Western & Central Andes of Colombia

Birding in the Western and Central Andes

Group Size
Small groups

Duration
15 days

Birding in the Western and Central Andes

Endemic Birds of the Colombian Andes

The Western and Central Andes are internationally recognized as biodiversity hotspots, home to an outstanding concentration of endemic and range-restricted birds. Dramatic landscapes, altitudinal gradients, and diverse habitats create ideal conditions for exceptional birdwatching, offering the opportunity to encounter many of Colombia’s most iconic and sought-after species. With the possibility of observing more than 400 species, this classical route, with renowned sites, is not only about numbers but about experiencing one of Colombia’s most biologically rich regions.

Key Species:

Multicolored Tanager, Chestnut Wood-Quail, Long-tailed Sylph, White-booted Racket-tail, Toucan Barbet, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Gray-and-gold Tanager, Choco Toucan, Five-colored Barbet, Rufous Motmot, Gold-ringed Tanager, Black-and-gold Tanager, Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer, Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia, Choco Tapaculo, Antioquia Wren, Buffy Helmetcrest, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Crescent-faced Antpitta, Yellow-eared Parrot, Brown-banded Antpitta and Crested Ant-Tanager.

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Tour Details

ARRIVALS TO CALI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Arrival at Cali International Airport Alfonso Bonilla Aragon CLO. Transfer to the first lodge.

THE CLOUD FOREST OF KM 18

The Km 18 Cloud Forest is a famous spot for birdwatching in Colombia. We will have the chance to visit this forest and some well recognized photography and birding feeder stations. The targets here are the endemic Multicolored Tanager and 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 Lodge gardens and feeders where we can see birds such as Dull-colored Grassquit, Yellow-backed Oriole, Lineated Woodpecker, Green Jay, and hummingbirds such as Long-billed Starthroat, Black-throated Mango, Andean Emerald, Purple-throated Woodstar and Western Emerald.

QUEREMAL AND DOÑA DORA

This morning we will travel the old Buenaventura Road stopping to look 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. At Km 55 we will reach Doña Dora’s place, a famous birding spot, where we can enjoy great views of Toucan Barbet, 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.

SAN CIPRIANO AND DRIVE TO BUGA

An early start is necessary to reach San Cipriano, a remote village in the Chocó 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 the 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 other possibilities from the Chocó lowlands. After seeing lots of good birds in San Cipriano, we leave the town and move to our following destination, Buga, a town in the mid Cauca Valley close to Sonso Lagoon, our next birding destination.

SONSO LAGOON AND DRIVE TO MONTEZUMA

We’ll enjoy an early breakfast at the Hotel Guadalajara, a charming site where we can also see birds such as Blue-headed Parrot, Saffron Finch, Yellow-crowned Parrot and others on the hotel grounds. After breakfast many bird species wait for us in the dry forest, Cauca River and the wetlands of the Sonso Lagoon Reserve. This is one of the few wetlands that remains in the whole Cauca Valley region. There we can look for endemics such as Grayish Piculet and Apical Flycatcher, and lots of 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, Cinereus Becard, Blackish Rail, Purple Gallinule, Black-bellied, Fulvous and White-faced Whistling-Ducks, Pale-breasted Spinetail, and more. This is the only place west of the Andes to look for Horned Screamer, a species usually found in the Amazon region. We will look for them in open areas or on the tops of trees by the marsh or in the dry forest.

The afternoon is going to be spent getting to Montezuma, our next destination in the Western Andes.

MONTEZUMA UPPER PORTION

From the lodge located at 5000 feet we take an early morning drive to almost 9000 feet. Although only seven miles in distance, the road traverses a wide range in habitat where lots of endemics are possible. We’ll look for Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer, Gold-ringed Tanager and Munchique Wood-Wren, which is mostly restricted to the Highlands in the Western Andes. Other targets include Smoky Bush-Tyrant, Tanager Finch, Beautiful Jay, Barred Fruiteater, Rufous Spinetail, Fulvous-dotted Treerunner, Purplish-mantled Tanager, Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia, Velvet-purple Coronet, Violet-tailed Sylph, Black Solitaire and more.

MONTEZUMA MID PORTION

We’ll need an early start to reach the Mid Portion of the Montezuma Hill, our first birding destination. We will look for missing species from yesterday’s upper portion as well as a new array of target species including the endemic Black-and-gold Tanager, the relatively uncommon Choco Vireo, Choco Tapaculo, the endemic Tatama Tapaculo, Olive Finch, Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner, Fulvous-breasted Flatbill, Parker’s Antbird, Lemon-browed Flycatcher, as well as Uniform Antshrike, Rufous-throated Tanager and Ochre-breasted Antpitta.

MONTEZUMA LODGE AND DRIVE TO MANIZALES

We will spend the morning at Montezuma Lodge looking for missed species. As we walk the road to the top, we’ll look for birds such as Striolated Manakin, White-shouldered Tanager, Lanceolated Monklet, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Bay-headed Tanager, Lemon-browed Flycatcher, Choco Warbler, and Moustached Puffbird among others.

In the afternoon, we will drive to Manizales. On the way we’ll stop at Embalse Cameguadua, a wetland where we are likely to enjoy views of Pied-billed Grebe, the endemic Grayish Piculet, Blackish Rail, Purple Gallinule, Spot-breasted Woodpecker and more. By the end of the day, we will arrive in Manizales, a city of the Central Andes.

RIO BLANCO RESERVE

Rio Blanco Reserve protects a major watershed for the city of Manizales, and is also one of the most popular birding sites of Colombia. Famous for its mixed flocks, the reserve has antpitta feeding stations and many high Andean species. The targets are Masked Saltator, Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, Flammulated Treehunter, Brown-banded, Chestnut-crowned and Bicolored Antpittas, Grass-green Tanager, Buff-breasted Mountain Tanager, Black-capped, Black-eared and Superciliared Hemispingus, Hooded Bush-Tanager, Capped Conebill, Powerful Woodpecker, Plushcap, Golden-plumed Parakeet, Tyrannine Woodcreeper, White-tailed Tyrannulet and many more.

HACIENDA EL BOSQUE AND NEVADOS NATIONAL PARK

Hacienda El Bosque, one of the most popular sites for birding and bird photography, is a working dairy farm of the Central Andes. Their feeding stations and forested areas attract many birds including the secretive Equatorial and Crescent-faced Antpittas, Gray-browed Brushfinch, White-browed Spinetail, Hooded Mountain Tanager, Barred Fruiteater, Northern Slaty Brushfinch, and Mountain Wren. Some of the hummingbirds that can be seen include Buff-winged Starfrontlet, Black-thighed Puffleg, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Collared Inca, Shining Sunbeam, Tyrian Metaltail, Tourmaline Sunangel, White-bellied Woodstar, Purple-backed Thornbill and more. One of the highlights of this location is undoubtedly the Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan.

After enjoying Hacienda El Bosque, we will head to the Nevados National Park where we will look for birds of the páramo. Some of those are Plain-colored and Páramo Seedeaters, Grass Wren, Tawny Antpitta, Pale-naped Brushfinch, Viridian Metaltail, White-chinned Thistletail, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, the endemic Rufous-fronted Parakeet and others. At the end of the day we will visit the feeders at Termales del Ruiz Hotel where we can see the stunning Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Lachrymose Mountain Tanager, Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, and Golden-breasted Puffleg among many others.

VENTANAS ROAD & MIRADOR EL ROBLE

An early start is necessary to be on time for the feeding of the antpittas at Mirador El Roble. Here we hope to see the endemic Chami Antpitta as well as the Chestnut-naped Antpitta. We will also search for the endemic Yellow-eared Parrot who forages and lives in the forest of the area. Other targets include the uncommon Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Capped Conebill, Oleaginous Hemispingus, Plushcap, Mountain Cacique, Grass-green Tanager and more.

We will have breakfast and lunch at Mirador el Roble and be back to Jardin to go to the Andean Cock-of-the-rock lek in the afternoon.