MICHELIN PLANTATION, near ITUBERA
BRAZIL
region (near), (Compass)
Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W ha topography msl
Protected/registered status
Best Time for visit (12th-13th November, 2006)
Birding Site Guide
This private reserve is one of the few places where the critically endangered endemic Bahia Tapaculo has been found. Pedro Lima sorted out my visit with one of his assistants who work there (Zildomar). There is a Centre for the Study of Biodiversity at the Michelin Forest and it has excellent facilities to stay. It is run by an American called Kevin Flesher This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and a visit there could be arranged through him. His specialty is mammals and he doesn't know the tapaculo so ask to meet Zildomar (no English). There are 3 areas of forest and the Tapaculo has been found at all of them. The best guide is a man called Manuel who knows the species well. Aswell as the 3 areas of forest, the Panacada Grande waterfall is a must to see. Great Dusky swifts roost beneath it and are best seen at dusk.
Itubera can be reached from Bom Despacho by regular bus. Bom Despacho is reached by regular ferry from Salvador. Beware, there are 2 ferries. This one is known as Ferry Boat (fe-hi bodgie) and leaves from Sao Joaquim. This is quicker and cheaper than going direct by bus from the terminal in Salvador. Itubera is also connected by bus with Ubaitaba, from where buses connect further south. I saw 94 species including 7 lifers
Species seen
- Little Tinamou Crypturellus soui Heard only
- Red-winged Tinamou Rhynchotus rufescens
- Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
- Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
- Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture Cathartes burrovianus
- Gray Hawk Asturina nitida Recorded
- Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris Recorded
- Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway Possibly seen
- Yellow-headed Caracara Milvago chimachima
- Rufous-sided Crake Laterallus melanophaius Heard only Recorded
- Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis
- Rock Pigeon Columba livia Introduced species
- Pale-vented Pigeon Patagioenas cayennensis
- Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti
- Scaled Dove Columbina squammata
- White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Possibly seen
- Peach-fronted Parakeet Aratinga aurea
- Blue-winged Parrotlet Forpus xanthopterygius
- Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana Heard only
- Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani
- Striped Cuckoo Tapera naevia
- Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium brasilianum
- Great Dusky Swift Cypseloides senex
- Rufous-breasted Hermit Glaucis hirsuta
- Reddish Hermit Phaethornis ruber
- Swallow-tailed Hummingbird Eupetomena macrourus Photographed
- Black-throated Mango Anthracothorax nigricollis
- Glittering-bellied Emerald Chlorostilbon aureoventris Possibly seen
- White-chinned Sapphire Hylocharis cyanus Possibly seen
- Versicolored Emerald Agyrtria versicolor Photographed
- Spotted Piculet Picumnus pygmaeus Endemic Photographed
- Yellow-throated Woodpecker Piculus flavigula
- Green-barred Woodpecker Colaptes melanochloros
- Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus
- Rufous Hornero Furnarius rufus
- Sooty-fronted Spinetail Synallaxis frontalis Heard only
- Common Thornbird Phacellodomus rufifrons
- White-eyed Foliage-gleaner Automolus leucophthalmus Recorded
- Wedge-billed Woodcreeper Glyphorynchus spirurus
- Lesser Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus fuscus
- Great Antshrike Taraba major Heard only
- Barred Antshrike Thamnophilus doliatus Heard only
- Chestnut-backed Antshrike Thamnophilus palliatus
- Sooretama Slaty-Antshrike Thamnophilus ambiguus Photographed
- Plain Antvireo Dysithamnus mentalis Possibly heard
- Cinereous Antshrike Thamnomanes caesius
- Band-tailed Antwren Myrmotherula urosticta Endemic Endangered
- Scaled Antbird Drymophila squamata Endemic
- Scalloped Antbird Myrmeciza ruficauda Endemic Endangered Recorded
- Red-headed Manakin Pipra rubrocapilla
- Yellow Tyrannulet Capsiempis flaveola
- Yellow-bellied Elaenia Elaenia flavogaster
- Common Tody-Flycatcher Todirostrum cinereum
- Bran-colored Flycatcher Myiophobus fasciatus
- Masked Water-Tyrant Fluvicola nengeta Photographed
- Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus
- Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua
- Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis
- Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
- Gray-breasted Martin Progne chalybea
- Blue-and-white Swallow Notiochelidon cyanoleuca
- Southern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx ruficollis
- Moustached Wren Thryothorus genibarbis
- House Wren Troglodytes aedon
- Rufous-bellied Thrush Turdus rufiventris
- Pale-breasted Thrush Turdus leucomelas
- Tropical Gnatcatcher Polioptila plumbea
- Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus
- Rufous-browed Peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis
- Bananaquit Coereba flaveola
- Chestnut-vented Conebill Conirostrum speciosum
- Hooded Tanager Nemosia pileata
- Flame-crested Tanager Tachyphonus cristatus
- White-lined Tanager Tachyphonus rufus
- Brazilian Tanager Ramphocelus bresilius Endemic Photographed Recorded
- Sayaca Tanager Thraupis sayaca
- Palm Tanager Thraupis palmarum Photographed
- Purple-throated Euphonia Euphonia chlorotica
- Violaceous Euphonia Euphonia violacea Recorded
- Turquoise Tanager Tangara mexicana
- Green-headed Tanager Tangara seledon Photographed Recorded
- Burnished-buff Tanager Tangara cayana Photographed
- Blue Dacnis Dacnis cayana
- Blue-black Grassquit Volatinia jacarina
- Yellow-bellied Seedeater Sporophila nigricollis
- White-bellied Seedeater Sporophila leucoptera Photographed
- Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola
- Buff-throated Saltator Saltator maximus Photographed
- Green-winged Saltator Saltator similis
- Bay-winged Cowbird Molothrus badius
- Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis
- Red-rumped Cacique Cacicus haemorrhous Recorded
- Yellow-faced Siskin Carduelis yarrellii Endemic Vulnerable Possibly seen
- House Sparrow Passer domesticus Introduced species
Other Fauna
A total of -- species of mammals.
There are -- recorded species of amphibians and reptiles.
Flora
Author: Charles Hesse
www.birdingsiteguide.com