Brazil & Argentina Iguazú Extension II 12th to 16th August 2016 (5 days) Birds & Wildlife of the Pantanal & Cerrado II 16th to 25th August 2016 (10 days) Amazon Rainforest Birding Extension II 25th to 30th August 2016 (6 days) Lowland Tapir by Trevor Ellery Trip report compiled by Tour Leader: Trevor Ellery RBL Brazil & Argentina – Iguazu, Pantanal & Amazon Rainforest Trip Report 2016 2 Tour Summary These three tours provided a breath-taking sample of South American wildlife from start to finish. Beginning at the mighty falls in Iguazu, we recorded a great selection of Atlantic forest specialities, including Buff-bellied Puffbird, Spot-backed Antshrike, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail and Helmeted Woodpecker, along with some fantastically tame mammals. We then headed deep into the Pantanal where we enjoyed Pale-crested Woodpecker, Red-legged Seriema, Hyacinth Macaw, Jabiru, Sunbittern and of course, there were some impressive Jaguar encounters. After this, we finished off at the incomparable Cristalino in the Amazon where Razor-billed Curassows were common and the special birds came thick and fast and featured everything from Crested Eagle and Red-necked Aracari, to Snow-capped Manakin and Bare-eyed Antbird. The great mammal theme also continued as we found a wealth of primates and enjoyed a particularly memorable experience with a Lowland Tapir. Surucua Trogon by Trevor Ellery The tour started in Iguazu where our group of fairly weary, freshly arrived travellers were to relax in the comfort of a local hummingbird garden and quickly rack up a number of Atlantic forest speciality species. These included Planalto Hermit, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Black Jacobin, Violet-capped Woodnymph and Gilded Sapphire at the sugar-water feeders. The banana feeders, meanwhile, attracted Violaceous, Purple-throated and Chestnut-bellied Euphonias and Sayaca and Green-headed Tanagers. We then retired to our excellent lodge for the first of many sumptuous dinners. Our first morning found us birding route 101 where we quickly located a plethora of interesting species, including multiple Surucua Trogons (of the southern Red-bellied form), a pair of obliging Green-billed Toucans, Ochre- collared Piculet, Yellow-fronted and Blond-crested Woodpeckers, Ochre-breasted Foliage-gleaner, Rufous- winged and Streak-capped Antwren’s, White-shouldered Fire-eye, Eared Pygmy-Tyrants and a couple of Long-tailed Tyrants prospecting a nest hole. As the morning wore on, we added a couple of Three-striped Flycatchers, several Sibilant Syristes, Chestnut-headed, Ruby-crowned, Guira and Black- goggled Tanagers and a dazzling male Ultramarine Grosbeak. We then dedicated the afternoon to visiting the lower part of the falls; but we did manage to squeeze in a little birding, finding Chestnut-eared Aracari, several Toco Toucans, Campo Flicker, Magpie Tanager and some obliging Helmeted Woodpecker by Trevor Ellery RBL Brazil & Argentina – Iguazu, Pantanal & Amazon Rainforest Trip Report 2016 3 Plush-crested Jays and we enjoyed the antics of the tame South American Coatis, Black-horned Capuchins and Azara’s Agoutis. Our second morning found us birding a quiet forest trail where we found Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, a pair of Helmeted Woodpeckers, some obliging Maroon-bellied Parakeets, a skulking Spot-backed Antshrike, a nice male Black-throated Trogon, a showy Rufous Gnateater, a skulking Southern Antpipit, a vocal Euler’s Flycatcher, both Black-crowned and Masked Tityras and Rufous-bellied and White-necked Thrushes and a group of Red-crowned Ant-Tanagers. We then returned to the falls to take in the famous devil’s throat and to stay behind to see the pre-roost gathering of Great Dusky Swifts. Our third full day was heavily marred by rain – with some improvisation, we managed to bird as much as we could and still saw many good birds despite the near constant downpours. We abandoned our plan to visit Urugaui National Park, although a quick early morning stop did produce Sharp- tailed Streamcreeper and a few Creamy-bellied Thrushes. Instead, we visited a nearby Lodge where we found Rusty- Plush-crested Jay by Trevor Ellery breasted Nunlet, several White Woodpeckers, Rufous-capped and Grey-bellied Spinetails, Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner, Variable Antshrike, Bertoni’s and Dusky-tailed Antbirds, Short-tailed Antthrush, Southern Bristletyrant, Drab-breasted Bamboo-Tyrant, Ochre-faced Tody-Flycatcher, White-rimmed Warbler, Variable Oriole, a confiding Black-throated Grosbeak and a Green-winged Saltator. We finished the day with a Black-and-White Hawk-Eagle on the walk back to the van and then on the drive home, we picked up a Burrowing Owl and a couple of obliging Araucaria Tit-Spinetails. Our final morning was brief but we added Rufous-capped Motmot and Buff- bellied Puffbird and another Ferruginous Pygmy Owl before spending much of the rest of the day flying or driving to our remote lodge in the Pantanal. After the previous long day’s travel, we awoke somewhat bleary eyed but immediately found we were in paradise – the tree were filled with Golden-collared Macaws and Turquoise-fronted Amazons, Black-fronted Nunbirds were perched inches away, Woodcreepers (Planalto and Buff-throated) were working their way up the buildings around us, Grey-necked Wood-Rails Iguazu Falls, Argentina by Trevor Ellery RBL Brazil & Argentina – Iguazu, Pantanal & Amazon Rainforest Trip Report 2016 4 were running around in all directions and then a couple of Bare-faced Curassows nonchalantly waltzed past. The next few hours were a blur as we struggled to take in and the birds (and mammals) that came thick and fast - Great-rufous Woodcreeper, Pale-crested Woodpecker, White-eyed Attila, Chaco Chachalaca, Great- black Hawk, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Pale- legged Hornero, Purplish Jay, Thrush-like Wren (of the plain backed Pantanal race) and our first Capuchins and we hadn’t even left the lodge clearing. When we did finally head out on the trails, we had a very pleasant morning’s birding, finding Blue-crowned Trogon, Flavescent Warbler, Band-tailed Antbird, Rusty-backed and White-lored Spinetails, Rufous Casiornis, an obliging American Pygmy Hyacinth Macaws by Trevor Ellery Kingfisher (along with three other commoner species of Kingfisher), our first Amazonian Motmots and Rufous-tailed Jacamars. We also enjoyed our first Hyacinth Macaws, which made a rather charismatic fly by and added Buff-breasted Wren and Yellow-billed Cardinal. In the afternoon, we visited another site, with the drive out of the Curicaca lodge alone adding Roseate Spoonbill, Green Ibis, Rufescent Tiger Heron, Capped Heron , Snail Kite, Limpkin and Black-capped Donacobius; while we also picked up our first Greater Rheas along the Transpantaneira. The next lodge we visited produced Nanday Parakeet, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper and a fruiting tree filled with confiding Blue-crowned Parakeets and Scaly-headed Parrots. We then took a boat ride which added Jabiru, Sungrebe, Blue-throated Piping-Guan and a number of Black-collared Hawks, including a trained bird which would fly out and take the bait from the water, mere inches away from the lenses. As we returned at dusk, clouds of Band-tailed Nighthawks sailed above us like paper kites. Our second morning at Curicaca was something of a clean- up and we soon located Plain Inezia, Large-billed Antwren and Masked Gnatcatcher. Our local guide expertly whistled in an Undulated Tinamou, which slowly sauntered across the trail, giving all good looks; while we also scoped a White- wedged Piculet. Some Golden-cheveroned Parakeets were watched dismembering the flowers on a flowering tree, with the same tree attracting Orange-backed Troupial, Variable Oriole and Hooded Tanager. We also found Red-billed Scythebill, Planalto-Slaty and Barred Antshrikes, Mato Grosso Antbird, Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher, and a surprise Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin. To top the morning Jabiru by Trevor Ellery RBL Brazil & Argentina – Iguazu, Pantanal & Amazon Rainforest Trip Report 2016 5 off, as we walked back we found a couple of Lowland Tapirs on the trail and were able to get very close to these awesome animals. We then began the long drive down the Transpantaneria, with birding stops en-route which produced our first Southern Screamers, Plumbeous and Buff-necked Ibis, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Black-backed Water- Tyrant and White-headed Marsh-Tyrant. We also found some very obliging roadside Monk and Peach-fronted Parakeets and more Hyacinth Macaws; while a Marsh Deer added interest. Our lunch stop added Greyish Baywing and in the late afternoon, a stop near Porto Jofre added Little Cuckoo, Cinereous- breasted Spinetail, Scarlet-headed and Jaguar by Trevor Ellery Unicolored Blackbirds, some obliging Greater Thornbirds, several Great-horned Owls at a day roost and a White-banded Mockingbird. The next morning we were up early and with much anticipation, we set off in the boat searching for Jaguars. We had a pleasant but quiet morning enjoying Giant River Otters, Capybaras and common river birds such as Black Skimmer, Large-billed and Yellow-billed Terns and Pied and Collared Plovers. Other species we encountered included Muscovy, both Plumbeous and Swallow-tailed Kites (including a group of birds that were coming down to drink), Fork-tailed Flycatchers and a brief Buff- bellied Hermit. It was not until we were returning to the lodge for lunch when the radios crackled into life and we swiftly headed back up river to where we were, soon to enjoy our first Jaguar sighting – a spectacular confiding female who seemed completely oblivious to our presence as she hunted. We spent some time with her before returning to the Lodge for lunch. In the late afternoon, we took another boat trip, enjoying a second encounter with the female and one of her cubs along with sightings of Fawn-breasted Wren, Solitary Caciques and a selection of commoner species. The next morning we birded in the nearby marshes where we found a very confiding Little Woodpecker, a couple of obliging Rusty-backed Antwrens, a Subtropical Doradito, a Southern Scrub Flycatcher, a Southern Yellowthroat, more Scarlet-headed Blackbirds, a Rusty-collared Seedeater and large numbers of many of the marsh birds that we had already seen.