Northeast Brazil is one of the last regions searched by Ornithologists in the Neotropics, and year over year new species are being described to science, others will be split up from disjunct populations and some few still to be described and who knows, to be find.

The region is enormous with many good sites to Birdwatching, you will see since extremely dry habitats with ground bromeliads, cactus and a dense vegetation with large quantity of thorns (know as Caatinga) to Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna) and exuberant moist forests.

In the state of Ceará, west of Pernambuco and interior of Bahia, we will explore the Caatinga habitats, the vegetation is seasonally dry, and here is the habitat of amazing endemics, as the Great Xenops, Red-shouldered Spinetail, White-browed Antpitta, Caatinga Antwren, Silvery-cheeked Antshrike, Pygmy Nightjar, Spotted Piculet, Broad-tipped Hermit, White-napped Jay, Caatinga Cacholote, White-browed Guan, White-throated Seedeater, Red-cowled Cardinal, Pectoral Antwren, Cactus Parakeet and the extremely rare Lear’s Macaw. There are also isolated mountain ranges, that are enclaves of altitudinal moist forest surrounded by the semi-arid Caatinga vegetation (Serra de Baturité, in the state of Ceará), that is the habitat of a plenty of endemics, as the Critically Endangered Grey-breasted Parakeet, the Buff-breasted Tody-Tyrant, Ochraceous Piculet, Gray-headed Spinetail, Slender-footed Tyrannulet, Gould’s Toucanet... the in-split races of Rufous (Ceará) Gnateater, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, Lesser Woodcreeper, Short-tailed Antthrush and others. And one of the most striking discoveries to the Science for the recent years (descried just in 1998!!!) also lives in the Caatinga Biome, the Araripe Manakin is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the trip.

We will also birding in one of the most important centre of endemism in the neotropics (Pernambuco Endemism Centre), the Atlantic Forest situated in the eastern of the states of Alagoas and Pernambuco, situated north of the São Francisco River. Unfortunately, the massive deforestation caused by the sugar cane monoculture (to Biofuel) suppressed almost all the original forest, but small patches remained and are the habitat of some of most threatened birds in the world, as the Alagoas Foliage-gleaner, Alagoas Antwren, White-collared Kite, Orange-bellied Antwren, Alagoas Tyrannulet, Seven-colored Tanager, Pinto’s Spinetail, Long-tailed Woodnymph, White-winged Cotinga, Scalloped Antbird, Pernambuco Pygmy-Owl and others that we will tireless try to find.

Further south, crossing the São Francisco River we will arrive in the tiny state of Sergipe, where we will look for the endangered Fringe-backed Fire-eye and others specialties as the Pernambuco Foliage-gleaner (a recently described split from White-eyed Foliage-gleaner), Sooretama Slaty-Antshrike, Stripe-necked Tody-Tyrant, Golden-capped Parakeet, Plain-bellied Emerald and others. And finally we will arrive in the huge state of Bahia; here we have another assemblage of endemics and habitats. From lowlands to montane ranges over 1000m we have a high diversity of vegetations, including Atlantic Forest, dry forests and the variations of Cerrado. Top-quality birds are found here, the Hooded Visorbearer, São Francisco Sparrow , Pale-throated Pampa Finch, Gray-backed Tachuri and the recently described Sincorá Antwren and Diamantina Tapaculo are some specialties from the magnificent Chapada Diamantina; Slender Antbird, Striated Softail, Pink-legged Graveteiro, Bahia Tapaculo, Bahia Spinetail, Bahia Tyrannulet, Bahia Antwren, Hook-billed Hermit, Band-tailed Antwren, Narrow-billed Antwren, Rio de Janeiro Antbird, Such’s Anttrush, Banded Cotinga, Pin-tailed Manakin (the list goes and goes) will be quest in the other areas. One of the highlights is the new site recently discovered to the enigmatic Stresemann’s Bristlefront, in the border of the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais.

After read this, I believe you are at least curious about this region, please do not hesitate in contact us if you need any additional information on our tours.

contact [at] nebrazilbirding.com