East Brazilian Chachalaca (Ortalis araucuan) - 13&23Feb2026

I don't need to describe where this Brazilian endemic lives because it's in the name.  We had them in several spots on my second trip to Brazil including Mucuge and then Porto Seguro in Bahia State.  There are 16 species of Chachalaca in the genus.

Collared Crescentchest (Melanopareia torquata) - 13Feb2026

It was really good to get a second crack at this species after missing on my first trip to Brazil. They have a wide range across central South America in Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil.  However, they are notorious skulkers and difficult to see.  There are 4 species in this genus. We had ours near Mucuge in Bahia State, Brazil. 

Rufous-sided Scrub Tyrant (Euscarthmus rufomarginatus) - 14Feb2026

This little cutie has one main population spread across the middle of South America from Bolivia and Paraguay to east Brazil, and some little disjunct populations in Suriname.  We had them in the rain near Mucugê in Bahia State, Brazil. There are three species in this genus, all equally as cute and living in South America.

Wedge-tailed Grass Finch (Emberizoides herbicola) - 13Feb2026

The Wedge-tailed Grass Finch is a widespread species in most of South America and also Colombia and Panama. There are two other Grass Finches in this genus too, both in South America. I got this one in Chapada Diammantina in Bahia State, Brazil.

Copper Seedeater (Sporophila bouvreuil) - 13Feb2026

The Copper Seedeater is mostly an eastern Brazil species but there are some disjunction populations in Suriname, Paraguay and some vagrants in French Guiana. Although it is widespread, it seems it is not common within its range.  We only saw this species once on our trip to northeast Brazil.  We had this one near Chapada Diamantina in Bahia State. 

Dubois's Seedeater (Sporophila ardesiaca) -13Feb2026

Dubois's Seedeater is a Brazilian endemic in the southeast including Bahia State which is where I got mine.  Some taxonomies have it as a subspecies of Yellow-bellied Seedeater, but the taxonomy of eBird (Clements) has it as a separate species. Dubois's flavor has a more white versus yellow belly and a darker back.  We had this one in the Chapada Diamantina mountain range in Bahia State. 

Smith's Longspur (Calcarius pictus) - 19Sep2026

Smith's Longspur was a long awaited lifer for me and the last of the North American Longspurs to add for my ABA list but also my North Carolina list.  Someone found this beauty at Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge in Currituck County and got the word out.  I couldn't get out there for a week but luckily it stuck around.  They normally breed in far northern Alaska and Canada and spend winters in the US Southern states including Texas and Oklahoma. 

Diamantina Tapaculo (Scytalopus diamantinensis) - 13Feb2026

The Diamantina Tapaculo is an Endangered Brazilian endemic per IUCN criteria only described as a new species in 2007.  It only resides in the Chapada Diamantina in Bahia State.  This little sucker was running around in rock crevices in very poor light so I was lucky to get any shot off at all.  It is one of 49 species of tapaculo in the genus.

Mangrove Rail (Rallus longirostris) - 03Feb2026

Mangrove Rail is an extremely widespread species in Central and South America and consequently has 8 subspecies.  R. l. crassirostris is the subspecies found in Brazil. We had this one and others near Porto do Pecém in Ceara State. They sit in the Rallus genus which has 14 species including its closest relative the Ridgway's Rail which is found primarily in California and Mexico. 

Caatinga Cacholote (Pseudoseisura cristata) - 11Feb2026

The Caatinga Cacholote is a Brazilian endemic in the far east of the country.  They are relatively common in their range.  We had them multiple times in the field, but my best photos were from a random gas station stop.  They are in a genus with 3 other cacholote species. 

Masked Water Tyrant (Fluvicola nengeta) - 23Feb2026

The Masked Water Tyrant is a handsome but common species in two very disjunction populations in South America.  One of the populations is on the west coast in Ecuador, Peru and southwest Colombia.  The other larger population is on the opposite side of the continent in the southeast including Brazil, Paraguay and a small sliver in Argentina.  I saw and photographed a bunch of them on my second trip to Brazil, but oddly enough got my best photos at the hotel we stayed at in Porto Seguro before leaving for the airport. 

 

Cactus or Caatinga Parakeet (Eupsittula cactorum) - 15Feb2026

Cactus Parakeets are a fairly common eastern Brazilian endemic.  We saw them in multiple places on my second trip to Brazil including Lajedo dos Beija-Flores in Boa Nova, Bahia State.  There are 5 species in this genus including the Peach-fronted ones which we also saw on this trip and the first trip.

White-naped Jay (Cyanocorax cyanopogon) - 08Feb2026

This Jay is a Brazilian endemic, found in most of the eastern part of that beautiful country. We had them in multiple places on my second trip to Brazil but as with many other species, my best photos are from Sitio Pau Preto in Potengi, Ceara State.  There are about 20 species in this genus of Jays.

Campo Troupial or Campo Oriole (Icterus jamacaii) - 08Feb2026

This Troupial is an endemic to eastern Brazil and quite common across its range.  We had them in multiple locations including Sitio Pau Preto in Potengi, Ceara State which is where I took this photo.  Troupials all belong to the Icterus genus which contains all the western hemisphere Orioles and Troupials.

Scarlet-throated Tanager (Compsothraupis loricata) - 08Feb2026

This beautiful tanager is found in a wide swath of eastern Brazil making it an endemic but one that is fairly common. We had them in several different places, including Sitio Pau Preto in Potengi, Ceara State, Brazil where I took these photos.  This is one of those tanagers that has many of the same behaviors as species from the family Icteridae (Blackbirds) but genetically it is a tanager.  They move around in flocks like blackbirds. It is the only member of its genus.

Ochraceous Piculet (Picumnus limae) - 05Feb2026

Although this Brazilian endemic has a very small range in northeastern Brazil, it apparently is not in too much danger because it can adapt and live in degraded habitats.  We had this one in the center of town in Guaramiranga.  There are 25 species in the Piculet genus which sits firmly in the Woodpecker family.

Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet (Forpus xanthopterygius) - 19Feb2026

The Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet is also known as the Blue-winged Parrotlet which is probably easier to recognize.  We had them numerous times throughout my second trip to Brazil.  They are found all over north and central South America.  I took the below photo in the coastal surfing town of Itacaré in Bahia State, Brazil. 

Black-bellied Antwren (Formicivora melanogaster) - 08Feb2026

The Black-bellied Antwren is found in a wide strip of territory from the Bolivia and Paraguay border to east Brazil.  It has two subspecies. I believe this is the nominate subspecies as the other is found in Bahia State to the south.   I photographed this one at Sitio Pau Preto in Potengi, Ceara State, Brazil.  There are nine species of Antwren in this genus.

Hooded Gnateater (Conopophaga roberti) - 03Feb2026

This is a northeast Brazilian endemic and we only had one shot at it.  Unfortunately the male was very adept at avoiding our lenses although we did get good looks.   The female was quite accommodating.  We had the pair in Serra da Meruoca in Ceara state, Brazil.  There are 10 species in this Gnateater genus.

Ochre-lored Flatbill (Tolmomyias flaviventris) - 08Feb2026

The Ochre-lored Flatbill is one of seven species in the flatbill genus.   Although it is "common" throughout much of the northern half of South America, it is difficult to see and I only have these poor photos to show for it.  We did hear them multiple times, but I suppose we didn't concentrate on getting better looks because it is common.  This is the tragic irony of common birds, they are often neglected and get no press.

Variegated Flycatcher (Empidonomus varius) - 07Feb2026

The Variegated Flycatcher is a widespread flycatcher in South America east of the Andes all the way to the east coast.  It is one of two species in the genus with the other being the Crowned Slaty Flycatcher.  The Variegated Flycatcher can be a victim of reverse migration vagrancy with reports in the USA and Canada.  I say victim because it is theorized that most of these birds end up dead.  However, the majority do migrate correctly and end up in southeast South America during the austral summer.  We had this one at Sitio Pau Preto in Potengi, Ceara state.

Long-billed Wren (Cantorchilus longirostris) - 08Feb2026

This beauty is an eastern Brazil endemic.  We had these amazing looks only at one place, the famous Sitio Pau Preto in Potengi but they have a fairly wide range so I suspected I will run into them again. 

 

Pectoral Sparrow (Arremon taciturnus) - 05Feb2026

This handsome sparrow has a wide range in northeastern South America including the Amazon Basin and northeast Brazil in general.  We saw them in several places, including these amazing looks from a hide at the Refugio do Periquito Cara Suja in Guaramiranga, Brazil.

Ultramarine Grosbeak (Cyanoloxia brissonii) - 08Feb2026

This South American grosbeak species shares a genus with 4 other South American species.  They are found over a wide range in the southeast but also have a disjunction population in the very north (Venezuela).  We had them a few times on our second trip to Brazil with very good looks at Sitio Pau Preto in Potengi which is where this picture was taken.

Moustached Woodcreeper (Xiphocolaptes falcirostris) - 04Feb2026

The Moustached Woodcreeper is a Vulnerable species per the IUCN criteria with two disjunct populations in east Brazil, making it an endemic.  It tends to like really tall trees with bromeliads including palm trees which is where we found ours in Forquilha, Ceara state Brazil.

Crested Becard (Pachyramphus validus) - 04Feb2026

The Crested Becard is a wide-ranging becard east of the Andes range in South America all the way to the northeast coast which is where I saw this one in Forquilha, Ceara state Brazil.   The crest can appear to be relatively flat when the bird is not on alert.  The becard genus contains 17 species.

Plain-breasted Ground Dove (Columbina minuta) - 04Feb2026

The breast isn't the only thing that is plain about this dove.  It has a wide distribution from Mexico down through southeast Brazil. We had this one at a farm in Forquilha, Ceara state Brazil.  There are 9 species in this genus including some that are probably familiar to my readers, like the Inca and Common Ground Dove.

Rufous-sided Crake (Laterallus melanophaius) - 04Feb2026

The Rufous-sided Crake is one of those crakes that can be seen strutting around, but the one we had was being coy.  We had 3-4 different species of crake calling at this one spot, but this Rufous-sided was the only one that gave us any look at all.  They have a wide distribution across much of the eastern half of South American and then some.   I got this shot at a small farm pond in Forquilha, Ceara state Brazil.

Pale Baywing (Agelaioides fringillarius) - 04Feb2026

The Pale Baywing is a northeastern Brazilian endemic and is one of two species in the genus with the other being the Grayish Baywing which is not endemic to Brazil.  They were split from a common species in the 2010's.  I think we saw them a couple times on my second trip to Brazil but only well at one spot in Forquilha, Ceara state.

Chestnut-capped Blackbird (Chrysomus ruficapillus) - 13&17Feb2026

This is a widespread bird across much of the eastern half of South America.  It is one of only two birds in the genus with the other being Yellow-hooded Blackbird, not to be confused with Yellow-headed Blackbird.  The Chestnut-capped Blackbird can be found in different habitats including some roadside stops, so keep your eyes and ears open when traveling the Brazilian countryside.

Red-cowled Cardinal (Paroaria dominicana) - 07Feb2026

The Red-cowled Cardinal is one of 6 in the Paroaria genus which are all "cardinals" that are really tanagers (Thraupidae family).  All of them have some combination of red on their heads.  All of them are native to South America and the Red-cowled is endemic to northeast Brazil.  We saw these in many different places on my second trip to Brazil, but I can say that the set up for photography was best at Sitio Pau Preto in Potengi.  The guy who set the feeders up at this place knew what he was doing so that birds were on natural settings and had the perfect background.   Thanks Bob!

Grey-breasted Parakeet (Pyrrhura griseipectus) - 04Feb2026

It's hard to imagine that this gregarious parakeet is Endangered per IUCN criteria because when we saw them in Guaramiranga there were tons of them and they were loud and up close.  However, it is estimated there are only 400-600 mature individuals left.  Thankfully due to efforts by conservationists to provide nest boxes, they seem to be rebounding.  They are endemic to Brazil. 

The very limited range.  

Gray-headed Spinetail (Cranioleuca semicinerea) - 05Feb2026

This unique looking spinetail is endemic to northeast Brazil, which is where I saw this one in Guaramiranga.  Unique because most spinetails have some rufous or brown coloring on their heads with just a couple exceptions.   The males and females do not differ in plumage which is also unique for spinetails.  There are 20 species in this particular genus.

Guianan Tyrannulet (Zimmerius acer) - 04Feb2026

Despite the name, this little bird can be found in a bunch of countries in northeast South America including Brazil which is where I saw mine in Guaramiranga.  The genus includes 13 species of tyrannulet.