guan as we drift
downstream with the motor turned off. As we return to the lodge at dusk
we should see Short-tailed Nighthawk hawking the myriad insects over
the river; Ladder-tailed Nightjar is also possible.DAY 5: We'll start the morning with a look for the Yellow-browed Antbird which holds a territory near the lodge before starting our trail, an old road once used to transport boats around one of the many small rapids on the Rio Azul. The beginning of this track has been a good spot in our scouting trips for the Tapajós Hermit, a bird which has yet to be formally described as a full species. This species has been reported from the region as Dark-throated Hermit, Little Hermit and Hermit sp. nov., but it will apparently be described as Phaethornis aethopyga and named the Tapajós Hermit. It is common enough at the Pousada Rio Azul, where we found two individuals visiting flowering bushes in the lodge clearing at regular intervals throughout the day in May 2008! Other key species along the wide trail include Brown-banded Puffbird, Black-faced Antbird, Chestnut-belted Gnateater, Snow-capped Manakin, Guianan Gnatcatcher and Short-billed Honeycreeper. We'll walk as far as the river's edge, where we should find the handsome Flame-crowned Manakin in the stunted igapó.
In the afternoon we will either return to the stunted forest we birded on the Day 4 to mop up any specialties we may have missed the first time around, or we'll bird the taller campinarana forest alongside the stunted stuff. Our targets will include the scarce and poorly-known Cinnamon Manakin-Tyrant (I still prefer the name Neopipo!) as well as Plush-crested Jay and the area looks excellent for Rusty-breasted Nunlet. A wood-quail of uncertain identification but resembling Starred has been seen a couple of times in this forest. Canopy flocks at the edges may hold Black-girdled Barbet, Tooth-billed Wren, Guianan Gnatcatcher and White-vented and Rufous-bellied Euphonia.
DAY 6: This morning we'll return to the same neighbouring ranch by truck, using their access roads to reach the other side of the bamboo-dominated forest reserve. While a number of the specialties are the same, it's always a good idea to have two shots at the best species! A stop at the edge of the forest may produce Laughing Falcon, Spix's Guan and Amazonian Oropendola. In the past we have found Blackish and Manu Antbirds side by side at this location, along with Plain-crowned Spinetail and Large-headed Flatbill. Typically this stretch of road is so productive that we walk only a few hundred metres along it in the course of a morning's birding, progress being crushed by large mixed flocks and single singing skulkers. The bamboo-forest mosaic here is good for Chestnut-winged, Dusky-cheeked and Pará Foliage-gleaners as well as Broad-billed Motmot, Great Jacamar and Collared Puffbird. We may see a mixed flock form before our very eyes as a White-winged Shrike-Tanager calls them together; Rose-breasted Chat, Dusky-capped Greenlet, Sclater's Antwren and Rufous-tailed Xenops may heed the call, and they could be joined by Black-capped and Pink-throated Becard.
On the drive back for lunch we'll stop briefly at the ranch's reservoir, where we may find a Black-backed Water-Tyrant or Chestnut-bellied Seed-Finch.
The afternoon will be dedicated to a loop trail from the lodge clearing through seasonally flooded igapó forest and taller transitional terra firme-type forest. Key species are White-bearded Hermit, Golden-crowned Spadebill, Rufous-faced Antbird and Dot-backed Antbird in the igapó, and Pavonine Quetzal, White-bellied Tody-Tyrant, White-crested Spadebill, White-crowned and Fiery-capped Manakins and the fabulous Musician Wren in the tall forest. Arriving back to the clearing at dusk we should see Blackish Nightjar as it awakens on its day roost, and a late walk down the entrance road could turn up a Little Tinamou or Razor-billed Curassow as they forage along the edges of the track.
Spix's Warbling-Antbird (Hypocnemis striata)
A 'new' endemic species to Brazil now that the widespread Warbling Antbird has been split multiple ways. This one is common at both lodges.
A 'new' endemic species to Brazil now that the widespread Warbling Antbird has been split multiple ways. This one is common at both lodges.
DAY 7: Our last morning at the Rio Azul will be something of a wild card reserved for our needs amongst the special birds of the area, particularly those which we will not see at our next location.
After an early lunch we will head back toward Alta Floresta and the Teles Pires river where staff from the Cristalino Jungle Lodge will be awaiting us for the transfer by boat up the world famous Cristalino river. Night at the Cristalino Jungle Lodge.
DAY 8: Today we'll start well before dawn with a short boat trip to look for the incredible Zigzag Heron. This unique heron is rare throughout its wide range, but several pairs are resident on the Cristalino river and the local guides and boatmen know exactly where to look for this enigmatic bird. After breakfast we'll hit the extensive trail system behind the lodge on our way to Cristalino's showpiece attraction, the 50 metre (150 foot) canopy tower. The installation of this sturdy tower has made a number of difficult canopy-dwelling species much easier to find at Cristalino than elsewhere in the Amazon basin. Our targets here will include Yellow-shouldered Grosbeak, Paradise Tanager, Red-billed Pied-Tanager, Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher, Lineated Woodcreeper and Red-stained Woodpecker in mixed flocks, while scanning the many exposed perches could turn up an exquisite Pompadour Cotinga or a Striolated Puffbird. Raptors feature highly during most canopy sessions here, and we'll hope for a White-browed Hawk or an Ornate Hawk-Eagle. Eye-level flybys of three large macaws are not uncommon amongst the dozen or so pscittacids we could see here which also include White-bellied and Orange-cheeked Parrot. The canopy tower has platforms at three different levels, so even those less inclined to climb to the very top can bird productively.
In the afternoon we'll take a boat trip to the large Teles Pires river where we'll look for Amazonian Umbrellabird. A large island in this river is good for Glossy Antshrike, Rusty-backed Spinetail, Drab Water-Tyrant and Yellow-bellied Dacnis. A side trip to a set of smaller islands should produce the cute Amazonian Tyrannulet without much difficulty. Returning to the lodge in the evening we'll get the spotlights out to look for Ladder-tailed Nightjar, potoos and mammals such as Paca or perhaps the arboreal Kinkajou.
DAY 9: In four full days we really only manage to scratch the surface of the potential at the Cristalino river. Since a large number of the 'regular' species and a healthy proportion of the major targets should be taken care of, our birding strategy will not only be dictated by what we need, but also by our wildest dreams. The Cacau trail hosted a territorial Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo in 2007, and armed with tape of that species we'll search for antswarms, pig swarms and anything else a ground-cuckoo might follow. In the end we'll probably have to settle with Dark-winged Trumpeter, Cryptic Forest-Falcon, Chestnut-crowned Foliage-gleaner and Band-tailed Manakin.
We should be back at the lodge with plenty of time before lunch, so it might be interesting to sit on the floating dock with a cold drink in hand while keeping eyes open for soaring raptors or a flyby Orange-cheeked Parrot. Nearby Swallow-wings, kingfishers, or Red-capped Cardinals could provide photographic opportunities.
In the afternoon we will take a boat trip upriver as far as the Castanheira (Brazil Nut) trail. The massive castanheira is an attraction here, but we'll not take our eyes off the prize for long as this is a good area for Thrush-like Antpitta. The late afternoon is an excellent time of day to simply drift downstream in the boat searching for birds along the river's edge or heading to roost for the night. Three species of cracids are possible, and we may see a Sungrebe or a Rufescent Tiger-Heron.
DAY 10: Today we may either head back to the tower or bird a nearby trail to a salt lick inside the forest where Crimson-bellied Parakeet often descends to ingest minerals. This area is usually good for Lawrence's Thrush, Blue-crowned Trogon and White-bellied Tody-Tyrant in addition to Variegated Antpitta which we'll give a good effort if one is singing nearby. Vine tangles and bamboo forest on this loop trail could produce Dot-winged Antwren (of emiliae subspecies, possibly a good split), Blue-backed Manakin and Curve-billed Scythebill. On the way back to the lodge we'll check out a known Banded Antbird territory to try for this handsome low-density species.
Seasonal streams within tall terra firme forest are an interesting feature of the landscape along the Cristalino river. In the late afternoons, many different species of birds come to drink water and bathe in these streams. This phenomenon is most pronounced in the middle of the dry season before the streams dry up completely, but the streams attract birds year-round. If we pick a good spot we may see a number of hummingbirds splashing about at the edge of the water; Pectoral Sparrow and Cinereous Mourner are also both possible at the stream we'll visit.
DAY 11: For our final morning's birding we'll take a short boat ride to the foot of the Serra trail. This trail features a short climb up to a rocky outcropping with excellent views over the river and surrounding forest. The stunted semi-deciduous forest atop this dome holds
a number of species which are not found elsewhere around Cristalino. Some of these we will already have seen at the Rio Azul, but Pied and Spotted Puffbirds, Rufous Casiornis and Spotted Tanager may still be new. The Serra trail is one of two areas on the Rio Cristalino where the rare and outrageous Fiery-tailed Awlbill has been found in the past. Needless to say we'll sort carefully through any Black-throated Mangoes we see up here.The afternoon is a bit of a wild card, but we may want to check out the extensive bamboo on either the Haffer or Taboca trails for Rufous-capped Nunlet or Chestnut-throated Spinetail. A delicious farewell dinner comprised of traditional local dishes will make you want to stay another week!
DAY 12: After an early breakfast we say our goodbyes and transfer to the Teles Pires river where we'll bird on the Butterfly trail before meeting with our transport back to Alta Floresta. After a farewell lunch in town, you will be shuttled to the airport for the early afternoon flight to Cuiabá where you may either spend the night or make onward connections to São Paulo and home.
PRICE: The cost of this tour is $2900 USD/CAD per person, starting and ending in Alta Floresta. The price includes all accommodation, food and drinking water throughout the tour, all local transport, translation services and professional birding guide throughout the trip. We will be happy to provide advice regarding domestic travel (by air or comfortable coach from Cuiabá) to help the tour begin and end smoothly.
[The tour price is based on exchange rates and local prices as of 01 May 2008 and is subject to change.]
Just one participant is required for this tour to run.
DIFFICULTY: Fairly easy. All birding is done from flat trails (with one more difficult trail at Cristalino), roads or a small boat. The heat and humidity, combined with long birding mornings, can wear Northern birders down. We will always rest in the afternoons after lunch during the heat of the day before starting out as bird activity starts to pick up again. A small fold-up portable chair or stool can be extremely useful.
CLIMATE: Hot and humid.
May is a transitional month between the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the dry. Rain is possible during our stay, but it is unlikely that it should interfere with our birding.
June marks the beginning of the dry season. Rain is quite unlikely during this time.
November is a transitional month between the end of the dry season and the beginning of the wet. Rain is possible during our stay, but it is unlikely that it should interfere with birding.
ACCOMMODATION: Good to very good. The cabins at the Pousada Rio Azul are rustic but have air-conditioning; the accommodation at the Cristalino Jungle Lodge is comfortable with ceiling fans. Food is excellent throughout. Power at both lodges is provided by a generator which is turned on during meals and in the evening for charging batteries.
For inquiries as to availability and pricing in other currencies, please contact us via e-mail at sclateria@yahoo.ca
