A report on the birds seen during a trip to the Atlantic forest and cerrado around Rio de Janeiro Brazil

Transcription

1 A report on the birds seen during a trip to the Atlantic forest and cerrado around Rio de Janeiro Brazil From October 27, 2010 till November 19, 2010 by Regis Nossent Other participant: Filip Beeldens For additional information, please contact: Regis Nossent Olivetenvest 54/205 B-2800 Mechelen Belgium nossent_regis@yahoo.com

2 Introduction This report covers a 15-day trip to the Atlantic forest and cerrado mountains around Rio de Janeiro by Filip Beeldens and Regis Nossent. FB extended his trip with 9 extra days in REGUA and Serra dos Tucanos and observations are included in this trip report as well. During the first part of the trip, we visited the traditional sites and national parks such as Itatiaia NP, Serra de Canastra, Serra do Cipo, Serra dos Orgaos, Carmo & Sumidouro, Linhares and Praia Seca. We had a very pleasant trip with lots of nice birds and experiences. Driving around by ourselves was quite easy (fairly good roads) but one should be aware of the distances between birding sites. And we both were a bit surprised that the countryside didn t have a lot to offer Sadly, many forests have been cut and turned into grassland or Eucalyptus plantations. But let s focus on the good things: food is delicious, national parks are beautiful and birds are fantastic! On this trip we recorded no less than 449 species and a full trip list is added at the end of the report. Practicalities Itinerary 27/10 Flight from Brussels via Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro. Drive to Itatiaia NP. 28/10 Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail 29/10 Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail 30/10 Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Algulhas Negras road. Drive to Saõ Roque de Minas 31/10 Serra de Canastra: higher part 01/11 Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Saõ Roque de Minas 02/11 Serra de Canastra: lower part + drive to Serra do Cipo 03/11 Serra do Cipo + drive to Terésopolis 04/11 Serra dos Orgaos: Pedro do Sino trail 05/11 Serra dos Orgaos: Pedro do Sino trail 06/11 Carmo & Sumidouro road 07/11 drive to Linhares + feeders at Museo Leitao (Santa Teresa) 08/11 Linhares Vale Rio Doce 09/11 Linhares Vale Rio Doce 10/11 drive to Rio de Janeiro airport + Praia Seca 11/11 REGUA Cabo Frio 12/11 REGUA marsh & 4x4 trail 13/11 REGUA Pico de Caledonia 14/11 REGUA red trail 15/11 REGUA green trail 16/11 REGUA Macae de Cima 17/11 REGUA & drive to Serra dos Tucanos lodge 18/11 Serra dos Tucanos Macae de Cima 19/11 Serra dos Tucanos. Drive to Rio de Janeiro airport and flight back to Brussels

3 Booking the trip, car and guides Southeast Brazil is a fairly easy region to book your trip yourself. The only problem which might pop-up is the Portuguese language (which we don t speak) but we never experienced problems with this. We first decided how long we would go and at which time and then booked our plane tickets via We paid for 2-way tickets from Brussels to Rio de Janeiro with TAP. After deciding on our itinerary, we booked a few lodges upfront by in English. And we always received confirmation in English! Two times we were asked for a deposit, but after asking for the hotel s bank details we were informed that payment at the hotel at the end of our stay was sufficient. VISA was accepted everywhere. Please see chapter of Accommodation for more info. We booked a car for the first part of the trip via Connections at Localiza ( The model was a Chevrolet Celta with unlimited mileage and which ran on both ethanol and gasoline. We paid for a 15-day deal. Note that gasoline is expensive in Brazil. Prices vary from one gas station to the next, but count on an average cost of about 1.40 euro s per liter. We decided to do all birding by ourselves and not to hire a local guide. However, at Linhares Vale Rio Doce we were obliged to book a guide. Otherwise we could only bird around the lodge. Despite having made clear we wanted a birding guide, the guy they stuck us with (Orlando) at Linhares was worthless as a birding guide. He knew his way around the reserve but that s about it. He couldn t recognize any bird songs and didn t speak any English either. The only time when he was of real help was during a short stint of night birding, as he knew a stake-out for Tawny-browed Owl and Long-tailed Potoo. Apparently Linhares does have guides who know their birds, but we clearly didn t get any of them. Moral of the story: make sure you ask for a guide by name and insist you get that one. Birding at REGUA was often in the company of REGUA s 2 excellent guides Adilei and Leonardo. The 2 nd day trip to Macae da Cima was guided by Andy from Serra Dos Tucanos. Time Zone Brazil is 3 hours before GMT. Weather Although October/November is spring in Brazil and we should have had quite warm temperatures, we did have more rain, cold winds and clouded skies than expected. Definitely at the higher altitudes it could be very cold as we experienced during our night camping in Serra dos Orgaos.

4 When driving from Nova Friburgo to Linhares, we had a whole day of rain; luckily we had to spend most time of the day in the car. Linhares Vale Rio Doce was the exception for the trip: very hot and humid. Accommodation 1) Hotel do Ype Itatiaia NP Site: cassia@hoteldoype.com.br 2) Pousada Barcelos Saõ Roque de Minas Site: pousada@barcelos.tur.br 3) Pousada Chaõ da Serra Serra do Cipo Site: atendimento@chaodaserra.com.br 4) Varzea Palace Hotel - Terésopolis In Lonely Planet - Brazil 5) Campground Serra dos Orgaos To be booked and paid at the national park s entrance. 6) Alê Friburgo Hostel Nova Friburgo In Lonely Planet - Brazil 7) Linhares Vale Rio Doce ozir.siqueira@vale.com 8) Lodge REGUA Site: aregua@terra.com.br 9) Lodge Serra Dos Tucanos Site: serradostucanos@hotmail.com Useful literature and links - A Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil Ber van Perlo - Field Guide to the Birds of South America: Passerines Robert S Ridgely and Guy Tudor - A Birdwatching Guide to South-East Brazil Juha Honkala and Seppo Niiranen - Lonely Planet Brazil - holds numerous trip reports Visited Sites Below is a list of sites we visited during our trip. Since most sites are well described in various other trip reports or the book A Birdwatching Guide to South-East Brazil, we don t go into too much detail here. Best recorded species are of course included in the text. Itatiaia National Park This national park is easily reached from Rio de Janeiro along the BR116, where there is an exit for the small village of Itatiaia. On the other side of the village, a dirt road takes you into the national park itself. We stayed at Hotel do Ype which has great feeders and a spectacular view from the balcony near the swimming pool. We had a very close encounter with an adult Black Hawk-eagle from that balcony, which flew by at eye-level and only 50m distance!

5 The feeders itself attract many hummingbirds and some tanagers. Brazilian Ruby can be easily seen here and at the flower beds below the restaurant balcony we had a splendid male and female Frilled Coquette! Other interesting birds we had near Hotel do Ype were: Mantled Hawk, Short-tailed Nighthawk, Saffron Toucanet, Olive-green Tanager Along the park road between Hotel do Ype and the trail towards Hotel Simon (signposted), we saw a Black-billed Scythebill in a patch of bamboo and had a fly-over by a small group of Biscutate Swifts. On the trail towards Hotel Simon, which was closed for renovation and will be renamed to Park Hotel Itatiaia, we had White-bearded Antshrike (HO), Dusky-throated Hermit, Fork-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant, Spot-breasted Antvireo and White-collared Foliage- Gleaner. We heard from other birders in our hotel that there was a nest of Swallow-tailed Cotinga in one of the trees in front of Hotel Simon. We quickly found the nest with the adult female sitting on top of it! After a few minutes, the male arrived and when he took over from the female, we could see 2 naked heads of the pulli pop-out of the nest. Brilliant those views! Our main focus in the Itatiaia NP was on the Tres Picos trail which we climbed 2 times, as far as possible. Very good birds can be seen along this path but note that the trail is not maintained anymore; fallen trees often make it difficult to pass and in some stretches the trail is now very narrow. We did see plenty of birds however, such as: Tufted Antshrike, Ferruginous & Ochrerumped Antbird, Such s Antthrush, Streak-capped Antwren, Rufous Gnateater, Slaty Bristlefront, Rufous-headed Tanager The higher part of Itatiaia NP can be reached from the other side of the park. We left Hotel do Ype early in the morning, took the next exit on the highway and drove along the BR354 towards the Algulhas Negras road (signposted and well described in Honkala s book). From this junction, we drove uphill towards the entrance of the park, regularly stopping and walking short distances. The first few kilometers are good for birds such as Rufous-tailed Antbird, Pallid Spinetail, Bay-chested & Buff-throated Warbling-Finch, Black-capped Piprites and Sharp-billed Treehunter. Higher uphill there is a pond and beyond that is a large Araucaria stand on the left side of the road. Here we taped a single Araucaria Tit-Spinetail in. The road gets very bad after this part, but you have to continue if you want to see Itatiaia Spinetails. Serra de Canastra This very large national park can be easily explored from Saõ Roque de Minas, were we stayed in Pousada Barcelos. From the small roundabount near the pousada, a dirt track brings you up to the higher part of Serra de Canastra. The road is badly potholed and very rocky and requires that the car has some ground clearance. Drive carefully and be aware that it takes some time to get all the way on top of the plateau.

6 As we had quite a lot of rain during the day of our visit, going down on the same road was a serious challenge: the road was incredibly slippery and muddy which made us sometimes lose all control of the car! Driving uphill in the morning, we passed a side-track to the right with a sign Capao Forro. We did some birding here and quickly found Rufous-winged Antshrike, Fire-wood Gatherer and Collared Crescentchest. Further along the track, we passed the entrance gate to the park and a bit later also the park headquarters. At this place, we saw a Gray-backed Tachuri. We continued to drive along the track and passed a few bridges. In a patch of stunted forest just before the track leading to the statue of Sao Francisco, we heard a Brazilian Tapaculo calling. We tried to tape it in: it got as close as half a meter but we failed to see it Beyond this point, we started to see more birds along the track, such as Cock-tailed Tyrant, Red-winged Tinamou, Spotted Nothura, Black-masked Finch, Sharp-tailed Tyrant and Plumbeous Seedeater. While driving back after reaching the top of the waterfalls and after soms heavy showers of rain, we found a very nice flock of 23 Upland Sandpipers together with 2 American Golden Plovers. And a bit further we had a Short-eared Owl and a Least Nighthawk hunting in broad daylight. We also spend some time at the lower part of Serra de Canastra, which can be reached from Saõ Roque de Minas by driving to Vargem Bonita and then continue on to follow the signs of Casca d Anta (which is the name of the waterfall). Arriving in Vargem Bonita, you pass the Rio San Francisco and immediately after the bridge there are some hummingbird feeders on the left side of the road. We only saw this on the way out, so didn t stop here. But there is another place in the center of the village to see hummers: driving along the main avenue of Vargem Bonita, you will see an orange house on a corner; the opposite side of the avenue has a BR gas station. The people from that orange house have some hummingbird feeders in their garden and they were so friendly to let us enter their house and garden to have a look! We immediately had: Planalto Hermit, Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Stripe-breasted Starthroat and Amethyst Woodstar amongst others. Two Golden-capped Parakeets flew over the garden. Following the sandy road towards Casca d Anta, we stopped along the few viewpoints of the Rio San Francisco and searched in vain for the main target bird of Serra De Canastra: the Brazilian Merganser. We didn t see it on the first day we explored the lower part of the national park and therefore decided to give it another go on the following morning. We immediately drove to the base of the waterfall, inside the national park and briefly glimpsed 2 Brazilan Mergansers before they took off and disappeared out of sight. The area around the base of the waterfall also produced some other nice birds and most spectacular was the colony of Great Dusky and White-collared Swifts. In the woodlands we had Helmeted Manakin and Gray-eyed Greenlet. Around 10 km before Saõ Roque de Minas along the main road coming from Piumhi, there is a small marsh on your right hand side, a few hundred meters off the road. We briefly

7 stopped there, seeing Blackish Rail, Buff-necked Ibis, Yellow-chinned Spinetail and Streamer-tailed Tyrant. Serra do Cipo We spent one evening and one morning at Serra do Cipo and mainly used the Birdwatching Guide to South-East Brazil as a reference for places. We made several stops along the main road to Guanhães after the easily found Chapeau do Sol hotel and tried to climb or walk into the cerrado where we could. The area descibeded in Honkala s book for Cipo Canastero is a very nice and scenic place to walk, but the trail is difficult to find from the main road. Note also that the start of that trail now lies behind a barbed wire fence. Upon the crags we found several of the Cipo specialities such as Hyacint Visorbearer, Cinerous Warbling-Finch and Pale-throated Pampa-Finch. We didn t find the Cipo Canastero however Other birds of interest were: White-tailed Goldenthroat and Gray-backed Tachuri. During the several stops along the main road we noted 2 beautiful Horned Sungems, a male Blue Finch, Blue-fronted Parrot, Collared Crescentchest, White-banded Tanager, etc. Serra dos Orgaos This is a very scenic national park with some excellent highland Atlantic forest. Our main focus went to the Pedro Do Sino trail because that s the only trail of interest in the park. The trail gives you the chance to see the special Gray-winged Cotinga but now comes the problem: to see this species, you must get above 1900m at around sunrise when the birds are calling. This means you are obliged to stay overnight in the park, as the entrance gate only opens at 8 am. And the walk uphill takes at least 3 hours. The only way of staying overnight inside the national park is to bring your tent and and sleep at the national park s campsite. Honkala s book states that there is a pousada inside the park, but it is out of business and it doesn t look like it will reopen anytime soon. Please keep in mind that temperatures drop steeply during the night and we weren t really prepared for this (in other words don t leave your sleeping bag at home). So after a night of cold and little sleep, we got up at 4 am and started walking the Pedro Do Sino trail. We arrived on time at the campsite up on the mountain and heard 2 Gray-winged Cotingas calling. Unfortunately, there are only a few available viewpoints to check the canopy and we never managed to see the cotingas. Nevertheless, this trail has a lot more to offer and we did see some pretty good stuff up there: several Black-and-Gold Cotingas, Swallow-tailed Cotinga, 2 males Barethroated Bellbird, Hooded Berryeater, a male Giant Antshrike, Rufous-backed Antvireo, Rufous-tailed Antthrush, White-browed Woodpecker, Pallid Spinetail, White-collared Foliage-Gleaner, Scaled Woodcreeper, Serra do Mar Tyrannulet Around the campground, we saw Brown Tinamou and a few large tanager flocks including Brown and Brassy-breasted Tanagers.

8 Carmo & Sumidouro We first birded the first few kilometers along the road from Carmo to Sumidouro, but since we were a bit limited in time and didn t have detailed descriptions where to look for birds, we soon turned back to Carmo. Nevertheless, at the first big bend (and where the river on the left hand side meets the road) we made a quick stop and immediately found a Three-toed Jacamar in some nearby trees. We also had our first small group of Blue-winged Macaws and 2 Savanna Hawks here. We then headed back towards Carmo and followed the directions from the Birdwatching Guide to South-East Brazil. Driving from Carmo towards Além Paraiba, there is a gas station (but not BR as written in the book) on the right side of the road with a dirt track next to it. Follow the dirt track, and take the left hand track where it forks (not mentioned in the book), you pass a small patch of interesting forest on your right and a gate right after it. We parked there, climbed over the gate and looked for birds in the small valley and forest edge. We quickly found more Three-toed Jacamars and also Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Planalto Slaty-Antshrike, Yellow-eared Woodpecker, Crescent-chested Puffbird, Wing-banded Hornero, Pileated Finch... Linhares Vale Rio Doce Since Sooretama NP and Augusto Ruschi NP are not possible to visit anymore these days, we were obliged to go to this privately owned reserve of lowland Atlantic rainforest. The park comes with consequences however: it s highly overpriced, you must hire a guide if you want to enter the reserve and birding is done by slowly driving your car through the forest and walking short distances On the other hand, the reserve offers a chance to see a whole range of interesting birds. We arrived late in the afternoon and rain was poring down. We did watch some birds on the hotel grounds however and from underneath our umbrellas found Plain Parakeet, Blondcrested Woodpecker, Black-necked Aracari and Turquoise Tanager (ssp brasiliensis) in no time. The next 2 days we birded in the reserve itself and luckily it stopped raining, but it remained hot and humid and bird activity decreased heavily by late morning Our guide pointed out the route when we were slowly driving through the forest and as said that was the only thing he could do. We regularly stopped and walked short distances to at least try to identify some of the strange calls we were hearing. We drove quite far into the forest and came to a reliable spot for Red-billed Curassow and saw 9 of these beautiful birds. Driving and walking along the numerous tracks did result in some other interesting birds such as Red-browed Parrot, Maroon-faced Parakeet (ssp leucotis), Minute Hermit, Sooretama Slaty-Antshrike, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Gray-hooded Attila and Black-headed Berryeater. During both afternoons, we went to a more open and marshy area of the reserve where a complete different avifauna occurs.

9 Here we saw White-necked Hawk, Rusty-backed Antwren, Red-headed Manakin, Brazilian Tanager and Moustached Wren. We also went on some night-birding as well: Orlando took us to stake-outs for Tawnybrowed Owl and Long-tailed Potoo. In the headlights of the car we also saw several Solitary and a single Variegated Tinamou on the forest track. Praia Seca After a very long drive coming from Linhares, we had to rush to be in time at the Rio de Janeiro airport. Therefore we planned a very short stop-over at Praia Seca just to quickly tick-off the Restinga Antwren before we continued our journey. We again followed the directions given in the Birdwatching Guide to South-East Brazil and found the patch of Restinga vegetation near the tennis court. In 5 minutes we found a male Restinga Antwren and a Hangnest Tody-Tyrant. With RN having only 2 weeks time available, FB decided to spend a further 9 days in REGUA and Serra Dos Tucanos. The original plan was to spend about 5 days at each location, but Serra Dos Tucanos had limited vacancies, so in the end 7 nights in REGUA and 2 in Serra Dos Tucanos were spent, which in hindsight was quite fortunate. Both places are very nice and should be on anyone s trip itinerary when doing Southeast Brazil, as they have different strengths. REGUA - Reserva Ecologica de Guapiaçu REGUA really benefits from a long stay (a week or more easily). It has plenty of trails on site and a great variety of habitat: open agricultural area (which contrary to a lot of open land in Brazil actually holds some birds), marshes, good lowland and mid-elevation primary forest. The lodge s 2 guides, Adilei and Leonardo, are excellent guides. The possibility of day trips to birding spots around the area will bring you yet again entirely different birds. And no need for your own car. Do take into account that some of the day trips require a lengthy drive. As REGUA is a reforestation and preservation project, your stay helps to protect the remaining lowland Atlantic rainforest in the region. Local trails: o Marshes REGUA has a fairly extensive complex of marshes, easily reached by a short walk from the lodge. They hold a very nice selection of wildfowl, crakes, rails and herons. Not much time was spend here in the end, so only some of the crake species were heard only but amongst others Rufescent Tiger-Heron and Capped Herons, Black-bellied and White-faced Whistling-Ducks and Masked Ducks (at least 8 birds present) were easily seen. Other birds seen were White-chinned Sapphire, Yellow-chinned Spinetail and White-

10 headed Marsh-Tyrant. Long-trained Nightjar and Striped Owl are also present, but due to the consistently rainy nights, owling was either not possible or unsuccessful. o 4 x 4 trail The 4x4 trail requires a short drive through the farmlands to reach, though it is equally feasible to hike to it along the dirt roads, picking up some open country birds along the way. The trail leads up through lowland rainforest to a small abandoned banana plantation. We saw a good selection of forest birds including several small flocks, with the highlights being Eye-ringed Tody-Tyrant, Yellow-throated Woodpecker, Black-throated Trogon, Scaled Antbird, Uniform Antwren, a Rufous-capped Antthrush which gave us a run for our money and at least 3 male Frilled Coquettes at the remains of the old plantation house. A Saw-billed Hermit zipped past us at least twice as well. o Red trail To hike the length of this tail requires a full day out. One needs to be fairly fit as it has some steep parts. It leads from lowland forest all the way up to a ridge of elfin forest and it was decidedly the most rewarding trail, with highlights such as a roosting Long-tailed Potoo (in the first meters of the trail), absolutely splendid views of a male Shrikelike Cotinga singing it s heart out (between the 700 and 800 meter mark on the trail, after the split-off from the green trail), Slaty Bristlefront and White-bearded Antshrike in the bamboo near the ridge and Pin-tailed Manakin, Southern Antpipit, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, Short-tailed Ant-Thrush, White-bibbed Antbird, Pale-browed Treehunter, White-eyed Foliage-Gleaner, Sharpbill, Azureshouldered Tanager and Pileated Parrot along the trail. o Green trail This trail starts off at the volunteers building (Saw-billed Hermit comes to the feeders) and leads to a waterfall. The red trail splits off from this one. The trail was birded the day after the Red trail, but activity was much lower than the day before and neither the laniisoma nor the potoo were seen again. It still held some good birds such as Rufousbreasted Leaftosser, Pin-tailed Manakin, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Star-throated and Uniform Antwren and Rufous-capped Motmot. The last stretch of farmland just before the volunteer buildings holds Yellowish Pipit and Burrowing Owl. o Lodge The lodge grounds have a nice variety of birds coming to the fruit and nectar feeders. And on a sunny day (of which we had none) one has a nice view of some the nearby ridges which should allow for some raptor watching. Birds on the feeders included Brazilian and Burnished-buff Tanager; Rusty-margined Guan sometimes visited the banana feeders as well. Hummingbirds were represented by the ubiquitous Black Jacobin, Swallowtailed Hummingbird, Rufous-breasted Hermit, White-chinned Sapphire, Violetcapped Woodnymph and (perhaps due to the weather) at least once a male Frilled Coquette and an Amethyst Woodstar. The sewage pond below the lodge regularly held Rufescent Tiger-Heron and Capped Heron. On the last morning a Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle was observed soaring above the ridge across from the lodge. Day trips: o Cabo Frio Cabo Frio is a small cape about 100 km north of Rio. It is being developed at an alarming rate, but at the moment there are still large areas of Restinga, home to the Restinga

11 Antwren, which was fairly common and fairly easily observed and Hangnest Tody- Tyrant. The extensive salt-pans held a good selection of shorebirds, including 4 Hudsonian Godwits, ducks and herons. Gulls and seabirds can be observed from the cliffs. o Pico de Caledonia Pico de Caledonia is a steep sloped mountain near Nova Friburgo. The lower slopes still hold some patches of forest but most has been replaced with farmland or eucalyptus; the high reaches still have good forest and it s here that one can find Gray-winged Cotinga, but seeing the bird is far from guaranteed. The very top, above the antennas holds a population of Itatiaia Spinetail. Note that the cobble-stone road up the mountain is very steep and in poor weather should only be attempted in a 4 wheel-drive vehicle. Even though we had really poor weather (mist, drizzle, occasionally driving rain) the day was quite successful with a short, but fairly satisfactory (given the light) observation of a single Gray-winged Cotinga (it took us about 3 hours to get the bird), a lek of Plovercrest, Black-and-gold Cotinga, Rufouscapped and Large-tailed Antshrikes, Bay-chested Warbling-Finch, 2 Serra do Mar Tyrant-Manakins dueling and Planalto Tyrannulet. The Gray-winged Cotinga was observed near the very top, just below the entrance to the radio antenna towers. Due to the poor weather we were not allowed to hike all the way to the top to search for the Itatiaia Spinetails. The afternoon was spent lower down on the mountain, birding an old road which takes off from the back of the hotel about halfway up and leads along some slopes still holding good forest. New birds for the day were 3 Swallow-tailed Cotingas, Bare-throated Bellbird, and Gray-bellied Spinetail. o Macae de Cima Is another site near Nova Friburgo and is a very good site for higher altitude birds. On a first visit to David Millar s house, the weather was very poor with strong wind and at times heavy rain. During a second visit with Andy from Serra Dos Tucanos, the lower slopes and a valley along the left fork of the split to David Millar s place were visited and weather was better. The higher part of the road, leading up to David Millar s place can be hiked or driven with a 4x4 car (necessary after rainy weather). With good weather this site is another good spot for Black-and-gold Cotinga, Bare-throated Bellbird and Swallow-tailed Cotinga and some of the highland hummingbirds such as Whitethroated Hummingbird, Brazilian Ruby and Plovercrest. Some of the birds seen on the high stretch were: another singing Shrike-like Cotinga along a small trail off to the left of the main road, about 1km up following the turn-off to David Millar s place. Hooded Berryeater appeared to be quite common just below and around David Millar s house. Rufous Gnateater and Rufous-tailed Antthrush were seen along the road. Several of the higher altitude antbirds, including Bertoni s and Drabbreasted Bamboo-Tyrant were present as well. Brassy-breasted Tanager was particularly common. The second trip along the lower slopes netted us a single female Spot-billed Toucanet, Bare-throated Bellbird which was commonly heard (and several seen well), Swallowtailed Cotinga, Rufous Gnateater, Bertoni s and Dusky-tailed Antbird, Orangebreasted Thornbird and a cracking male White-bearded Antshrike which came right in

12 as soon as Andy played the tape. Such s Antthrush and Variegated Antpitta were heard only. Serra Dos Tucanos Serra Dos Tucanos, lying at a higher altitude provides easier access to some of the high altitude birds. It only has a few short trails on site and thus offers less in the sense of long hikes one could take from the lodge. In that sense it functions better as a home base for a few days from which you explore the sites near Nova Friburgo, such as Macae Da Cima and Pico de Caledonia, as these are closer from here than from REGUA. It has excellent feeders which attract some of the more difficult highland birds (such as Azure-shouldered Tanager and Spot-billed Toucanet). It also has Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper breeding under the bridge at the entrance and Rufous-capped Antthrush proved to be ridiculously easy on the trail (on each walk completely out in the open). Andy, the owner, sure knows his birds too and can offer good advice on what to find where or provide some real good guiding. o Lodge During the stay at the lodge the following were the highlights at the feeders: several Sawbilled Hermits, both male and female Spot-billed Toucanet, Green-headed, Rubycrowned and Brazilian Tanager and both male and female Blond-crested Woodpecker. Gray-capped Tyranulet and Gray-hooded Attila were singing in the garden; with the Attila often out in the open. Red-necked Tanager did not come to the feeders, but was fairly common in the tanager flocks along the short trail on the grounds; other highlights from the trail were Pin-tailed and Swallow-tailed Manakin (with the latter common) and Rufous-capped Antthrush. Acknowledgements We would like to thank Peter Collaerts for tips and advice during the planning of the trip. Many thanks also to Wim Heylen and Joris Elst for providing us with their sound recordings. Full trip list Taxonomy strictly follows Clements 6th Edition (incl. updates). The list only contains species positively identified by at least one of us. Birds identified by guides or other people only are not included, presumed species neither... Solitary Tinamou Tinamus solitarius Near-threatened (NT) 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 7 ex. 14/11/ REGUA - Red Trail - 2 ex. Brown Tinamou Crypturellus obsoletus 04/11/ Serra dos Orgaos: Pedro do Sino trail - 2 ex.

13 Variegated Tinamou Crypturellus variegatus 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. Red-winged Tinamou Rhynchotus rufescens 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 4 ex. 03/11/ Serra do Cipo - HO - 1 ex. Spotted Nothura Nothura maculosa 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 1 ex. White-faced Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna viduata 03/11/ en route from Serra do Cipo to Teresopolis - 1 ex. 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - 5+ ex. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail ex. Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - 4 ex. Brazilian Teal Amazonetta brasiliensis 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - 2 ex. 03/11/ en route from Serra do Cipo to Teresopolis - 3 ex. 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail ex. White-cheeked Pintail Anas bahamensis 10/11/ Praia Seca - 1 ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio ex. Brazilian Merganser Mergus octosetaceus Critically endangered (CR) 02/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part - 2 ex. Masked Duck Nomonyx dominicus 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - 8 ex. Rusty-margined Guan Penelope superciliaris 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 3 ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 5 ex. Dusky-legged Guan Penelope obscura 28/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail ex. 29/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail ex. 30/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Algulhas Negras road ex. 04/11/ Serra dos Orgaos: Pedro do Sino trail - 2 ex. 07/11/ Santa Teresa: museo Leitao - 2 ex. Red-billed Curassow Crax blumenbachii Endangered (EN) Country endemic 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 9 ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. Spot-winged Wood-Quail Odontophorus capueira 29/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail - HO - few 14/11/ REGUA - Red Trail - HO - few

14 Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Brown Booby Sula leucogaster 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio ex. Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus 30/10/ en route from Itatiaia NP to Serra de Canastra - 3 ex. 03/11/ en route from Serra do Cipo to Teresopolis - 2 ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio ex. 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - few Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens 27/10/ Rio de Janeiro - airport - 2 ex. 10/11/ en route from Linhares to Rio de Janeiro - 5+ ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio ex. Rufescent Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma lineatum Great Egret Ardea alba 27/10/ Rio de Janeiro - airport - 1 ex. 30/10/ en route from Itatiaia NP to Serra de Canastra - 1 ex. 03/11/ en route from Serra do Cipo to Teresopolis - few 06/11/ Carmo and Sumidouro road - 3 ex. 07/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce (hotel grounds) - 2 ex. 10/11/ en route from Linhares to Rio de Janeiro - few 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 5+ ex. 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - 2 ex. Snowy Egret Egretta thula 30/10/ en route from Itatiaia NP to Serra de Canastra - 1 ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 5+ ex. Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 2 ex. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis 30/10/ en route from Itatiaia NP to Serra de Canastra ex. 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 3 ex. 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - fairly common 03/11/ en route from Serra do Cipo to Teresopolis - fairly common 06/11/ Carmo and Sumidouro road - 5+ ex. 10/11/ en route from Linhares to Rio de Janeiro - fairly common 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio ex. 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - common Striated Heron Butorides striata 02/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part - 1 ex. 07/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce (hotel grounds) - 1 ex. 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 2 ex. Whistling Heron Syrigma sibilatrix 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 2 ex.

15 Capped Heron Pilherodius pileatus 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - 4 ex. 13/11/ REGUA - Pico de Caledonia - 2 ex. Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax 13/11/ REGUA - Pico de Caledonia - 1 ex. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Nyctanassa violacea 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 1 ex. Buff-necked Ibis Theristicus caudatus 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - 12 ex. 02/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part - 2 ex. Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio ex. Black Vulture Coragyps atratus 27/10/ Rio de Janeiro - airport - 5+ ex. 29/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail - 5+ ex. 30/10/ en route from Itatiaia NP to Serra de Canastra - fairly common 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 3 ex. 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - few 02/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part - few 03/11/ en route from Serra do Cipo to Teresopolis - fairly common 04/11/ Serra dos Orgaos: Pedro do Sino trail - few 05/11/ Serra dos Orgaos: Pedro do Sino trail - few 06/11/ Carmo and Sumidouro road - common 07/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce (hotel grounds) - 5+ ex. 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 5+ ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce ex. 10/11/ en route from Linhares to Rio de Janeiro - common 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - common 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - few 18/11/ Serra Dos Tucanos - Macae De Cima - fairly common Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura 30/10/ en route from Itatiaia NP to Serra de Canastra - 1 ex. 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 2 ex. 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - 1 ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 4 ex. 10/11/ en route from Linhares to Rio de Janeiro - fairly common 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - common 18/11/ Serra Dos Tucanos - Macae De Cima - few Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture Cathartes burrovianus 15/11/ REGUA - Green Trail - 1 ex. Hook-billed Kite Chondrohierax uncinatus 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 1 ex. White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus 30/10/ en route from Itatiaia NP to Serra de Canastra - 4 ex. 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - 1 ex.

16 Plumbeous Kite Ictinia plumbea 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 5 ex. Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle Geranoaetus melanoleucus 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 1 juvenile White-necked Hawk Leucopternis lacernulatus Vulnerable (VU) Country endemic 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. Mantled Hawk Leucopternis polionotus Near-threatened (NT) 29/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail - 1 ex. Savanna Hawk Buteogallus meridionalis 06/11/ Carmo and Sumidouro road - 2 ex. Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. 13/11/ REGUA - Pico de Caledonia - 2 ex. 15/11/ REGUA - Green Trail - 1 ex. 16/11/ REGUA - Macae De Cima - 1 ex. 18/11/ Serra Dos Tucanos - Macae De Cima - 1 ex. Gray Hawk Buteo nitidus 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 1 ex. White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 4 ex. 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - 3 ex. 02/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part - 1 ex. Black Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus tyrannus 28/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail - 1 immature 29/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail - 2 adults Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus melanoleucus 17/11/ REGUA - around lodge - 1 ex. Southern Caracara Caracara plancus 30/10/ en route from Itatiaia NP to Serra de Canastra - fairly common 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - fairly common 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - few 02/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part - few 03/11/ Serra do Cipo - 2 ex. 03/11/ en route from Serra do Cipo to Teresopolis - few 06/11/ Carmo and Sumidouro road - 5 ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - few 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - 2 ex. 15/11/ REGUA - Green Trail - 2 ex.

17 Yellow-headed Caracara Milvago chimachima 30/10/ en route from Itatiaia NP to Serra de Canastra - 5+ ex. 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 4 ex. 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - few 02/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part - 6 ex. 03/11/ Serra do Cipo - 3 ex. 06/11/ Carmo and Sumidouro road - 5+ ex. 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 2 ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - few 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - 2 ex. 15/11/ REGUA - Green Trail - common Laughing Falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. American Kestrel Falco sparverius 03/11/ Serra do Cipo - 2 ex. Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail Aramides saracura 29/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail - 2 ex. Blackish Rail Pardirallus nigricans 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - 2 ex. 02/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part - 1 ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 2 ex. Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinica 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio ex. 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - few Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - common Limpkin Aramus guarauna 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 1 ex. Red-legged Seriema Cariama cristata 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - 1 ex. 10/11/ en route from Linhares to Rio de Janeiro - 1 ex. Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis 27/10/ Rio de Janeiro - airport - 1 ex. 30/10/ en route from Itatiaia NP to Serra de Canastra - 1 ex. 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 1 ex. 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - 6 ex. 02/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part - 1 ex. 06/11/ Carmo and Sumidouro road - 4 ex. 07/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce (hotel grounds) - 3 ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio ex. 14/11/ REGUA - Red Trail - 2 ex. American Golden-Plover Pluvialis dominica 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 2 ex.

18 Collared Plover Charadrius collaris 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 1 ex. Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 1 ex. American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 1 ex. Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus 10/11/ en route from Linhares to Rio de Janeiro - ssp melanurus - 2 ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - ssp melanurus ex. Wattled Jacana Jacana jacana 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - 3 ex. 03/11/ en route from Serra do Cipo to Teresopolis - 1 ex. 07/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce (hotel grounds) - 1 ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio ex. 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - fairly common Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 1 ex. Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 2 ex. Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio ex. Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 23 ex. Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 4 ex. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 1 ex. White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 1 ex. Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 1 ex. South American Snipe Gallinago paraguaiae 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 1 ex. Gray-hooded Gull Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio ex. Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 10/11/ Praia Seca - 8 ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio ex.

19 Common Tern Sterna hirundo 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 2 ex. Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - ssp eurygnathus - 5+ ex. Pale-vented Pigeon Patagioenas cayennensis 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. Picazuro Pigeon Patagioenas picazuro 28/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail ex. 29/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail ex. 30/10/ en route from Itatiaia NP to Serra de Canastra - common 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - fairly common 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - few 02/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part - few 03/11/ Serra do Cipo - 2 ex. 03/11/ en route from Serra do Cipo to Teresopolis - 5+ ex. 05/11/ Serra dos Orgaos: Pedro do Sino trail - 1 ex. 06/11/ Carmo and Sumidouro road - 5+ ex. 07/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce (hotel grounds) - fairly common 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 3+ ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 4 ex. 10/11/ en route from Linhares to Rio de Janeiro - few 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - 2 ex. 18/11/ Serra Dos Tucanos - Macae De Cima - few Plumbeous Pigeon Patagioenas plumbea 29/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail - HO - 1 ex. 04/11/ Serra dos Orgaos: Pedro do Sino trail - HO - 1 ex. 05/11/ Serra dos Orgaos: Pedro do Sino trail - 1 ex. 18/11/ Serra Dos Tucanos - Macae De Cima - HO - 1 ex. Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata 30/10/ en route from Itatiaia NP to Serra de Canastra - 1 ex. 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 5 ex. Plain-breasted Ground-Dove Columbina minuta 10/11/ Praia Seca - 2 ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 4 ex. Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti 30/10/ en route from Itatiaia NP to Serra de Canastra - 5+ ex. 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 2 ex. 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - 5 ex. 03/11/ en route from Serra do Cipo to Teresopolis - 1 ex. 06/11/ Carmo and Sumidouro road - 5+ ex. 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. 10/11/ en route from Linhares to Rio de Janeiro - few 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 2 ex. Scaled Dove Columbina squammata 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 4 ex. 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas ex. 02/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part - 3 ex.

20 White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas ex. 03/11/ Serra do Cipo - fairly common Gray-fronted Dove Leptotila rufaxilla 07/11/ Santa Teresa: museo Leitao - 1 ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 2 ex. 13/11/ REGUA - Pico de Caledonia - 1 ex. Maroon-bellied Parakeet Pyrrhura frontalis 28/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail - 8 ex. 29/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail ex. 30/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Algulhas Negras road - 4 ex. 04/11/ Serra dos Orgaos: Pedro do Sino trail - 2 ex. 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - 4 ex. 14/11/ REGUA - Red Trail - few 15/11/ REGUA - Green Trail - few 17/11/ Serra Dos Tucanos - around lodge - few 18/11/ Serra Dos Tucanos - around lodge - 5+ ex. Maroon-faced Parakeet Pyrrhura leucotis Near-threatened (NT) 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - ssp leucotis - 8 ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - ssp leucotis - 5+ ex. White-eyed Parakeet Aratinga leucophthalma 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part ex. 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - common 02/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part - fairly common 03/11/ Serra do Cipo - 5+ ex. Golden-capped Parakeet Aratinga auricapillus Near-threatened (NT) Country endemic 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - 2 ex. Peach-fronted Parakeet Aratinga aurea 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 2 ex. 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas ex. 03/11/ Serra do Cipo - 8 ex. 03/11/ en route from Serra do Cipo to Teresopolis - 2 ex. 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 2 ex. Blue-winged Macaw Primolius maracana Near-threatened (NT) 06/11/ Carmo and Sumidouro road - 20 ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 4 ex. Blue-winged Parrotlet Forpus xanthopterygius 29/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail - 1 ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 8 ex. 15/11/ REGUA - Green Trail - few Plain Parakeet Brotogeris tirica Country endemic 29/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail - 3 ex. 07/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce (hotel grounds) - 15 ex. 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 5+ ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce ex. 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail ex. 14/11/ REGUA - Red Trail - fairly common 17/11/ Serra Dos Tucanos - around lodge - few

21 18/11/ Serra Dos Tucanos - around lodge - 5+ ex. Yellow-chevroned Parakeet Brotogeris chiriri 31/10/ Serra de Canastra: higher part - 2 ex. 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - 5+ ex. Pileated Parrot Pionopsitta pileata 14/11/ REGUA - Red Trail - 4 ex. Scaly-headed Parrot Pionus maximiliani 28/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail - 5 ex. 29/10/ Itatiaia NP: Hotel do Ype + Tres Picos trail - 4 ex. 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - 1 ex. 02/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part - 1 ex. 03/11/ Serra do Cipo - 2 ex. 03/11/ en route from Serra do Cipo to Teresopolis - 2 ex. 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - 12 ex. Red-browed Parrot Amazona rhodocorytha Endangered (EN) Country endemic 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 4 ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. Blue-fronted Parrot Amazona aestiva 03/11/ Serra do Cipo - 2 ex. Orange-winged Parrot Amazona amazonica 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 14 ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 2 ex. Mealy Parrot Amazona farinosa 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 6 ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 5 ex. Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana 30/10/ en route from Itatiaia NP to Serra de Canastra - 1 ex. 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 2 ex. 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - 2 ex. 14/11/ REGUA - Red Trail - 2 ex. Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 1 ex. Guira Cuckoo Guira guira 01/11/ Serra de Canastra: lower part + marsh 10km from Sao Roque de Minas - fairly common 03/11/ en route from Serra do Cipo to Teresopolis - 2 ex. 07/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce (hotel grounds) - 3 ex. 09/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 6 ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio ex. 12/11/ REGUA - marsh & 4x4 trail - 6 ex. Greater Ani Crotophaga major 06/11/ Carmo and Sumidouro road - 2 ex. 08/11/ Linhares - Vale Rio Doce - 4 ex. 11/11/ REGUA - Cabo Frio - 4 ex. Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani 30/10/ en route from Itatiaia NP to Serra de Canastra - 5+ ex.