Brazil; Campos do Jordao

  We finally made it out birding again after nearly three weeks. Our chosen destination was the picturesque town of Campos do Jordão, a location we have visited before with a number of interesting species found in the higher altitude Araucaria forests there. Because the site is three hours from Sao Paulo we decided to head over the night before so that we could be on site early in the morning.

  As opposed to our last visit, the weather was glorious with only a few clouds in the sky, so our birding was far more pleasant than on our previous visit. We birded along a road which cut through numerous areas of forest and grassland, offering us a good variety of the species that can be found here. Both Buff-throated Warbling Finch and Bay-chested Warbling Finch were common, and we were able to find a number of species with ranges limited to these mountains; Rufous-backed Antvireo, Cinnamon Tanager, Green-crowned Plovercrest, Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet and Sharp-billed Treehunter. On our drive up to the birding location we also spotted three Vinaceous-breasted Parrots perched in the Araucaria trees, this species being rare and local to this habitat, a key target on our last visit here.

  Both Lia and I had two lifers during our mornings birding. First of all was Shear-tailed Grey-Tyrant, which we spotted perched from a roadside vantage point from where we could scan the canopy tops. The birds were initially distant but then came closer in the early morning sun. Our second lifer was the one we really wanted; Black-capped Piprites. This small relative of the manakins had eluded us on our last visit and was our main target for the day. It took the best part of the morning but in the end we had a fantastic male showing exceptionally well, sometimes even coming down to eye level. Frustratingly for photography, when it descended to eye level it chose to remain obscured by the vegetation. 

-Green-crowned Plovercrest

-Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet

-Shear-tailed Grey-Tyrant

-Cinnamon Tanager

-Black-capped Piprites

-Sharp-billed Treehunter

-Theagenes dichrous

-Scaly-headed Parrot

Species List:
Campos do Jordão - Estrada da Romaria: Brown Tinamou, Dusky-legged Guan, Pale-vented Pigeon, Picazuro Pigeon, Plumbeous Pigeon, White-collared Swift, Grey-rumped Swift, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Green-crowned Plovercrest, Southern Lapwing, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, White-tailed Kite, White-tailed Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Surucua Trogon, White-spotted Woodpecker, Campo Flicker, Southern Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Pileated Parrot, Vinaceous-breasted Amazon, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Variable Antshrike, Rufous-backed Antvireo, Rufous-tailed Antbird, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Streaked Xenops, Sharp-billed Treehunter, Spix's Spinetail, Blue Manakin, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Black-and-gold Cotinga, Greenish Schiffornis, Black-capped Piprites, Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet, Serra do Mar Tyrannulet, Cliff Flycatcher, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Olivaceous Elaenia, Planalto Tyrannulet, Velvety Black Tyrant, White-rumped Monjita, Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Rufous-crowned Greenlet, Blue-and-white Swallow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Golden-winged Cacique, White-rimmed Warbler, Cinnamon Tanager, Buff-throated Warbling Finch, Diademed Tanager, Brassy-breasted Tanager, Bay-chested Warbling Finch,