The Cauca Valley and Santa Marta Mountains Extension

Simply the best! Colombia has more bird species than any other country but unlike other species-rich Neotropical destinations like Peru, Ecuador and Brazil it has been relatively neglected by birders of late. However many birding groups have visited Colombia in the recent past without incident, all visiting the western and central Andes featured in this tour.

Indeed virtually throughout this tour we’ll be staying in reserves in search of many of the exciting endemic birds that make their home in the protected habitat. The main tour concentrates on the Cauca Valley with some endemic birds found nowhere else in Colombia, visiting the Paramo and cloud forests whereas our extension concentrates on the Santa Marta Mountains, towering out over the Caribbean, jam-packed with birds of restricted range or found nowhere else.

Group size: Maximum of 8 participants.

Includes: All transport and accommodation in Colombia from day 1 until final transfer to international airport day 13 (or day 18 for the extension). All meals from dinner day 1 through to breakfast on day 13 (or day 18 of the extension), services of leader and local guides, gratuities to leader, guides and drivers.

Not included: International airfare, international and domestic airport departure tax, laundry, phone calls, items of a personal nature.

Tour Leader: Colin Bushell & local guides.

ITINERARY.

Day 1. International flights from Europe arrive in Bogotá late afternoon where we’ll make connections to Cali. On arrival in Cali we’ll transfer to our lodge and settle in for a good night’s rest.

Day 2. We’ll begin our Colombian birding adventure in the cloud forest at Km18. Colombian Chachalacas and Spectacled Parrotlets can be seen near our lodge and venturing further a field towards the entrance road we’ll look out for Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Red-faced Spinetail, Streak-capped Treehunter, Lineated Foliage-Gleaner, Bar-crested Antshrike and Golden-winged Manakin. The endemic Flame-rumped Tanager is fairly common here as is the Yellow-throated Brush-Finch but our main focus of attention will be one striking endemic – the Multicolored Tanager.  Hopefully we’ll encounter some of the scarcer species of the KM18’s forests like Rufous-crested Tanager, Purplish-mantled Tanager or Yellow-headed Manakin before returning to our lodge for lunch.
Several hummingbirds are possible in the vicinity of our lodge including Andean Emerald, Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Blue-headed Sapphire, Buff-tailed Coronet, Bronzy Inca, Long-billed Starthroat, Booted Racket-tail, Long-tailed Sylph and Purple-throated Woodstar to name a few. In the afternoon we’ll head towards the small town of Buga stopping on the way at the house of Colombian hummingbird authority Luis Mazariegos. Several species of hummers attend the feeders at the garden here including the stunning Ruby Topaz and seeing this incredible bird would complete our day’s birding nicely. Night at Mi Universo.

Day 3. The Yotoco Protected Forest is just half an hour from our overnight accommodation and early morning birding here should produce another opportunity to see Colombian Chachalaca as well as Scarlet-fronted Parakeet and Bronze-winged Parrot. However it’s the endemic Greyish Piculet that we’ll be looking for in particular this morning along the forest trails. Bar-crested Antshrike, Rufous-naped Greenlet, Whiskered Wren, Golden-crowned and Golden-naped Tanagers are also here.
After lunch we’ll be birding the Laguna de Sonso. Our bird list for this afternoon will depend on the variable water levels at this site but hopefully it will include the scarce Masked Duck by the end of the day. The endemic Apical Flycatcher can be found in the deciduous forest bordering the lake that is also the home to Dwarf Cuckoo, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Jet Antbird, Slate-headed Tody-Tyrant and Cinereous Becard. In the late afternoon we’ll drive to Filandia where we’ll check into our hotel after another wonderful day birding in Colombia.

Day 4. This morning we’ll look for the endemic Turquoise Dacnis-Tanager at Cañon del Rio Barbas. The road we bird from overlooks the treetops enabling us to look for this sun-canopy species. Other birds we may see in the feeding flocks during our search include Red-headed Barbet, Green Honeycreeper and Black-headed Tanager. In the lower levels of the forest we might find Scrub Tanager, Grey Seedeater, Yellow-throated Brush-Finch and Black-winged Saltator. Lower still we may chance upon the Northern White-crowned Tapaculos that call from the undergrowth but the Green Hermits that frequent the understory will be a lot easier to see! After lunch we’ll drive to the small town of El Cairo where we’ll stay for the night.

Day 5. This morning we’ll concentrate on the west slope Chocó specialties of El Cairo. We’ll be looking for the little known endemic Gold-ringed Tanager – a spectacular bird indeed. Not so spectacular but just as local, the recently described Munchique Wood-Wren will be high on our list of priority birds to see today too. The moss-laden forest of El Cairo is a great place to see many special birds of these Andean west slope forests such as Velvet-purple Coronet, Empress Brilliant, Black Solitaire, Pacific Tuftedcheek, the elusive Fulvous-dotted Treerunner, Uniform Treehunter, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Indigo Flowerpiercer, Glistening-green Tanager, Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager, Purplish-mantled Tanager, Chocó Brush-Finch and Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia.
In the afternoon we’ll travel to Otum Quimbaya Reserve and spend the next two nights at La Suiza Lodge.

Day 6. La Suiza Lodge is a fabulous place to stay. Birding starts right outside on the entrance road with Sickle-winged Guan, Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, Plumbeous-crowned Tyrannulet, both Variegated and Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrants and Strong-billed Woodcreeper. La Suiza is one of the best places in the Neotropics to see Red-ruffed Fruitcrow but the reserve is best known as a place to see the endemic Cauca Guan, thought to be extinct until 1989 when a population was discovered nearby.

Day 7. Another morning at the Otum Quimbaya Reserve where the endemic Chestnut Wood-Quail occurs. We’ll need some luck to see this species as wood-quails are always tricky customers but Dusky Piha, Slaty Brush-finch and White-capped Tanager are all possibilities. Later we’ll transfer to the Rio Blanco Reserve for some afternoon birding before checking in at our hotel in Manizales for the next two nights.

Day 8. Today we’ll bird the splendid Rio Blanco Reserve. The reserve is not only the watershed for the town of Manizales but protects the habitat for many interesting Colombian bird species including the endemic Chestnut Wood-Quail, Rusty-faced Parrot, Golden-plumed Parakeet, Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, Tyrannine Woodcreeper, Long-tailed Antbird, Handsome Flycatcher, Rufous-crowned Tody-Tyrant, Yellow-bellied and Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant, Green-and-Black and Barred Fruiteaters, Golden-fronted Whitestart, Black-billed Peppershrike, Grey-hooded Bush-Tanager, Red-hooded Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Lacrimose and Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanagers and the rare Masked Saltator. An antpitta feeding station has been created here where the endemic Brown-banded Antpitta appears along with Bicolored and Chestnut-crowned Antpittas from time-to-time. Feeders ensure there is a constant flow of hummingbirds here including Collared Inca, Tourmaline Sunangel and White-bellied Woodstar.

Day 9. We’ll make an early start for the upper cloud forests and elfin forests of the Nevado del Ruiz National Park this morning in search of the rare endemic Rufous-fronted Parakeet. As we ascend a few hummingbirds should be found including Shining Sunbeam, Black-thighed and Golden-breasted Pufflegs and Viridean Metaltail. Nearing the elfin forest we’ll look out for small parties of Black-backed Bush-Tanagers until we reach the entrance to the national park where our attention will switch back to hummers, namely the Bearded Helmetcrest. The Paramo scrub here holds White-chinned Thistletail, Andean Tit-Spinetail and Stout-billed Cinclodes. Any open patches will be checked for the Tawny Antpittas before we drive over the Central Andean pass towards the Magdalena Valley and on to our next birding destination at Bellavista.

Day 10. A full day birding in the Bellavista reserve where the Colombian endemic species will be the order of the day. Tolima Dove, White-mantled Barbet, Sooty Ant-Tanager and Velvet-fronted Euphonias all occur here as well as many more localized species like Tody Motmot and Barred Puffbird. More widespread birds present in the reserve include Northern Violaceous Trogon, Citron-throated Toucan, Western Slaty-Antshrike, Northern White-fringed Antwren, Black-bellied Wren, Plain-coloured Tanager, Golden-hooded Tanager, Yellow-tufted Dacnis and Rufous-capped Warbler.

Day 11. Another morning in the Bellavista Reserve in search of any species we may have missed. After lunch we’ll head towards San Juan de La Vega stopping on the way for Pearl Kite, Spectacled Parrotlet, Dwarf Cuckoo, Pale-breasted Thrush and Black-faced Tanager. Night in La Vega.

Day 12. Early morning exploring the La Vega valley looking for Short-tailed Emerald, Red-billed Scythebill, Bar-crested Antshrike, the local race of Rusty-breasted Antpitta, Rosy Thrush-Tanager, Grey-throated Warbler and Black-headed Brush-finch. In the afternoon we make our way to Bogotá stopping at marshy habitats en route to look for Bogotá Rail and Silvery-throated Spinetail. On reaching the capital we’ll check-in at our comfortable hotel.

Day 13. The Colombia tour ends with transfers to the airport for international flight connections.

SANTA MARTA MOUNTAINS EXTENSION.

Day 13. After saying farewell to those not taking part in the extension we’ll catch our flight to Santa Marta. On arrival we’ll check into our hotel and then drive beyond the city to the entrance of the Tayrona National Park in search of Black-backed Antshrike and Tocuyo Sparrow. Night in Tayrona.

Day 14. The road and various trails of the Tayrona National Park will allow us to look for the rare endemic Blue-knobbed Curassow as well as Crested Guan, Sooty-capped Hermit, White-necked Puffbird, Cocoa Woodcreeper, Jet Antbird, Northern White-fringed Antwren, White-bellied Antbird, Lance-tailed Manakin, Southern Bentbill, Grey-headed Tanager, Yellow Oriole and Orange-crowned Oriole. After lunch we’ll start our journey to Rio Hacha. En route we’ll hope to see Chestnut Piculet, Russet-throated Puffbird, Bare-eyed Pigeon, Blue-crowned and Brown-throated Parakeets, Green-rumped Parrotlet, White-whiskered Spinetail, Glaucous Tanager and Grey Pileated Finch. Overnight at Rio Acha.

Day 15. We’ll spend this morning birding the dry forest in the hope of Buffy Hummingbird, Venezuelan Flycatcher and Vermilion Cardinal. Later in the day we’ll bird some semi-deciduous forest near La Minca in search of the endemic Ruddy (Santa Marta) Foliage-Gleaner, Scaled Piculet, Rufous-breasted and Rufous-and-white Wrens, Crimson-backed Tanager and Golden-winged Sparrow. We’ll arrive at El Dorado (our base for the next three nights) after another exciting day birding in Colombia.

Days 16 & 17. Two full days to explore the Santa Marta Mountains in search of the many endemics that occur there. Birding at elevations from 2300m to 2700m we’ll look for Santa Marta Woodstar, Blossomcrown, Yellow-crowned Whitestart, Santa Marta Toucanet, Santa Marta Tapaculo, Golden-breasted Fruiteater, Santa Marta Warbler and Santa Marta Brush-Finch. Further exploration of the San Lorenzo ridge may reveal Band-tailed Guan, Sickle-winged Guan, the endemic Santa Marta Parakeet, White-tailed Starfrontlet, Black-backed Thornbill, White-tipped Quetzal, Streak-capped Spinetail, the endemic Rusty-headed Spinetail, Santa Marta Antpitta, Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant, Santa Marta Mountain-Tanager and Santa Marta Brush-Finch. We’ll also look for a new species of screech-owl that has been recorded near the lodge.

Day 18. This morning we’ll transfer from El Dorado to Santa Marta airport for a flight to Bogotá around midday where international flight connections will be made. Overnight accommodation in Bogotá can be reserved if required.

PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE FLIGHTS TO COLOMBIA UNTIL DEPARTURE CONFIRMATION IS RECEIVED
FROM TOUCAN BIRDING TOURS. Thank you.

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