Stripe-breasted Starthroat (Heliomaster squamosus) - 15Feb2026

We first saw this Starthroat species while looking for the endemic Sao Francisco Sparrow and I was super excited to get what I thought was a hard to get endemic hummingbird.  Brazil doesn't have many lodges with hummingbird feeders for some reason or another, so most times it's necessary to find the bird in its native habitat.  Then a few days later at Lajedo dos Beija-Flores in Boa Nova we realized that this hummingbird was one of the regulars at the feeders and I was able to greatly improve on my photos. There are 4 Starthroat species in this genus.

Sao Francisco Sparrow (Arremon franciscanus) - 13Feb2026

This Near Threatened (IUCN Criteria) sparrow is a Brazilian endemic with a very small range in the Sao Francisco river valley between Bahia and Minas Gerais States.  We were searching for him for a while peering into the undergrowth while trying to triangulate from his song.  It turns out it was right above our heads singing from a branch. There are 22 species in the genus Arremon with names ending in Sparrow, Finch and Brush Finch. 

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.