8 Days Bogotá and Nearby Cities

Paramo of Sumapaz is listed as the world’s largest, from Bogotá you need to drive two hours to this place, the altitude is 13,300 feet, cold weather, there is possible to see the endemic Green Bearded Helmetcrest, Ruddy Duck, endemic Bogota Rail, endemic Apolinar´s Wren, endemic Silvery-throated Spinetail, Noble Snipe, Paramo Pipit, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Green-tailed Trainbearer, Bronze-tailed Thornbill, Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant, near-endemic Rufous-browed Conebill, Eastern Meadowlark, Paramo Seedeater, near-endemic Pale-bellied Tapaculo, Bronze-tailed thornbill. Overnight in Bogotá.

The Observatorio de Colibríes is a special place for those who like to enjoy the marvels that nature offers us. Without traveling great distances or too far regions, you will see more than 14 species in your visit, Great sapphire wing, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Blue-throated Starfrontlet, Coppery-bellied Puffleg, Glowing puffleg, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Green-tailed trainbearer, White-bellied Woodstar, Long-tailed Sylph, Tyrian Metaltail, Purple-backed Thornbill, Gorgeted Woodstar, Speckled Hummingbird and others. Night at Bogota.

This park has a great variety of birds and worth a visit, Chicaque is just 45 minutes from Bogotá and there is possible to find the Black Inca, Golden-bellied Starfrontlet, Emerald Toucanet, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Chestnut-crowned Antpitta, Green and Black Fruiteater, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Flame-faced Tanager, Moustached Brush-Finch, Long-tailed Sylph and others. In the afternoon flight to Pereira (45 minutes). Our transport will be waiting to transfer us to Otún Quimbaya, our lodge will be La Suiza, a beautiful place surrounded only by nature.

This day we will try for the Cauca Guan, the rare Red-ruffed Fruitcrow (Otún Quimbaya is the better place for this one) Torrent Duck, Hooded Antpitta, Stile’s Tapaculo among others. Otún Quimbaya is also the ideal place to see big groups of Red-Howler Monkey and may be Southamerican Tapir.

The Rio Blanco reserve in Manizales has 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 Grey-browed Brush-Finch. There is possible see the rare Slaty-crowned Antpitta with a couple of Green and Black Fruiteater, we will have also 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, Blackish Tapaculo, Ash-colored Tapaculo, Spillman’s Tapaculo, Rufous-crowned Tody-Tyrant, Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied and Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrants, Pale-edged Flycatcher, Barred Becard, Golden-fronted Whitestar, White-capped Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Buff-breasted and Blue-winged Mountain Tanagers, Pluscap, the rare Masked Saltator. Night at Manizales.

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. 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. We also visit Termales del Ruiz look for the rare and endemic Rufous-fronted Parakeet and there we also have a chance for Shining Sunbeam, Black-thighed and Golden-breasted Pufflegs, Great Sapphirewing, Tiryan and Viridian Metaltail, Sword-billed Hummingbird and Páramo Tapaculo. Other possibilities are the rare and seldom seen Ocellated Tapaculo and the uncommon Black-backed Bush Tanager. Overnight at Termales del Ruiz Spa Hotel.

We will drive on the old way to Líbano, there is possible to see the endemics Tolima Dove and Tolima Blossomcrown, we will have the chance to see Yellow-eared Parrot, Yellow-headed Brush-Finch, other special birds can be seen on this road. Overnight at Líbano.

This day is possible to explore the Magdalena Valley and JArdín Encantado de Colibríes looking for some endemics of this region, Indigo-caped Hummingbird, Magdalena Tapaculo, Magdalena Antbird and others, in the afternoon we will drive to Bogotá for the International flight.