The Pantanal – Birds and Wildlife of Brazil
August 11 @ 5:00 AM - 8:00 PM
The Pantanal – Birds and Wildlife of Brazil
August 11 – 25, 2024
$5500 | ($500 deposit due upon registration)
Includes all lodging, transportation, and food
Guide: Chip Darmstadt
The huge lowland plains of the Mato Grosso in Brazil, seasonally inundated during the rainy season, is known as the “Pantanal,” meaning “Swampland.” It is the shrinking of the wetlands during the dry season that creates the spectacular concentrations of wildlife for which the area has become world famous. The Pantanal is on three major migratory routes for birds, and as the water level retreats, considerable numbers of fish and amphibians become trapped in pools, providing a rich source of food.
In many respects this is perhaps the easiest place in South America to watch a wide variety of tropical wildlife, and our tour is timed to coincide with maximum birdlife, abundant flora, and the most tolerable weather conditions. In addition, the Pantanal is home to a number of charismatic mammals such as Giant River Otter, Anteaters, and Jaguar.
Just to the north of the Pantanal wetlands lies a completely different biome, the arid cerrado, where a quite different community of birds occur and where patches of gallery forest also provide a chance of species of a more Amazonian character. Flying into and out of Sao Paolo also gives us the opportunity to explore the Atlantic Rainforest near the coast. After a thorough exploration of the Pantanal and cerrado, we spend four days birding this rich environment, enjoying the contrast in both stunning scenery and birds.
