It had been four years since my last Brazil tour, and I was so excited to get back and get a taste of the tropical wildlife experience again. This trip was originally slated for 2020, but was pushed back not once, but twice due to COVID. At last, we made it work, and I was joined by an excellent group of past clients for a really fun adventure. This was a longer trip too, as we kicked it off with a scouting extension, during which the group joined me for my first foray into the southern Pantanal. Following that, we started the “main tour” in the Amazon, and then returned to the jaguar-rich northern Pantanal to finish things off.
It’s hard to go wrong with a trip like this, but every trip is different. By the end of our two-and-a-half weeks in Brazil, I felt this was the best bird photography trip I’d ever experienced. We tallied over 200 species (remember, this wasn’t a birding trip… we just happened to count that many while searching for subjects, often mammals, along the way). Among them, several new species for me personally, some rarer species, some spectacular species, and some unique situations in which to photograph them.
I’m discussing birds because I have split the trip into two galleries, as is custom for my longer, more productive outings. You can jump to the archive to view the full Brazil 2022 Birds gallery, or check out the quick preview below.
This was my first visit to the amazing Buraco das Araras sinkhole, which presented so many wonderful opportunities to photograph Red-and-green Macaws.
It was a rather noisy place, of course.
When the sunlight was just right, you could isolate the glowing birds against a dark background. I took over 5000 macaw photos!
I had to get down very low on my belly to try and get this lone Burrowing Owl silhouetted against the sunset.
The Black-hooded Parakeet is one of several parrot species seen on this trip and, in my opinion, one of the more handsome ones.
A Monk Parakeet heads out with a snack.
A caracara perches before the most colorful sunset I’ve ever seen. Purple, pink, orange, gold… amazing!
The Guira Cuckoo is one of the great “hairdo” birds of the Pantanal.
This common species had mostly eluded me during past visits to the Pantanal, but we had a bit more luck with Toco Toucans this time.
The Striped Owl was a new species for me! What a beautiful bird.
I got my first good looks at the handsome Plush-crested Jay, though I had to wait for it to arrive at a lodge feeder to get a decent picture.
The Turquoise Tanager is one of several colorful tanagers seen in the Amazon.
For the first time, we had multiple opportunities to photograph Sunbitterns in flight. They look somewhat innocuous on foot, but the plumage pattern that emerges in flight is amazing!
The Razor-billed Curassow was a nemesis bird for me. Brief glimpses, but they’d always disappear into the shadows… until we found this thirsty pair.
The Red-necked Aracari was another new species for me. It was nice to see them at close range from a canopy tower in the Amazon.
The Amazonian Umbrellabird was one of the coolest sightings on a great morning for birds in the Amazon. It was my first time seeing this species, and I felt lucky to get this clear view of some brief action in the lek high above us. Note the large “dewlap” of feathers hanging down from the bird’s neck!
The Red-billed Scythebill is a dramatic and good-looking species of woodcreeper that I’ve only seen a couple times.
Young tiger herons actually display their namesake stripes, while mature ones sport more solid plumage. That’s a Striated Heron in the background.
I do love this small, handsome bird, the Pied Lapwing, and we often get chances to photograph it at eye level on the raised banks of the Pantanal rivers.
The Hyacinth Macaw is a conservation success story, with a nesting box project established in the 1990s helping bring the species back from the brink.
A somewhat normal looking (and annoying) Chaco Chachalaca perches in a vibrant Pink Trumpet Tree.
I finally got a brief photo op with the Little Woodpecker.
Jabiru storks are an impressive sight in the Pantanal. This one buzzed our canopy tower.
The Saffron Finch was just one of several vibrant small birds we were fortunate to photograph on this trip.
I was so happy to finally get the vibrant Orange-backed Troupial out in the open.
View the full Brazil 2022 Birds gallery (169 photos)
…and stay tuned for Part 2, Brazil 2022 Wildlife & Scenery, coming soon.
Interested in joining me on my next rainforest adventure? Costa Rica 2023, Borneo 2024, and possibly Brazil Deep Amazon 2025 are on the docket! Learn more on the Workshops & Tours page.
