In an old deactivated coffee farm in the state of São Paulo, there is an incredible hummingbird hotspot. The owner and guide, Zaga, has already seen 20 species of hummingbird in the backyard of the farm.
I was in July 2023 at the farm for 4 hours and during my visit I saw 10 species of hummingbirds and another 37 species of birds. The hummingbirds highlighted during the visit were the Amethyst Woodstar, White-vented Violetear and the Planalto Hermit, in addition to seeing the ever-present Swallow-tailed hummingbird, Violet-capped Woodnymph and Black Jacobin.
Five minutes by car is located another hotspot taken care of by Zaga where we can observe Stripe-breasted Starthroat (Heliomaster squamosus), Glittering-bellied Emerald (Chlorostilbon Lucidus) and Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Chionomesa lactea).
Winter in the southern hemisphere is always a good time to spot birds in feeders, as they appear more frequently in feeders due to the difficulty of finding food. In the feeder of the farm we could see Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola), Blue Dacnis (Dacnis cayana), Burnished-buff Tanager (Stilpnia cayana), Violaceous Euphonia (Euphonia violacea), Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) and Variable Oriole (Icterus pyrrhopterus).
On the farm it was also possible to see a White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi) and a Barn Owl (Tyto alba), which Zaga showed us where she was sleeping.
It was a very nice birding for me and with many lifers. The farm is located in Monte Alegre do Sul, 2:30 hours by car from the capital São Paulo. It is also worth a walk in the city and in Amparo. The Hotel Prado and the farm’s inn are very good accommodation options. Be sure to visit the Adega Peterlini, that has a lot of regional products and also the Fazenda Atalaia, which produces excellent cheeses.
Lists of birds can be seen on eBird by following the links. List #1 and list #2