WESTERN AND CENTRAL ANDES COLOMBIAN ENDEMICS BIRDING TOUR 2020 Buffy Heltmetcrest. Photo: Pablo Florez Introduction This tour focuses on Colombian endemics and other specialities, visiting some of the hottest birding destinations. Enjoy 10 days in central Colombia with us. 450-500 species are possible to see on this tour, including around 35 endemics, 62 specialities and 12 Antpitta species!!! This is a special tour made for birders who want to see the highest number of quality species possible in Colombia. ​Our efficient itinerary involves safe and easy access areas and easy to moderate birding. The tour necessarily operates on a tight schedule and includes some fairly long drives between different IBAs i​ n order to find as many specialties as possible. ITINERARY Day 1. Medellin to Jardin After pick you up at the Medellin hotel we will drive to the nice coffee culture town. Jardin. It takes 3 h drive, but it will be some good birding stops on the way to look for birds like Antioquia Wren, Grayish Piculet, Apical Flycatcher, Colombian Chachalaca, Spectacled Parrotlet, Yellow-back Oriole, Scrub Tanager, Crimsom-backed Tanager and lots more. Once close to Jardin town we will visit feeders in a coffee farm. Lunch –check at hotel and we’ll finish the day at a nice Cock of the Rock Lek (maybe the best one of the world as you can see easily more than 10 males display at just 2-3 m from you). At this place there is a good chance to see the endemics Red-bellied Grackle, Crested Ant Tanager. Night in picturesque Jardin town. Balandu lodge. Andean Cock of the rock. Photo Pablo Florez Day 2. Jardin. Yellow-Eared Parrot Reserve Jardín is one of the one of most beautiful towns of Colombia. We’ll enjoy superb birding between 1900-3000 m asl, where we have a good chance to find one of the area’s most special birds, the critically endangered Yellow-eared Parrot (E). Other prized species here include Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Red-bellied Grackle, Tanager Finch, White-capped, Red-hooded, Golden-crown, and Saffron-crowned Tanagers, Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, Golden-fronted Whitestart, Barred Fruiteater, Citrine Warbler, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Black and Chestnut Eagle, White-capped Tanager, Golden-headed Quetzal, White-capped Dipper, Grey-hooded Bush Tanager, Mountain Cacique and Golden-rumped Euphonia; Red-crested Cotinga, Lacrimose-mountain Tanager, Slaty Brush Finch and more. Night in Jardin. Today we will today a nice feeders and hire set by local farmer where we will look for Chestnut-naped Antpitta, Rufus Antpitta, Green and black Fruiteater, Grey-browed Brush Finch and sometimes Ocellated Tapaculo, Tawny Breasted Tapaculo, and Chestnut-Wood Quail plus some nice hummer like Sword-billed Hummingbird, Mountain Velvetbreast. Night at Balandu lodge. Yellow-eared Parrot. Photo: Pablo Florez Chestnut-crested Cotinga. Photo: Pablo Florez Day 3. Jardin to Manizales with Birding stops Birding again on the road Jardin to Río Sucio to try missing birds and try the endemic Yellow-headed Brush Finch, we expect to see today birds like Tanager Finch, Black-capped Hemispingus, Ocellated Tapaculo, White-capped Tanager, Chestnut-wood Quail, Red-hooded Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Hooded Mountain Tanager, Black-collared Jay, Andean Pygmy Owl, Barred Fruiteater, Plushcap, Golden-crowned Tanager,Tawny-breasted Tinamou, Powerful Woodpecker and more. Night at Manizales or at Río Blanco reserve lodge (30 min drive from Manizales). Day 4. Río Blanco This reserve, located on the western slope of the Central Andes, includes good cloud forest between 2100-2700 m. There are a number of great birds in Rio Blanco, including Masked Saltator, Rusty-faced Parrot, Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, Dusky Piha, Ash-colored and Ocellated Tapaculos, Tyrannine Woodcreeper, Sharpe’s Wren, Smoky Bush-Tyrant, and Scaly-naped Parrots. The reserve also features the most amazing antpitta feeders anywhere, which attract 6 antpitta species: Brown-banded (E), Bicoloured, Chestnut-crowned, Chestnut-naped, Undulated and Slate-crowned Antpittas, as well as other shy birds like Grey-browed Brush-Finch (split from Stripe-headed) and Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush. We just spend the day working different trails and feeders. Night at Río Blanco reserve lodge. Brown-banded Antpitta. Photo: Pablo Florez Day 5. Páramo NP Los Nevados (3200-4000 asl) We will need to start driving in order to travel 1 hour to Los Nevados National Park. The views of snow-covered volcanic peaks are some of the most stunning stretches of the Colombian Andes in this region. Crescent-faced Antpitta. Photo: Pablo Florez We’ll make stops along the road. This area of paramo is a special site for a number of scarcer hummers, including the famous Bearded (Now Buffy) Helmetcrest (E), Black-thighed and Golden-breasted Pufflegs, Mountain Avocetbill, Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, Purple-back Thornbill, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Shining Sunbeam, and Buff-winged Starfrontlet. Other birds of note to be found here include: Rufous-fronted Parakeet (E), Scaly-naped parrot, Paramo Tapaculo, White-browed Spinetail, Black-backed Bush Tanager, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Andean Condor, Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Stout-billed Cinclodes, Tawny Antpitta, Crowned Chat-tyrant, Black-collared Jay, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Paramo Seedeater, Andean Tit-Spinetail, White-chinned Thistletail, Plumbeous Sierra-Finch, Black-eared Hemispingus, and Plushcap Finch. The feeders at this lodge are just amazing!! Quality hummingbird species!!! We also, open the time to visit a new spot to see a Crescent-faced Antpitta feeding station!!! Night Otun Quimbaya lodge. Rainbow-bearded Thornbill. Photo: Pablo Florez Day 6. Otun-Quimbaya (1800-2200 m) Otun features a charming lodge, surrounded by subtropical forest, and many of its special birds can be found just a short walk from our rooms. We’ll search here for Hooded Antpitta, Cauca Guan (E), Chestnut Wood-Quail (E), Grayish Piculet (E), Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Golden-plumed Parakeet, Moustached Antpitta, Chestnut-breasted Wren, Wattled Guan, Black-winged Saltator, Torrent Duck, Metallic-green Tanager, Variegated Bristle-Tyrant, Plumbeous-crowned Tyrannulet, Green-fronted Lancebill, Rusty-winged Barbtail, Streak-capped Treehunter, and others. Night at Otun lodge. Red-ruffed Fruitcrown. Photo: Pablo Florez Torrent Duck. Photo Pablo Florez Days 7 and 8. Montezuma. NP Tatama (1300-2000 asl) This site can produce some really impressive birding, and in our opinion is one of the very best sites in the whole of Colombia. It’s a paradise for tanagers!! Possibilities include two difficult ​Bangsia species, Gold-ringed (E) and Black-&-gold Tanagers (E), plus Crested Ant-Tanager (E), Purplish-mantled, Glistening-green, Multicoloured (E), Lemon-spectacled, Bush Tanager, Rufous-throated, Metallic-green, Silver-throated and Flame-faced Tanagers plus Yellow-green (NE - rare) and Yellow-throated Bush-Tanagers. Hooded Antpitta. Pablo Florez Purplish-mantled Tanager. Photo: Pablo Florez Other superb birds seen at the site include Munchique Wood-Wren (E), Dusky Starfontlet (E), Black Solitaire (NE), Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer (E), Buffy Tuftedcheek, Fulvous-dotted Treerunner (NE), Choco Vireo (NE), Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl (NE), Tanager Finch, Scarlet and White Tanager, Toucan Barbet (NE), Bicoloured Antvireo, White-fronted Nunbird, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Solitary Eagle, Ornate and Black Hawk-Eagles, Rufous-breasted Antthrush, Bronze-olive Pygmy-Tyrant, Yellow-breasted Antwren, White-headed Wren (NE), Yellow-vented Woodpecker, Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, Barred, Scaled, Orange-breasted Fruieaters, Olivaceous Piha, Olive Finch, Uniform Treehunter (NE), Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner, Yellow-collared (NE) and Chestnut-breasted and Yellow-collared Chlorophonias. Also, there are fresh records of Greater Scythebill. Gold-ringed Tanager. Photo: Pablo Florez And yes, there are hummingbird feeders! We’ll look for Empress Brilliant (NE), White-tailed Hillstar, Brown Inca (NE), Velvet-purple Coronet (NE), Violet-tailed Sylph (NE), Purple-bibbed Whitetip and Purple-throated Woodstar. The Montezuma Road is also home to Ocellated, Nariño (NE), Choco (NE) and the newly discovered Alto Pisones (E) Tapaculos!! Velvet-purple Coronet. Photo: Pablo Florez We’ll spend the two nights at the Montezuma Farmhouse (a simple but clean homestead located very close to some of the best birding spots.) The owners here are directly involved in the birding-conservation business, and the friendly welcome from our hosts is matched only by the tastiness of the food! Day 9. Montezuma and drive to Pereira –Cali. We’ll have birding till 10 or 11 am in Montezuma, looking for missing species. Then take a 5 h drive to la Huerta lodge plus stops at Sonso wetland to look for Jet Antbird, Dwarf Cuckoo, Ruby Topa, Apical Flycatcher, Buff-necked Ibis, Bronzy Ibis, Greyish Piculet, Grey Seedeater and more.Night at the very nice La Huerta Lodge (near Buga). Day 10. Upper Anchicaya Valley​A full day to focus on Km 18 and upper Anchicaya valley and the famous Doña Dora Feeders to with great stuff like Toucan Barbet, Moss-backed Tanager, Choco Brushfinch, -Scalet-rumped Toucanet, Chesnut-fronted Oropendula, Rufus-throated Tanager, Green Thorntail, Tooth-billed Hummingbird, Black-head Brush Finch, Red-headed Barbet, Black-chinned and Blue-winged Mountain Tanagers, White-lined Tanager. Plus all this, we will look on the surrounded forest for birds like Glistering-green Tanager, Purplish-mantled Tanager, Black Solitaire, Orange-throated Fruiteater, Yellow-collared