New IHG Pointbreaks List A Snoozefest – Valid To 31 May

Posted on March 22, 2014 by Tara

The new IHG Pointbreaks list is due to go live soon and bookable on their website. In the meanwhile, another blogger – Points to be Made has kindly published a preview of the complete list. I did a quick scan through to see if anything stood out as possible value to eco-tourists & bird watchers.

India (could be useful if you are flying into or out of Mumbai, nice hotel in great location)

InterContinental Marine Drive-Mumbai

Kenya (perhaps a place to rest up after a safari)

Crowne Plaza Nairobi

Brazil (Fortaleza is about 12 hours by bus from the Lear’s Macaw stronghold of Canudos. Sao Paulo has good connections by bus and plane to the Pantanal).

Holiday Inn Fortaleza

Holiday Inn Express Sumare Ave. Sao Paulo

Ecuador (Do you have an early flight to the Galapagos? What about Napo Wildlife Centre and their parrot clay lick?)

Holiday Inn Express Quito

Peru (You may need a night before or after Tambopata Research Centre because you can never have too many parrot & macaw clay licks)!

Crowne Plaza Lima

Looks like Australia & Oceania have been left off this round, maybe next time?

Banded Cotinga (Cotinga maculata)

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Tara

Some birds just have so much “wow” factor you wonder how they can even be real! The stunning Banded Cotinga is one of these “wow” birds.

If you are from Australia, especially Queensland or New South Wales you could be forgiven for thinking this bird would be a perfect mascot for State of Origin.

Unfortunately for us Aussies, this beautiful bird is not found in our country but in Brazil. They are known locally as “Crejoa”.

Cotinga maculata occurs in south-east Bahia and north Espírito Santo, with two recent records from northeast Minas Gerais (Santa Maria do Salto and Bandeira municipalities) (Ribon et al. 2004, Ribon et al. 2005) and none since the 19th century in Rio de Janeiro, south-east Brazil. It has declined significantly in abundance and distribution and is confined to a few protected areas, notably Sooretama, RPPN Estação Veracruz (formerly Porto Seguro) and Linhares Forest Reserve. It was not common even in the early 20th century and, given its fragmented distribution, overall numbers cannot be high.

Brazil is very easy to get to with frequent flyer miles. I would suggest you fly to Rio De Janeiro or Sao Paulo, then get a connecting flight to Vitoria, rent a car and drive to Sooretama or Linhares. We were there in Sept 2012 but weren’t lucky enough to see this stunning bird. Maybe next time!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

American Bird Conservancy

Birdlife

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

VIDEO

The Critically Endangered Araripe Manakin

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Tara

Araripe Manakin

The Araripe Manakin (Antilophia bokermanni) is a critically endangered bird from the family of Manakins (Pipridae). It was discovered in 1996 and scientifically described in 1998. The species epithet commemorates Brazilian zoologist and wildlife filmmaker Werner Bokermann, who died in 1995. Because of its helmet-like crown it has received the Portuguese name soldadinho-do-araripe which means “Little soldier of Araripe“. This name also associates it with the related, but more widespread, Helmeted Manakin (Antilophia galeata), which is known simply as the soldadinho. The discovery of this striking red, white, and black black in 1996 stunned bird enthusiasts all over the world.

Location of the Araripe Manakin’s habitat

The bird’s habitat, the Chapada do Araripe occupies a tiny area fifty kilometres long and one kilometre wide. If you want to try to see them, you must fly into Brazil to either Recife or Fortaleza. With only an assumed 800 individuals left, it won’t be easy to find them. According to Wikipedia, the pure breeding range has a size of only 1 km² and lays in a theme park with swimming pools and asphalted roads which destroyed most of this bird’s habitat.

In 2009, a Brazilian fashion designer, Maria Elvira Crosara was inspired by this gorgeous bird to create her spring collection.

A percentage of sales of selected T-shirts featuring the manakin, and the Blue-crowned Motmot Momotus momota, will go to support the work of BirdLife Partner SAVE Brasil.

“This is our first cause-related marketing campaign and we are very excited about it”, said Priscila Napoli, SAVE Brasil’s Manager of Institutional Development. “As well as raising money, each garment will come with a tag describing the species, and another tag with information about SAVE Brasil, so this will raise awareness both about our work, and about the importance of Brazilian birds.”

I found a couple of video clips. In this one, you can hear the bird’s song.

This one looks like it would be really interesting if only it was translated into English! It is only available in Portuguese. At least you can see more footage of the bird, and the song by the kids at the end is pretty cool!

Quaker Parrot (Myiopsitta monachus)

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Tara

Quaker Parrots building a nest in the Pantanal, Brazil

Quaker Parrot, (Myiopsitta monachus) aka Monk Parakeets are native to the Pantanal in Brazil and northern Argentina.

Quaker Parrot Habitat

Self-sustaining feral populations have been recorded in several US states and various countries of Europe (namely Spain, Gibraltar, Italy, Great Britain and Belgium), as well as in Brazil, Israel, Bermuda, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico and Japan. As it is an open woodlands species, it adapts readily to urban areas.

In areas where they have been introduced, some fear that they will harm crops and native species. Evidence of harm caused by feral colonies is disputed, and many people oppose killing this charismatic bird. However, there have been local bans and eradication programs in some areas of the USA. Outside the USA, introduced populations do not appear to raise similar controversy, presumably because of smaller numbers of birds, or because their settlement in urban areas does not pose a threat to agricultural production. The UK appears to have changed its view on its feral populations and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is to remove Monk Parakeets from the wild,^[12] as it believes that they threaten local wildlife and crops.

WHERE TO SEE THEM

The easiest place to see them in their native habitat is the Pantanal, Brazil. It is also pretty easy to find them in the USA, especially Brooklyn, Edgewater and several cities in Florida.

AVIAN ARCHITECTS

They build some pretty amazing communal nests, here are some photos of them I took in the Pantanal, Brooklyn and Edgewater.

Although this is a pet Quaker, you can see the construction technique up close.

LEARN MORE ABOUT QUAKERS

WILD QUAKER PHOTOS

A few I took in the Pantanal and USA.

Santarem – Where The Amazon Meets The Tapajos

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Tara

Santarem is a major port on the Amazon River and most people who are doing the 5 day trip between Manaus and Belem will spend at least a few hours here but it’s worth stopping off for a few days. It’s easier to get here than you may think despite the few choices you have.

You can easily get to Manaus with miles. From there, depending on when you travel, you may be able to get all the way to Santarem with miles. TAM is the variable. Until mid 2014, it will be a member of Star Alliance, then it will be joining OneWorld along with it’s new partner as LATAM.

WHERE TO STAY

We arrived in Santarem by boat from Itaituba which is the opposite direction you will be traveling in if you fly in from the USA. The boat arrived around 9pm-ish and I had a list of hotels that had been recommended by Lonely Planet and Rough Guides. We grabbed a taxi at the dock and asked to go to one of them. The driver obliged but it looked deserted. The next one I asked for was also deserted. Not looking good! We drove around the corner and stopped at the Sandis Hotel which had not been in any of my guidebooks. I asked the driver to wait while I ran in and checked the price. It was cheap enough and looked brand new so Sandis it was! Room was clean, the breakfast was included and pretty good and I loved the bird artwork on the walls in the lobby! The location is great, walking distance to al the most interesting places in town, several restaurants are nearby.

Trip Advisor has a few other hotels listed, make sure the reviews are recent or you may find the hotel has closed down! Those staying longer may prefer to take a bus to Alter do Chao. Everyone seems to love this Amazon-style beach resort town and if our itinerary hadn’t been so jam-packed with birding excursions, we probably would have spent a couple days here for R&R. Gil Serique lives in Alter do Chao so it’s a good idea to contact him if you plan to visit.

WHERE TO EAT

Brazil has these really cool restaurants where you load up your plate and pay by the kilogram. Piracaia came highly recommended and we weren’t disappointed with our lunch here.

WHAT TO DO AND SEE

The sights of Santarem can be easily seen in one day which is great if you are just making a connection to or from Amazonia National Park or other ports along the Amazon. It’s a pleasant town to walk around and most of what you want to see is either along the corniche or within a couple of blocks.

No prizes for guessing why I love the phone booths here!

There are a few souvenir shops along the corniche, a pedestrian shopping street and a local market where you can buy hammocks. I really wanted one of those large vases with a macaw n it but didn’t think I could get it home in one piece!

The Museu Dica Frazao has some stunning costumes inside. Entry is by donation and some items are for sale but that pretty fan I wanted was unfortunately not one of them. There are some very sad forlorn looking pet parrots in the garden, how I wish I could have set them free in the national park!

MOVING ON

The airport is about an hour by local bus. We had a flight in the wee hours to Belem and ended up hanging around the airport all night because we caught the last bus out there and had nothing better to do anyways. If you’re stuck, there is a space under the staircase that goes up to the cafe. We camped out for a few hours using our backpacks as pillows and sarongs for sheets.

Eco-Lite: Emilio Goeldi Museum and Zoo, Belem

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Tara

Welcome to our next Eco-Lite Mini-Trip which features the Emilio Goeldi Museum and Zoo in Belem, Brazil. You may find yourself in Belem before or after a visit to the Amazon region and this is a great place to spend a morning getting to see some gorgeous birds close up and be better prepared to identify them in the wild.

OVERVIEW

Their website is in Portuguese and I didn’t like the way Google Translate was handling it so I grabbed some information off Wikipedia.

The Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi is a Brazilian research institution and museum located in the city of Belém, state of Pará. It was founded in 1866 by Domingos Soares Ferreira Penna as the Pará Museum of Natural History and Ethnography, and was later named in honor of Swiss naturalist Émil August Goeldi, who reorganized the institution and was its director from 1894 to 1905. It is open to the public from 9:00 to 17:00 h, daily except Mondays.

The institution has the mission of researching, cataloging and analyzing the biological and sociocultural diversity of the Amazon Basin, contributing to its cultural memory and its regional development. It has also the aim of increasing public awareness of science in the Amazon by means of its museums, botanical garden, zoological park, etc.

The Museum maintains a scientific research station in the high Amazon forest (Estação Científica Ferreira Penna), which was inaugurated in 1993, with 330 km² in the Caxiuanã National Forest, municipality of Melgaço, Pará.

HOW DO YOU GET THERE?

It’s pretty much in the middle of Belem. We were staying at the Crowne Plaza and took a bus but taxis aren’t too expensive. Figure on $10 from most major hotels.

Location of Emilio Goeldi Museum and Zoo

HOW MUCH IS IT?

A bargain R$ 2.00 which is around $1 USD.

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU SPEND THERE AND WHAT SHOULD YOU SEE?

We spend several hours in here as I was trying to get better photos of the birds I had seen in the wild. There are also some Green-wing Macaws free-flying around the grounds. The aviaries are large and well planted and it’s worth just sitting and relaxing and watching the various birds. There are several Golden Conures, many of whom were rescued from poachers. The grounds are beautiful and a pleasure to walk around.

VALUE TO CONSERVATION

They have several projects going on which you can read about on their website. The Museum maintains a scientific research station in the high Amazon forest (Estação Científica Ferreira Penna), which was inaugurated in 1993, with 330 km² in the Caxiuanã National Forest, municipality of Melgaço, Pará.

WHERE TO STAY NEARBY ON POINTS

IHG GROUP

Crowne Plaza Belem – 20,000 points. We stayed here, it’s a good mid-range property with a good central location. Breakfast buffet is excellent. I have seen this hotel on Pointbreaks for 5000 points a couple times so keep checking!

Holiday Inn Express Belem-Ananindeua – Not yet open but I suspect it will be either 10,000 – 15,000 points. Location is terrible, I would choose the Crowne Plaza anyways.

HILTON HONORS

Hilton Belem – 30,000 points. Location is excellent, right across the street from Praca Republica which has flocks of wild parrots visiting in the mornings and afternoons.

CLUB CARLSON

Radisson Hotel Maiorana Belem – 44,000 points. Don’t forget that credit card holders get 1 award night free when two or more award nights are booked! Location is good, central and walking distance to Praca Republica.

PHOTOS

Bus Travel Between Mato Grosso & The Amazon

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Tara

Although flights on major routes can now be bought online at reasonable prices, there are times you will need to use the bus when moving from one eco-tourism hotspot to another. Let’s have a look at BR-163, the only route between Mato Grosso (Pantanal, Alta Floresta for Cristalino) and Itaituba (jumping off point for Amazonia National Park). I have highlighted in yellow these cities on the map below. The “A” shows the location of Guarantã do Norte which is the boarding point for the bus headed north to Itaituba or where you will change buses if heading in the opposite direction.

Mato Grosso to Itaituba

This route is operated by a bus company – Verde Transportes. Their website is only in Portuguese so I will walk you through how to use it to get information and possibly even book a ticket online. The online booking wasn’t open to foreigners last year when we were there so we bought all our tickets at their kiosk in the Cuiaba terminal. We took several buses: Cuiaba-Alta Floresta, Alta Floresta-Novo Sta Helena, Novo Sta Helena-Guarantã do Norte and finally the 20 hour bus trip to Itaituba. They take credit cards at the kiosk and can book all your tickets and issue them right there.

Somente Ida is “One way”.

You will be redirected to Net Viagem. You can see there is only one bus on the date I asked for that leaves at 20:00 (8pm) and it costs Brazilian Reis R$ 143.90 which is about $70 USD. Tick the radio button below “selecione” and hit “comprar”.

Net Viagem

You will see which seats are available. If they are accepting foreign credit cards, at this point choose a seat and hit “comprar”.

You won’t have an account so click the radio button with the red arrow, put your real email and make up a number for the CEP. Then hit “Prosseguir”.

It won’t like your fake CEP and you will see this screen. Hit “Fechar” to get rid of it.

Hit the “Foreign” radio button and you will get rid of the Brazilian fields and have more international fields to fill in. I made up some info for the screenshot, you would be putting in real info.

You will have 2 blue buttons to hit on the following screens and then you get a purchase screen.

Hit “sim” on this screen.

This is the final screen. Theoretically you should be able to pay with a Visa or Mastercard. I would suggest calling your bank to warn them to expect an online transaction from Brazil so they don’t think it’s fraud.

Hopefully you will have an e-ticket to print out and bring on the bus. Otherwise you will have to do as I did and buy the ticket there. I think you will have to do each leg of a multi-segment trip individually. Make sure there is availability on each leg before buying anything.

Here are some photos of our 3 leg journey from Alta Floresta to Itaituba. These are not the deluxe executive buses you see on the bigger routes but they are OK. At the time of our trip, the road wasn’t paved after Novo Progresso but this may change by the time you do your trip. The bus doesn’t have a toilet but will stop every few hours at a road side cafe where you can get food and use the facilities. None of the buses we took were full so we were able to grab a set of 2 seats each and spread out a bit. We managed to get a bit of sleep and arrived in Itaituba around 4pm. Actually the bus will drop you at the river (Miritaituba) and you take a ferry across which is free.

Avifauna Brasileira – Guia De Campo Avis Brasilis

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Tara

Avifauna Brasileira: Guia De Campo Avis Brasilis: The Avis Brasilis Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil by Tomas Sigrist is arguably the definitive guide to the birds of Brazil. I probably never would have heard of this book if my guide, Gilberto didn’t have a copy. It’s what he would use to communicate to me which species we had seen during the day as he doesn’t speak English. It’s an excellent field guide and has the names of the birds in Portuguese, English and the scientific names. After I left Urua, I checked a bookstore in Belem with no luck. Surely I would find it in Sao Paulo where we had a day layover? Nope, nada! One bookstore checked all their branches by computer and no one had it. Either it’s VERY popular or out of print.

I struck out with my usual port of call for books – Amazon.com. It’s not that they don’t have the book but I think $375 for a used copy is a bit too much! Just for fun, I Googled it again last week and found a copy at a more reasonably price through a British company which specializes in books on science and nature: NHBS. It’s still not cheap and I paid for express shopping to make sure it didn’t get lost but it’s an investment that a keen birder will use over and over again so I felt it was worth it. The service was excellent and the book showed up in Australia in about 5 days including a weekend so I can recommend this company. The listing is here and they also have some sample pages. It comes in 2 volumes, one has the pictures of the birds and the maps where they are found; the other book contains a short paragraph about each bird in both English and Portuguese.

Sample page showing ranges of birds

Sample page of bird pictures

Sample page of text (Portuguese). The book also has English text>

Domestic Flights Within Brazil – Azul Airlines

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Tara

Last year when we did our trip, we would have been flying on Trip Airlines if we hadn’t chosen to take the bus to certain eco-tourism hotspots such as Alta Floresta and Itaituba. Now, Trip has merged with Azul Airlines. It’s become much easier to book on them as they now have a foreigner’s booking mode. The old Trip Airlines didn’t accept non-Brazilian credit cards. Click on the US flag for an English version. I have highlighed in yellow some airports that would be of interest to eco-tourists. Sorry no frequent flyer program but at least the fares aren’t expensive!

Azul Airlines

I will use Cuiaba to Alta Floresta for this example since it’s a popular way to get to the amazing Cristalino Jungle Lodge. The mid-day flight costs a bit more but the Cristalino folks will pick you up at the airport and take you straight to the lodge. If you take the cheaper night flight, you will require an overnight stay at Floresta Amazonica Hotel which is still a really nice place and one of the easiest places to see Crimson-bellied Conures and a Harpy Eagle family.

Choose your flight and the full price with tax will appear to the right,

Note the pop-up that tells you the English website takes only non-Brazilian credit cards. The rest of the procedure is like any other airline. Fill in your details, credit card, pay and you’re off!

A Field Guide To The Birds Of Brazil

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Tara

I always advise bringing a birding field guide with you to help you identify the birds you see. Your guides will know the birds but especially in Brazil, they may not speak English……….but they can definitely point to the right photo in the book. This guide is very comprehensive and covers birds from the whole country. Some of the reviewers feel the book is a bit heavy to carry but most of them were happy with the quality of the guide. This is my affiliate link, I do appreciate your support if you use it to click through for any of your Amazon purchases.

Miles To The Wild

Create unforgettable eco-tourism and birding adventures using miles & points!

Tag Archives: Brazil