Pantanal & Garden of the Amazon I 2018
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Field Guides Tour Report JAGUAR SPOTTING: PANTANAL & GARDEN OF THE AMAZON I 2018 Jul 9, 2018 to Jul 20, 2018 Marcelo Padua & John Coons For our tour description, itinerary, past triplists, dates, fees, and more, please VISIT OUR TOUR PAGE. The star of the tour! This Jaguar was captured in all of its glory by participant Gregg Recer. We had some wonderful views of these great cats, including three that we saw on our first day! This year’s Jaguar spotting tour exceeded all expectations. We started the tour at Gardens of the Amazon, where Cone-billed Tanager performed beautifully, and shortly after seeing it we spotted a Harpy Eagle on a tree by the river. Our boat outings also produced three Amazonian Umbrellabirds, including one that was displaying on a tree by the river. On the trails the birding was extremely productive, with great looks at Black-girdled Barbet, Tooth-billed Wren and several flocks that hosted Sclater’s Antwren, Elegant woodcreeper, Paradise Tanager amongst others. The birding was excellent even around the lodge, where we found Sulphury Flycatcher, Point-tailed Palmcreeper, Red-shouldered Macaws and Fork- tailed Palm-swifts. After peeling ourselves away from Gardens of the Amazon, we reached Pousada Piuval in the Pantanal, where we enjoyed great views of Nacunda Nighthawks early in the morning flying over hundreds of Jabirus, Egrets, Limpkins and Ibis. In dry forest, we tracked down Saffron-billed Sparrow, Black-bellied Antwren and Sooty-fronted Spinetail, all of which are scarce birds in the Pantanal. We also enjoyed a boat trip here that produced some great looks at Azure Gallinules, and Least Bitterns that look and sound different from the North American birds. We continued the trip to Porto Jofre, nestled at the very end of the famous Transpantaneira, the high point of our tour and land of Jaguars, Hyacinth Macaws and the enormous Jabirus. Our Jaguar sightings were of extreme quality, with multiple sightings and even an individual that we watched by ourselves late in the afternoon as we drifted on the Piquiri River while the skies changed colors and Band-tailed Nighthawks took the skies accompanied by Greater Bulldog Bats. We also took some time to explore the flooded grass fields near Porto Jofre and managed to score great looks at Tawny-bellied Seedeater, Subtropical Doradito and Spotted Rails (the first time we ever had this bird on this tour!). We ended our tour at Rio Claro Lodge, where we picked up a last few good birds, with great looks at Sungrebe and Nanday Parakeet. All in all, this was a great tour, and John Coons and myself really enjoyed birding with all of you. Thanks for joining us and we hope to see you again. Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 1 - Marcelo Padua & John Coons KEYS FOR THIS LIST One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant BIRDS Rheidae (Rheas) GREATER RHEA (Rhea americana) – We saw many on our first day along the drive to Garden of the Amazon. Tinamidae (Tinamous) LITTLE TINAMOU (Crypturellus soui) – We had fine looks at an individual walking about on the ground at Garden of the Amazon. UNDULATED TINAMOU (Crypturellus undulatus) [*] BRAZILIAN TINAMOU (Crypturellus strigulosus) [*] Anhimidae (Screamers) SOUTHERN SCREAMER (Chauna torquata) – We enjoyed several nice views of this unusual bird in the Pantanal. Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl) WHITEFACED WHISTLINGDUCK (Dendrocygna viduata) BLACKBELLIED WHISTLINGDUCK (Dendrocygna autumnalis) MUSCOVY DUCK (Cairina moschata) – There were several quite wild individuals flying about on the Rio Claro. BRAZILIAN TEAL (Amazonetta brasiliensis) – We had nice looks at a pair flying at the macaw lake near Garden of the Amazon, and we also saw five individuals at a small pond at Piuval Lodge. Cracidae (Guans, Chachalacas, and Curassows) CHACO CHACHALACA (Ortalis canicollis) – These were quite common and very loud, especially at Rio Claro Lodge. SPECKLED CHACHALACA (Ortalis guttata) SPIX'S GUAN (Penelope jacquacu) [*] CHESTNUTBELLIED GUAN (Penelope ochrogaster) BLUETHROATED PIPINGGUAN (Pipile cumanensis) – We saw a few in the Pantanal, where many actually show a bit of red on the throat. REDTHROATED PIPINGGUAN (Pipile cujubi) – At the Garden of the Amazon we had nice views of a handful of these often difficult to see birds. RAZORBILLED CURASSOW (Mitu tuberosum) – Two of these, a male and female, walked across the trail where there seemed to be an ant swarm in the making. BAREFACED CURASSOW (Crax fasciolata) – Surprisingly, there were several sightings in the Pantanal, including a pair that came up on a porch of one of the cabins at Porto Jofre as we were headed out. Odontophoridae (New World Quail) MARBLED WOODQUAIL (Odontophorus gujanensis) [*] Ciconiidae (Storks) JABIRU (Jabiru mycteria) – This is a giant and we saw many at waterholes in the Pantanal. WOOD STORK (Mycteria americana) – These were seen almost daily, with a flock estimated at 350 birds soaring over at Garden of the Amazon. Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags) NEOTROPIC CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) Anhingidae (Anhingas) ANHINGA (Anhinga anhinga) Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) LEAST BITTERN (Ixobrychus exilis) – After seeing a couple flush in the marsh at Piuval, we had a scope view of one along the roadside in the Pantanal. RUFESCENT TIGERHERON (Tigrisoma lineatum) – A few were seen, including a pair at a nest at Porto Jofre. COCOI HERON (Ardea cocoi) GREAT EGRET (Ardea alba) SNOWY EGRET (Egretta thula) LITTLE BLUE HERON (Egretta caerulea) CATTLE EGRET (Bubulcus ibis) STRIATED HERON (Butorides striata) WHISTLING HERON (Syrigma sibilatrix) – This unusually plumaged heron finally gave us a nice view on one of our last days in the Pantanal. CAPPED HERON (Pilherodius pileatus) – We sure saw a good number of these relatively shy herons, including a pair in display along the Rio Cuiaba, where one of the pair had its throat swollen and was bobbing up and down. BLACKCROWNED NIGHTHERON (Nycticorax nycticorax) BOATBILLED HERON (Cochlearius cochlearius) – Marcelo spotted two individuals in a large tree next to the river as we drifted along in our Jaguar search. Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills) Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 2 GREEN IBIS (Mesembrinibis cayennensis) BAREFACED IBIS (Phimosus infuscatus) PLUMBEOUS IBIS (Theristicus caerulescens) – This shaggy crested species gave us several nice looks. BUFFNECKED IBIS (Theristicus caudatus) – Rather widespread in the Pantanal and a common voice in the morning around our lodges before they head off to work for the day. ROSEATE SPOONBILL (Platalea ajaja) Cathartidae (New World Vultures) BLACK VULTURE (Coragyps atratus) TURKEY VULTURE (Cathartes aura) LESSER YELLOWHEADED VULTURE (Cathartes burrovianus) – These were quite common in the open country we birded. GREATER YELLOWHEADED VULTURE (Cathartes melambrotus) – Mostly a forest species; we saw several well at Garden of the Amazon. Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) PEARL KITE (Gampsonyx swainsonii) – We had great looks at this tiny raptor on our first morning when we were not far from Cuiaba. WHITETAILED KITE (Elanus leucurus) SWALLOWTAILED KITE (Elanoides forficatus) HARPY EAGLE (Harpia harpyja) – Wow! A trip highlight was seeing this remarkable raptor perched in a large tree a ways back from the Rio Claro at Garden of the Amazon. This individual seemed to be about a three year old, with a floppy double crest and the beginning of a dark breast band. After John, who was delayed, arrived that afternoon, a few of us went back out and saw it again in another tree. This is one of the great raptors of the world. BLACK HAWKEAGLE (Spizaetus tyrannus) – This interesting raptor was seen the following day in the same tree that we had seen the Harpy Eagle the day before. ORNATE HAWKEAGLE (Spizaetus ornatus) [*] BLACKCOLLARED HAWK (Busarellus nigricollis) – This is a quite common species in the Pantanal where we even saw it grab a fish. SNAIL KITE (Rostrhamus sociabilis) – The number of Snail Kites along the Transpantaneira Road is incredible. It would be tough to be a snail around there. DOUBLETOOTHED KITE (Harpagus bidentatus) – We saw this fairly small raptor soaring over the forest at Garden of the Amazon. SAVANNA HAWK (Buteogallus meridionalis) – Another raptor that was seen widely in the open country. GREAT BLACK HAWK (Buteogallus urubitinga) – One of these was especially fond of the fish our boatman tossed. ROADSIDE HAWK (Rupornis magnirostris) WHITETAILED HAWK (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) Eurypygidae (Sunbittern) SUNBITTERN (Eurypyga helias) – A great bird! We saw a handful in the Pantanal but only got to see the remarkable wing pattern briefly as it flew. Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) RUFOUSSIDED CRAKE (Laterallus melanophaius) – Three individuals showed pretty nicely for us in the Pantanal as they walked over the top of the vegetation. GRAYBREASTED CRAKE (Laterallus exilis) [*] GRAYCOWLED WOODRAIL (Aramides cajaneus) SPOTTED RAIL (Pardirallus maculatus) – We ended up with good views of this rather widespread but rare and very difficult to see species in the Pantanal. There are very few records in central Brazil. PURPLE GALLINULE (Porphyrio martinica) AZURE GALLINULE (Porphyrio flavirostris) – On the boat trip at Piuval we crept up on one in the marsh. Heliornithidae (Finfoots) SUNGREBE (Heliornis fulica) – On our