Day 1: Our first day will start with an early departure to NOVA FRIBURGO (+/-3hrs [150Km]). Located in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro State, the main location for us here will be the Pico da Caledônia, in the Serra dos Órgãos, that reaches 2255 meters in altitude, one of the highest mountains in Rio de Janeiro. To reach an altitude where it is possible to see the range-restricted endemic Grey-winged Cotinga, we will have to do a moderate hike along the road, from 1800m to 2000m to reach the ideal spot to scan for our main target.
There are many other fantastic birds in the area and over the full two days we have here we will be on the lookout for them. Perhaps the next most sought-after bird here is the Black-and-gold Cotinga. The combination of their songs will produce an unforgettable soundscape! We will also search for some Atlantic Forest Highland-loving and middle elevation birds such as the colorful Diademed Tanager, Large-tailed Antshrike, Rufous-tailed Antbird, Serra do Mar Tyrannulet, Rufous-backed Antvireo, Bay-chested Warbling-Finch, White-browed Woodpecker, Saffron Toucanet and a lovely and unique hummingbird, the Green-crowned Plovercrest, along with many others.
Day 2: Today we will have a full day of birding the highlands around Nova Friburgo.
Day 3: We will spend a final morning looking for any of the targets we have yet to see around Nova Friburgo before moving on to nearby REGUA (Cachoeiras de Macacu-RJ) (+/-1.25hrs [60Km]), a lovely private reserve where we will have lunch and afternoon birding.
REGUA (Ecological Reserve of Guapiaçu) is a Private Reserve with more than 9,000 hectares of protected lowland and foothill forest. Nicholas Locke and his family dedicate their lives to protect and conserve this region, purchasing areas to conserve and restore the Atlantic Forest. The area comprises exuberant patches of Atlantic Forest, has good lodging and is overall a great place to go birding.
Being at a lower elevation than Nova Friburgo, we will get a different suite of bird species. Perhaps the most desired bird here is also one of the rarest and most difficult birds of the southeast; the Brazilian Laniisoma (aka Shrike-like Cotinga) and we will need a slice of good fortune to connect with one. Other birds we will be on the lookout for include several “ant-things” such as [Silvery] White-flanked Antwren, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Unicolored Antwren, Scaled Antbird, White-bibbed Antbird, Southern Antpipit as well as Yellow-eared Woodpecker, the stunning Green-headed Tanager, Rufous-capped Motmot, and many other Atlantic Forest species. Here, we will also try to see some crepuscular and night birds, like the Giant Snipe, Tawny-browed Owl and the rare Long-tailed Potoo.
Day 4: After our morning session of birding at REGUA we will begin the transfer to ITATIAIA (+/-4hrs [275Km]). This is one of the most famous destinations for birding in southeast Brazil and we will aim to arrive with a couple hours of daylight to get a taste of the area. Itatiaia National Park, comprising 28,000 hectares ranging from 600 to 2800 meters of altitude, was the first National Park in Brazil, created in 1937. This altitudinal gradient provides a variety of environments, from humid Atlantic Forest in lower elevations to Mountaintop Grasslands in higher elevations, ensuring a rich avifauna. We will be exploring different altitudinal gradients that hold great endemics of the Atlantic Forest and many bamboo specialists.
Day 5: Today we will have a full day of birding in Itatiaia National Park. One of the most special birds here has the National Park name; the Itatiaia Spinetail, a bird of higher elevations that occurs right up near the mountain peaks. On the way to the mountaintops we will have the chance to see other highland birds such as Buff-throated Warbling-Finch, Mouse-colored Tapaculo, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, Great Pampa Finch, Velvety Black-Tyrant, Blue-billed Black-Tyrant, Serra do Mar Tyrant-Manakin, Thick-billed Saltator, Rufous-tailed Antthrush and more opportunities for several of the birds we will have looked for at Nova Friburgo.
In the lower elevations we will be on the lookout for the gorgeous Gilt-edged and Brassy-breasted tanagers, Ochre-rumped and Ferruginous antbirds, Spot-breasted Antvireo, White-collared Foliage-gleaner, Frilled Coquette, Surucua Trogon, Eared Pygmy-Tyrant and many more.
Day 6: After a morning of birding in the lower elevations of Itatiaia NP we will transfer to PARATY (+/-4hrs [200Km]). On this day we go from approximately 2000m in Itatiaia, to sea-level in Paraty.
Paraty, the southernmost coastal municipality of Rio de Janeiro State, is one of the most famous touristic destinations of the state and is well known for its preserved colonial architecture and beautiful beaches. The city’s cultural vibes blend in well with the lush green forest corridor of the Serra do Mar (direct translation: mountains of the sea). We will stay in a hotel in downtown Paraty.
Day 7: Our morning birding session will take place a bit to the northeast of Paraty before we make the short transfer to UBATUBA (+/-1½hrs [70Km]) in time for lunch. Our primary focus for the morning will be one of the most range-restricted Brazilian endemics, the Black-hooded Antwren but there are many other delightful birds we could encounter here: Fork tailed Pygmy-Tyrant, Yellow-throated Woodpecker, Scaled Antbird, Orange-eyed Thornbird, Riverbank Warbler and Green-headed Tanager among them.
The area around Ubatuba is very diverse with much of the forest being protected by the Serra do Mar State Park, which comprises 332,000 hectares, almost the entire São Paulo State coast. In the afternoon we will be birding a couple sites including at a nice feeder setup at the private Ninho da Cambacica property.
Day 8: We will have a full day of birding around Ubatuba. Special birds in this area include the understated Fork-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant and Sao Paulo Bristle-Tyrant, Ochre-breasted Foliage-gleaner, the cute Black-cheeked Gnateater, Chestnut-bellied Euphonia, Skulky Slaty Bristlefront and Rufous-capped Antthrush, Buff-throated Purpletuft (if we’re lucky) and yet another stunning Tanager - Red-necked. At Ninho da Cambacica, there are a wide selection of possible hummingbirds including: Saw-billed and Scale-throated Hermits, Brazilian Ruby, Sombre Hummingbird, Black Jacobin and the stunning little Festive Coquette!
Day 9: After a final morning birding around Ubatuba we will make the transfer to Campos do Jordão (+/-3hrs [150Km]) where we will aim to arrive in time for some afternoon birding at higher elevations.
Day 10: A full day birding around Campos do Jordão. Situated in the Serra da Mantiqueira mountain range, Campos do Jordão is the highest Brazilian city with an altitude of 1628m and is a popular touristic destination, especially in the winter, due to its low temperatures and European architecture. There are a lot of forest patches nearby with significant remnants of Araucaria forest, a unique habitat type. We will be birding in a few of these patches so there will be a bit of driving time involved.
There are many wonderful birds that we will be on the lookout for. Foremost among these are the threatened Vinaceous-breasted Parrot and the Black-capped Piprites, our main targets in this location. Other birds of note in the area are White-spotted Woodpecker, Sharp-billed Treehunter, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, Rufous-backed Antvireo, Serra do Mar Tyrannulet, Brown-breasted Pygmy-Tyrant, Plush-crested Jay, Thick-billed Saltator, Diademed Tanager and many more. We also have chances for Rufous-tailed Antthrush, always a difficult bird to see, Swallow-tailed Cotinga and Rusty-barred Owl.
Day 11: Morning birding around Campos do Jordão followed by transfer to TANQUÃ – Piracicaba (+/-4.5hrs [300km]). Tanquã is a small village located in an area known as the “Mini Pantanal Paulista”. It is a flooded area around the Piracicaba River and a result of a dam created in the 60’s that now attracts lots of aquatic birds. In 2014 there was a great movement of birdwatchers at Tanquã because there was another proposed dam project in this area that would flood everything, changing the environment for birds, biodiversity and also threatening the local community’s livelihood (the village depends on fishing and tourism). After the protests by birdwatchers and other groups, now the area is protected by State law and it has become a premier birding destination in São Paulo State! In general, a very fun and easy place to go birding.
Day 12: Birding at Tanquã will be a bit different than what we have experienced thus far with many aquatic and open area species. This is one of the very best places anywhere to see Yellow-breasted Crake, a widespread but sparsely populated species. There are other interesting crakes and rails we could find here, such as Rufous-sided Crake, Ash-throated Crake, Spotted Rail and Plumbeous Rail.
The aquatic habitats are great for a variety of waterfowl and alongside the more widespread species we will hope to spot Rosy-billed Pochard and Silvery Teal as well as the impressive Jabiru and diminutive Crested Doradito.
After our morning birding we will transfer to INTERVALES STATE PARK (Ribeirão Grande) (+/ 3½hrs[230Km]) where we will get settled into our lodgings and do a little birding around the grounds before dinner. We may opt to do some night-birding as well and we will aim to find Long-tufted Screech-Owl, Black-capped Screech-Owl and Long-trained Nightjar.
Day 13-14: We will have two full days of birding in Intervales State Park, one of the most famous Brazilian birding destinations. Part of the same forest as our next stop, PETAR, Intervales is one of the most exciting places to bird in the southeast, having many roads and trails to explore inside the park and a list of over 400 bird species! We will be sleeping and eating practically inside the forest as well, so in “resting hours” anyone can feel free to explore the surroundings.
Intervales has a never-ending list of great birds to see a few of which are Black-fronted Piping-Guan, Dusky-throated Hermit, Violet-crowned Plovercrest (we will have seen it’s cousin, the Green-crowned earlier in the trip), Pileated Parrot, Saffron Toucanet, Bertoni's Antbird, Giant Antshrike, White-bearded Antshrike, Slaty Bristlefront, White breasted Tapaculo, Oustalet’s Tyrannulet, the audacious Atlantic Royal Flycatcher, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Hooded Berryeater, Brown Tanager and skulkers such as Red-and-white Crake, Spot-winged Wood-Quail and Solitary Tinamou.
Two birds that are particularly tricky in this area are the Russet-winged Spadebill and Helmeted Woodpecker. Although possible, only 20-30% of the groups are lucky enough to see any of them.
Day 15: After a last bit of birding at Intervales we will transfer to PETAR (+/-2½hrs [110km]) for a full afternoon of birding.
Located in the south of the state, PETAR (Touristic State Park of Alto Ribeira) has one of the highest concentrations of caves (more than 350) in the world. There are also dozens of waterfalls, traditional and Quilombola communities, trails, and archaeological/paleontological sites. A true paradise, hidden between valleys and mountains and in the largest preserved Atlantic Forest patch in Brazil (approximately 250.000 hectares). It is from one of these traditional communities that our local guide is from and he will be a great help in finding our targets.
Here we will concentrate our efforts on some difficult species. If we see at least half of the following birds, we could consider ourselves fortunate: Such’s Antthrush, Solitary Tinamou, Variegated Antpitta, Black-headed Berryeater, Bay-ringed Tyrannulet, Pavonine Cuckoo, Bare-throated Bellbird and Blue-bellied Parrot. Our local guide is constantly monitoring rare raptors’ nests, like the Ornate Hawk-Eagle so let’s cross our fingers to be there in the right period. Depending on the time of year we also have chances of seeing the Atlantic Royal Flycatcher (if we missed it at Intervales), which the local guide also monitors when breeding.
Day 16: We will have a full morning of birding at PETAR to enjoy the area and look for the aforementioned bird species (and many others!). In the afternoon we will make the transfer out to the coast at PERUÍBE (+/-4hrs [240Km]).
Day 17: AM Birding at PERUÍBE and transfer to SALESÓPOLIS (+/-2hrs [130Km]) for PM birding. Late afternoon transfer to São Paulo (Guarulhos Airport) (+/-1.5hrs [100Km]) for DEPARTURES.
Around Peruibe we will have a few hours of birding in the Restinga ecosystem. Restingas are on sandy and nutrient-impoverished soils that are frequently associated with low-elevation plains characterized by the presence of beach ridges and lagoonal systems. This is the northern distribution limit of the range-restricted and endemic Red-tailed Parrot which will be our primary focus for the morning.
There is an interesting supporting cast here that we won’t see elsewhere so while looking for the parrots we will also aim to find Little Wood-Rail, Channel-billed [Ariel] Toucan, Buff-bellied Puffbird, Blond-crested Woodpecker, Robust Woodpecker, Squamate Antbird, Unicolored Antwren, Grey-hooded Attila, [Atlantic] Long-billed Wren, Azure Jay, and Black-backed Tanager.
In the late morning, we will transfer to Salesópolis where there are some populations of the critically endangered Sao Paulo Antwren, only described to science in 2014! Salesópolis is the principal area where you can see this critically endangered species that is restricted to preserved marshes surrounded by Atlantic Forest. If we happen to be in the right place at the right time, we also have chances of seeing the scarce Blackish-blue Seedeater here.
In the late afternoon we will make our way to Sao Paulo Airport where we will end the tour.
