Colombia Andes & Choco 15 days


BIRD & WILDLIFE PHOTO TOUR

Hummingbirds, Tanagers, Antpittas & Beyond!

A very special and specialized photographic, birding and wildlife tour in Andes & Choco Biogeographical Region in Colombia. Thinking in professional and novate photographers that enjoy of the amazing biodiversity of one of the most nature rich regions in the world and to take different types of pictures, including macro-photo, tele-photo, landscape and artistic! One advantage is that this circuit is designed to visit some of the best places to see very wonderful birds as hummingbird (more than 50 species), tanagers, antpittas, fruiteaters in feeders, that allow to take wonderful pictures very comfortable, also amazing ecosystems in where our expert guide will create fantastic opportunities to shot your cameras.

  • DAY 1: Arrival in Bogota

You will be wait per a protocol person of our company that will going with you to the hotel to rest, our guide will be waiting for you in the hotel to have a little meeting in where he will give the welcome and to give you instruction for the next days and during the tour. Night in Hotel

  • DAY 2: La Calera Bird Observatory & Enchanted Garden (Hummingbird Feeders)

We will visit two wonderful places around Bogota, in the morning La Calera Bird Observatory that have some wonderful hummingbird feeders of high elevations (3.000 meters level to sea) in where some very special hummers as Sword-billed Hummingbird, Blue-throated Starfrontlet, Green & Black tailed Trainbears and many more come to feed. In the afternoon we will down the hill to Magdalena Valley to San Francisco Village in where more than 30 hummingbird feeders and more than 15 species of hummingbirds wait for you, there will be possible to see some amazing species as Indigo-capped Humminbird, Short-tailed Emerald, Ruby Topaz, Andean Emerald, White –neck Jacobin and other will wait for you. At the end of the day we will come back to Bogota to rest. Night in Hotel

  • DAY 3: Palacio & Chingaza National Park - flight to Medellin

Early in the morning, we will going to one location named Palacio inside Chingaza National Park, probably the best place in the country to see the amazing, beautiful and very endangered of extension Spectacled Bear. This will be a nice adventure searching this amazing animal in Colombian Paramos, also, we will have the chance to see other amazing species of birds, paramo plants and landscapes. Some of the species of interest of birds include Scarlet bellied Mountain-Tanager, White-chinned Thistletail, Many-striped Canastero, White-browed Spinetail, Rufous Wren and others species that include White-tailed Deer. In the end of the day we will take a flight to Medellin. Night in Hotel

  • DAY 4: La Romera Reserve, transfer to Jardin Village

In the morning we will visit a small reserve in the mountains of Medellin named La Romera, in where we can see some beautiful and important species of birds… Our guide will create opportunities to take wonderful pictures of birds as Red-bellied Grackle, Colombian Chachalaca, Yellow-headed Manakin, Red-headed Barbet, Emerald Toucanet, Black-billed Peppershirke and others. After to La Romera we will enjoy amazing typical lunch in a very popular Medellin restaurant. In the afternoon we will move to Jardin Village but not before to sop in some places on the road with Tanagers, feeders to see the beautiful Flame-rumped Tanager. We will rest in a nice hotel at the side of the beautiful central park. Night i Hotel.

  • DAY 5: Yellow-ear Parrot Reserve and Lucias Hummingbird Feeders

We will going early in the morning (darkness) to search some important species of Owls & Nightjars, (Whitethroated Screech-Owl, Rufous-banded Owl & Band-winged Nightjar). In the morning we will search a lot of birds of the cloud forest including the very rare and critical endangered Yellow-ear Parrot (rediscovered just some years ago); we will visit the hummingbird feeders of Lucia in where we will have the chance to take some good pictures of hummers as Tourmaline Sunangel, Mountain Velvetbreast, Buff-tailed Coronet. At the end on the day we will come back to Jardin to rest and enjoy the beautiful nocturnal landscapes of the village. Nigh in Hotel

  • DAY 6: Andean Cock of the Rock Lek & Bolombolo Dry Forest - Manizales

Early in the morning, you will enjoy probably the best Andean Cock of the Rock Lek in all the world, with males and females that come very close to the people exhibiting the amazing colors, sounds and behavior. After breakfast, we will transfer to Bolombolo Location, a nice area of Dry Forest to the side of Cauca River in where we will search some nice species of birds as the endemic and recently discovered Antioquia Wren and other important birds as Greyish Piculet, Apical Flycatcher, Speckle-breasted Wren and others. We will travel to Manizales city, we will rest in Rio Blanco Reserve in the heart of the cloud forest of Central Andes. Night in Rio Blanco Reserve

  • DAY 8: Rio Blanco Reserve (Anpitta Paradise), Hummers & Tanagers Feeders

If you hear some day about the Anpitta Feeders in Ecuador with Maria (Giant Antpitta) & Shakira (Yellow-breasted Antpitta) you will discover that Rio Blanco Antpitta Feeders is probably the best place to take pics of this amazing birds in where will be possible to see an enjoy species as Brown-banded, Chestnut-naped, Chesnut-crowned, Bicolored and Slate-crowned Antpitta, also with some luck Green and Black Fruiteater & Ocellated Tapaculo. In Rio Blanco will be possible also to see some hummingbirds in feeders as Long-tailed Sylph, Collared Inca, Wedge-billed Hummingbird and tanagers eating babana as Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager and others. In the end of the day we will have some night exploration to search a special bird: Lyre-tailed Nightjar and others. Other important birds in Rio Blanco include, Golden-headed Quetzal, Masked Saltator, Black-billed Mountain Toucan, White-capped Tanager, Masked Trogon, Andean Guan, Rusty-faced Parrot, Golden-plumbed Parakeet and others. Night in Rio Blanco Reserve

  • DAY 8: Termales del Ruiz - Amazing Hummingbird Feeders of High Elevation - Otun

We will up the base of the Volcano Nevado del Ruiz in where we will enjoy the amazing ecosystem of Paramo of Central Andes. We will have as target to take fantastic pictures of the amazing Buffy Helmetcrest (probably one of the most beautiful birds in Andes), Rufous-fronted Parakeet, Tawny Antpitta, Many-striped Canastero, Andean TitSpinetail, Paramo & Plain-colored Seedeater, Andean Lapwing, Andean Condor, Black-breasted Buzzar Eagle and more. In the half of the morning we will have a great time enjoying some of the most amazing hummingbird feeders of high elevations in Colombia in where will be possible to take pictures of Rainbow-bearded Thronbill, Shinning Sunbeam, Black-thigged Puffleg, Greater Sapphirewing, Golden-breasted Puffled and many more. In the afternoon we will travel to Otun-Quimbaya National Park to rest in a nice lodge in the middle of subtropical forest. Night in Quinbaya Lodge

  • DAY 9: Otun-Quimbaya National Park / Tapir & Guan Day

This will be a day to walk inside the forest to take pictures with our tele-photo lens, also to enjoy the hundreds of butterflies and the beautiful forest with a lot of White Cecropias (typical tree of this type of habitat). We will search some beautiful and rare birds as the endemic Cauca Guan or the friendly but beautiful Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Flame rumped Tanager, Andean Motmot, Golden-headed Quetzal, Hooded Antpitta, Crimson-crested  Woodpecker and many more. During the morning on the road will be possible to see the majestic and enigmatic Mountain Tapir, here all the ability is necessary to take picture. All day will be good to take pictures and enjoy the cloud forest but at night a nice Owl will be the target of our lenses: Colombian Screech-Owl. Night in Quinbaya Lodge

  • DAY 10: Torrent Duck & Deeper - Choco Region in Montezuma Reserve

We will move to the side of the river searching the amazing and beautiful Torrent Duck, and other river birds as White-capped Deeper & Torrent Tyrannulet; we will drive in the afternoon to Montezuma Reserve in tatami National Park in where we will enjoying the amazing hummingbird feeders of this place. Some of the species that arrive there include Velvet-purple Coronet, Purple-throated Woodstar, Booted Racket-tail, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, Violet-tailed Sylph, Brown Inca, Western Emerald, Empress Brilliant, White-tailed Hillstar and many more. You will stay in a rustic eco-lodge with Tapasco Family in where probably have the most delicious food in all the route. Night in Montezuma Lodge

  • DAYS 11-12: Montezuma Natural Reserve & Tatama National Park

Montezuma is probably the best place to see birds in Colombia and have one of the most amazing biodiversity of birds, orchids, plants, butterflies in all the world; the opportunity to take picture are infinite and always you will be searching new thing; landscapes are unbelievable, surely some of the most beautiful humid tropical forest in Colombia from 2.300 meters to 1.000 meters to elevation. Close to 450 species of birds are recorded in Montezuma and same number of orchids, the perfect place for macro-photo and tele-photo when we will be on the field. Some bird species of interest include: Black-and-gold Tanager, Gold-ringed Tanager, Munchique Wood-Wren, Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer, Parker´s Antbird, Alto-Pisones Tapaculo, Crested Ant-Tanager, Violet tailed Sylph, Brown Inca, Velvet-purple Coronet, Empress Brilliant, Purple-throated Woodstart, Toucan Barbet, Fulvous-dotted Treerunner, Uniform Treehunter, Bar-crested Antshirke, Bicolored Antvireo, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Choco Tapaculo, Nariño Tapaculo, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Club-winged Manakin, Choco Vireo, Beautiful Jay, Sooty headed Wren, Black Solitaire, Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager, Purplish-mantlet Tanager, Glistering Green Tanager, Rufous-throated Tanager, Scarlet and White Tanager, Indigo Flowerpiercer, Dusky Bush-Tanager, Tanager Finch, Yellow-green Brush-Finch, Ochre-breasted Tanager, Yellow-collated Chlorophonia, Sickle-winged Guan, Western Emerald, White-tailed Hillstar, Greenish Puffleg, Crested and Golden-headed Quetzal, White-faced Nunbird, Lineated Foliage-gleaner, Streak-capped Treehunter, Barred and Scaled Fruiteater, Bronze-olive PygmyTyrant, Olivaceous Piha, Flame-faced Tanager, Tricolored Brush-Finch, Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia, Blackwinged Saltator, Red-headed Barbet, Rufous-breasted Antthrush, Striped Manakin, Zeledon´s Antbird, Ochrebreasted Antpitta, Barred Hawk, Chestnut-headed Oropendola, Lanceolated Monklet, Brown-billed Scytebill, Scalecrested Pygmy-Tyrant, Ruddy Foliage-Gleaner, Golden Tanager, White-headed Wren and many more. Nights in Motezuma Lodge

  • DAY 13: Montezuma Feeders and transfer to El Queremal

We will use the morning for the hummingbird and tanager feeders, in where sometimes the couples of Redheaded Barbets come to eat banana, also other birds as Lemon-rumped Tanager, Silvery-throated Tanager, Streak Saltator, Bananaquit and others. After lunch we will travel to Cali and El Queremal Village in where we will rest in a simply but nice hotel in the entrances to the Anchicaya Valley. Night in El Campanario

  • DAY 14: Anchicaya Valley

Anchicaya and the crystal rivers are simply magic; amazing landscapes and a really big diversity are doing of Anchicaya other of the best birding places in Colombia. We will be all day searching birds as Golden-chested Tanager, Lita & Choco Woodpecker, Esmeraldas Antbird, Tooth-billed Hummingbird, White-whiskered Hermit, White-headed Wren, Choco Trogon, Choco Toucan, Spot-crowned Barbet, Rufous Piha, Scarlet-browed, Blue whiskered , Scarlet and White, Grey and Gold, Esmeraldas Tanager´s and many many more. We will come back to El Queremal at night after a great day of biding and pictures. Night in El Campanario

  • DAY 15: Doras Feeders & La Alexandria Hummers and Tanagers Feeders, flight to Bogota

Our last day in some of the most amazing feeders of this route; the first one Doras Feeders in Anchicaya Valley in where will be possible to take pictures of some amazing hummers of Choco Bio-Region and also some amazing Tanagers as Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager, Red-headed Barbet, Golden Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, the amazing Toucan Barbet, White-lined TAanager and many more; after Doras feeder our last stop in the famous hummingbird garden “Finca La Alejandria” the unique place in Colombia in where is possible to see and to take wonderful pictures in feeders of the endemic and very rare Multicolored Tanager, also other wonderful tanagers as Mettallic-green, Golden and Golden-naped; Some hummers are of interest too and include the very rare and beautiful Blue-headed Sapphire, Greenish Puffleg, Long-tailed Sylph and other. In the end of the day we will take a flight to Bogota to end the amazing photographic, birding and wildlife tour. Night in Hotel or flight to home.

Have a nice Birding, Photo Tour

TOUR TIME 15 DAYS & 14 NIGHTS
TOUR DATES Fixed and custom dates - TOUR CALENDAR
PRICE PER PERSON US$ 3,500.00
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT US$ 400.00 (we do not charge this; hotels and lodges do)
GROUP SIZE From 2 to 8 People
   
ACCOMODATION Confortable places with private toilet, hot water, WI-FI 
EASY OF BIRDING Easy to moderate with some challenging species
PHOTOGRAFIC CHANCE Excellent
INCLUDE Domestic Flights, Hotel, lodges, full meals, soft drinks, entrance fee, private transport, driver and guide
NOT INCLUDE International flights, any alcoholic drinks, laundry, phone calls, extra activities

 

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