Fazenda San Francisco

Aiming to attend and satisfy clients with such special characteristics, Fazenda San Francisco is preparing itself to receive birdwatchers. The first step was the beginning of a surveying of the local birds. Preliminary results have shown that Fazenda San Francisco has great potential for the birding activity. The actual birdlist already accounts for 339 species, with several endangered birds like: Hyacinthine Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), Red-legged Seriema (Cariama cristata), Comb duck (Sakidiornis melanotos), Black-and-white Hawk-eagle (Spizastur melanoleucus), Hooded Siskin (Carduelis magellanicus), among others.

Another important discovery of this research was to observe that Fazenda San Francisco is a strategic place for resting and feeding of dozens of migratory birds. Species coming from the Northern hemisphere like Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) and sandpipers. But also several migratory birds from the Southern hemisphere like Coscoroba (Coscoroba coscoroba), South American Stilt (Himantopus melanurus), Common Snipe (Gallinago paraguaiae), and some flycatchers (Long-tailed Tyrant Colonia colonus, Fork-tailed Flycatcher Tyrranus savanna and Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus). Some of these species come in hundreds and even in thousands, staying for months in the area until their return to their breeding grounds.

Some of the reasons for the great number of birds are: abundance of food resources and different environments found within the fazenda. Here you can find open fields and “vazantes”, semi-deciduous Forest, savannas and wetlands like creeks, river, oxbow lakes, channels and irrigated rice fields.

Fazenda Baía das Pedras

The Hotel Fazenda Baía das Pedras is a pioneer in exercising  birds observation in Nhecolândia. Preliminary researches have shown there are more than 180 species of birds to be met on the farm, consequently there is a pretty good potential for birdwatching. Rare and threatened by extinction species of birds are easily found here. Among them are: Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus); Bare-faced Curassow (Crax faciolata), Red Legged Seriema (Cariama Cristata).

Immense environmental diversity of Baía das Pedras, including ebb tides and bays, open fields and “Cordilheira” with Forest and Savanna vegetation, propitiate a huge variety of birds.

Most common species to be found on bays and ebb tides are Jabiru Stork (Jabiru mycteria), Great (common) Egret (Egretta alba), Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja), Maguari Stork (Mycteria maguari), Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata), American Wood Stork (Mycteria americana), etc. Greater Rhea (Rhea americana), Red Legged Seriema (Cariama cristata), Hawks, Eagles and Falcons (Falconidae and Accipitridae), Small- billed Tinamou (Crypturellus parvirostris), Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis), to mention just a few, are quite easily seen in open fields and Savannas whereas Piping-guan (Pipile cumanensis), Chaco Chalalaca (Ortalis canicollis), Blue and Yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna), Red and Green Macaw (Ara chloroptera) are observed in the forests. So to say, hundreds of birds from different habitats.

The work on Baía das Pedras birdlist started in October, 2005. The very first observation procedure showed there was a fantastic number of birds to be encounterd on the farm.

The Hotel Fazenda Baía das Pedras has partnership with NGOs as well as various research institutions. We intend to carry out certain scientific projects that may help to preserve and study local flora and fauna. We take conservation of the Pantanal as our main goal.