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JAGUARS & BIRDS OF BRAZIL II
Saturday 9th August - Sunday 24th August 2008
Mark Van Beirs
The famous Pantanal, the rich forests of Intervales and the rolling grasslands of Canastra together offer some of the finest bird and mammal watching in the Neotropics. All participants on this unusual tour had a very healthy appetite for mammals and the title of our venture had attracted a keen group of aficionados. We recorded 21 species of mammals and 373 bird species on this tour, including many rarely observed specialities. The mammal of the tour was without any doubt the magnificent Jaguar that showed so incredibly well in its Pantanal haunt. Being able to observe this elusive cat at such close range was a dream come true for all of us. But other rarely encountered furry splendours included Jaguarundi, Ocelot, Giant Otter, Maned Wolf, Giant Anteater, Brazilian Tapir and Greater Grison. The bird of the trip was the rare Brazilian Merganser that made us sweat a bit, but eventually showed so brilliantly on its crystal clear stream at Canastra. It was winter in southern Brazil, an optimal time for the cat, but many migrants had moved north and the breeding season had not started yet, so there was rather little song activity. But, we did come away with a long list of much-desired, high quality species like Solitary Tinamou, Masked Duck, Chestnut-bellied Guan, Bare-faced Curassow, Plumbeous Ibis, Sungrebe, Sunbittern, Red-legged Seriema, Hyacinth Macaw, Yellow-collared Macaw, Golden-capped Parakeet, Long-trained Nightjar, Spot-backed, Giant, Large-tailed and Tufted Antshrikes, Brasilia Tapaculo, Collared Crescentchest, Grey-backed Tachuri, Streamer-tailed and Cock-tailed Tyrants, Sharpbill, Hooded Berryeater, Bare-throated Bellbird, Ochre-breasted Pipit and Blue and Black-masked Finches.
