Southern Colombia Private Birding Trip

Upon arrival in Bogota, our guide will pick you up at the airport and will drive you to the hotel. We will have a welcome dinner and will go through the most relevant information on the trip. Night in Bogota. 2600 meters. 15°C

Today we get up early and drive to the small town of La Calera. The Elfin forest and Paramo habitat begin ten kilometers from La Calera, as does the birding. Chingaza National Park, one of two high-Andean national parks close to Bogotá, is an excellent place to begin this journey. We’ll spend the morning here looking for Páramo and elfin forest specialists before heading to the airport for our afternoon flight to Pitalito in the Huila department. We’ll be taken to the El Encanto reserve once we arrive. Night in El Encanto reserve. 1350 meters. 19°C Target species (E) Silvery-throated Spinetail (E) Muisca Antpitta (recent splif from Rufous Antpitta) (NE) Matorral/Pale-bellied Tapaculo (NE) Golden-fronted Whitestart (NE) Coopery-bellied Puffleg (NE) Rufous-browed Conebill (NE) Bronze-tailed Thornbill Purple-backed Thornbill Paramo Seedeater Plush-capped Finch Smoky Bush-Tyrant Black-billed Mountain-toucan Andean Pygmy-Owl Black-headed Hemispingus Glowing Puffleg Blue-throated Stafrontlet by Johnnier Arango

El Encanto is a family reserve that has been in the ecotourism business for over ten years. It eventually became one of the most important birding spots in this part of the country. The area has been specifically designed for birders. There are various tanager and hummingbird feeders where you can see a variety of uncommon species. The trails pass through areas of shade-grown coffee that are also excellent habitats for all of the species mentioned above, giving new meaning to the term “bird-friendly coffee.” Night in El Encanto reserve. 1350 meters. 19°C Golden-eared Tanager (E) Tolima Dove (E) Indigo-capped Hummingbird (E) Dusky-headed Brush-Finch (E) Colombian Chachalaca (E) Apical Flycatcher (E) Velvet-fronted Euphonia (NE) Red-billed Emerald Shining-green Hummingbird Short-tailed Emerald Gorgeted Woodstar Ash-browed Spinetail Cerulean Warbler Golden-eared Tanager by Johnnier Arango

In the search for a concrete action of conservation and, of course, an additional place for birding, the owners of El Encanto reserve purchased an important portion of forest above their farm and named it “La Drymophila,” which is the scientific genus for a group of montane antbirds like the endemic East-Andean Antbird, an endemic bird with a very limited range, making this reserve the best place to see it. Not only is the Antbird possible here, but the place also has the only feeders for the rare and enigmatic Schwartz’s Anttrush, the always elusive White-bellied Antpitta, and the very uncommon Hooded Antpitta. The very rare Black-chested Fruiteater is another of the birds that are possible in the trail, and passing groups of the endemic race of the Maroon-Tailed Parakeet (and a very possible split, the Huila Parakeet) are common around there. Other birds at the hummingbird, corn, and banana feeders include: (E) Tolima Dove (E) Red-bellied Grackle Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush Green (Inca) Jay White-throated Quail-dove Chestnut-capped Brush-finch Magpie Tanager Violet-fronted Brilliant (E) Tolima Blossomcrown Lazuline Sabrewing Gorgeted Woodstar Night in El Encanto reserve. 1350 meters. 19°C Hooded Antpitta at the feeders of the reserve. Photo by Johnnier Arango

This morning, we’ll drive the 115 kilometers from El Encanto reserve to Mocoa, in the Putumayo department. This road passes through a pristine forest in the Amazonian foothills ecoregion. This drive will allow us to see: Black-throated Brilliant Russet Antshrike Orange-eared Tanager Wire-crested Thorntail Lined Antshrike Black-billed Treehunter Dusky Spinetail Wattled Guan Speckled Tanager Blue-fronted Lancebill Black-streaked Puffbird White-streaked Antvireo Cream-colored Woodpecker Night in Mocoa. 600 meters. 22°C Black-streaked Puffbird by Johnnier Arango

Mocoa is the capital of the department of Putumayo. It is located in the foothills of the Colombian massif and is one of the entrance gates to Colombia’s Amazonian forest lowlands. From here, we will travel along the famous road that connects the Andean city of Pasto with the Amazonian region. This road, formerly known as “El Trampolin de la Muerte,” is now well known as one of the best birding routes in the country’s south. Starting at around 3500 meters and descending to around 800 meters, the road passes through important highland ecosystems such as Paramo and High-Anden forests before ending above Mocoa with subtropical forests in the Andes foothills. On this day, we’ll visit the most important spots along the lower section of the road in search of specialties like: Deep-blue Flowerpiercer (E) Red-bellied Grackle Coppery-chested Jacamar Black-streaked Puffbird White-rimmed Brush-finch Black-and-white Becard Blue-browed Tanager Grey-mantled Wren Yellow-throated Tanager Black-billed Treehunter Western Fire-eye Bronze-green Euphonia Wire-crested Thorntail Orange-eared Tanager Night in Mocoa. 600 meters. 22°C White-rimmed Brushfinch by Johnnier Arango

The Campucana trail (also known as the Sacha Mates trail) or Schultes’ Trail connects Mocoa to the Sibundoy Valley in the mountains. The trail winds through a well-preserved forest and is the best place to see the rare Black Tinamou, which can be found early in the morning on the trail. This trail is also ideal for locating the range-restricted: Coppery-chested Jacamar Gray-mantled Wren Black-billed Treehunter Ecuadorian Tyrannulet Crimson-bellied Woodpecker Blue-rumped Manakin Black-streaked Puffbird Foothill Stipplethroat Western Fire-eye, Night in Mocoa. 600 meters. 22°C Coppery-chested Jacamar by Johnnier Arango

El Escondite reserve is another popular birding destination in the Putumayo department. This reserve protects an important area of humid forest and wetlands where rare and interesting birds can be found. Plum-throated Cotinga Rufous-headed Woodpecker Golden-collared Toucanet Bare-necked Fruitcrow Large-headed Flatbill Cream-colored Woodpecker Opal-crowned Tanager White-chinned Jacamar Point-tailed Palm-creeper Black-banded and Ash-throated Crakes Cinnamon Attila We'll spend the entire day here before heading to the nearby town of Puerto Asis for our first night there. Night in Puerto Asis. 250 meters. 25°C Yellow-bellied Dacnis by Johnnier Arango

Puerto Asis is a typical Amazonian town, surrounded by patches of forest where wildlife can find refuge. On this day, we’ll go to Playa Rica, a well-organized community where an important community ecotourism process has been taking shape in recent years. We’ll look at semi-open and forested habitats, as well as small wetlands. The following are the house specialties: Black-spotted Bare-eyed Plumbeous Antbird Amazonian Umbrellabird Horned Screamer Long-billed Woodcreeper White-shouldered Antbird Black-banded Crake Rufous-headed Woodpecker Riparian Antbird Mottle-backed Elaenia Riparian Parrotlet White-eared Jacamar Night in Puerto Asis. 250 meters. 25°C White-chinned Jacamar by Johnnier Arango

Km 5 in Puerto Asis is a complex of semi-open and forested areas on the outskirts of the town. With very little effort, it is possible to see many of the specialties related to this kind of ecosystem. The place is also a good spot to see the charismatic Pygmy Marmoset, the smallest monkey of the continent. Some of the targets here are: Plum-throated Cotinga Riparian Parrotlet Masked-crimson Tanager Chestnut Woodpecker Cream-colored Woodpecker Great Potoo Scarlet-crowned Barbet Masked Tanager Chestnut-bellied Seedfinch Caqueta Seedeater Peruvian Warbling-Antbird Cinamon Attila Yellow-bellied Dacnis After lunch, we’ll explore the forested areas in the town for missing species and have a more relaxed afternoon. By the end of the afternoon, we’ll head to the town of Mocoa to prepare for our next morning. Night in Mocoa. 600 meters. 22°C Hoatzin by Johnnier ArangoPeruvian Warbling-Antbird by Johnnier ArangoRiparian Parrotlet by Johnnier Arango

Today we will begin our journey through the mountains that the Trampolin road traverses. Long known for the high number of traffic accidents caused by its steep geography, narrow steps, and changing climate, the Trampolin road is now better known as a biodiversity emporium that, at the end of its journey through the jungle, meets the beautiful and peaceful Sibundoy valley, a conglomeration of four villages where we will spend the night and prepare for the next day. Night in Sibundoy. 2200. 14°C Targets species this day are: White-rimmed Brush-finch Dusky Piha Long-tailed Tapaculo Short-billed Chlorospingus Green-backed Hillstar Chestnut-breasted Coronet Black-billed Mountain-toucan White-capped Tanager Yellow-throated Tanager Golden-headed Quetzal Bar-bellied Woodpecker Black-collared Jay Andean Cock-of-the-rock White-capped Tanager by Johnnier ArangoThe upper part of the Tampolin road

The Páramo de Bordoncillo is the natural boundary that separates Putumayo from Nario. The road ascends from the Sibundoy valley until it reaches dwarf forests before continuing through the paramo. Not long ago, a population of the extremely rare Chestnut-bellied Cotinga, one of South America’s most sought-after birds, was discovered there.Crossing this Páramo is Lake Guamuez, also known as Laguna de la Cocha, Colombia’s second-largest Andean lake. El Puerto, a small tourist town on its shores, is built in the best Swiss style, with houses and chalets. We’ll spend the last night of our trip here after a successful day of birding. Night in El Puerto. 2300. 13°C Other targets species this day are: Masked Mountain-tanager Rainbow-bearded Thornbill Agile Tit-tyrant Equatorial Antpitta White-chinned Thistletail Black-thighed Puffleg Paramo Tapaculo Golden-crowned Tanager Andean Gull Yellow-billed Pintail Slate-colored Coot Cinereous Harrier Ecuadorian Rail Lesser Scaup Sierran Elaenia Andean Duck El Puerto is the town adyacent to La Cocha lakeLa Cocha (Guamuez) lakeYellow-billed Pintail by Johnnier-ArangoAgile Tit-tyrant by Karl F. SjölundChestnut-bellied Cotinga by Johnnier Arango