Western and Central Andes with Santa Marta Extension
Guide: Marc Cronje / Nick Buys
Summary: During the tour the temperature ranged from º4 to 28ºC. We recorded 8 mammal species, over 600 species of birds and 4 species of reptiles. The species mentioned in the daily summaries are only some of those seen.
Day 1 – Arrival in Cali, Colombia
We all arrived from international flights to the capital Cali, where we had to go through customs and catch a short connecting flight to Bogota. After two days of travelling, we were all happy to have a fresh shower and get a good night’s sleep in preparation for our birding adventure of Colombia.
Day 2 – Sonso Lagoon and Transfer to Montezuma
We met for breakfast at our hotel before heading to the nearby Sonso Lagoon protected area. This wetland area with dry forest was a great introduction to some of the birds of Colombia and got us to connect with a few of the specials from the area. The extensive wetland meant we enjoyed a mix of water birds, with the following being noteworthy, Black-bellied and White-faced Whistling Duck, Pied-bellied Grebe, Limpkin, Southern Lapwing, Wattled Jacana, a great sighting of a Pinnated Bittern, Snowy Egret, Black-faced Ibis, Snail Kites feeding, which the group enjoyed watching, Ringed and Green Kingfisher and Glossy Ibis. A Capybara feeding in the open was a great mammal highlight for the group.
The dry forest birding was rewarding, and we had a good mix of species on our morning walk, with us enjoying Greater and Smooth-billed Ani, Grey-crowned Wood Rail, Red-crowned, Lineated and Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Blue-headed Parrot, big flocks of the beautiful Spectacled Parrotlets nesting nearby, a very handsome and co-operative Bar-crested Antshrike. It took some work but with patience we had great views on a pair of Jet Antbirds- one of the main targets for the morning. The Woodcreeper’s are a fascinating family of birds in South America, and I always enjoy watching them, we had great views of Streak-headed and Cocoa Woodcreeper feeding in the open. As we progressed the birds kept on coming in and we had good views of, Slaty-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Pied Water Tyrant, Streaked Flycatcher, Chivi Vireo, Thick-billed Euphonia, Oriole Blackbird, Yellow-hooded Blackbird and Yellow-bellied Seedeater. We had open views of Crimson-backed, Blue-grey, Scrub and Guira Tanagers- one of my favourite bird families in the Americas. A Common Potoo perched in the open was a highlight too.
After our successful morning, we made our way to our next destination, the forested slopes of Montezuma. On our drive we learnt about Colombia and caught up as we all know each other from previous trips- it was good to be birding together again. Our drive was uneventful, and we arrived at our lodge in the early evening in time for us to settle in and enjoy a tasty meal together as we discussed the plans for our exciting day tomorrow birding the higher elevations of Tatama NP along the western Andes. We all enjoyed a good night’s rest.
Day 3 – Montezuma upper portion
Our morning began with an early start so we could head up to the higher elevations of 2600m above sea level and target some of high-altitude birds along the famous Montezuma Road. A quick coffee and we hit the bumpy road to the top. Our first sighting for the day was a Sickle-winged Guan on the road, shortly followed by a pair of Chestnut Wood Quil- a major target and our first endemic for the day. We reached the top of the road and enjoyed some spectacular views over the western Andes and had some great Hummingbird action at one of the feeding stations, highlights being, Rufous-gaped Hillstar, Purple-throated Woodstar, Empress Brilliant, Velvet-purple and Buff-tailed Coronet, Brown Inca, Greenish Puffleg the stunning Green-fronted Lancebill. The endemic Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer gave us a wonderful show too- this all while having a breakfast. Enjoying your breakfast with an amazing view and Hummingbirds zooming around you is a birders dream. Other noteworthy birds on the top of the mountain included, Masked Flowerpiercer, Great Thrush, Brown-bellied and Blue-and-white Swallows and Chestnut-collared Swift.
As we made our way down the road birding we enjoyed multiple sightings of great birds, a few special birds seen on our walk between breakfast and lunch included, Purplish-mantled, Black-chinned Mountain, Gold-ringed and Blue-capped Tanager. A stunning Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia was a highlight. Other noteworthy birds included, Black Solitaire, Munchique Wood Wren, Smoke-coloured Pewee, Black-throated Tody-Tyrant, Narino Tapaculo and Brown-billed Scythebill.
Our afternoon walk was just as productive and we enjoyed views of, Star-chested and Uniform Treerunner, Purple-throated Woodstar, Powerful Woodpecker, Rufous Spinetail and a gorgeous looking Green-and-black Fruiteater. As we arrived at the lodge, the hummingbird feeders we alive with action we enjoyed sightings of, White-necked Jacobin, Green Thorntail, White-booted Racket-tail, Rufous-gaped Hillstar, Andean Emerald, Rufous-tailed and Steely-vented Hummingbirds. The Tanagers also put on a show, and we had close views of Flame-rumped, Crimson-backed and Silver-throated Tanagers. The beauty of birding in Colombia.
After a very successful and enjoyable day we all enjoyed a wonderful home cooked meal as we chatted away about our excellent sightings and updated our lists. We enjoyed chatting about the experience of birding this amazing place and the incredible birding in South America.
Day 4 – Montezuma lower portion
Our morning once again started nice and early as today we planned to bird the middle and lower section of the famous Montezuma Road. Our first stop yielded us with great views of Green-fronted Lacebill, Indigo Flowerpiercer, Golden-collared Honeycreeper, Choco and Chestnut-breasted Brushfinch, Andean Solitaire, Sepia-brown Wren, Black-throated Mango, Yellow-vented Woodpecker, Rufous-rumped Antwren, Golden, Flame-faced, Glistering-green, Blue-winged Mountain and Gold-ringed Tanager. Another tasty breakfast was enjoyed overlooking the impressive Tatama National Park.
The rest of the day birding the magical area was very rewarding and productive and we had some excellent views of some special birds for the area, some stand out birds included, Golden-faced, Rufous-browed and Black-capped Tyrannulet, Bronze-olive Pygmy Tyrant, Olivaceous Phia, Montane Foliage-gleaner, a great open sighting of Tatama Tapaculo, Moustached Puffbird, Slaty Antwren, Handsome Flycatcher and a male Red-headed Barbet posing for the photographers. It was such an enjoyable day birding with such good sightings of some of the special endemics and Chocco endemics- what a great way to spend global big day.
On returning to the lodge, the Hummingbird feeders were alive with action, and we had great views of, Bananaquit, Buff-throated and Black-winged Saltator, Green Honeycreeper, Silver-throated Tanager, Flame-rumped Tanager and Andean Motmot. An excellent dinner was once again enjoyed by all as we chatted about our sightings for the day and updated our lists. A good night’s rest was had by all after another exciting day birding in Colombia.
Day 5 – Montezuma and transfer to Manizales
Our last morning along the Montezuma Road was used to target some of the special species found in the lower elevations and around the lodge. A quick tasty breakfast was enjoyed while watching the array of Hummingbirds at the feeders. Our morning walk was a productive one and we started the walk with great views of Greyish Piculet, Zeledon’s Antbird, Palin Xenops and out in the open views of Ruddy Foliage-gleaner. The Manakin’s co-operated with us, and we had great views of Golden-winged, Club-winged and Striolated Manakin, this soon followed by a female Andean Cock-of-the-rock.
As we continued to bird the diverse and beautiful forest the birds kept on coming, we had sightings of Rufous-throated, Metallic-green, Black-and-gold and the special Multicoloured Tanager. A beautiful Choco Warbler posed in the open for the group. A good mixed flock of birds gave us Orange-bellied Euphonia, Sooty-headed Wren, Chestnut-capped Brushfinch, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, and a Chestnut-crowned Gnateater showing in the open was a real treat for the group.
Another tasty lunch was enjoyed watching the multiple Hummingbirds and Tanagers before we said our goodbyes to our wonderful hosts and headed for the town of Manizales. Our drive was uneventful, and we used the time to chat and learn about Colombia and its history. Roadside sightings included, Vermilion Flycatcher, Roadside Hawk, Black Vulture, Yellow-bellied Seedeater and Blue-black Grassquit.
A wonderful evening out in town was enjoyed by all as we explored a local restaurant and got to experience some of the local culture.
Day 6 – Los Nevados National Park and Hacienda
An early start saw us heading up towards Los Nevados National Park, located on the highest part of the Colombian central Andes. Our incredibly scenic drive took us through patches of forest that opened to Paramo, an ecosystem of tropical grasslands above the treeline. We .also had some impressive views of the picturesque 5,300-meter (17,400-foot) volcano Nevado del Ruiz.
Our first stop for the morning was Hacienda El Bosque, a working cattle farm- the owners have been protecting large swaths of forests and paramo ecosystems for decades. A delicious breakfast was enjoyed overlooking the Andes. Our birding this morning was focused on visiting the series of hides the family has set up on the farm- and boy did we have some amazing birds for the am. The Antpittas stole the show, and we have amazing close-up views of, Crescent-faced and Equatorial Antpitta- the Crescent faced being a very rare one to see.
Some other great sightings included, Collared Inca, Tourmaline Sunangel, Buff-winged Starfrontlet, the impressive Sword-billed Hummingbird, Paramo Seedeater, Slaty Brushfinch, Mountain Wren, Andean Siskin, Shining Sunbeam, Andean Guan and the handsome White-throated Quail-Dove.
We said our goodbyes to this amazing place and headed for the high elevations of the Paramo- this magical and surreal landscape, with velvety Frailejon plants added to the effect and we all enjoyed spending time in the magical place. The Frailejon plants belong to the Espeletia genus and are endemic to Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. We made our way up to 3,950 meters (13,000 feet) to target a few species adapted to high elevations. Our main target the endemic Buffy Helmetcrest showed extremely well and near endemic Rainbow-bearded Thornbill also put on a great show for the group- what a day of birding and it was only lunch time. Lunch was enjoyed at the local hot springs before we continued birding. Our day up in the Paramo was just amazing and we had some excellent birding with a few special birds being, Blue-backed Conebill, Lacrimose Mountain Tanager, Black-capped Tyrannulet, White-browed Spinetail, Andean Tit-spinetail, Andean Teal, Noble Snipe, Stout-billed Cinclodes, and Glossy Flowerpiercer.
Our birding in the lower Paramo was also very rewarding and after some work and patience we had our binoculars on both Occelated and Paramo Tapaculo- what a thrilling and fun time. The feeders and area at Hotel Termales del Ruiz the local hot springs gave us excellent views of, Blue-winged and Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Hooded Mountain Tanager, Crowned Chat-Tyrant, Great Sapphirewing, Shining Sunbeam, the stunning Golden-breasted and Black-thighed Puffleg
We enjoyed the scenic drive back to Manizales and enjoyed some down time before dinner. Some of the group enjoyed a run in the town as part of our Nature Travel Active Safaris before we all met for dinner to celebrate our wonderful day. We all chatted away about the importance of bird ecotourism and how it plays such an important part in protecting our birds. With our lists updated we enjoyed a tasty meal and a few cold beers for before retiring for a good night’s sleep as tomorrow is another exciting day.
Day 7 – Rio Blanco Nature Reserve
by Aguas de Manizales, the local water company. The reserve has an altitudinal gradient and offers a wide variety of ecosystems. Our first point of call was one of the Antpitta feeding stations where we had excellent views of the elusive Bicolored Antpitta showing well. This was a great start to the morning, soon after this we had a quick sighting of a Brown-banded Antpitta. A few other noteworthy species for the morning included, White-naped Brush-Finch, Black-billed Peppershrike, the handsome Plushcap and the special White-throated Daggerbill- what a stunning hummer, enjoyed by all.
The Tanager diversity in Colombia is amazing and we had great views of Grey-hooded, Saffron-crowned, Blue-and-black and Blue-winged Mountain Tanager. Another special treat for the group was having a Black-bellied Mountain Toucan and White-throated Toucanet feeding in the open for everyone to enjoy- what a magical sighting.
Our next stop was a different feeder for the beautiful Slaty-crowned Antpitta- after some patience we got rewarded with an excellent view of this beauty. A few moments later we also had good views of the shy Spillman’s and Ash-coloured Tapaculo. Some amazing birding for Colombia.
A tasty lunch was enjoyed in the park as we celebrated our excellent morning- at lunch we had Sickle-winged Guan come to one of the feeders. The Hummingbird action was also excellent, and we had views of, Sparkling Violetear, Tourmaline Sunangel, Speckled Hummingbird, stunning Long-tailed Sylph, Bronzy Inca, Buff-tailed Coronet, Fawn-breasted Brilliant and White-bellied Woodstar. The feeding station set up makes bird photography and seeing the birds a special experience in Colombia.
Our afternoon saw us exploring the forest for some of the species we still were looking for, an open view of the endangered Golden-plumed Parakeet got the afternoon off to an excellent start. A few other good birds seen for the afternoon included, Pale-footed Swallow, Brown-capped Vireo, Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcher, Barred Becard, Azara’s Spinetail, Spotted Barbtail, Streak-headed Antbird, Masked Trogon, a special sighting of Stygian Owl in the open on a day roost and Andean Guan. After an excellent day of birding, we headed back to our accommodation to freshen up and enjoy a great meal in Manizales town- it was good to experience the local culture and enjoy some of the sights of the town. We all had a good time chatting about birds and our birding trips across the world. What a wonderful and fun day in Colombia!
Day 8 – KM 18 and La Florida
We enjoyed a relaxing breakfast before leaving Manizales and heading for the famous KM 18 road located on an 1800-meter (5,900-foot) pass 18 kilometres (11 miles) northwest of Cali.
Our drive was used to update our lists, chat about what we can expect on the rest of the tour and what we can expect on the next portion of our amazing adventure. We also learnt a bit more about Colombia and had a tasty lunch in the busy city of Cali. It was fun and enjoyable to hear of the experiences and excellent birding on offer in South and Central America from some of the group.
We arrived at La Florida, a private residence protecting a piece of forest on the KM 18 road and provides feeding stations to the birds providing an opportunity to see some amazing birds up close and personal- a highlight on the trip for birders and photographers. On arrival we headed straight for a feeder and after some patience had excellent views of a Little Tinamou feeding in the open- an experience we all enjoyed as these can be such shy birds. The afternoon was extremely birdy and we had great sightings and photo opportunities of a host of Tanagers, special mention going to, Golden, Saffron-crowned, Golden-naped, Flame-rumped the endemic and gorgeous Multicolored Tanager- such amazing birds. A sighting of a Scaled Antpitta was also a treat.
A few other special birds for the afternoon included, Dull-coloured Grassquit, Green Honeycreeper, Rusty Flowerpiercer, Russet-crowned Warbler, Scarlet-fronted Parakeets and a great sighting of the endemic Colombian Chachalaca. We also enjoyed a good mix of Hummingbirds visiting the feeders during the afternoon. With the rain starting to fall, we headed for our stunning lodge nearby, checked in and freshened up before meeting for dinner and enjoying an excellent meal prepared by our delightful hosts. A fun evening of chatting about our wonderful hobby and where birding takes us was had by all before retiring for a good night’s sleep.
Day 9 – Upper Anchicaya and Dona Dora’s Place
Another early start was on the cards so we could get the most out of another exciting day. We headed for what is perhaps Colombia’s most famous birding location, the Anchicaya watershed- located in the Farallones National Park, an incredibly diverse park. We spent the day birding the upper portion of the road and the El Descanso area, where we enjoyed some great sightings of the multiple tanagers from the area, special mention going to Rufous-throated, Glistening-green, Silver-throated, Grey-and-gold, Orche-breasted and White-lined Tanagers. A marvelous in the open sighting of the endemic Crested Ant Tanager was the cherry on the top.
Our day of birding at Doña Dora’s place and along the upper portion of the park yielded many prized species including Slate-coloured Seedeater, Grey Seedeater, Choco Brushfinch, stunning views of Bay Wren, Slaty-capped Shrike-Vireo, Spot-crowned Barbet, Crimson-rumped Toucanet and an in the open sighting of a Lyre-tailed Nightjar.
The magic of Dona Dora’s place is the array of feeders plus some excellent meals- it’s is truly amazing to sit and have a meal with multiple Hummingbirds, Tanagers and birds all around you.
One of the main targets from Dona Dora’s place is the Toucan Barbet, sporting 5 different colours elegantly and still having a tough demeanour- luck was on our side and we enjoyed a marvellous sighting of this species. Other good birds seen in the day included the pretty Ornate Flycatcher feeding on low branches, White-whiskered Hermit, Green-fronted Lancebill, Purple-crowned Fairy, Barred Hawk, and a great in the open sighting of a Choco Tapaculo.
We enjoyed a slight bit of down time at our very comfortable lodge before enjoying a walk in the beautiful gardens- a few good birds for the afternoon included, Black-winged Saltator, Lesser Goldfinch, a great sighting of the shy and elusive Whiskered Wren, a close of sighting of the endemic Apical Flycatcher, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet and a good-looking Spectacled Parrot perched for us.
We freshened up and enjoyed another wonderful meal prepared by our local hosts. We all enjoyed another fun evening chatting about birds, our destinations we still hope to get to and the birds we have enjoyed on this trip. A good night’s rest was had by all after another successful day of birding in Colombia.
Day 10 – San Cipriano
An early start was on the cards for us this morning so we could make the 1.5-hour drive to Zaragosa, our entry point into the humid forests of the San Cipriano Reserve- some excellent Colombian coffee and we hit the road. There are no roads into the reserve, so access is via a pleasant ride on a “brujitas,” which are motorcycle-powered wooden carts on rails that have been ingenuously engineered by the locals. What a way to do some birding, with us enjoying sightings of Stripe-billed Aracari and Choco Toucan on the way in.
San Cipriano Reserve is in the heart of the Choco Bioregion- an area known for being one of the most biodiverse on the planet, but also the wettest- lucky for us the weather played its part, and we had some excellent birding. Some of the special birds we enjoyed while exploring this magnificent forest included, the near endemic Rose-faced Parrots, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Tawny-crested Tanager, Pacific and Checker-throated Antwrens, Pacific Flatbill, Cinnamon Becard, the special Black-chested Puffbird, White-ringed Flycatcher, and excellent views of Velvety and Golden-collared Manakin- it was great to watch the Manakins display.
As we traversed the trails, we were enjoyed the scenery and a few of us even had a swim in the clear waters of the San Cipriano river. The birding was productive throughout our day, and we enjoyed views of, White-tailed Trogon, White-fronted Nunbird, Black-crowned Antshrike, Spot-crowned Antvireo, White-flanked and Dot-winged Antwren, Stub-tailed Antbird, Western Woodhunter, Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher, Brown-capped Tyrannulet, Purple Honeycreeper and the stunning Rufous-winged Tanager posing in the open for us to all enjoy.
After a successful day we enjoyed a scenic drive back to our comfortable lodge and caught up on our lists and chatted about our excellent day. We all freshened up and enjoyed a wonderful meal and celebrated a great listing milestone for one of our group- as he saw his 4000th bird in the world today.
Day 11 – Atuncela dry forest Araucana Lodge
Our morning was used to explore the dry forest of Atuncela and target some of the special birds in this area. Our morning was a success and we enjoyed sightings of entertaining species such as Bar-crested Antshrike and the stunning Ruby-topaz Humminhbird. Other targets seen included, Pale-breasted Spinetail, Orange-crowned Euphonia, stunning Ultramarine Grosbeak, Tropical Mockingbird, Northern Mouse-coloured Tyrannulet, Scarlet-fronted Parakeet, Hooked-billed Kite, Laughing Falcon and a wonderful in the open sighting on a family of Spot-bellied Bobwhite.
After the successful morning we headed back up in elevation to KM 18 to try and target a few species we still needed from the area, we had luck and had great views of, Glossy-black Thrush, Andean Solitaire, Red-faced Spinetail, Rusty-winged Barbtail and a stunning Collared Trogon posing in the open for us all to enjoy.
A relaxing lunch and some down time was enjoyed at our wonderful lodge. A few of us enjoyed a run on the trails around the lodge.
Our afternoon was spent at Araucana lodge where we enjoyed sightings of, Parker’s Antbird, Grayish Piculet, Apical Flycatcher, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Bar-crested Antshrike and Spectacled Parrotlet.
Another wonderful meal and evening was had by all as we chatted about birds and the next part of the tour- heading for the Santa Mountains and northern Colombia.
Day 12 – Fly to Barranquilla from Cali. Birding university grounds
We had an early start to the morning to make our flight to the northern part of Colombia to continue with our birding adventure and target the endemics in the Santa Marta mountains. We said our goodbyes to the wonderful staff at Araucana lodge and headed for Cali and the airport. Our flight was uneventful, and everything went well with no delays, soon we found ourselves in the warmer and humid climate of the Caribbean coast in the town of Barranquilla. We enjoyed a relaxed lunch and break during the heat of the day before heading out to bird in the afternoon near the university grounds.
We enjoyed a successful afternoon of birding with us enjoying sightings of Olive-grey Saltator, the handsome Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Brown-throated Parakeet, Large-billed Tern and the odd looking but special Northern Screamer. The birding in the mixed woodland around the university produced some goodies, with us having excellent views of the endemic Chestnut-winged Chachalaca. Other good birds seen included, Glaucous Tanager, Trinidad Euphonia, Bicolored Wren, Scrub Greenlet, Ochre-lored Flatbill, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Russet-throated Puffbird, Red-billed Emerald, Sapphire-throated and the beautiful Shinning-green Hummingbird.
Another tasty dinner was enjoyed chatting away about birding adventures and stories with us all having a good laugh at some of the humorous tales from birding trips we have all done.
Day 13 – Isla Salamanca NP and transfer to El Dorado Lodge
Our morning begun with a fresh cup of delicious Colombian Coffee and heading for our first stop on the outskirts of Salamanca National Park. The dry forest here, produced some excellent birds including Russet-throated Puffbird, Caribbean Hornero, Stripe-backed Wren, Yellow-hooded Blackbird, Shiny Cowbird, Pied Water Tyrant, White-headed Marsh Tyrant, Turquoise-winged Parrotlet, Chestnut Piculet and a Least Bittern was a good find and an unexpected one.
Moving on to the National Park proper the birding continued in good fashion, and we had good views of Pied Puffbird, Bicolored Conebill, a stunning in the open sighting of a Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Common Black Hawk, Lineated Woodpecker, Lesser Kiskadee and a out of season Prothonotary Warbler.
With the day heating up we drove along Isla Salamanca stopping briefly for a few ducks, waders, gulls, terns, and a Reddish Egret. We enjoyed a tasty of lunch of the local fish before continuing with our journey.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon birding our way up the track from Minca to El Dorado, seeing along the way our first of the montane endemics: Santa Marta Antbird and Sierra Nevada Brushfinch. Other quality birds seen included, Golden-winged Sparrow, Chestnut-capped Warbler, Scaled Piculet, a stunning Plumbeous Kite, Crested Oropendola and excellent views on the hard to see Rosy Thrush-Tanager.
We arrived at our delightful lodge set in the montane forest of El Dorado just in time to observe some of the hummingbirds on the feeders, with highlights being, Crowned Woodnymph, Lazuline Sabrewing, Sparkling, Lesser and Brown Violetear. The endemic Santa Marta Brushfinch was a great addition to a wonderful day. We had planned to go owling after dinner, but rain moved in, so we enjoyed a relaxing meal chatting together and had an early night in preparation for an early start tomorrow.
Day 14 – El Dorado Lodge / San Lorenzo Ridge
We began our morning with a Colombian coffee before making our way pre-dawn towards the San Lorenzo ridge, our birding spot for the morning. We enjoyed a stunning sunrise and soon we had our first special endemic staring down at us- the Santa Marta Parakeet- What a fantastic start to our day!
After a quick and tasty breakfast and a cup of hot chocolate we spent the remainder of the morning birding the edge ridge and the Santa Marta endemics came in thick and fast with us enjoying views of Santa Marta Brushfinch, Santa Marta Warbler, beautiful Carriker’s and Santa Marta Mountain Tanager, Yellow-billed Cacique, Hermit Wood Wren, Santa Marta Bush Tyrant- one of the trickiest of the mountain range’s endemics, a showy Flammulated Treehunter, Black-backed Thornbill, Yellow-crowned Whitestart, Rusty-headed and Streak-capped Spinetail and Paramo Seedeater.
The highlight of the morning was having all these special birds show extremely well for us plus we had out of this world views on three hard to see birds, namely the Brown-rumped Tapaculo, Sierra Nevada and Santa Marta Antpitta. To have these specials show in the open so well that we commented we don’t need our binoculars was very special for the group.
We returned to the lodge for a late lunch enjoying the spectacular scenery and had a couple hours to relax and enjoy the multitude of birds utilising the hummingbird, fruit and grain feeders which included Band-tailed Guan, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, White-tipped Quetzal, White-tailed Starfrontlet plus several species of tanagers.
Rounding off the day, we enjoyed walking the beautiful forest in the lodge vicinity and enjoyed a productive afternoon with two more endemics, Santa Marta Tapaculo and White-lored Warbler, showing well plus Golden-breasted Fruiteater, Slaty-backed Nightingale-thrush, exceptional views of Rusty-breasted Antpitta, Slaty Antwren, Groove-billed Toucanet and Black-hooded Thrush.
Just before dinner we were treated to an excellent sighting of the endemic Santa Marta Screech Owl- what a fantastic way to end such an exciting day. Another tasty meal was enjoyed as we chatted away and updated our lists.
Day 15 – El Dorado Lodge
We had another full day to explore the area, so after an excellent Colombian coffee we made our way down the mountain to target some of the specials we still needed for the area. Our first major target was the endemic Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner- with some work and patience we enjoyed great views of this shy bird. A great mammal highlight for the group was having a troop of Colombian Red Howler Monkeys cross in the trees near to us giving us amazing views.
The morning produced some good birds, with highlights being, Black-headed Tanager, Yellow-backed Oriole, Slate-throated Whitestart, Coopman’s Tyrannulet, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Keel-billed Toucan, Masked and Gartered Trogon, Zone-tailed Hawk and a showy Spectacled Tyrannulet. A stake out at one of the flower patches gave us excellent views on the endemic Santa Marta Woodstar, Santa Marta Blossomcrown and Coppery Emerald- three excellent endemics from the area. A tasty lunch was enjoyed before enjoying some down time at our lovely lodge before heading out on an afternoon walk.
Our afternoon walk was an enjoyable one and we explored some of the trails around the lodge, with highlights being, Black-capped Tanager, White-lored Warbler, amazing in the open views of the endemic Santa Marta Tapaculo, a stunning male, White-tipped Quetzal posing for the photographers, Double-toothed Kite and handsome Lined Quail-Dove. As we approached the lodge we were treated to a glorious sunset over the Caribbean with the Santa Marta mountains in the foreground- one of the most scenic sunsets I have had in a while. A tasty meal was enjoyed as we chatted about the birding to come and some of the highlights still left for the trip. We all had a good night’s sleep after another busy and successful day in Colombia.
Day 16 – El Dorado Lodge to Tayrona NP
We began our morning again with some fantastic Colombian coffee and a fabulous sunrise as we made our way down the mountain to bird the lower elevations around the town of Minka. This morning, we decided to target a few of the birds we had been missing from the lower Santa Marta area. We had an excellent morning of birding and enjoyed sightings of, Giant Cowbird, Golden-fronted Greenlet, Cinnamon Becard, stunning Collared Aracari, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, the special Whooping Motmot, Grey-lined Hawk, Scaled Pigeon perched up for us and the attractive and busy Pale-bellied Hermit. Our tasty breakfast of empanadas was enjoyed after a busy morning.
As we made our way down the mountain towards Santa Marta we picked up on a few birds as we made regular stops to bird the exquisite cloud forest, highlights being, stunning Blue Dacnis, Trilling Gnatwren, a stunning male Lance-tailed Manakin, Black-backed Antshrike and a flock of Orange-chinned Parakeets feeding on mangos just out of the town. We had a very successful time in the Santa Marta mountains with us seeing all the endemics from the area and enjoying some incredible scenery too.
Our next stop was the tropical lowlands of the Caribbean and Tayrona national park. We settled into our wonderful accommodation next to the park, enjoyed a relaxing lunch and some down time before heading out on an afternoon walk.
Our walk in the afternoon was a success and we missed the rain and had an interesting sighting of a Spectacled Owl being mobbed by a gang of smaller passerines. The noise alerted us to the Owl, which lead to us enjoying a close sighting of this beautiful bird- the photographers were in their element. Other noteworthy sightings included, Buff-breasted Wren, Forest Elaenia, One-colored Becard and a stunning Rufous-breasted Hermit.
We all freshened up for dinner with some enjoying a swim in the glorious pool at the lodge. Another excellent dinner was had- man oh man the food is good in Colombia. We all enjoyed a few cold ones celebrating another great day and chatting about future birding trips we hope to do. A good night’s rest was had by all.
Day 17 – Tayrona National Park
Our day saw us meeting at the entrance gates to Tayrona NP at gate opening to try and target the endemic and critically endangered, Blue-billed Curassow.
After an excellent coffee, we were on our way after gathering some local gen on a recent sighting from a few days ago. Our walk in this beautiful forest treated us to a wonderful sighting of a male, Blue-billed Curassow calling in the trees a few meters above us- what a special treat and a special target for the group. The birds kept on rolling in and we enjoyed sightings of, Southern Bentbill, Russet-winged Schiffornis, a stunning and cooperative, White-chinned Sapphire and with some work we enjoyed a good sighting of a White-bellied Antbird- what an excellent morning in such a beautiful place.
We enjoyed exploring the park and took in some of the local sights and the stunning beaches before heading back to our lodge for a delicious lunch. Most of the group opted for a relaxing afternoon by the pool and around the lodge and a few of us enjoyed a scenic run in the park in the late afternoon. A relaxing and tasty dinner was enjoyed as we updated our lists, chatted about the magnificent trip we have had and enjoyed a few cold ones.
Day 18 – Los Flamencos National Park and flight to Bogota for departure
We had an early morning start to get to our last birding spot of this amazing trip. With some targets we were still hoping to get we started birding the dry woodland of the park. This worked well and we had good sightings of Olive-grey and Orinoco Saltator, the stunning Vermilion Cardinal, one of our main targets the Tocuyo Sparrow showed extremely well, Pale-tipped and Slender-billed Inezia, White-whiskered Spinetail, Northern White-fringed Antwren, Red-billed Emerald, Buffy and Shining-green Hummingbird, Striped Cuckoo and great views of Rufous-vented Chachalaca. What a great morning.
Our next stop was the wetland area of the park, where we got onto a boat to bird this extensive wetland, the birding was nonstop with us enjoying well over 70 species in under two hours, some of the highlights being, Semipalmated Plover, an out of range Snowy Plover, Spotted Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Laughing Gull, a flock of over 60 Black Skimmers, Caspian, Cabot’s and Royal Terns, Magnificent Frigatebird, Tricolored Heron, Buff-necked Ibis, Pearl Kite and a Osprey fishing. The surprise of the morning was a pair of Mangrove Rails that showed well for us. What a fantastic end to the trip.
We enjoyed a lunch overlooking the Caribbean before making our way to the airport to catch our flights to Cali and onto our international flights home. Thanks to the group for being such wonderful guests and for the great time we had together. We all shared a good couple of laughs. A fantastic 18 days of birding in incredible Colombia came to an end. We all had a blast and had an amazing time in this part of South America and left with a tear in the eye after a lovely trip. I would like to thank our local site guides, for the knowledge, and help in making the tour run so smoothly and for the hard work put in on the trip. Thanks to the Nature Travel Birding office for all the behind the scenes work that went on to ensure the tour was a success. I look forward to my next trip in the incredibly diverse Colombia.
You can join Nature Travel Birding in Colombia for a small group birding tour in march 2026.