Raptors & Jaguars of Brazil
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Raptors & Jaguars of Brazil Combine it with our Southern Atlantic Forest Pre-Tour Extension, 30 July – 3 August (See Page 4) Superb raptor watching in the its talons: a jaw-dropping 2-in tarsus diameter at the narrowest point, and a heart of South America! threatening 4-in long hind talon! A sloth or Mato Grosso, in central Brazil, is a monkey skull crushing machine perfectly top destination to any global adapted to snatch prey from tree-tops as the hawkwatcher! Sought-after species bird dashes at staggering speeds thru the such as the Harpy Eagle—the most thick canopy of the lowland tropical forests powerful raptor on the planet—and of the Neotropics. secretive jungle dwellers such as the On this tour we will visit not one, but two White-browed Hawk or the Cryptic Forest nests of this Queen of all raptors, the mighty Falcon, along with many open habitat Harpy Eagle! We will have lots of time to species are readily seen on this expedition to watch the eagles. If we are lucky, we may the heart of the Bird Continent. even see a prey delivery at the nest! The Harpy Eagle is every The mighty Harpy Eagle! The Jaguar birdwatcher’s dream bird, and the most powerful raptor on Earth. We Few raptors inspire admiration and respect The Pantanal is one of the largest wetlands will visit two nests of this species in as the Harpy Eagle does. Standing nearly 40 on Earth. Dubbed the Serengeti of South this tour. inches tall, with a wingspan of over 6.5 ft, America, it is the most reliable place to see © S. Seipke and weighing up to 20 pounds (!) it is easy to Jaguars! see why. But it is not its height, or wingspan, not even its impressive weight what earned The Jaguar is the third-largest feline in the Email Raptours, L.L.C. the Harpy Eagle the seemingly pretentious world, after the tiger and the lion, and the ([email protected]) to reserve title of “the most powerful raptor on Earth”, largest in the Americas. We saw three of your place in this tour, or book online but the thickness of its tarsi, and the size of them on a previous tour. at www.raptoursllc.com. Copyright © Raptours, L.L.C. 2014–2016. All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced without Raptours, LLC’s express consent. 1 Raptors, raptors, raptors... disappoint no one seeking superb images of fauna. We will work from cars, open-top from the Pantanal to the trucks, elevated platforms, and speedboats Amazon to maximize your lenses’ reach. Dependent on number of participants, one or two Some 35 species of raptors are expected on experienced wildlife photographers —Darío this tour to the mixed landscapes of the Podestá and José Luis Ojeda—will be Pantanal and Serra das Araras, and the available to coach us and help us improve lowland humid forests of Alta Floresta. our photographic technique. The rest will be Birds, mammals, and reptiles: up to you! in big numbers! Fun and productive boat Countless birds of all sizes offer such an rides... amazing spectacle it is hard to keep track of If you like watching wildlife from boats this Black-collared Hawks are very it. As we look for raptors we will get close tour is just perfect for you! We will work from partial to fish. They perch low along and personal with many species of other rivers or on lake shores and snatch speedboats for two days up and down the birds, mammals—including Black Howler fish from the water. You should be Cuiabá River and its tributaries looking for Monkey, Capybara, and Giant River Otter, able to take your own photo of this Jaguars and raptors. And we will take daily during this tour. among others—, and even reptiles, the boat rides on the Cristalino and Teles Pires © D. Podestá Caiman being the most notorious of them rivers from our base at the Cristalino Jungle here. Lodge—one of the best eco lodges in the Expert wildlife photographers world, according to the National Geographic. on board! On one of these boat rides we got to sail within 3 m of a Brazilian Tapir on a previous Abundant, tame animals at close range tour, and Red-throated, and Black represent a dream combination for any Caracaras, and Bat Falcons were seen on a wildlife photographer. The Pantanal will daily basis here. Day-by-Day Itinerary Day 1 | 3 AUGUST south alongside ponds loaded with alligators, scores of jabirus, egrets, jacanas, Arrival at Cuiabá’s Marechal Rondon and of course many raptors such as International Airport (IATA code CGB) and Roadside, Savanna, and Black-collared check-in at our hotel nearby. In the Hawks! Lunch in Rio Claro. Dinner and afternoon, Sergio Seipke will give a slide overnight in Porto Jofre. show introducing the raptor species likely to be seen during this trip. Welcome briefing at Day 3 | 5 AUGUST dinner. Overnight in Cuiabá. Big, fat breakfast and morning boat ride Day 2 | 4 AUGUST searching for Jaguars! We will see raptors along the river such as Lesser Yellow- After breakfast and checkout, we will start off headed and Turkey Vultures, Crane Hawk with a bang driving the Transpantaneira road and Great Black Hawk. We are likely to see Copyright © Raptours, L.L.C. 2014–2016. All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced without Raptours, LLC’s express consent. 2 Giant River Otters. Lunch at the hotel. Boat Eagle nest. Early dinner and overnight in ride in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight Alta Floresta. in Porto Jofre. Day 9 | 11 AUGUST Day 4 | 6 AUGUST Pre-dawn forest falcon survey (optional). Same plan as Day 3. Breakfast, then morning visit to Harpy Eagle nest. Look for soaring raptors by swimming Day 5 | 7 AUGUST pool, where we expect to see Greater Yellow-headed Vulture, Swallow-tailed, Breakfast and checkout. Drive back north on and Plumbeous Kites, and Roadside and the Transpantaneira. We will stop along the Short-tailed Hawks, among others. Lunch in way to watch wildlife and complete our Alta Floresta. Drive and ride a boat to get to photographers’ checklists. Evening boat ride Cristalino Jungle Lodge (CJL). Look out for and optional night drive for those interested Bat Falcons! Dinner and overnight at CJL. King Vulture in seeing mammals. Dinner and overnight at © G.F. Ruellan Rio Claro. Day 10 | 12 AUGUST Day 6 | 8 AUGUST Super early breakfast! Cryptic Forest Falcon survey at dawn. Then spend the morning up Breakfast and free morning. Great in the observation tower looking for forest opportunity for a leisure walk in the woods, raptors such as White-browed Hawk and fish in the river, or go horseback riding. Double-toothed Kite; Ornate Hawk-Eagles Laughing and Aplomado Falcons are can bee seen too. Lunch at CJL. Boat ride in around, among many other raptors. Lunch in the afternoon to look for Black and Red- the pousada. After lunch we’ll head north throated Caracaras, and evening hunt for and west to Serra das Araras. Slaty-backed Forest Falcon. Overnight at After checking in we’ll head out to visit an CJL. active nest of Harpy Eagles! Dinner at the pousada. Day 11 | 13 AUGUST Early breakfast, then walk to old tower where We should see literally thousands of 9 AUGUST Yacare Caimans in the Pantanal. Day 7 | we’ll look for White-browed Hawk in early © D. Haas Pre-dawn walk to look for Barred and morning, and soaring raptors thru noon. Collared Forest Falcons. Breakfast at the Lunch at CJL. Boat ride in the afternoon and pousada. Morning visit to the Harpy Eagle forest interior surveys. (Tip: repack for nest, then drive around looking for raptors. domestic flight. See Day 7). Lunch in the pousada, and relaxing siesta time. Afternoon visit to the Harpy Eagle Day 12 | 14 AUGUST nest. Dinner at the pousada. (Tip: repack for Pre-dawn survey of forest falcons or early domestic flight: 1 checked bag 23 kg + carry- visit to towers to look for perched raptors. on bag 5 kg). Breakfast and checkout. Boat ride and drive back to Alta Floresta. Catch our flight back to 10 AUGUST Day 8 | Cuiabá. Dinner and overnight in Cuiabá. (Tip: Pre-dawn walk (optional) to look for forest repack for international travel). falcons. Big breakfast and checkout. Drive to Cuiabá, optional bag drop at our hotel there, Day 13 | 15 AUGUST and fly to Alta Floresta. Brazilian Tapir Catch flights home. Check in at our hotel and visit another Harpy © J.I. Areta Copyright © Raptours, L.L.C. 2014–2016. All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced without Raptours, LLC’s express consent. 3 Southern Atlantic Forest Pre-Tour Extension The Southern Atlantic Forest in lowland forest south of São Paulo, where eastern Brazil is a hotspot for over 25 raptor species—including Black- endemic species of plants and and-white Hawk-Eagle—have been animals—including birds—and raptors are recorded on previous tours. no exception. This tour extension is targeted at hawkwatchers willing to maximize their White-necked Hawk is the target species of 2016 Brazilian raptor-watching experience this tour extension. It is scarcer and more targeting Mantled and White-necked confined to lowland coastal forest than its Hawks. Both species look quite similar in the larger congener the Mantled Hawk. We field and this tour extension is a good have observed both perched White-necked opportunity to learn about their field Hawks, and pairs flying together on previous identification, habitat use, and behavior first tours in the area.