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The White-barred Piculet Picumnus cirratus is a truly tiny woodpecker, only about 10 cms (4 inches) in size - North America’s smallest woodpecker, the Downy Picoides pubescens, is a comparative giant at around 16 - 18 cm (6.5 - 7 inches). It’s found in three disjunct areas of South America: the Guianas; around the mouth [...]

The Rufous Hornero Furnarius rufus is very common in open country in the southern half of South America east of the Andes and is the national bird of Argentina. Rather thrush-like, Horneros (there are eight species of Furnarius) are actually funariids, a diverse family which currently includes seemingly unrelated tribes as the ‘true ovenbirds’ (which [...]

After reaching the dizzying heights yesterday of seeing a bird only discovered five years ago, of having a Rufous-sided Crake walk over my foot (well, almost), and seeing a stack of life birds, a visit to Ibirapuera Park, one of Sao Paulo’s busiest public parks on an Easter Sunday (its 1.5 million square meters apparently [...]

One of the joys of birding (if we’re honest with ourselves) is seeing a new species, and especially one that we didn’t know existed but is so strikingly coloured or patterned that we know right away that it’s not going to be too hard to put a name to it once we either open up [...]

One of the least-known taxa in Brazil (and thus probably in the world) is an antwren found only in typha marshes at the head of the Teite River in São Paulo, south-eastern Brazil. Only discovered in February 2005 when an ecological survey was made of an area threatened by a new reservoir (see below for [...]

The 3rd edition of Avistar-Itaú BBA Photo Contest is designed to stimulate the documentation and conservation of Brazilian birds. It is an Avistar-O ECO initiative, sponsored by Itaú BBA Bank and those excellent folk at Swarovski Optik as Avistar Optic Partner
The subject of the contest is “Brazilian Birds.” It is open to amateur as well [...]

Want contraband in prison?  How about using pigeons?  Prison guards in Brazil noticed pigeons having a difficult time flying: upon investigation, they discovered that the pigeons were carrying cell phones and drugs!  Reuters has the story.

Parque do Zizo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
30-31 July 2006
 

 
Introduction:
I’ve just spent an inspiring and wonderful couple of days birding the superb Parque do Zizo - an area of (mostly) primary rainforest 700m above sea level in the Serra da Paranapiacaba about three hours drive south of Sao Paulo.

Set up by the Balboni family using a government [...]

Magpie Tanagers Cissopsis leverianus
30 July 2006, Parque do Zizo, Eastern Brazil
 
Magpie Tanagers - clearly named for their pied, ‘magpie-like’ plumages - are found in mobile groups in forest borders and secondary growth or clearings around the Amazon Basin and in south-east Brazil. The eastern subspecies C. l. major (shown here) is larger and has a [...]

Plain Parakeets Brotogeris tirica
15 February 2005, Sao Paulo, Eastern Brazil

Although geographically restricted to that area of South East Brazil that used to be covered in Atlantic Rain Forest, the Plain Parakeet is one of the few birds that seem to have adapted to the destruction of 95% of this critical habitat and survives very well [...]