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Colombia: Central & Choco Endemics

This carefully-designed tour covers most classic sites, including Montezuma, Rio Blanco and Nevado de Ruiz, as well as several little known spots, where we will build a large list of endemics and specialities such as recently discovered "Cali" and Paisa Antpittas, Multicolored, Gold-ringed and Black-and-gold Tanagers, Buffy Helmetcrest, Cauca Guan, Antioquia Brushfinch and much more. Can be linked with Colombia: Yellow-eared and Fuertes Parrots & Magdalena endemics tour for the most comprehensive central Colombia endemic bonanza!

Next dates

24 February - 11 March 2025

Tour length: 16 days

Group size limit: 6

Leaders:

Joachim Bertrands and Jose Castaño

Spaces available

Day 1: The tour starts this evening at Medellin airport, where we will spend the night.

Day 2: This morning we will visit La Romera reserve, close to town, in search of the rare Yellow-headed Manakin at one of the most reliable places in the world to see it. Supporting cast include endemic Red-bellied Grackle and Stiless Tapaculo. Afterwards we will drive north. Overnight at Santa Rosa de Osos.

Day 3: Today will be an exciting day as we will search for the very recently rediscovered Antioquia Brushfinch, surely one of the most shocking events in neotropical ornithology during the recent past, as well as the recently discovered “Paisa” Antpitta, which nowadays is coming to a feeding station! We have very good chances of seeing these two mega rarities at close quarters. Afterwards we will drive towards Jardin, stopping en route at a patch of dry forest in search of the recently described endemic Antioquia Wren. Night at Jardin.

Day 4: Our main target today will be the Critically Endangered endemic Yellow-eared Parrot, which we hope to see well, and the recently split Chami Antpitta, which is coming to feed on mealworms together with Chestnut-naped Antpitta! While searching for the parrot and the antpitta we should see a number of interesting species, that can include Tawny-bellied Tinamou, Rufous-bellied Nighthawk at dawn, Tanager Finch, Chestnut-crested Cotinga at one of the best spots in the world for it, Golden-headed Quetzal, White-capped Dipper, Black-and-chestnut Eagle, White-capped and Purplish-mantled Tanagers, Golden-fronted Whitestart, Streaked-troated Bush-Tyrant and Yellow-headed Brush Finch, amongst others. In the afternoon we will visit arguably the best, largest and most accessible Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek of the world! After marvelling at these incredible birds for a while, at touching distance, we will have a tasty dinner in the delightful town square. Night at Jardin.

Day 5: After some final morning birding in the Jardin area, searching for whatever we might have missed, including Undulated Antpitta, we will embark on the long journey towards Hacienda El Bosque, where we will spend two nights.

Day 6: Today we will explore the high temperate zone at Nevado del Ruiz, which is situated at above 3000m. Here, amidst some impressive scenery, our main targets are the endemic Buffy Helmetcrest and the endemic and very localized Rufous-fronted Parakeet (which is often hard to find, but that regularly comes to roost to a known cliff). Other high-altitude species we are likely to see include Black-backed Bush-Tanager, Stout-billed Cinclodes, Many-striped Canastero, Red-crested Cotinga, Tawny Antpitta, Paramo Tapaculo, Andean Teal, Andean Duck, Plumbeous Sierra-finch and White-chinned Thistletail. We will also visit some fantastic hummingbird gardens where Viridian Metaltail, Golden-breasted Puffleg, Buff-winged Starfrontlet, Shining Sunbeam, Great Sapphirewing, Black-thighed Puffleg and Rainbow-bearded and Purple-backed Thornbills all occur, as well as Golden-crowned Tanager. Overnight at Hacienda El Bosque, where we will search for Rufous-banded Owl.

Day 7: In the morning we will look for the fantastic Crescent-faced Antpitta (formerly a very difficult bird throughout its range), which in recent times is coming to feed on mealworms, as well as the recently split Equatorial Antpitta. We hope the birds are still around by the time of our visit. Other interesting species that are present in the area include Grey-breasted Mountain Toucan, which regularly comes to feed on grapes put specifically for it, Slaty Brushfinch, the uncommon Paramo Seedeater and the magnificent Ocellated Tapaculo. Later we will drive to Manizales, where we will overnight.

Day 8: Today we will visit the famous Rio Blanco reserve, which holds some of the rarest birds in Colombia. In particular, we hope to see the skulking Brown-banded, endemic, and Bicoloured, near-endemic, Antpittas, which in recent years have become much easier to see as they favour a feeding station. If lucky, we might also see the poorly-known Masked Saltator as it regularly follows feeding flocks along the road. We will also try to find the elusive Rusty-faced Parrot, which however can be absent from the area for months if the oaks are not producing its favoured seeds.  Slate-crowned and Chestnut-crowned Antpittas also regularly come to feed to two other feeding stations, together with Green-and-black Fruiteater. Other targets here include Spillmann’s, Blackish and Ash-coloured Tapaculos, Black-billed Mountain Toucan, Crimson-mantled and Bar-bellied Woodpeckers, Tyrannine and Strong-billed Woodcreepers, Streak-headed Antbird, the rare Flammulated Treehunter, Dusky Piha, Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, Rufous-headed Tody Flycatcher, Pale-edged and Golden-bellied Flycatchers, Mountain Wren, Capped Conebill, Grey-hooded Bush Tanager, Grass Green Tanager, Black-eared, Black-capped, Superciliared and Oleaginous Hemispinguses and Plushcap. Cracking White-capped Tanagers can sometimes be seen here too. Hummingbird coming to the feeders include Long-tailed Sylph, Tourmaline Sunangel, Speckled Hummingbird, Buff-tailed Coronet and White-bellied Woodstar. Evening night birding should produce the stunning Lyre-tailed Nightjar, hopefully including an adult male, at a regular stake out, as well as White-throated Screech Owl. Afterwards we will drive to Pereira, for an overnight stay.

Day 9: We will spend the morning birding at Otún Quimbaya reserve, where our main target will be the Endangered Cauca Guan, thought to be extinct until rediscovered here in the 1990s. The stunning and uncommon Red-ruffed Fruitcrow is particularly common here, and we will also search for Moustached Antpitta, Stiles’s Tapaculo, Plumbeous-crowned Tyrannulet and Crested Ant-tanager, amongst others. The rare Hooded Antpitta used to be pretty reliable here until recently, but we will still put effort into trying to find it. Mountain Tapir is seen here with relative frequency. In the afternoon we will drive to Montezuma for a three nights stay.

Days 10-11: Apart from hosting a number of Chocó endemics that are shared with Ecuador, the Montezuma region is also home to several Colombian endemics, including the cracking Gold-ringed Tanager and its close Bangsia relative, the stunning Black-and-gold Tanager, both of which we should see well. During our three full days here we will build a large list of great birds, that can include the near-endemic Brown Inca, Velvet-purple Coronet, Purple-throated Woodstar, Violet-tailed Sylph, Cloud-forest and Andean Pygmy-Owls, Crested Quetzal, Moustached Puffbird, Lanceolated Monklet, Toucan Barbet, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Yellow-vented Woodpecker, Fulvous-dotted Treerunner, which is probably easier to see here than anywhere else in the world, Pacific Tuftedcheek, Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner, Choco Brushfinch, Uniform Treehunter, Bicolored Antvireo, Yellow-breasted and, if lucky, Hooded Antpittas, Chestnut-crowned Gnateater, Ocellated, Narino, Choco and endemic Tatama Tapaculos, Bronze-olive Pygmy-Tyrant,  Scaled and Orange-breasted Fruiteaters, Olivaceous Piha, Club-winged Manakin,  Choco Vireo, which is also easier here than elsewhere in Colombia or Ecuador, Rufous-naped Greenlet, Yellow-collared and Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonias, Beautiful Jay, Tanager Finch, Gray-mantled and Sharpe’s Wrens, endemic Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer and many others. Nights at Montezuma lodge.

Day 12: After spending the morning birding in the Montezuma area, searching for whatever we might have missed or visiting an area that regularly holds Baudo Oropendolas, we will drive towards Buga for an overnight stay.

Day 13: Today we will spend most of the day at Laguna de Sonso Nature Reserve, where we will be searching for endemic Greyish Piculet and Apical Flycatchers, as well as Bar-crested Antshrike, Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, Horned Screamer, Jet Antbird, Dwarf and Striped Cuckoos, Spectacled Parrotlet and Blackish Rail, amongst others. In the afternoon we will head to San Cipriano for a two nights stay.

Day 14: Full day at San Cipriano lowland Chocó forest. Long list of possible targets, including  Sapayoa, a must for those trying to see all of the worlds families, Berlepschs Tinamou, White-tipped Sicklebill, Choco Toucan, Uniform Crake, Olive-backed Quail Dove, Five-colored Barbet, Golden-collared Manakin, Spot-crowned Antvireo, Spotted, Ocellated, Dull-mantled and Stub-tailed Antbirds, Streak-chested Antpitta, Pacific Flatbill, Black-tipped and Blue Cotingas if lucky, Yellow-browed Shrike-Vireo, Song and Stripe-throated Wrens, Blue-whiskered, Rufous-winged, Scarlet-browed and Scarlet-and-white Tanagers, and many others. Nightbirding can produce Choco Screech Owl and Choco Poorwill. Night at San Cipriano.

Day 15: After some morning birding in San Cipriano, we will head to La Florida, at the famous km18 in Cali, where we will spend the afternoon.  Amongst our targets are an impressive collection of tanagers, including the stunning endemic Multicolored Tanager, which we should see very well and at close quarters, allowing for incredible photo opportunities, unlike on many other tours that don´t visit this site, as well as Scrub, Blue-necked, Metallic-green, Beryl-spangled, Golden-naped, Black-capped and Saffron-crowned Tanagers, endemic Chestnut Wood-Quail, White-throated (or Choco) Daggerbill, Colombian Chachalaca, Chestnut-breasted Wren, Scaled Antpitta, Little Tinamou and Golden-winged Manakin. Night near Cali.

Day 16: This morning, thanks to the help of local researchers which work alongside our trusted ground agent, we will visit the spot which hosts “Cali” Antpitta, a recently discovered grallaricula antpitta, not yet officially described, at Farallones National Park. We will probably be the only group allowed to visit the site to see this very special bird, which we have a very good chance of seeing. After lunch, the tour will end in the evening at Cali International Airport (CLO)

 

 

Tour details

Cost: $ 6,900
Deposit: $ 750
Single room supplement: $ 350

Accommodation: Mostly good-standard, comfortable hotels and lodges.

Walking difficulty: Mostly easy, with a couple of moderate effort walks throughout the tour, particularly so for “Cali” Antpitta, on a mixture of trails and roadside birding.

Tour cost includes: All accommodation, main meals, drinking water, internal flights (as stated in itinerary), overland transport, tips to local drivers and guides, travel permits, entrance fees, and guide fees.

Tour cost excludes: Flights before and after the tour start/end, visa, travel insurance, tips to tour leaders, laundry, drinks and other items of a personal nature.