Colombia Endemics and antpittas in the world’s best birding country is home to a staggering total of over 1,950 – more than any other country on Earth - and the world's best birding country is once again safe and open for business. This tour, which has been specially designed to see as large a selection of species and as many endemics as possible, will begin at the legendary endemism hot-spot of Santa Marta on the Caribbean coast, and then focus on the various cordillera of the central Colombian Andes. The wonderful birdlife, combined with friendly people, good food, quality accommodation, efficient infrastructure and varied geography, from the High Andes to the Caribbean coast, make Colombia arguably the number one birding destination anywhere in the world.

Day 1: Overnight direct flight from London Heathrow to Bogotá, arriving early the next Dates morning. TOUR A: Saturday January 9th – Saturday January 23rd 2021 Day 2: Bogotá is located at an altitude of TOUR B: Saturday January 8th – around 2,300m, nestled in a large plateau Saturday January 22nd 2022 in the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes. We Leader: Simon Papps and local have an early start to visit La Florida, which leader holds three endemic : Bogotá Rail, Group Size: 6 Silvery-throated Spinetail and Apolinar’s Species: 450-500 including up to 42 Wren. There is also a good chance of endemics Subtropical Doradito, Noble Snipe, Rufous- browed Conebill and the local race of Least Bittern. We also become acquainted with may produce Scaled Dove, Glaucous widespread species such as Roadside , Grey Kingbird and Yellow Oriole. Hawk, Blue-and-white and Southern Rough-winged Swallows, Great Kiskadee, Day 3: We spend the morning birding in Fork-tailed and Vermilion Flycatchers, the Guajira desert near Los Flamencos. Masked and Black-crowned Tityras, Buff- Inland, xerophytic scrub dominates, which breasted Wren, Black-billed and Pale- is very productive for Guajira specialties breasted Thrushes, Saffron Finch, and win- restricted to north-east Colombia and tering Blackburnian and Canada Warblers. north-west . These include We then catch a late morning flight from Rufous-vented Chachalaca, Bare-eyed the nearby airport to the city of Riohacha, Pigeon, Buffy Hummingbird, Russet-throat- which is the setting for parts of several nov- ed Puffbird, Chestnut Piculet, White- els by Gabriel García Márquez, including whiskered Spinetail, Slender-billed Inezia, One Hundred Years of Solitude. The nearby Orinocan Saltator, Pileated Finch, Tocuyo Los Flamencos Sanctuary on the Guajira Sparrow and Vermillion Cardinal. We also Peninsula is an important coastal wetland search for Crested Bobwhite, Blue- and dry forest reserve created to protect a crowned and Brown-throated Parakeets, large population of American Flamingos Green-rumped Parrotlet, Black-crested and numerous other birds including Antshrike, White-fringed Antwren and herons, waders, Black Skimmer and Northern Scrub-Flycatcher. After lunch the Roseate Spoonbill. Scarlet Ibis can usually scorching desert sun is overpowering, so be found in the small flocks of White Ibis. we head west, visiting lush coastal forest Scattered trees and brush by the lagoons where we have a chance of encountering

92 www.birdwatchingbreaks.com ☎ 01381 610495 Colombia the likes of Trinidad Euphonia, Yellow- Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant, Santa Marta rumped Cacique, Streaked Flycatcher and Mountain-Tanager, Yellow-crowned if we are lucky Military Macaw. Overnight Whitestart and Santa Marta Warbler. The near Tayrona National Park. peaks of the sierra – the highest in Colombia – are usually visible in the early Day 4: Early start at Tayrona National morning. Watching the skies may reveal the Park, where forest birds include Lance- presence of Scaly-naped Parrots and rap- tailed and White-bearded Manakins, Blue tors including Andean Condor, Black-and- Dacnis, White-chinned Sapphire and a chestnut Eagle and Semi-collared Hawk. variety of woodcreepers, and other birds. Mammals include Venezuelan Day 7: We bird down the road towards Red Howler and Cottotop Tamarin. If our Minca this morning looking for species luck is really in we may encounter a Blue- such as Black-backed Antshrike, Golden- billed Curassow. winged Sparrow, Golden-fronted Greenlet, Later in the morning we will drive to the Coppery Emerald and Rosy - foothills around Minca. Birding here may Tanager. The little known Santa Marta produce Scarlet-fronted Parakeet, Scaled Sabrewing is occasionally seen here. We Piculet, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, then take a flight from Santa Marta to Red-billed Parrot, Boat-billed Flycatcher Colombia’s second largest city, Medellín, and Keel-billed Toucan, plus a wide range and from here head west crossing over the of warblers and other species. western Andes. The Chocó rainforest in Accommodation near Minca. western Colombia contains one of the highest concentrations of range-restricted Days 5-6: We ascend to the famous El biodiversity in the world, with many birds, Dorado reserve in the Sierra Nevada de plants and amphibians at risk of extinction. Santa Marta for a two-night stay. This We will be based in the comfortable Las mountain range is the jewel in the crown of Tangaras lodge for the next three nights. Colombian birding and is home to no less The endemic Crested -Tanager is regu- than 19 endemic bird species, including the larly seen in the lodge garden. recently described Santa Marta Screech Owl. Birding around the lodge is productive Days 8-9: We will have two full days to for Santa Marta Brush-Finch and Crested explore the area around the reserve, where Oropendola. Hummingbirds include the we will look for a number of endemics such uncommon endemics, Santa Marta as the Chocó Vireo, Gold-ringed Tanager, Blossomcrown and Santa Marta Woodstar. Black-and-gold Tanager, Chestnut Wood- Tanagers visit the feeding trays, with Black- Quail, Red-bellied Grackle and the recently capped Tanager and Blue-naped described Tatama . Other speciali- Chlorophonia being possible. The lodge ty species of the area include Beautiful Jay, clearing, with a view of the Caribbean Black Solitaire, Fulvous-dotted Treerunner, below, is a good place for Scarlet-fronted Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager, Orange- Parakeets and White-rumped Hawks. breasted Fruiteater, Toucan Barbet and Black-fronted Wood-Quail, Santa Marta White-headed Wren. We will also visit a Toucanet, White-tipped Quetzal, Strong- hummingbird feeding station within the billed Woodcreeper, Streak-capped reserve where we will see Velvet-purple Spinetail, Grey-throated Leaftosser, Santa Coronet, Violet-tailed Sylph, Rufous-gaped Marta Antpitta, Golden-breasted Fruiteater, Hillstar, Empress Brilliant, Purple-throated Black-hooded Thrush and White-lored Woodstar, and Tawny-bellied Hermit. Warbler are present in forests adjacent to the lodge. Many of the endemics are found Day 10: After a final morning’s birding at at higher elevations above the lodge, Las Tangaras, visiting a different area in including Santa Marta Parakeet, White- search of Tanager-finch and Munchique tailed Starfrontlet, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Wood-Wren, we head back over the moun- the distinctive endemic of tain pass to the pleasant colonial town of , Brown-rumped Tapaculo, Jardin for a two-night stay, stopping en

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Blue-naped Chlorophonia Photo: Simon Papps route to look for the endemic Greyish of the country), for a two-night stay. Piculet is some degraded forest fragments by the roadside. Day 12: A full day in the hills above Manizales at the magical Rio Blanco Day 11: The reserve above Jardin is the reserve which is home to a large variety of best place to find the spectacular and criti- endemics and specialties representative of cally endangered endemic Yellow-eared the Central Cordillera. Cabins at the Parrot. Munchique Wood-Wren has recent- reserve entrance are festooned with hum- ly been discovered here and we have a mingbird feeders and we expect to see up good chance of seeing this critically endan- to ten species, including Tourmaline gered Colombian endemic. The forests are Sunangel and the diminutive White-bellied also home to the Colombian subspecies of Woodstar. Birding activity is exceptionally Acorn Woodpecker, White-browed good with large mixed-species flocks fre- Spinetail, Chestnut-crowned Cotinga, quently encountered. Flocks contain an Golden-faced Whitestart, Black-and-white incredible diversity of furnarids, tanagers Seedeater and Tanager Finch. Groups of and flycatchers, including Tyrannine White-capped Tanagers are occasionally Woodcreeper, Dusky Piha, Handsome found. Later in the day we will visit a lek of Flycatcher, Golden-faced Whitestart, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock which, incongru- Oleaginous Hemispingus, Buff-breasted ously, is situated just five minutes’ walk Mountain-Tanager and Grass-green from the town centre. In the afternoon, we Tanager. Understorey flocks in areas of drive down the Central Andes to the city of bamboo are of particular interest and Manizales, in the so-called coffee zone include Plushcap, Black-eared (although in fact coffee is grown over much Hemispingus, Yellow-billed Cacique, Black-

94 www.birdwatchingbreaks.com ☎ 01381 610495 Colombia billed Peppershrike and Masked Saltator. Tanager, Crested Ant-Tanager and Greyish Other highlights include the noisy Black- Piculet. Other key species in the upper sub- billed Mountain-Toucan, Powerful tropical and montane forest include Woodpecker, Northern Mountain-Cacique, Moustached Puffbird, Bar-crested Black-collared Jay and White-capped Antshrike, , Chestnut- Tanager. This is also a good area for par- breasted Wren and Slate-coloured rots, including Rusty-faced Parrot, Golden- Seedeater. Two trails and a road passing plumed Parakeet and the endemic Rufous- through the forest are good for finding fronted Parakeet. The skulking Ocellated, Highland Motmot, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow and Blackish and Spillmann’s and Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. Mixed flocks Chestnut-naped Antpitta can sometimes may contain Moustached Puffbird, Streak- be tempted into view. Rio Blanco’s high- capped Treehunter, Bar-crested Antshrike, light, however, is its antpitta feeding station. Rufous-breasted Flycatcher and Chestnut-crowned and the endemic Plumbeous-crowned Tyrannulet. The cabin Brown-banded Antpittas are regular while area is good for Great Antshrike, Slate-crowned and the endemic Bicoloured Whiskered Wren, Golden-rumped Antpittas are occasional visitors. We will Euphonia and Flame-rumped Tanager, stay until dark for a chance of Lyre-tailed while the river is home to Torrent Duck and Nightjar, Common Potoo, Rufous-banded White-capped Dipper. The road continues Owl and White-throated Screech-Owl. to El Cedral where a mule trail leads up to cabins at La Pastora, an area for Dusky Day 13: An hour’s drive from Manizales, Piha, Flammulated Treehunter, Masked the road up to Nevado de Ruiz National Saltator, Golden-fronted Whitestart, White- Park passes through elfin forest and capped Tanager and Black-collared Jay. paramo where we search for a very special high-elevation hummingbird – the remark- Day 15: After another morning’s birding at able Buffy Helmetcrest. Other species we Otun-Quimbaya, we take a flight from may encounter are Viridian Metaltail, Tawny Pereira to Bogotá and connect with a flight Antpitta, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, Stout- back to the UK. Arrival is on the following billed Cinclodes and Glossy Flowerpiercer. morning. Lower down, the road passes Laguna Negra, a glacial lake that is home to Andean Duck and Andean Teal. Golden- breasted Puffleg, Andean Tit-Spinetail, White-chinned Thistletail, Black-backed Prices Bush-Tanager and many others also occur. The park entrance road passes through Ground Price: £4,995 elfin forest patches, home of the scarce Tour B: £5195 (provisional) and elusive endemic Rufous-fronted Single room: £400 Parakeet. This forest also has Rainbow- Deposit: £500 bearded Thornbill, Andean Pygmy-Owl, *Air Fare: £600 White-browed Spinetail, Crowned Chat- Tyrant, Ocellated and Paramo Tapaculos, This holiday is fully inclusive of Golden-crowned Tanager, Scarlet-bellied accommodation and meals, Mountain-Tanager and Pale-naped Brush- transport, permit fees, guidance, tips Finch. In the afternoon, we drive to the La and taxes. Suiza lodge in the Otun-Quimabya region- al park, near the city of Pereira, for a two- Not included: drinks, insurance, night stay. items of a personal nature, fuel surcharges. Day 14: Today we visit Otun-Quimbaya reserve which holds the Cauca Valley and *Please refer to our terms and Central Cordilleran endemics Cauca Guan, conditions relating to flights Chestnut Wood-Quail, Multicoloured

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