THE LLANOS, HARPY EAGLE AND TEPUI ENDEMICS.
22 November - 5 December 2008 with Colin Bushell.
A tour bringing together Venezuela ’s most rewarding birding ecosystems. We’ll start in the Llanos with the huge concentrations of water birds before heading to the forests of Imataca – one of the most reliable sites in the Americas for Harpy Eagle. The conclusion of the tour finds us in the southeast birding one of the continent’s best birding roads: La Escalera. Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, White and Bearded Bellbirds, Red-banded Fruiteater, Peacock Coquette, Crimson Topaz, Capuchinbird and Rose-collared Piha are just a few of the spectacular species we encountered here on our 2007 departure.
Price: £2300.00 (Caracas / Caracas).
Single Room Supplement: £150.00.
Included: All transport and transfers in Venezuela, meals, accommodation, and services of Toucan Birding Tours leaders.
Not included: International flights, any departure taxes, drinks, optional tips, and items of a personal nature.
ITINERARY.
Day 1. Our flight from Europe arrives in Caracas in the evening so we’ll transfer to our hotel in Maracay.
Day 2. We’ll drive into the famous Llanos this morning and our destination will be the superb Hato Piñero where we’ll stay for the next three nights. We’ll have time for some exploration of the area in the afternoon and see some of the congregations of wetland birds.
Days 3 & 4. The Llanos is of course famous for the vast numbers of wintering water birds. We have a chance to see seven species of ibis, Jabiru, Roseate Spoonbills, Sunbittern, Orinoco Goose and much more. However the deciduous woodlands here will be worthy of attention and we’ll look for White-fringed Antwren, Pale-tipped Inezia, Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant and Trinidad Euphonia here. Gallery forests will be inspected for Pale-headed Jacamar, Rusty-backed Spinetail and Orinocan Saltator whilst forest patches are good for Scarlet Macaw, Dwarf Cuckoo and White-bearded Flycatcher. Night excursions can produce Great and Common Potoos and we’ll be constantly on the lookout for Yellow-knobbed Curassow.
Day 5. Pre-breakfast birding in the Llanos and then transfer to Caracas. After Lunch we’ll take a flight to Puerto Ordaz where we’ll spend the night in a hotel.
Days 6 - 8. Pre-breakfast birding near the hotel and then transfer to El Palmar. The immense rainforests of the Sierra de Imataca have been one of the best places in recent years to see the impressive Harpy Eagle. We'll have up-to-date information regarding active nests of this huge raptor and devote some time to visiting a breeding area. The logging trails here make for excellent birding (Black Curassows sometimes wander across them) and we could see a variety of antbirds following ant-swarms such as Rufous-throated and the incredible White-plumed Antbirds. Clearings make good places from which to observe woodpeckers and we'll be alert for the Waved Woodpecker as well as waiting for canopy flocks to pass. The latter may hold Rose-breasted Chat whilst other upper strata inhabitants may include Green and Black-necked Aracaris, Pompadour and Purple-breasted Cotingas, Pied Puffbird, Black-spotted Barbet and Red & Black Grosbeak. Parrots are well represented with Golden-winged Parakeet, Dusky, Red-fan and Caica Parrots but the forest floor will attract our attention every now and then as the mellow whistles of Spotted and Thrush-like Antpittas can be heard or a Grey-winged Trumpeter may move into view. All nights will be in El Palmar.
Day 9. After a final morning in the Rio Grande area we'll transfer to Las Claritas for a five nights stay.
Days 10 – 13. During our stay in Bolivar we'll explore three splendid birding areas: forested slopes of the Tepuis on the road known as La Escalera, the grasslands of La Gran Sabana and the lowland Guianan rainforests of the Las Claritas area. The Escalera has long been one of the best birding roads in Venezuela gaining access to some sought after endemics. Scanning across the verdant forest we may see some of the jewels of the canopy such as White and Bearded Bellbirds, Pompadour Cotinga or maybe a Sharpbill. Another cotinga – the Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock should be seen and it will be hard to drag ourselves away from this incredible frugivore. Tepui endemics like Tepui Parrotlet, Fiery-shouldered Parakeet, Blue-cheeked Parrot, Tepui Swifts, Rufous-breasted Sabrewing, Copper-tailed Hummingbird, Velvet-browed Brilliant, Peacock Coquette, Tepui Spinetail, White-throated Foliage-Gleaner, Roraiman Barbtail, Roraiman Antwren, Streak-backed Antshrike and Tepui Antpitta will be high on our wish-list as we spend time at flowering trees, studying passing mixed species flocks and at appropriate sites luring some of the shyer species into view. Some stunning fruit eating species like Red-banded Fruiteater, Rose-collared Piha and Scarlet-horned Manakin are also regional endemics adding to their attraction for birders. Other Tepui endemics include Orange-bellied and Olive Manakins, Ruddy Tody-Flycatcher, Chapman's and Black-fronted Tyrannulets, Fluitist Wren, Tepui Greenlet, Tepui Redstart, Roraiman Warbler, Olive-backed Tanager, Golden-tufted Grackle, Tepui Brush-Finch and Greater Flowerpiercer. At the top of the escarpment the forest gives way to grassland and on La Gran Sabana we'll look for Tepui Goldenthroat and Great Elaenia as well as more widespread open country and tree line species.
Our comfortable lodge is well situated for birding close by and we will search for the bizarre Capuchinbird, Guianan Toucanet, Mouse-coloured and Dusky-throated Antshrikes, Tiny Tyrant-Manakin, Todd's and Spot-tailed Antwrens and maybe even a Blue-backed Tanager. The forest edges near Las Claritas can be a good place to see Crimson Topaz, surely one of the world's most stunning hummingbirds. All night will be in our lodge near Las Claritas.
Day 14. After breakfast we'll transfer to Puerto Ordaz and make connections back to Europe.
PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE YOUR FLIGHT TO VENEZUELA UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED DEPARTURE CONFIRMATION OF THIS TOUR FROM TOUCAN BIRDING TOURS.
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