Part I of our Brazilian odyssey began on October 2, 2011, when we traveled from Iguaçu Falls to Curitiba and headed south from there to Itapoã. We photographed this Whistling Heron during a late afternoon birding stop near Garuva before heading to the Pousada Villa da Gloria to spend the night. This photo shows the bird's distinctive coloration with its blue-colored bare-skinned ocular area and its black tipped (distal one-third) red bill. The bird's neck is a golden color and the back is blue-grey. A melodious whistle differentiates this species from the coarse, raspy calls of most herons. Temperatures were in the mid-70's on this partly cloudy day.