OVERVIEW

We are very proud to introduce one of most exciting group tours but before we do, here is a little background. We will be going to the Amazon! The Amazon rainforest is situated over the western and central parts of Brazil and it’s the world’s largest intact forest. It is also home to more than 24 million people in Brazil alone, including hundreds of thousands of Indigenous Peoples belonging to 180 different groups. There are more than 400 species of mammals, and almost 1,300 different varieties of birds. The Amazon rainforest is so large and diverse that new species are being discovered all the time. For example, in 2019 researchers discovered a new species of monkey never seen before. On
this unforgettable adventure, you will have the chance to see tons of incredible birds, different species of monkeys and even swim with the unique pink dolphin. We will also experience the local cuisine while meeting some of the friendliest people you could imagine and much, much more. Truly a dream come true!
 
The Amazon Birding Expedition For Women, will begin in Manaus, the capital of Amazonas State, well known as the “Heart of the Amazon” and for being an embarking point to the Amazon River. By the end of this land and water trip, you should have a clear idea of how important this region is and the purpose of the journey, besides carefully observing the amazing wildlife, is gain a bit of perspective into how beautiful and powerful the Amazon Rainforest really is. Call it a personal journey, if you like. We will also visit an Indigenous tribe while getting a close encounter with the Pink Dolphins of the Rio Negro River (Black River).
 
This 12 days of immersion in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest and the list of potential species of birds makes this adventure a dream for birders and nature lovers from all over the world.


DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 01: Welcome to Eduardo Gomes International Airport of Manaus! Our Female English- speaking guide will meet you at the airport and take you to your Hotel in Manaus where all participants will spend the night and rest in preparation for the journey to come.

Day 02: After our early breakfast, we'll drive to Presidente Figueiredo City located 100km north of Manaus. This is a real paradise with over 100 waterfalls, lakes, streams, caverns and grottos. The region is appropriately named the “Land of the Waterfalls.” Over 470 species of birds can be seen in this municipality and it is home of the spectacular Guianan Cock-of- the-Rock. We will stay at Iracema Fall Lodge which is located in the middle of the rainforest and neighboring to two charming waterfalls. We’ll spend the day birding in key ares next to the lodge. Here we will expect to see birds like the Painted Parakeet, the Chestnut-rumped Woodcreeper, the Crimson topaz, the Black-throated Trogon, the Silver-beaked Tanager, the Black Nunbird, the Blue-and-yellow Macaw, the Black-necked Aracari, the Green Aracari, the Chestnut Woodpecker, the Scarlet Macaw, the White Hawk, the Sulphury Flycatcher, the Ringed Woodpecker, the Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet, the Blue-gray Tanager, the Cinereous Antshrike, the Yellow-billed Jacamar and much more. After lunch we will drive to the Maroaga Ecological Park where we will have another opportunity to see the Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock. Soon after, we will get back to the road and drive to the Judéia grotto and Maroaga Cave. These two exceptional sandstone caves are hidden gems in the forest located in a protected area. They are formed in one of the oldest geological formations on the northern flank of the Brazilian Amazon.

Day 03: After another early breakfast at Iracema Falls Lodge we will drive to the Cachoeira da Onça Park (Jaguar Waterfall Park), which is fertile area with many of our target birds. We will take an easy-pace trail passing along the Urubuí river and the Cachoeira da Onça waterfall. Some of birds we will see here are the Hoatzin, the Mouse- colored Antshrike, the Pompadour Cotinga, the Tiny tyrant-Manakin, the Guianan warbling Antbird, the Golden-headed Manakin, the Black-headed Antbird (Hellmayr’s), the Bronzy Jacamar, the Musician Wren and the strange but beautiful Capuchinbird. We will spend the whole morning in this area looking for as many birds as we can see. After lunch we will go in a search of new species of birds in the forested areas where our lodge is located. We will spend some extra time on the third day to see some night birds such as the Tawny- bellied Screech-Owl, the Ladder-tailed Nightjar, the Rufous Potoo, and the Crested Owl.

Day 04: After enjoying our last breakfast in the region, we will drive around 40 minutes to Ramal do Tucumanduba. This is one of the best places to see new species of birds common to the region but otherwise very hard to see. Our targets here are the Buff-cheeked Greenlet, the White-throated Toucan, the Red-lored Amazon, the Caica Parrot, the Spangled Cotinga, the Pygmy Antwren, the Guianan Red-Cotinga and much more. We will stop to enjoy a well deserved lunch next to the Uatumã river in Balbina city. Afterwards, we will drive to Ramal Mari Mari, which is home to many understory bird species as the Black Curassow, Guianan Warbling-Antbird, the Cinnamon Manakin-Tyrant, the Wing-banded Wren, the White-fronted Manakin, and The purple-breasted Cotinga.

Day 05: Today is our last day in Presidente Figueiredo City and after breakfast we will drive to Ramal da Cachoeira Natal. Our goal is have a little free time and to try to see some of the species we haven’t seen on previous days such as Toucans, Macaws, Parrots, Anthills and Hawks and, if we’re lucky, the great Harpy eagle. Lunch will be at a traditional Amazonian restaurant and afterwards we will drive back to Manaus. The trip will include a short stop at Ramal Pedacinho do Céu to look for even more birds seen in this area like the Chestnut-rumped Woodcreeper

Day 06: Early rise and shine and after breakfast in Manaus, we will drive to the municipality of Novo Airão which is located across the Rio Negro bridge. As soon as we get there we will take some trails in the forest in a search of hard to find birds such as The Green Honeycreeper, the Fork-tailed Woodnymph, the Plumbeous Kite, the Amazonian trogon, the White-Fronted Nunbird, the Guianan Puffbird, the Channel-billed Toucan, the Chestnut- eared Aracari, the Orange-Cheeked Parrot, the Blue-Headed Parrot, the Yellow-Browed Antbird, the Fork-tailed Flycatcher, the Rufous-bellied Euphonia and much more. After exploring the area we’ll head to Novo Airão Lodge for checkin and lunch and after a brief rest we will explore the region around the lodge.

Day 07: In the morning after breakfast we will go in a search of birds at the Igapó (blackwater-flooded Amazonian forests) of the Anavilhanas National Park. To get to this unique landscape entails a 15 minute boat ride on the Black River. After enjoying the beautiful sunrise and spending some quality birding time from the islands of the Park we will take a break for lunch. Prepare yourselves for the amazing Pink Dolphin! We will visit the platform and interact with this unique wild mammals which are free to come and go as they please.

Day 08: After breakfast we will bird in the surrounding areas of Novo Airão and we will be back on the road heading to Manacapuru. Before some more birding, we will check-in at the Cirandeira Bela Ecolodge. This Lodge is very beautiful and is located in the middle of the rainforest where many birds and monkeys can be seen right from the start! After lunch we will explore the local trails in search of the Black-necked Red Cotinga, the Blue-capped Manakin, the Ocellated Woodcreeper, the Plain-brown Woodcreeper, the Great Jacamar, the Gilded Barbet, the Ivory-billed Aracari, the Green-barred Woodpecker, the Rufous- backed Stipplethroat, the Brown-winged Schiffornis, and the Pink-throated Becard.

Day 09: This day will be dedicated to all the birders who like to get up early and reap the rewards for doing so. The fact that we don’t have to venture far from our beds makes our early rise a bit easier. Our main target is the immensely beautiful Fiery Topaz hummingbird, endemic of the Northern South America and one of the highlights of the whole trip! The privilege to see it next to our rooms at the hotel is something we can all be grateful for but we need to get up at around 5:15am. After enjoying this once in a lifetime moment, we’ll have a delicious regional breakfast and hike on the trail searching for even more birds. After lunch we will drive to the Castanho Community and take a boat to meet an indigenous tribe called Dessana Tukana. Our focus is learn about and interact with one the original Rainforest tribes and see a little of a culture that has existed here for centuries. We actually have the privilege and honor of interacting with a tribe that has proudly survived modern life and has kept intact customs, food and culture that has been around since their ancient ancestors. After a full evening of activities, we’ll dive back to Manaus where we will rest and spend the night.

Day 10: After another delicious breakfast we will visit the MUSA Tower in Manaus. From the tower we will have a literal bird’s eye view of the landscape. Plus, we get to see the rare and amazing birds that frequent the top canopies of the forest. As an added bonus, we will get a chance to see the Guyanan Red Howler Monkey and the threatened Pied Tamarin. After lunch we will take a boat to observe birds special to the Solimões Islands. These little Islands form, dismantle and reform annually by the constant occurrences of intense rain, and water every rainy season. Our afternoon of birding will take place from boats and because of the higher water level, we should be close to the height of the tree canopy which makes it easier to observe. At the end of the day, we will return to our Hotel in Manaus where we will have dinner and rest. Some of the birds we can expect to see are the Guianan Puffbird, the Red-lored Amazon, the White-throated Toucan, the Black-necked Aracari, the Short- tailed pygmy Tyrant (one of the smallest birds in the world), the Black-and-white Antbird, the Lesser Hornero, the Yellow-hooded Blackbird, the River Tyrannulet, the Green- throated Mango, the Capped Heron, the Savanna Hawk, the Ringed Kingfisher, the Spot- breasted Woodpecker, the Tui Parakeet, the Red-and-white Spinetail and much much more!

Day 11: Our Last Day together but we’ve saved one of the best adventures for last. We will see some rare birds that are usually not very easy to see, but we’ll have to get up early to do so. We leave the hotel by around 4:30am and eat breakfast at a unique birding Tower ZF-2 at the National Institute of Amazonian. The trip will be by 4x4 for 31 miles on Interstate BR174 and then 9 more miles on a dirt road followed by a 15 minute hike. The whole morning will be spent observing rare birds. We will also have lunch at the location. At the end we will drive back to the city where we will have a delicious regional dinner and then driving back to the Hotel in Manaus.

Some of our targets include the Crimson Fruitcrow, the Dotted Tanager, the Black-faced Hawk, the Olive-green Tyrannulet, the Sayaca Tanager and many more that are native to this region.

Day 12:  A travel day that will be dedicated to getting you safely to the airport where you will catch your flights back home. Hopefully reflecting and dreaming about your once in a lifetime experience in the Amazon Rainforest!