Brazil: Pantanal Safari

Hyacinth Macaw © Andrew Whittaker

Tour of the fabled Brazilian Pantanal, one of the premier wildlife spectacles in the world. Seasonally flooded savannas brimming with birds and mammals, and all but guaranteed to produce sightings of one or more Jaguars (our last 20+ tours have been successful); easy birding in one of the birdiest locations on the planet, for spectacular Hyacinth Macaws, Jabirus, Bare-faced Curassows, and many others.

Lying in the seasonally flooded basin of the Paraguay River, the vast lowlands of the Pantanal are home to countless numbers of waterbirds, raptors, and other wildlife. The abundance and diversity of large mammals—Jaguar, Capybara, Marsh Deer, Black Howler Monkeys, Giant Anteater, Brazilian Tapir, Giant Otter, Crab-eating Fox, South American Coati, and Ocelot—coupled with throngs of herons, ibises, storks, raptors, and kingfishers—is reminiscent of Africa.

Among the prizes we will seek are Greater Rhea, Snail Kite, Maguari Stork, Jabiru, Plumbeous Ibis, Southern Screamer, Chaco Chachalaca, White-throated Piping-Guan, Chestnut-bellied Guan, Bare-faced Curassow, Sunbittern, Sungrebe, Red-legged Seriema, the incomparable Hyacinth Macaw, Yellow-collared Macaw, Nanday Parakeet, Turquoise-fronted Parrot, Toco Toucan, Pale-crested and White woodpeckers, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, Chotoy Spinetail, Red-billed Scythebill, Rufous (Gray-crested) Cacholote, Mato Grosso Antbird, Yellow-billed Cardinal, Orange-backed Troupial, and many others.

Optional pre-trips (Iguaçu Falls) and/or post-trips (Harpy Eagle & Southern Amazon) are offered on some departures. (See Connecting Tours)

Good accommodations and good food throughout; several nights in the Pantanal based on a river boat with spacious air-conditioned cabins with private bathrooms (hot showers); easy terrain; most birding along lightly traveled gravel roads or on good, flat trails; full mornings of birding, with significant post-lunch breaks on most days; afternoon boat trips on most days in the Pantanal, with morning river trips focused on searching for Jaguars as well as birds; generally warm to hot, dry climate.

Sunbittern © Andrew Whittaker