Northeast Brazil is a land of outstanding contrast: from gorgeous white-sand beaches, to arid, cactus-topped plateaus, and the humid montane slopes in between. This region has all the beauty and diversity that any birder could ever hope for. Perhaps what this area is best known for, however, is the stunning array of beautiful endemics that flourish in the diverse habitats of Ceara, Pernambuco, Alagoas and Bahia. With this in mind, our tour explores all the best sites in this fascinating region and offers an impressive bird list that includes Lear’s (Indigo) Macaw, the striking Araripe Manakin and rare, White-collared Kite!
We begin in the state of Ceara, visiting Serra de Baturite for Grey-breasted Parakeet, Ceara Gnateater and Buff-breasted Tody-Tyrant, before heading to Quixada for the rarely recorded Pygmy Nightjar and White-browed Guan. Chapada do Araripe puts us in position for the recently described Araripe Manakin and other superb species such as White-browed Antpitta and Great Xenops in advance of our visit to Canudos for the Critically Endangered Lear’s Macaw! The birding continues apace, as we head to São Benedito do Sul for a plethora of sought-after species; Scalloped Antbird, incredibly adorned Seven-colored Tanager, Orange-bellied Antwren and Alagoas Tyrannulet. White-collared Kite, Forbes’ Blackbird, Pinto’s Spinetail and Yellow-faced Siskin make up the target species near Tamandare before we head to Estancia for the endangered Fringe-backed Fire-eye. The next featured location is one of the best birding sites in Brazil, Chapada Diamantina. Hailed as perhaps the most breathtakingly beautiful of all Brazilian National Parks, it hosts several localised endemics including Hooded Visorbearer, the recently described Sincorá Antwren, Grey-backed Tachuri and Diamantina Tapaculo.
As our tour draws to a close, we head towards the coast and Boa Nova. Located in the southwest of Bahia state where the Montane Atlantic forests meets Caatinga, this diverse location hosts over 430 bird species. Here we shall search diligently for the highly localised Slender Antbird, Narrow-billed Antwren, Bahia Spinetail and Pin-tailed Manakin. We then spend a few days in the delightful Serra Bonita Reserve, host to Pink-legged Graveteiro, Plumbeous Antvireo, Bahia Tyrannulet and Crescent-chested Puffbird before we end in the coastal lowlands of Porto Seguro where targets include White-winged Potoo, White-winged Cotinga, Bahia Antwren, Ochre-marked Parakeet, Red-browed Amazon and the rare Banded Cotinga. We finish the tour in Botumirim for the recently rediscovered Blue-eyed Ground Dove. There are few tours that can offer over 100 endemics in a matter of 24 days, but this tour of Northeast Brazil does just that!
Hooded Visorbearer, Horned Sungem, Blue-eyed Ground Dove, Frilled Coquette, Wied's Tyrant-Manakin, Rusty-margined & White-browed Guans, White-collared Kite, Harpy Eagle, White-necked & Mantled Hawks, Pernambuco Pygmy Owl, Lear’s (Indigo) & Blue-winged Macaws, Grey-breasted, Jandaya, Blue-throated, Plain, Golden-capped & Caatinga Parakeets, Red-browed & Scaly-headed Parrots, Golden-tailed Parrotlet, Gould’s Toucanet, Red-legged Seriema, Spot-winged Wood Quail, Pygmy, Scissor-tailed, Little & Rufous Nightjars, Ochraceous, Golden-spangled, Spotted & Tawny Piculets, Yellow-throated & Blond-crested Woodpeckers, Araripe, Band-tailed, Blue-backed, White-bearded, Red-headed, Blue & Kinglet (Eastern Striped) Manakins, Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin, White-winged & Banded Cotingas, Spot-backed Puffbird, Buff-breasted, Stripe-necked & Hangnest Tody-Tyrants, Yellow-eared Woodpecker, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, Ceara Gnateater, Lesser & Plain-brown Woodcreepers, Broad-tipped Hermit, Diamantina & White-breasted Tapaculos, Hooded & Black-headed Berryeaters, Caatinga, Rufous-winged, Tufted, Silvery-cheeked, Sooretama Slaty, Rufous-capped, White-shouldered (distans subspecies) & Planalto Slaty Antshrikes, Willis’s, Stripe-backed, Slender, Rio de Janeiro, Ferruginous, Ochre-rumped, Scaled, White-bibbed & Scalloped Antbirds, Sincora, Streak-capped, Bahia, Rufous-winged, Band-tailed, Caatinga, Pectoral, Orange-bellied & Southern White-fringed Antwrens, White-browed Antpitta, Such’s Antthrush, Caatinga Cacholote, Collared Crescentchest, Eared & Rufous-sided Pygmy Tyrants, Cinnamon-vented Piha, Bahia Tyrannulet, Velvety-black Tyrant, Fork-tailed Tody-Tyrant, Grey-backed Tachuri, Greenish Schiffornis, Campo Oriole, Pale Baywing, Spix’s (Chicli), Grey-breasted, Bahia, Pallid, Ochre-cheeked, Red-shouldered, Sooty-fronted & Pinto’s Spinetails, Great Xenops, Ash-throated Casiornis, Smoky-fronted Tody-Flycatcher, Forbes’ Blackbird, Bearded Bellbird, Pernambuco & White-collared Foliage-gleaners, Alagoas Tyrannulet, Hook-billed, Scale-throated, Broad-tipped & Margaretta’s Hermits, Long-tailed Woodnymph, Racket-tailed Coquette, Black-bellied Thorntail, Fringe-backed, White-shouldered & White-backed (pernambucensis subspecies) Fire-eyes, Grey-eyed Greenlet, Silver-breasted, Brazilian, Scarlet-throated & Seven-colored Tanagers, Black-billed Scythebill, Striated Softtail, Sharpbill, Blue Finch, White-throated Seedeater, Grey Pileated Finch, Yellow-faced Siskin, Red-cowled Cardinal.
humid and semi-deciduous forests, Atlantic Rainforest, Chapada, cloud forest, lowland forest, lowland Atlantic Rainforest, dry forest, scrub, caatinga and cerrado
warm to hot and humid, cooler in the higher lying areas
8 with 1 Rockjumper leader & local birding leader
Our Mega tours are very fast-paced birding adventures designed for the dedicated lister and serious birder. The focus of the tour is to see as many of the endemics and area specials as possible in our given time. In order to cover the necessary route to maximise the species list we tend to spend a single night at most sites and travel large distances. There is very little down time aside from that spent driving from one site to the next. These tours are not suitable for dedicated or avid photographers; inexperienced or new birders; as well as anyone with serious mobility or health challenges.
mostly comfortable, with some rustic locations
moderate with some tricky species
>450 with +-100 endemics
worthwhile, but limited by time
A Fantastic experience!! Considerably better than I had expected. Guides were fantastic!! And the inclusion of local Brazilian guide - Leo - was a real plus. He worked great together with Forrest Rowland, and his knowledge of the country and the vegetation was a real plus. The mammals and other critters were a real plus to the tour. The facilities, driver, and van were also great! Overall, this tour ranks among the top of the 7-8 birding tours I have ever taken, and Rockjumper is certainly a company I would highly recommend to others!!!
Fabulous trip! Accommodations, food and wildlife were all wonderful. Our leaders made special effort to not only get us views of the birds, but to get us opportunities for photography. I have already recommended this trip to all of my friends
Lev was a well kept secret from Rock Jumper ....incredible birder , bird guide, and overall naturalist . Would book another trip with Lev
Rob Williams was helpful above and beyond the call by going out of his way to make it an enjoyable tour.
I had the very best time on tour with Stephan. He is an excellent leader and a lovely, kind human being. In terms of his technical ability as a birding leader, his eyesight and hearing skills are excellent, which coupled with his first class fieldcraft and ID skills, meant that we saw/heard over 500 species during our tour. He also gelled well with the local guide Caio , so that in terms of finding, IDing and showing the birds to the group, we were treated to splendid views of our target species plus many many 'bonus birds' too. Stephan was also very patient with group members, some of whom for a variety of personal reasons, were less able to see the birds than the majority of the group-so that wherever possible-every group member who wanted to, had the opportunity to see every bird.
18 Sep 2024 - 14 Oct 2024 (27 days)
BRL53,950 - No Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Lev Frid
Tour price (Per person): BRL53,950 * USD10,780 * GBP8,534 * EUR9,981 * AUD16,525
Single Supplement: BRL3,300 * USD659 * GBP522 * EUR610 * AUD1,011
17 Sep 2025 - 13 Oct 2025 (27 days)
BRL55,950 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Robert Williams
Tour price (Per person): BRL55,950 * USD11,180 * GBP8,851 * EUR10,351 * AUD17,138
Single Supplement: BRL4,600 * USD919 * GBP728 * EUR851 * AUD1,409
Brazil - Atlantic Coastal Forest I 2024 - January 2024
Brazil - Atlantic Coastal Forest II 2023 - October 2023
Brazil - Amazon Rainforest Birding Extension (Small Group) 2023 - September 2023
Brazil - Northeast - Mega Birding Tour 2023 - September 2023
Brazil - Birds & Wildlife of the Pantanal & Cerrado (Small Group) 2023 - September 2023
Brazil - Amazon Rainforest Birding Extension II 2023 - September 2023
Brazil - Madeira & Tapajós endemics of the Rio Aripuanã (TM) 2023 - August 2023
Brazil - Birds & Wildlife of the Pantanal & Cerrado II 2023 - August 2023
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