Day 1: Arrival in Medellín

You will be picked up at the airport and transferred to our Medellín hotel. Night in Rionegro/Medellín.

Day 2: Birding to el Palacio de los Frijoles

We will bird the site of El Palacio de los Frijoles, about 1h 30m from our hotel, for a full morning and have lunch nearby. We have the possibility of finding a couple of Colombian endemics here, including White-mantled Barbet and Beautiful Woodpecker. We will have lunch nearby, then return to the hotel in the afternoon. Night in Rionegro/Medellín.

Day 3: Birding To Jardin

We will have breakfast in the hotel, then pack up and depart for the picturesque town of Jardin, located about 4 hours south of Rionegro/Medellín. We will plan to have lunch in the town, check into our hotel, then spend some time birding near town (possibly visiting sites for Andean Cock-of-the-Rock and Red-bellied Grackle). Night in Jardin.

Day 4: Full day birding along Jardin

Today we will explore the area for Yellow-eared Parrot, like a small macaw, is the special goal for which we will take 4WDs to almost 10,000 ft (3,000m), birding a small pass and the basin behind it at dawn (leaving around 5 a.m.), and then drive back down the road birding large patches of forest, returning to our hotel in the late afternoon, having had a picnic breakfast and lunch. Night in Jardin

Day 5: Birdig to RNA Las Tangaras

We will start with breakfast on the lovely town square and then depart for our destination of RNA Las Tangaras. We might make some birding stops en route, certainly for bathrooms in the town of Bolivar (and maybe day-roosting Spectacled Owls!). Soon after leaving Bolivar, we will cross a low pass in the Western Andes, arriving at the  Pro Aves reserve, RNA Las Tangaras, and our lodge for the next three nights. Our plan will be to lunch here, then bird the grounds and nearby forest patches in the afternoon. Night at Las Tangaras.

Days 6-7: Birding the RNA Las Tangaras

We will have two full days to visit the reserve, which is located a halfhour by 4WD from the lodge on a little-traveled road. Patches of cloud forest along the road are excellent for many birds of the montane Choco, but we will concentrate on a good, level trail that has already been constructed in the stunning mossy forest, and try any newer trails as well. Depending on the weather/our results, on the second day we may also try a nearby road that offers slightly higher elevations. Our routine here will involve pre-dawn breakfasts, e.g., at 5:15 a.m., a drive to the habitat, potentially a picnic lunch brought to us by the lodge on a trail, and dinner at the lodge. Nights at Las Tangaras

Day 8: Birding to San Pedro de los Milagros.

We will plan on departing Las Tangaras after breakfast, with some birding stops and lunch, and depart in the afternoon for San Pedro de los Milagros. We will either stay in the city, closer to Medellín (about 45 minutes away). We will arrive in the late afternoon and get settled into our hotel for the night. Night in San Pedro de los Milagros.

Day 9: Birding to the Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve.

This morning, we will concentrate on finding the virtually unknown and extremely rare Antioquia Brush-finch, We will journey to a small forest patch with our local guide above the town and spend several hours here in search of this rare bird. We will have lunch en route to the Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve, arriving to the reserve in the afternoon (a drive of about 4 hours). Night in the Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve.

Day 10: Full day birding at Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve.

We will have a full day at the Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve to explore the pristine forest at different elevations within the 1,000-hectare preserve. This will be a long day with an early breakfast and a possible picnic lunch, returning in the afternoon to the lodge. We will be hiking on forest trails for several hours. Important birds we may find include the piha, Red-bellied Grackle, Stile’s Tapaculo, Black-and-gold Tanager, and Multicolored Tanager. Night at Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve.

Day 11: Birding to Reserve to Rionegro.

We will have a leisurely breakfast with some birding on the grounds of the lodge, then depart for Rionegro. We will plan on a couple of birding stops en route and lunch near Medellín, arriving to our airport hotel in the mid-afternoon. Night in Rionegro/Medellín.

Day 12: Departure for home.

Breakfast is included at the hotel and you can plan to depart out of Medellín at any time today

Have an Amazing time in Colombia!