The Fazendas.
Fazenda Angelim.
Entrance to Fazenda Angelim.
This is among the best birding sites in the region. There is a mixture of good forest, forest edge and open areas.
The owners of the property maintain the area as a private reserve. It was formerly a plantation where cacao was grown, but this has long since ceased.
The target birds here are really the Spotted Bamboowrens as I find this is the most reliable site for them, there are a number of territories one of which comes right up to the track. Squamate Antbird is frequently heard and often seen here too. It also holds the delectable Fork-tailed Tody-Tyrant. I saw my first ever Buff-throated Purpletuft here, and they are still regularly seen, in 2008 I had the pleasure of watching a pair building a nest above the track, but sadly a storm washed out the nest. It is also a good place to try for São Paulo Tyrannulet.
Fazenda Capricórnio.
Part of Fazenda Capricórnio.
Formerly the place to see Buff-throated Purpletuft, and although they are still here they are more regularly seen at the Ubatuba Birdwatching Centre at the Rancho Pica-Pau. The track here runs up through a cacao plantataion until it gets more intact forest. This plantation area is good for birding because there remains a good covering of shade trees. For this reason canopy species are easier to see when you come across a good feeding flock. This is also the only place in Ubatuba where I have seen Bay-ringed Tyrannulet, it is also excellent for seeing the São Paulo Tyrannulet. Other forest dwellers such as the White-tailed Trogon can also be more easily seen due to the open nature of the mid-story.
Laughing Falcon.
Birds to look for include: Brown and Tataupa Tinamou, Black Hawk-Eagle, Laughing Falcon, Pale-vented and Plumbeous Pigeons, Pileated Parrot, Squirrel Cuckoo, White-collared, Grey-rumped, Sick’s and Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, Saw-billed, Scale-throated and Reddish Hermits, Sombre Hummingbird, Violet-capped Woodnymph, White-tailed trogon, Rufous-capped Motmot, Buff-bellied Puffbird, Channel-billed Toucan, Yellow-fronted Woodpecker, Orange-eyed Thornbird, Ochre-breasted and Black-capped Foliage-gleaner, Pale-browed Treehunter, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, Plain-winged, Olivaceous, White-throated and Lesser Woodcreepers, Spot-backed and Tufted Antshrikes, Spot-breasted and Plain Antvireos, Star-throated Salvadori’s, Unicoloured, Rufous-winged and Streak-capped Antwrens, Ferruginous, Scaled and Squamate Antbirds, Rufous-capped Antthrush, Variegated Antpitta, Rufous and Black-cheeked Gnateaters, Spotted Bamboowren, Blue and White-bearded Manakins, Buff-throated Purpletuft, Chestnut-crowned, Black-capped and Crested Becards, Planalto, Grey-capped, Yellow, Mottle-cheeked, Bay-ringed and São Paulo Tyrannulets, Grey Elaenia, Eye-ringed and Fork-tailed Tody-Tyrants, White-throated Spadebill, Whiskered Flycatcher, Tropical Pewee, Large-headed Flatbill, Grey-hooded and Rufous-tailed Attilas, White-thighed Swallow, Long-billed Wren, White-throated and Yellow-legged Thrushes, Long-billed Gnatwren, Golden-rumped Euphonia, Neotropical River Warbler, Rufous-headed, Olive-green, Flame-crested, Ruby-crowned, Black-goggled, Brazilian, Sayaca, Golden-chevroned, Palm, Fawn-breasted, Green-headed and Red-necked Tanagers, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Temminck’s Seedeater, Sooty Grassquit, Black-throated grosbeak and Crested Oropendola.
Photos of Fazendas Angelim and Capricórnio copyright Chuck Geanangel.
Photo of laughing Falcon copyright Rafael Fortes.
