Day 1: Arrivals in Belém International Airport (BEL), the capital of Pará. If time permits this afternoon, our hotel grounds often provide great looks at White-winged Parakeets and good chances for the endemic Buff-browed Chachalaca, along with Neotropical Palm Swift, Short-tailed Swift, Sulphury Flycatcher, Violaceous Euphonia and few others. Overnight in Belém.
Day 2: Morning of birding at Gunma Ecological Reserve in the near town of Santa Barbára do Pará. Here in a good portion of forest, we will be looking for some interesting birds such as Crimson Topaz, the rare Dot-eared Coquette, the endemic Hooded Gnateater, range restricted Willis’s Antbird, Amazonian Barred (medius) Woodcreeper and others to include Paradise Jacamar, Black-necked and Red-necked (nominate) Aracaris, Southern Mealy Amazon, Dusky Parrot, East Amazonian Fire-eye, Black-spotted Bare-eye (paraensis), Silvered Antbird, Cinereous Mourner, White-browed Purpletuft and Golden-sided Euphonia. In the afternoon, we should visit other protected forest near the large Guamá River, in search of the rare Black-chested Tyrant; Pale-tailed Barbthroat, Spotted and White-necked Puffbirds, White-bellied Parrot, Band-tailed and Blue-backed Manakins, Purple-throated Fruitcrow and others. Overnight in Belém.
Day 3: Early morning to repeat one of the above sites near Belém, or to visit Utinga State Park near the town. Noon flight to Santarém and ferry (at 5pm) across the Amazon River to reach Monte Alegre (north bank) in the evening for a one-night stay in simple guesthouse.
Day 4: Most of the day in Monte Alegre mainly to find the localised endemic Sulphur-breasted Parakeet in tall Cerrado forest. Our time there should include the interesting Monte Alegre State Park and surroundings, where we also hope to find Little Chachalaca, endemic Ochre-backed Woodpecker, Green-rumped Parrotlet, Northern Slaty Antshrike, White-bellied and Dusky Antbirds and possibly others. Ferry departing back to Santarém at 4pm. The two hours ferry trip will give us chances to enjoy some beautiful varzea scenery with good chances to spot Amazon (Pink) River Dolphin, Tucuxi (the smaller grey dolphin), Buff-necked Ibis, Horned Screamer, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Savanna and Black-collared Hawks, Snail Kite, Pied Plover, Large-billed and Yellow-billed Terns, Ringed and Amazon Kingfishers, the stunning Oriole Blackbird, Yellow-hooded Blackbird, Orange-fronted Yellow Finch and others. Overnight at hotel in Santarém.
Day 5: Full day to explore Tapajós National Forest. Today, we will be looking especially for a few endemics between the Tapajos and Xingu interfluvium, such as Tapajos Hermit, Bare-eyed Antbird and Tapajos Fire-eye, among so many other spectacular birds we can find in the tall terra firme at Tapajos National Forest, like Dark-winged Trumpeter, Razor-billed Curassow, Cryptic Forest Falcon, Red-fan Parrot, Santarem Parakeet, Uniform and Spix’s Woodcreepers, Xingu Scale-backed Antbird, Alta Floresta and Tapajos Antpittas, endemic Opal-crowned Manakin, Guianan Red Cotinga, Purple-breasted and endemic White-tailed Cotingas, uncommon Yellow-shouldered Grosbeak and more. Overnight in Santarém or Alter do Chão.
Day 6: In the morning of this day, we will enjoy a nice boat trip to visit varzea habitats along a channel at the mouth of Tapajos with the huge Amazon River. There, our main target is the endemic Scaled Spinetail. This adventure should offer more interesting birds such as Green-throated Mango, Hoatzin, Sunbittern, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Tui Parakeet, Festive Amazon, Short-tailed Parrot, Glossy Antshrike, Zimmer’s Woodcreeper, Red-and-white and Rusty-backed Spinetails, White-eyed Attila, Cinereous Becard, Oriole Blackbird, Wing-barred Seedeater and others. After lunch in Santarém or Alter do Chão, we start our journey south towards our next destination, the Amazonia National Park, stopping to overnight in Rurópolis.
Day 7: In the morning, we continue with the drive to Itaituba (across the Tapajos River, left bank) and then to our nice front-river guesthouse at Amazonia National Park. Besides the gorgeous view of the Tapajos at our place, the garden birding should offer good opportunities to see Black-collared and White-banded Swallows, close Yellow-browed Sparrows and even chances for Green-tailed Jacamar next to the sand banks. Birding the National Park in the afternoon around Base Tracoá can be a very productive first session, with chances for the endemics Brown-chested Barbet and Vulturine Parrot and a vast array of species – Speckled Chachalaca, Gould’s Toucanet, Cream-colored Woodpecker, Speckled Spinetail, Elegant and Long-billed Woodcreepers, Glossy and Chestnut-backed Antshrikes, Ferruginous-backed and Band-tailed Antbirds, Amazonian Streaked Antwren, Amazonian Antpitta and more. Overnight at guesthouse at Amazonia National Park.
Day 8-9-10-11: We will have four full days to explore the amazing Amazonia NP and its trails. Most of our time here will be in pristine terra firme forest where birding can be remarkably rewarding – the National Park holds an avifauna of over five hundred species! Some of the highlights we expect to see here include: Fiery-tailed Awlbill, Dark-winged Trumpeter (ssp. viridis), White-browed Hawk, Harpy Eagle, Great, Blue-necked and Bronzy Jacamars, Collared, Spotted and Rufous-necked Puffbirds, Brown-chested Barbet, Red-necked Aracari, Cryptic Forest Falcon, Crimson-bellied Parakeet, the fascinating endemics Golden Parakeet, Vulturine Parrot, Harlequin Antbird and Pale-faced Bare-eye; Slender-billed Xenops, Banded and Ferruginous-backed Antbirds, Ihering’s Antwren, Alta Floresta, Tapajos and Amazonian Antpittas, our first Black-bellied Gnateater, Rusty-belted Tapaculo, Snow-capped and Flame-crested Manakins, sometimes productive for cotingas such as Purple-breasted and endemic White-tailed Cotingas; Black-collared Swallow, Musician Wren, many of the Amazonian tanagers and hundreds more. A little time with a boat on the magnificent Tapajos, we should find Sand-colored Nighthawk, Blackish-grey Antshrike, Stripped Woodcreeper, Amazonian Inezia and even have time to get the right bank of the river to look for the smart near-endemic Black-girdled Barbet. Amazonia National Park is always a great Amazonian experience, with simplicity and very nicely located stay.
Day 12: After some birding in the morning at Amazonia National Park, we will spend the day on the road driving back to Santarém. Dinner and overnight in Santarém.
Day 13: Early morning flight to Belém and later to Carajás, probably with arrival by late afternoon. Short transfer down the hills of Carajás National Forest to the town of Parauapebas. Hotel check-in and overnight.
Day 14-15-16-17: To complete this fantastic journey through the state of Pará, we will spend four full days between the Xingu-Tocantins interfluvium, exploring the amazing hills of Serra dos Carajás. This is certainly among the best birding destinations in the entire Amazon! Economically, Serra dos Carajás holds the largest iron ores in the world. The mining company VALE runs the Carajás National Forest, which best sites will be available for us to enjoy a remarkable visit. Terra firme with huge trees, stunning humid valleys, foothills with dense bamboo clumps and the dry iron-rocky Canga habitat should put together several highlights on our list: the endemics White-crested Guan, Dark-winged Trumpeter (dextralis), Santarem, Pearly and Jandaya Parakeets, Brigida’s Woodcreeper, Para Foliage-gleaner, “Snethlage’s” Curve-billed Scythebill, Rufous-faced Antbird, Black-bellied and Black-breasted Gnateaters, Snethlage’s Antpitta, Opal-crowned Manakin, White-tailed Cotinga and White-naped Jay; besides many other rarities and appealing species, such as Brazilian Tinamou, Marbled Wood Quail, Pavonine Cuckoo, Harpy Eagle, Eastern Striolated Puffbird, Rufous-capped Nunlet, Cryptic and Slaty-backed Forest Falcons, Hyacinth Macaw, Red-fan Parrot, Amazonian Barred Woodcreeper (retentus), Point-tailed Palmcreeper, Peruvian Recurvebill, an undescribed Synallaxis Spinetail, Wing-banded Antbird, Amazonian Antpitta, Black-chested Tyrant, Black-and-white Tody-Flycatcher, Blackish Pewee, White Bellbird, Spangled and Purple-breasted Cotingas, Guianan Red Cotinga, Fiery-capped Manakin, Rose-breasted Chat, Yellow-shouldered Grosbeak and hundreds more.
Day 18: The tour ends today with flights out from Marabá Airport (MAB).
Cost: $ 8,000
Deposit: $ 750
Single room supplement: $ TBC
Accommodation: Comfortable hotels and guesthouses throughout.
Walking difficulty: Easy and flat forest trails with roadside birding, though we will be covering lots of ground.
Tour cost includes: All accommodation, main meals, drinking water, internal flights (as stated in itinerary), 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.