Northeastern Brazil Feb 03—20, 2007
Posted by Andrew Whittaker
Andrew Whittaker
Andrew Whittaker's passion for birding and natural history started at the early age of seven in the UK. Since 1982 Andy has worked and studied birds worldwide in C...Related Trips
Again this year the arid caatinga of Northeastern Brazil was undergoing a major drought, with many areas suffering the effects of months without any precipitation. In spite of this, our trip was one of our best ever, with countless memorable highlights and superb birding throughout. However, one negative effect was that we suffered a distinct lack of any waterbirds this year. Rains did arrive in the form of a strong cold front while we were in the well-named "wet forest" at Boa Nova, where we can all confirm it was very, very wet!
We began in the beach resort of Fortaleza and, from there, ascended to the cooler forested slopes of the Serra do Baturité. Forested trails treated us to our best views ever of the highly threatened Gray-breasted Parakeet, as well as close encounters with breathtaking Red-necked Tanagers, Ochraceous Piculet, Gould's Toucanet, Buff-breasted Tody-Tyrant, Ceará Gnateater, Band-tailed Manakin, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, and the rarely seen Spot-winged Wood-Quail, a pair of which gave amazing close views and serenaded us with their antiphonal duet.
The Chapada do Araripe produced an array of special birds, from the outrageous Blond-crested Woodpecker to the unique Great Xenops, not to mention dazzling White-naped Jays and the improbable Red-billed Scythebill. But it was the male Araripe Manakin, a stunning study in crimson, black, and white, that really stole the show. Described to science in 1999, it remains known from only a couple of locations. We have been fortunate to find it on every tour to this region since its discovery. While the manakin may have taken honors for beauty, the confiding White-browed Antpitta was a clear winner for personality, as it walked circles around us at point-blank range, while singing and shaking its rear end in the finest samba tradition of Carnival.
Farther south, we penetrated the most arid part of the caatinga, where columnar cacti, thorn-scrub, and terrestrial bromeliads dominate the landscape. Here, as usual, birds were abundant; Pygmy Nightjar, Caatinga Parakeet, Red-legged Seriema, Spot-backed Puffbird, Caatinga Cacholote, Red-shouldered Spinetail, Stripe-backed Antbird, Pectoral Antwren, White Monjita, Greater and Lesser wagtail-tyrants, Xenopsaris, Scarlet-throated Tanager, Red-cowled Cardinal, and Campo Oriole were just a few of the many special birds seen well in this region.
Jeremoabo once again treated us to outstanding views of the spectacular and highly endangered Lear's (or Indigo) Macaw. We enjoyed some of our finest views ever of these stunning parrots when a pair flew into a tree right next to us and perched in exquisite sunlight.
Our new location of Eco Park at Una was superb in spite of the poor weather, rewarding us with spectacular studies of superb male Eastern Striped Manakin (on the lek); multiple hummingbirds including Rufous-throated Sapphire, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, and Black-eared Fairy; Red-billed Scythebill (rare nominate form); Scaled Antbird; and Band-tailed Antwren. The canopy walkway through the rich bromeliad gardens was also a highlight.
A stop in the Itabuna area once again paid off in a stellar performance by the odd Pink-legged Graveteiro, an acrobatic member of the Furnariidae just described to science in 1996. Jequié produced great studies of an amazingly confiding pair of endemic Slender Antbirds, both White-browed and Rusty Margined guans, Blue-winged Macaw, Spotted Piculet, Silvery-cheeked Antshrike, and Narrow-billed Antwren.
The humid forest at Boa Nova was alive with birds, among them Gilt-edged and Brazilian tanagers, Crescent-chested Puffbird, Striated Softtail, Bahia Spinetail, Spot-backed and Tufted antshrikes, Spot-breasted Antvireo, Rio de Janeiro Antbird, and Fork-tailed Tody-Tyrant. Unfortunately, rain forced us to leave the higher forest just as we had found the new Tapaculo species which, despite being close, remained unseen. However, we did find one of the few known nests of Pin-tailed Manakin.
Chapada de Diamantina always provides an exceptional scenic backdrop for some very special birds, and this time was no different. We particularly enjoyed the stunning Hooded Visorbearer, as well as point-blank looks at a pair of a soon-to-be-described species of Formicivora antwren. Biscutate Swift, Velvety Black-Tyrant, Collared Crescent-chest, Pale-throated Serra Finch, and Stripe-tailed Yellow-Finch were just a few of the many other specialties recorded from this area.
The Alagoas Extension produced the mammal highlight of our trip in the form of a rarely seen maned three-toed sloth, an endangered endemic of the Atlantic rainforest species. However, the mammal prize has to go to the endearing groups of white-eared (tufted) marmosets we saw playing on several occasions on the main trip.
Conditions on the Alagoas Extension were rather wet, but despite this we had excellent birding. Over the next two days Murici gave us nonstop action with spectacular studies of the flaming orange, yellow, and green Jandaya Parakeets, great studies of the odd Black-headed Berryeater, Long-tailed Woodnymph, Alagoas Antwren and a last minute Orange-bellied Antwren, Scalloped Antbirds, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Blue-backed and Red-headed manakins, and knockout Seven-colored Tanagers. However, the highlights were excellent views of the rarest of all northeast endemics, the Alagoas Foliage-gleaner (known from 2 forest fragments), whose known population consists of as few as 3 to 4 pairs. Also, for the first time ever on any Northeastern Brazil trip, we had wonderful studies of Least Bittern.
Our new beach resort at Tamandaré was a delight; here we found a huge migration of 10,000 + Manx Shearwaters offshore. The three forest reserves rewarded us with some magical views of many endangered endemics and more, in spite of the rain. Channel-billed Toucan (stunning ariel subspecies), Yellow-backed and Brazilian tanagers, Pinto's Spinetail, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Willis's Antbird, Smokey-fronted Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-faced Siskin, and Forbe's Blackbird were just a few of the many prizes from this area.
Altogether, a great group of birders shared many marvelous birding and cultural experiences, good times, and much good food while racking up a large number of rare Brazilian endemics totaling a wonderful 412 species of birds recorded. I eagerly await my next trip to this wonderful corner of Brazil.