Southeast Brazil

Guapiacu Bird Lodge, Itatiaia National Park, and Iguazu Falls

August, 2026 dates TBA

Extending from northeast Brazil to northeast Argentina, the Atlantic Forest, or Mata Atlantica, is one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth.  With only about 10% of the original forest remaining, it is also one of the most threatened.  Composed of a mosaic of broadleaf evergreen forest, dry tropical forest, and high altitudes dominated by grasses and shrubs, it harbors not only high species diversity but exceptional endemism.  Of the approximately 700 bird species, an astonishing 200 are endemic, and among the 264 species of mammals, 72 are found only there.  On this journey we’ll immerse ourselves in some of the finest remaining examples of intact Atlantic Forest.  Though we'll be doing plenty of biding, we'll also do lots of general natural history and learn about plants mammals, insects, biogeography, and more.

We begin at the Reserva Ecologica de Guapiacu (REGUA) at the base of the Serra dos Orgaos.  Here we’ll enjoy a comfortable lodge, excellent food and service, a nice diversity of trails, a rich wetland, and an active conservation program.  During our five days here, we may find over 170 species of birds.  In the Atlantic Forest, even the more common birds are spectacular, and we may see black-throated and Surucua trogons, rufous-capped motmot, crescent-chested puffbird, spot-billed toucanet, plain-winged and lesser woodcreepers, swallow-tailed manakin, black-cheeked gnateater, gray-headed tody-flycatcher, streamer-tailed tyrant, and numerous tanagers (golden-chevroned, Brazilian, green-headed, ruby-crowned, hooded, black-goggled).  In the wetlands, we should find Brazilian teal, masked duck, capped heron, yellow-browed tyrant, white-headed marsh-tyrant, masked water-tyrant, chestnut-capped blackbird, and perhaps some of the elusive species such as rufous-sided and ash-throated crakes or blackish rail.  More difficult, but certainly possible, are giant snipe, bare-throated bellbird, and rufous-capped antthrush.  In addition to the birds, REGUA is rich in mammals (about 60 species, most of which are bats), and we may see some, including capybara, black capuchin monkey, white-tufted-ear marmoset, common long-tongued bat, and brown-throated three-toed sloth.

From REGUA, we’ll make day trips to Serra Dos Orgaos National Park and Macae da Cima.  In these locations, at higher elevations and in excellent evergreen forest, we’ll look for mantled and white-necked hawks, yellow-green grosbeak, pale-browed treehunter, chestnut-crowned becard, buff-fronted and black-capped foliage-gleaners, white-throated spadebill, azure-shouldered tanager, yellow-eared and blond-crested woodpeckers, white-barred piculet, white-throated woodcreeper, Brazilian antthrush, and others.  Mixed flocks at the higher elevations, where bamboo and epiphytes are typical of the cloud forest-like habitat, include rufous-backed antvireo, spot-winged wood-quail, hooded berryeater, rufous-crowned greenlet, pallid spinetail, brown tanager, sharp-billed treehunter, chestnut-headed tanager, sharpbill, white-crested tyrannulet, rufous-capped antshrike, and many others.

We then travel southwest to the Itatiaia National Park where we'll spend four nights at the Hotel Donati.  The charming hotel is surrounded by excellent forest and has many nice birds on the grounds and on the adjacent trails - green-headed, ruby-crowned, and black-goggled tanagers, frilled coquette, white-shouldered fire-eye, slaty-breasted wood-rail, dusky-legged guan, rufous-crowned greenlet, streak-capped antwren, orange-eyed thornbird, greenish schiffornis, Surucua trogon, maroon-bellied and plain parakeets, the colorful Atlantic forest race of channel-billed toucan, red-breasted toucan, Araucaria tit-spinetail, saffron toucanet, eared pygmy-tyrant, variable antshrike, and ferruginous antbird.  Their hummingbird feeders bring in scale-throated hermit, violet-capped woodnymph, Brazilian ruby, and a few others. Mammal possibilities include tayra, black capuchin monkey and masked titi monkey.

We’ll also make a day trip to higher elevations where we’ll experience a different suite of birds including velvety and blue-billed black-tyrants, bay-chested and buff-throated warbling-finches, rufous-capped and Spix’s spinetails, brassy-breasted tanager, black-and-gold cotinga, green-crowned plovercrest, swallow-tailed cotinga, mottle-cheeked tyrannulet, diademed tanager, spot-breasted and rufous-backed antvireos, shear-tailed gray-tyrant, the endemic Itatiaia spinetail, and more.

We finish the trips at Iguazu Falls where we’ll stay in the park at the luxurious Hotel das Cataratas on the Brazilian side.  The world class spectacle of the falls will be a dramatic setting in which to look for Toco toucan, plush-crested jay, blond-crested, yellow-fronted, and robust woodpeckers, ochre-collared piculet, rusty-margined antwren, rusty-margined guan, southern antpipit, and one of the rarer birds of the area, black-fronted piping-guan.  Our views of the falls will be unforgettable and highlighted by the hundreds of great dusky swifts clinging to the cliffs and flying near the rushing water.  

Led by naturalist and bird guide Mark Pretti and local guides, the 2026 cost will be about $4800 per person, double occupancy, and will include all lodging, meals, guides and ground transportation from Rio de Janeiro. The single supplement will be about $850. It does not include the round-trip flight from Rio to Iguazu Falls which will serve as the deposit for this trip. Limited to 8 participants.

Detailed itinerary and references available upon request.