arthurgrosset said:
Hi Arthur,
Looking into it, I guess it's likely to be a male - maybe either moulting or immature, hence the white on the underparts? Probably too dark for a female.
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Brazil information (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Andrew Whitehouse
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Hi Arthur,
Looking into it, I guess it's likely to be a male - maybe either moulting or immature, hence the white on the underparts? Probably too dark for a female.
Mike Pennington
Registered Member
arthurgrosset said:
Can anyone make comment on this book? Is it worth tracking down for a (potential) trip to NE Brazil?
Mike Pennington
Registered Member
Also, any opinions on the South American non-passerine guide?
Mike Pennington said:
Have a look here Mike:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=56060
Don't know about the other Brazilian guide you mention. Would the new guide to northern South America cover the area you're interested in? I suspect it might at least be useful (and miles better than Souza!).
Mike Pennington
Registered Member
Andrew Whitehouse said:
Thanks Andrew. Missed Rasmus's review. Looks like I'll be buying that one then!
Still pondering my trip but I'll be back asking questions again soon!
The non-passerine looks OK at a glance, but isn't spectacular - though I haven't had the chance to use it in the field. The advantage of carrying it would of course be to have an option to the Souza plates for non-passerines. For passerines, the best course of action is still probably to carry copies of the relevant plates from either Ridgely and Tudor and/or HBW.
All that said, I still find Souza functional in the field (and have spent over 15 months in Brasil since 2004) despite its quirks. ID problems can be sorted out through careful note-taking and checking references upon your return to the larger reference volumes.
I doubt the new Restall et al Northern South America guide would be much help - certainly no more than would Hilty's Birds of Venezuela - in the NE. Presumably it only covers some of the avifauna of the area N of the Rio Amazonas in Roraima, etc. Perhaps someone in Europe who has already received their copy could verify this.
Where exactly in the NE are we talking about?
All that said, I still find Souza functional in the field (and have spent over 15 months in Brasil since 2004) despite its quirks. ID problems can be sorted out through careful note-taking and checking references upon your return to the larger reference volumes.
I doubt the new Restall et al Northern South America guide would be much help - certainly no more than would Hilty's Birds of Venezuela - in the NE. Presumably it only covers some of the avifauna of the area N of the Rio Amazonas in Roraima, etc. Perhaps someone in Europe who has already received their copy could verify this.
Where exactly in the NE are we talking about?
The date for publication given on Amazon is now April 2008.
Mike Pennington
Registered Member
sclateria said:
Right, I've now taken the plunge.
I'm off to Bahia, staying at the (so-called?) Eco-resort of Praia do Forte on the Coconut Coast north of Salvador in July.
Never having been to Brazil, and with Neotropic experience restricted to one week in Panama, everything will be new, and I'm quite happy to take it quite easy for part of the time. I'll be with a semi-birding and very tolerant wife who likes to see the country.
In the immediate vicinity there seems to be patch of remnant forest used for ziplines, 4WD etc. and a small estuary.
My plans are to try and hire a car and I reckon I can day-trip Santa Amaro (a mangrove site) and Esplanada (a forest remnant).
I would also like to visit two other sites and my choices at the moment are to get to the Canudos / Jeremoabo area for Lear's Macaw and caatinga specialists and the Chapada Diamantina hills.
THis means leaving out Boa Nova, but I think that might be pushing it in 2 weeks and it seems to be getting chopped rapidly.
Any comments/suggestions/amendments to this provisional itinerary would be greatly appreciated.
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=75065
Hi Mike, the above thread started by someone thinking along the same lines is worth watching, compare notes with the author by PM perhaps. I think that if with a semi-birding partner, you should choose Chapada Diamantina over the Lear's Macaw trip unless you both really want to see the macaws. Many of the birds of Canudos are also seen at Diamantina, and the area is one of the most scenic in the country. There are many hikes in the region, most of which also have good birds. Moreover, the main town of Lencois in Chapada Diamantina has a full range of accomodation and dining options, as opposed to rather limited options from Jeremoabo onwards.
Be sure to have a look at the trip report linked to in the above thread, one of few with actual site information about the northeast. It does borrow heavily from Arthur Grosset's site, but provides the information in a manner geared to the foreign birding tourist.
cheers
Brad
Hi Mike, the above thread started by someone thinking along the same lines is worth watching, compare notes with the author by PM perhaps. I think that if with a semi-birding partner, you should choose Chapada Diamantina over the Lear's Macaw trip unless you both really want to see the macaws. Many of the birds of Canudos are also seen at Diamantina, and the area is one of the most scenic in the country. There are many hikes in the region, most of which also have good birds. Moreover, the main town of Lencois in Chapada Diamantina has a full range of accomodation and dining options, as opposed to rather limited options from Jeremoabo onwards.
Be sure to have a look at the trip report linked to in the above thread, one of few with actual site information about the northeast. It does borrow heavily from Arthur Grosset's site, but provides the information in a manner geared to the foreign birding tourist.
cheers
Brad
Mike Pennington
Registered Member
sclateria said:
THanks Brad,
Should have mentioned that I had seen the other thread and the links there. The link was the thing that convinced me to go - but also made me want to wander more widely.
Interesting to know that the birds in the two inland areas are similar. Seems a shame not to go for the Macaws, but maybe I'd see more going to Boa Nova instead. Not sure if Lencois to Boa Nova is possible in a day though.
Mike Pennington said:
Mike,
The roads throughout the northeastern interior are in bad shape, sometimes downright awful. The main highway to Lencois, which connects Salvador and the capital in Brasilia, is full of huge potholes - be careful wherever you drive.
I think the drive from Lencios to Boa Nova can be done in 7-10 hours depending on rest stops and birding time.
Here is a link from a birder who undertook a trip in Bahia:
http://home.tiscali.nl/jvanderw/bahia2004/ItineraryMaps.html
I would recommend going to Diamantina. Explore the area. There is at least one as-yet undescribed taxon found there, as well as a fine selection of caatinga species. I found many of the specialties easiest near the town of Palmeiras where you could stay or also do as a day trip from Lencois (some 30km away or so). Also climb the Morro do Pai Inacio (hire a guide for a 1/2 day) for the nice views and the Hooded Visorbearer.
Boa Nova, if you go, is worth 2 days at the least. The dry forest areas can be birded in a full morning as they are just outside the small town of Boa Nova. Accomodation is scarce and basic here - not a tourist town. The areas of humid forest some 10 km out of town have good birding, and are worth a couple of days. It will take at least that long to start seeing some of tough specialties that have been seen there. It is the northernmost area for some SE endemics, so it would certainly provide some diversity.
The state of Bahia alone is worth at least 2 trips. I would advise you to decide what you most want to see and build around that.
hope this helps some
Brad
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Mike Pennington
Registered Member
sclateria said:
Great help - many thanks.
Problem is the world is too big! You think that one day you'll do a trip to Brazil, but then you realise that to do just one state properly needs 2-3 trips! Where is the time? Where is the money? Where will all the carbon go?
With this knowledge I'm now thinking of doing about 5 days in Praia do Forte, heading to Lencois for 4 nights (or more - that's only 3 days birding plus 2 days travelling) and then heading back to the coast with time to think about going for the macaws if I feel adventurous enough.
Boa Nova might be too adventurous on this trip but without Boa Nova I'm a bit light on forests - I only know of the secondary forest of Sapiranga at Praia do Forte, and Esplanada north of the resort. Anyone any tips on other forests north of Salvador?
I take it our other SAmerican experts (e.g. Arthur Grosset and Rasmus Boegh) are away travelling, so I'll maybe bump this up in a few weeks and see if there are more replies.
Also can anyone recommend a reputable carbon-balancing project in Brazil?
Here is an article I meant to link to before.
http://zoo.bio.ufpr.br/diptera/bz023/Brammer 2002, species concepts and conservation priorities.pdf
Species concepts and conservation priorities in northeast Brasil.
An engrossing read for anyone interested in the taxonomic positions of Brazilian birds, and of interest to the visiting birder for its insights into potential splits, future species, restricted-range taxa, and taxa of conservation concern.
Brad
http://zoo.bio.ufpr.br/diptera/bz023/Brammer 2002, species concepts and conservation priorities.pdf
Species concepts and conservation priorities in northeast Brasil.
An engrossing read for anyone interested in the taxonomic positions of Brazilian birds, and of interest to the visiting birder for its insights into potential splits, future species, restricted-range taxa, and taxa of conservation concern.
Brad
Mike Pennington said:
You might like to support SOS Mata Atlantica, who have a carbon neutralization program in addition to other conservation programs focusing on the highly threatened Atlantic forests.
http://www.sosmatatlantica.org.br/
http://www.florestasdofuturo.org.br/paginas/home.php
Projects include reforestation of hydrological basins and watersheds.
They may not have anything on the site in English, but it couldn't hurt to send an email or letter to their contact addresses.
Beyond carbon impacts, if interested in something more bird-oriented, try a donation to BirdLife Brasil (SAVE Brasil). They have never had a specific website, but you can find contact details through the BirdLife website or simply make a donation requesting funds specifically support the Brazilian programs. The birds and habitats can certain use some help!
cheers
Brad
Mike Pennington
Registered Member
sclateria said:
Cheers Brad. Having done a bit or research I'd decided that something like this would be better than the schemes I've seen elsewhere.
