Southern Atlantic Forest

Day 1 - Arrival and reception at São Paulo International Airport, Guarulhos. Transfer to Intervales State Park, São Paulo state. Check into our hotel which is located inside the park. Target birds are Dusky-legged Guan, Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail, Plumbeous Pigeon, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Scale-throated Hermit, Black-throated Trogon, Red-breasted Toucan, Crescent-chested Puffbird, Yellow-fronted and Blondcrested Woodpecker, Large-tailed and Giant Antshrike, Dusky-tailed and Squamate Antbird, Plain Antvireo, Star-throated Antwren, White-breasted Tapaculo, Rufous Gnateater, White-throated Woodcreeper, Rufous-capped São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro State and Pallid Spinetail, Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner, Streaked Xenops, Brown-breasted Bamboo-Tyrant, Planalto Tyrannulet, White-throated Spadebill, Gray-hooded Attila, Blue Manakin, Greenish Schiffornis, Sharpbill, Hooded Berryeater, Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Chestnut-backed Tanager, Black-legged Dacnis and Gray-throated WarblingFinch. Opportunities are good for night birding and we will look for Rusty-barred and Mottled Owl, Longtrained Nightjar and Short-tailed Nighthawk. Dinner and checklist.

Day 2 - After an early breakfast, we will spend all day birding, on trails in the Intervales Atlantic Forest. Our targets here will be, Black-fronted Piping Guan, Gray-bellied Goshawk, Mantled Hawk, Blue-bellied and Red-capped Parrot, Pavonine Cuckoo, Least Pygmy-Owl, Dusky-throated Hermit, Rufous-capped Motmot, Helmeted Woodpecker, White-bearded and Tufted Antshrike, Bertoni’s and Ochre-rumped Antbird, Variegated Antpitta, White-collared Foliage-gleaner, Pale-browed Treehunter, Black-billed Scythebill, Pin-tailed Manakin, Serra do Mar Tyrant-Manakin, Bare-throated Bellbird, Hangnest TodyTyrant, Oustalet's Tyrannulet, Three-striped Flycatcher, Brown and Azure-shouldered Tanager, Buffyfronted and Temminck’s Seedeater. Opportunities are good for night birding and we will look for Tawnybrowed and Buff-fronted Owl, Ocellated Poorwill and Silky-tailed Nightjar. Dinner and checklist.

Day 3 - After an early breakfast, we will spend another full day biding the Atlantic Forest trails of Intervales National Park. Target birds will be, Solitary Tinamou, Spot-winged Wood-Quail, Black Hawkeagle, White-rumped Hawk, Barred Forest-Falcon, Red-and-White Crake, Blackish Rail, Pileated Parakeet, Plovercrest, Surucua Trogon, Saffron and Spot-billed Toucanet, Ochre-collared Piculet, Robust and Yellow-browed Woodpecker, Buff-bellied Puffbird, Rusty-breasted Nunlet, Spot-backed Antshrike, Spotbreasted Antvireo, Ferruginous Antbird, White-shouldered Fire-eye, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Slaty Bristlefront, Spotted Bamboowren, Short-tailed Antthrush, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, Plain-winged Woodcreeper, Gray-bellied Spinetail, Orange-breasted Thornbird, Black-capped and Ochre-breasted Foliage-gleaner, Ochre-faced Tody-Flycatcher, Rough-legged Tyrannulet, Sao Paulo Tyrannulet, Russetwinged Spadebill, Atlantic Royal-Flycatcher, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Cinnamon Piha, Rufous-crowned Greenlet, Green-headed and Brassy-breasted Tanager. Night birding for the species that we have not seen previously. Dinner and checklist.

Day 4 and 5 - Early breakfast and all day birding at Intervales, on trails in the Atlantic Forest. Today we will be looking for any remaining Intervales specialties’ which we may not yet have seen already and which are present only here. Night birding to search for any species that we have not seen. Dinner and checklist

Day 6 - After an early breakfast, we will check out of our hotel and transfer to Itatiaia National Park, Rio de Janeiro state (8hr drive). During the journey, we may have opportunities to see Whistling Heron, Savanna and White-tailed Hawk, Aplomado Falcon, Red-legged Seriema, White-eyed Parakeet, Guira Cuckoo, Burrowing Owl, White-collared Swift, White-eared Puffbird, Toco Toucan, White Woodpecker, Campo Flicker, White-rumped Monjita, Streamer-tailed Tyrant, Curl-crested Jay, Yellowish Pipit and Yellow-rumped Marshbird. After lunch we will check in at the famous Hotel do Ypê, located in the heart of Itatiaia National Park. We will spend the rest of the day birding around the lodge with excellent chances to see Rufous-thighed Kite, Black Hawk-Eagle, Blue-winged Parrotlet, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Sick's Swift and Gray-rumped Swift, Black Jacobin, Frilled Coquette, White-throated Hummingbird, Brazilian Ruby, Black-eared Fairy, Red-breasted Toucan, Saffron Toucanet, Robust and Lineated Woodpecker, Streak-capped Antwren, Planalto and Scaled Woodcreeper, Yellow-lored Tody-Flycatcher, Masked Water-Tyrant, Chestnut-crowned Becard, Magpie Tanager and Gilt-edged Tanager. Night birding to look for new species. Dinner and checklist.

Day 7 - Early breakfast and birding in the morning on the trails around the Lodge. Our target birds are Brown Tinamou, Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, Collared Forest-Falcon, Spot-winged Wood-Quail, Slatybreasted Wood-Rail, Gray-fronted Dove, Plumbeous Pigeon, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Blackthroated Trogon, Yellow-browed Woodpecker, White-bibbed Antbird, Such’s Antthrush, Specklebreasted Antpitta, Lesser Woodcreeper, Black-billed Scythebill, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Yellow Tyrannulet, Large-headed Flatbill and Blackish-blue Seedeater. We will then make a brief stop for lunch followed by a short break at our hotel. In the afternoon we will drive to a farm outside the Itatiaia National park to look for Giant Snipe, Ash-throated Crake, White-eared Puffbird, Planalto Hermit, Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Green-barred and White Woodpecker, Wing-banded Hornero, Chicli Spinetail, Crested Black-Tyrant, Gray Monjita, Streamer-tailed Tyrant, Tawny-headed Swallow, Burnished-buff and Orange-headed Tanager, White-bellied Seedeater, Chestnut-vented Conebill and Yellow-rumped Marshbird. At dusk we will have a chance to see Tropical Screech-Owl. Dinner and checklist.

Day 8 - Early breakfast followed by a one hour drive to the upper part of the Itatiaia National Park (altitude about 2.400 meters) to see birds such as Plovercrest, Rufous-tailed Antbird, Large-tailed Antshrike, Rufous-backed Antvireo, Rufous-tailed Antthrush, Speckle-breasted Antpitta, Serra do Mar Tapaculo, Gray-bellied Spinetail, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, Itatiaia Thistletail, Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Black-and-Gold Cotinga, Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Serra do Mar TyrantManakin, Black-capped Piprites, Mottle-cheeked and Serra do Mar Tyrannulet, Blue-billed and Velvety Black-Tyrant, Shear-tailed Gray Tyrant, White-rimmed Warbler, Diademed Tanager, Long-tailed ReedFinch, Red-rumped Warbling-Finch, Great Pampa-Finch, Thick-billed Saltator, White-bellied Seedeater and Golden-winged Cacique. Depending of the weather conditions we will decide whether to spend the whole day in the mountains, or to return for a late lunch at the hotel. Dinner and checklist.

Day 9 - Early breakfast and all day birding at Itatiaia National Park, on trails in the Atlantic Forest. Today we will be look for any species we have not seen already and which are not found elsewhere.

Day 10 - Early breakfast, check out of the hotel and transfer to Ubatuba city, São Paulo state (4hr drive). During the journey, we will have a chance to see Comb Duck, Jabiru, Wood Stork, Pinnated Bittern, Roseate Spoonbill, Spotted Rail, Purple Gallinule, White-backed Stilt, Striped Cuckoo, Firewood-Gatherer and White-browed Blackbird. After lunch, we check in at our Lodge. In the afternoon we will visit a trail in the forest. Target birds will be, Bicolored Hawk, Uniform Crake, Saw-billed Hermit, Reddish Hermit, Sombre Hummingbird, Festive Coquette, White-chinned Sapphire, Unicolored Antwren, Scaled Antbird, Rufous-capped Antthrush, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Slaty Bristlefront, Tawny-throated Leaftosser, Plainwinged Woodcreeper, Black-capped Foliage-gleaner, Eye-ringed Tody-flycatcher, Long-billed Wren, Redcrowned Ant-Tanager, Green Honeycreeper and Violaceous Euphonia. At dusk we will have a chance to see Black-capped Screech-Owl and Striped Owl. Dinner and checklist.

Day 11 - Early breakfast and birding in the morning on the trails around Ubatuba city with opportunities to see Brown Booby, Magnificent Frigatebird, White-necked Hawk, Kelp Gull, Channel-billed Toucan, Plain Parakeet, Brown-backed Parrotlet, Buff-bellied Puffbird, White-barred Piculet, Blond-crested and Yellow-throated Woodpecker, Salvadori's Antwren, Squamate Antbird, Spot-breasted Antvireo, Spotted Bamboowren, Buff-throated Purpletuft, Fork-tailed Tody-flycatcher, Lemon-chested Greenlet, Whitethighed Swallow, Neotropical River Warbler, Flame-crested and Brazilian Tanager. After lunch, we will decide which trails to take, depending on the species we still need to see. Dinner and checklist.

Day 12 - Early breakfast. Our last day will be dedicated to finding any species that we have not seen during the trip. After lunch and a short break, we will transfer to São Paulo International Airport, Guarulhos where our trip finishes.