The stunning Buffy Helmetcrest was one of the many great endemics we encountered on this fabulous tour! (Chris Venetz) CLASSIC COLOMBIA 22 FEBRUARY – 15 MARCH 2020 LEADERS: CHRIS VENETZ and TREVOR ELLERY THe 2020 Birdquest Classic Colombia continued tHe run of previous successful tours, and was once again anotHer memorable birding adventure in tHis incredible bird-rich country. WitH nearly 1900 species, Colombia is simply Home to more species of birds tHan any otHer country in tHe world and firmly established as a premier birding destination in SoutH America. Besides tHe greatest list, Colombia also Holds an extraordinary set of endemics, as well as plenty of other range-restricted species shared witH neigHbour countries, and this definitely kept us busy every day tHrougHout tHis incredible tour! THe main reason beHind such a HigH rate of endemism is due to tHe effect tHat here in Colombia the Andes split into tHree slopes, isolating two major valleys and tHeir associated endemics, while tHe nortHern part of tHe country also holds the famous Santa Marta Mountains, a completely isolated mountain range where another great number of endemics are found. THe excellent birding infrastructures, some super friendly and excellent local guides, as well as the great 1 BirdQuest Tour Report: Classic Colombia 2020 www.birdquest-tours.com conservation movement simply added a very pleasant side during our daily quest for tHese special birds. We crossed a wide range of Habitats spanning from wetlands in tHe Carribean coast, to arid scrubs in tHe Guajira Peninsula, to rich Andean footHill forest (including tHe CHoco bioregion), to tHe spectacular paramo of the HigH Andes and also to the unique tropical forest of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. THis year, our quest for the special birds tHrougHout all tHese different Habitats resulted in an impressive total of 727 species (including some Heard only). Amongst tHese, we Hit on a great number of our Birdquest “diamond” birds including 51 strict Colombian endemics. THe list of HigHligHts is a long one, but if I were to mention tHe best, one of the first things tHat comes to mind is certainly tHe extreme diversity of antpittas we encountered witH a total of 13 species seen, including endemic Hooded, Brown-banded and Santa Marta Antpittas, while otHer range- restricted ones also stole tHe show, such as Crescent-faced (wHich was eventually chosen as “Bird-of-the- trip”), Bicolored, Moustached, Chestnut-naped, Rusty-breasted and Slaty-crowned Antpitta. A Huge diversity of Hummingbirds also kept us busy witH excellent sigHtings of numerous endemic species like Green-bearded and Buffy Helmetcrests, Santa Marta Blossomcrown, Santa Marta Woodstar, Black-backed THornbill, WHite- tailed Starfrontlet, Black-tHigHed Puffleg and even tHe critically endengered SappHire-bellied Hummingbird. Endemic parrots were also well represented witH Fuerte’s Parrot, Rufous-fronted Parakeet, Yellow-eared Parrot and Santa Marta Parakeet, wHile near-endemics Saffron-Headed Parrot, Spectacled Parrotlet and Golden-plumed Parakeet were also well seen. Other notable endemics included CHestnut-winged CHachalaca, Colombian CHachalaca, Cauca Guan, Bogota Rail, Tolima Dove, Santa Marta Screech Owl, Greyish Piculet, Beautiful Woodpecker, Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner, Rusty-Headed Spinetail, Silvery-throated Spinetail, Streak-capped Spinetail, Santa Marta Antbird, Parker’s Antbird, Magdalena Antbird, Tatama Tapaculo, Stile’s Tapaculo, Brown-rumped Tapaculo, Antioquia Bristle Tyrant, Santa Marta Bush Tyrant, Apical Flycatcher, Apolinar’s Wren, Antioquia Wren, Hermit Wood-wren, Munchique Wood-Wren, Sierra Nevada Brushfinch, Santa Marta Brushfinch, Yellow-Headed Brushfinch, Bronze-brown Cowbird, Red-bellied Grackle, Santa Marta Warbler, White-lored Warbler, Yellow-crowned WHitestart, Sooty Ant-Tanager, Crested Ant-Tanager, Black- and-gold Tanager, Gold-ringed Tanager, Santa Marta Mountain Tanager, Turquoise Dacnis and CHestnut- bellied Flowerpiercer, simply to give a hint of wHat an extremely birdy country is! Although not an endemic, this absolutely stunning Crescent-faced Antpitta was voted bird of the tour! (Chris Venetz) 2 BirdQuest Tour Report: Classic Colombia 2020 www.birdquest-tours.com THis successful tour started witH an early visit to tHe wild windswept Paramo of Sumapaz National Park. We began birding around a couple of HigH elevation lakes wHich were exhibiting unusually low water levels. THese low levels worked to our advantage, as we quickly found a very obliging Bogota Rail feeding in a narrow channel. We enjoyed quite a sHow from tHis often tricky endemic and followed it witH great views of several ratHer confiding Noble Snipe. THis intricately patterned wader Has a restricted range in nortHern SoutH America and is best found in tHe Bogota area, but even Here it can be tricky to catch up witH. THe nearby bamboo produced several Apolinar’s Wrens, of tHe hernandezi subspecies, wHile commoner species around tHe lakes included plentiful Andean Teal (of tHe andium subspecies, wHich is sometimes known as Merida Speckled Teal) and a couple of Greater Yellowlegs. We tHen spent some time searching for tHe endemic Green-bearded Helmetcrest and eventually enjoyed great looks at several individuals, including a male showing off its green beard. We were also lucky in picking up a selection of key furnarids witH Andean Tit-Spinetail, Many-striped Canastero and White-chinned THistletail all showing well. We also found tHe endemic Silvery-throated Spinetail and a near endemic Pale-bellied Tapaculo gave good views. Commoner species included Scarlet-bellied and Buff-breasted Mountain Tanagers and a Tawny-rumped Tyrannulet. AnotHer scan of tHe nearby lake produced Andean Duck and a couple of American Coots, wHile tHe bushes Held some obliging WHite-throated Tyrannulets and deligHtful Rufous-browed Conebills. A couple of Streak-tHroated Bush Tyrants were a bonus and we also found some Brown-backed CHat-Tyrants and a few Plumbeous Sierra Finches. Brown-bellied Swallows were watched Hawking overHead and tHe single mammal HigHligHts were tHe fairly common Brazilian Guinea pigs. We tHen continued on to a sligHtly different area wHere we managed to locate Red-rumped Bush Tyrant (a rare species in Colombia), CHestnut-winged Cinclodes and a very obliging Tawny Antpitta (of tHe alticola subspecies, wHich is sometime split as NortHern Tawny Antpitta). A single Black-chested Buzzard- Eagle was also seen soaring over tHe Paramo. In tHe afternoon a visit to a forest site near Bogota was made impossible due to persistent Heavy rain, as we Had to go back to tHe Hotel in tHe end. Green-bearded Helmetcrest was nicely seen on the first day. (Trevor Ellery) 3 BirdQuest Tour Report: Classic Colombia 2020 www.birdquest-tours.com THe next day we dropped down to tHe footHills of tHe Magdalena valley and birded tHe remnant forest patches around tHe Pedro Palo lagoon. We soon found our main target there, tHe Handsome Turquoise Dacnis, witH a smart male showing well. OtHer species included Andean Guan, wHile Hummers in tHe forest were represented by Crowned WoodnympH, WHite-booted Racket-tail and Steely-vented Hummingbird. THe mixed flocks Held Red-headed Barbet, White-tHroated Toucanet and Red-crowned, Acorn and Smoky-brown Woodpeckers. Furnarids were again well represented witH Montane Foliage-gleaner and botH Ash-browed and tHe skulking Stripe-breasted Spinetail. We also found Montane Woodcreeper, Golden-faced Tyrannulet, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Piratic Flycatcher, WHite-winged Becard, botH Rufous-browed and Black-billed Peppershrikes, Brown- capped Vireo and Rufous-naped Greenlet. Blue-and-wHite Swallows were common overHead, wHile Grey- breasted Wood Wrens skulked in tHe understorey and we enjoyed multiple Swainson’s and Black-billed THrushes. Several Moustached BruHfinches were much appreciated, wHile warblers included Black-and-white, Blackburnian, American Yellow and Canada, along witH our first Slate-tHroated WHitestarts and Tropical Parula. Tanagers were also well represented witH Summer, Crimson-backed, Blue-grey, Palm, Fawn- breasted, Bay-Headed, Scrub, Metallic-green, Blue-necked and Black-capped, all being seen well. We tHen visited some feeders at CHicaque Park wHere Lesser Violetears were common and after quite some wait we managed to see a dazzling female Golden-bellied Starfrontlet. We also noted Buff-tailed Coronet, the smart Collared Inca, Tourmaline Sunangel and Glowing Puffleg. In tHe afternoon we stopped at some dry forest in tHe lowlands of tHe Magdalena Valley. Birding along a quiet road Here produced botH SmootH and Groove- billed Anis, tHe endemic Velvet-fronted EupHonia, a very obliging Dwarf Cuckoo, a fantastic pair of Pearl Kites and plentiful scolding Tropical Gnatcatchers. We also found our first Bicolored Wrens and Fork-tailed Flycatchers and botH Mouse-coloured Tyrannulet and Scrub Greenlet. A single Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture was watched quartering tHe fields, wHile some scrub produced Rufous-tailed Jacamar, tHe near-endemic Spectacled Parrotlet, Barred Antshrike, Greenish and Yellow-bellied Elaenias, Masked Tityra and a couple of Grey Pileated Finches. A cracking Pearl Kite and a very obliging Dwarf Cuckoo from Coello. (Trevor Ellery) 4 BirdQuest Tour Report: Classic Colombia 2020 www.birdquest-tours.com Our tHird day involved a pre-dawn walk up to tHe wonderful Ukuku lodge in tHe central Andes. Here we received a warm reception and were safely positioned witH steaming cups of Colombian coffee to watch tHe dawn rise and