24 Apr Wild Birding Expands to South America – And It Starts with Brazil!
We’re incredibly proud to announce that Wild Birding has been officially invited by the Brazilian Tourist Board (Embratur) to take part in a highly exclusive Birdwatching Familiarisation Trip this May, running from 9–17 May 2025.
This marks an exciting new chapter for us — and the beginning of our carefully planned expansion into South America. And where better to start than Brazil?
🇧🇷 Why Brazil?
Brazil isn’t just a bucket-list destination. It’s the number one country in the world for bird species, with a staggering:
🐦 Over 1,900 recorded species
🌱 More than 200 endemics
🌿 A vast range of habitats, including the globally important Atlantic Forest
From dry scrublands to lush rainforest, and from montane plateaus to biodiversity-rich forest edges, Brazil offers some of the most varied birding on Earth.
🧭 Where We're Going
Our route takes us to two standout regions — each offering unique birdlife, conservation value, and future potential for Wild Birding tours.
✅ Boa Nova
Located at the transition zone between the Atlantic Forest and the Caatinga, Boa Nova is a biodiversity hotspot and one of the richest birding frontiers in eastern Brazil. Key target species include:
- Slender Antbird (Rhopornis ardesiacus) – Caatinga near-endemic
- Striated Softtail (Thripophaga macroura)
- Bahia Spinetail (Synallaxis whitneyi)
- Fork-tailed Tody-Tyrant (Hemitriccus furcatus)
- Spot-billed Toucanet (Selenidera maculirostris)
- Pin-tailed Manakin (Ilicura militaris)
- Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin (Neopelma pallescens)
This area is also a conservation priority, protecting Atlantic Forest species under serious threat from habitat loss.
✅ Chapada Diamantina National Park
This stunning highland landscape, located in Bahia state, is part of a UNESCO-listed region offering dramatic scenery and exceptional endemic birdlife. Here we’ll be searching for:
- Hooded Visorbearer (Augastes lumachella) – an iridescent endemic hummingbird
- Sincorá Antwren (Formicivora grantsaui) – critically endangered and highly local
- Diamantina Tapaculo (Scytalopus diamantinensis)
- Blue Finch, Great Xenops, Collared Crescentchest and more
With sandstone cliffs, dry forests, and hidden valleys, Chapada offers an entirely different birding experience from Boa Nova — and will be central to our future Brazil itineraries.
🎯 What This Trip Means
We’ll be using this opportunity to:
- Build relationships with local guides, lodges, and conservation teams
- Scout routes and refine logistics for future Wild Birding tours
- Assess sustainability and species richness at key sites
- Gather live field updates to share with you — our birding community
🔭 Looking Ahead
This FAM trip is just the beginning. Once back, we’ll be developing bespoke, conservation-driven birding holidays across Brazil, with future itineraries to include:
✅ Boa Nova & Chapada Diamantina
✅ The Pantanal – South America’s top jaguar and wetland birding destination
✅ The Atlantic Forest – home to some of Brazil’s rarest endemics
✅ Amazon & Cerrado extensions
📅 Trip Dates: 9–17 May 2025
📍 Regions Covered: Boa Nova & Chapada Diamantina
🕊️ Focus: Endemics, conservation, & future Wild Birding tours
We can’t wait to bring you updates from the field — and even more so, to share this extraordinary country with you in the near future.
Stay tuned for species reports, photos, and early access to our South America itineraries.
Thank you for being part of the journey.
Sam Ferguson
Founder, Wild Birding
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