SOUTHERN AMAZONIA
CRISTALINO JUNGLE LODGE AND THE RIO AZUL
Consult with us for your preferred dates
The southern reaches of the Brazilian Amazon are host to incredible biodiversity. The birding areas around the town of Alta Floresta alone have a combined bird list of more than 600 species (fully one third of the entire Brazilian bird list!) including dozens of endemics, near endemics, and range restricted species not easily found elsewhere. Add to this nearly 2000 species of butterfly, charismatic monkeys, a bald parrot, beautiful rivers in pristine forest, excellent accommodations, delicious local food, and TWO canopy towers... and we have the makings of a memorable birding and natural history tour.
About this tour - Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival in Alta Floresta in the afternoon or evening with the TRIP airline from Cuiabá. You will be met at the airport and taken to a comfortable hotel nearby with its own private rainforest reserve. For afternoon arrivals, we shall bird the grounds of the hotel and should see our first Blue-and-yellow and Chestnut-fronted Macaws in addition to noisy Crested Oropendolas and Thrush-like Wrens. This forest patch also hosts a resident pair of Harpy Eagles; as of December 2011 the eagle pair are nesting with the female presumed to be incubating. If the nesting attempt goes smoothly (this pair successfully reared chicks here in 2006 and 2008, respectively), we can expect excellent chances for Harpy Eagle at this site until July 2012. After a welcoming dinner there will be an optional owling walk where Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl and Crested Owl are possible. Night in Alta Floresta.
Day 2: Alta Floresta to the Rio Azul. An area of riverine forest west of town offers an excellent introduction to the birds of the Southern Amazon. We'll ease into the antbird extravaganza with chances for Glossy and Chestnut-backed Antshrikes, Amazonian Antwren, and Band-tailed Antbird. Near the river edges we'll look for Greater Schiffornis and Cinnamon Attila. Keeping a close eye on the canopy could produce a Spangled or Pompadour Cotinga sighting, along with perhaps Red-necked Aracari or Bare-necked Fruitcrow. Amazonian Antpitta is common at this site, and if we're fortunate to hear one fairly close to the road we'll give it our best shot.
After lunch we meet our transport to be taken to the Pousada Rio Azul, a 4 hour drive over fairly rough roads. A number of open country birds including Pearl Kite, Burrowing Owl and Red-breasted Blackbird may be seen over this drive, with chances for scarcer species such as White Hawk and Point-tailed Palmcreeper. We arrive at the lodge in time to get settled and wash up before the first of many sumptuous meals prepared by the owners of this family-run establishment. Night at Rio Azul Jungle Lodge.
Days 3-5: Pousada Rio Azul. We have three full days at the Pousada Rio Azul, an exciting new destination in the southern Brazilian Amazon. Originally opened as a fishing lodge, the pousada has been receiving birders since 2007, when Birding Mato Grosso first discovered the locale as an important site for a number of rare specialty species. The foremost of these species is the recently-discovered (2002) endemic, the Bald Parrot. This compelling species is as grotesquely beautiful as its name suggests. We’ll be patrolling the river and other favourite haunts of the parrot in our quest to see for ourselves its featherless orange head, but in the process won’t be able to ignore a bevy of Amazonian beauties like Sunbittern, Crimson Topaz, and Red-throated Piping-guan. We’ll bird trails in the riverine forests in search of Flame-crowned Manakin, Snethlage’s Gnateater, Guianan Gnatcatcher and Fulvous-crested Tanager. Antbirds abound here, and Yellow-browed, Spix’s Warbling, Black-faced and Dot-backed Antbirds should all be expected.
Birding around the lodge itself is often quite fruitful – the natural hummingbird garden created by planting native flowering bushes is active yar round: the usual suspects include Green-tailed Goldenthroat, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Black-eared Fairy, and Tapajos Hermit, while seasonal visitors include Black-bellied Thorntail and Amethyst Woodstar. We will also spend plenty of time and effort birding the entrance road to the lodge, where a stunted white sand forest holds a unique avifauna including Pale-bellied Mourner, Bronzy Jacamar, Natterer’s Slaty-Antshrike, Black Manakin and Spotted Puffbird. Beyond the entrance track in the neighbouring cattle ranches, we find incredible concentrations of parrots, with six macaw species including Hyacinth. The diversity at the Rio Azul is amazing, the birding incredible, but to date none of the birders I have taken to this lodge come away talking about birds! This family-run lodge is comfortable, quiet, and the personalized attention and above all, amazing food is always fondly remembered by happy visitors. Nights at Rio Azul Jungle Lodge.
Day 6: Rio Azul to Cristalino. We have a final morning at the Rio Azul to track down any target species we may not expect at Cristalino. After a farewell lunch we load into the lodge’s pickup to head to the banks of the Teles Pires river. Here we will be met by our local guide for the half hour transfer to Cristalino Jungle Lodge. It will be quite late in the afternoon by now, and we should see plenty of wildlife on the short trip to the lodge; birds should include the striking Capped Heron, pairs of Bat Falcons, and perhaps even Razor-billed Curassow. Night at Cristalino Jungle Lodge.
Days 7-11: Cristalino Jungle Lodge. There is little doubt that Cristalino Jungle Lodge is the finest birding destination in the Brazilian Amazon. With more than 20 kilometres of well-maintained trails, an uninhabited river, experienced and attentive staff, and two 50-metre canopy towers, it is nearly as an afterthought that we mention its bird list of more than 550 species. With five full days to explore the area, we’ll have time to visit the key birding sites. The showpiece canopy towers provide great views over the treetops and give us good chances of seeing coveted species such as Curl-crested Araçari, Yellow-shouldered Grosbeak, Pompadour and Spangled Cotinga along with White-bellied and Red-fan Parrot. Eye-level flyby views of Blue-and-yellow and Scarlet Macaws are common. The extensive trail system at the lodge provides the birder with access to bamboo and vine-rich terra firme forest with sought-after species like Curve-billed Scythebill and Rufous-capped Nunlet. Other trails takes us to atop a pair of granitic domes with more semi-deciduos forest and killer views of the surrounding canopy where we may find Pied and Brown-banded Puffbirds. Vast terra firme forests shelter leaftossers in their understorey haunts and are loaded with antbirds like Spot-backed, White-browed, Black-faced, Bare-eyed, and more. An active antswarm in the right place could be attended by Black-spotted Bare-eyes, Spix's Guans and perhaps even a band of the endemic Dark-winged Trumpeter. We’ll visit known leks to look for Snow-capped, Red-headed, Flame-crested and Band-tailed Manakins. The list of avian attractions goes on and on; there will be plenty to keep us busy every minute. To top of it all off, the excellent food, comfortable accommodations, icy cold caipirinhas and sinfully hot showers make it easy to unwind after a long day’s birding.
Nights at Cristalino Jungle Lodge.
Day 12: Return to Alta Floresta and departure. Final morning's birding at Cristalino before our transfer to Alta Floresta. After a farewell lunch in town, you will meet your early afternoon flight for Cuiabá and onward connections. Arrival in Cuiabá is scheduled for 15:55. If necessary, there are several convenient hotels near the airport in Cuiabá, and Birding Mato Grosso can arrange a reservation should you so desire.
About this tour - Price: The cost of this tour is $4600 USD per person in double occupancy. The tour begins and ends in Alta Floresta. Domestic travel within Brazil is not included in the tour price, however 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. If desired by the client, we are also happy to include travel from Cuiabá (also São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro) to Alta Floresta for the cost of the tickets. As of November 2011, return airfare Cuiabá - Alta Floresta costs $300 USD per person minimum; round trip bus fare is $170 USD per person.
About this tour - Timing:We can run this trip at any time of year, in accordance with your preferred dates. We are the only tour operator offering such an extensive itinerary in the Southern Amazon, and we are convinced that most birding tours that visit the region merely scratch the surface during a stay of 4 to 6 days. Our longer Southern Amazonia trips allow more time to really get to know the birds, to learn their habits, and to come to grips with rarer, low density species that other tour companies can only cross their fingers and hope for.
* Ask about our off-season discounts from December through April.
About this tour - Difficulty: Fairly easy. All birding is done from flat trails (with one more difficult traila 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.
About this tour - Climate: Hot and humid.
The Southern Amazonian region around Alta Floresta has two very different seasons - wet and dry. The wet season falls between roughly November and April, while the dry season is from June to October. Birding is possible throughout the year, with each different season offering its own rewards. Contact us for further information regarding the seasons, and the birding possibilities that each brings.
About this tour - Accommodation: Good to very good. The cabins at both lodges are comfortable and have ceiling fans, and the Rio Azul Jungle Lodge has air-conditioning as well. The showers at Cristalino Jungle Lodge are heated by solar power and are excellent; warm water for showers at Rio Azul Jungle Lodge is provided by electrical shower heads. Meals and buffet style and excellent throughout - the Rio Azul may have the best food in the Brazilian Amazon. Power at Cristalino is provided by a generator which is turned on during meals and in the evening for charging batteries - electrical current is 110V.
Photographic opportunities: Limited but worthwhile. Photography in dense rainforest can be difficult at times due to low light and shy subjects. Best photographic opportunities will be at the Rio Azul Jungle Lodge and the canopy towers at Cristalino. Photography on the Cristalino river is usually excellent. Macro photographers interested in insects, fungi, frogs and plants will be overwhelmed by the diversity of life in the Amazon rainforests.
For inquiries as to availability and pricing in other currencies, please contact us via e-mail at bradley@birdingmatogrosso.com.
all material on this site ©2011 Bradley Davis unless otherwise noted