Birding in Mato Grosso and Brazil

MATO GROSSO

ALTA FLORESTA

Floresta Amazônica Hotel
Nearly all birders who pass through Alta Floresta visit the Floresta Amazônica Hotel, where visitors to Cristalino Jungle Lodge are received. While many tour groups pass straight on through to the greater rewards at Cristalino, the grounds of the hotel are worth a full morning and an afternoon to watch macaws and other parrots going to roost. A number of surprises have shown up here over the years. The most famous surprise was of course the Harpy Eagle Harpia harpyja nest which was discovered in 2005, just 5 minutes from the swimming pool on the old Carapanauba trail. The first juvenile Harpy unfortunately did not survive post-fledging, but the young bird reared in 2006 was still being seen around the forest fragment at the end of 2007 and into 2008. By November 2008 the pair had refurbished their nest and was seen copulating; expect this species to once again be easily accessible until at least the end of 2009. Visitors are advised to ask at the hotel about seeing the eagles. Crested Eagle Morphnus guianensis has been seen in the fragment, and White-browed Hawk Leucopternis kuhli nests here as well.

The forest fragment is small enough (just 240 hectares) that a number of disturbance-sensitive species such as ground antbirds and furnarids have disappeared and mornings along the trails often seem eerily silent. However, it's still a good place to look for a few species including Crimson-bellied Parakeet Pyrrhura rhodogaster, Ringed Woodpecker Celeus torquatus, Red-necked Woodpecker Campephilus rubricollis, Rufous-necked Puffbird Malacoptila rufa (there is a reliable territory around the Harpy nest), Pied Puffbird Notharchus tectus, Cinnamon-throated Woodcreeper Dendrexetastes rufigula, White-shouldered Antshrike Thamnophilus aethiops and Chestnut-tailed Antbird Myrmeciza hemimelaena. While walking the trails listen for the insistent high-pitched calls of lekking Reddish Hermits Phaethornis ruber - with patience one can usually find a calling bird perched a metre or less off the ground. Great Jacamar Jacamerops aureus is common and vocal in the wet season in December and January, but either absent or totally unresponsive in the dry season. I have found the forest at the Floresta Amazonica to be a very reliable place to actually see Brazilian Tinamou Crypturellus strigulosis which can be done by imitating the bird's mournful song and sitting very still for a while.

Night birding at the hotel is productive; when the moon is full Great Potoo Nyctibius grandis is typically present and vocal around the lodge clearing. In June 2006 I found the first Long-tailed Potoo Nyctibius aethereus for the region along the old Carapanauba trail - this species has been recorded a number of times since then in the fragment (check out this photo by Nick Athanas). Both Crested Owl Lophostrix cristata and Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl Otus watsonii can be seen at forest edge after dark, though both species require some patience and restraint with tape. Pauraque Nyctidromis albicollis and Blackish Nightjar Caprimulgus nigrescens both occur around the sauna building.

There is a stocked fish pond at the back of the hotel property where some common water-based species can be found. Several macaw species can be seen without difficulty particularly in the afternoon.

There is a checklist for the Floresta Amazônica Hotel prepared by Alex Lees at: http://www.fah.com.br/fah/site/index2.php?pg=lista_aves

Perimetral Oeste
From the Floresta Amazônica Hotel, turn right on the dirt road (not left toward the airport). Several hundred metres along this road there is a small swamp with Mauritia palms. This area is an easy walk from the Floresta Amazônica and has Black-capped Donacobius, Gray-breasted Crake and Capybara. Listen for the machine-like cries of Red-fan Parrot; the species uses this corridor and crosses the road daily. If you stay until dusk you may find Collared Forest-Falcon or Short-tailed Nighthawk. In the dry season this is a very dusty road, particularly in the afternoon. In the wet season the low section at the swamp is usually quite muddy.

Rio Santa Helena
This site lies 30 kilometres west of Alta Floresta on the MT-208 (heading for Nova Monte Verde and Nova Bandeirantes). At the second bridge there is a small snack bar on the north side of the road where one can eat fresh fried fish. The riparian corridor here is good for a number of riverine species such as Sungrebe, Glossy Antshrike, Plain-crowned Spinetail, Spotted Tody-Flycatcher, Gray-chested Greenlet and Red-capped Cardinal. During a recent morning's fishing at the small river we had Red-throated Caracaras and saw a White-tailed Kite in pasture land closer to Alta Floresta. A friend reports that he has seen Giant Otters here once. As of June 2008 the paved section of the MT-208 ends here, but paving is in progress and eventually the road will be paved as far as Nova Monte Verde.

There is good access to the riparian forest before the bridge as well. Turn left onto an obvious dirt road 25.8 km from the main entrance to Alta Floresta and drive straight on this road (don't veer left) until the river. The scrubby vegetation near the bridge is an excellent place to see Amazonian Antpitta, Greater Schiffornis, Glossy Antshrike, Silvered Antbird, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Band-tailed Manakin and others. This riparian corridor is connected to a large forest patch, and large species such as macaws, spider monkeys and even Harpy Eagle are all here.

MT-010 marshes
3.5km east of the Posto Locatelli service station there is a 'laticínio', a milk processing plant. Turn right on the dirt track immediately before this (this is the MT-010); 800 metres along this road there is a good-sized marsh with Snail Kite, White-headed Whistling-Duck and both Gray-breasted and Rufous-sided Crakes amongst a number of other common species (Giant Cowbird). In the late afternoon you may see a procession of common psittacids such as Chestnut-fronted and Red-bellied Macaws, White-eyed Parakeets, Blue-headed Parrots and Yellow-crowned and Mealy Amazons. Another 3.5km further I have had Kawall's Amazon at the power line cut in disturbed roadside forest. The road continues through cattle pastures, passing the occasional marsh and Mauritia palm swamp. 800 metres beyond the church there is another small marsh with Gray-breasted and Ash-throated Crake. The road continues south for many kilometres through mostly uninteresting cattle pasture.

CRISTALINO JUNGLE LODGE
One of the premier birding destinations in the Brazilian Amazon. Cristalino Jungle Lodge combines world-class facilities and service with some of the best birding in South America. The lodges offers a range of accommodation options at varying price levels, all of which are actually quite reasonable considering the lodge package is full board and includes transportation to and from the site, daily boat trips, bilingual naturalist guide, and access to more than 20 kilometres of trails and the finest canopy tower in the Americas. The lodge bird list is now well over 550 species; most birders spend less than a week at the lodge which is hardly enough time to do the place justice.

>>> WHERE TO FIND THE SPECIALTIES AT CRISTALINO JUNGLE LODGE <<<

 Also, have a look at the following trip reports for further information:
Scott Olmstead and Erin Brandt - 23 May - 28 July 2006
Mark Pretti and Karen Blumenthal - 20 August - 15 November 2005
Frank Lambert and Joe Tobias - 28 March - 27 June 2004
Bradley Davis - 18 January - 08 April 2004 - this report is the unedited version of my report, which they posted by accident!
Alexander Lees - 03 April - 19 June 2004

SÃO FELIX DO ARAGUAIA

POUSADA KURYALA

This fishing lodge sits on the west bank of the Araguaia river immediately downstream of its confluence with the Rio das Mortes, 14 KM by dirt road from the town of São Felix do Araguaia. São Felix is easiest reached by small plane from Brasilia (with Sete Linhas Aereas, an air-taxi company) or from Goiânia (in the owner’s private plane). The accommodation here is good if a bit rustic, and rooms have ceiling fans and air-conditioning. The showers here are undoubtedly the best I’ve ever had anywhere in the Amazon basin. The food is very good and they have a nice lounge with satellite television and some well lit corners to write up notes while having a cold beer and snacking on freshly fried fish.

Kuryala is an excellent place to see the Bananal endemics in comfort; during our December 2008 stay up to six Crimson-fronted Cardinals could be seen at once on the rice feeders beside the restaurant, joining Orange-fronted Yellow-Finches and even Giant Wood-Rails amongst other more common species. We also had Araguaia Spinetail in the slender bamboo below the boardwalks a couple of times; the species seemed common throughout the area in fact. Just upstream from the lodge there is a reliable spot for Scarlet-throated Tanager (at its westernmost range limit here) – the local guides should know it, ask about the ‘madrugador’.

Birding on the Araguaia river itself is superb. The sandbar island in front of the lodge was frequented each night by a flock of roosting Orinoco Geese; one morning we counted 49 individuals on the beach at dawn. The Ilha do Bananal is one of the remaining strongholds for this Near-threatened species, and we saw at least a few pairs during any given boat trip on the Araguaia and the Rio das Mortes. Hoatzin and Osprey were both ridiculously common along the rivers. Stopping on almost any of the scrub-covered successional river islands should produce a spinetail which may represent a new species from the genus Certhiaxis. We found a co-operative pair of Zigzag Heron in a tiny oxbow on the Rio das Mortes just upstream from its mouth; we also found Riverside Tyrant (subspecies xinguensis) and Amazonian Black-Tyrant in the same area. Glossy Antshrike, Amazonian Tyrannulet and Stripe-necked Tody-Tyrant are all abundant in thick vegetation along the rivers. A 45-minute boat trip up the Rio das Mortes to a confusing set of narrow channels referred to locally as the ‘riozinho’ is worthwhile. This area is good for Agami Heron (better June-July but we still found one adult), Sungrebe and sometimes Horned Screamer. In the more extensive patches of water hyacinths were Least Bittern and Azure Gallinule. Dense riverine vegetation on quiet oxbows is the habitat for the Bananal Antbird which we found in this area as well. Giant Otters and Gray River Dolphins are common throughout the area and we had repeated excellent sightings of both of these charismatic mammals. Black Caiman is also reasonably common in the region, and we managed to find a couple of nice specimens but unfortunately none of the truly spectacular 5+ metre animals which are said to occur here.

The scrubby habitat immediately behind the lodge can be worth part of a morning or an afternoon. Cinereous-breasted Spinetail (abundant), Riverside Tyrant, Ashy-headed Greenlet and Scarlet-throated Tanager can all be found here. Pavonine Cuckoo was heard with some frequency but always seemed to be singing from far off. Past the first patch of dry gallery forest (coming from the lodge) the entrance road passes through some cerrado-like habitat where Chestnut-bellied Guan occurs.

A morning spent at the neighbouring Fazenda Sucupira was also productive. Here the habitat is lightly grazed and overgrown pastures interspersed with some areas of excellent cerrado. We easily saw Collared Crescentchest near the elevated entrance road and heard several other individuals elsewhere on the ranch. Greater Rhea, Long-tailed Ground-Dove, Spot-backed Puffbird and Capped Seedeater were in the overgrown pastures, and the cerrado held Red-legged Seriema, Chapada Flycatcher and White-rumped Tanager. We drove as far as a small lake but there were no birds aside from a flock of Red-shouldered Macaws, probably due to the late hour.

The staff at Kuryala were keen to show us a nearby lake where they said there were ‘lots of birds’. While our success here was limited (lots of Chestnut-bellied Guans, Spot-backed Puffbird, Yellow Tyrannulet) I understand that Edson Endrigo and Luis Fabio Silveira found Riverside Tyrant here. There were lots of mosquitoes here, but it seemed to be an excellent place to see both Undulated and Small-billed Tinamou. The two endemic spinetail taxa were also easy here.

We spent five nights at the lodge and that was more than enough time to see almost everything. It was only on our second-to-last evening that I learned that Luis Fabio Silveira found Maranhão Hermit here as well, and that went down as our only big miss. The lodge caters mostly to Brazilian catch-and-release sport fishermen, and it would be advisable to book well in advance if possible if for no other reason than to take advantage of a considerable discount on the expensive flight from Brasilia. We called at the last minute and were fortunate that the fishing season is closed from November to March and they were able to attend us exclusively.

BARRA DO GARÇAS

Barra is a pleasant city located on the west bank of the Araguaia river on the state border with Goiás. The BR-070 from Chapada dos Guimarães is entirely paved and in excellent condition making it a far better option between Cuiabá and Goiânia or Brasilia than the heavily-transited (and potholed) BR-364 via Rondonópolis. Greater Rhea is common all along the highway in agricultural fields and cerrado and I have seen Bare-faced Curassow on the roadsides a few times in mornings and afternoons, especially just west of Vila Paredão.

The Araguaia Park Hotel is the best place to stay in Barra and aside from excellent comfort and value it also has Red-shouldered Macaw on the grounds in the mornings.

PARQUE ESTADUAL DA SERRA AZUL

This park covers 11 002 hectares of cerrado and gallery forest above the town of Barra do Garças and the Araguaia river on the state border with Goiás. Entry is free and the gates are open 7 days a week from 06:00 to 18:00. There is a nice lookout with a Cristo Redentor at 610 m ASL with good views of the town and the Araguaia and Garças rivers. The park is an agreeable place to spend a morning or afternoon en route from Cuiabá to Goiás or Brasilia.

Look for Red-and-green Macaw along the cliffs on your left as you ascend the entrance road and Red-legged Seriemas near the park headquarters. From the headquarters follow signs to the waterfalls (cachoeiras) and you will descend a short rutted track to some decent gallery forest surrounded by cerrado. Here I had a mix of Amazonian and typical birds of this habitat including White Hawk and Black-fronted Nunbird, Pheasant Cuckoo, Blond-crested Woodpecker, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Planalto Slaty-Antshrike, Black-capped Antwren, Sirystes and Red-legged Honeycreeper amongst others.

NOBRES

The small town of Nobres lies 150 kilometres north of Cuiabá on the south slopes of the Serra Azul, the range of hills which divide the Amazon and Paraguay river basins in Mato Grosso. The limestone formations, unexplored caverns, crystal clear rivers and waterfalls mean the Nobres area is due to become a hotspot for tourists much in the way Bonito (in Mato Grosso do Sul) has. We visited attractions around the village of Bom Jardim, 72 kilometres east of Nobres on good dirt roads – the village is small, but there are food and accommodations available, in addition to local guides and gasoline. We stayed at the Pousada Bom Jardim (www.pousadabomjardim.com) which was acceptable.

The habitat here is cerrado and gallery forest with many Mauritia palm groves. Point-tailed Palmcreeper seemed to be common in the area; we heard a pair just east of the village near the Balneário Estivado, where we also had a Green-and-rufous Kingfisher and Sulphury Flycatcher. A nearby flooded field had Green Ibis, Blue Ground-Dove, many Red-bellied Macaws and a Bare-necked Fruitcrow. One of the key attractions in the area is the Recanto Ecológico do Lago Azul, 12 kilometres west of Bom Jardim. Here tourists can snorkel in a deep limestone pool surrounded by tropical fish, followed by snorkeling in the Rio Salobra. The entrance road here was very good for Red-legged Seriema and Savanna Hawk. In the gallery forests along the Salobra we had Large-billed Antwren, White-eyed Attila and Band-tailed Manakin, and a nearby Mauritia grove held Point-tailed Palmcreeper.

An interesting afternoon can be had at the Lagoa das Araras, a flooded palm swamp located on the southern edge of the village of Bom Jardim. The swamp is located on private property and a guide is necessary; there is a R$10 per person entry fee. Many species of parrots and woodpeckers use the area throughout the day and as a night roost. We saw Snail Kite, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Red-bellied Macaw, Red-shouldered Macaw, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Orange-winged Amazon, Green-barred Woodpecker and White Woodpecker in a short time before dusk. According to our guide, the species mix changes over time and even vagrant Hyacinth Macaws have appeared here in the past.

From Bom Jardim we continued to Chapada dos Guimarães via the MT-351 to the Usina do Manso. The cerrado just south of Bom Jardim had some typical birds including White-eared Puffbird, Toco Toucan, Little Woodpecker, Suiriri Flycatcher, Gray Monjita, White-naped Xenopsaris and Plumbeous Seedeater.

SÃO JOSE DO RIO CLARO

POUSADA JARDIM DA AMAZÔNIA

This lodge is located 17 km south of São José do Rio Claro and some four hours drive from Cuiabá (350 km). São José lies in the ecotone between the cerrado and the Amazon rain forest – the drive from Cuiabá offers neither, with vast swathes of habitat ploughed under to plant soybeans and sugar cane. The lodge setting, however, is idyllic, at the edge of a Mauritia palm grove on the banks of the Rio Claro, with crystal clear natural aquariums and a beautiful clear water stream running nearby. Accommodations are full board and excellent, with hot water showers, fans in the rooms, and pleasant balconies overlooking the aquarium and the river. The food is typically excellent Brazilian fare served buffet style. Even during a holiday long weekend, the staff graciously prepared early breakfasts for us – they will get used to birders’ hours with more visitors.

The principal attraction at the Jardim da Amazônia for most will be the recently rediscovered Cone-billed Tanager Conothraupis mesoleuca. Marcelo Padua of Manakin Tours found the species here in May 2009 and it has been seen fairly reliably since then, including during our two-night visit in September 2009. To see the tanager, you need to arrange a boat trip to the Lagoa da Sucurí. The pousada will provide boat and pilot, but this trip is an extra not included in the price of the accommodations. On the river and at the lagoa we also found Black-collared Hawk Busarellus nigricollis, Scaled Pigeon Patagioenas speciosa, Greater Ani Crotophaga major, Green-tailed Goldenthroat Polytmus theresiae, Spotted Puffbird Bucco tamatia, Flame-crested Manakin Heterocercus lineatus, Sulphury Flycatcher Tyrannopsis sulphurea, Gray-chested Greenlet Hylophilus semicinereus and of course, Cone-billed Tanager Conothraupis mesoleuca.

Point-tailed Palmcreeper Berlepschia rikeri is common around the lodge itself, as are Red-shouldered Diopsittaca nobilis and Red-bellied Macaws Orthopsittaca manilata. Both Frilled Lophornis magnificus and Dot-eared Coquettes L. gouldii are said to occur in the lodge garden, but we did poorly with hummingbirds in September, with little aside from Reddish Hermit Phaethornis ruber, Long-billed Starthroat Heliomaster longirostris and a very aggressive male Fork-tailed Woodnymph Thalurania furcata which lorded over the flowers. The track to the fish tanks and the area around the tanks are good for edge species: we had Madeira Parakeet Pyrrhura snethlageae, Blue Ground-Dove Claravis pretiosa, Blackish Nightjar Caprimulgus nigrescens, Brown Jacamar Brachygalba lugubris, Red-necked Araçari Pteroglossus bitorquatus, Cream-coloured Woodpecker Celeus flavus, Amazonian Antshrike Thamnophilus amazonicus and Red-legged Honeycreeper Cyanerpes cyaneus.

We only had limited time on the lodge’s trail system, but still managed to find some good birds on the tracks through wide forest (the Trilha do Jatobá) during a single morning and a bit of an afternoon. The avifauna here included a number of the southern Amazonian specialties amongst our haul of species including Spix’s Guan Penelope jacquacu, Black-bellied Cuckoo Piaya melanogaster, Gould’s Toucanet Selenidera gouldii, Black-girdled Barbet Capito dayi, Uniform Woodcreeper Hylexetastes perrotii uniformis, Elegant Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus elegans, Sclater’s Antwren Myrmotherula sclateri, Blackish Antbird Cercomacra nigrescens, Chestnut-tailed Antbird Myrmeciza hemimelaena, Black-spotted Bare-eye Phlegopsis nigromaculata, Snow-capped Manakin Lepidothrix nattereri, Fiery-capped Manakin Machaeropterus pyrocephalus, Snethlage’s Tody-Tyrant Hemitriccus minor, Rufous-bellied Euphonia Euphonia rufiventris, and Yellow-backed Tanager Hemithraupis flavicollis.

We saw Peruvian Spider Monkey Ateles chamek near the lodge. The Rio Claro is supposed to be an excellent place to see large Green Anacondas Eunectes murinus, but we had no luck during our short visit.

The lodge has a website: www.jdamazonia.com.br