PARAGUAY NEOTROPICAL BIRD CLUB FUNDRAISER A TOUR TO PARAGUAY S CHACO AND ORIENT 17 DAYS in SEPTEMBER 2015 with BirdQuest and Fauna Paraguay

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1 PARAGUAY NEOTROPICAL BIRD CLUB FUNDRAISER A TOUR TO PARAGUAY S CHACO AND ORIENT 17 DAYS in SEPTEMBER 2015 with BirdQuest and Fauna Paraguay

2 ITINERARY 1 TRANS CHACO to Mennonite Colonies 2 UPPER YACARE SUR WATERSHED and surroundings 3 Depart am for TTE ENCISO NATIONAL PARK. 4 Birding am TTE ENCISO NP, after lunch depart for CAMPO IRIS PRIVATE RESERVE and MEDANOS DEL CHACO NP. 5 Birding TTE ENCISO NP in the morning. Visit to FORTIN TOLEDO after lunch. Overnight in Mennonite Colonies. 6 Birding TRANS CHACO and return to Asuncion 7 Early start and departure for LAGUNA BLANCA PRIVATE RESERVE passing through ARROYOS Y ESTEROS en route. 8 LAGUNA BLANCA 9 LAGUNA BLANCA am then departure to MBARACAYÚ BIOSPHERE RESERVE. 10 MBARACAYÚ BIOSPHERE RESERVE 11 MBARACAYÚ BIOSPHERE RESERVE 12 MBARACAYÚ BIOSPHERE RESERVE 13 Onward transport to HOTEL TIROL. Birding on arrival 14 Early birding at HOTEL TIROL, after breakfast departure to SAN RAFAEL RESERVE. 15 SAN RAFAEL RESERVE 16 SAN RAFAEL RESERVE to Ayolas via CORONEL BOGADO and nightbirding on Yacyreta. 17 YACYRETA grassland and forest birding, after lunch departure to ASUNCION, drop off and end of services. ETA in Asunción 9pm. Please note that this itinerary may change due to local conditions such as weather or accommodation unavailability.

3 The Sites we plan to visit: RUTA TRANS CHACO Palm Savanna. We re aiming to notch up a surprisingly large list of some spectacular species at the roadside pools of the Trans-Chaco Highway, not least among them could be Jabiru, Maguari and American Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, Black-collared Hawk, Plumbeous and Buffbreasted Ibis, Limpkin and Cocoi Heron. In grassier areas Chotoy Spinetail, Whistling Heron, Screaming Cowbird and Baywing, Savannah Hawk, Long-winged Harrier and Yellow-headed Caracara are all possible, while in the palm savanna proper Southern Screamer, Giant Wood Rail and Blue-crowned and Black-hooded Parakeets could be abundant. We ll be stopping at reedbeds along the way where we should find Donacobius, Great Pampa-finch, Unicoloured and Scarlet-headed Blackbirds and with great luck crakes and small bitterns. CUENCA UPPER YACARE SUR Dry Chaco and Salt lagoons. A trip up into the Chaco is no walk in the park, but the speciality birding that the area provides is well worth the effort. Accommodation is basic, luxuries are few, but the birding is like nowhere else on earth. The 18 Chaco endemics will be our main target, many of them like Lark-like Brushrunner, Chaco and White-bellied Nothura, Many-coloured Brushfinch and Crested Hornero should be easy to see. Five of the big six though are the real targets, Black-legged Seriema, Black-bodied Woodpecker, Chaco Owl, Crested Gallito and Quebracho-crested Tinamou. On the saltwater lagoons we might see the last of the winter flocks of Coscoroba Swan, Chilean Flamingo and waders and ducks such as Ringed Teal, Whitecheeked Pintail and maybe Rosybill. In the surroundings big ticks like Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, Chaco Earthcreeper and Cream-backed Woodpecker are more probable than possible. Chaqueño forest is a stunted, xerophytic and often thorny affair, but again home to a number of highly specialized species such as Chequered and White-fronted Woodpecker, Greater Wagtail-tyrant, Solitary Cacique, Orange-backed Troupial, Short-billed Canastero, Chaco Chachalaca, Stripe-backed Antbird and Blackcapped Warbling-finch. Only two nightjar species commonly occur in the Chaco, Scissor-tailed and Little, and we hope to see both. Owls, though harder to see, occur in greater diversity, Great Horned, Tropical Screech and Ferruginous Pygmy being the most often encountered.

4 Mammals are bolder and more visible in the Chaco than anywhere else in Paraguay. Driving, especially at night, might bring you up close and personal with anything from armadillos and the rabbit-like Chaco Mara, to Crab-eating Raccoons and White-lipped Peccary, and there is also the chance of a Lowland Tapir, or a Puma, more abundant here than in much of South America. TENIENTE AGRIPINO ENCISO NP, CAMPO IRIS, MEDANOS DEL CHACO NP Dry Chaco Forest, Scrub and Grassland. Located in the highest of the High Chaco this area is conserved mainly for its healthy population of Chaco Peccary. Teniente Agripino Enciso NP and the Guyra Paraguay-owned Campo Iris Private Reserve are great places for Chaco specialties that are not so common elsewhere. We will look for Solitary Cacique, Orange-backed Troupial, Black-crested Finch (more common in winter but some may hang around), Ringed and Black-capped Warbling-finch, Many-coloured

5 Chacofinch, Greater Wagtail-tyrant, Little Thornbird, Short-billed Canastero, Zone-tailed Hawk, Bay-winged Hawk, and Rufous-thighed Hawk. Specialities here are Quebracho Crested-Tinamou and Chaco Owl. Mammal wise Puma and Lowland Tapir are seen regularly in addition to some of the other smaller species (Three-banded Armadillo and Azaras Fox are both particularly abundant!). The park is also of historical significance, conserving some of the trenches and barracks of the Chaco War. Almost on the Bolivian border is Medanos del Chaco. It is more open than Teniente Agripino Enciso and shares many of the same birds, but also has a big Chaco endemic tick that is not present at Enciso the Spot-winged Falconet. Puma, Plains Viscacha and the Chaco Yellowtoothed Cavy have all been seen here. FORTIN TOLEDO Dry Chaco. Along the Trans-Chaco at Proyecto Tagua in Fortin Toledo is a captive breeding programme for the threatened Chaco Peccary (Tagua) This is supported by San Diego Zoo and presents a good chance to see this beast up close if missed elsewhere. The project has already released over 250 captive bred individuals. They have examples of all three peccary species and this gives the opportunity to understand the differences between the species that are not always that obvious in wild animals. The very different temperaments of the species make for a fascinating encounter (the aggressive reaction of White-lipped Peccary to observers always has people talking afterwards!!). There is also a healthy wild population of the rabbit-like Chaco Mara in this area and small weedchoked lakes can be like a magnet for birds in this hot, dry area and might include the rare Blackbodied Woodpecker and the elusive Olive-crowned Crescentchest.

6 ARROYOS Y ESTEROS Marsh and wet grassland. En route to Laguna Blanca we plan to stop for a few hours to look for the bizarre Strange-tailed Tyrant, and we will also hope to see a bunch of other wetland species that may include Longtailed Reedfinch, Crested Doradito, a variety of seedeaters, Lesser Grassfinch, White-headed Marsh Tyrant, Yellow-rumped Marshbird and if very lucky some crakes. LAGUNA BLANCA NATURE RESERVE (RNLB) Cerrado. 14 species of global conservation concern occur in just 2500ha here. The cerrado birds are the big attraction including threatened species such as White-banded Tanager, Sharp-tailed Grass-tyrant, Black-masked Finch and Cock-tailed Tyrant. Other birds of interest are Whiterumped Tanager (the only known site in Paraguay), cerrado endemics Black-throated Saltator and Curl-crested Jay, Rusty-backed Antwren, Dark-billed Cuckoo, Red-winged, Tataupa, Small-billed and Undulated Tinamous, White-rumped Monjita, Rufous Casiornis, various Myiarchus flycatchers, and Peach-fronted Parakeet. In the humid forest Helmeted Woodpecker, Rusty-margined Guan, three species of tityra, Surucua Trogon, Buff-bellied Puffbird, Sirystes etc are all possible. The biggest tick of all (if we see it) though is the endangered White-winged Nightjar, a species discovered here thanks to NBC funding and one of

7 only three global locations where it is regularly recorded. Nightbirding can be spectacular as Grey and Long-tailed Potoo, Rufous, Little and Scissor-tailed Nightjars are possible, and Tropical Screech-owl and Ferruginous Pygmy-owl are amongst the frequently recorded owl species. At RNLB we ll be hosted by the conservation NGO Para La Tierra who will be keen to tell us about their work in conserving the cerrado. We ll also get the opportunity to assist them with census work and their ongoing vertebrate inventories. MBARACAYU BIOSPHERE RESERVE Atlantic Forest and Cerrado. Managed by the Fundación Moises Bertoni, this is the model private reserve in Paraguay with 70,000ha of pristine Atlantic Forest and cerrado. Named by WWF as one of the 100 most important sites for conservation ON EARTH, it s difficult to know where to start with this location. Over 400 species of birds have been recorded here, including the vast majority of the Atlantic Forest endemics in Paraguay. Possible birds include the endangered Black-fronted Piping-guan, Bare-throated Bellbird, Black-capped Screech Owl, Saffron and Spot-billed Toucanets and Helmeted Woodpecker. Other species of interest that are frequently recorded include Red-breasted Toucan, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Surucua Trogon, Blond-crested and Yellow-fronted Woodpecker, various woodcreepers and tanagers, Streak-capped Antwren, Solitary Tinamou, Red-rumped Cacique, Rufous-capped Motmot. In the cerrado specialities like Rufous-winged Antshrike, Collared Crescentchest and Ocellated Crake will be our targets. Forest mammals such as Azaras Agouti, Paca, and cats (including Jaguar) are among the possible mammal fauna while big owls such as Black-banded and Spectacled are also possible if they are calling.

8 HOTEL TIROL Atlantic Forest. One of Paraguay s most famous hotels and a favourite with the King of Spain, Tirol is set in 25ha of Atlantic Forest which means that you can bird as you enjoy breakfast. It s an atmospheric place with redstone buildings, set in a lush valley. Look for Red-ruffed Fruitcrow and Piratic Flycatcher hanging round the cacique colony near the pool, whilst overhead you may see soaring Shorttailed Hawk, Sick s and Grey-rumped Swifts. After dark Short-tailed Nighthawk, Rufous Nightjar, Grey Potoo and Tawny-browed Owl are amongst the more interesting possibilities. SAN RAFAEL RESERVE Atlantic Forest and Mesopotamian Flooded Grasslands. We plan to spend some time birding the forest here (the community of species is different to other sites). Our main aim will be grassland birds at our base at the Kanguery part of the reserve. Here we will look for Sedge Wren, Lesser Grassfinch, Sharp-tailed Tyrant, Capped Seedeater, Saffron-cowled Blackbird, Cock-tailed Tyrant and may be early migrant seedeaters such as Marsh, Dark-throated and Chestnut. In the forest Russet-winged Spadebill and Solitary Tinamou are possible, as well as Southern Bristle-tyrant and Saffron Toucanet amongst countless others. Stay awake because as night begins to fall the Giant Snipe sometimes bursts into action, roding like a woodcock and giving its distinctive loud WAKAWAKA call. CORONEL BOGADO/ISLA ALTA Wetland and cultural option. Should we be unlucky and miss the Saffron-cowled Blackbird we will have another shot at it here. It s only a brief stopover en route to our next site, but it s worth an hour or so as we will have the chance for some new ticks here such as Pinnated Bittern and perhaps, if we are very lucky, some early migrant seedeaters. Then we ll have lunch in town where the local speciality is chipa, a type of cheesy cornbread that comes in a variety of forms and is absolutely delicious. Coronel Bogado is known as The Capital of Chipa and nobody passes through without stopping to buy some.

9 YACYRETA and YACYRETA DAM Mesopotamian flooded grassland and gallery forest. Yacyreta is a great grassland site with some interesting gallery forest unlike any other forest we visit along the way. Black-masked Finch and Pinnated Bittern are possible here, as well as some unusual pipits such as Hellmayr s and Short-billed. The birds we are really scouring the grasslands here for though are the Sickle-winged Nightjar (we would hope to see it after dark) and the threatened Ochre-breasted Pipit. The gallery forest also provides us with a chance to see a smorgasbord of new forest birds that are harder elsewhere, such as Saffron-billed Sparrow, Bare-faced Currasow and Pheasant Cuckoo. This will be a fine way to close our trip.