Arrival in Forteleza. We then drive to the Serra de Bauterite for a two night stay. Night Hotel Alto de Serra

After some early morning birding in the Serra do Araripe we drive south to Petrolina on the north bank of the Sao Fransisco river. This drive takes us across cattle country with a number of wetlands. We should see Cattle Egret, Snowy Egret, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Brasilian Teal and maybe Southern Pochard if we are lucky. There are also Eared Doves, Guira Cuckoo, Cattle Tyrant, White-browed and Chopi Blackbirds. Night in Petrolina.

Morning birding the Petrolina area. In remnant patches of caatinga near Petrolina will be our destination today as we look for Cactus Parakeet, Spot-backed Puffbird, Spotted Piculet, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Black-bellied Antwren, Stripe-backed Antbird, Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant, both Greater and Lesser Wagtail-tyrants, Ash-throated Casiornis, Long-billed Wren, Tropical Gnatcatcher, White-throated Seedeater, and Red-cowled Cardinal among others and then crossing the Sao Fransisco River, we head south east to the small town of Canudos in the heart of the Caatinga. On our travels through this extraordinary habitat we will be searching for the unique Red-shouldered Spinetail, along with Silvery-cheeked Antshrike. Accompanying these species will be the Caatinga Cacholote, Black-bellied Antwren, Aplomado Falcon, Picazuro Pigeon, Campo Suriri and White Monjita. Further along the road in this impenetrable thorny scrub we search out the endemic White-throated Seedeater and the Campo Oriole recently split from the Troupial. We should also hear the Small-billed Tinamou, and maybe see Stripe-backed Antbird, Lesser and Greater Wagtail-Tyrants, Xenopsaris, Pileated Finch and the abundant bay-winged Cowbird. In the early evening we can look for Least and Pygmy Nighthawks. It is here that the Lear’s Macaw has managed to survive. About 200 pairs of this magnificent macaw remain in this area discovered by Helmut Sick, the famous Brazilian ornithologist. In this stunning landscape of red sandstone cliffs and endless rolling country we should manage to see this rare species feeding in Licuri palms. We should also see a good selection of open country species such as Cattle Tyrant, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Guira Cuckoo, Pearl Kite, Yellow-headed Caracara, Chopi Blackbird and Green-barred Woodpecker. If we are lucky we may see Scarlet-throated Tanager. Nights Canudos.

Leaving Canudos we continue towards the coast of Sergipe and we will stop to search some gallery forest for the Pectoral Antwren. Night União dos Palmares

Visiting the Murici reserve over the next two days we will have time to see the avifauna of a once vast forest that stretched south to Argentina. It has sadly been reduced to remnant patches throughout this range now. As such, many of the species found here are critically endangered. Notwithstanding this, we have a good chance of seeing most of the endemics present. Indeed it is from these tiny patches of forest that so many new species to science have been discovered in the last twenty years or so, making our visit all the more interesting. In this fascinating forest we look for the endemic Long-tailed Sylph, Plain-bellied Emerald, Tawny Piculet and Seven-coloured Tanager. Others include Mantled Hawk, Red-shouldered Macaw, Jandaya Parakeet, Plain Parakeet Long-tailed Woodnymph (scarce), Pinto's Spinetail, Alagoas Antwren very rare, known almost exclusively from this patch of forest Orange-bellied Antwren, White-backed Fire-eye Scalloped Antbird, Black- cheeked Gnateater, Alagoas Tyrannulet (very rare, described only in 1987), Smoky-fronted Tody-Flycatcher, White-winged Cotinga, Black-headed Berryeater (rare), Buff-throated Purpletuft (rare, isolated subspecies leucopyga), Sharpbill, the spectacular (and endangered) Seven-colored Tanager, Chestnut-bellied Euphonia, and Black-throated Grosbeak. We will spend some time tracking down the Alagoas Foliage-Gleaner as well as Alagoas Antwren, Orange-bellied Antwren and Long-tailed Tyrannulet. All of these species are restricted in distribution to the northeast of Brasil. Accompanying these species we will hear and see the more widespread Cinereous Antshrike, the much commoner White-backed Fire-eye and the Screaming Piha. In birding the reserve over the next few days we should encounter the stunning Black-headed Berryeater, Red-headed and Blue-backed Manakins are also present and we will spend some time trying to watch these birds display. Sadly there have been some losses in this region through habitat destruction, although surprisingly few. One of these, the White-collared Kite, has not been recorded for some time and the Alagoas Currassow has not been recorded in the wild since the 1970’s. There is a long term project to reintroduce the species from a captive population working alongside forest regeneration. Our visit here will enthuse the local conservation workers and contribute to their work. Nights at Hotel Grand Valle near Uniao dos Palmares.

Travel day with some birding stops to Estancia. Night in Estancia

Heading off predawn today, we head for a patch of coastal forest in search of White-winged Cotinga, Golden-capped Parakeet and Fringe-backed Fire-eye. We may also see a great many other Atlantic forest species including Sooretama Slaty-Antshrike. In the afternoon we head for Camamu for the night.

Full day visiting Camamu area This is good for White-winged Cotinga, Bare-throated Bellbird, Racket-tailed Coquette, White-chinned and Rufous-throated Sapphire, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Golden-spangled Piculet, Cinereous Antshrike, Eastern Striped Manakin, Scaled Antbird, Least Pygmy-Owl, Swallow-winged Puffbird, Brazilian Tanager and others). We can also try to organize a visit for next morning to go to Ituberá, which is close to Camamu, to try to find Bahia Tapaculo, Band-tailed and Bahia Antwren. This is a private reserve and we need to check, a month before, if there will be some one from the reserve available to go there with us. If we can't visit it we go to the very good Camamu forest. Night Camamu

Today we head to Maceio for a flight To Salvador. We then head south to Camacan. and the coffee plantation shade forests where the Pink-legged Graveteiro was recently discovered. This peculiar little furnarid builds a nest in the same fashion as the Orange-fronted Plushcrown from the Amazon. We also visit some coastal forests in search of Bahia Antwren. Night Ilheus.

After some early morning birding in the coastal forests we drive to Boa Nova for a three night stay. In this famous area we will divide our time between two habitats; the drier mata do Cipo or vine forest and the lusher Atlantic rainforest fragments. It is in the Mata do Cipo that we shall search for the rarer endemic species. This transitional habitat sits between the arid Caatinga proper and the wet Atlantic rainforest. It is characterised by a profusion of terrestrial bromeliads and thick vine tangles covering a rather open low-canopied forest. It is in this strange forest that we look for the Slender Antbird and Narrow-billed Antwren along with the more widespread Stripe-backed Antbird and Silvery-cheeked Antshrike. We should also find the Buff-breasted Tody-Tyrant. As we move further east towards the wetter habitats we shall be looking for species more closely associated with south-east Brasil such as Grey-hooded Attila, Blue Manakin, Eared Pygmy Tyrant, Brasilian Tanager and others. However, we shall search for the more range restricted and rarer Bahia Spinetail, Striated Softtail, Rio de Janeiro Antbird and Mantled Hawk. Nights in Boa Nova.

After some early morning birding we head north to Mucugê. It is here, in the Serra da Diamantina that we are in a mixed landscape of grasslands, cerrado scrub and tall deciduous woodlands with rocky outcrops and tall sandstone cliffs. It is here that we hope to find the Hooded Visorbearer, Horned Sungem, Rufous-sided Pygmy-Tyrant, Grey-backed Tachuri and Buff-throated Pampa-Finch in the rocky Cerrado or ‘Cerrado sucio’ typical of this huge park. We should see King Vulture, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle and other raptors patrolling the skies together with a good variety of other cerrado species from eastern Brasil. These will include White-eared Puffbird, White-vented Violetear, Chicli Spinetail, Cinnamon Tanager, Rufous-winged Antshrike, Blue-Finch and many others. If we wish, we may also see the Great Xenops again at another known site for this species. Nights Mucugê

Morning Mucugê to look for the recently described Sincora Antwren. If necessary we will try again the species of the previous afternoon). Afternoon drive to Lençóis.

Full day birding Lençóis area We’ll be looking for Sao Francisco Sparrow, Pale-throated Pampa-Finch, White-eared Puffbird, Clollared Crescentchest, White-vented Violet-Ear, Hooded Visorbearer, Rufous-winged Antshrike, Broad-tipped Hermit, the ornate Frilled Coquette, and the brilliant Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, Scarlet-throated Tanager and Ash-throated Casiornis. Night Lençóis.

Today, after some early morning birding, we drive east to Salvador. We amy visit coastal mangroves nearby where we should see Clapper Rail, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Plain-bellied Emerald and Bicolored Conebill. We will also visit some cerrado in search of Russet-crowned Crake and a remnant patch of Atlantic forest for Fringe-backed fire-eye. In the late afternoon we head back to Salvador for our flights home.

We reserve the right to change the above itinerary as conditions dictate. This may mean the discovery of a new species of bird or a washed out bridge.

The best available accommodation is always used. However, this may mean basic hotels in some locations.