Brazil: Pantanal Safari 8/8/2025-8/22/2025

https://ebird.org/tripreport/402712

Our Brazil Pantanal Safari tour offers an astounding whirlwind of diversity and exciting moments every day. Birding by foot, by boat, and by open-bed truck, the sights and sounds of this adventure were memorable, to say the least.

We started off in Cuiaba, making our way out of town towards the Transpantaneira, the legendary highway that takes travelers (like ourselves) well into the depths of the Cerrado and Pantanal environments. An American Kestrel was seen in Cuiaba shortly after we left the hotel, as were Tropical Kingbirds and Rufous Horneros, each interacting with the city landscape in its own way. We enjoyed wonderful views of a pair of Blue-and-yellow Macaws allopreening each other. A little further down the road we locked our sights on Red-legged Seriema, Greater Rhea, and Toco Toucans. A stop at some nearby wetlands brought views of two gorgeous ibis species—Bare-faced and Buff-necked. Flashy Nacunda Nighthawks were seen flying along the edge of the pond. Later in the day, several Burrowing Owls were seen and appreciated, including a very inquisitive nestling that checked us out from within its burrow. There were so many highlights, and we were just getting started!

Blue-and-yellow Macaw © Erik Bruhnke

We savored a wonderful lunch at SouthWild Pantanal, our home-sweet-home for several days throughout the tour. Robust Picazuro Pigeons gathered near the feeding area as we were welcomed to our beautiful rooms. There was much to explore around the grounds and nearby waterways. An afternoon boat ride welcomed us to the experience of birding by boat (one of a handful of boat rides we take on this tour). Fantastic views of Bare-faced Curassow, Ringed Kingfisher, and hearing Little Woodpecker ensued from the boats. Later in the afternoon we made our way to look for an Ocelot; our first visit was Ocelot-free, but we did hear amazing birds like Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Tropical Screech-Owl, Little Nightjar, and Common Pauraque after sunset.

The next morning, after an early and delicious breakfast, we took a walk around the adjacent grounds—just under a mile of hiking round-trip throughout the forested trails, tallying 63 species for the morning! There were many highlights including a gorgeous Golden-green Woodpecker, Pale-crested Woodpecker, and two White Woodpeckers. Rufous Cacholotes called as a Chotoy Spinetail kept watch, each dapper in its own way. Vibrant Orange-backed Troupials fed among the hot-pink Ipe blossoms, beauty beyond description. There was much to enjoy on our first morning of birding the property! After a midday siesta, we birded by safari vehicle and enjoyed great views of birds like the tiny White-wedged Piculet, the regal Capped Heron, and Greater Thornbird to name a few. Complementing all of this were periodic sightings of the immensely range-restricted Chestnut-bellied Guan visiting the lodge birdfeeders and seen quite close at times. And on top of all this, we enjoyed views of an Ocelot before bed. What a day!

Orange-backed Troupial among the Ipe Trees © Erik Bruhnke

Chestnut-bellied Guan © Erik Bruhnke

The next day we made our way down to new waters, where much wildlife resides and also where our next home-sweet-home (the Jaguar Suites) awaited along the Piquiri River. On the drive down we saw a plethora of wildlife, including Hyacinth Macaws and Wood Storks with their less common counterpart, the Maguari Storks. At times there were Snail Kites galore! Yacare Caiman lounged and gathered around in the waterlogged areas as the dry season commenced. We found a beautiful False Water Cobra while birding and got to study our first (of many) Black-capped Donacobius and majestic Hyacinth Macaws. After an arrival lunch and a little siesta at the Jaguar Suites, we made our way out to bird by boat along the nearby waters. It is very special to know that our “home” for this part of the tour is among so much potential wildlife diversity, which included seeing JAGUAR on our first evening out! Earlier in the afternoon we enjoyed the sights of amazing birds like Pied Plover, Guira Cuckoo, both Large-billed and Yellow-billed terns, and more.

Hyacinth Macaw © Erik Bruhnke

Pied Plover © Erik Bruhnke

Over the next few days at the Jaguar Suites, we enjoyed a collective TEN sightings of Jaguars while birding by boat! On our last morning trek among the boating excursions, we witnessed a Jaguar swimming and eventually pouncing on a Yacare Caiman in the water. This was followed by moments of thrashing and splashing around, and then we saw the Jaguar drag its fresh catch up on the shore and deep into the vegetation. It felt surreal, like a dreamy moment straight from a nature documentary . . . but right in front of us. I distinctly remember looking around the boat, with my jaw dropped, and seeing everyone with the identical expression, no words needed. Pantanal magic!

Among the Jaguar sightings were SO MANY incredible bird sightings and wildlife diversity, with several sightings of endangered Giant Otters socializing and feeding along the rivers. During this tour we saw not one, not two, but five American Pygmy Kingfishers during our time on the water. Crisp, up-close views of a Snail Kite were incredible, along with numerous Roadside Hawks daily. Great study/comparison opportunities of Great Kiskadee, Lesser Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, and Rusty-margined Flycatcher followed. A White-naped Xenopsaris was a special treat, being a species uncommon for the tour. We delved into the world of antbirds with a Band-tailed Antbird at one point. Adult and juvenile Rufescent Tiger-Herons were seen remarkably well, as were Green Ibis and Capped Heron. And among so many up-close views of earlier mentioned birds were some hawkwatching moments when we learned how to ID White-tailed Hawk and a Plumbeous Kite at a distance from the boat, which is quite possible to do! Closer was a Crane Hawk that we witnessed walk along a branch and plunge its long legs deep within a hollow tree cavity, shortly after to pull out a frog that it began to eat on a branch! Two different Long-winged Harriers were seen patrolling low throughout the air. Along the peaceful meandering stretches of river, we enjoyed the sights of adorable Proboscis Bats resting together on the underside of a tree, each in its own camouflaged manner on the trunk. Among this whirlwind of life we saw numerous Capybara every day while exploring the waterways from the Jaguar Suites. They are such a neat animal, being the world's largest rodent! Seeing a very rare Maned Wolf one evening was truly incredible, and on the boat ride home from the wolf we saw baby Large-billed Terns, and not one but two Brazilian Tapirs!

One of the ten Jaguar sightings we had! © Erik Bruhnke

On our last morning while still birding by boat out of the Jaguar Suites, we enjoyed views of a sneaky Striped Cuckoo and a Rufescent Tiger-Heron that contemplated (for many minutes) about the too-large fish it had caught. It was tough to leave such a beautiful location, and we said goodbye to the wonderful staff at the Jaguar Suites. Upon arriving back on land, we made our way back to SouthWild Pantanal for another visit, including a casual stroll around the property. We were treated to amazing views of the Jabiru nesting right there on site, fantastic views of the dapper Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, and some treetop-perching Turquoise-fronted Amazons.

We had one more full day in store for birding SouthWild Pantanal, and we started off by birding by boat. As with the past days of the tour, our morning boat ride was lots of fun. Yellow-collared Macaws flew over us, and we saw a beautiful female Black-tailed Tityra and a Great Antshrike (all among an exciting plethora of wading birds). Canopy-dwelling White-throated Piping-Guans didn’t disappoint either. There was much to cherish with our last boat ride of the trip, with numerous adventures still awaiting by land. An afternoon trek around the property offered views of Blue-tufted Starthroat and Gilded Hummingbird, in addition to up-close Green-barred Woodpeckers and a Rusty-backed Antwren.

The next morning we had a delicious and early breakfast, followed by one last stroll around the SouthWild Pantanal property. It was exciting to see the Brown-chested Martin and one of the sought-after birds of the morning, TWO Red-crested Finches! It felt like time stood still while we watched this beautiful species, initially in poor light but eventually seen out in the open with the sun at our backs. Pousada Piuval, our last home-sweet-home of the tour, was on the agenda starting the evening, but not without some birding and lunch en route. During lunch we savored views of Nanday Parakeets just feet from us, while Buff-necked Ibis and Hyacinth Macaws enjoyed the surroundings. A White-rumped Monjita was seen just before we “hit the road.” Once at Pousada Piuval, a late day truck ride had us looking at Burrowing Owls, the punk-rock crested Guira Cuckoos, Nacunda Nighthawks, and several Grassland Sparrows, which were new for our trip!

Our last series of birding throughout the tour were around the grounds of Pousada Piuval. While birding by open-bed truck, we found ourselves among Red-legged Seriemas and Campo Flickers. One of the biggest highlights was seeing two Giant Anteaters and also a Brazilian Tapir in the early morning hours. It all felt like a dream. Thrush-like Wrens were seen, as were Bare-faced Curassows and even a Sunbittern. At one point we got to see a juvenile Crested Caracara being allopreened by a Black Vulture. This remarkable behavior continued for several minutes and was quite fascinating to see, as intraspecies allopreening is extremely rare in any part of the world. One night we got our sights set on a Black-banded Owl, a joyous moment that came with patience. Hearing a nighttime Short-tailed Nighthawk was very special, as this locally uncommon bird is often not on our birding radar.

Giant Anteater © Erik Bruhnke

Juvenile Crested Caracara being allopreened by a friendly Black Vulture © Erik Bruhnke

On our last morning before heading back to Cuiaba, we did some local birding and spotted a White-fronted Woodpecker, an uncommon, habitat-specialized bird of the area (we look for them on every visit to Pousada Piuval, and they can be tricky to find). Nice views of this species ensued in the savannah-like surroundings. Earlier in the morning, around breakfast time, no fewer than 1,500 Western Cattle Egrets were seen flying around the vast clearings. And with all of this, viewing a few more Hyacinth Macaws before departing was special in its own way. We made our way back to Cuiaba later that afternoon, where the tour concluded.

A big thank you goes out to our two local guides, Lailson and Yamil. Lailson’s top-notch birding expertise enriched our tour to incredible degrees with many fun moments in the field, and Yamil’s Zenful birding connected us with so many exciting experiences of many birds, while learning about not only the bird identification but the personal connection to the many animals we saw. It was a joy to bird with both of them. And an important thank you goes out to the boat drivers, lodging staff, and van drivers who made our tour as memorable as it was. Much to be thankful for. I’m already looking forward to next year’s tour!

A complete list of the birds recorded on our tour can be found at: https://ebird.org/tripreport/402712

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