Colombia | Birding the Central Andes

Upon arrival in Pereira, you will be met and transferred to the hotel. Check-in starts at 3 pm. (For those connecting via Bogotá, please plan arrivals into Bogotá before 6:30 pm to be able to connect with the last flight to Pereira.)

This morning, meet your fellow travelers during an early breakfast and orientation at the hotel. Check out and travel approximately one hour to Otún Quimbaya, with birding en route. Located on the western slope of the central mountain range, Otún Quimbaya Fauna and Flora Sanctuary protects the middle basin of the Otún River and the Andean and high Andean forests surrounding it. The site has been reforested for more than 40 years, creating connectivity with the well-preserved forests of the upper part of Los Nevados National Natural Park and resulting in a biological corridor of great importance in the Central Andes. Spend the morning and early afternoon birding in Otún. Look for Cauca Guan, Chestnut Wood-Quail, Torrent Duck, Colombian Screech-Owl, Emerald Toucanet, Hooded Antpitta, Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, Flame-rumped Tanager, Scrub Tanager, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Multicolored Tanager, Crested Ant-Tanager, and White-capped Tanager-just a few of the 400 species recorded here. It is also possible to see large Andean mammals, such as mountain tapir and sometimes spectacled bear. After lunch at the on-site lodge, continue to Santa Rosa de Cabal. Check in and have dinner at the hotel, with time together to complete your daily birding checklist. (Elevation: 7,382 feet | Walking conditions: Easy, unpaved rural road, little inclination | Temperature: 60-79 °F.)

Set out at 5 am for a full day of birding via 4x4 vehicles in the cloud forest at La Finca El Cortaderal; breakfast and lunch will be in the field. Over the course of centuries, Colombia's Cordillera Central has been drastically transformed due to agriculture and livestock farming, leading many species to the edge of extinction. The remains of high Andean forests have become the last refuge for species such as the Indigo-winged (Fuertes's) Parrot, which was rediscovered in 2002 after 90 years of absence and whose population today is critically endangered. Other key species include the Gray-breasted and Black-billed Mountain-Toucans, Chestnut Wood-Quail, Mountain Avocetbill, Black-thighed Puffleg, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Andean Condor, Andean Pygmy-Owl, Powerful Woodpecker, Purple-backed Thornbill, Speckle-faced Parrot, Golden-plumed Parakeet, Ocellated Tapaculo, Flammulated Treehunter, Agile Tit-Tyrant, and Barred Fruiteater. Later this afternoon, return to Santa Rosa de Cabal. (Elevation: 9,180-9,845 feet | Walking conditions: Easy, rural unpaved road | Temperature: 48-65 °F.)

After breakfast at 6 am, check out and travel to Camaguadua Wetland Park. Then visit Demostrativa Don Miguel, a coffee farm that is part of a conservation project to preserve native vegetation and facilitate preserving the land and wildlife in the area. Enjoy time for birding on the grounds, have lunch, and then continue to Tinamú Lodge & Nature Reserve, about an hour outside the city of Manizales near the village of San Peregrino. This area is focused on the production of shade-grown coffee and other agricultural products. The Tinamú Nature Reserve is a mosaic of coffee with shade, secondary growth, and patches of native forest, and there are feeders installed to attract different species. Inside the reserve, a network of moderately difficult trails offers great opportunities to see species not observed at the feeders. (Elevation at Manizales: 8,600 feet | Elevation: 4,265 feet | Walking conditions: Easy, unpaved rural road, moderately difficult trails within the reserve | Temperature: 75-84 °F.)

Spend a full day searching for birds at Tinamú Reserve and exploring the action at the amazing hummingbird feeders around the rooms and inside the forest. This afternoon, receive a talk by a local guide about the origin of Tinamú, and the 40 year history of the community taking care of and conserving the forest, water sources, and birds. He will also discuss the programs they have developed and the benefits of bird tourism in the region. Some important species in Tinamú include Guira Tanager, Moustached Puffbird, Common Potoo, Golden-collared Manakin, Andean Motmot, Jet Antbird, Great Antshrike, Bay-headed Tanager, Scrub Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Gray-fronted Dove, Scaled Antpitta, Spectacled Parrotlet, Red-headed Barbet, and Colombian Chachalaca.

Start today with a very early breakfast. Then, at 5:30 am, depart for Río Blanco Natural Reserve, arriving by 7 am to observe the mixed flocks utilizing the antpitta feeders in this humid tropical forest of the Magdalena Valley. Río Blanco is an Important Bird Area (IBA) in a cloud forest that belongs to the city of Manizales, protected for years to conserve the water resources that supply the city. No fewer than 450 bird species have been recorded here, many of them endemic and with ranges of restricted distribution. You may see Brown-banded, Bicolored, Chestnut-crowned, and Slate-crowned Antpittas, Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, Powerful Woodpecker, Long-tailed Sylph, Wedge-billed Hummingbird, White-capped Tanager, White-capped Dipper, and Dusky Piha. Also visit the hummingbird and tanager feeders. This afternoon, continue approximately an hour to the higher elevations (up to 13,000 feet) of Los Nevados National Park, which protects an incredible páramo habitat with many special birds and amazing landscapes. Later, arrive at Termales del Ruíz, with time to bird around the lodge trails and hummingbird feeders or relax in the magnificent thermal hot springs baths. (Elevation: 11,150-12,200 feet | Walking conditions: Easy, unpaved and paved rural road, trails within the reserve | Temperature: 42-58 °F.)

Spend the day birding in Los Nevados National Natural Park. Some of today's specialties include Buffy Helmetcrest, Many-striped Canastero, White-chinned Thistletail, Tawny Antpitta, Plumbeous Sierra-Finch, Stout-billed Cinclodes, Glossy Flowerpiercer, Andean Lapwing, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, Greater Sapphirewing, Buff-winged Starfrontlet, and Black-thighed Puffleg. The park is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in the country; the landscape is framed by snow-capped peaks that include three active volcanoes: El Ruíz, Santa Isabel, and Tolima. In addition to great birding, the park's flora is another draw, featuring an immensity of rare and unique species.

This morning, depart early for Hacienda El Bosque, about 30 minutes away. The reserve is characterized by large patches of high Andean cloud forest mixed with livestock paddocks and potato fields. Over 120 species have been seen on the property, including Purple-backed Thornbill, Crescent-faced Antpitta, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Golden-breasted Puffleg, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Bar-bellied Woodpecker, Golden-plumed Parakeet, Ocellated Tapaculo, Black-collared Jay, Rufous Wren, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Plushcap, and Capped Conebill. After lunch, return to Pereira and share a final farewell dinner together.

This morning, transfer to the airport for your flight home. Latest check-out time is 1 pm.