Photographer: Adam Riley   Destination: Brazil

 

This month’s featured bird is the Brazilian Tanager, one of the many brightly colored and highly sought after birding treasures of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Despite its name, it is not quite endemic to Brazil, as its range extends slightly into northeast Argentina, but it remains strongly tied to the lowland forests and coastal landscapes of eastern Brazil. Male Brazilian Tanagers are impossible to mistake, their brilliant scarlet plumage glowing against the deep greens of forest edge and thicket, set off by black wings, a black tail and a strikingly pale mandible. Females are far more subdued in colour, recalling other members of the genus Ramphocelus or even some Tachyphonus tanagers, yet they remain distinctly richer and redder below than any of their lookalikes. The species does not overlap with the more widespread Silver-beaked Tanager, which is substantially darker in both sexes, though the two likely come close in portions of eastern Brazil.

 

The Atlantic Forest is one of the richest ecosystems in the world and is home to numerous species found nowhere else. Once extending along nearly the entire Brazilian coastline, this biome now survives in fragments that still shelter an astonishing number of birds, mammals and plants. From the vivid Green-headed and Seven-colored Tanagers of the south to trogons, antbirds, cotingas and endemics like the Red-browed Amazon and Blond-crested Woodpecker, the Atlantic Forest remains a paradise for birders. Forested slopes, coastal plains and lush foothills provide a tapestry of habitats that support striking biodiversity, and the Brazilian Tanager is a colourful emblem of this remarkable region.

 

Brazil as a whole offers one of the most diverse birding experiences on the planet. The Amazon Basin holds iconic species such as Harpy Eagle, Hoatzin and a vast array of macaws, jacamars, puffbirds and antbirds. The Pantanal delivers open country birding with Jabiru, Hyacinth Macaw, Sunbittern and an impressive mix of herons, raptors and kingfishers, while also providing some of the best mammal viewing on Earth. The cerrado and caatinga introduce an entirely different suite of species adapted to drier habitats, including seriemas, tinamous and unique grassland birds. Across these varied regions, Brazil’s landscapes support a bird list exceeding 1,850 species, a reflection of the country’s immense size, ecological variety and evolutionary richness. Whether exploring dense rainforest, coastal mangroves, mountains or open wetlands, birders encounter a level of diversity and spectacle that few countries can match.

 

Other notable species that share parts of the Brazilian Tanager’s range include the Olive-green Tanager, Red-browed Amazon, Spot-billed Toucanet, Crescent-chested Puffbird and various colourful euphonias. Together they reinforce the vibrancy and richness that define birding in Brazil, a country where every habitat seems to hold a new and unforgettable species.