Throughout this tour you will be based at a comfortable and beautifully located eco-lodge, situated in the 57,000 hectare Tres Picos State Park only a relatively short distance from Rio de Janeiro. Here you will explore the numerous mosaics of trails around the lodge grounds and take short drives to explore several other habitats and elevations surrounding the reserve. You will also visit the nearby Serra Dos Orgaos National Park that holds a number of special birds.
Some of the avian gems that will be sought during this tour include Three-toed Jacamar, spectacular Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Saffron and Spot-billed Toucanets, Green-crowned Plovercrest, Saw-billed Hermit, Black-billed Scythebill, Giant, Tufted & White-bearded Antshrikes, Blond-crested and Yellow-eared Woodpecker, Black-and-gold and Grey-winged Cotinga and Brazilian Laniisoma. The area is also home to a massive variety of endemic tanagers and the beautiful Brazilian, Rufous-headed, Red-necked, Green-headed, Gilt-edged, Brassy-breasted, Golden-chevroned, Azure-shouldered and Olive-green can all be seen on this tour. Plenty of rarer and difficult to see endemics and specials are also found in this area and possibilities include Slaty Bristlefront, Spotted Bamboowren, White-breasted Tapaculo, Variegated Antpitta, Rufous-tailed and Cryptic Antthrush and Blue-bellied Parrot.
This will be a very comfortably paced tour with no long drives! On some days you will have packed lunches, while on others you will return to the lodge for lunch. There will be ample time to unwind and to enjoy birding from the lodge grounds or even while relaxing by the natural swimming pool. Fruit trays and hummingbird-feeders placed throughout the grounds attract a variety of parakeets, hummingbirds and tanagers and are also excellent an excellent place to see Dusky-legged Guan. Birds are confiding and photographic opportunities are excellent. This tour captures the best of Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest endemic bird species, and after a week of birding you can expect to have seen around 250+ bird species, including around 80 Atlantic Rainforest endemics!
Three-toed Jacamar, Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Saffron Toucanet, Green-crowned Plovercrest, Saw-billed Hermit, Black-billed Scythebill, Giant, Large-tailed, Tufted, Spot-backed & White-bearded Antshrike, Blond-crested and Yellow-eared Woodpecker, Grey-winged & Black-and-gold Cotinga, Brazilian, Green-headed, Red-necked, Olive-green, Brassy-breasted, Gilt-edged, Azure-shouldered, Rufous-headed, Diademed, Fawn-breasted and Golden-chevroned Tanager,Brazilian Laniisoma, Dusky-legged Guan, Blue-bellied Parrot, Sharpbill, Serra do Mar Tyrant-Manakin, Pin-tailed Manakin, Hooded Berryeater, Bare-throated Bellbird, Serra do Mar Tyrannulet, Mouse-colored and White-breasted Tapaculo, Spotted Bamboowren, Slaty Bristlefront, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Variegated Antpitta, Cryptic and Rufous-tailed Antthrush, White-bibbed Antbird, Spot-breasted Antvireo, Sharp-billed & Pale-browed Treehunter, White-collared Foliage-gleaner, Orange-eyed Thornbird, Itatiaia Spinetail, Plain and Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Buff-bellied Puffbird, Surucua Trogon, Brazilian Ruby, Black Jacobin, Slaty-breasted Wood Rail, Spot-winged Wood Quail and Red-legged Seriema
Brown Howler Monkey, Black Capuchin, Guianan Squirrel
rainforest trails, grasslands, Cerrado woodlands, rivers and wetlands
warm to hot and humid
8 with 1 local birding leader
relaxed pace, undemanding walks, short drives
comfortable lodge
easy
250+
hummingbird feeders and bird fruit trays at the lodge
excellent
Guides - in addition to Tuomas we a great local guide - whose bird-finding skills were fully up to Rockjumper standards, so had all the resources needed to get us onto the birds. Highlight of the trip was undoubtedly birding in comfort and style on the river cruise section. Being paddled in a canoe through flooded varzea forest must be the height of birding luxury. Land-based sections of the tour were also rewarding despite the inevitable heat and chiggers (fortunately minimal rain). Overall a very satisfying tour, with more lifers for me than on a longer trip to Colombia in 2019 that also included Amazonian habitat on the Vaupes River. A great bunch of people too.
WOW – this was an entirely different trip than the main trip. The Pousada facility was a little more rustic than some of the other accommodations but nothing we couldn’t handle. It was certainly better than a hammock at the guard headquarters which Bradley indicated was the only thing available prior to Pousada. This portion required what seemed like a lot more walking and climbing over tree falls than anywhere else on the trip. It seemed that more of the birds were skulkers but then we were focusing on “ant-somethings” which are notoriously secretive. Again, it was disappointing there was not a single ant swarm and the mixed flocks were generally small and moved away from the trails fairly quickly. It was also frustrating that the best of the three trails (Capelinha) in the park was not available to us due to an on-going mammal-use survey. But, none of these things were within the control of Tuomas, Bradley, or our local guide. They were pros at adapting and modifying to take advantage of the trails that were available to us. By my count the main trip list was about 446 and we gained 81 sp on the extension, however, 40% of those were lifers, so worth the effort and expense, in my opinion. Our local guide, Gilberto, was indispensable. His recent knowledge was invaluable to know where to go for the target species.
This was a really wonderful trip, so rich in birds, mammals, scenery and food. I really valued the outstanding knowledge all three guides shared with us, their constant awareness of our needs, and their senses of humor. We covered a lot of ground but there was always plenty of time for birding and we were always well fed. I really loved this trip and would recommend it to everyone who wasn't to see plenty of birds.
Rob Williams was knowledgeable about all kinds of animals, and went out of his way to point out lizards he spotted that I would otherwise have missed. I greatly appreciate that. Some of the best moments on the trip for me included sightings of Jaguars, otters, Crab-eating Fox, agoutis, Guinea Pigs, Capybaras and Tegu Lizards. Iguazú Falls was spectacular.
"The whole tour was perfectly organised: the transportation to the lodge, the accommodation itself, and of course the different trips incl the local guide. Our tour guide Carlos was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Everything went perfect. As this was my first experience with Rockjumper, I was pleasantly surprised about how effortless the whole trip was. I will for sure travel with you again!"
14 Jan 2024 - 21 Jan 2024 (8 days)
GBP2,395 - No Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Local Leader
Tour price (Per person): GBP2,395 * USD3,036 * EUR2,792 * AUD4,547
Single Supplement: GBP350 * USD444 * EUR408 * AUD665
06 Oct 2024 - 13 Oct 2024 (8 days)
GBP2,395 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Local Leader
Tour price (Per person): GBP2,395 * USD3,036 * EUR2,792 * AUD4,547
Single Supplement: GBP350 * USD444 * EUR408 * AUD665
12 Jan 2025 - 19 Jan 2025 (8 days)
GBP3,000 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Local Leader
Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*
Tour price (Per person): GBP3,000 * USD3,803 * EUR3,498 * AUD5,696
05 Oct 2025 - 12 Oct 2025 (8 days)
GBP3,000 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Local Leader
Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*
Tour price (Per person): GBP3,000 * USD3,803 * EUR3,498 * AUD5,696
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Brazil - Amazon Rainforest Birding Extension II 2023 - September 2023
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Brazil - Atlantic Coastal Forest I 2023 - January 2023
Brazil - Southeast - Mega Extension 2022 - October 2022
Brazil - Atlantic Coastal Forest II 2022 - October 2022
Brazil - Southeast - Mega Birding Tour 2022 - October 2022
Brazil - Amazon Rainforest Birding Extension (Small Group) I 2022 - September 2022
Brazil - Birds & Wildlife of the Pantanal & Cerrado (Small Group) I 2022 - September 2022
Brazil - Amazon Rainforest Birding Extension II 2022 - September 2022
Brazil - Birds & Wildlife of the Pantanal & Cerrado II 2022 - August 2022
Brazil - Birds & Wildlife of the Pantanal & Cerrado I 2022 - August 2022
Brazil - Amazon Rainforest Birding Extension (Small Group) II 2022 - July 2022
Brazil - Birds & Wildlife of the Pantanal & Cerrado (Small Group) II 2022 - July 2022
Brazil - Northeast - Mega Birding Tour 2019 - September 2019
Brazil - Atlantic Coastal Forest I 2019 - January 2019
Brazil - Atlantic Coastal Forest II 2018 - October 2018
Brazil - Birds & Wildlife of the Pantanal & Cerrado II 2018 - September 2018