Colombia | Northern Colombia Birding Trail: A Birder`s Paradise

Individual arrivals into Bogotá, transfer to the hotel. Dinner is on your own this evening.

This morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Valledupar. After lunch, visit the lower parts of Los Besotes Private Reserve, about 6 miles from Valledupar. As the first Important Bird Area (IBA) in Colombia, Los Besotes is part of the Santa Marta Range. This forest is greatly threatened, and hosts many regional specialties. Over 210 species of birds have been found at Los Besotes. A possible highlight species here is the Blue-billed Curassow as well as the uncommon Military Macaw. Other species of note include Vermilion Cardinal, Glaucous Tanager, and the Golden winged Sparrow. The Black-backed Antshrike is here in the lower elevations, as well as the Pale-legged Hornero, a form that is sometimes considered a regional endemic (Caribbean Hornero). Continue birding after dark with picnic dinner.

Begin the day with another morning exploring the dry forests of Los Besotes, before moving on to the Perijá Mountains. The drive is approximately an hour to reach the foothills, and from there the road becomes rougher and slower. If time permits, stop for birding once above 1500m elevation along the drive up the mountain to the accommodation. We will be using 4x4 vehicles for our transportation. During drives, you may not be sitting with a guide, but all vehicles will be in radio contact and during the tops en route, birding will be done as a group. If you are prone to motion sickness, please make sure you have medication with you, as the roads will be rough on this day. Arrival to the cabins will be in the evening. ProAves’s Chamicero del Perijá Reserve started receiving tourists in May of 2015. It is a small and comfortable but basic accommodations surrounded by amazing montane forest. Please note that there are only 5 cabins at this site, so single rooms are not available. The Perijá Mountains (Serranía de Perijá) are like the Holy Grail for birders interested in Colombia’s birds. This isolated offshoot of the Eastern Andes forms the border with Venezuela and it is one of the least explored areas in Colombia.

Currently the Serranía de Perijá is considered to have four endemic species, the Perijá Metaltail, Perijá Thistletail, Perijá Sierrafinch and the newly described Perijá Tapaculo. This area has been out of reach for birders and scientists for decades until now. Many new discoveries await as birders and biologists increase their visits to Perijá. There is a spinetail here that could be a new species and so far a resolution of what it is has not been reached. A unique looking form of Lacrimose Mountain Tanager is common in the higher areas, as well as another unique endemic that may one day be a full species, the local form of the Golden-bellied Starfrontlet. With luck the White-rumped Hawk or even Black and chestnut Eagle may fly through. The road that reaches the reserve continues into Páramo habitats, where Rufous-chested Chat Tyrants abound, and Páramo Seedeater may be found as well as many Tyrian Metaltail and fewer of the stunningly purple tailed endemic Perijá Metaltail. The ability to move from Montane Forest to Páramo, and then down to foothill subtropical areas will give you many opportunities for excellent birding. Today spend a full day birding at the top of Sabana Rubia in the Páramo.

Today spend the day birding the elevations slightly above and below the cabins. Other bird species that can be seen in the area, include Crested and Golden-headed Quetzal, Barred Fruiteater, Andean Condor, Black-chested Buzzard Eagle, Plushcap, and Buff-breasted Mountain Tanager.

After an early start head to Riohacha, birding downslope, arriving in the afternoon. Time permitting, we will visit Los Flamencos Reserve. Those who are feeling the rough roads might prefer to stay back and enjoy the beach across the road. During our stay at Riohacha, we will learn about the Wayúu indigenous people. Taroa Lifestyle Hotel in Riohacha is the first Wayúu Lifestyle Hotel in Colombia. Every space in Taroa Lifestyle Hotel is inspired on the Wayúu culture, which is represented in their weaves, ceramics, vegetation, and gastronomy. The hotel is staffed with native Wayúu people.

Los Flamencos Sanctuary is an important coastal wetland and dry forest reserve created to protect a large population of the American Flamingo. This 17,000+ acre reserve of marshes, lagoons, and dry forest is also habitat to 185 other bird species (80% are migrants). We will explore the dry forest in the early morning and focus on the wetlands and shorebirds in the afternoon. We will visit the village of Camarones and meet with our local guide’s family, visit their home and learn about their arts and crafts, especially the handmade, colorful bags (mochilas).

Depart Riohacha this morning for the approximately 1- hour drive to Tayrona National Park, extending 20 miles along rugged shore and rises inland to 900m in elevation atop the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It protects a range of habitats from dry scrub to humid tropical forest, which are excellent for Neotropical migrants and a range of interesting resident species. If you are really lucky, it is possible to see the critically endangered Blue-billed Curassow during morning visits to the park, though very rare. With over 280 species of birds present here, one abundant bird that is easiest to see here than anywhere is the Lance-tailed Manakin. Sometimes it can be found with its relative, the White-bearded Manakin. We will be birding in the area with our local guide and also learn about the local guide association Ecoturt and their training initiatives for the locals, using birding as a sustainable development resource. We will then continue the drive up the Santa Marta Mountains in the afternoon, stopping to bird along the way. Please note that roads will be rough in this section as well and we will be using 4x4 vehicles.

Spend the next two days at the El Dorado reserve in Santa Marta Mountains. Today enjoy the feeders at the lodge as well as the forest above and below the Lodge. The Santa Marta Mountains have been identified as the planet’s single most important and irreplaceable site for threatened and endemic biodiversity by numerous scientific publications and every major international conservation organization. The range is home to over 600 bird species, including 19 endemics. Endemic Santa Marta Brush Finches are easily seen in the garden. Black-fronted Wood Quail often come to visit feeders at the lodge in the late afternoon. A dizzying array of hummingbirds visit the multitude of hummingbird feeders, including White-tailed Starfrontlet, Green Violetear, Brown Violetear, Sparkling Violetear, Violet-crowned Woodnymph, Tyrian Metaltail, Long-billed Hermit, Lazuline Sabrewing, and the Santa Marta Woodstar. This evening enjoy a presentation by the local NGO ProAves about the history of the reserve and the conservation efforts.

Spend the day up in the highlands of Cuchilla San Lorenzo in order to see species not present at the lodge. The Cuchilla de San Lorenzo are the most accessible spur off the main Santa Marta Range. Mountain birds stratify depending on elevation, so sampling a varied set of elevations provides the best chances for finding the most endemic birds. Many of the endemics are found primarily at higher elevations above the lodge, including Santa Marta Parakeet, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Santa Marta Antpitta, Brown-rumped Tapaculo, Santa Marta Bush Tyrant, Santa Marta Mountain Tanager, Yellow-crowned Whitestart and Santa Marta Warbler.

After birding this morning around the lodge, check out and transfer to the airport in Santa Marta for a late afternoon flight to Bogotá. Please allow 5 hours for the transfer to the airport. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel for our farewell dinner.

Transfer to airport for flights back to U.S. based on individual flights schedules.