Bulletin 449 – Brazil 2025 #8 – Manakins,

  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 to a 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.

Manakins are a small New World family of small songbirds. The males are usually brightly colored and the females a dull olive color.

The 4.3" Band-tailed Manakin (Pipra fasciicauda) has a yellow and red head and underparts with a black back, wings and tail.

Band-tailed Manakin - male

The 6” male Blue Manakin (Chiroxiphia caudata) has a blue body, black face and wings and a red crown.

Blue Manakin – male

The 5” female Pin-tailed Manakin (Ilicura militaris) is typical of female mankins – dull olive above and grey below.

Pin-tailed Manakin - female

 The Tyrant-Manakins are exceptions as both sexes are dull olive colored.

The 5” Wied’s Tyrant Manakin (Neopelma aurifrons) is olive and pale yellow.

Wied’s Tyrant-Manakin

The 5.5” Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin (Neoplema pallescens) is totally pale and non-descript.

Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin

The 3.5” male Kinglet Manakin (Machaeropterus regulus) is green above and reddish streaked below and a bright red crest.

Kinglet Manakin - male

The 5.5” male Helmeted Manakin (Antilophia galeata) is all black but with a red crest and upper back.

Helmeted Manakin - male

His cousin, the 6” male Araripe Manakin (Antilophia bokermanni) has a white body, black wings and tail and the same red crest. This bird was discovered in 1997.

Araripe Manakin - male

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

I have photos of 21 of the 55 species of  Manakins

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2026 David McDonald

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

Bulletin 448 – Brazil 2025 #7 – Sparrows, Jays, Crescentchest

 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 to a 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 5.9” Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) is a common bird all through Latin America and the Caribbean. He is IDed by the brown back, black and gray face and an orange collar.

Rufous-collared Sparrow

The 5” Grassland Sparrow(Ammodromus humeralis) is found throughout Brazil south of the Amazon. It is a typical non-descript sparrow but he has a yellow spot in front of his eye.

Grassland Sparrow

The 5.9” Pectoral Sparrow (Arremon taciturnus) is a colorful sparrow with an olive back, and black and white striped face. He also has a yellow shoulder patch. His bill is black.

Pectoral Sparrow

His cousin is the similar 5.9” Sao Francisco Sparrow (Arremon franciscanus). He is an endemic and is listed as Rare. We only had one chance for him along a road and he came practically to our feet! His bill is yellow.

Sao Francisco Sparrow

The 15.5”  Purplish Jay (Cyanocorax cyanomelas) appears to be all dark but he is deep purple except for a black hood.

Purplish Jay

His cousin, the 13” Curl-crested Jay (Cyanocorax cristatellus) has a blueish back and white breast and tail. The crest facing backwards is an easy ID.

Curl-crested Jay

Another cousin is the endemic 13.8” White-naped Jay (Cyanocorax cyanopogon). He is black and white with a bright yellow eye.

White-naped Jay

A new family for me, was the 5.5” Collared Crescentchest (Melanopareia torquata). It is one of 4 species in the family of small songbirds south of the Amazon. This is the only one found in Brazil so it is an easy ID with his striped head, yellow throat bordered by black stripes.

Collared Crescentchest

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

I have photos of 77 of the 137 species of New World Sparrows

I have photos of 46 of the 136 species of  Crows, Jays and Magpies

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2026 David McDonald

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

Bulletin 447 - Brazil 2025 #6 – Hummingbirds 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 to a 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 endemic 4.7” male Stripe-breasted Starthroat (Heliomaster squamous) is a stunningly beautiful hummer - green with a central white stripe and a pink gorget.

Stripe-breasted Starthroat - male

The 4” male Hooded Visorbearer (Augastes lumachella) is green with a red tail and distinctive black facial pattern. He is an endemic in a very small area of NE Brazil and listed as Rare.

Hooded Visorbearer - male

The 3.9” male Horned Sungem (Heliactin bilophus) is another easy ID if you are lucky enough to see it. He has a white belly, black throat, blue crown and orange ‘horns’.

Horned Sungem - male

 

The 3.9” male Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Chionomesa lactea) is another beautiful hummer with his blue throat and breast and white belly.

Sapphire-spangled Emerald - male

The 3.9” male Glittering-bellied Emerald (Chlorostilbon lucidus) is all green except bluish throat. It has a re bill typical of this genus.

Glittering-bellied Emerald - male

The 3.9” male Violet-capped Woodnymph (Thalurania glaucopis) is bright green with a purple crown and bluish wings and tail.

Violet-capped Woodnymph - male

Lastly is a favorite of all birders – a coquette. The tiny 2.8” male Frilled Coquette (Lophornis magnificus). It is an easy ID if you see him.

Frilled Coquette - male

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 - 2026 David McDonald

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

 

Bulletin 446 - Brazil 2025 #5 - Antbirds

  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.

Antbirds are another large neotropical family consisting of over 230 species. The males are generally black and white and the females may be brown and white.

The 6.3" male Stripe-backed Antbird (Myrmorchilus strigilatus) Is colorful with brown cap and back with black streaking, a black breast and a white belly. It is not listed as rare but the guide said it is very difficult to see well. Well my luck was on overdrive and this bird performed perfectly. The guide said it was the best photo he had ever obtained of this bird.

Stripe-backed Antbird

The endemic 5" Ferruginous Antbird (Drymophila ferruginea) is overall rufous except for black cap, wings and tail. The sexes are very similar.

Ferruginous Antbird

The endemic 5" male Scaled Antbird (Drymophila squamata) has a scaled looking breast.

Scaled Antbird

The endemic male 6" White-bibbed Antbird (Myrmoderus loricatus) has a black face, a white throat and a scaled breast.

White-bibbed Antbird

The 7.5" male Slender Antbird (Rhopornis ardesiacus) is perhaps the largest antbird (excluding antshrikes). It is gray with a black throat and a distinctive red eye. It is endemic and listed as Rare.

Slender Antbird

The endemic 4.7" Spot-breasted Antvireo (Dysithamnus stictothorax) has a faint yellowish breast with spots extending onto the neck. The face is gray. It is also listed as Rare

Spot-breasted Antvireo

The 5" male Black-bellied Antwren (Formicivora melanogaster)is completely black underneath.

Black-bellied Antwren

The tiny 4.3" male Caatinga Antwren (Radinopsyche sellowi) is gray with white wing bars and a black cap. It is another endemic and also listed as Rare

Caatinga Antwren

The 5" male Sincora Antwren (Formicivora grantsaui) is another endemic. It has a brown back and a black face, band breast.

Sincora Antwren

The 5" male Rusty-backed Antwren (Formicivora rufa) is similar to the above but is more rufous colored.

Rusty-backed Antwren

         

I have photos of 53 of the 238 species of antbirds

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2026 David McDonald

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

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.