Guyana - probably the best lowland Amazonian birding? (1 Viewer)

madpitta · Dec 17, 2019

Hello all,

I recently did a comprehensive birding trip to Guyana. Detailed trip report with about 50 pictures, detailed diary and location info in the link below:

https://www.cloudbirders.com/be/download?filename=BARUAH_Guyana_0910_2019.pdf

This itinerary has so many special birds that I think it is one of the best lowland birding options anywhere. Imho it requires an extended ‘top’ list – not 5, not 10, but 25. And it still doesn’t capture all the specialties (saw 4 puffbirds but none made it to this list - thats how awesome it is). My top-25:

Rufous-winged Ground Cuckoo
Sun Parakeet
Capuchinbird
Crimson Fruitcrow
Red Siskin
Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock
White-winged Potoo
Guianan Toucanet 
Blue-backed Tanager
Rufous Potoo
Pelzeln’s Tody-Tyrant
Red-and-black Grosbeak
Guianan Red Cotinga
Crimson Topaz
Hoary-throated Spinetail
Rio Branco Antbird
Blood-coloured Woodpecker
Rufous Crab Hawk
Grey-winged Trumpeter 
Crestless Curassow
Agami Heron
Crimson-hooded Manakin
Spotted Antpitta 
Rufous-throated Antbird

Enjoy!
-Pritam.

foresttwitcher · Dec 17, 2019

Great report!

dandsblair · Dec 20, 2019

Nice report

John mentioned you had seen the Crimson Fruitcrow and Ground Cuckoo a week or so before we arrived at Atta and went on to Surama - not a bit jealous ;-).

madpitta · Dec 20, 2019

dandsblair said:
John mentioned you had seen the Crimson Fruitcrow and Ground Cuckoo a week or so before we arrived at Atta and went on to Surama - not a bit jealous ;-).

I think we are following each other. Last year Ethiopia and this year Guyana, both around the same time.

About the 2 megas you mention, they came after relentless pursuit that almost felt as if we brute forced our luck but end of the day, luck is luck - that's apparent in the diary of the report. Otoh, I missed a few that most seem to get (Dusky Purpletuft, Crested Doradito).

dandsblair · Dec 21, 2019

We also missed the Purpletuft

madpitta said:
I think we are following each other. Last year Ethiopia and this year Guyana, both around the same time.

About the 2 megas you mention, they came after relentless pursuit that almost felt as if we brute forced our luck but end of the day, luck is luck - that's apparent in the diary of the report. Otoh, I missed a few that most seem to get (Dusky Purpletuft, Crested Doradito).

We also missed the Purpletuft despite it being on the target list.

STS · Dec 24, 2019

A hugely enjoyable report; thanks for posting it.

madpitta · Dec 28, 2019

STS said:
A hugely enjoyable report; thanks for posting it.

Thank you.

~P.

MKinHK · Dec 30, 2019

A monster trip and a great report - massively gripped by your two anteater sightings!

Cheers
Mike

fsmith · Feb 21, 2020

Thank you for this terrific report. I'm visiting Guyana soon and your report will be a big help to me. I noted you had trouble with chiggers: forgive me if this is obvious but I recommend using permethrin (either a soak or a spray onto your clothing). I have used it in several countries in South America and in PNG and Indonesia and no chiggers and few mosquitoes. It even repelled leeches in PNG (they climbed into my rubber boots and climbed back out without attaching).

madpitta · Feb 25, 2020

fsmith said:
Thank you for this terrific report. I'm visiting Guyana soon and your report will be a big help to me. I noted you had trouble with chiggers: forgive me if this is obvious but I recommend using permethrin (either a soak or a spray onto your clothing). I have used it in several countries in South America and in PNG and Indonesia and no chiggers and few mosquitoes. It even repelled leeches in PNG (they climbed into my rubber boots and climbed back out without attaching).

I had no idea permethrin worked for chiggers. If its broad enough to work on mosquitos, chiggers, leeches (leeches seem to have a strong tolerance of repellants) etc then I wonder why we don't use it more. Getting one now! Thanks.

Are you set up with Ron?

madpitta · Feb 25, 2020

MKinHK said:
A monster trip and a great report - massively gripped by your two anteater sightings!

Cheers
Mike

Thanks. Its 3 separate sightings actually including a mother with baby and one in the thick of rainforest which is even rarer. Pantanal is a great place to see it but 10 years ago I scoured it and didn't find any. Luck is a strange thing!

Jeff Hopkins · Feb 26, 2020

madpitta said:
Thanks. Its 3 separate sightings actually including a mother with baby and one in the thick of rainforest which is even rarer. Pantanal is a great place to see it but 10 years ago I scoured it and didn't find any. Luck is a strange thing!

Interesting. I missed it in the Panatal, too, but saw quite a few (5 or 6) in Guyana. It really is a spectacular place for them.

etudiant · Feb 26, 2020

madpitta said:
I had no idea permethrin worked for chiggers. If its broad enough to work on mosquitos, chiggers, leeches (leeches seem to have a strong tolerance of repellants) etc then I wonder why we don't use it more. Getting one now! Thanks.

Permethrin treated clothing is pretty effective in my experience for shirts and pants, but leeches found dining opportunities between the weave of the socks.
:C

Perhaps a tighter weave might have worked better, but leech socks look good to me now.

Jeff Hopkins · Feb 27, 2020

etudiant said:
Permethrin treated clothing is pretty effective in my experience for shirts and pants, but leeches found dining opportunities between the weave of the socks.
:C

Perhaps a tighter weave might have worked better, but leech socks look good to me now.

I swear by leech socks. I've lost too many pairs of gym socks by being lazy.

The challenge can be the leeches slipping inside your shirt. There's no such thing as a "leech suit."

Mysticete · Feb 29, 2020

As someone who would eventually like to knock off all the bird families, the Trumpeter has me most jealous. From my online searching IIRC Guyana is the single best place in the world to get a member of that family.

madpitta · Mar 3, 2020

Mysticete said:
As someone who would eventually like to knock off all the bird families, the Trumpeter has me most jealous. From my online searching IIRC Guyana is the single best place in the world to get a member of that family.

Agree. They are reliable in Iwokrama (not very reliable outside the reserve though).

madpitta · Mar 3, 2020

Jeff hopkins said:
I swear by leech socks. I've lost too many pairs of gym socks by being lazy.

The challenge can be the leeches slipping inside your shirt. There's no such thing as a "leech suit."

Haha true that. I have had a leeches lodge on my tummy and even enter into my underwear only because my shirt was untucked. Legs otoh were well protected by leech-socks

.

kb57 · Mar 6, 2020

I used permethrin treated socks, trousers and a shirt in Colombia last year in lowland areas, and didn't get bitten by anything while I was there - I've had more hassle with biting insects in UK. Whether it was the clothing or not is hard to tell, in Rio Claro in particular the main insect life seemed to consist of leaf cutting ants, which don't really bother you if you don't bother them.

Carl Beel · Mar 7, 2020

Mysticete said:
As someone who would eventually like to knock off all the bird families, the Trumpeter has me most jealous. From my online searching IIRC Guyana is the single best place in the world to get a member of that family.

I can also recommend Brownsberg in neighbouring Suriname which has a large group of trumpeters hanging out near the restaurant where they feed on leftover rice. While still wild birds, they are very approachable.

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