Central Chile and Araucarian Forest Specials Birding Tour

Many people know of the immense Brazilian Amazon with its astonishing biodiversity. Some people might know about the highly endangered Atlantic Forest that once stretched across much larger sections of the Brazilian coast than it does today. However, even within Brazil, very few people are aware of the cerrado: a fascinating biome of vast grasslands, lightly wooded savannas, and ribbons of gallery forest growing along winding rivers. As one of the world’s most biodiverse tropical savannas, there are approximately 10,000 plant species in the cerrado. It also supports the greatest variety of large mammals in all of South America, including such iconic species as the stilt-legged Maned Wolf and tube-nosed Giant Anteater. By birding the spectacular landscapes of the inland state of Minas Gerais we hope to encounter a large selection of this special avifauna as well as these two mammals and our main target, the Critically Endangered (IUCN) Brazilian Merganser.

The strange-looking Maned Wolf should be seen at Monasterio do Caraça (photo Riccardo Boschetti).

Our trip begins at the scenic Serra da Canastra National Park. The main focus here is finding the near-endemic Brazilian Merganser, a specialized denizen of clear-water streams and one of the Western Hemisphere’s most critically endangered birds. In addition, the rolling grasslands, wooded savannas, and gallery forests are home to an excellent assortment of range-restricted species, such as Brasilia Tapaculo, Golden-capped Parakeet, Cock-tailed Tyrant, Firewood-gatherer, Black-masked Finch, and, with some luck, the elusive Maned Wolf and the most-wanted Giant Anteater.

Brazilian Merganser is one of our targets on this trip (photo © Prof. Sávio Freire Bruno (CC BY-SA 3.0)).

Next, the Serra do Caraça lies on a transition zone between the drier cerrado and verdant Atlantic Forest, providing an interesting mix of birds from both habitats, such as Gilt-edged Tanager, Serra Antwren, Surucua Trogon, Blue Manakin, and Swallow-tailed Cotinga. However, the main attraction here is the nightly appearance of Maned Wolf at the monastery.

The bizarre Giant Anteater (photo Riccardo Boschetti).

Our last port of call is Serra do Cipó National Park, a location renowned for its spectacular gorges and waterfalls. The rocky grasslands found in the higher elevations of this park are home to a highly localized set of Brazilian endemics: the spectacular Hyacinth Visorbearer, the demure Cinereous Warbling Finch, and the recently described Cipo Canastero. Our trip ends back in Belo Horizonte.

For those wishing to explore this magnificent country in depth, this tour could be combined with one or more of our three preceding Brazil tours: Birding Tour Brazil: The Amazon, Birding Tour Brazil: The Best of Brazil – Cerrado, Pantanal, and Atlantic Forest, and Birding Tour Brazil: Southeast Brazil – Atlantic Forest Endemics Paradise for a fabulous Brazil mega tour.