Ceará
The national park with a cable car to a waterfall at the bottom is spectacular. In the park and in the forest remnant behind the IBAMA headquarters (between Ubajara and Tianguá) we saw hooded gnateater (Conopophaga roberti) and buff-breasted tody-tyrant (Hemitriccus mirandae). There is good caatinga west of Tianguá, near the Piauí border, where we found the normal specialities of this habitat, including broad-tipped hermit (Phaethornis gounellei) and great xenops (Megaxenops parnaguae).
These 800m high hills south of Fortaleza have some interesting birds. In the private forest behind the Hotel Remanso can be found Gould’s toucanet (Selenidera gouldii), buff-breasted tody-tyrant (Hemitriccus mirandae) and the distinctive race of rufous gnateater, Conopophaga lineata cearae.
This is the mecca for the Araripe manakin Antilophia bokermanni. The type locality for the species, the Nascente do Farias near the town of Barbalha, has changed radically since I was there in 1998. It was then a simple swimming and picnic spot but is now being developed as a huge leisure complex, Arajara Park – a sort of tropical Wet ´n´ Wild. A new road from Barbalha to Crato has been built, giving access to the park. The manakins are in the trees along the two streams that flow from the spring at the foot of the hill and appear unperturbed by living on a building site. However, we found only female plumaged birds here. The owner of the Arajara Park, Dna. Fabiola, let us look for the manakins in the valley of the Nascente do Céu, behind her house, but there were only female plumaged birds there as well. Eventually we found a magnificent adult male further along the escarpment. The best plan is to make enquiries at the Arajara Park and get information and permission from the owners of the land you will have to cross to find the birds.
Above Barbalha there is good caatinga, where we had the usual species for this habitat, including red-shouldered spinetail Gyalophylax hellmayri. Take the road out of town up the hill, towards Jardim. 14,5 km from the turning to Caldas and the Hotel das Fontes there is an IBAMA protected area. Bird the side road to the right.
Above Crato there is dry forest, with white-browed guan Penelope jacucaca, rufous nightjar Caprimulgus rufus, tawny piculet Picumnus fulvescens and ash-throated casiornis Casiornis fusca. Take the road up the hill and turn right, sign-posted to Nova Olinda. There is a track to the right after 1.8km. If you go straight on instead of turning right to Nova Olinda, you soon come to an IBAMA compound on the left. On the opposite side of the road there is a disused airfield. In the dry forest along the runway we found the guan and a number of caatinga species, such as white-browed antpitta Hylopezus ochroleucus, caatinga (formerly pileated) antwren Herpsilochmus sellowi (alongside black-capped antwren H. atricapillus) and great xenops Megaxenops parnaguae.
