Bulletin 437 - Brazil 2023 #18 - Flycatchers Part 1

 After 3 trips to Colombia with diminishing returns, it was time to go further afield. Pablo Flores the guide in Colombia is now leading trips to Brazil as well. So my birding buddy Martin Jackson and my daughter Chantel and I decided to go there. We visited the Pantanal, the Atlantic forest in the Sao Paulo area and had 1 day in the Chapada. The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world, so it is teeming with wildlife. The Atlantic Forest is a unique ecosystem from sea level to about 1 mile elevation. It contains 800 species of birds (225 endemic) and 26 species of primates. Unfortunately it also contains 2 mega cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the resulting sprawl and clearing for agriculture since the Portuguese arrived 500 years ago, has wiped out 90%+ of the original forest. About 250 species of amphibians, birds and mammals have gone extinct in the past 400 years. The good news is that many preserves and parks have been set aside to try and preserve the remaining biodiversity.

The Tyrant Flycatcher family has the most species of any of the bird families (447 currently). So as before on other trips you find a lot of them. This trip to Brazil was no different 21 species of which 16 were new for me.

The 7.75" Brown-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrannulus) is typical for this genus with the brown back and head, gray breast and yellow belly. This bird also can be seen in south Texas.

Brown-crested Flycatcher

His cousin is the 7" Swainson's Flycatcher (Myiarchus swainsoni). These birds are so similar that they are best separated by voice.

Swainson's Flycatcher

The 8" Crested Black Tyrant (Knipolegus lophotes) is an all black flycatcher with a wispy crest and a red eye.

Crested Black Tyrant 

His cousin is the 7" Velvety Black Tyrant (Knipolegus lophotes). The male has a bushy crest and red eye.

Velvety Black Tyrant - male

The female is similar but she has a rusty streaked throat.

Velvety Black Tyrant - female

The 6" Scarlet Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) should look familiar to all of us in the USA. It was one of the 3 species split from Vermilion Flycatcher.

Scarlet Flycatcher

The 6.5" Lesser Kiskadee (Philohydor lictor) is another bird that need sot be IDed by voice as there are many similarly colored species.

Lesser Kiskadee

The 7" Rufous Casiornis (Casiornis rufus) is an attractive reddish brown bird but lighter on the breast.

 Rufous Casiornis

The 8.25" Grey-hooded Attila (Attila rufus) is similar to the above bird but the head is gray. He is a Brazil endemic.

Grey-hooded Attila

The 7.75" Cattle Tyrant (Machetornis rixosa) is a commonly found bird in tropical America. He is usually on the ground.

Cattle Tyrant

The 3.75" Yellow-lored Tody-Flycatcher (Todirostrum poliocephalum) is an easy ID. He is another Brazil endemic species.

Yellow-lored Tody-Flycatcher

So with the 16 new flycatcher species on the trip, I have still only photographed 1/3 of the species in this largest family of birds.

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 149 of the 447 species of Tyrant Flycatchers

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2025 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 436 - Brazil 2023 #17 - Puffbirds and Toucans

 After 3 trips to Colombia with diminishing returns, it was time to go further afield. Pablo Flores the guide in Colombia is now leading trips to Brazil as well. So my birding buddy Martin Jackson and my daughter Chantel and I decided to go there. We visited the Pantanal, the Atlantic forest in the Sao Paulo area and had 1 day in the Chapada. The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world, so it is teeming with wildlife. The Atlantic Forest is a unique ecosystem from sea level to about 1 mile elevation. It contains 800 species of birds (225 endemic) and 26 species of primates. Unfortunately it also contains 2 mega cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the resulting sprawl and clearing for agriculture since the Portuguese arrived 500 years ago, has wiped out 90%+ of the original forest. About 250 species of amphibians, birds and mammals have gone extinct in the past 400 years. The good news is that many preserves and parks have been set aside to try and preserve the remaining biodiversity.

Puffbirds are great for photography as they usually sit still while looking around for some large insects or lizards.

The 8" White-eared Puffbird (Nystalus chacuru) has a brown back, black face with white ear patch and white underside. His beak is orange. 

White-eared Puffbird

His cousin, the 7.5" Caatinga Puffbird (Nystalus maculatus) also stayed still, but unfortunately he was high in a tree. He is brown above with an orang breast and spotted flanks. It is endemic to Brazil.

Caatinga Puffbird

The 7.5" Crescent-chested Puffbird (Malacoptila striata) is an easy ID with the brown head and orange streaking. It is endemic to Brazil.

Crescent-chested Puffbird

Lastly, the 10" Black-fronted Nunbird (Monasa nigrifrons) is dark gray with black around the red bill. This is a widespread bird in Latin America. I have seen it on many trips.

Black-fronted Nunbird

Now we turn to everyone's favorite - the toucans. I will describe them in order of size. All of them were life birds for me.

The 12.5" male Spot-billed Toucanet (Selenidera maculirostris) has a green back, black head and chest, green around the eye and a gray bill with black spots on the upper mandible.

Spot-billed Toucanet - male

Next is the amazing 13.5" Saffron Toucanet (Pteroglossus bailloni). He is an easy ID. At the lodge, they came to feeders and actually I was able to hand feed him a banana. 

Saffron Toucanet

The 16" Chestnut-eared Aracari (Pteroglossus castanotis) was high up on a dead snag. He has a greenish back, rusty neck and yellow belly with a single red band.

Chestnut-eared Aracari

The 18" Red-breasted Toucan (Ramphastos dicolorus) is an easy ID. 

Red-breasted Toucan

Lastly is the huge 24" Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco). We only saw this one on the trip but wow what a spectacular bird with his huge orange bill. He is the largest member of the toucan family.

Toco Toucan

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 16 of the 38 species of Puffbirds

I have photos of 23 of the 43 species of Toucans

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2024 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 435 - Brazil 2023 #16 - Funarids (Ovenbirds) Part 1

  After 3 trips to Colombia with diminishing returns, it was time to go further afield. Pablo Flores the guide in Colombia is now leading trips to Brazil as well. So my birding buddy Martin Jackson and my daughter Chantel and I decided to go there. We visited the Pantanal, the Atlantic forest in the Sao Paulo area and had 1 day in the Chapada. The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world, so it is teeming with wildlife. The Atlantic Forest is a unique ecosystem from sea level to about 1 mile elevation. It contains 800 species of birds (225 endemic) and 26 species of primates. Unfortunately it also contains 2 mega cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the resulting sprawl and clearing for agriculture since the Portuguese arrived 500 years ago, has wiped out 90%+ of the original forest. About 250 species of amphibians, birds and mammals have gone extinct in the past 400 years. The good news is that many preserves and parks have been set aside to try and preserve the remaining biodiversity.

In the last bulletin I was surprised at the few hummingbirds that we had for the trip. But we made up for it with almost 2 dozen funarids (woodcreepers, spinetails, foliage gleaners etc) 

Woodcreepers are usually the easiest to see as they ascend the tree trunks and are very responsive to the tape.

The 12" Great Rufous Woodcreeper (Xiphocolaptes major) is an easy ID with his size and no spots or streaks.

Great Rufous Woodcreeper

His cousin the 11" White-throated Woodcreeper (Xiphocolaptes albicollis) was also on the ground and an easy one to photograph. 

White-throated Woodcreeper

The 10" Planalto Woodcreeper (Dendrocolaptes platyrostris) is quite similar to the above bird but he has faint streaking on the throat and  a smaller bill. I was looking for obvious differences and this bird has a noticeable yellow eye ring. I checked other photos of these birds online and it seems to be a difference, but it is not noted in the field guide.

Planalto Woodcreeper

The 8.3" Plain-winged Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla turdina) is all brown without much streaking and he has a short black bill.

Plain-winged Woodcreeper

The 8" Narrow-billed Woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes augustirostris) is very different. He has very rufous wings and tail, a white face with a black stripe and almost pure white underneath. I must admit when I am concentrating on taking the photos in the field, I do not always notice these things until I work on the photos after the trip.

Narrow-billed Woodcreeper

His cousin the 7.5" Scalloped Woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes falcinellus) is one easiest told by voice. That is why I use a guide!

Scalloped Woodcreeper

Lastly is the easiest bird to ID, the 10.5" Red-billed Scythebill (Campylorhamphus trochilirostris). He is a rufous bird with 3" almost semicircular red bill.

Red-billed Scythebill

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 66 of the 315 species of ovenbirds

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2024 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe

Bulletin 434 - Brazil 2023 #15 - 4 New Families and 4 Carnivores

  After 3 trips to Colombia with diminishing returns, it was time to go further afield. Pablo Flores the guide in Colombia is now leading trips to Brazil as well. So my birding buddy Martin Jackson and my daughter Chantel and I decided to go there. We visited the Pantanal, the Atlantic forest in the Sao Paulo area and had 1 day in the Chapada. The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world, so it is teeming with wildlife. The Atlantic Forest is a unique ecosystem from sea level to about 1 mile elevation. It contains 800 species of birds (225 endemic) and 26 species of primates. Unfortunately it also contains 2 mega cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the resulting sprawl and clearing for agriculture since the Portuguese arrived 500 years ago, has wiped out 90%+ of the original forest. About 250 species of amphibians, birds and mammals have gone extinct in the past 400 years. The good news is that many preserves and parks have been set aside to try and preserve the remaining biodiversity.

There are many different families of birds (currently 253 - a new one was created in January 2022). It is always fun for me to see and photo a bird in a new family for me. I had 4 new ones for this trip. The first 2 birds I had seen on a previous visit to the Pantanal long before I started photography.

The 60" Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) is a flightless ratite bird in southern South America. There are 2 species of rheas. It is of course an easy ID.

Greater Rhea

Another long-legged bird is the peculiar 36" Red-legged Seriema (Cariama cristata). There are also 2 species of seriema. It is another easy ID.

Red-legged Seriema

Here he is with his neck bent hollering. He was kind of comical watching this performance.

Red-legged Seriema

The next 2 birds were lifers as well as the first time I photographed a member of the family.

The 19" Sunbittern (Eurypga helias) resembles a heron but he is the only member in the family.

Sunbittern

The last is the 5" Rufous Gnateater (Conopophaga lineata). There are 12 species in the gnateater family. They resemble and follow the antpittas in  the bird list. In fact 2 of the 12 were formerly classified as antpittas and still retain the name despite moving to their correct family classification. 

Rufous Gnateater - male

Africa has the Big 5 animals that people want to see on a safari. Brazil also has a Big 5. I photoed 2 of them on the trip.

Of course the prize is the Jaguar (Panthera onca). It is the 3rd largest cat in the world. It is about 6' long with a weight up to 350 pounds. It has the most powerful bite of any cat to pierce the shells of turtles. It kills its prey in an unusual way. It bites right through the skull to destroy the brain.

Jaguar

Here is the classic photo of the jaguar seen in books - the cat asleep on a branch. We were in a boat almost directly underneath the animal - about 25 feet away!

Jaguar

The second of the Big 5 was the Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis). This member of the weasel family is 5' long but weighs only about 65 pounds. The white markings on the throat and chest are unique and allow researchers to recognize individuals. They are listed as endangered due to previous hunting and habitat loss. The population was estimated at 5,000 in the wild in 1999. I had seen the otter on my previous trip to the Pantanal .

Giant Otter

They are a very social animal and family groups stay and play together. We watched a group for at least 30 minutes around their dens in the river bank. Here is an adult with a couple of smaller ones.

Giant Otter

The South American Coati (Nasua nasua) is a member of the racoon family. They weigh 10 -15 pounds and come in a couple of colors. This one is brown with a ringed tail

South American Coati

Here is a second one that looks black.

South American Coati

Lastly is the Crab-eating Fox (Cerdocyon thous). It is a small dog weighing 10 - 17 pounds.

Crab-eating Fox

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2024 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 433 - Brazil 2023 #14 - Tanagers Part 4

 After 3 trips to Colombia with diminishing returns, it was time to go further afield. Pablo Flores the guide in Colombia is now leading trips to Brazil as well. So my birding buddy Martin Jackson and my daughter Chantel and I decided to go there. We visited the Pantanal, the Atlantic forest in the Sao Paulo area and had 1 day in the Chapada. The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world, so it is teeming with wildlife. The Atlantic Forest is a unique ecosystem from sea level to about 1 mile elevation. It contains 800 species of birds (225 endemic) and 26 species of primates. Unfortunately it also contains 2 mega cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the resulting sprawl and clearing for agriculture since the Portuguese arrived 500 years ago, has wiped out 90%+ of the original forest. About 250 species of amphibians, birds and mammals have gone extinct in the past 400 years. The good news is that many preserves and parks have been set aside to try and preserve the remaining biodiversity.

The 7" Brown Tanager (Orchesticus abeillei) is another Brazil endemic. He is all brown except for a black stripe through his eye.

Brown Tanager

2 birds have red crown spots. The 7.5" Diademed Tanager (Stephanophorus diadematus) is a deep blue bird with a black face and a wisp of red feathers on his crown.

Diademed Tanager

The 7" male Ruby-crowned Tanager (Tachyphonus coronatus) is an iridescent black bird with a tiny red spot on top of his head. The female is completely different - just a plain brown bird.

Ruby-crowned Tanager - male

Hai cousin, the 6.5" Flame-crested Tanager (Tachyphonus cristatus) is a black bird with a flat orange crest and a yellow rump. The female is brown.

Flame-crested Tanager - male

The 4.5" male Chestnut-vented Conebill (Conirostrum speciosum) is blue-gray above and pale below with the rufous vent feathers.

Chestnut-vented Conebill - male

The most unusual tanager is the 11" Magpie Tanager (Cissopis leverianus). He is an easy ID with his black and white plumage, long tail and a bright yellow eye.

Magpie Tanager

The 8.5" Black-throated Grosbeak (Saltator fulginosus) is another easy ID with his dark gray body, black throat and bright red bill.

Black-throated Grosbeak

The final tanager for the trip was a gaudy tangara species, the 5" Red-necked Tanager (Tangara cyanocephala). He is an easy ID if you see him. I think it is interesting that the common name is red-necked, but the scientific name means blue-headed???

Red-necked Tanager

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 143 of the 391 species of tanagers

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2024 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 432 - Brazil 2023 #13 - Hummingbirds

 After 3 trips to Colombia with diminishing returns, it was time to go further afield. Pablo Flores the guide in Colombia is now leading trips to Brazil as well. So my birding buddy Martin Jackson and my daughter Chantel and I decided to go there. We visited the Pantanal, the Atlantic forest in the Sao Paulo area and had 1 day in the Chapada. The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world, so it is teeming with wildlife. The Atlantic Forest is a unique ecosystem from sea level to about 1 mile elevation. It contains 800 species of birds (225 endemic) and 26 species of primates. Unfortunately it also contains 2 mega cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the resulting sprawl and clearing for agriculture since the Portuguese arrived 500 years ago, has wiped out 90%+ of the original forest. About 250 species of amphibians, birds and mammals have gone extinct in the past 400 years. The good news is that many preserves and parks have been set aside to try and preserve the remaining biodiversity.

Hummingbirds are one of my favorite species of birds. What was surprising on the trip was how few locations had feeders out. It seemed the only feeders were at private lodges. The national and state parks did not have any (maybe prohibited). So I only got 9 new species for the trip. 

There were 2 new hermits. The 6" Saw-billed Hermit (Ramphodon naevius) is unlike other hermits as he does not have the 2 long central white tail feathers. Apparently he is named for his serrated mandible (only occasionally seen in the field). This is a Brazil endemic and another bird named for a never seen field mark. I was always enchanted by his name in the bird list - so it was nice to finally see him. He also has an almost straight bill - unusual for a hermit.

Saw-billed Hermit

Here is another photo attacking a huge bromeliad flower.

Saw-billed Hermit

The 5.5" Scale-throated Hermit (Phaetornis eurynome) is a montane species that we saw at a lodge with feeders in the Atlantic forest.

The next 5 birds along with the Saw-billed Hermit above were seen on our first day  at a private reserve on the coast north of Sao Paulo. The retired gentleman set up this place and he refused to accept any money. His joy was to show people his local beauties. 

The 3" male Festive Coquette (Lophornis chalybeus) is a tiny hummer with a white stripe across the rump and a fringe of white tipped feathers on the neck.

Festive Coquette -male

Here is again hovering and the neck feathers are laid flat.

Festive Coquette - male

The 4.8" Sombre Hummingbird (Aphantochrao cirrchloris) is green above and gray with green dots below.

 Sombre Hummingbird

The 4.5" male Brazilian Ruby (Clytolaema rubricauda) is another endemic and a distinctive bird in the range. He is all green with a red throat and rufous wings and tail.

Brazilian Ruby - male

The 3.5" male White-chinned Sapphire (Hylochloris cyanus) has a purple head with a red bill tipped in black and a few white chin feathers.

White-chinned Sapphire - male

The 4" male Violet-capped Woodnymph (Thalurania glaucopis) is a green hummer with sparkling underside and a purple crown.

Violet-capped Woodnymph - male

So the above 7 birds were at locations with feeders. The last 2 here are captured in the field and I think I was very lucky to get such close-up photos. 

The 4.5" White-throated Hummingbird (Leucochloris albicolis) was caught on the last morning on the way up the mountain, with a patch of flowers beside the road.

White-throated Hummingbird

The 3.8" Plain-bellied Emerald (Chyrsuronia leucogaster) is green above and white below.

Plain-bellied Emerald

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 156 of the 365 species of hummingbirds.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2024 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.