Rio Grande do Sul State

Day 1 - Early morning arrival and reception at Porto Alegre city airport, Rio Grande do Sul state. Transfer by car to São Francisco de Paula city (2hr drive), located in the mountains. After check in at the hotel and lunch, we will go birding until the end of the day with chances to see Red-legged Seriema, Red-spectacled Parrot, Long-tailed Cinclodes, Straight-billed Reedhaunter, Red-and-white Crake, Black-bellied Seedeater, Saffron-cowled Blackbird and Ochre-breasted and Hellmayr's Pipit.

Day 2 - Early breakfast and birding all day on the trails around São Francisco de Paula. Target birds will be Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail, Plovercrest, White-throated Hummingbird, Mottled Piculet, Bluebellied Parrot, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Large-tailed Antshrike, Speckle-breasted Antpitta, Shorttailed Antthrush, Scalloped Woodcreeper, Striolated Tit-Spinetail, Freckle-breasted Thornbird, Graybellied and Olive Spinetail, Blue Manakin, Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, Mouse-colored Tapaculo, Azure Jay, Eastern Slaty Thrush, Yellow-rumped Marshbird, Chestnutbacked and Blue-and-Yellow Tanager and Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch. Night birding for Shorttailed Nighthawk, Long-trained Nightjar, Rusty-barred Owl and Long-tufted Screech-Owl. Dinner and checklist.

Day 3 - Early breakfast and birding all day on the trails around São Francisco de Paula. We will be looking for species we have not seen already and that we will not have a chance to see elsewhere. Dinner and checklist.

Day 4 - Early breakfast and check out of the hotel and start a long drive to Uruguaiana city, located at the border of Argentina (8hr drive). During the journey, we will have a chance to see Great Rhea, Spotted Nothura, Yellow-billed Pintail, Yellow-billed Teal, Maguari Stork, Buff-necked Ibis, Whitetailed Hawk, Giant Wood-Rail, Campo Flicker, Aplomado Falcon, Monk Parakeet, Firewood-Gatherer, White Monjita and Chestnut Seedeater. Check in at the hotel at the end of the day. Dinner and checklist.

Day 5 - Early breakfast and drive 70 kilometers to Barra do Quaraí city. Today we will be birding at the Espinilho state park. This is the only region in Brazil with this type of ecosystem. The park has several bird species restricted to this region, such as Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper, Tufted TitSpinetail, Brown Cacholote, Little Thornbird, Lark-like Brushrunner, Short-billed Canastero, Stripecrowned Spinetail, White-tipped Plantcutter and Black-crowned Monjita. In the same area we will have realistic opportunities to see Blue-tufted Starthroat, Checkered Woodpecker, Cream-backed Woodpecker, Chotoy Spinetail, Black-capped Warbling-Finch, Golden-billed Saltator, Dark-throated Seedeater and the endangered Yellow Cardinal. After a meal at Barra do Quaraí city we will decide the location to visit in the afternoon based on the target birds that we still need to see at the area. At the end of the day, we will drive back to Uruaguaiana city. Dinner and checklist.

Day 6 - Early breakfast and all day birding at the farm lands around Uruguaiana city. Today we will look for species that we have not seen. Target birds will be Upland Sandpiper, Dark-billed Cuckoo, Spot-winged Pigeon, Dark-billed Cuckoo, Scissor-tailed Nightjar, Gilded Hummingbird, Red-legged Seriema, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Short-billed Pipit, Variable Oriole, Bay-winged Cowbird, Redcrested Finch, Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch, Rufous-rumped Seedeater, Hepatic Tanager, Glaucous-blue and Ultramarine Grosbeak

Day 7 - Early breakfast and check out of the hotel. We will start a long traveling day to Rio Grande city (7hr drive), located by the Atlantic Ocean. Target birds for the afternoon will be Dot-winged Crake, Plumbeous and Giant Wood-Rail, Bay-capped Wren-Spinetail, Sedge Wren, Common Miner, Cinereous and Long-winged Harrier, Great Pampa-Finch, Southern Screamer and Chimango Caracara. Dinner and checklist.

Day 8 - Early breakfast and check out of the hotel. Birding in the morning around Rio Grande city, with chances to see Yellow-winged and Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Stripe-backed Bittern, Sulphurthroated Spinetail, Wren-like Rushbird, Many-colored Rush Tyrant, Spotted Rail, Red-gartered Coot and Marsh Seedeater. After lunch, we will transfer to Lagoa do Peixe National Park, Tavares city (3hr drive). After check in at the hotel, we will visit the Lagoa do Peixe National Park looking for Blacknecked and Coscoroba Swan, Red Shoveler, Silver Teal, Chilean Flamingo, Dot-winged Crake, American Oystercatcher, White-backed Stilt, South American Snipe, Buff-breasted and Pectoral Sandpiper, South American Painted-Snipe, Brown-hooded and Kelp Gull, Common Tern, Chimango Caracara, Firewood-Gatherer, White Monjita, Correndera Pipit, White-browed Blackbird Grassland Yellow-Finch and Common Miner. Dinner and checklist.

Day 9 - Early breakfast and a short thirty minute drive to Mostardas city. In the morning we will be looking for Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Pinnated Bittern, Red-and-white and Rufoussided Crake, Spot-flanked Gallinule, Rusty-collared Seedeater, Striped Cuckoo, Gilded Hummingbird, Curve-billed Reedhaunter, Sooty Tyrannulet, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Brown-and-yellow Marshbird and Great Pampa-Finch. Lunch at Mostardas city. Target birds for the afternoon will be Great Grebe, Chilean Flamingo, Black-bellied and Two-banded Plover, Hudsonian Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Sanderling, White-rumped Sandpiper, Grey-hooded Gull, Cabot’s, Snowy-crowned and Royal Tern. Dinner and checklist.

Day 10 - Early breakfast and drive around 45 minutes to Lagoa dos Patos. On the way to this lagoon, we will look for Pinnated Bittern, Ringed Teal, White-tufted Grebe, Nacunda Nighthawk, White Woodpecker, Spectacled Tyrant, Yellowish Pipit, Yellow-winged Blackbird, Red-crested Cardinal, South American Painted-Snipe, Wren-like Rushbird and Many-colored Rush Tyrant. After lunch, target birds will be Wilson's Phalarope, Great Horned Owl, Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner, Spix's and Olive Spinetail, Small-billed Elaenia, White-crested Tyrannulet, Spectacled Tyrant, Tawny-headed Swallow, Masked Gnatcatcher, White-browed Warbler, Green-winged Saltator, Red-crested Finch, Fawn-breasted and Blue-and-yellow Tanager and Gray-throated Warbling-Finch. Dinner and checklist.

Day 11 - Early breakfast. Birding in the morning around Lagoa do Peixe National Park looking for Ultramarine Grosbeak, Orange-breasted Thornbird, Highland Elaenia, Diademed Tanager, South American Painted-Snipe, Hudson's Canastero and any species that we have not seen during the trip. After Lunch, we will decide where to go based on any target birds which may still be missing. Dinner and checklist.

Day 12 - Early breakfast. This is our last day in the south of Brazil and we will have a few hours to do some final birding before we check out of hotel and transfer to Porto Alegre airport (3hs drive), where our tour ends.