FAUNA PARAGUAY BIRDWATCHING WILDLIFE AND ECO-TOURS TIROL DAY TRIP

Main Targets:
This is essentially an educational trip in which you will learn about the Atlantic forest ecosystem and the threats that the forest faces. Birdwatchers may hope to see Blue and Band-tailed Manakin, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Surucua Trogon, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow and Rufous-capped Motmot amongst others.

Recommended duration:
This is a full-day or half-day trip.

Best time to visit:
This day-trip is available year round.

Itinerary:
(Half-day from Encarnación)
Day 1 - Departure from hotel at 5.30am, bird-watching Hotel Tirol and return to hotel c11pm.

(Full-day from Encarnación)
Day 1 - Departure from hotel at 5.30am, bird-watching Hotel Tirol and return to hotel c7pm.

(Itineraries are subject to change according to levels of animal activity or client´s preference.)

What else might we see?:
Hotel Tirol is an atmospheric old hotel set in 20ha of near virgin Atlantic Forest. Just 15km outside of the city of Encarnación it is the perfect place to become acquainted with the unique bird communities of the Atlantic Forest. Here we will focus particularly on the Atlantic Forest endemics, the birds that are found only in this habitat and which occur nowhere else on earth. Some 238 species have been recorded in this small forest and new species are added to the list annually.
Hotel Tirol perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the Atlantic Forest without ever having to stray too far from the hotel bar! Even from the balcony it is possible to admire the colourful mixed flocks that skip through the tree-tops, species such as Purple-throated, Chestnut-bellied and Violaceous Euphonias, Blue Dacnis, Blue-naped Chlorophonias and Swallow-Tanagers, mixing with Tropical Parula, Guira Tanager and hyperactive Chestnut-vented Conebill. Circling in the skies above the canopy you might expect to see Sick´s and Grey-rumped Swifts, vultures and with a little luck other raptors including Swallow-tailed Kite, Laughing Falcon, Rufous-thighed Kite and Short-tailed Hawk. Heading into the forest you´ll need your wits about you, the birds here can be secretive and many don´t like to give themselves up easily. Species like Plain Antvireo, Variable Antshrike, Rufous-capped and Grey-bellied Spinetails are common enough but require patience to see, others such as Black-goggled and Ruby-crowned Tanagers, White-browed and Golden-crowned Warblers will come to us - they like to let you know they are watching you as well! One of the golden rules of birding in the Atlantic forest is that the more time you spend looking the more you will see, biodiversity is so high here that there are always rewards for the persistent birder. We may spook Tataupa Tinamous or White-tipped Dove feeding on a forest trail for example, whilst Rufous-capped Motmot and Squirrel Cuckoos are surprisingly good at evading detection despite their size. Antbirds are amongst the best represented bird families in the Atlantic Forest, but all are more easily heard than seen - species like White-shouldered Fire-eye, Short-tailed Antthrush, Tufted Antshrike and Rufous-winged Antwren will be amongst those that we will be hunting down. And then of course there are everybody´s favourites, the lovely Manakins, with two species present in the forest, Band-tailed and Blue Manakin, both will literally take your breath away. For tickers we will come across a host of dull-coloured forest flycatchers, species like Sepia-capped, Bran-coloured, Fuscous, Euler´s etc etc, then there are Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulets, Piratic, Grey-hooded and Variegated Flycatchers - the list goes on and on, and I haven´t even mentioned the Furnarids yet - notably the White-eyed, Buff-fronted and Ochre-breasted Foliage-gleaners. But for those who just like to look at colourful birds there is more than enough to keep us busy, with the trusting Surucua Trogon, sociable Chestnut-eared Aracaris, the imposing Red-ruffed Fruitcrow and you can´t fail to be impressed by the vocal abilities of Plush-crested Jays and Red-rumped Caciques.
During the afternoon we will be looking more closely at the forest ecosystem as a whole and the role of the differing animals within it. We will learn about the importance of the Atlantic Forest on a global, national and local scale and the conservation threats that it faces. Having spent the morning looking at the larger and more eyecatching forest inhabitants we will concentrate on the smaller members of the forest animal community, looking at the roles of invertebrates and the fascinating strategies that they employ in order to survive in this competitive environment. We will discuss the roles of humans in the Atlantic Forest, both historically and today, and learn how differing attitudes can have an enormous effect on the environment. Finally we will talk about what the future holds and what we can all do to make sure that it is a bright one.