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Brazil - Southeast - Mega Birding Tour

© Red-necked Tanager by Dusan Brinkhuizen

When most people think of Brazil they think of Rio, Carnivale, Sugarloaf Mountain and endless beaches. When birders think of Brazil, they think – ENDEMICS. Amongst other claims to fame, Brazil hosts a spectacular array of endemic flora and fauna, including more than a reasonable share of stunning endemics. The South East of Brazil is a critical endemic zone, one that we will cover in a single Mega style tour.

Our tour covers a section of the Cerrado biome, focussing on the tricky Brazilian Merganser before concentrating on the threatened Atlantic Forests, seeking out a myriad of remarkable and rare endemic species. Habitats range from high mountains to lowland gallery forest encompassing such famous sites as Ubatuba, Intervales and Itatiaia.

Top Birds

Brazilian Merganser; Cock-tailed & Sharp-tailed Tyrants; Black-masked Finch; Helmeted Manakin; Ocellated, Rufous-faced & Grey-breasted Crakes; Hyacinth Visorbearer; Cipo Canastero; Cipo Cinclodes; Rock & Marsh Tapaculos; Horned Sungem; Checkered Woodpecker; Serra, Black-hooded, Sao Paulo & Restinga Antwren; Grey-backed Tachuri; Hangnest Tody-Tyrant; Grey-winged & Black-and-gold Cotingas; Black-and-gold, Brazilian & Diademed Tanagers; Green-crowned & Purple-crowned Plovercrests; Three-toed Jacamar; Saffron Toucanet; Black-capped Piprites; Long-tailed Antshrike; Buff-throated Purpletuft; Brazilian Ruby; Festive Coquette; Vinaceous-breasted Amazon; Araucaria Tit-Spinetail; Sharp-billed Treehunter; Bertoni’s Antbird; Red-tailed Amazon; Azure Jay; Such’s Antthrush; Yellow-legged & Solitary Tinamou; Variegated Antpitta; Black-headed Berryeater; Bay-ringed Tyrannulet; Ornate Hawk-Eagle; Grey-bellied Hawk; Spotted Bamboowren.

Top Mammals

Maned Wolf; Giant Anteater; Giant Armadillo

Habitats Covered

lowland and montane Atlantic rainforest, cerrado, old cacao plantations, open grasslands with secondary forest, highland Araucaria forest, high elevation grasslands, coastal restinga, mangroves

Expected Climate

warm to hot and humid but much cooler in the higher lying areas

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader and local birding leader

Tour Pace & Walking

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.

Accommodation

comfortable

Ease of Birding

moderate, with some very difficult species

Photographic Opportunities

good, but limited due to nature of tour

What our clients say about us

Carlos Sanchez
JK - Pantanal 2022

"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!"

Carlos Sanchez
RL - NE Mega 2022

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.

Carlos Sanchez
NC, Brazil 2023

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

Tuomas Seimola
RB - Manaus Ext 2022

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.

Tuomas Seimola
IS - Manaus 2022

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.

Brazil - Southeast - Mega Birding Tour 2025

28 Sep 2025 - 23 Oct 2025 (26 days)

BRL56,450 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Stuart Elsom

Tour price (Per person): BRL56,450 * USD10,886 * GBP8,753 * EUR10,253 * AUD16,945

Single Supplement: BRL5,250 * USD1,012 * GBP814 * EUR954 * AUD1,576

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