Cali Birding Tour in Colombia

BUGA UPPER PORTION HACIENDA  SAN JOSÉ

Hacienda San Jose is a complex of more than ten properties in the highlands of  the central Andes where they’ve ceased agriculture and cattle activities. The primary goal here is the preservation and regeneration of the Andean forest. Today nature has reclaimed its place, resulting in an extraordinary birding experience. Among the remarkable creatures awaiting observation in this area are the nomadic White-capped Tanager, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, the uncommon Dusky Piha, Rufous-chested Tanager, Golden-fronted Redstart, White-bellied Woodstar, Striped Treehunter, Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Golden-headed Quetzal, and Blue-and-black, Blue-capped, and Fawn-breasted Tanagers. Other species in the area include Black-billed Mountain Toucan, Spillman’s Tapaculo, Streak-headed Antbird, Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant plus many more . By the end of the day we will head back to our lodge with stops on the way looking for Crested Ant-Tanager and Turquoise Dacnis, both endemics.

BUGA UPPER PORTION HACEINDA SAN JOSÉ 

We will visit the Hacienda San Jose again today. This time starting up in the highlands and birding all the way to the lowlands. This allows us to compare  the highland and low Andean species. Some of the birds we can find are Blue-and-black Tanager, White-naped Brushfinch, Beryl-spangled Tanager, White-crowned Tapaculo, Green-and-black Fruiteater, Blue-capped Tanager, Black-winged Saltator, Saffron-crowned Tanager and Southern Emerald Toucanet.

SONSO LAGOON RESERVE AND DRIVE TO SAN CIPRIANO

After breakfast a plethora of birds await us in the dry forest, Cauca River and wetlands of the Sonso Lagoon Reserve. This is one of the few wetlands that remains in the whole Cauca Valley region. Here we can look for endemics such as Grayish Piculet and  Apical Flycatcher and for tropical dry forest species such as Yellow Oriole, Oriole Blackbird, Little Cuckoo, Dwarf Cuckoo, Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-olive Flycatcher, Cocoa Woodcreeper, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Jet Antbird, Great Antshrike, Cinereous Becard, Blackish Rail, Purple Gallinule, Black-bellied, Fulvous and White-faced Whistling-Ducks, Pale-breasted Spinetail, and more. This is the only place west in the Andes to look for Horned Screamer, a species usually in the Amazon region that can be seen in open areas or on the tops of trees , by the marsh or the dry forest. 

Right after lunch we will drive to San Cipriano.

SAN CIPRIANO NATURAL RESERVE

Early start to get to San Cipriano, a remote village in  the Choco Lowlands. Getting there will require a ride in a weird and picturesque type of transportation which is known as the ¨Brujita¨. This is basically a wooden cart with iron wheels that goes on an old train track pushed by a motorcycle. San Cipriano is an Afro-Colombian community that is located by a reserve that protects the Buenaventura watershed. Buenaventura, the nearest city, is the main port of Colombia and the only one on the Pacific Ocean. The  targets for San Cipriano are Choco Toucan, White-tailed Trogon, Stub-tailed Antbird, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Bicolored Antbird, Dot-winged Antwren, White-whiskered Puffbird, Black-breasted Puffbird, Spot-crowned Barbet, Five-colored Barbet, Blue-whiskered Tanager, Tawny-crested Tanager, and many others. After enjoying the  birds in San Cipriano, we will leave the town and move to our following destination.

KM 18 CLOUD FOREST 

This is a famous spot for birdwatching in Colombia. We will have the chance to visit this forest and some well recognized photography and bird feeding stations. The targets are the endemic Multicolored Tanager, Chestnut Wood-Quail, Scrub Tanager, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, Black-capped Tanager, Chestnut-capped Brushfinch, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Little Tinamou, Rusty-winged Barbtail, Green-and-black Fruiteater, White-throated Quail-Dove, Booted Racket-tail, Blue-headed Sapphire, Bronzy Inca, Tawny-bellied Hermit, Long-tailed Sylph, and White-throated Daggerbill. 

At the end of the day we will enjoy the Araucana Lodge gardens and feeders where we can see Dull-colored Grassquit, Yellow-backed Oriole, Lineated Woodpecker, Parker’s Antbird, Green Jay, and hummingbirds such as Long-billed Starthroat, Black-throated Mango, Andean Emerald, Purple-throated Woodstar and Western Emerald.

QUEREMAL AND DOÑA DORA AT KM 55 TO THE OLD ROAD TO BUENAVENTURA

We will be stopping along the old Buenaventura Road walking and looking for birds such as Crested Ant-Tanager, Uniform Treehunter, Bar-crested Antshrike, Black-billed Peppershrike, Glistening-green Tanager, Brown-billed Scythebill, and Lyre-tailed Nightjar. We’ll  end up at Km 55, Doña Dora’s place, a famous birding spot where we can enjoy great views of Toucan Barbets, Black-headed Brushfinch, Rufous-throated Tanager, Silver-throated Tanager, White-lined Tanager, Gray-and-gold Tanager, White-whiskered Hermit, Rufous-gaped Hillstar, Purple-bibbed Whitetip and Green Thorntail.

CHICORAL CLOUD FOREST

This is another great birding location near Cali. This site that can be very productive with special birds such as Spotted Barbtail, Barred Becard, Crested Quetzal, Variegated Bristle-Tyrant, Southern Emerald Toucanet, the uncommon Rufous-crested Tanager, Plain Antvireo, Oleaginous Hemispingus, and Uniform Antshrike. We’ll also have more chances to watch the Multicolored Tanager and all of the other tanager species from the Andean cloud forest.

DEPARTURES

Departures from Cali International Airport Alfonso Bonilla Aragon CLO.