Brazil - Ponta Negra - November 2005 (1 Viewer)

[mattcoumbe]

I am planning to go to Ponta Negra in November 2005. I would be grateful for any information that anyone has on this area. Can anyone suggest a good birdguide book to the area.

I hope to be there for a couple of weeks. I would be interested to hear any experiences that you may have had in the area?

Can't wait to see those hummingbirds !

Thank you for your help

Matt Coumbe

[email protected]

 

[dacol]

I am planning to go to Ponta Negra in November 2005. I would be grateful for any information that anyone has on this area. Can anyone suggest a good birdguide book to the area.

I hope to be there for a couple of weeks. I would be interested to hear any experiences that you may have had in the area?

Is this Ponta Negra the area in Manaus where there are beaches on the Rio Negro?

If yes check Jeremy Minns' "Site Notes" in

http://www.arthurgrosset.com/

Click "Site Notes", then scroll down and under "Amazonian Brazil" read both the Manaus and President Figueiredo descriptions. The grounds of the Tropical Hotel in Ponta Negra sometimes are quite good for the more common birds of the area. Besides the "All the Birds of Brazil" guide by Deodato de Souza discussed in other threads in Birdforum [do a search in this site] , "Birds of Venezuela" by Steven L. Hilty is also very useful around Manaus and other areas north of the Amazon river and east of the Negro river.

If this is not the Ponta Negra you will be visiting then let us know where it is.

Dalcio

 

[mattcoumbe]

Dalcio,
Thank you for replying. The hotel is said to be 12 km away from Natal. I only have a Lonely planet guide book map at present. I believe that there are some big lakes nearby. I think the state is called Rio Grande do Norte?

Matt Coumbe

 

[cuckooroller]

Yes, the Capitol city of Rio Grande do Norte on the NE coast of Brazil (north of Recife). Definitely not near Manaus. The nearest river is Rio Potengi. Still, Dacol's suggestion of Arthur Grosset's/Jeremy Minn's site note is a good one, just look at the section regarding NE Brazil (though Rio Grande do Norte is not included the small surrounding states are such as Ceara, Pernambuco, etc.

 

[dacol]

Dalcio,
Thank you for replying. The hotel is said to be 12 km away from Natal. I only have a Lonely planet guide book map at present. I believe that there are some big lakes nearby. I think the state is called Rio Grande do Norte?

Matt Coumbe

Ah, the famous beach in NE Brazil. Not known as a birding spot though.
Problem here is habitat destruction. The Atlantic forest of eastern Brazil reached RGN state in a very narrow strip along the coast but it has long essentially been stripped off in RGN and neighboring states. The caatinga, the semi-arid formation of the interior of NE BR, also comes very close to the coast here but has also been very much degraded by cattle raising, wood extraction and other activities. Thus very difficult to find good habitat.

As Steve said your best bet would be in Ceara. But the truth is that RGN has been little explored by birders. You should find common birds along the coastal scrub vegetation, mangrove pockets and any plantings around residencial areas. Inquiry around for any remaining patches of forest [ "matas" ] and parks etc.

There is a travel agency in Natal, with English speaking staff, that has some "eco-tourism" programs, including "pousadas' [small hotels] in the country-side of RGN that supposedly include areas with good natural vegetation around, perhaps they can steer you towards some place not too far from Natal, for a couple of days of birding. You will have to explain what you want to do, do not expect them to know what "birding" is. Check their web-site: http://www.andetur.com.br/

Dalcio