Our new exploratory tour to Bahia in Northeast, Brazil will give us a 9-day introduction to this endemic-rich part of the country. Some of the birds we hope to see are truly world-class, such as Araripe Manakin, Lear’s Macaw, Fringe-backed Fire-eye and many more.

Our tour starts in Salvador, the capital of Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia.This is known for its Portuguese colonial architecture, Afro-Brazilian culture and a tropical coastline. The Pelourinho neighborhood is its historic heart, with cobblestone alleys opening onto large squares, colorful buildings and baroque churches. We will stay out of the main city while there, to get a taste of the state’s rich birdlife. We continue to Chapada Diamantina National Park, with its spectacular scenery and the beautiful endemic hummingbird- Hooded Visorbearer. Further south we will be looking for Blue-winged and Lear’s Macaws and other Caatinga specialities.

Further south in the state of Ceará, we will visit the small town of Quixadá with its striking rock formations that "break" the monotony of the surrounding landscape. It’s here that we stop at Arajara Water Park, for one of the main targets of this Tour, the amazing Araripe Manakin. Only discovered in 1996, this stunning red and white manakin is highly-endangered with a known population of under 1000 individuals. We finish the tour in the humid forests around Fortaleza, where we look for the critically-endangered Gray-breasted Parakeet. This 9-day tour will give us great insight to the amazing birds in this part of Brazil.