Birding Southeast Brazil

Dissected by mountain ranges and valleys, lowlands and tablelands, southeast Brazil is one of the hotspots of biodiversity and a main centre for endemic species. In the mountains, covered with lush cloud forests and bamboo stands, we visit the famed Itatiaia National Park. Here you readily find rarities such as Black-capped Piprites, Itatiaia Spinetail, Black-and-gold Cotinga and Thick-billed Saltator, as well as Giant Antshrike, Swallow-tailed Cotinga and Largetailed Antshrike. The lowlands, having suffered more from human activities, still hold forest tracts with Buff-throated Purpletuft, Eyeringed and Fork-tailed Tody-Tyrant, Pale-browed Treehunter, and the delicate Scaled Antbird. Throughout the forest areas we will also look for White-breasted Tapaculo, Serra do Mar Tyrant-Manakin, Orange-eyed Thornbird, Spot-breasted Antvireo and Tawny-browed Owl.

In the national parks of the interior, covered with rocky fields and Cerrado grasslands are yet another array of endemics: Cipo Canastero, Pale-throated Serra-Finch, Cinereous Warbling-Finch, Hyacinth Visorbearer and Grey-backed Tachuri. In Canastra we will hope to meet with the stunning Helmeted Manakin, Campo Miner, Cock-tailed Tyrant and a local population of Brasilia Tapaculo. Also here is the elusive and Critically Endangered Brazilian Merganser.