Bulletin 445 - Brazil 2025 #4 - Hawks and Cuckoos

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. Many of the birds have wide distribution, but others are restricted toa tiny area of original forest usually above 2500 foot elevation. The Birds of Brazil guide book by Ber Van Perlo was published in 2009. He gives the chances of seeing the birds and many are listed as R - meaning rare with a negligible chance of finding them. However with the excellent guide (Alex Mesquita) and going point to point where the reported sightings have recently occurred, we saw many of them. We drove over 2000 miles in the 2 weeks to see as many of these rarities as well as the more common birds. I will indicate the R species.

In 2023 I visited the southern part of this area. In 2025 I visited the northern part. Some of the photos will be ones I had not sent for the 2023 trip.

A lifer was the 20" Grey-headed Kite (Leptodon cayanensis). This was a stroke of luck as we were driving back the long haul from the Pantanal, the guide stopped the vehicle for a moment and this bird flew in and landed in the trees beside us.

Grey-headed Kite

Another new photo was the 25" Black Hawk-Eagle (Spizeatus tyrannus). I have never seen this bird perched.

Black Hawk-Eagle,

Another lifer was the 21" Mantled Hawk   (Leucopternis polionotus) This bird is similar to the White Hawk, but it is only found along the Atlantic coast of Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It was very far away and I had to take the photo with my camera through a scope. It is listed as Rare.

Mantled Hawk

Another lifer was the 20" Long-winged Harrier (Circus buffoni). The long banded tail is a field mark.

Long-winged Harrier

Another bird soaring was the 21" Zone-tailed Hawk (Buteo albonotatus).

 Zone-tailed Hawk 

There were many 17" Snail Kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis) in the Pantanal region. This is a dark gray raptor with a markedly hooked beak. They are found widely in tropical America from Florida southwards.

Snail Kite

The beautiful rufous 23" Savannah Hawk (Buteogallus meridonalis) is a bird I see on most of my South America trips.

Savannah Hawk

On a boat trip in the Pantanal along a stream not more than 30 yards wide, we came across a pair of 20" Black-collared Hawks (Busarellus nigricollis). They had a nest in a tree nearby and this was their hunting ground along the stream. We were within 10 yards of this bird for an amazing photo opportunity. He is a fantastic bird.

Black-collared Hawk

The 13" Smooth-billed Ani (Crotophaga ani) is a scruffy iridescent black cuckoo. It is another commonly seen bird in tropical America.

Smooth-billed Ani

A new cuckoo was the 15" Guira Cuckoo (Guira guira). He is IDed by the long tail, dark wings and bushy orange crest.

Guira Cuckoo

On a cold morning, several would huddle together - here are 5 - count them!

Guira Cuckoo

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

I have photos of 80 of the 254 species of hawks and eagles

I have photos of 26 of the 148 species of cuckoos

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 444 - Brazil 2025 #3 - Funarids (Ovenbirds) part 2

 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. Many of the birds have wide distribution, but others are restricted toa tiny area of original forest usually above 2500 foot elevation. The Birds of Brazil guide book by Ber Van Perlo was published in 2009. He gives the chances of seeing the birds and many are listed as R - meaning rare with a negligible chance of finding them. However with the excellent guide (Alex Mesquita) and going point to point where the reported sightings have recently occurred, we saw many of them. We drove over 2000 miles in the 2 weeks to see as many of these rarities as well as the more common birds. I will indicate the R species.

In 2023 I visited the southern part of this area. In 2025 I visited the northern part. Some of the photos will be ones I had not sent for the 2023 trip.

The funarids are mostly rufous birds and sexes usually have the same plumage.

The 8" Greater Thornbird (Phacellodomus ruber) has rufous a cap, wings and tail. The throat and breast are white. The eye is yellow.

Greater Thornbird

His cousin, the 6.5" Orange-breasted Thornbird (Phacellodomus ferrugineigula) is a very attractive funarid.

Orange-breasted Thornbird

Another is the endemic 6.5" Orange-eyed Thornbird (Phacellodomus erythrophthalmus). He is unusual for a funarid as he is mostly olive in color rather than rufous. He is another Brazil endemic.

Orange-eyed Thornbird

The 6.7" Rufous-fronted Thornbird (Phacellodomus rufifrons) is pale brown exceptnfor reddish forehead.

Rufous-fronted Thornbird

Here is one of their stick nests.

Thornbird nest

The 7.5" Firewood Gatherer (Anumbius annumbi) is a bird I wanted to see because of its unusual name. I did not see its nest - but it is up to 42" high and 16" wide.

Firewood Gatherer

The 7" Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner (Syndactyla rufosuperciliata) actually sat out in the open for me.

Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner

The endemic 7.75" White-collared Foliage-gleaner (Anabazenops fuscus) has a white eye stripe and white collar.

White-collared Foliage-gleaner

The 9.8" endemic Caatinga Cacholote (Pseudiseisura cristata) is a very large rusty brown funarid.

Caatinga Cacholote

The 7.5" Grey-crested Cacholote (Pseudiseisura unirufa) is rusty brown except for a gray crest.

Grey-crested Cacholote

Lastly is the 7.5" Rufous-breasted Leaftosser (Sclerurus scansor). It has a white throat and is otherwise another rufous funarid.

Rufous-breasted Leaftosser

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

I have photos of 74 of the 321 species of ovenbirds

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 443 - Brazil 2025 #2 - Hummingbirds Part 1

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. Many of the birds have wide distribution, but others are restricted toa tiny area of original forest usually above 2500 foot elevation. The Birds of Brazil guide book by Ber Van Perlo was published in 2009. He gives the chances of seeing the birds and many are listed as R - meaning rare with a negligible chance of finding them. However with the excellent guide (Alex Mesquita) and going point to point where the reported sightings have recently occurred, we saw many of them. We drove over 2000 miles in the 2 weeks to see many of these rarities, as well as the more common birds. I will indicate these Rare species.

In 2023 I visited the southern part of this area. In 2025 I visited the northern part. Some of the photos will be ones I had not sent for the 2023 trip.

There were 3 hermits on the trip. The 5.5" Planalto Hermit (Phaethornis ruber) is a typical hermit with brownish coloration and long white central tail feathers.

Planalto Hermit 

The 4.3" endemic Broad-tipped Hermit (Anopetia gounellei) lacks the long central tail feathers.

Broad-tipped Hermit

The endemic 5" Hook-billed Hermit (Glaucis dohrnii) also lacks the long central tail feathers. It is listed as Rare.

Hook-billed Hermit

The 5" Black Jacobin (Florisuga fusca) is an easy ID with it being all black except for a white tail and white wing patch.

Black Jacobin

The 5" White-vented Violet-ear (Colibri serrirostris) is a green hummer with bluish ear patch and white under tail.

White-vented Violet-ear

The 3.5" male Ruby-topaz Hummingbird (Chrysolampis mosquitus) is an easy ID and I have seen it many times. It never fails to delight me to see it again.

Ruby-topaz Hummingbird

The 6.3" Swallow-tailed Hummingbird (Eupetomena macroura) is a large blue hummingbird with long tail feathers and an easy ID.

Swallow-tailed Hummingbird

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

I have photos of 168 of the 365 species of Hummingbirds

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 442 - Brazil 2025 #1 - Funarids (Ovenbirds)

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. Many of the birds have wide distribution, but others are restricted toa tiny area of original forest usually above 2500 foot elevation. The Birds of Brazil guide book by Ber Van Perlo was published in 2009. He gives the chances of seeing the birds and many are listed as R - meaning rare with a negligible chance of finding them. However with the excellent guide (Alex Mesquita) and going point to point where the reported sightings have recently occurred, we saw many of them. We drove over 2000 miles in the 2 weeks to see as many of these rarities as well as the more common birds. I will indicate the R species.

In 2023 I visited the southern part of this area. In 2025 I visited the northern part. Some of the photos will be ones I had not sent for the 2023 trip.

The funarids are mostly rufous birds and sexes usually have the same plumage.

The 7" Araucaria Tit-Spinetail (Leptashenura setaria) has a streaked head and long tail. It is confined to araucaria trees. R

Araucaria Tit-Spinetail

The 5.5" Ochre-cheeked Spinetail (Synallaxis scutata) has a white throat and thin black line below the white. The yellowish cheek patch helps with the ID.

Ochre-cheeked Spinetail

The 6" Pale-breasted Spinetail (Synallaxis albescens) has a rufous cap and shoulders. The underparts are almost white.

Pale-breasted Spinetail

The 6" Rufous-capped Spinetail (Synallaxis ruficapilla) has a rufous crown, wings and tail with gray underside and a white eyebrow.

Rufous-capped Spinetail

The 6" Sooty-fronted Spinetail (Synallaxis frontalis) is mostly grayish with the rufous cap, wings and tail. He has also  a gray forehead.

Sooty-fronted Spinetail

The 6" Pallid Spinetail (Cranioleuca demissa) has a rufous cap, wings and tail. There is a white eyebrow that is diagnostic but not seen in this photo.

Pallid Spinetail

The 6.3" White-lored Spinetail (Cranioleuca albilora) is rufous with a gray head and white lores.

White-lored Spinetail

The 6" Yellow-chinned Spinetail (Certhiaxis cinnamomeus) ia another bird named for a field mark that usually cannot been seen in the field.It is bicolored - rufous above and white below.

Yellow-chinned Spinetail

The 4.7" Atlantic Plain Xenops (Xenops minutis) is a recent split of Plain Xenops. It is a cute flat headed rufous bird with a short yolleow slightly upturned bill.

Atlantic Plain Xenops

The 6.3" Great Xenops (Megaxenops parnaguae) is a rufous bird with a white throat and the same yellow up turned bill. The guide warned us that this bird is very difficult to see and photo. However, with my uncanny luck, the bird showed up immediately and posed for photos in the open. After we had good photos, we walked another 20 yards down the trail and the bird flew and landed beside us again. The guide said this was the best photo he ever got of this bird.

Great Xenops

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

I have photos of 74 of the 321 species of ovenbirds

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 441 - Brazil 2023 #22 - Funarids (Ovenbirds) part 2

 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 funarids or ovenbirds are a huge family of birds in the New World. Most are hard to photograph in the dense jungle, but here in the Pantanal and southeastern Brazil, the forest was more open. Thus I had a record of 23 new species photographed for the trip. We already saw the woodcreepers in Bulletin #16.

The spinetails for me are difficult to see well and get a photo. The 6.25" Rufous-capped Spinetail (Synallaxis ruficapilla) is easy to ID if you can see him. He has a reddish cap and a black line through the eye.

Rufous-capped Spinetail

His cousin, the 6.25" White-lored Spinetail (Synallaxis albilora) has a rufous body and wings and a gray head. There is a tiny white spot between the eye and the beak.

White-lored Spinetail

The 5.5" Pallid Spinetail (Cranioleuca pallida) is a Brazil endemic. This is a forest species with a rusty cap, wings and tail. 

The 6" Yellow-chinned Spinetail (Certhiaxis cinnamomeus) is a spinetail of marshy areas. It has rufous wings and tail and a rufous cap. It is pale on the back and underside with a yellow chin spot. Like the bird above, the named feature of the bird is never seen in the field so need ID by voice.

Yellow-chinned Spinetail

The 6.75" Arucaria Tit-Spinetail (Leptasthenura setaria) occurs in the mountains in the arucaria pine forests. He is grayish with a streaked head and a long rufous forked tail. The arucaria trees were prehistoric looking.

Arucaria Tit-Spinetail

The horneros are easier to see as many forage on the ground. The 7" Rufous Hornero (Funarius rufus) is overall plain rufous.

Rufous Hornero

His cousin, the 6.5" Pale-legged Hornero (Funarius leucopis) is more intese rufous on the body, with a gray head and obvious white eye stripe.

Pale-legged Hornero

Lastly is the 6.5" Band-tailed Hornero (Funarius figulus). He is similar to the previous one but he has a rufous cap. He is another Brazil endemic bird.

Band-tailed Hornero

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 - 2025 David McDonald

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

Bulletin 440 - Brazil 2023 #21 - Storks, Trogons, others

  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 were 3 storks for the trip - none were lifers but 2 were new for photos.

The smallest is the 37" Wood Stork (Mycteria americana). This is also in the USA so should be familiar to everyone.

Wood Stork

The next is the 42" Maguari Stork (Ciconia maguari). It is a white stork with black wings, red lags and red facial skin around the eyes.

Maguari Stork

The giant is, of course, the 55" Jabiru (Jabiru mycteria). It is an easy ID due to its size. It has a white body, black neck with a red collar at the base of the neck.

Jabiru

Of course a bird this size builds a gigantic nest.

Jabiru - nest

There were 3 trogons for the trip. The 11" male Green-backed Trogon (Trogon viridis) has green back, blue hood, yellow belly and pale yellow eye ring.

Green-backed Trogon

The new one was the 11.5"  Surucua Trogon (Trogon susucua). This is a female with the gray body. In the field guide it shows that this trogon has 2 color forms - red bellied and yellow bellied. I have not seen this in any other trogon that I have encountered. Maybe it is 2 separate species??

Surucua Trogon - female

The 10" male Blue-crowned Trogon (Trogon curucui) has a green back, red belly and blue head.

Blue-crowned Trogon - male

The female is gray instead of green.

Blue-crowned Trogon - female

The only tinamou was the 17" Solitary Tinamou (Tinamus solitarius). It was coming to a feeding station at a lodge in the mountains. This is only my 4th tinamou species to photograph.

Solitary Tinamou

At the same time at that lodge, they fed the 11" Spot-winged Wood Quail (Odontophorus capueira). The rufous on the face is a good ID, but it is the only quail in this area of Brazil.

Spot-winged Wood Quail

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

I have photos of 10 of the 19 species of storks

I have photos of 18 of the 43 species of trogons

I have photos of 4 of the 47 species of tinamous

I have photos of 10 of the 34 species of New World  quail

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.