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Colombia is one of the two most diverse countries for birds on the
planet along with Peru and Brazil. North of Ecuador the Andes branches
into 3 distinct mountain chains, separated by the Cauca and Magdalena
valleys, each with its endemic avifauna.. We know that for a long
time birders have looked longingly at Colombia’s ever growing list
of birds and of the great number of endemics¬over 60 of them¬ found
only within the country, plus there are many other near-endemics
in the west that barely extend beyond Colombia’s borders into Panama
and Ecuador. Mention of Colombia conjures images of Emeralds, Coffee,
Vallenato music, Guerillas and Cocaine and indeed like many developing
countries Colombia is in flux. The majority of the country is now
back to normal and as safe as almost anywhere one can travel in
Latin America. A few areas, notably along the frontier with Ecuador,
and east of the Andes remain problematic, but we do not visit these
areas or areas anywhere near them. We were the first Birding company
to return and we have been monitoring the situation form just over
the border in Peru! We make no excuse for concentrating on endemics
in the Colombian Andes, and the tour does not concern itself with
common coastal and Amazonian birds, though the route we take we
do not ignore anything that pops up in front of us. The trip is
based on visits to reserves that protect the last remaining forests
and habitats of some of the most endangered birds in the world.
The areas and reserves we visit are in safe areas and we have scouted
the areas very well with our friends from the Colombian NGO ProAves
who keep us informed day by day of any changes in the political
climate. Colombians are open and friendly people, and this coupled
with the endemics we will see make it a must-do trip.
See our Trip
Reports from our previous tours.
| Day 1: |
| Arrival in Bogotá and transfer to our hotel. Your guide will meet you at the Hotel. |
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| Day 2: |
We
will begin our trip with a visit to the Chingaza National
Park, a large and spectacular park east of Bogotá. We’ll be
biridng at around 3000 meters elevation. This beautiful park
serves as a major watershed and water source for the city
of Bogotá and, as such, preserves a wonderful cross section
of mid- and high-elevation humid forest and also distinctive
páramo vegetation which is covered in parts with Espeletia
sp. (frailejón), a fuzzy-leaved Asteraceae. In these plants
we’ll look for the enigmatic Bearded Helemetcrest .The park
provides refuge for the threatened Flame-winged (Brown-breasted)
Parakeet (Endemic) Other species we may see include Black-chested
Buzzard-Eagle; Tyrian Metaltail; Amethyst-throated (Longeumares)
Sunangel, White-chinned Thistletail; Pearled Treerunner; Strong-billed
Woodcreeper; Tawny Antpitta; Mattoral Tapaculo(Endemic); Ocellated
Tapaculo, Black-capped Tyrannulet; White-throated and White-banded
Tyrannulets; Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant; Gray-breasted Wood-Wren;
Rufous Wren, Superciliaried and Black-capped hemispingus;
Scarlet-bellied and Buff-breasted mountain-tanager; Rufous-browed
Conebill (Endemic); Blue-backed Conebill; Glossy Flowerpiercer;
Slaty, Pale-naped, and Stripe-headed Brush-finch; Golden-faced
Whitestart (Endemic) and Black-crested Warbler and Northern
Mountain Cacique. We return to Bogota for the night. |
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| Day 3: |
| Early
breakfast in hotel. Dawn to 9:00 am we shall visit La Florida
Park in search of Apolinar’s Marsh-wren and Bogotá Rail and
common Andean wetland birds. We’ll also be on the lookout
for Rufous-browed Conebill and Silver-throated Spinetail.
Here we’ll get a van to La Florida and return to the airport
for flight to Medellin and drive to the Arrierito Antioqueño
Reserve B:L:D
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| Day 4: |
| This reserve named Arrierito Antioqueño is home to the recently described Chestnut-capped Piha (endemic) and we’ll be actively searching for it. Other birds here include Stile’s Tapaculo, Red-bellied Grackle (endemic), Multicolored Tanager (endemic), Black-and-gold Tanager, Parker’s Antbird (endemic). Black Tinamou, Blue-fronted Parrotlet, Colombian Screech Owl, Red-faced Spinetail, Striped Woodhaunter, Purplish-mantled Tanager, Scarlet and White Tanager, Chestnut-crowned Ganteater, Sooty-headed Wren, Fulvous-breasted Flatbill, Chestnut-breasted Wren and much more. Night in the reserve. B:L:D |
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| Day 5: |
A
full mornings birding along the Motmot and Bangsia trails
looking for what we have missed and leave the reserve after
an early lunch and arrive at El Carmen (7 hours from Piha
reserve). B:L:D
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| Day 6: |
| A
full day at the new Las Tangaras Reserve which holds many
Choco specialties. We will spend all day walking slowly up
a well maintained trail to a ridge top – short distance with
well placed benches to rest up and wait for flocks – we’ll
have a picnic lunch on the ridge top. This moss laden forest
is home to some very special birds including Crested Ant Tanager
(endemic) Black Solitaire, Cloud Forest Pygmy Owl, Yellow-vented
Woodpecker, Fulvous-doted Treerunner, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Uniform
Treehunter, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Choco Tyrannulet, Orange-breasted
Fruiteater, White-headed Wren, the endemic Black and Gold
and Gold-ringed Tanager’s, Blue-whiskered & Scarlet and
White Tanager’s and Indigo Flowerpiercer It is probably one
of the best two place in the world to see the recently described
Choco Vireo. Night at Las Tangaras Lodge B:L:D
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| Day 7: |
| Morning
at the Las Tangaras reserve birding the very birdy roadside
with Narino Tapculo and the “soon be described” Alto Pisones
Tapaculo. After lunch we’ll drive to the picturesque town
of Jardin in the heart of Antioquia, the traditional heart
of Colombia. B:L:D
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| Day 8: |
| We’ll
take Jeeps to Yellow-eared Parrot reserve which is the critically
endangered species of the area. Once occurring all the way
down into central Ecuador, this species is now only know from
a couple sites in the western and central Andes of Colombia.
A new 130 hectare reserve has been acquired to protect some
of the prime forest for the parrot, but the birds wander widely
throughout the area in search of food, making it impossible
to buy up all the habitat. Public awareness programs have
been essential to protect this species, and ProAves has done
a great job with this. Local people are now aware of the parrots
and are proud to have them on their land. The wax palm tree,
which the Yellow-eared Parrots use for nesting, has nearly
been wiped out, since their leaves are highly sought-after
for use in religious ceremonies. Some of the other birds we
may see here include Tawny-breasted Tinamou, Purple-throated
Woodstar, Yellow-vented Woodpecker, Spillman’s Tapaculo, Handsome
Flycatcher, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Citrine Warbler, Ocellated
Tapaculo Sharpe’s Wren, Black-billed Mountain Toucan, Tourmeline
Sunagel and Tanager Finch. Leaving in the afternoon we’ll
travel to Pereira with a stop for our first chance at Apical
Flycatcher and Greyish Piculet –both endemics and then to
the Quimbaya reserve. Night in the Otun Quimbata Reserve .
FB:L:D
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| Day 9: |
A
full mornings birding at La Suiza in pristine forest along
a little traveled track. Our priority here is the endemic
Cauca Guan It was at this site that this previously thought-to-be-extinct
cracid was rediscovered during the 1990’s. Also to be found
are Chestnut-Wood-Quail (endemic), Crested Ant Tanager (endemic)
Wattled Guan, Bar-crested Antshrike, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow,
Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, Flame-rumped Tanager, Black-winged
Slatator, and Chestnut-breasted Wren. Dense brush at the
forest edge holds the inconspicuous and very hard-to-see
Mustached Antpitta and the recently-described Stiles’s Tapaculo.
Others include Collared Trogon, Slaty Antwren, Marble-faced
Bristle-Tyrant and Inca Jay. Along the river, we are very
likely to find a superb pair of Torrent Ducks alongside
rather less impressive Black Phoebes and Torrent Tyrannulets.
We have seen Multicolored Tanager here too. After a late
lunch we’ll drive to the bustling town of Manizales.
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| Day 10: |
| A full day at the Rio Blanco Reserve. Protecting an important watershed for the city of Manizales, the important Rio Blanco reserve holds some of the rarest and most threatened species in Colombia such as the Rusty-faced Parrot and the skulking and hard to see Brown-banded and Bicolored Antpittas. But here we have habituated Antpittas coming into worm feeders and usually Brown-banded, Bicolored and Chestnut crowned are fairly reliable, Chetnut-naped and Slate-crowned somewhat less so but we have seen all 5 in a morning. Also here are the Jay-like White-capped Tanagers are here too, one of the oddest members of its family and probably not even a tanager at all. There are good Hummingbird feeders here where we may see Tourmaline Sunangel. Speckled Hummingbird, Buff-tailed Coronet and the tiny White-bellied Woodstar. Other species that we will hope to see here include Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Tyrannine and Black-banded Woodcreepers, Long-tailed Antbird, Dusky Piha, Rufous- crowned Tody-Tyrant, Black-capped and White-tailed Tyrannulets, Smoke-coloured Pewee, Pale-edged and Golden-crowned Flycatchers, Citrine and Russet-crowned Warblers, Glossy Flower-piercer, Capped Conebill (here with a white cap),Grass-green and Flame-rumped Tanagers, Grey-hooded Bush-Tanager, Stripe-headed Brush-Finch and Black-winged Saltator. We will also seek out bamboo specialists such as Black-eared Hemispingus and Plushcap, Yellow-billed Cacique or Masked Saltator.. Night Manizales |
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| Day 11: |
| Morning on the Paramo and the Los Nevados National Park above 3000 meters in the high temperate zone where patches of forest give way to the paramo. Here we may see the endemic and very localized Rufous-fronted Parakeet, which is very hard to find. Flowering bushes attract a number of colorful hummingbirds including Viridian Metaltail, Golden-breasted Puffleg and Shining Sunbeam. On occasion, the somewhat nomadic Black-thighed Puffleg can be present in some numbers, but at other times it is largely absent. If we are lucky we will also come across Rainbow-bearded and Purple-backed Thornbills, Great Sapphirewing. In the forest patches we will look out for Paramo Tapaculo, White-banded Tyrannulet, Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager, Black-backed Bush-Tanager. In the more open areas and around a wetland we shall look for Andean Teal, White-tailed Hawk, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Andean Tit-Spinetail, the localized Stout-billed Cinclodes, the attractive Many-striped Canastero, White-chinned Thistletail, Grass Wren, Pale-naped Brush-Finch, and a variety of seedeaters including Plumbeous Sierra-Finch, and Paramo and Plain-coloured Seedeaters. Tawny Antpittas are often very tame here. In the late afternoon we’ll head for Libano and our comfortable hotel. B:L:D
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| Day 12: |
| 15
minute drive to fragmented, remnant forest near Libano for
looking for endemics and others, which include Crested Ant
–Tanager (endemic), Olive-headed Brush-Finch (endemic),, Blossomcrown
(endemic),, Tolima Dove(endemic), Red-billed Emerald (endemic),
Violet-crowned Woodnymph, Andean Emerald. Bronzy Inca, Highland
Motmot, Olivaceous Piculet, Apical Flycatcher(endemic),, Mountain
Elaenia, Slate-headed Tody-tyrant, Whiskered Wren, Yellow-throated
Brush Finch, Black-winged Saltator, Rufous-naped and Scrub
Greenlets, Rufous-capped Warbler, Oleaginous Hemispingus,
Scrub Tanager, Streak-capped Treehunter, Bar-crested Antshrike,
(endemic), Immaculate Antbird. Andean Emerald; Bronzy Inca;
Squirrel Cuckoo; Moustached Puffbird; Andean (Emerald) Toucanet;
Azara’s Spinetail, Montane Foliagegleaner; Bar-crested Antshrike;
Golden-winged Manakin; Golden-faced Tyrannulet; Dusky-capped
Flycatcher; Mountain Elaenia; Whiskered Wren; Blackburnian
Warbler; Canada Warbler, American Redstart (all common winter
migrants from North America). In the afternoon we’ll visit
a nearby locality specifically for the endemic Apical Flycatcher
and the elusive Velvet-fronted Euphonia, but there are many
others to see here. Night in Mariquita B:L:D
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| Day 13: |
| Morning
at Laguna del Hato or another loclaity. Lots to look for here
with Mustached Puffbird, White-bellied and the endemic newly
described Upper Magdalena Antbird, Apical Flycatcher (endemic),
Spectacled Parrotlet, Pileated Finch, and more, and then we’ll
drive four hours to the El Paujil reserve. Once off the main
road and on the access road to this reserve we’ll look for
Northern Screamer and Bare-faced Ibis. Here also we’ll see
Large-billed Seed-Finch, White-throated Crake, the endemic
Colombian Chachalaca and Chestnut-fronted Macaw and others.
We’ll walk into the reserve birding along the way B:L:D
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| Day 14 - 15: |
| El
Paujil Reserve. We’ll spend 2 days at this reserve which has
a well developed trail system and a lovely stretch of little
traveled road on the outside of the reserve. The reserve was
created to protect the critically endangered Blue-billed Curassow,
a species thought to be nearly extinct until a ProAves expedition
located a viable population here in 2003 and has a pleasant
rainforest feel to it with en suite rooms. Blue-billed Currasow
is anmain target here, (we saw a stunning pair in June 2007).
Other birds we’ll look for over the next 2 days include White-mantled
Barbet (endemic),, Black Antshrike(endemic),, Beautifull Woodpecker
(endemic),, Dull-mantled Antbird, Black-billed Flycatcher
(endemic),Colombian Chachalaca (endemic),, Red-lored and Saffron-headed
Parrot, Pale-bellied and Stipe-throated Hermit, Northern Violaceoaus
and Western White-tailed Trogons, Barred Puffbird, Black-mandibled
Toucan, Citron-Throated Toucan, Cinnamon Woodpecker, Pale-breasted
Spinetail, Black-striped and Cocoa Woodcreeper, Antioquia
Bristle-Tyrant, Western Slaty Antshrike, Jet Antbird, Bare-crowned
Antbird, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Western Striped Manakin,
Sooty-headed Tyrannulet, Southern Bentbill, Cinnamon Becard,
Black-bellied Wren, Sooty Ant Tanager(endemic),, Plain-colored
Tanager and more. B:L:D
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| Day 16: |
| A travel day. Early birding at El Paujil reserve and then we’ll leave around 9:00 am for a 7 hour drive with a lunch stop to the town of San Vicente and the Reinita Cielo Azul (Cerulean Warbler) Reserve. We’ll make ome stops along the way to syretch our legs and do some birding. Transferring to jeeps we’ll complete the drive in to the reserve accommodations – spacious rooms with a large roomy balcony from which endemic Lemon-rumped Tanager and Indigo-capped Hummingbirds are common and the very rare Turquoise Dacnis can be seen. Night at the Cerulean Warbler Reserve B:L:D |
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| Day 17: |
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Full day at Reinita Cielo Azul Reserve with picnic lunch.
We’ll head for the forest at first light and spend all day
birding here. Several threatened Colombian endemics also occur
here, including Gorgeted Wood-Quail, Parker’s Antbird, White-mantled
Barbet, Turquoise Dacnis-Tanager, and Black Inca. Mountain
Grackle occurs in temperate forest just above the reserve
and we saw these in June. Alos here is Mustached Brush Finch,
Yellow-breasted Brush Finch, Wedge-billed Hummingbird, Collared
Trogon, Mustached Puffbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Stripe-breasted
Spinetail, Uniform Antshrike, Slaty Antwren, White-bellied
Antpitta, 2 species of un-described Tapaculo’s, Ornate Flycatcher,
Rufous-naped Greenlet, Yellow-throated Spadebill. Other more
widespread species include Barred Forest-Falcon; Wattled Guan;
Band-tailed Pigeon; Lined Quail-Dove (mainly voice), Rufous-bellied
Nighthawk; White-tailed Nightjar; Chestnut-collared and White-tipped
swift; Green Hermit; Lazuline Sabrewing; all three violet-ears;
Short-tailed Emerald; Rufous-tailed Hummingbird; Andean Emerald;
Speckled Hummingbird; Green-crowned Brilliant; Long-tailed
Sylph; Collared Trogon; Golden-tailed Quetzal; Olivaceous
Piculet; Smoky-brown Woodpecker; Azara’s Spinetail; Spotted
Barbtail; Montane and Lineated foliage-gleaner; Streak-capped
Treehunter; Strong-billed and Olive-backed Woodcreeper; Uniform
Antshrike; Plain Antvireo; Slaty Antwren; Rusty breasted Antpitta;
Green-and-black Fruiteater; Golden-winged Manakin; Olive-striped
Flycatcher; Variegated Bristle-Tyrant; Rufous-browed Tyrannulet;
Sooty-headed Tyrannulet; White-throated Spadebill Night at
the Cerulean Warbler Reserve B:L:D |
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| Day 18: |
| Morning walk down through coffee plantations, which should be packed with boreal migrants depending on the time of year. W should see the endemic Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird and Nicifero’s Wren here. Here we can see Large-billed Seed-Finch, Bar-crested Antshrike and more. A quick look for Chestnut bellied Hummer, if we have not already seen it, and onto Ocaña a 5 hour drive and stay in town at Plaza Real Hotel. B: Lunch on route. B:L:D |
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| Day 19: |
| Full
day at the Hormiguero de Torcoroma reserve (Recurve-billed
Bushbird). We’ll be in the bamboo and walking the trails at
dawn through to lunch. Our target is of course the Bushbird,
which we saw well in June. Other interesting species include
the endemic Gray-throated Warbler, Moustached Brush-Finch,
Lined Quail Dove, Lazuline Sabrewing, Red-billed Emerald,
Andean Toucanet, Stripe-breasted Spinetail, Long-tailed Antbird,
Yellow-legged Thrush, Speckled Tanager, Black-headed Tanager,
and Black-fronted Wood-Quail. If the morning is successful
we may visit a nearby locality in the afternoon where the
endemic Todd’s Parakeet has recently been re-discovered. Night
in Ocaña. FB:L:D |
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| Day 20: |
| Transfer to Bucaramanga for the late afternoon flight to Bogota arriving at 5:30 pm Bogota flight and connections home or join the Santa Marta and Guajira Peninsular Extension.
All air within Colombia included
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All air within Colombia included |
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