Brazil: Ground Cuckoo Expedition
After a successful Ground Cuckoo extension organised for our Eastern Amazonia participants in mid-2024, we are now taking expressions of interest for a trip to target Scaled Ground Cuckoo and Rufous-vented Ground Cuckoo. Other possible species might include Kaempfer's Woodpecker, Golden-crowned Manakin, Maranhao Hermit, Maranhao-Piaui Pygmy Tyrant, and a huge array of other tricky Amazonian specialties!
Next Dates
2 June - 11 June 2025 (10 days)
Leaders:
Eduardo Patrial
Group Size Limit:
6
Single Room Supplement: $
TBD
Deposit: $
750 USD
Price: $
TBD
Add a Title
Leaders:
Eduardo Patrial
Group Size Limit:
Add a Title
Single Room Supplement: $
TBD
Deposit: $
TBD
Price: $
TBD
Add a Title
Accommodation:
Details to be confirmed.
Walking difficulty:
Details to be confirmed.
Tour cost includes:
All accommodation, main meals, drinking water, internal flights, overland transport, tips to local drivers and guides, travel permits, entrance fees, and guide fees.
Tour cost excludes:
Flights before and after the tour start/end, visa, travel insurance, tips to tour leaders, laundry, drinks, and other items of a personal nature.
Day 1: Early afternoon arrivals into Alta Floresta Airport (AFL) in northern Mato Grosso. We will drive north to overnight at Castelo dos Sonhos in southern Pará.
Day 2-3-4: Continuing early to Novo Progresso, where we stay for the next three nights. Here in the Amazon within the centre of Tapajos endemism, we will have three days and an extra morning to work on our main target bird, the endemic and elusive Scaled Ground Cuckoo. Luis has developed some excellent techniques to see this mythical species, so we have extremely good chances of seeing one!
Other endemics and regional specialties include Tapajos Hermit, Dark-winged Trumpeter, Eastern Striolated Puffbird, Rufous-necked Puffbird, Blue-necked Jacamar, Black-girdled Barbet, Curl-crested Aracari, Cryptic Forest Falcon, Kawall’s Amazon, Crimson-bellied Parakeet, Spix’s Warbling Antbird, Tapajos Fire-eye, Bare-eyed Antbird, Xingu Scale-backed Antbird, Black-breasted Gnateater, Alta Floresta Antpitta, Amazonian Antpitta, Uniform Woodcreeper, Spix’s Woodcreeper, Tapajos Scythebill, Opal-crowned Manakin and the rare Golden-crowned Manakin. Nights in Novo Progresso.
Day 5: Final morning at Novo Progresso to look for any of the above-mentioned species. Afternoon drive back to Alta Floresta. Check-in and overnight.
Day 6: Flights to Teresina, the capital of Piauí in the North-East region of the country. We will arrive just after midnight and head straight to our hotel.
Day 7: Morning drive to Caxias where we will stay for the next three nights. Birding in the afternoon mainly in search of the endemic Kaempfer’s Woodpecker. Night in Caxias.
Day 8-9: Two full days in Caxias to put our eyes on the second Neomorphus of the tour, the shy amazonicus subspecies of Rufous-vented Ground Cuckoo. We will be searching in the typical transitional forest habitat known as Mata dos Cocais. Our time in Caxias should give us chances to look for several other interesting birds, such as Buff-browed Chachalaca, Spotted Piculet, Ochre-backed Woodpecker, Crescent-chested Puffbird, Moustached Woodcreeper, Pectoral Antwren, Hooded Gnateater, "Maranhao" Cinnamon-throated Hermit, the undescribed ‘Maranhao-Piauí’ Pygmy Tyrant, Smoky-fronted Tody-Flycatcher and the amazing Bearded Bellbird.
Day 10: Morning transfer back to Teresina Airport (THE) where the tour ends this afternoon.