15 Days Magic Birding Tour in Colombia

La Florida has adapted spaces for birdwatching, the birds of this región are associated with highlands and páramos, there we can find the Common Moorhen, Striated Heron, Spot-flanked Gallinule, Cattle Egret, Yellow-hooded Blackbird, Fulvous whistling Duck, Blue-winged Teal, the endemics Bogota Rail and Apolinar´s Wren and Silver-throated Spinetail, Rufous-browed Conebill (Near endemic) Overnigth in Bogotá

Located between municipalities of Soacha and San Antonio del Tequendama, this nature reserve consists of 7 types of forests, awaits countless species of flora and fauna in the world, has more than 300 green hectares, becoming home to more than 300 Bird species of which these are our target there: Glowing puffleg – Coopery bellied puffleg – Golden-bellied Strafrontlet – Rufous-breasted Flycatcher – Pluscap and other very special birds, in the afternoon, drive 3 hours to Victoria Caldas for the rare and very special birds of Magdalena valley. Nigth in Victoria.

Located in the eastern of Caldas Department, La Victoria has one of the most important reserves of dry forest in Colombia, here is perfect for birding and continuous this trip in the Magdalena valley. Night in Victoria. The birds target are: Northern Screamer, Colombian Chachalaca, Capped Heron, King Vulture, Grey-necked Wood Rail, Tody Motmot, Black-mandible Toucan, Collared Aracari, White- bibbed Manakin, Striped Manakin, and other special birds.

Rio Claro is like an extension of Victoria but birds and landscapes are amazing, here is now Antioquia but the biological region is the same of Victoria, there, we will look for White-tailed Trogon, Barred Puffbird, Rufous Motmot, endemic White-mantled Barbet, Channel-billed Toucan, Olivaceus Piculet and others. Overnight at Rio Claro Hotel

We will continue looking for very special birds in this place, beautiful Woodpecker, Antioquia Bristle-Tyrant, Sooty Ant Tanager, Magdalena Antbird, Saffron-headed Parrot, Scarlet-browed Tanager and others. Night in Rio Claro Hotel.

Jardín is the perfect place for the Cock of the Rock, just 3 blocks for the main park, there is a colorful lek of this bird with a very nice and closer view of them. After there, we continue for endemic Yellow-headed Parrot, Tanager Finch, Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, Munchique Wood Wren, Red-bellied Grackle, Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer, Dusky Starfrontlet, Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, and others, Overnight at Riosucio.

The Rio Blanco reserve not only provides quality water to the city of Manizales but habitat to many wonderful bird species that can be seen just by walking on the gentle slope tracks that cut through the forest. There are hummingbird feeders by the main house which are attended by a constant flow of hummingbirds including Speckled Hummingbird, Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Buff-tailed Coronet, Bronzy Inca, Collared Inca, Tourmaline Sunangel, Long-tailed Sylph and White-bellied Woodstar. They have also started an Antpitta feeding station where the very local and endemic Brown-banded Antpitta sneaks into the territory of a dominant pair of Chestnut-crowned Antpittas. A few other species also show up at the banquette of worms, like the Bicolored Antpitta and the Stripe-headed Brush-Finch. They have also a feeding station of Slate-crowned Antpitta where a couple of Green and black Fruiteater gets to eat. Overnight at Recinto del Pensamiento Hotel.

The Rio Blanco reserve is such a bird-rich place that we need two full days of birding to cover the reserve properly. The birdlife here is so diverse and spectacular that we stand a chance of seeing over 360 species. We will have a good chance to see the endemic Chestnut Wood-Quail, Rusty-faced Parrot, Golden-plumed Parakeet, Andean Toucanet, Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Rufous Spinetail, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Streaked Xenops, Pearled Treerunner, Spotted Barbtail, Striped Treehunter, Tyranine Woodcreeper, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Long-tailed Antbird, Bicolored Antpitta, Chesnut-naped Antpitta, Slate-crowned Antpitta, the rare and elusive Hooded Antpitta, Backish Tapaculo, Ash-colored Tapaculo, Spillman’s Tapaculo, Black-capped Tyrannulet, White-tailed Tyrannulet, Mountain Elaenia, Handsome Flycatcher, Rufous-crowned Tody-Tyrant, Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied and Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrants, Pale-edged Flycatcher, Barred Becard, Green-and-black and Barred Fruiteaters, Pale-footed Swallow, Sharpe’s Wren, Mountain Wren, Andean Solitaire, Black-hooded Thrush, Golden-fronted Whitestar, Citrine Warbler, Black-billed Peppershrike, Blue-backed Conebill, Common and Gray-hooded Bush-Tanagers, Black-capped, Superciliaried, Oleagineous and Black-eared Hemispingus, White-capped Tanager, Red-hooded Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Lacrimose, Hooded, Scarlet-bellied, Buff-breasted and Blue-winged Mountain Tanagers, Golden, Metalic-green, Beryl-spangled Tanagers, Pluscap, Slaty and Chestnut-capped Brushfinches, the rare Masked Saltator, Northern Mountain Cacique and Yellow-bellied Siskin. Night at Recinto del Pensamiento.

Another early start will find us at first light in the upper cloud and elfin forest along the way to Nevado del Ruiz National Park, where our main goal will be to look for the rare and endemic Rufous-fronted Parakeet. . At a higher elevation close to the National Park entrance we will be looking for the endemic Buffy Helmetcrest, which is hard to find anywhere else, as well as White-chinned Thistletail, Andean Tit-Spinetail, Stout-billed Cinclodes, Tawny Antpitta, 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.
There we also have a chance for Shining Sunbeam, Black-thighed and Golden-breasted Pufflegs, Great Sapphirewing, Viridian and tyrian Metaltail, Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, Buff-winged Starfontlet, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Mountain Velvetbeast, Scarlet-bellied Tanager, Golden-crowned Tanager and Páramo Tapaculo. Other possibilities are the rare and seldom seen Ocellated Tapaculo and the uncommon Black-backed Bush Tanager. Later on in the day we will drive to Otún Quimbaya Reserve.

The La Suiza lodge is a fabulous place. The lodge is surrounded by beautiful forest and all you have done to see forest birds is to step out of your cabin and stroll along the road entering the park. The reserve is the best place to look for the local and endemic Cauca Guan (long thought to be extinct until a healthy population was rediscovered in 1989 near Pereira at the actual location of the Otun-Quimbaya Reserve). We will also be looking for the endemics Chestnut Wood-Quail and Stiles´s Tapaculo, Sickle-winged Guan, Greenish Puffleg, Highland Motmot, Moustached Puffbird, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Streak-capped Treehunter, Moustached Antpitta, Plumbeous-crowned Tyrannulet, Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, both Variegated and Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrants, Chestnut-breasted Wren, Pale-eyed and Glossy-black Thrushes and White-capped Tanagers, among many others. Here we will see the enigmatic Red-ruffed Fruitcrow which is better seen in this location than anywhere else in its range, also is the perfect place for Hooded Antpitta and Torrent Duck.

The Cerro Montezuma is ideal for the birding experience in the high Andean forest, where the Andes merge with the Chocó, with a little over 300 species of birds, instead beginning to be recognized among birders as one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, finding 11 endemic species of the western mountains, 9 endemic species of Colombia, nearly 14 species of endemic birds. There, we will look for the endemic Gold-ringed Tanager, Endemic Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer, NE Toucan Barbet, NE Purplish-mantled Tanager, endemic Munchique Wood-Wren, NE Black Solitaire and others. Nigth at Montezuma Lodge

We continue visiting other parts to looking for the other different species in this magical place: Red-headed Barbet, Lemmon and Flamme-rumped Tanager, NE Violet-tailed Sylph, NE Velvet-purple Coronet, White-tailed Hillstar, and NE Empress Brillant. In the afternoon, we will drive for Buga, night in El Regidor Hotel..

Finca Lolita and K 18 are perfect for start birding in this side of the country, will visit San Antonio Forest at an altitude between 1700 and 2100 m.a.s.l. visit the cloud forest at km 18, in it, we have access to wonderful forest feeders for hummingbirds and beautiful Tanagers. Several groups of birds are common to see there, including Endemic Multicolored Tanager, Golden Tanager, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, Red-headed Barbet, Crested Quetzal, White-necked Jacobin, Andean Emerald, blue-headed Sapphire, Steely-vented Hummingbird, Long-tailed Silph, Purple-Throated Woodstar, Brown Violetear to name a few. We will also be looking for other species along a road that borders the forest and is free of traffic. At night we will stay at Finca Lolita.

The Queremal is located in the old way to Buenaventura. Closer to Queremal is located Anchicayá and it is one of the favorite places to watch some endemic and rare birds of the Chocó region. Banded ground-cuckoo, Golden-Chested Tanager, Yellow-green Bush-Tanager, Rose-faced Parrot, Choco Poorwill, Baudo Guan, Great Curassow, Scarlet-and-white Tanager, Emerald Tanager, Gray-and-Gold Tanager, Rufous-throated Tanager, Choco Tapaculo, Choco Tucan, Streak-chested Antpitta, Lita Woodpecker, Zeledon´s Antbird, Sooty-headed Wren, Scarlet-browed Tanager, Purple-crowned Fairy, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, White-headed Wren, Long-tailed Tyrant and others. In the afternoon return to Finca Lolita.

We spend the morning for birds that have not yet seen, after lunch, we drive for the airport and flight to Bogotá, Finally, go home.