After a 20 year absence, Colombia is back on the birding radar! Simply put, more species of birds have been recorded in Colombia than in any other country in the world—to date nearly 1900 species!
This trip will focus on finding as many of the 70+ endemic species as possible, although you can be sure that we will pay attention to the more common and widespread species, too. There is so much to see!
21-days / 20-nights
2013 Cost
$6775 per person from Bogata, Colombia
Price per person, double occupancy. If a single room is preferred or a suitable roommate is not available a single supplement fee of $1000 will apply.
Included in Tour Cost
All accommodations, all meals, local flights within Colombia, all ground transport in Colombia, guide fees, entrance fees.
NOT included in Tour Cost
International flight costs, passport and visa fees, laundry, alcoholic drinks or anything of a personal nature.
ITINERARY
Day 01 : Transfer in - Night In Bogota
Day 02 Ibage
Today we get an early start in order to visit Florida Park In Bogota. This park contains good marsh habitat where we hope to find Silver-throated Spinetail, Bogota Rail and Apolinaris Wren which are all Colombian endemics. We will also enjoy more widespread birds like Yellow-hooded Blackbird, Rufous-browed Conebill, Southern Lapwing, Wattled Jacana, and others.
After we clean up the endemics in la Florida we will start driving downhill to San Francisco. There we will visit Jardin Encando where we will enjoy Indigo-capped Hummingbird, Lazuline Sabrewing and White-bellied Woodstar at their feeders! If our timing is right, we have a chance for the beautiful endemic Black Inca. We will enjoy our lunch in a fine local restaurant, then drive to Ibage for the night.
Day 03 Ibague
Today we will visit the Fuertes Parrot reserve, we will rise early morning to seek the endemic Fuerte’s Parrot. We will also look for Yellow-headed Brushfinch, Tolima Dove and Bicolored Antpitta, Black-billed Mountain Toucan, Red crested Cotinga and more.
Day 04 la Victoria
Early morning to Clarita Botero we will visit this place to get a good views of Tolima Dove and Yellow headed Brush finch and the we will dry to this dry forest in el Palmar to ge the Vetvet fronted Euphoni and the Apical Flycatcher , Colombia chachalaca, Spectacled Parrolet, Bar crested Antshilke.
Day 05 Rio Claro
Today we will visit Bellavista, a semi-dry forest near the hotel. Here we will seek Sooty Ant-tanager, Antioquia Bristle-Tyrant, Beautiful Woodpecker and White-mantled Barbet plus White-bibbed, White-bearded and Golden-headed Manakins.
Day 06 Cerulean Warbler Reserve
This morning we will focus in the Blue-billed Curassow and others before traveling to the Cerulean Reserve, a small private reserve. Indigo-capped Hummingbirds and the endemic Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird are hopeful hilights. After dinner we will check a location close to the cabins for Tropical screech owl. Night in the Cerulean Warbler reserve.
Day 07 Cerulean Warbler Reserve
This morning's target will be the endemic Recurve-billed Bushbird. At the top ridge the reserve managers have set up a nice feeding station for the endemic Gorgeted Wood-Quail and Lined Quail Dove. The hummingbird feeders attract Black Inca, among others. After enjoying all these great birds we will look for Parker´s Antbird, Upper Magdalena Tapaculo, Yellow-throated Spadebill, Mustached Puffbird and the rare Mountain Grackle.
Day 08 Arrierito Reserve
This morning we will bird down to San Vicente town looking for mixed feeding flocks with Yellow browed Shrike vireo, Olivaceous Piculet, Black-faced Dacnics before continuing to the Piha reserve.
Day 09 Arrierito Reserve
After breakfast we will head out on the Ridge Trail, where we hope to find Multicolored, Gold-and-black, and Purplish-mantled Tanagers, in addition to Stile´s Tapaculo, Chestnut Wood-Quail, Golden-breasted Fruiteater, Chestnut-capped Piha, Pale-breasted Spinetail, Red-bellied Grackle, Brown-billed Scythebill, Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia and Colombian Chachalaca. If we’re very fortunate we may encounter Black Tinamou, as well as a roost site for the enigmatic Stygian Owl. At the hummingbird feeders we hope to see Booted Racket-tail, Green-crowned Brillant, Green-crowned Woodnymph, Andean Emerald and Steely-vented Hummingbird.
Day 10 Las Tangaras
Today we head to new lodge in Las Tangaras Reserve (between 800-1000m in elevation). We will stop in Cauca Valley for Spectacled Parrotlet and Grayish Piculet.
Day 11 Las Tangaras
In this astounding area we will search for Brown Inca, Choco Vireo, Toucan Barbet, Velvet-purple Coronet, Empress Brilliant, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Black Solitaire, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Fulvous-dotted Treerunner, White-headed Wren, and Beautiful Jay. Tanagers we hope to encounter include the endemic Black-and-Golden Tanager,Yellow-green Bush Tanager and Gold-ringed Tanager plus Black-chinned Mountain Tanager and Yellow Collared Chlorophonia. We will also try for the newly described Alto Pisones Tapaculo.
Day 12 Colibri del Sol Reserve
We leave Las Tangaras Reserve and head for Colibri del Sol Reserve, birding the Carme Atrato on the way looking for Munchique Wood Wren and the mix flocks with Black throated Tody Tyrant, Mountain Cacique, Black collared Jay and Black-billed Mountain Toucan as well as the Choco endemic Tanager Finch. At Colibri del Sol Reserve, we will go by horseback 90 minutes to the lodge.
Day 13 Colibri del Sol Reserve
A visit to the high paramo may offer the recently rediscovered Dusky Starfrontlet, as well as the endemic Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer. Sword-billed Hummingbirds sometimes visit the feeders, too. We will seek the cute Ocellated Tapaculo in the bamboo patches.
Day 14 Valdivia Plaza
This morning, we will visit the Fenwick´s Antpitta feeding area, where we may also see the Chesnut-naped Antpitta. After more birding we will drive is to El jardin, in town we will visit a lek of Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks, amazingly just 10 minutes walk from our hotel.
Day 15 Medellin
Today we will spend all day birding along the road to El Jardin Reserve. Our main target bird is the Yellow-eared Parrot. ProAves has placed nesting boxes around the area, so hopefully we will have nice views of this great bird! We will also search for Andean Pygmy Owl, Purple-backed Thornbill and Slate-crowned Antpittas.
Day 16/17/18 El Dorado Lodge
Today day we will take the first flight to Santa Martha. We will bird from Minca to El Dorado Lodge, looking for Santa Martha Woodstar, Santa Martha Sabrewing, Santa Martha Tapaculo, and Santa Martha Foliage-gleaner on the way. Weather permitting, we will search for the Santa Martha Screech Owl that night.
We have two full days around the trails and the road up the hill, so we will be working the various elevations in order to find as many endemics as possible. Band-tailed Guan, Band-winged Nightjar, Santa Martha Parakeets, Brown-rumped Tapaculo, Santa Martha Rufous Antpitta, Santa Martha Warbler, Santa Martha Wren, Yellow-crowned Whitestart, White-lored Warbler, Santha Martha Brush Finch, Santa Martha Bush Tyrant and more. At the hummingbird feeders we hope to see White-tailed Starfrontlet and the Blossomcrown.
Day 19 Flight to Bogata
Today is a “clean-up” day to look for species we may have missed. After birding our way to Santa Martha we board our flight to Bogota.
Day 20 Bogata
Early search for the endemic Brown breasted Parakeet plus more the mix flocks which may include Buff-breasted, Black-chested, Scarlet-bellied and Lacrimose Mountain Tanagers plus we will seek Coppery-bellied Puffleg, Blue-throated Startfronlet, Matorral Tapaculo, Powerful Woodpecker, White-browed Spinetail, Pale-naped Brush Finch and more!
Day 21 Flights home
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