Brazil - Atlantic Forest Endemics

You arrive in São Paulo today. After collecting your luggage and passing through customs, please look for our representative, who will be waiting to assist you with your transfer to the hotel. Take some time to rest after the long flight and enjoy dinner at the hotel.  You’ll be staying at a well-located airport hotel Hampton by Hilton. (D)

We plan to depart early after breakfast to arrive at Itatiaia National Park (170 miles away) before noon. Along the highway, we’ll be on the lookout for Southern Crested Caracaras, as well as both White-tailed and Crane Hawks. Our stop at the park’s entrance station will offer our first opportunity to birdwatch in the Atlantic Forest.

White-eyed Parakeets put on a show as they jet overhead, while we search for Curl-crested Jay, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Campo Flicker, Savannah Hawk, Ruby-crowned Tanager, Grey Monjita, and Crested Black-Tyrant. We have lunch, check into our rooms, and then enjoy the stunning vista, complete with an array of feeders and birds in the foreground. For both birders and photographers, it’s a real treat to see so many of the park’s colorful birds up close: Red-breasted Toucan, Dusky-legged Guan, Green Honeycreeper, White-throated Hummingbird, Brazilian Ruby, Chestnut-bellied Euphonia, Green-headed and other tanagers, Crested Oropendola, and Red-rumped Cacique. This is a fine introduction to some of the species of the Atlantic Forest. Accommodations at Hotel Do Ypé. (B, L, D)

These two days are dedicated to exploring the trails and roads in the central part of the park. We’ll stop for mixed flocks as we ascend to the park’s higher elevations, where we expect to find Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Planalto Hermit, Surucua Trogon, Black-throated Trogon, Rufous-capped Motmot, Tufted Antshrike, White-bearded Antshrike, Variable Antshrike, Spot-breasted Antvireo, Plain Antvireo, Star-throated Antwren, White-shouldered Fire-eye, Ferruginous Antbird, Ochre rumped Antbird, White-bibbed Antbird, Rufous Gnateater, Black-and-gold Cotinga, Blue-backed Manakin, Gray-capped Tyrannulet, Bay-chested Warbling-Finch, Buff-throated Warbling-Finch, Diademed Tanager, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, White-throated Woodcreeper, and Scaled Woodcreeper.

We drive through the area, making “specialty stops” at places that attract some of the region’s most sough-after birds: Violet-capped Woodnymph, Black Hawk-Eagle, and Collared Forest-Falcon. Higher elevation stops allow us to look for Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, Itatiaia Spinetail, and Rufous-capped Antshrike. Numerous species can be found in the transition zones between the different elevation-dependent habitats as we ascend the road to the top. These include a long list: White-barred Piculet, Yellow-eared Woodpecker, Plain-winged Woodcreeper, Black-billed Scythebill, Rufous-capped Spinetail, Pallid Spinetail, White-collared Foliage-gleaner, Ochre-breasted Foliage-gleaner, Buff-fronted Foliage gleaner, White-browed Foliage-gleaner, Yellow Tyrannulet, Gray-hooded Flycatcher, Cliff Flycatcher, Black-tailed Flycatcher, White-throated Spadebill, Velvety Black-Tyrant, Long-tailed Tyrant, White-browed Warbler, Golden-crowned Warbler, Rufous-crowned Greenlet, Golden winged Cacique, Black-goggled Tanager, Rufous-headed Tanager, Golden-chevroned Tanager, and Ruby-crowned Tanager. We should also find monkeys: Black Capuchin along with Black-striped Capuchin.

One of the most fascinating aspects of climbing this road is observing the variety of plant communities and species along the way. We bird in the Araucaria Forest, a unique, high-elevation coniferous habitat of the park; as well as the tundra-like vegetation found in the shrubby lands at the summit; and in the lower elevation cloud forest, rich with salvias, bromeliads, and orchids. At lower elevations, intermittent forests are interspersed with grasslands and streams. Together, these diverse habitats provide countless chances to experience the remarkable biodiversity of this renowned region of Brazil. Accommodations at Hotel Do Ypé. (B, L, D)

This morning we enjoy an early breakfast before driving to Agulhas Negras Road which leads into the highlands on the far side of the park. This road provides access to higher elevation habitats where some specialty birds can be found. Notable among these are White-rumped Hawk, Rufous-thighed Hawk, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, Itatiaia Thistletail, Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner, Rufous-tailed Antbird, Black-and-gold Cotinga, Black-capped Piprites, Brown-breasted Bamboo Tyrant, Shear tailed Gray Tyrant, Diademed Tanager, Gray-throated Warbling-Finch, and Bay-chested Warbling Finch.

After concluding our birding activities, we’ll return to São Paulo where you’ll reunite with your companions should you wish to continue exploring Brazil on our Pantanal, Jaguars and more! tour. Alternatively, for guests not joining the extension, our services will conclude after breakfast the following morning. You’ll overnight in São Paulo prior to the start of the main tour (and in-country flight) to the Pantanal. Accommodation will be at the conveniently located airport hotel Hampton by Hilton. (B)