Brazil's Amazing Pantanal; an introduction. Part 1.

The Pantanal is one of those places I'd always wanted to see (courtesy primarily, as with so many other things, of David Attenborough), but never expected to do so. That changed when, late last year, we were sent to do a reconnaissance with my Peruvian friend Juan, preparatory to accompanying a tour there later this year. And it is every bit as extraordinary as I'd been led to believe, truly one of the world's great wildlife spectacles! I can't wait to get back there for further exploration.

Yacaré Caiman Caiman yacare and Capybara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, Pousada Piuval, Pantanal.
The Pantanal is said to have the largest concentration of crocodilians in the world, and Capybaras,
the planet's largest rodent, are also abundant and ubiquitous.

Today I want to give you a flavour of the place, or at least to start to - even that is too big a task for one day - but first some background. Firstly, it's huge - it has no clearly defined boundaries, but estimates vary from 140,000 to 210,000 square kilometres - but just where is it?

The end of the arrow indicates approximately the heart of the Pantanal, which is located just inside the
tropical zone, pretty much in the centre of South America, mostly in south-western Brazil.

 The Pantanal lies mostly in the Brazilian states of Mattto Grosso and Matto Grosso do Sul,
though it spills over to minor a degree into both Bolivia and Paraguay. The Rio Piquirí forms the boundaries between the two Brazilian states. As is obvious, road access is very limited - more on that anon. Today's post will deal only with the northern section, in Mato Grosso. (Map courtesy hot-map.com).

The Panatanal is essentially a vast ephemeral wetland - some 80% of the flood plains disappear under about a metre and a half of water each year, though it can be up to five metres deep in places. Its area is 15 times that of the (justly) famed wildlife haven of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. However an area that large is not homogenous, and various habitats are recognised, including several major rivers with associated gallery forests, permanent lakes, swamps which expand and contract with the rains, open grasslands and the woodlands of the cerrado, which both flood annually, and drier deciduous and semi-deciduous forests on higher ground.

Grassland and forest patches on higher ground, from observation tower, Pousada Piuval.
(Pousada simply means a guesthouse, or lodge; like the others, this one is a working cattle station,
but supports remarkable wildlife.)

One astonishing aspect of the area (to me at least) is that almost none of it is formally protected; there is one small park in Brazil, covering less than 3% of the Brazilian Pantanal (see on the map just south-west of Porto Joffre) and some protected areas in Paraguay and Bolivia. Beyond that it is all private grazing land, where fortunately landowners are increasingly seeing the value of ecotourism and providing some excellent lodges and wildlife viewing opportunities, which of course means they are managing for wildlife too. Some of these are also apparently committed to protecting the habitat for its own sake.

In 1976 an ambitious plan was launched to build a highway right through the Pantanal, from Cuiabá in the north to Corumbá in the south-west. Unfortunately the planners seem to have overlooked the existence of the impressive Cuiabá River, or perhaps they simply ran out of money at that stage; either way the Transpantaneira Highway ends, after 148km and 120 bridges, at tiny Porto Joffre (also known as Porto Jofre). The southern section - 60% of the Brazilian Pantanal - has no access road to join lodges, so travel is much more difficult; as mentioned, I'll be able to report further on that later in the year!

It's probably more than time now to deliver the promised brief overview of the habitats and some of their particularly striking inhabitants. There is, as I've mentioned, too much for one posting, so I'll start with the drier habitats. That may well be leaving the best to last, but there was plenty to enthrall us in the grasslands, woodlands and drier forests!

Cerrado, Pousada Alegre. As elsewhere the grasslands and open woodlands tend to merge into one another.
They have some very exciting inhabitants.

Greater Rhea Rhea americana, Pousada Piuval.
Common and tolerant of people, this is a much bigger bird than the little Darwin's Rhea R. pennataof the far south that I'm more familiar with.

Red-legged Seriema Cariama cristata, Pousada Piuval.
One of the first birds we saw, and was I excited?! (Yes.)
Big mostly ground-living hunters of small animals, this one and the closely-related
Black-legged Seriema are the only members not only of their Family, but an entire Order.

Campo Flicker Colaptes campestris.The flickers are group of seven species of mostly ground-dwelling American woodpeckers in this genus, and I think this one is especially handsome!

While we're on woodpeckers - a group I'm especially fond of and which don't live in Australia - here are a few more.

Pale-crested Woodpecker Celeus lugubris.This beauty is not found much outside the Pantanal.

Cream-coloured Woodpecker Celeus flavus, Pixaim River.
She (he has a red moustache, or malar stripe if you'd prefer) was in gallery forest along the river bank.

White Woodpecker Melanerpes candidus, Pousada Piuval.
This one, a specialty of grassy woodlands, instantly became one of my favourite woodpeckers!

Green-barred Woodpecker Colaptes melanochloros, Pousada Arara, a flicker relative from the dry forests.

And maybe that's enough woodpeckers? Oh all right, just one more then...

White-wedged Piculet Picumnus albosquamatus, along the Transpantaneira Highway.
Tiny, like all piculets, this one is only 10cm long and weighs around 10 grams.

Parrots are also a glorious feature of the Pantanal, with one above all others starring; the huge Hyacinth Macaw Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus at a metre long is the longest living parrot, and only the flightless New Zealand Kakapo is heavier. Habitat loss and the insidious pet trade have shattered its numbers, but the Pantanal is its stronghold and it is in many ways the poster bird of the region.

Hyacinth Macaws, Pousada Arara; arara is Portuguese for macaw, and most lodges
have at least one pair breeding in the vicinity.

Golden-collared Macaw Primolius auricollis. This much smaller macaw's range extends from the Pantanal west into Bolivia.

White-eyed Parakeet Psittacara leucophthalmus, Pousada Piuval.
Unlike the previous two parrots, this one is found across much of the northern part of the continent,
and flocks of them hang around the lodges.

Monk Parakeets Myiopsitta monachus, at the entrance (or one of them) to their big colonial stick nest
along the Transpantaneira. They are unique among parrots in this.
Escapes from cages in Europe and North America have formed big urban populations.

Cracids are a Family of large South and Central American birds - guans, curassows and chachalacas - which are in the same Order as fowls. Many have suffered heavily from hunting, but they are present and conspicuous in the Pantanal.

Bare-faced Curassows Crax fasciolata, Pousada Arara;
female above, and male below.
These birds have become habituated to people.

 

Chestnut-bellied Guan Penelope ochrogaster.A Brazilian endemic, it is a listed Threatened Species, and even in the Pantanal it is scarce.

Red-throated Piping Guan Pipile cujubi, a big handsome guan.
Some sources suggest that only the Blue-throated Piping Guan P. cumanensis is present; others that
White-throated Piping Guan P. grayi is also present, plus hybrids!
I understand why some taxonomists just hide their heads in their hands and lump them all as one species, Common Piping Guan P. pipile! However both Avibase and Handbook of the Birds of the World
make it clear that this is within the range of Red-throated, so I have no reason to call this anything else;
despite a blue trim to the throat in this bird, neither of the other species has red there,
so I'm going with the evidence.
(My thanks to my friend Martin for helping me through this taxonmic tangle.)

Chaco Chachalaca Ortalis canicollis. There are gangs of these everywhere, and like all chachalacas they comment loudly,
rudely and incessantly on everything.

Pousada Arara runs a little roadside cafe-bar - the only one on the highway - and a bird bath there attracts a most impressive array of birds, especially in the dry season. Here are some.

Chestnut-eared Aracaris Pteroglossus castanotis; aracaris, all in this genus, form
a group of smaller colourful toucans. Toucans will get their own post here one day.

Crested Oropendola Psarocolius decumanus. Oropendolas are a group of large, colonial-nesting
icterids (or North American blackbirds, whose ancestors arrived in South America a few million years
ago when the Isthmus of Panama arose).
This is an impressive bird, but the crest? Well not quite so much....

Purplish Jay Cyanocorax cyanomelas; not at all shy!

Yellow-billed Cardinal Paroaria capitata. One of the most prominent birds in the Pantanal, and a delightful one.

The Streaked Flycatcher Myiodynastes maculatus, is widespread in the Pantanal and beyond.

Grey-necked Wood Rail Aramides cajaneus.While this big rail is far from the hardest rail to see, it's not usually this easy!

And with that we'd better look at some other animals while someone is (I hope) still reading...

Crab-eating Fox Cerdocyon thous, hunting frogs in the grounds of the lodge at Pousada Piuval.
These South American foxes are not very closely related to northern hemisphere foxes.

 South American Coatis Nasua nasua. Highly sociable members of the raccoon family,
they hunt a range of prey. I couldn't get very near to this group.

Black-striped Tufted Capuchin Sapajus libidinosus (formerly lumped with the more widespread
Brown Capuchin). This chap was eating green mangoes, which might explain his grumpy demeanour.

Black-tailed Marmoset Mico melanurus, a diurnal tree sap specialist whose range is centred
on the Pantanal.

Brown (or Grey) Brocket Deer Mazama gouazoubira Pousada Alegre; a small deer
and one of four species found in the Pantanal.

Black (or Black and White) Tegu Salvator merianae, Family Teiidae, along the Transpantaneira Highway.
These are big lizards, up to a metre long and massive, filling the niche of goannas (or monitors) in
some other parts of the world. They are often seen around the lodges.

Another member of the same Family, which I've not yet been able to identify.

Red-footed Tortoise Chelonoidis carbonarius, sprinting across the Highway.
This lovely tortoise - and we only saw one - is another Threatened Species, and again the illegal pet trade
is complicit in its decliine.

Wasp nests: Pousada Piuval above,
armadillo wasps, along the Transpantaneira, below.
I was advised that both are well worth not disturbing!

Butterflies enjoying the benefits of cow pats, above and below.

 

OK, I'm sorry that wasn't perhaps the most tasteful way to conclude, so perhaps something a little more romantic to end on.

Amorous millipedes, Posada Piuval.

I hope you're still there - or if you've left, you've done so to rush off to the fabulous Pantanal. And before you say something like "hey, what about the ....?!", remember I'll be back next week with some delights associated with the Pantanal's wonderful swamps and rivers. Hope you can be here for that.

NEXT POSTING THURSDAY.

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Farewell to 2017!

Continuing my tradition of recent years, to mark the changeover of years I've selected just one photo from each month of 2017. As ever I don't make any pretences to photographic excellence, but have chosen the pictures because of their associations, and in most cases because they are ones I've not previously used this year in a blog posting.

It's been another busy year with some exciting natural highlights; as I get older I feel increasingly the need to make the most of every month of every year. I hope you can enjoy my selection of 2017 photos, and maybe it can encourage you to think about your own highlights.

JANUARY

A tailed weevil Rhinotia sp. (probably suturalis or brunnea, but I don't know enough to be sure), family Belidae.
I was delighted when I came across this lovely weevil in a bushland area known as Bluett's Block, not far from
where I live in Canberra, as I'd not seen anything like it before, and this is an area I've recently started exploring.
I've learnt that the group tends to specialise in acacias, but beyond that we don't seem to know much about them.

 FEBRUARY

White-lipped Snake Drysdalia coronoides, Yerrabi Track, Namadgi National Park.
This is a lovely little snake, the most cold-adapted in Australia, and one I don't see all that often, though
it's not uncommon in the high country of the Australian Capital Territory (and from New England in northern
New South Wales south to Tasmania). This was a highlight of a most enjoyable summer walk in the
Snow Gums of the southern part of our territory.

MARCH

Grey Goshawk Accipiter novaehollandiae, Tomakin, south coast New South Wales.
A wet weekend at the coast was greatly enhanced by this magnificent bird - which I'd never
successfully laid lens on before - perched on the powerlines in the pouring rain
by the busy highway.

 APRIL

Golden Orb Weaver Nephila edulis, Duffy, Canberra.
This handsome lady was too busy wrapping up dinner - an unfortunate fly - to notice us watching her
at close range from our balcony; she probably wasn't particularly aware either of the little male spider
in the web by her feet, hoping for some scraps. I loved the way the web glowed golden in the sunlight.

   MAY

The view south from Cooleman Ridge Nature Reserve.
Another walk, this one in autumn, and much closer to home. In fact Cooleman Ridge is the closest reserve to our house.
The purple hue in the Red Boxes Eucalyptus polyanthemos was the sun's reflection from
 hundreds of thousands of buds ready to survive winter and burst into spring flowers.
The looming hill behind is Mount Tennent, in the far north of Namadgi National Park.
A reminder of how lucky we are to live in the 'bush capital', where everyone lives close to such a reserve.

JUNE

Rose Robin Petroica rosea, Nowra, southern New South Wales.
At my partner's parents' home on the outskirts of town; this glowing little bird, not a common garden bird,
spent a morning flitting around the lawn and perched on the clothesline. A delight.

JULY

Indri Indri indri, the largest of all living lemurs, Antasibe-Mantadia NP, eastern Madagascar.
Tragically, this magnificent animal, which communicates by singing duets, is listed as Critically Endangered;
hopefully this baby will survive with its parents and siblings and in time start its own family.
Spending time with these superb animals early in the trip was a high point of a
thrilling but challenging trip to Madagascar.

 AUGUST

Giant Day Gecko Phelusma grandis Ankarana National Park, northern Madagascar.
Madagascar is home to 110 known gecko species, a number rising by the year, 90% of them endemic.
This is more than double the species of Australia, which is some 13 times the size.
One group, representing a third of the island's species, has reverted to diurnal living, with smaller eyes and
often remarkable colours. This one was in the park, but we also had a couple of these jewels in
our cabin at the edge of the park.

 SEPTEMBER

Box-leaf Wattle Acacia buxifolia Black Mountain Nature Reserve, Canberra.
This was a disappointing spring for wildflowers in Canberra, with very little rain and almost no orchids, but
it started promisingly, and we can always rely on the wattles! I remember on this early spring day
being filled with the optimistic enthusiasm that spring always brings me.

 OCTOBER

Inca Tern Larosterna inca, Pucusana, south of Lima, Peru. Restricted to the cold Humboldt Current of
Peru and Chile, it must surely be the most glorious tern in the world. We went south as soon as we got to Peru,
and on the first afternoon did a memorable boat trip round the rocky headlands and islets of this little
fishing village, steeped in seabirds, with the Inca Terns the stars for me.

NOVEMBER

Jaguar Panthera onca, Three Brothers River, Pantanal, western Brazil.
Surely my wildlife highlight of the year, after a decade of looking for Jaguars in Peru and Ecuador,
when we were able to follow, in a small boat, three adult cubs and their mother as they walked along
the river bank  through the forest, probably hunting caimans.
I'll never forget the moment this big youngster stopped and stared closely at us for a few seconds
before returning to more important issues.

 DECEMBER  

Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa, Jerrabomberra Wetlands, Canberra.
Probably Australia's rarest duck, with no close relatives, it nonetheless visits Canberra relatively regularly
in small numbers, especially when it's been dry in its heartlands to the west of here.
I'm always very pleased to see them.

So, that was my 2017 - or rather that's one version of it. As I said at the start, I hope this can prompt you to your own reverie of your natural history year.

Thank you for doing me the honour of reading this, whether you're a regular or you've just come across this. I hope you find your way back to this blog in 2018; meantime, have a happy and exciting start to 2018 - naturally!

NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 11 JANUARY.

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