Including some prime places & habitats for birds & other nature

Our Tour for
"Jabiru & Jaguar"

One of these (the Jabiru) will be easy. 
The other (the Jaguar) more difficult,
but we'll be at places among the best in the world to see it.
 

Not only to be sought, the "J & J".
We'll be in Areas with Spectacular Nature
where Concentrations occur of 
an Assortment of Birds & Other Wildlife

During this tour over 300 species of birds should be seen.

Tour to be led by Armas Hill, who has traveled & birded in Brazil 
many times, with nearly 40 visits to the country, since 1982
(with the assistance of local Brazilian guides).

Often staying not at hotels, but at lodges
where wildlife is just outside the door !

For birds such as wild Hyacinth Macaws 
in their natural environment,
and flocks of Jabirus and numerous other birds 
in the fabulous Pantanal,
(truly one of the most fantastic birding areas in the world),
this is the tour!

 This could also be called our "Tuiuiu Tour", 
as that's the local word in the Pantanal for the "Jabiru".

Links:

Itinerary  (prices follow):

Sun, Aug 6:  Arrival in Brazil at Sao Paulo in the early morning (after overnight flight departing USA the previous evening, Sat, Aug 5).  

Sun, Aug 6 thru Tue Aug 8: After the morning arrival at the airport into Brazil (on Aug 6), a flight from Sao Paulo to Foz do Iguazu. 
In the area of the spectacular Iguazu Falls, we'll have some wonderful birding  in the national parks on both sides of the river in Argentina & Brazil. We'll also, during a portion of one day, visit Paraguay, where there would be a different habitat with some different birds. In the area of Iguazu, numerous birds are to be seen, including toucans, trogons, and tanagers of various sorts. Some notable other birds inhabiting the forest would include the Ruff-ruffed Fruitcrow and Robust Woodpecker. Swarms of Great Dusky Swifts occur at the falls themselves. Two nights (Aug 6 & 7) at Iguazu.           

Tue, Aug 8: Flights from Foz do Iguazu to Sao Paulo, continuing to the city of Campo Grande in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Overnight in Campo Grande.

Wed, Aug 9: From Campo Grande, we'll travel west into a region rich in wildlife, and especially birds, the Pantanal. We'll be in the southern portion of the Pantanal. 

The accommodations and the meals at the various lodges, where we'll be staying in the Pantanal, are good indeed, but best aspect of the tour would be the close accessibility there to some spectacular wildlife. Travel in the Pantanal, from the lodge, would be in vehicles (designed for observation) during day-trips and night-trips, and by boat. Overnights at the lodges would be 2 nights at each. (Aug 9 & 10; Aug 11 & 12; Aug 13 & 14). The lodges where we'll staying in the Pantanal are, on average, about 150 miles from Campo Grande. There will, of course, be birding between the lodges & along the way, both ways, in between Campo Grande & the Pantanal.

Wed, Aug 9 thru Tue, Aug 15: Our diversified experience in the Pantanal, with birds (many birds!) and other nature. There are lists of the birds & other wildlife of the Pantanal (that we've seen there during our previous tours) elsewhere in this website, but, we'll note here, that just a few of the birds, would be: Hyacinth Macaw (the largest macaw in the world), Golden-collared Macaw, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, Red-billed Scythebill, Helmeted Manakin, and the Mato Grosso Antbird. 
Among what's particularly spectacular (during the dry season in August), would be large concentrations of waterbirds. Ducks can be numerous in certain rice-fields (where we saw many whistling-ducks, comb-ducks, and some others last year). Other aquatic birds, numerous in the Pantanal, would be:  egrets, herons, ibises, and storks (Wood Stork & Jabiru). During one day of our 2005 tour, we saw an estimated thousand Jabiru, either on the ground or soaring in the sky!  Also adding to the mix would be Limpkins and Roseate Spoonbills. And both Sunbitterns and Sungrebes. Boat-billed Herons as well, and with good fortune, the rare skulker, the Agami Heron.
Landbirds, in the trees or in the air, would be parrots and parakeets, and raptors of various kinds.
Possible at dusk, and after dark, would be 2 species of Potoos (the Great & the Gray, formerly called the Common), nightjars & nighthawks, and an owl or two. (During our '05 tour, we enjoyed tremendous looks, after dark, of Striped Owls - and Barn Owls too.   
Mammals after dark should be those that are common, such as fox and bats, but it should be noted there's JAGUAR in the area. With good luck ....  (In 2006, we're hoping to see this elusive cat. We'll be making, if necessary 2 or 3 night-time excursions for it, and other creatures. Pumas can be seen (with luck). During our 2005 tour, we had, one night, a tremendous look at an Ocelot, in addition to a number of other animals: deer (2 species), raccoons, and Giant Anteaters. During a 2-day (1 night) stay at a lodge we'll be visiting again in '06, we saw as many as 8 Giant Anteaters. 
Another anteater, the Tamandua is also possible. During the day, monkeys and marmosets can be seen in the trees. Numerous caimans will be in & near the water. 
During our overnights in the Pantanal (and after our evening excursions, we should hear, from the lodges, an assortment of sounds including limpkins, owls, and nightjars. At dawn, howler monkeys.

Tue, Aug 15: Our last night in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, would be back in the city of Campo Grande. Overnight, there, would be convenient to the airport.

Wed, Aug 16: A morning flight from Campo Grande to Sao Paulo. For those leaving Brazil this day, departure would be on an overnight international flight from Sao Paulo.
(arriving in North America, the a.m. of Thu, Aug 17)  
For those continuing, on the Brazilian tour that follows, until August 27, in the Amazonian region of Manaus, flights that day to that city. 

Price: 

For the tour, Aug 6-16:

US $2,275 per person, based upon double occupancy
Single supplement: US $275

Price includes: 
All overnight accommodations.
All meals (from mid-day Aug 6 thru Aug 15). 
Ground transportation within Brazil.
Services of the FONT birding leader.

Price does not include: Drinks and other items of a personal nature. Gratuities. Air transportation within Brazil.

"Focus On Nature Tours" will arrange air travel, 
 seeking the best possible fares.

A deposit of US $400 required to register for the tour.