Birding Brazil: Chapada dos Guimaraes

North of the Pantanal, and at higher altitude, is the town of Chapada dos Guimaraes. Our base of operations
here was the Pousada Penhasco, a sprawling resort. We birded in the cerrado habitat as well as in the forests
and rolling agricultural areas of this mesa.

Heading north from the Pantanal, you can see the mesa ahead.

We birded early in the mornings in the cerrado habitat (birds shut down there at 8:30 a.m.!)

cerrado

White-banded Tanager

Perhaps this Burrowing Owl is so red because of the soil.

Curl-crested Jay (I really like corvids, so here's another shot)

Curl-crested Jay

Campo (Suiriri) Flycatcher

Black-throated Saltator

White-eared Puffbirds here too!

Swallow Tanagers hide well

but the elusive Blue Finch was pretty cooperative

Guira Tanager

This Roadside Hawk was keeping a lookout

over this road through the cerrado.

This emerald rested briefly.

 

Chapada Flycatchers put on an animated display

There were several Psittacidae present as well, including:

Red-shouldered Macaws

Peach-fronted Parakeets

Blue-winged Macaws

Red-and-green Macaws

(Actually this Blue-headed Parrot was seen in Chapada when we gassed up the bus).

We retreated to wooded areas when the cerrado shut down.

Band-tailed Manakin

Channel-billed Toucan

Pale-crested Woodpecker

Tataupa Tinamou

More butterflies near a stream in the forest

Tigerwing sp. (identified by Fred Yost)

Erota Metalmark (identified by Fred Yost)

Two-barred Flasher (identified by Fred Yost)

We spent some time staring at a Ornate Hawk-Eagle nest

before one of the birds popped into view.

About 100m away, its mate was more cooperative.

Ornate Hawk-Eagle

In agricultural areas and at the resort, we ran into a few old friends

Ameiva Lizard

Guira Cuckoo

Chalk-browed Mockingbirds (stained red from the soil)

Two brief visits to the local national park

yielded some interesting sights:

This Tropical Rattlesnake was crossing the entrance road

and became the object of intense interest

from beginning

to end.

Red Pileated Finch

White-throated Kingbird

Cliff Flycatcher

Bat Falcon

take off!

Masked Yellowthroat

Scaled Dove

Paca

White-eyed Parakeet

Toco Toucan

Bridal Veil Falls

below the falls

In case you needed to call home...

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