Emas National Park & Southern Pantanal

Day 1 - An early morning arrival and reception at Campo Grande city airport, Mato Grosso do Sul state. Transfer by car to Chapadão do Céu, a 40 km, four hour drive, from the entrance of the Emas National Park. Check in at the hotel. After lunch we will begin our adventure visiting the park until the end of the day. Night birding for Striped and Short-eared Owl, White-winged Nightjar and Scissor-tailed Nightjar and Nacunda Nighthawk. Dinner and checklist.

Day 2 and 4 - Emas National Park is one of the last remaining areas of its kind. The “Campos Limpos” (Grass fields) that predominate here shelter some of the most characteristic birds of this habitat.

We will be hoping to find the Greater Rhea, Horned Screamer, Red-winged and Small-billed Tinamou,, Lesser Nothura, Crowned Eagle, Bare-faced Curassow, Red-legged Seriema, Ocellated Crake, Giant Snipe, Yellow-faced Parrot, White-vented Violetear, White-tailed Goldenthroat, Horned Sungem, Spot-backed and White-eared Puffbird, White-wedged Piculet, White Woodpecker, Aplomado Falcon, Blue-and-yellow and Red-shouldered Macaw, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Yellow-faced Parrot, Large-billed Antwren, Rufous-winged and Planalto Slaty-Antshrike, Collared Crescentchest, Russet-mantled Foliage-gleaner, Campo Miner, Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin, Helmeted Manakin, Cock-tailed Tyrant, Bearded Tachuri, Sharp-tailed Tyrant, Streamer-tailed Tyrant, Chapada Flycatcher, Tawny-headed Swallow, White-striped Warbler, Yellow-rumped Marshbird, Coal-crested Finch, Lesser Grass-Finch, Black-masked Finch, Curl-crested Jay, White-rumped and White-banded Tanager, Chestnut and Marsh Seedeater, and the nearly mythical Cone-billed Tanager which, for many years, was thought to be extinct. We will also look for mammals such as the Maned Wolf, Pampas Deer, Tapir and Giant Anteater.

Day 5 - After an early breakfast we will check out of the hotel and start a long drive to Aguapé Lodge, Mato Grosso do Sul state (7hr drive) , the gateway to the Pantanal. After we check in at the hotel, we will start our Pantanal adventure watching lots of birds until the end of the day. Dinner and checklist.

Pantanal is the largest wetland area in the world featuring a true patchwork of habitats ranging from areas of dry forest, riparian forests, and “cerrados” to swamps. Interesting bird species are Undulated Tinamou, Chaco Chachalaca, Southern Screamer, Jabiru, Plumbeous Ibis, Agami and Capped Heron, Gray-headed Kite, Black-collared and Great Black Hawk, Pied Lapwing, Long-tailed Ground-Dove, Hyacinth Macaw, Blaze-winged and Nanday Parakeet, Gilded Hummingbird, Toco Toucan, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Chaco Puffbird, Blue-crowned Trogon, American Pygmy and Green-and-rufous Kingfisher, Amazonian Motmot, Pale-crested and White-fronted Woodpecker, Laughing Falcon, Mato Grosso Antbird, Rusty-backed Antwren, Red-billed Scythebill, Greater Thornbird, Rufous Cacholote, Chestnut-capped Foliage-gleaner, Chotoy and White-lored Spinetail, Band-tailed Manakin, Bearded Tachuri, Plush-crested Jay, Thrush-like Wren, White-banded Mockingbird and Scarlet-headed Blackbird. During the day we will also have a chance to see interesting mammals such as Giant Anteater, Marsh Deer, Coati and Giant River Otter by the river. At night we will do a spotlight search for Spectacled and Black-banded Owl, Common and Great Potoo, with chances to see also mammals such as the Ocelot, Tapir, Crab-eaten Fox and Puma.

Day 6 and 9 - Please note, there is no detailed daily itinerary at Aguapé Lodge. Birding activities vary depending on the weather conditions and the birds and mammals that we need to see. In addition, the Lodge Management varies the activities of other groups of visitors, to ensure there is plenty of space for everyone in the observation areas. We will visit a variety of different trails to ensure access to the different types of habitat.

Day 10 - Early breakfast and birding until lunch time. During our last day we will look for species that we have not seen during the tour. After lunch and checklist we will drive to Campo Grande city airport – where our tour ends.