Getting To Cristalino Is Half The Fun

Yeah, I know – “Getting there is half the fun” seems like a cliche but in this case it’s very true!  The adventure starts when you take the shuttle from Floresta Amazonica to the river where you board a shuttle boat to Cristalino Lodge.

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There were a few other people in the boat, one of which appeared to be a guide from a large tour operator as he had an American accent but knew literally every bird flying over head and every bird call.  He was speaking to his group, but when I heard him say “Mealy Parrots” and point overhead even before the boat left the dock, I knew we were in for a treat!

I did my best to grab some photos as the boat traveled down the river but my shots are pretty bad.  At least they may give a hint of what to expect!

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Around Alta Floresta Town

Alta Floresta is a pretty small town but if you are on a Cristalino package, on the day you leave the lodge, they will bring you to a traditional Brazilian Kilogram restaurant where you serve up your own food, then they charge you according to the weight of the food.  It doesn’t matter if you have a plate full of steak or rice, it’s all the same price per kg!  The cost of the meal is included on your check out day, but since we were there early, we tagged along with the departing group at our own expense.  It was pretty cheap, certainly less than $15 for us both including a soft drink.

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Driving along the main drag, we spotted some pretty cool phone booths!  A01 A02 A10

There is a small grocery store and you can ask them to stop there if you want to buy some drinks and snacks.  Otherwise, not really much to do in town so better to spend your time birding the grounds of the Floresta Amazonica!

Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja)

The Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) is a neotropical species of eagle.  It is sometimes known as the American harpy eagle to distinguish it from the Papuan eagle, which is sometimes known as the New Guinea harpy eagle or Papuan harpy eagle.  It is the largest and most powerful raptor found in the Americas, and among the largest extant species of eagles in the world.

We were extremely fortunate to visit Alta Floresta at a time when there was a Harpy Eagle pair with a chick in the nest.  This youngster is probably more of a “teenager” now.  Only one parent was guarding the chick from a short distance away while we were below watching them.

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Harpy Eagles have a large range throughout South America but they are still considered threatened due to habitat loss.  If there is one or more in the area you are visiting, all the local guides will know about it as they are one of the most sought-after birds by birders.  The pair at the Floresta Amazonica Hotel is not there every year so contact them before booking if this bird is a deal-breaker.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT HARPY EAGLES

Wikipedia

Birdlife

American Bird Conservancy

PBS

VIDEOS

You can really appreciate the strength and power of the Harpy Eagle in this close-up.

You may not want to mess with Mama but this baby Harpy Eagle is adorable!

 

Crimson-bellied Parakeet (Pyrrhura perlata)

The crimson-bellied parakeet (Pyrrhura perlata), more commonly known as the crimson-bellied conure in aviculture has a confusing taxonomic history. It was formerly known as Pyrrhura rhodogaster, but following a review it was discovered that the type specimen for P. perlata, long believed to belong to the closely related pearly parakeet, actually was a juvenile crimson-bellied parakeet. Consequently, P. perlata was transferred to this species, while P. rhodogaster became a junior synonym.

I got a few shots at Alta Floresta but for the close-up I have to use the Wikipedia shot.  They were being annoyingly camera shy!

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They are found exclusively in Brazil and northern Bolivia.  The easiest place to see them in the wild is the grounds of the Floresta Amazonica Hotel in Alta Floresta.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT CRIMSON-BELLIED PARAKEETS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Neotropical Birds

VIDEOS

This little guy almost looks like he is wearing a crimson coloured singlet!

If you are under 18, don’t click on this one!  Suffice to say, these birds weren’t shy!

 

 

The Birds Of Alta Floresta, Brazil

Everyone who is headed to Cristalino passes through Alta Floresta so isn’t it lucky that the sister hotel, Floresta Amazonica is surrounded by prime birding habitat as well?  Have a look at some of the beauties we saw back in Sept 2012!

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We were very lucky to see a Harpy Eagle chick and one parent hanging around their nest!  They aren’t there every year so we were fortunate indeed!

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Crimson-bellied Conures are the flagship species of Floresta Amazonica and they are usually seen in the morning and late afternoon around the grounds.  They are a bit shy so it was hard to get a good shot but we did see quite a few of them.  They are called “Tiriba” in Portuguese and the restaurant is named for them.

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There were several species of hummingbird, unfortunately I didn’t take notes as to which ones.B27

This is a trail leading from the hotel on the far right hand side as you stand at reception and face the swimming pool, then walk to the right.  Just keep walking down this trail and you will see lots of birds!  This was late in the afternoon and I lost the light so sorry about the silhouettes!B32 B33 B34 B35 B36 B37 B38 B39 B43 B45 B47 B50 B52 B55 B57 B58 B62 B63 B65 B66 B71 B68

 

Lodge Review: Floresta Amazonica, Alta Floresta, Brazil

The Floresta Amazonica Hotel makes a great welcome to the Cristalino experience and I highly recommend at least a night here before or after visiting Cristalino.  We arrived by bus from Cuiaba and the hotel staff picked us up at the bus station and brought us back in time for a wonderful breakfast buffet (only included if you are staying the previous night, otherwise payable separately).  We had gotten a bit of sleep on the bus and were re-energized after breakfast to walk around the hotel grounds.  There was a rare Harpy Eagle nesting in the grounds and they said to be back by 10am to join the guide to go see them so we didn’t stray too far.

Our actual stay was after the Cristalino Lodge for only 1 night (wish it could have been more).

Hotel entrance

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Gotta love a restaurant named after the beautiful Crimson-bellied Conure called Tiriba in Portuguese.A04

Magazines in lobbyA05

Artwork in lobbyA06

Time to go birding!A07

Grounds in front of the hotelA025

Rooms facing nice bird habitatA046

Our room was decent sized but to be honest we only slept there – too many birds to find!A047

In Sept it got hot in the afternoon so we swam in the lovely pool until it cooled off a bit.A043 A044

Some fruit trees that attract birdsA045

Stand by for more details of the birds we found!