Colombia

Colombia! The richest area for birds on the planet! Almost 1900 species have been recorded in this amazing country, with no fewer than 73 endemics. Our tour covers central and northern Colombia, from Bogota and its high altitude specialties north through the Magdalena Valley and its very bird-rich reserves that include the “Cerulean Warbler Reserve”, a species sadly in trouble in North America. We wll encounter a host of exciting species - trogons, tanagers, neotropical ovenbirds, toucans, quetzals - the list seems endless. Colombia has now opened her doors to tourists and naturalists alike; where we go is safe, somewhat rugged, but exciting. We stay primarily in reserves, where new accommodations facilitate birding groups and birding is astounding, and which often protect the last remaining habitats of several range-restricted, and some of the most endangered, birds in the world. Our extensions take in the fantastic Santa Marta mountains, an area of high endemism.

Highlights
• The richest area for birds on the planet!
• Diverse and exciting tour in currently friendly and peaceful areas.
 

Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival in Bogota
Our tour starts with a welcome dinner at our hotel in Bogota, as we welcome those on the Pre-tour Extension to the Santa Marta Mountains and Surroundings. Night in Bogota

Day 2 –Bogota Wetlands and drive to Soata
We spend the morning at wetlands close to Bogota. We visit La Florida Park, searching for four endemics: Bogotá Rail, Apolinar’s Marsh-Wren, Silvery-throated Spinetail and Rufous-browed Conebill, along with common Andean wetland birds. We then head northeast to the town of Soata. Night in Soata

Day 3 – Soata and Cerulean Warbler Reserve
After some early birding at Soata, we depart on the five-hour drive to San Vicente and the Reinita Cielo Azul (Cerulean Warbler) Reserve. We stop along the way to look for the endemic Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird. We transfer to jeeps to complete the drive to the reserve accommodations, which have spacious rooms with a large balcony from which the endemic Indigo-capped Hummingbird can be seen and Turquoise Dacnis is possible. Recurve-billed Bushbird has also been seen here recently. Night at Cerulean Warbler Reserve.

Day 4 – Cerulean Warbler Reserve
We spend the entire day birding this small forest reserve, a ProAves buffer to the much larger Yariguies National Park. The list of possibilities here is very impressive: several threatened Colombian endemics occur, including some which we need considerable luck to locate, such as Gorgeted Wood-Quail and Colombian Mountain Grackle. Other goodies include Black Inca, White-mantled Barbet, Parker’s Antbird and Yellow-throated Spadebill. Also here are two still undescribed tapaculos, Wedge-billed Hummingbird, Highland Motmot, Collared Trogon, Mustached Puffbird, Stripe-breasted Spinetail, Uniform and Bar-crested Antshrikes, Slaty Antwren, White-bellied and Ochre-breasted Antpittas, Ornate Flycatcher, Rufous-naped Greenlet, and Moustached and Yellow-breasted Brush Finches, and even Cerulean Warbler. Night at Cerulean Warbler reserve.

Day 5 – Drive to El Paujil Reserve
We spend the morning at the Cerulean Warbler reserve, looking for species not so far located, perhaps Blossomcrown, Red-billed Emerald, Apical Flycatcher, Crested Ant-Tanager, and Olive-headed Brush-Finch. Most of the afternoon will be taken up with the long drive to the El Paujil Reserve, a patch of forest at the base of the Serrania de las Quinchas, where we spend the night. Night at El Paujil Reserve

Day 6 – El Paujil Reserve
The El Paujil Reserve has a well-developed system of trails plus a stretch of little-traveled road. It is another ProAves reserve, and one of our main target species, the Blue-billed Curassow, is a species thought to be on the brink of extinction until a ProAves expedition located a viable population here in 2003. The reserve was created to protect this critically endangered species. We also look for such birds as Marbled Wood-Quail, Colombian Chachalaca, Saffron-headed Parrot, Pale-bellied and Stripe-throated Hermits, Black-mandibled Toucan, Blue-chested Hummingbird, Barred and Black-banded Puffbirds, Cinnamon and Beautiful (a split from Golden-naped) Woodpeckers, Bare-crowned Antbird, Black Antshrike, White-bearded and Western Striped Manakins, Black-billed Flycatcher, Southern Bentbill, Antioquia Bristle-Tyrant, Sooty Ant-Tanager, Plain-colored Tanager, and more. Night at El Paujil Reserve.

Day 7 – El Paujil Reserve and transfer to La Victoria
We spend the morning birding the reserve, and then drive to La Victoria, where we spend the night.

Day 8 –La Victoria and Los Nevados National Park
A very short drive from Victoria is the Bellavista reserve where many special birds
occur - the endemic Tolima Dove, Black-throated Mango, Shining-green and
Violet-bellied Hummingbird, White-vented Plumeleteer, Tody Motmot, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Collared Aracari, Citron-throated Toucan, Olivaceous Piculet, Western Slaty Antshrike, Northern White-fringed Antwren, Slate-headed Tody-Tyrant, Golden-headed Manakin, Black-bellied Wren, tanagers - Yellow-backed, Crimson-rumped, Scrub, Golden-hooded, Yellow-tufted Dacnis, Black-striped Sparrow, Rufous-capped Warbler, the endemic Velvet-fronted, Thick-billed and Orange-billed Euphonias.

We then drive over the Central Andes pass to Los Nevados National Park for a different suite of birds in the paramo - the rare and endemic Rufous-fronted Parakeet, Shining Sunbeam, the nomadic Black-thighed and Golden-breasted Pufflegs, Great Sapphirewing, Viridian Metaltail and Páramo Tapaculo. Other possibilities are Ocellated Tapaculo, White-banded Tyrannulet , Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager and Black-backed Bush-Tanager. Tawny Antpittas can be quite approachable. Close to the National Park entrance we look for Bearded Helmetcrest, White-chinned Thistletail, Andean Tit-Spinetail, Stout-billed Cinclodes, Plain-colored Seedeater and Plumbeous Sierra-Finch. The marshy areas and water ponds will also give us a chance for Andean Teal and Noble Snipe. We then continue on to Rio Blanco. Night in Rio Blanco

Day 9 –Rio Blanco Reserve
The Rio Blanco reserve not only provides quality water to the city of Manisales but habitat to many marvellous bird species that can be seen along gently sloping tracks through the forest. Hummingbird feeders attract Speckled Hummingbird, Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Buff-tailed Coronet, Bronzy and Collared Incas, Tourmaline Sunangel, Long-tailed Sylph and White-bellied Woodstar. An Antpitta feeding station is visited by Brown-banded, Chestnut-crowned and Bicolored Antpittas and Stripe-headed Brush-Finch. We also have a chance to see Rusty-faced Parrot, Golden-plumed Parakeet, Andean Toucanet, Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Rufous Spinetail, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Pearled Treerunner, Striped Treehunter, Long-tailed Antbird, Hooded Antpitta and Blackish, Ash-colored and Spillman's Tapaculos. Night in Manisales.

Day 10 – Rio Blanco and drive to Otun Quimbaya
We spend the morning birding the Rio Blanco area, and then drive to Otun Quimbaya, at an elevation of 6,500 feet. Night at Quimbaya Otun Ecological Reserve.

Day 11. Otun Quimbaya
We spend the day at this delightful reserve, walking along beautiful trails through pristine forest where we look for the endemic Cauca Guan (long thought to be extinct until a healthy population was rediscovered in 1989 at the actual location of this reserve), the endemic Chestnut Wood-Quail, Grayish Piculet and Stiles´s Tapaculo, Sickle-winged and Wattled Guans, Greenish Puffleg, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Streak-capped Treehunter, Moustached Antpitta, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Plumbeous-crowned Tyrannulet, Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, Variegated and Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrants, Chestnut-breasted Wren, and White-capped and Multicoloured Tanagers. Night in Otum Quimbaya.

Day 12 – Otun Quimbaya and drive to Las Tangaras Reserve
After a morning of birding this fine reserve, we head off to the Pro Aves Lodge for Las Tangaras Reserve. Night near Las Tanagares Reserve.

Day 13 –Las Tangaras Reserve
After an early breakfast we bird the humid, mossy forest where Chocó specialties occur, such as the little-known endemic Gold-ringed Tanager and Munchique Wood-Wren. Other goodies include Chestnut Wood-Quail, Cloud Forest Pygmy-Owl, several hummingbirds – hermits, sylphs, incas, emeralds, Velvet-purple Coronet, White-tailed Hillstar, Empress Brilliant, as well as Yellow-vented Woodpecker, Pacific Tuftedcheek, Fulvous-dotted Treerunner, Uniform Treehunter, Bicolored Antvireo, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Nariño Tapaculo, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Fulvous-breasted Flatbill, Choco Vireo, Chestnut-breasted and White-headed Wrens, Black Solitaire, Indigo Flowerpiercer, Golden-collared Honeycreeper, Glistening-green, Flame-rumped, Black-and-gold and Purplish-mantled Tanagers, Black-chinned Mountain Tanager, Crested Ant-Tanager, Chocó Brushfinch and Chestnut-breasted Euphonia. Night near Las Tangaras Reserve.

Day 14 –Las Tangaras in morning, drive to Medellin
We spend the morning at Las Tangaras Reserve, then we leave this area and head for Medellin. Night in Medellin.

Day 15 - Medellin
Main trip ends in Medellin with breakfast.

 Featured Birds

• Blue-billed Curassow
• Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird
• Indigo-capped Hummingbird
• Turquoise Dacnis
• White-mantled Barbet
• Crested Ant-Tanager
• Blossomcrown
• Golden-breasted Puffleg
• Brown-banded Antpitta
• Chestnut-crowned Antpitta
• Red-ruffed Fruitcrow
• Gold-ringed Tanager
 

Dates: November 3 - 17, 2012

Duration: 15 days

Price: $4,975 USD/CAD, single supplement $185 USD/CAD*

Tour Starts: Bogota

Tour Ends: Medellin

Combine with our Colombia Pre-tour

*Single rooms are guaranteed on 7 nights only

What to Expect
We typically begin birding before breakfast, as everywhere in the tropics it is desirable to be in good habitat by daybreak when bird activity and song are at their peak. We concentrate on “edge” birding until light is good enough to enter forest trails. We have several travel days; we rise very early to give ourselves plenty of time to reach our destinations. After lunch we may have time for a siesta or enjoy watching hummingbirds at feeders at lodges. In the late afternoon we venture again to the forest. We will schedule optional night walks for nocturnal species spotlighting in the forest at night.
Trails may be muddy, therefore good walking footwear is always recommended. Our tour takes in many American Bird Conservancy reserves, renowned for their diversity. At higher elevation, we bird along the roadside a short distance from the vehicle. On most days we travel short distances with most time being spent outdoors. Birding will be mainly along quiet roads, and we enter forest areas on relatively wide and easy-to-follow trails. Accommodations vary from basic to modern, and all will be comfortable. Weather varies greatly with elevation, and we should be prepared for a range of temperatures from cool forties to hottest eighties. Layers and a windbreaker are the solution in the mountains. At all altitudes, we should remember to have adequate protection from the sun. Drizzle and rain are likely, therefore stout, waterproof footwear, a light rain jacket and waterproof hat are recommended. Mosquitoes and other biting insects should not be a problem on this tour; however, bring insect repellant.
We enjoy excellent meals provided by the various lodges’ dining facility. Some lunches will be a lunch box in a nice setting; occasionally we dine in local eateries. In the evening, after dinner, we discuss the day’s events and sightings and list birds and other wildlife seen.

Trip Summary
• Exceptional diverse birding habitats
• Tropical and temperate climate
• Generally good and modern accommodation; some more simple and basic
• Walking generally easy to moderate: high elevation activities kept to a minimum
• Some muddy trails, level in the lowlands, occasionally fairly steep in the mountains
• Some long drives during transfer days
• Bus or van with driver
• 5 – 12 participants with Hector and a local guide