Welcome to Birdquest
AMAZONIAN BRAZIL
Manaus, São Gabriel da Cachoeira & Roraima
Birdquest's Amazonian Brazil birding tour is one of a series of birdwatching trips we offer in South America's largest country. This superb tour focuses on the many species found in the northern Amazonian part of Brazil, and is the most comprehensive itinerary available, including not only the Manaus region but also São Gabriel da Cachoeira on the upper Rio Negro and the remote Roraima region of the far north.
Sunday 25th August -
Monday 9th September 2013
(16 days)
Roraima Post-Tour Extension to Friday 14th September (5 days)
Leader:
Eustace Barnes
Group Size Limit: 9
Tour Category: Easy for the most part, occasionally Moderate
Deep in the heart of the immense Brazilian rainforest, whirlpools rotate as vast quantities of warm black water collide with an immense volume of cooler, silt-laden white water. For this is the point where South America’s two largest rivers, the Rio Negro and the mighty Amazon, meet at the historic city of Manaus. At the ‘wedding of the waters’ where these two majestic rivers collide the waters flow violently side by side, not completely mixing for several miles, forming a world-renowned spectacle.
The vast Amazonian rainforest carpets the whole region surrounding Manaus, a bright, bustling and modern South American city that is still, uniquely, surrounded by this wondrous greenery. Manaus was the capital of the rubber boom in the early 20th century, an economic windfall which financed its famous opera house (recently restored to its full glory) and its floating harbour (built in 1902) that receives ocean-going vessels an amazing 1400 miles (2250km) inland from the Atlantic Ocean!
Manaus is located at the heart of the most bird-rich forest ecosystem in the world and is positioned at the junction of two great South American rivers which over many thousands of years have formed natural barriers to many bird species, with the consequence that sibling species are frequently found on opposite banks. This fortunate position makes Manaus the perfect base to explore this avian hot-spot and our tour is designed to visit each of the varied habitats within the surrounding region, which holds a truly amazing total of almost 700 bird species!
This is a tour for those who want to seek out a rich assemblage of Amazonian birds, including many specialities, in a remote region while still enjoying remarkably comfortable travelling conditions. We will find ourselves birding the lush humid lowland rainforest, rapidly changing Amazonian river islands, stunted ‘campina’ sandy forest and seasonally flooded ‘igapó’ and ‘varzea’ forests where annually the waters can rise and fall a staggering 50 feet (15m) or more!
A lovely forest-based hotel situated about 70 miles (110km) north of Manaus is our first base for exploring the surrounding tracts of Amazonian lowland rainforest. Here, as we scan from the top of the famous 138ft-tall (42m-tall) INPA meteorological tower, emergent tree crowns break through the green carpet of pristine tropical rainforest which fills our vision in every direction. The tower is a superb vantage point to look for such spectacular canopy dwellers as Red-and-green Macaw, Caica and Dusky Parrots, yelping Red-billed and croaking Channel-billed Toucans, Pompadour Cotinga, Crimson Fruitcrow and roving mixed flocks full of brightly-coloured tanagers and honeycreepers. A nearby INPA reserve is covered in the characteristic ‘campina’ forest of white sandy soils and holds the recently rediscovered Pelzeln’s Tody-Tyrant, as well as Bronzy Jacamar, Guianan Slaty Antshrike and the localized Saffron-crested Tyrant-Manakin. From our well-positioned hotel we will explore the many nearby dirt roads leading into tall terra firme forest where we will be looking for Pavonine Cuckoo, Crimson Topaz, Spotted Antpitta, Purple-breasted Cotinga and Blue-backed Tanager. A nearby stony campina area holds a small resident population of the poorly known White-naped Seedeater, as well as such localized species such as Green-tailed Goldenthroat, Black Manakin and Red-shouldered Tanager.
Next we continue our Amazonian odyssey by exploring the varied and bird-rich riverine habitats where the waters of the Amazon and the Rio Negro meet. Here we will be looking for a series of specialities including Short-tailed Parrot, Olive-spotted Hummingbird, the recently rediscovered Scaled Spinetail, Parker’s Spinetail, the enigmatic Black-and-white Antbird and Pearly-breasted Conebill.
After all this excitement, a small plane then takes us 800 kilometres northwest of Manaus, allowing us to gaze down onto a never ending green carpet of rainforest, intersected only by the thin black line of the Rio Negro. As we gradually start our descent the spectacular Bela Adormecida, a small isolated and as yet unexplored mountain range, emerges from the endless greenery of the forest below, reminding us of Conan Doyle’s famous ‘lost world’. Our destination is the small town of São Gabriel da Cachoeira on the upper Rio Negro, here marked by a line of white rapids. This unique area boasts some of the most spectacular scenic views anywhere in the world, but its prime attraction for birders is the presence of the so-called ‘Imeri endemics’, centred around extreme eastern Colombia, remote southern Venezuela and the northwestern corner of Brazil. We will explore the area by small canoes, as well as along a network of forest trails and deserted roads, looking for some of the least known birds of the continent. Specialities include the stunning Tawny-tufted Toucanet, the recently rediscovered Grey-bellied Antbird and the localized Yellow-throated Antwren. Other possibilities include Pavonine Quetzal, Brown-banded Puffbird, Chestnut-crested, White-plumed and Amazonas Antbirds, Pearly Antshrike, Black-necked Red-Cotinga, Citron-bellied Attila, Yellow-crowned and Wire-tailed Manakins, Guianan Gnatcatcher and Brown-headed Greenlet.
Finally, heading across and out of the mighty Amazon, we will enter one of the most majestic rivers in the world as we ascend the Rio Negro towards the Anavilhanas, the world’s largest riverine archipelago, where we will stay in a remote jungle lodge. The calm waters effectively act as a gigantic mirror, forming huge and truly breathtaking reflections of the forested islands and cloud formations. An interesting set of specialists are found on the black water river islands, including Zimmer’s Woodcreeper, the recently rediscovered Klages’s Antwren and the poorly-known Cherrie’s Antwren. As we travel by boat through this unique wilderness and alongside the flooded igapó forest, the loud vibrating songs of Ash-breasted Antbirds and the deep bouncing calls of Blackish-grey Antshrikes fill the air. By the time we finish our exploration of the Brazilian Amazon we will have experienced a host of special birds in a remarkable part of the world.
The Brazilian state of Roraima represents one of the most diverse and heterogeneous areas of Amazonia, yet it seldom receives visits from birders. During the optional extension there will be an opportunity to explore this special part of Brazil. Upland terra firme forests, flooded forests, white sand forests, savannas, montane forests and tepuis (table-like mountains), all meet in an area roughly the size of the United Kingdom, boasting an impressive 800 bird species. However, after two weeks in the Manaus and São Gabriel da Cachoeira regions, and having worked hard for the terra firme, flooded and white-sand forest specialties, we will devote our attention to the savannas and gallery forests of Roraima. These savannas, which continue unbroken towards Rupununi in Guyana, represent the largest and more diverse savannas in Amazonia and will be an impressive change to what we have experienced during the main tour.
Accordingly, the birds will be very different, with very little overlap. The main goal is to find the two rare and endangered Roraiman endemics: Rio Branco Antbird and Hoary-throated Spinetail, two species restricted to gallery forests along the upper Rio Branco and few of its tributaries, and thus not seen on any other bird tour. Once we have seen these two gems, we will work our way north from Boa Vista (the state’s capital) towards the border with Venezuela, searching for additional savanna and gallery forest specialities, which include the restricted-range Sun Parakeet, White-bellied Piculet and Finsch’s Euphonia, and also Southern White-fringed Antwren, as well as many other species which will not have been seen during the main tour. Indeed, the extension is not only for those interested in seeing some of the least known endemics and specialties of South America, but also for those interested in understanding the extraordinary habitat and species diversity of Amazonia.
Birdquest has operated tours to Amazonian Brazil since 2001.
(Note: The above is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed, day-by-day itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)
Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels/lodges are of normal Birdquest standard throughout (although the one in São Gabriel is at the simple end of the range). Road transport is by minibus and roads are good.
Walking: The walking effort is mostly easy, but there are some moderate grade walks.
Climate: It is generally hot and humid. Periods of sunshine alternate with overcast spells and there is regular rainfall.
Bird Photography: Opportunities are worthwhile.
Linking Birdquests: This tour can be linked with Jaguars & Birds of Brazil in 2011. Please contact us for further information.
Tour Price: (provisional): $6140 Manaus/Manaus. Post-Tour Extension: $2010. Price includes all transportation (including Manaus-São Gabriel da Cachoeira-Manaus and Manaus-Boa-Vista-Manaus flights), all accommodations, all meals, bottled water, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.
Single Room Supplement: (provisional): $729. Post-Tour Extension: $243.
Deposit: 10% of the tour price (excluding any single supplement).
Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.
Birdquest LLC, 3721 Executive Center Drive, Suite 268, Austin, TX 78731
Ph: 512-343-1700, Fax: 512-343-1701
top of pageWebsite crafted by the Accent Design Group.
|
|
|
|