Monday 13th October – Friday 26th October 2008

The amazing Pantanal and Harpy Eagle!

This BIRDSEEKERS special visits one of the greatest wetlands anywhere on earth, where the number of waterbirds defies the imagination. Situated close to the border with Bolivia, the Pantanal astounds everyone who visits by its sheer size (around 55,000 square miles!).

From huge Jabiru wading in the shallow marshes, to the truly spectacular Hyacinth Macaw, this region exceeds all the superlatives. It is also considered the easiest place to see a wide variety of tropical animals on the South American continent, with Yellow Anaconda, Black-and-Gold Howler Monkey, Crab-eating Fox, Giant Anteater, Ocelot and Jaguar. The canyons of Chapada dos Guimaraes will provide a complete contrast, with huge waterfalls, cerrado, and riverine forest, which are home to some of Brazil’s special birds, as well as providing a good cross-selection of neotropic families ranging from dazzling hummingbirds and manakins, to antbirds, motmots, tinamous and tanagers. All this and a visit to a nesting site of the awesome Harpy Eagle – simply fantastic!