Brazil 2022: The Fabulous Pantanal
Jaguars, Jabirus, and Hyacinth Macaws
September 10 – 20, 2022
Tour Length: 11 days
Est. Spaces Left:
Tour Leaders
Focus
Birds, Mammals, Photography
Price
Double Accommodation: $4,250/person
Single Supplement: + $450
Deposit: $1,000
Max. Group Size
8 with High Lonesome leader
Pace
Easy to Moderate ; Mostly driving and riding in boats with some easy walks
Future Departures
Tour Descriptions
Brazil’s Pantanal is the largest freshwater wetland in the world comprising about 140,000 square miles, most of it in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, but some of it extends into Bolivia and Paraguay as well. The Pantanal is formed by a number of rivers that flow into it. During the rainy season, much of it is submerged. During the long dry season, however, the rivers recede and large grasslands appear. Birdlife is truly impressive. Thousands of water birds congregate during the dry season in the remaining marshes and ponds. Jabirus and other waders are extremely common and easily seen and photographed. Caiman are abundant as are capybara, the huge rodent common to South America. As many as 500 bird species occur in the Pantanal. In addition, dozens of mammals, numerous reptiles, and thousands of plant species, many only found in the Pantanal. Of special interest are the rare or difficult-to-see species that are fairly common in the Pantanal: Giant Otter, Lowland Tapir, Giant Anteater, Marsh Deer, and Hyacinth Macaw (the largest macaw and an endemic) can be easily seen and photographed here. One of the most difficult cats in the world to see—the Jaguar—is especially common in the Pantanal during the dry season where they often rest and hunt along the river banks. And, we’ll spend another couple of days in the Chapada dos Guimaraes National Park and its spectacular canyons, falls, and native savanna where different bird species can be found.
More Details
Trip Highlights
Top Birds
Greater Rhea, Undulated Tinamou, Southern Screamer, Muscovy Duck, Brazilian Teal, Chaco Chachalaca, Chestnut-bellied Guan, Blue-throated & Red-throated Piping Guan, Bare-faced Curassow, Maguari Stork, Jabiru, Wood Stork, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Cocoi Heron, Striated Heron, Whistling Heron, Capped Heron, Agami Heron, Zigzag Heron, Green Ibis, Buff-necked Ibis, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Snail Kite, Black-collared Hawk, Crane Hawk, Great Black-Hawk, Savanna Hawk, Yellow-headed Caracara, Bat Falcon, Red-legged Seriema, Sunbittern, Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, Gray-breasted Crake, Pied Lapwing, Southern Lapwing, Collared Plover, Wattled Jacana, Yellow-billed Tern, Large-billed Tern, Picazuro Pigeon, Picui Ground Dove, Nanday Parakeet, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Hyacinth Macaw, Blue-and-Yellow Macaw, Red-shouldered Macaw, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Blue-headed Parrot, Scaly-headed Parrot, Turquoise-fronted Parrot, Orange-winged Parrot, Guira Cuckoo, Pheasant Cuckoo, Black-banded Owl, Spectacled Owl, Buff-bellied Hermit, Glittering-throated Emerald, Blue-crowned Trogon, Green-and-rufous Kingfisher, American Pygmy-Kingfisher, White-eared Puffbird, Letter Aracari, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Toco Toucan, White-wedged Piculet, White Woodpecker, Little Woodpecker, Green-barred Woodpecker, Campo Flicker, Pale-legged Hornero, Chotoy Spinetail, White-lored Spinetail, Greater Thornbird, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Mato Grosso Antbird, Band-tailed Antbird, Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant, Fuscous Flycatcher, White-rumped Monjita, Black-backed Water-Tyrant, Helmeted Manakin, Black-tailed Tityra, White-naped Xenopsaris, Purplish Jay, Fawn-breasted Wren, Masked Gnatcatcher, Chalk-browned Mockingbird, Flavescent Warbler, Sayaca Tanager, Red-crested Cardinal, Red-crested Finch, Saffron-billed Sparrow, Grayish Baywing, Solitary Black Cacique, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Purple-throated Euphonia.
Top Mammals
Jaguar, Ocelot, Crab-eating Fox, Lowland Tapir, Giant Otter, Giant Anteater, Marsh Deer, Black-and-gold Howler Monkey, Capybara
Reptiles: Anaconda, Caiman
Other Attractions
Spectacular scenery, photography, mammal watching, wilderness
Extensions
No Tour Extensions Listed
Planning for the Trip
Meeting Location
Cuiaba, Brazil Airport @ 12:30 PM (arrival of 10:30 AM flight from Sao Paolo)
Accommodations
Comfortable with en-suite bathrooms.
Included
10 nights accommodation and all meals from lunch on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 11. Transport to and from the airport. Transport to birding locations. Services of local guide.
Excluded
Does not include alcoholic drinks, tips to guides & boatmen (optional) laundry or other items of a personal nature.
Habitats Covered
Extensive freshwater marshlands, Chiquitano tropical dry forests, arid tropical Chaco dry forests, Cerrado savannas.
Expected Climate
Temperatures in Pantanal range from 80 to 90 degrees F. Very dry. Temperatures in the Cerrado are a bit lower.
Suggested Clothing and Gear
Valid, current passport (w/ 4 blank pages)
Visa (if required)
Credit cards / cash
Binoculars
Scope and tripod (optional)
Sunglasses and sunscreen
Extra eyeglasses or contact lenses
Water bottle
Small umbrella
Small day pack / fanny pack
Small flashlight
Mosquito/insect repellant (DEET 25% or greater)
Itch relief cream
Lip screen/balm
Prescription drugs – carry in original packaging to avoid customs problems
OTC medicines (antibiotics, cold/sinus, cough drops, eye drops, analgesic (Motrin, aspirin), anti-diarrheal)
Toiletries
Small alarm clock
Cleaning fluids/cloths/drying cloths
Field guides
Hiking Boots/Shoes
Lightweight shoes/sneakers/sandals
Light-weight long pants
Light-weight long-sleeved shirts
Hat with brim/visor
Rain jacket/wind breaker
Shorts
T-shirts
Swimsuit