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ITINERARY
Days 1 & 2 – Travel to Brazil/Serra das Araras
Plan on an overnight flight to Sao Paulo on Day 1 and a connecting flight on the morning of Day 2 to Cuiabá, Brazil where we will meet our guide Miguel Castelino and travel to our first lodge Pousada Serras das Araras.

Day 3 - Full day at Pousada Serras Das Araras
We will spend today exploring areas around our lodge and within the dry Amazonian forest in search of the magnificent Harpy Eagle. Our guide, Miguel Castelino, discovered an active Harpy nest in 1998 and has been subsequently monitoring the breeding activities of the birds. With luck, we’ll find adults and/or juveniles. If not, we’ll see plenty of other spectacular birds which might include Undulated Tinamou, Plumbeous Kite, White-tailed Hawk, Bat Falcon, Blue-crowned Trogon, Mato Grosso Antbird, Planalto Tyrannulet, and Magpie Tanager in the forest. We’ll check ponds in the area for Brazilian Teal, White-faced Whistling Ducks, Amazon Kingfisher, and White-backed Stilt. After dinner, we may also try for some night birds including nightjars, nighthawks, and owls.

Day 4 - Transpantaneira to Fazenda Santa Teresa
This morning we will check again for the Harpy Eagle if need be and/or visit a nearby ranch look for Red-and-Green and Red-shouldered Macaw, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Black-faced Ibis, Fork-tailed Palm-Swift, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, and other species. We’ll leave the pousada and head south to Pocone outside the northern reaches of the Pantanal. Enroute, we will traverse open, woodland-savanna habitat known as the cerrado. Here we will keep watch for unique cerrado species including Red-legged Seriema, Greater Rhea, and Black-throated Saltator. At Pocone, we will leave the paved road and continue on the Transpantaneira Highway into the Pantanal. The “highway” is a raised dirt road that runs for 90 miles, crossing more than 100 plank and log bridges. It is as an ideal vantage point for viewing wildlife in the open grasslands and sprawling marshes of the Pantanal. We’ll make several birding stops along the road searching the fields and pools for Wattled Jacana, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, White-headed Marsh-Tyrant, White-winged Swallow, Black-capped Donacobius, and Rusty-collared Seedeater. From the raised bridges, we’ll look for Whistling, Cocoi, Capped, and Purple Heron as well as a variety of kingfishers, Grey-necked Wood-Rail, Plumbeous, Buff-necked, and Green Ibis. We’ll watch for raptors hunting above the grasslands and hope for views of Great Black, Savanna, and Roadside Hawk, as well as the huge Nacunda Nighthawk roosting among the cattle. As we move further along the road, we’ll likely encounter Marsh Deer, Capybara, Caiman, Yellow Anaconda and other wildlife species. By the time we reach our lodge, we’ll have a good sense of the numbers and variety of animals we are likely to encounter here.

Day 5 – Transpantaneira Highway from Fazenda Santa Tereza to Port Jofre
Today we wake up to the noisy morning chorus of the Pantanal -- territorial duets of Chaco Chachalacas, haunting cries of Southern Screamers, and the distinctive, raucous calls of Buff-necked Ibis. We’ll explore some trails around the fazenda and along the river for Plumbeous Ibis, Rufescent Tiger-heron, Toco Toucan, Campo Oriole, Rufous Cacholote, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Chestnut-bellied Guan, Blue-throated Piping Guan, Black-collared Hawk, and perhaps a Great Potoo. We’ll also check the lodge feeders that are bustling with activity for Red-capped Cardinal, Saffron Finch, Bay-winged, Shiny, and Giant Cowbird, and watch for the Narrow-billed Woodcreeper that frequents the trees in the car park area.

In the afternoon, we continue along the Transpantaneira Highway into the heart of the Pantanal. We’ll make stops along the way to look at the incredible abundance of water birds and keep a watchful eye out for a first glimpse of the magnificent Hyacinth Macaw. Possible sightings include the elegant Capped Heron, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Monk and Golden-chevroned Parakeets, and a host of ibises, guans, storks, and spoonbills. Our destination is Porto Jofre at the end of the road on the Cuiabá River. Hopefully, we’ll arrive in time to take in the beautiful grounds of the hotel and see some of the two dozen or so Hyacinth Macaws fly in to their roosting trees on the grounds of the hotel.

Day 6 - Full day at Porto Jofre
Today we will have the full day to explore the wildlife-filled area around Porto Jofre. We’ll spend some time on the hotel’s lovely grounds to look for Bare-faced Curassow, Southern Caracara, Buff-necked Ibis, Thrush-like Wren, Common Thornbird, Pale-legged Hornero, and, of course, the resident Hyacinth Macaws. We’ll check the pond for Wattled Jacana, Striated Heron, Purple Gallinule, and White-headed Marsh Tyrant walking among the huge lily pads. We’ll watch for Black Skimmer, Large and Yellow-billed Tern flying above the pond and look for Nacunda Nighthawks, Pied Lapwings, Collared Plovers, and South American Snipe in the surrounding grasses. We’ll search along the road and in the nearby forest for Black-fronted Nunbird, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Buff-throated Woodcreeper, Epaulet Oriole, Moustached and Fawn-breasted Wren, Swallow-tailed and Plumbeous Kite. And, we'll scan the treetops for Brown Capuchin Monkeys and Green Iguana. We’ll also hope to get a glimpse of the elusive Jaguar here. Other animals possible include Caiman, Yellow Anaconda, Giant Anteater, South American Coati, and Black-and-Gold Howler Monkey.

Day 7 - Porto Jofre/Fazenda Santa Teresa
This morning we’ll have an early breakfast and check for species like Dull-capped Attila, Chivi Vireo, Silver-beaked Tanager, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher, Rufous Casiornis, Chestnut-eared Aracari and whatever else we can find in the area. Later in the morning we will leave this fabulous place and spend the day retracing our steps over the countless wooden bridges and looking for birds and wildlife on our way to Fazenda Santa Teresa. We’ll make birding stops along the way and hope to see Vermillion Flycatcher, Common Tody-Flycatchers, Rufous Horneros, White-bellied Seedeater, Roseate Spoonbill, White-eyed Parakeet, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, Striped Cuckoo, White Woodpecker, and possibly Ferruginous Pygmy Owl. If daylight allows when we reach Fazenda Santa Teresa, we’ll take a boat trip on the Pixiam River behind the lodge and hope to see Giant Otter, Capybara, Ringed, Amazon, Green, and Green-and-Rufous Kingfishers, Sunbittern, and Agami and Cocoi Herons.

Days 8 & 9 - Chapada dos Guimarães, Cerrado habitat, Riparian Forest
This morning we will drive to Chapada dos Guimarães to explore more of Brazil’s unique dry scrub habitat. The scenery will change markedly from open grasslands and wetlands to beautifully eroded red rock canyons and waterfalls of the Chapada. We’ll have two days to explore the scrub, riparian areas, and lush cerrado forest filled with ferns, orchids, and bromeliads. The variety of habitats here are home to whole new assortment of bird species. Amidst spectacular scenery we’ll look for Red-winged Tinamou, Yellow-ridged Toucan, King Vulture, American Swallow-tailed Kite, Crested Black-Tyrant, White-eyed Parakeet, Blue-headed Parrot, Biscutate Swift, Dot-eared Coquette, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Blue-crowned Motmot, the endemic Rufous-winged Antshrike, White-eared Puffbird, Large-billed Antwren, Masked Tityra, Band-tailed and Helmeted Manakin, White-bellied Warbler, Thick-billed Euphonia, Guira, Grey-headed, White-banded, White-rumped and Swallow Tanagers, Blue and Coal-crested Finches, Chapadas Flycatcher, and possibly Crowned Eagle.

Day 10 - Chapada dos Guimaraes/Departure
After some final birding this morning, we will head back to Cuiaba for an afternoon flight to Sao Paulo and then home.

Brazil Wildlife Safari The Pantanal and Harpy Eagle October 13 - 23, 2008 TOUR PRICE:   $3,750.00 based on double occupancy from Cuiaba, Brazil Deposit:  $500 per person     Single Supplement:  $500.00 per person (subject to availability) Maximum Group Size:  13 plus leaders Included in cost:  Cost of the journey is $3,750.00 from Cuiaba, Brazil and is based on double occupancy and includes: airport transfers, private transportation in Brazil, all accommodations, meals beginning after arrival in Cuiaba on Day 2, professional guide services, local guides, local park and reserve entrance fees, and miscellaneous program expenses. With fewer than eight participants, a small group surcharge (typically $100-300 per participant) will apply. Single supplement is $500.00. Not included:  It does not include roundtrip airfare to or from Cuiaba, passport/visa fees, insurance, departure taxes,  items of a personal nature such as: laundry, telephone, beverages, or gratuities for porterage or personal services. RESERVATIONS: To reserve your place on this tour, complete the Registration/Release Form and mail it with a deposit of $500 per person to Sunrise Birding, LLC.  Instructions are on the form.   >Download and print the Registration Form.  Final payment is due by June 13, 2008 and must be paid by check.  If a minimum enrollment is not met, Sunrise Birding, LLC reserves the right to levy a small group surcharge for this trip.  Cancellations and Refunds:  Refunds, less a cancellation fee of $200 per person will be made only if Sunrise Birding, LLC is notified in writing of intent to cancel on or before June 13, 2008.  All cancellations must be made in writing.  There are no refunds for unused meals, accommodations, or other trip features.  Insurance:  The purchase of trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended.  Sunrise Birding, LLC can not accept liability for airline cancellations or delays or penalties incurred by the purchase of non-refundable airline tickets or other expenses incurred by tour participants in preparing for this tour.  Questions? Contact Gina Nichol at gina@sunrisebirding.com  Phone: 203.453.6724

All photos © Gina Nichol.