After many years of security issues and access problems, Colombia is finally getting the recognition it deserves amongst birders. In recent years, the government has made enormous progress in the fight against the guerillas and huge areas which were previously unsafe are now easy to visit. The topography is complicated with three separate Andean chains as well as the hulking mass of Santa Marta in the North. Colombia is also the only South American country with both Pacific and Caribbean coastlines. It is hardly surprising then that Colombia has the highest species list in the world, with new discoveries and taxonomic changes increasing this on an annual basis.
I've spent many happy months travelling the country over the years, but given the number of endemics and other specialities there is always more to return for. Many birders follow a similar route giving huge species lists and lots of specials but some of the really good birds require travelling to more off-the-beaten-track parts of the country.
More and more tour companies are now offering Colombian itineraries. For me, however, a more targetted trip was needed. I spoke to several ground agents and finally settled on Ecoturs. This company is linked to Proaves who have worked hard at saving large areas of habitat and establishing many important reserves. Lengthy e-mails between myself and both Trevor Ellery and Robert Giles from Proaves resulted in the final itinerary designed to give me a real chance of some of the rarest birds in South America. Trevor and Robert were both very flexible at tweaking the timings of each site giving a final trip plan I was delighted with and I was very pleased with all aspects of the service Ecoturs provided.
The following links have detailed information on Proaves' work and Ecoturs including much information on the main sites.
http://www.proaves.org/
http://www.ecoturs.org/
Many other companies and organisations in Colombia are also doing fantastic work. The following were very helpful for gen on key species and were invaluable at providing information. Both offer superb set tours or can arrange private trips such as the one I settled on.
http://www.colombiabirding.com/index.php
http://www.manakinnaturetours.com/
So, armed with a three week itinerary, an iPod with 1500+ calls and songs loaded and a variety of field guides, I was ready to return to one of the best birding countries in the world.
28/9/10
The flight via Paris was uneventful and I was met efficiently in Bogota by an Ecoturs car meaning I was at the Chico Imperial Hotel by 5 pm. Trevor Ellery, an English guide for Ecoturs, met me at the hotel to discuss plans for the next day. Trevor has lived in Colombia for the last few years and is very experienced with logisitics and the birds alike. To have him accompany me for the whole three weeks would have been expensive for a group of one as well as detracting from the fun and challenge of finding my own birds. We had decided therefore that he would be with me for the first few days when his inside info would be particularly useful with a few tricky species. After this, it would be just me and Jovani my driver.
Doing the trip this way had the great advantage that my Spanish improved exponentially. Without basic Spanish, however, the lack of a translator would have made things very difficult. As it was, Jovani was fantastic - fully aware that speaking slowly helped my comprehension, as well as tolerant of my serial mangling of one of the most beautiful languages in the world. In return, three weeks of purely Spanish conversation was extremely useful for my personal development! Jovani was great company and very easy going and knew most of the sites as well as having an encyclopaedic knowledge of the road system. This was to prove very useful later in the trip when landslides and the like caused issues.
I retired back to the hotel surrounded by the familiar Bogota trio - Eared Dove, Rufous-collared Sparrow and Great Thrush!
29/9/10 - Cundinamarca day
We left Bogota at 3.45 am and drove through the city and along the road to Monterredondo. The weather was clear and sunny - a distinct disadvantage for bird activity and indeed the forest was quiet with few birds vocalising. A couple of Lined Quail-Doves and a Sickle-winged Guan on the road were appreciated though. Although there were few mixed flocks, we gradually picked up some nice birds including Longuemare's Sunangel, Blue-throated Starfrontlet, Rufous-browed Conebill and Black-collared Jay. Ash-coloured, Paramo and Ocellated Tapaculos were singing along the road but better was a very confiding Matorral Tapaculo which came in very close to tape, appearing much darker than most illustrations of this species. A pair of Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulets were exactly where Trevor predicted they would be and came low down in the roadside canopy, laying to rest a bogey bird for me.
No antpittas were singing and the two 'usual' territories were quiet. The main targets here can be difficult and so we had built two days into the itinerary in case of such problems. This meant we could explore the other side of the ridge and drop down into the tiny town of El Calvario. By now, it was raining and the mist was settling in. At a finca known to Trevor, we introduced ourselves to the owners and gave a present of groceries we had brought with us - the area is far from surrounding towns and the bread and other gifts were clearly appreciated. We then set off up the steep hillside above the house, climbing through pastures while the calls of Tawny-breasted Tinamous taunted us from the surrounding forest patches.
At one of the forest remnants we paused and played the antpitta tape - a couple of alarm calls came back from the gloom of the undergrowth then silence. This species was living up to its reputation! We climbed a little higher along a wide track through the forest itself, up a steep incline. Still nothing. By now it was getting late in the afternoon and we had other fish to fry, so we turned to leave. On cue, a Cundinamarca Antpitta sang from right next to the trail. Hardly breathing, we swivelled around and played the tape cautiously at low volume. The bird sang back. Silence. Then a brown ball on legs bounded through the thick mossy undergrowth and bounced onto the trail only 20 feet away. Miraculously, a second bird bounced out from the left of us, and joined the first in feeding on the path. Over the following minutes we had crippling extended views of these secretive birds, as they pounced on worms and other invertebrates tossing leaves aside in their search for food. Interestingly, one bird was much more heavily streaked on the breast than the other.
Once we had had our fill of Grallaria action, we returned to the pasture. The farmer had given us a tip-off and suggested a place to be at dusk. Sure enough, at 5 pm, a raucous screeching announced the arrival of 3 Brown-breasted Parakeets - another localised Colombian endemic. They swept in and settled in front of us, moving between trees and showing nicely. This seems to be a roost area for this threatened species and we had great views.
Making our way back to the car, we picked up some other choice birds such as White-capped and Golden-crowned Tanagers then drove the short distance into El Calvario where we picked up a male Green-bellied Hummingbird feeding on fuschia flowers in the village. Options here are limited and we shared a room in a private house for the night, eating in a perfectly acceptable restuarant in 'town'. Although we had budgetted for two nights here, we had already scored the targets so decided to leave the next day and use the extra time later in the trip. Trevor and Ecoturs were great at accommodating these last minute changes of itinerary even though the work created was significant - this was not the last time I would request such a change!
30/9/10 - to Zipaquira
We left El Calvario early and drove up to the paramo at the top of the ridge, seeing a fully-plumed male Swallow-tailed Nightjar on the road en route. A track runs around the contour of the mountain here, towards a ?disused army base and we had no problems with access to the habitat. The chief target, a delightful male Bronze-tailed Thornbill, fell without too much effort, there were good numbers of Great Sapphirewings duelling each other high above the track and Glowing Pufflegs and more Blue-throated Starfrontlets at flowers.
Descending back towards the Bogota highway, we birded the forest along the road. A Rufous Antpitta came in silently to tape and perched up in a thicket close to us, flicking its tail nervously. The form here sings very differently to other subspecies and is one to watch, giving both buzzy calls and a series of thin descending whistles. It is restricted to central Colombia.
Once we hit the highway, we made rapid progress and arrived at Zipaquira by 4 pm. As we had made such good progress, Jovani suggested visiting the Catedral de Sal - an underground salt mine with an entire cathedral that is used regularly for mass. The experience was quite surreal, with stations of the cross, chapels, altars and a huge open auditorium all carved out underground. The guide was a little overenthusiastic and had a bizarre pseudo-American accent but if you find yourself in this lovely colonial town I would recommend a quick half hour here.
1/10/10 Soata
We left early and continued North on the drive to Soata. One of the first birds of the day was a Barn Owl over the road - a new bird for me in Colombia.
The town of Soata is surrounded by extensive oak forests - a habitat much under threat in the country. The area above the town is a reliable one for Mountain Grackle - a threatened endemic that is difficult to see at other sites. Although they do occur at the Proaves reserve of Cerulea, most people miss them there and they seem difficult and erratic. I had factored in a few days at Soata for this species in particular, although two other key endangered endemics also occur in the area.
Arriving in the town, we headed straight for the forest. 40 minutes or so above town, we pulled over at an overlook and got out of the car. The first sound I heard was a Mountain Grackle in the trees below the vehicle! Trevor and I looked at each other with a mixture of surprise and delight - the birds were obviously close. Before we could react, two birds sailed out of the trees and flew across the valley, vanishing into the oaks on the far side. Although we got them in the scope, this was not the experience I wanted with these birds - they were distant and furtive. When I was in Colombia in the early 90s, I had spent long hours in the Amazon reading about the montane endemics of Colombia and the grackles had really caught my imagination. We needed better views.
As we debated our options, more calls came from further up the road. We ran along the track and headed off-piste. Within minutes, we had a pair of adult grackles and 4 fledglings in the trees around us. The youngsters were begging noisily and the adults seemed attentive but a little harrassed, busily attending to their loud offspring. Subtly distinctive, these birds are slender with long tails. Chestnut epaulettes relieve an otherwise black plumage, but are really only visible with perfect light.
As it turned out, we needn't have worried. We had another 3 birds in fruit trees in an open area on the way back to town, and this seems an excellent location for this potentially tricky bird.
It was 11 am now, and getting warm so we headed to an area down-slope from the town, where a stream and some riverine forest had delivered the goods on another critically-endangered endemic in some gen I had found on the net. Leaving the road, we picked our way through faeces and rubbish and tried the tape. A Nicefero's Wren sang back immediately and the bird then jumped into view a matter of feet away. I'm a huge fan of Thryothorus wrens - I treat them as honorary antbirds (how high an accolade is that?) - and this bird was very flirty for the genus, even allowing itself to be scoped once I'd backed off up the slope so it would fit in the field of view! The species does occur at Cerulea Reserve but there remains some ongoing controversy about the identity of the birds there. Either way, this one was out to prove a point and sang its heart out in an isolated open bush.
Satiated with the wren, we headed back for town, seeing a nice covey of Crested Bobwhites on the way. One bird was limping but seemed in good condition otherwise. We dumped our bags at the hotel, ate lunch and studied our (rather limited) gen. Mid afternoon, we headed out again looking for the third endemic - another very localised and threatened species. Our approach was to locate flowering shrubs and scrutinise any visitors. Sadly, hummingbirds were very thin on the ground. We did find a finca with gorgeous gardens full of flowers and Trevor managed to charm our way in. Speckled Hummingbird and Rufous-tailed Hummer were sadly the only rewards. We had however spotted a flowering Inga tree close to the wren spot. Although lacking hummers earlier in the day, we returned here towards dusk and staked it out. The first hummer in was a Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird - our target. As a family, there is a lot of competition for gaudiness and drama amongst hummers. Let's just say that CBH would struggle to win prizes for either, being relatively dull and lacking tail ornaments. Very welcome nonetheless, the bird buzzed between flowers coming close and perching for extended views. The third target was in the bag, meaning another shift in the bookings for the remaining 2 and 1/2 weeks and more work for the Ecoturs office, but more opportunities for later in the trip.
2/10/10
By now we were 2 days ahead of schedule and Ecoturs had very kindly jiggled all my bookings to give me extra time elsewhere - I had already decided this would be best spent at Las Tangaras and El Paujil and it proved to be useful at both!
Today was always going to be a long travel day - little did I realise just how long. The next destination was Ocana and there were several options as to route. None of them were particularly palatable, especially in light of widespread rumours of heavy landslides following record rains in much of the area. We decided to try the forest above the town again for a few possibilities, but heavy rain stopped play quickly and so we headed over the ridge where plentiful forest covered the mountainside right down to the road. The decision was made and we took this road down the slope and towards Ocana. The first few hours were a little disappointing, although Rusty-faced Parrot proved unusually common here and we even had some storming perched views in a nest tree above the road. Trawling for Moustached Puffbird produced the goods when 2 birds came in close giving stellar views in tangled vegetation in a damp gulley. Black Inca was a new endemic hummer for me, having proved elusive on my last visit.
Leaving the forest behind, we continued on our chosen route although it was becoming apparent the time estimates we had been given in Soata were wildly optimistic. Several hours later, we descended into a small town to be told the road ahead was blocked, there were 53 landslides in total and the biggest was 45 minutes ahead. A JCB had been sent to clear the way but nobody knew with what result. We debated our options and decided to drive the 45 minutes rather than return all the way back to Soata. If the JCB was not winning the battle, we would have lost little.
After 45 mins driving, there was no sign of a block. A campesino told us that in fact the landslide was another hour ahead! Pressing on, we cleared a small slip from the road, breaking the trunks of the fallen saplings to allow us to pass. Rounding a bend, we came across the biggie with the JCB valiantly shifting earth as we watched. The traffic jam consisted of about 6 trucks, and I chatted to an older lady who was sat on sacks of onions in the back of one of them - she had been here hours. Using my scope, she also pointed out that the small slip we had cleared earlier was now another large landslide, blocking us into this valley. We could see a lorry stuck on the other side. Luckily, the JCB broke through before too much time had passed and we prepared to continue but not before we were asked to drive back to the second landslip to collect the town mayor and ferry him back.
The estimate of 53 slips was luckily a tad pessimistic and a few more delays later we were on our way. Even so, we didn't reach our hotel in Ocana until midnight - a total of 12 hours + to drive a few dozen km.
3/10/10 – Ocaña
Today and the next were allocated to finding two very localised and potentially tricky species. The starting point was the Proaves Bushbird reserve only 15 minutes from Ocaña. We collected the forest guard Carmito from his house and headed to the reserve. A short walk uphill brought us into the forest where Carmito has intimate knowledge of the territories of the star inhabitant.
First goodie of the morning as we rounded a corner was a beautiful male Black-fronted Wood-Quail on the path. Stripe-breasted Spinetails and Long-tailed Antbirds were singing and gave themselve up easily, but our minds were on a bigger prize. We tried a few places without response but at the next stop, in dense bamboo forest, we heard an immediate response further down the trail. Moving as quickly and quietly as we could, we got into position. The bird called again, then a movement in the dense fallen bamboo revealed itself as a bright rufous female Recurve-billed Bushbird! She vanished but an alarm call from further right signalled one then two male birds. Repositioning quietly produced crippling views of four birds in a tight group - all were calling, with heads down, flaring the startling white interscapular patches typical of so many antbirds. One was an adult female - the others were grey and presumably either males or young birds. Getting more excited, the birds raised their heads, pumping their necks as they called feet away. One male investigated a bamboo stump briefly, prising the stem with his huge upcurved banana beak. What birds! Black Bushbird has long been a favourite of mine - local, furtive and difficult to find - but these knocked the socks off their more widespread relative. At one point, three birds were visible in the field of view of the bins, all calling and chattering. Awesome and straight into my all-time top ten!
It was still only 7.15 am and a bird I had expected to really work for was under the belt. We had two options: bird the forest for some of the Venezuelan species which just creep into Colombia here, or devote the afternoon to the second tricky endemic. The decision was easy and we headed back down to the car, dropping Carmito off at his house. His family insisted we stay for coffee, even though lavish preparations for his grand-daughter's christening were underway. Refreshed, we headed down the road to Pueblo Nuevo: a site generously given to me by Luis Eduardo of Manakin Tours. The site is rarely visited by birders, as it so far from the usual birding routes. As a result, we had to battle our way down steep slopes choked with bamboo, spiny creepers and thick scrubby forest. The old trail was barely visible under the vegetation but with the directions from Luis Eduardo we made our way to the bottom of the valley and up the other side of a low pasture-covered ridge overlooking the river. We split up and started to scan. An hour later, I heard distant parakeets but they were behind a hill between me and the far side of the valley. 20 minutes later, they called again and then 12 Todd's Parakeets flew around the trees in front of me, landing in an emergent. Previously considered part of Painted Parakeet, these birds are localised and this is the only site I know where they are regularly seen. They sat on a broad cross branch, allopreeening and fussing over each other and giving superb scope views. The pale eye and blue crown were easily visible, and the breast is heavily scaled and crescented with white. In flight, the bird is an explosion of colour and given our position, we were looking right down on them against a background of dark vegetation.
After some amazing views of these birds, we slowly slogged our way back up the slope. Although I am used to long and tiring treks in the tropics, we were all soaked with sweat and truly knackered by the time we got back to the dirt road where we had left the car. The things we do! A male Ruby-Topaz Hummingbird fed at flowers on the roadside, instantly rejuvenating us and we filled ourselves with fruit as we listened to the house-owner telling us how the parakeets had flown over our car just after we had left for the trek down the valley!
The two big targets had proved easier than expected and the day's birding had been amazing. We were back in Ocaña by 2 pm and so decided to change the itinerary yet again and do the 7 hour drive to Cerulea this afternoon. Trevor had never visited Ocaña before and had decided to stay on for this part of the trip and bird alongside me, but was leaving in the next day or so to return to Bogota.
4/10/10 - Cerulea
The day started with a long climb from the lodge at Cerulea Reserve (or Reinita Reserve) another Proaves purchase. The comfortable accommodation is in a working coffee farm, separated from the forest by extensive pastures on steep slopes. To reach the forest, you climb the Lengerke Trail. I had heard rumours about this trail - the reality was worse than I had expected! The trail is made of large flat stones, separated by ribbons of wet moss and leaf litter. When the stones are wet (= always) they are lethal and the entire trail is a bit of a death trap to put it mildly. The trail leads up through the pastures, through long rank grass and multiple gates, then runs up through the forest itself. It took an hour or so of fast walking to reach the first trees although many people choose to take horses to the forest instead - this is easily arranged with Proaves.
Our first stop was at a small palm-leaf blind within the forest. Some distance away is a grain hopper and feeding here were 4 Gorgeted Wood-Quail. These endangered endemics showed well, although a scope is useful as the feeder is far back from the trail. The males in particular are gorgeous with broad white and black throat bands. Lined Quail-Dove and Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch were also present.
Moving back to the main trail, we headed upwards - it is important to get to the upper reaches as early as possible as this is where many of the specials occur. A tapaculo sang near the path and was quickly located close by on a wet log - the white patch on the head showed it to be a Northern White-crowned Tapaculo and another was seen a little further on. Mixed flocks included the scarce Rusty-winged Barbtail, Rufous-rumped Antwren and Slaty Antwren. Invisible White-bellied Antpittas sang from the ferny undergrowth and replied to the tape but refused to show. As we continued to climb, we reached the altitude for Long-tailed Tapaculo and one showed beautifully, swinging from side to side with each staccato note of its lengthy song. Higher still, Upper Magdalena Tapaculo (here far from the sites were it was recently described as a new species and giving Colombia another endemic) sang and showed briefly, but better views would have to come later as the bird went into cover and wouldn't budge.
As we reached the top of the ridge, the heavens opened just as a hot and delicious lunch arrived from the lodge. We ate in the rain, sheltering under a huge overhanging mossy tree. Lunch was interrupted by a party of Russet-backed Oropendolas moving along the ridge. These birds are often accompanied by Mountain Grackles and indeed at least 6 of these birds were with the Oros. Despite having seen the grackles at Soata, it was great to see them again as they are very elusive here and usually missed completely. A mere 2 hours later, the rain eased and we were off again. The next target to fall was Yellow-throated Spadebill. One of the local guides had left a stick in the middle of the trail with an impaled leaf helpfully scratched with the letters 'Platyrinchus'. This was the spot. We played the tape - a short forceful 'peuuu'. The bird responded instantly but the call seemed to be coming from high up. After several calls we located the bird - right up in the canopy above us, bizarrely for a genus I associate with the understorey. Although flighty and moving between perches we had good views albeit mostly of the vent and belly! Cerulea seems a good site for this species - difficult throughout much of its scattered range.
The afternoon was wearing on and it was obvious we had to descend while it was still light given the treacherous nature of the trail. As we headed back for the lodge, Trevor and I became separated. I was waiting for Trevor to catch up when a White-bellied Antpitta sang from next to the track. Creeping back up the wet stones, I saw a movement in the undergrowth and a storming WBA was suddenly filling my bins its throat pulsing as it sang. The bird showed so well that Trevor got equally-good views when he appeared from further up the path.
We got back to the lodge just as the light was failing, soaking wet but having had some superb birding. The last new birds of the day were the endemic Indigo-capped Hummingbirds at the lodge feeders. I washed my walking boots in the shower, wrote up my notes and ate a delicious meal in the dining area before retiring to bed.
5/10/10 - Cerulea
Owling possibilities are poorly-explored here but Rufescent Screech-Owl was one species that has been recorded. I was up at 3.30, planning to take my life into my own hands and hike back up to the forest while it was still dark. Thunderous rain from 2 am onwards thwarted my plans and I returned to bed.
Trevor was leaving today so I caught a lift with him down into the coffee plantations below the lodge itself. There were plenty of North American migrants around but I was listening for something else. It was not long before I heard a fluty 'lu lu lu lu' from the valley below and a bit of judicious tape playing brought in a dapper Yellow-browed Shrike-Vireo, the first of three seen this morning. A large flowering Erythrina contained a flurry of hummers - Green Thorntail, Andean Emerald, Black-throated Mango, Indigo-capped and Violet-bellied.
Amongst the coffee were mixed flocks of migrants and residents alike - the highlights being a stunning pair of Caerulean Warblers (after which the reserve is named), Mourning Warbler, American Redstart and Northern White-fringed Antwrens. Bar-crested Antshrikes were singing in the coffee too, and a pair showed well in the shade trees along the road.
Returning to the lodge, I dumped my bag and headed up the road to a shady gulley where I tried unsuccessfully for Black-headed Brush-Finch. The afternoon was misty and wet, so I wrote up my notes and weighed up my options. Eventually the lure of owls proved too much and I hiked back up to the ridge high above the lodge.
Although I was concentrating on getting high before dark fell, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Red-rumped Woodpecker and Black Inca were all nice diversions from the torrent of a trail which now resemble a rocky stream. Towards the top of the trail, an Upper Magdalena Tapaculo sang and I had superb views of the same individual that had proved so elusive the day before. Very dark, and apparently long-billed, it sang in full view for me no doubt emboldened by the dusky conditions.
By the time darkness fell, I was feeling pretty rough and as I returned down the trail trawling for owls, it became obvious that I was seriously risking a broken leg or worse. The trail was lethal and after several near-falls I called it a night. No owls were calling, except for a single distant Mottled Owl and I was knackered. The walk back was not fun, to put it mildly. The cows and bulls which clustered around the gates along the trail back were highly-strung when disturbed by my torch and provided a few exciting moments, spooking and stampeding. It took me over an hour to get back to base and I was soaked and my head was thumping. I called it a night having not heard a single Screech-owl.
6/10/10 - morning at Cerulea then drive to El Paujil
Isn't birding ironic? I was lying in bed half-asleep thinking about work issues in the UK when a sound coming from outside slowly registered - a Rufescent Screech-Owl was calling right outside the window in the lodge gardens! I shot out of bed, pulling on clothes and wellies in a scene resembling something from a keystone cops film. Of course, the bird shut up instantly, and although a second bird called from further down the road it was not to be.
The journey to El Paujil was another long one. I did some birding on the way, picking up a large colony of Black Skimmers (including fledged youngsters) at the lunch stop and a variety of other waterbirds. To reach the lodge itself, you drive through cattle ranches paying a small fee to cross their land. There were plenty of birds along the road including some excellent Northern Screamers and lots of psittacids such as Blue and Yellow Macaws and abundant Yellow-fronted Amazons. We reached Puerto Pinzon as it got dark and transferred to a small canoe once the boatman had bailed out a foot of water using what looked like a yoghurt pot!
The 15 minute journey upriver was enlivened by Common Nighthawks and some huge bats low over the water. More worrying was the height and strength of the river itself - the best trail at El Paujil (and the best bet for the legendary Blue-billed Curassow) is across the river and can't be reached if there have been heavy rains.
The lodge was lovely with a very comfortable cabin surrounded by forest and an excellent dinner. I was the only guest, and spent a pleasant evening chatting to Jorje, who was working on the curassow and spider monkeys here, and Linda an Irish volunteer. Jorje was out every day on the trails changing camera traps and recording curassows and the monkeys. I asked him when he had last seen the curassow - three weeks ago he had heard one but had not seen one for months.... This was not going to be easy.
7/10/10 - El Paujil
El Paujil is a forest reserve with some fantastic species and a target list of 20 or so for me. I had allocated one of the extra days created by our success earlier in the trip for this site - meaning I could spend three full days creeping along the river trail to maximise my chances of a curassow.
I was gutted therefore to wake up in the night to the sound of rain thundering on the roof of the cabin. When dawn broke, the river was even higher than the night before with a very swift current. Speaking to the forest guard confirmed my fears - crossing the river today was out of the question. The bamboo raft used would be swept downriver before we made it across. Walking from my room to the lodge itself, I crossed the log bridge over what had been a dry gulley metres deep. The overnight rain had flooded this gulley almost over the bridge.
Instead, I headed for sendero lomo P and then cut back onto the road before returning along a trail running along a stream. The effort involved was considerable; the haul was not. Citron-throated Toucans were new for my Colombia list and were refreshingly common (I had missed this species elsewhere in the country before) but scanning the trees along the road did not produce any puffbirds or the desirable Beautiful Woodpecker. In the forest itself, Chestnut-backed Antbirds were abundant by voice and several were seen well and Western Slaty Antshrike sang along the road. Two parties of Sooty Ant-Tanager flaunted their bubblegum pink crests and sang noisily from the edge of the trail - this is clearly a common bird here. More subtle were Antioquia Bristle Tyrant and Black-billed Flycatcher - the latter producing my only new bird of the morning. I headed back, although the final few minutes of the trail were tricky. The mud was knee-deep and the stream (usually a few cm deep) was too wide to wade across involving a diversion through dense undergrowth and negotiating a barbed wire fence.
By 12.30 I was back at the lodge. The water level at my room had fallen by at least 2 metres during the course of the morning but the river was still far too wild to cross. Disillusioned, I returned to the trails. Russet-crowned Crakes were calling from behind the rooms but refused to show. A single male Bare-crowned Antbird called back to tape then fell silent and a Vermiculated Screech-Owl did the same at dusk. This was getting frustrating.
At the lodge as it fell dark, I did some half-hearted owling and was delighted when an apparent Crested Owl growled back to the tape. What's more, it was directly above my room. Out came the torch, revealing the culprit to be a stunning Night Monkey craning its neck above me, looking for the tape and growling in a surprisingly similar call to the owl.
The rain had started again and so Linda, Jorje, Jovani and I played cards until gone midnight in a Colombian card game which took hours to complete. The rain did not bode well for the following day.
8/10/10 - El Paujil the rematch
Despite the heavy rain, the river had not risen much further but was still clearly impassable. By now I was resigned to missing the curassow - especially given Jorje had not seen one himself for so long. Instead I had to concentrate on the other specials.
Things started well at the large pond along the entrance road. A Russet-crowned Crake called back to the tape from the margins and showed well before scuttling back into cover. Further playing of the tape produced a strong reaction from the reeds behind me and a pair of White-throated Crakes came in to a few feet. The form here lacks the white throat but is strongly barred underneath. A Laughing Falcon called from an emergent further up the road and a troop of the critically-endangered Variegated Spider-Monkeys gave good views. El Paujil is vitally important for this rare primate.
One of my big targets here was Black Antshrike. They can be difficult, but Trevor had given me some detailed gen of a spot to try - a small trail leads to the river and there is a territory on the opposite bank where, with luck, the birds will show in the tangled vegetation they favour. I had allocated this morning to the birds but had no success despite a few hours of searching. I returned to the Bare-crowned Antbird territory but the bird also refused to play ball. As I headed back down the entrance road, a distant Black Antshrike sang. I headed straight for the source, working my way through the forest and marking the route so I didn't get lost. Eventually, I found myself at the river and a few 100 metres downriver from Trevor's spot where I had tried so hard earlier. The bird was still singing and after an exchanges of calls between the male and the iPod, a male Black Antshrike popped up in the leaves of a freshly-fallen tree on the opposite bank giving good scope views. A superb bird, with an angular head and a killer bill. Success!
After lunch came the news I had been hoping for. The river was passable. The bamboo raft was a little hairy to put it mildly, and the two forest guards struggled their way across but we made it intact and dry. The trail is deceptive, working its way along the river initially then heading steeply uphill. 2 sweaty hours later, we had a White-whiskered Puffbird and a handful of Chestnut-backed Antbirds to show for our efforts. Some very impressive Basilisk lizards with domed helmets were nice and a single Caiman was on the river as dusk fell.
9/10/10 - El Paujil (literally!)
Today was the spare day I had gained from scoring Cundinamarca Antpitta so quickly and I was determined to make the most of it. We were able to cross the river by bamboo raft again although José toppled in as the current caught the punt pole! Soon I was heading up the steep slope with José squelching behind.
High up the trail, José recommended I try a contact call of the curassow I'd played him earlier. We were outside the breeding season so males would be unlikely to be spontaneously booming but he thought the contact call might attract interest. I played the call several times and we waited. No response so we repeated the process 2 or 3 times more. To my amazement, José's face of concentration broke and he whispered 'paujil'. I strained my ears and heard a deceptively-quiet guttural gulp coming from the ridge above us. We stayed motionless and breathlessly scanned the forest. The bird continued to call but was not shifting. We decided to creep in a wide circle, emerging on the top of the ridge. The 'gulp' was still coming from in front of us but then fell silent. Somehow the bird had moved back down the slope and totally evaded detection!
We worked our way back to the trail and slowly moved onwards. The trail curved up and to the left, gaining altitude and flattening out. I was in front of José when suddenly without warning a huge turkey-sized bird burst from below the path and crashed down through the trees. It was a male Blue-billed Curassow or Paujil, enormous and black with a broad white-tipped tail. It smashed through the branches of the trees below us and landed somewhere out of sight, calling anxiously. I played the female call again and amazingly got a response from another male further right. Before I could react, the second bird flew along the ridge below us, again showing obvious white tips to the tail and again causing a huge commotion as it flew through the trees. José and I high-fived each other - what birds!
Heading back towards the boat, we rounded a corner to find a covey of Marbled Wood-Quail crossing the path. They froze and then became totally indecisive as to whether to continue or retreat. We got stellar looks at these intricate birds, including the broad orange eyerings unique to this species. A few minutes further down the trail, we heard a Black-faced AntThrush close by and soon the bird was jerkily strutting around us flaunting itself.
We got back to the lodge where Linda was waiting for us: she had spent weeks here studying the curassow alongside Jorje without hearing so much as a call from the birds. You can imagine her reaction to us victory dancing on the other side of the river.
After lunch, we headed out along the trails in an unsuccessful search for Beautiful Woodpecker. The road was birdy, with White-fronted Nunbird, Swainson's Hawk, Scarlet-browed and Yellow-backed Tanager and a smart White-mantled Barbet excavating a nest hole.
Eating dinner with Linda, I casually pointed out the call of a Night Monkey coming from the forest just behind the lodge. This was another species she had not seen in her time here and we decided to try for it. My torch was in my room and I borrowed José's. He asked if we were going to look for the calling Crested Owl! Ignoring the presence of snakes (a large Bothrops type viper had been found here two nights earlier and another was found in the same spot the following night) we ran into the forest in sandals and quickly located a stonking Crested Owl calling from a dead understorey tree directly above us. It peered down at us, its long white eartufts splayed horizontally, before flying to a hidden perch. Ecstatic, I had to explain to Linda how difficult this owl can be - my previous experience with this species had been limited to birds calling high in the canopy, hidden behind the foliage. It was a fitting end to my time at Paujil.
10/10/10 - to Las Tangaras
Despite the auspicious date, this was another travel day. Perversely given the recent days of constant mud and rain, the river had now dropped so much that the boat was unable to pick us up at the lodge. Instead, Jovani headed off on the back of a moped to collect the car while I walked to the entrance gate where he met me. On the way, I stopped at the mirador where a scan for woodpeckers produced an incredibly distant Black-breasted Puffbird. The bold pattern of black and white was visible on 60 x but the bird was a long way off to put it mildly.
There are three roads which can be used to get from El Paujil to Las Tangaras. All three were blocked with landslides so we chose the route we thought would get cleared quickest. As it was, we only wasted an hour or so waiting for the derrumbamiento to be cleared and allow us past. I arrived in El Carmen late, found somewhere to eat and crashed out ready for tomorrow.
11/10/10 - Las Tangaras
I left El Carmen in time to be at Las Tangaras for first light, collecting the forest guard Huvernay en route and seeing Band-winged Nightjars on the road. The reserve is not far from the town, set in steep forest full of western Andean specialities including lots of the Chocó endemics restriced to western Colombia, some reaching into NW Ecuador. There are several main targets here, but a big supporting cast and I had allocated the second 'spare day' to increase my chances of connecting with some of them.
Before Trevor had left for Bogotá, he had given me detailed gen for the site and this was to prove very useful indeed. We parked on the road below the reserve, and had breakfast accompanied by the first mixed flock of the day with Red-headed Barbet, Capped Conebill and various tanagers. In a tree above the car were 6 Toucan Barbets - today was going to be good!
Well what can I say? Las Tanagaras rocks. The day was packed with birds with some of the bext mixed flocks I have ever seen and Chocó endemics everywhere. I could have spent a week here.
A trail starts at the roadside, heading up through pasture to the forest proper. A huge solitary tree is a regular site for White-headed Wren and the briefest blast of tape produced 9 of these huge wrens, churring and chattering as they probed the epiphytes for food.
Trevor had suggested a plan of action - get to the ridge quickly as this is the only real chance for Gold-ringed Tanager which moves off to feeding areas early in the day. Score this one and then work your way back down. Having seen GRT in Colombia before, I was too easily diverted by the sheer number of goodies and very quickly decided that GRT (nice a bird as it is) would not be featuring on the day's menu.
Only 10 minutes or so into the forest, the variety of calls ahead signalled a mixed flock. The steep slope meant we were suddenly surrounded by a commotion of birds as it became quickly apparent this wasn't any old mixed flock. One of the first in the bins was a Black and Gold Tanager - a major target. This rather stolid chunky tanager was feeding on fruits in the subcanopy and was one of the birds I most wanted here. As it turned out, Trevor was right: they are common at Las Tangaras and most mixed flocks contained a few of these endemics. The second bird was a Fulvous-dotted Treerunner, a Chocó speciality, and as I followed it up the branch it was working, it crossed paths with two Pacific Tuftedcheeks! Higher up were Glistening-Green Tanagers, Black-chinned Mountain-Tanagers , a male Barred Becard and Uniform Treehunter, as well as swirls of Tangara tanagers and tyrannulets. We followed the flock for some time until I was rudely diverted by the song of the very local Chocó Vireo from the edge of the flock further up the trail. Sadly, the bird slipped away but given that this species is apparently seasonal here, this was a good sign.
Tearing ourselves away from this exuberant mass of birds, we headed upwards. Trevor had told me about a territory for the recently-discovered Alto Pisones Tapaculo. I hadn't heard a single tapaculo since we arrived and I settled down expecting a long wait. One phrase from the i-Pod and from the corner of my eye, a small grey shape scuttled through a gap in the undergrowth and dropped from a fallen branch to the leaf litter. I waited. The shape moved right, almost completely concealed by ferns. I decided against further tape and stayed put. Amazingly, the small grey shape jumped up onto a low twig, revealing itself as an Alto Pisones Tapaculo, before scampering up a vertical sapling to a height of 4 metres or so. Bizarre. It looked down at me, then launched itself into the air in what it no doubt considered an elegant proof of birds' mastery of the air and glided across the trail. The fact that it lost 2 metres altitude in less horizontal distance suggested it had not done this many times before: tapaculos are hardly built for flight. Landing behind me, it burst into song confirming the identification. This species was only discovered in 1992 by Gary Stiles and is still only known from a tiny handful of localities. The song is distinctive - a series of harsh rolling churrs - and I heard it several more times during the day. Nariño Tapaculo is also common at Las Tangaras so, as always with these birds, a singing individual is vital to confirm ID. The APT made ten tapaculos so far - gotta love these tiny secretive birds.
As the tapaculo continued to sing, a Yellow-breasted Antpitta sang its clear whistle from a short distance ahead. Inching up the trail, I glimpsed the culprit a few feet away but it melted away. After a lengthy spell of cat-and-mouse it was Huvernay who found the bird singing in a mossy wet tangle just off the trail. It gave stellar views as it sang, throat pulsing and tail flicking. Very nice. Less expected was a Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper on wet rocks nearby - although relatively common in SE Brazil, this was my first in the Andes. Olive Finch sang from the same gulley although proved very uncooperative, and a Fulvous-breasted Flatbill showed well.
We returned to the car for lunch adding Bronze-olive Pygmy-Tyrant, Black Solitaire, Olivaceous Piha, the outrageously-beautiful Purplish-mantled Tanager and others. A party of Sharpe's Wrens got my pulse racing as these often travel with Crested Ant-Tanager, another major target. I had trawled for these at all the usual spots with no success, even though one birder had mentioned having to virtually fight them off in order to see other birds! They like streams, waterfalls and wet gulleys and are very vocal but the iPod had produced no results and the wrens were alone today.
Huvernay knew a few sites for the Ant-Tanager lower down the road, and so began an afternoon of staring at tanagerless streams and cascades. We did find Red-bellied Grackles (new for the trip) moving with a party of Russet-backed Oropendolas. These charismatic grackles fed just off the road and were much appreciated - real favourites of mine. White-naped Brush-Finch was also new for the trip as was Flame-rumped Tanager. The road dropped in altitude from the reserve and we started to see some birds of lower elevations such as beautiful Silver-throated and Rufous-throated Tanagers in the Cecropias along the forest edge.
Admitting defeat, we spent the last hour of daylight at the hummingbird feeders by the reserve entrance clocking up Velvet-Purple Coronet, Violet-tailed Sylph, Brown and Collared Inca, Greenish Puffleg and Fawn-breasted and Empress Brilliants.
So ended what had been an awesome day of birding and I headed back to El Carmen knowing I had another full day tomorrow at this incredible site.
12/10/10 - Las Tangaras
This was a bonus day and I intended to make the most of it. Ana, a Colombian botanist, asked if she could along - she was staying in El Carmen with Huvernay's family. It was interesting to get an insight into some of the orchids and other plants.
One of the first birds of the morning was an adult Plain-breasted Hawk sat on the road mantling prey. Leaving the road, good birds began to appear - a very confiding Black Solitaire, Handsome Flycatcher, Rufous-rumped Antwrens (showing much better here than at Reinita) and a pair of Orange-breasted Fruiteaters (yet another Chocó endemic). New-for-trip tyrannids included Variegated and Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant, Handsome Flycatcher and a wing-flicking Slaty-capped Flycatcher. Alto Pisones and Nariño Tapaculos both showed well again.
In a similar place to yesterday, the delicate song of a Chocó Vireo floated down from a huge emergent tree next to a landslide. I rushed up the trail, which circled the landslide and gained height. The bird sang again and was quickly located feeding in the very outer branches of the canopy, alongside a male Blackburnian Warbler. This recently-described species is another still only known from a handful of sites and is irregular at this one at least. Some great views showed all the features of what was a much more distinctive bird than most references suggest.
Attention was disrupted by the arrival of another mixed flock. This one contained the usual suspects (Glistening-green Tanagers really are common here) but also a pair of Rufous-crested Tanagers were new for me.
We headed back down, trawling for the ant-tanagers. No sign, so I decided to try further down the road again. Several waterfalls later, at yet another steep gulley, there was a response. Another play of the tape. The birds answered repeatedly from above the road but proved difficult to get on to initially - several false alarms being sparked by the accompanying Sharpe's Wrens. Then there they were - a group of agitated Crested Ant-Tanagers singing loudly back at me, crests raised. The whole flock moved down to the road, gliding across into the steep valley below us where they continued to call. My last Ant-Tanager in the bag!
The last hour of daylight was spent with the hummers but Las Tangaras had one last treat for me - a pair of Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonias tarting about next to the shelter as they repeatedly returned to collect moss and lichen. Ignoring their reputation as flighty, they gave extended scope views even diverting Ana from her orchids.
13/10/10 - Las Tangaras onwards
This was my last morning in the area and I had two choices - to return to Las Tangaras in the hope of locating some really difficult species (Cloudforest Pygmy-Owl, Bicoloured Antvireo etc) or to try a different site which gives the chance of a bird only a committed neotropical birder could prioritise. There was no choice - the latter won out. In fact, one of the reasons for using a spare day here was to allow this option...
Driving to the site in the dark, the first surprise of the morning was a young Fasciated Tiger-Heron which flew low over the road from the river alongside and vanished up a rocky stream.
The main bird in question fell surprisingly easily at the precise site given to me by Trevor in a mixed flock in a forest patch. Scanning the flock produced a Yellow-green Bush-Tanager - yet another Chocó special and yet another enigmatic bird which is inexplicably (to me at least) localised and at few if any reliable sites. Although appearing dull in most illustrations, this is another species which was much more distinctive in real life, being a unique olive-yellow with dusky greyish cheeks. This mega-rarity was target of the day and generated some spontaneous dancing in the middle of the road and a celebratory breakfast interrupted by a singing pair of Black-headed Brush-finches right by the car.
A Coral Snake on the road was aggressive, flattening a partial hood and looking ready to strike so I gave it a wide berth. It was time to head back to El Carmen and then for another long drive, this time to Urrao.
13/10/10 - Colibri del Sol
I was back in El Carmen mid morning and on the road to Urrao, driving over the high pass leading to the town. We had arranged to be met at Colibri del Sol at 3pm and the drive is a long one, so I did little birding along the road. Munchique Wood-Wrens were singing in the elfin forest, but we missed the Tanager Finch spot until we had passed it and there was not enough time to retrace our steps. This one will have to wait until another visit to Ecuador. Flammulated Treehunter called briefly but was unresponsive, and a mixed flock held Grass-Green, Lachrymose Mountain and Blue-capped Tanagers.
We got to Urrao on time, and met Luis Rubelio, the forest guard, who was waiting with the horses. There are two options to reach the lodge. One is to walk through the pastures until you reach the reserve itself. The alternative is to ride. Walking takes about 2 hours; the horses take an hour and a half. I'd elected to ride, thinking it would be a scenic enjoyable ride. Scenic certainly. Enjoyable in places.
The first 40 minutes or so were brilliant, gradually working our way up the long valley with misty forest-covered mountain slopes on either side. As we got higher, the effects of all that recent rain became apparent. The horses had prechosen paths on what was obviously the only route they ever followed. Even if persuaded to take an easier path, they crossed back to their preferred track at the first opportunity. Usually this would no doubt be fine, but the path involved was thick with deep mud and standing water, meaning my horse stumbled on several occasions. Luckily without serious results. Some sections were incredibly steep and there were multiple crossings of rocky white-water streams. All very exciting, but I decided at that point to return on foot after my stay, not fancying the steep descents.
Eventually we reached the lodge, in idyllic settings beneath the reserve. The forest is mostly well above the house still, although reafforestation efforts are underway for the pastures surrounded the building. I admired the hummers on the feeders - Mountain Velvetbreast, White-bellied Woodstar, Greenish Puffleg, Collared Inca and Tyrian Metaltail and dumped my bags. Luis sorted the horses and his family were preparing food so I walked up the river a short distance, crossed the ricketty bridge and tried my luck at the antpitta feeder.
Within minutes of my settling down on the comfortable bench, a pari of Stripe-headed Brush-Finches came in to feed, bashing the large beetle grubs into pieces before eating tiny fragments of the spoils. It was great to get such good prolonged views of what are very attractive birds. Better however was to come, with the arrival of one then two Urrao/Fenwick's Antpittas. These big dark antpittas bounced in and the Brush-Finches retreated. A newly-described species and the subject of huge controversy in Colombia (described twice under two separate scientific and common names by different people in events which have polarised opinion) they are dark brown above and deep ashy-grey below. The birds ate some worms, dug some soil, came to within a few feet and then bounded back into the bamboo. One vital endemic under the belt!
14/10/10 - Colibri del Sol
The forest at Colibri is a steep climb from the lodge and takes an hour even on horses. Once you get to the forest, there is a further steep climb to the páramo, so horses are advisable despite (?because of) the thrills involved. An hour after leaving base, and several more heart-stopping equine stumbles later, I dismounted at the base of the steps which led up through the elfin forest.
On the left hand side of the forest edge is a single large flowering tree covered in yellow and red tubular blooms. This tree is excellent for flowerpiercers, although the dense foliage makes them hard to pick up. A first scan produced a Black-throated Flowerpiercer - this species has a truly isolated population here, maybe 2000 km from the main range to the south? As a result, it may prove to be a separate species, so is worth seeing. A brief Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer, a very local Colombian endemic and one of the reserve's star birds, also flashed briefly through the bins although the views were not good.
While I was waiting for better views of the CBF, a tapaculo called from the forest edge a few feet away. I played the tape and a Paramillo Tapaculo - another newly-described species - hopped up onto the mossy boulder I was sat on! Tapaculo number 11 for the trip and one of the flirtiest of the bunch so far, it gave crippling views as it indignantly searched for the intruder. Another was seen later and several others heard, so it is obviously common here. The birds were both much darker than the illustrations in McMullen et al.
Leaving the tapaculo be, I climbed the steep steps to the páramo edge with a brief stop at the hummingbird feeders along the trailside. Several Dusky Starfrontlets (the 3rd speciaility of this reserve) fed here - what a plain name for a truly spectacular hummer. The males are black with irridescent flashes of colour and jostled at the feeders alongside Sword-billed Hummer, Tourmaline Sunangel, Sparkling and Green Violetears, Collared Incas, Mountain Velvetbreasts and Glowing Pufflegs. Nearby, White-browed Spinetails crept through the undergrowth and other birds included Pearled Treerunners (common but gorgeous), Black-crested Warbler and a smart Plushcap in the bamboo. Chestnut-naped Antpittas sang distantly across the valley though I was unable to rouse any potentially nearer birds into song and a solitary Undulated Antpitta burbled its resonant song.
I was hoping for better views of Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer and played a tape of Andean Pygmy-Owl in the páramo. Four Black-throated Flowerpiercers came in angrily looking for the owl, bustling around the closest bushes and after 10 minutes of so, a single CBF joined them, allowing close inspection. Result!
Back at the antpitta feeders, the Urrao Antpittas were showing even better than yesterday and in better light, one bird coming within a few feet of the bench. Luis Rubelio's young boy joined me, and we watched the birds together. As we left the shelter, a male Torrent Duck paddled furiously upstream from the bridge, vanishing amongst the huge boulders in the river.
15/10/10 - onwards to Medellín
I woke at 4 am, shivering with the cold despite multiple blankets and a fairly inbuilt resistance to chilling. My bottled water was so cold that it hurt my teeth when I drank it!
Outside was also cold but clear, and the scenery was beautiful as ever. I paid the Urrao Antpittas a visit for the daylist (!) and then walked below the casa trying unsuccessfully to trick a Chestnut-naped into song. Masked Trogon and Spillman's Tapaculo (seen spontaneously on the side of the path) were the best birds. On the way back, I nipped into the feeders again, fully aware this might be my last experience with these confiding birds but ducked out and raced back to the lodge just as the heavens opened.
We needed to leave fairly early for the long walk back to the road, but Luis Rubelio had one final treat in store. He led me up a near vertical trail behind the house into some beautiful stunted mossy forest which resembled something out of Tolkein. Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, Slaty Brush-Finch and Mountain Cacique were all nice, but he had a specific bird in mind. Some searching later, I was admiring a pair of Rufous-banded Owls at their day-roost, completely unconcerned by my attentions. A selection of pellets below the roost showed their diet to be chiefly small rodents, with mandibles present in each cast.
It was time to move on, and I elected to forego the traumas of horse-bound travel, walking instead with a horse following with my bag. A storm broke part way down the mountain, which made things interesting, but we arrived safely to find a smiling Jovani at the car.
Medellín is about 4 hours drive from Urrao but Jovani had a surprise in store. During an earlier journey, he had promised a bonus site for Greyish Piculet but, thanks to landslides, we had passed the site after dark. To my delight, we were passing the same site today and after a few hours drive, I was standing in a parking lot outside an aggregate yard. Although clearly unpromising, I decided to humour Jovani and tried the tape. Nothing. A few birds were calling, including Bar-crested Antshrike and I wandered off to get views, making the most of any antbirds as we neared trip end. I got back to the car to find Jovani grinning and saying he had just seen the piculet. Unlikely I thought. Maybe unbridled optimism. He insisted I play the tape again and predictably enough, a high-pitched trill came straight back from the large trees along the road. Seconds later, I had a pair of these tiny endemic woodpeckers working their way along the outer branches. A total bonus and a bird I had missed on previous trips. Thanks mate!
We pulled into the Hotel San Joaquin at 7 pm and had a welcome hot shower and shave. I said goodbye to Jovani, who was heading straight off for another private tour, and repacked my bags to allow for the 10 kg luggage allowance on the flight to Bahía Solano.
16/10/10 to Bahía Solano
I had decided to finish the trip at Bahía Solano, a small village on the Pacific coast. Solano is connected to a second small village by a single road, but is otherwise surrounded by miles of extensive forest. The extent of what is left is obvious from the air, although much of the more accessible habitat is degraded or patchy. The forest here is a good site for the highly localised Baudó Oropendola, a colonial icterid endemic to Colombia and found in a tiny area. In addition, there are many other goodies here, including some excellent lowland Chocó endemics. Unfortunately many are rare or difficult but a longer spell of time could produce some superb species no doubt. I was only here for two nights, for the oropendola and whatever else I could find.
The flight was delayed at Medellín due to low cloud at Bahía Solano but finally took off at 12.15, flying direct. The small plane landed on the grass airstrip and discharged half a dozen passengers and our luggage. I passed through the shed-like arrival ’hall’ where I was met by an enthusiastic gentleman who grabbed my bag and pumped my hand, welcoming me to Bahía. We loaded the bag into a small car while he explained we were waiting for two other guests. When they arrived, we set off down the road. It was only after 10 minutes of chatting that I realised he was not my official pick-up and that we were heading into Bahía itself rather than the opposite way to the lodge... I kicked myself for being so easily tricked - I blame the informal arrivals area and the presence of only a couple of other vehicles at the airfield! We dropped the others off in Bahía, turned around and returned to the airstrip where the lodge jeep had now arrived. After a lengthy wait, the jeep filled with locals, I was squeezed into a tight corner and we set off for El Valle where the lodge lies. The road is short and passes through some nice habitat with scattered forest patches but it was apparent that my idea of stopping to scan en route was a no-hoper. The driver was bent on dropping the various locals off at points along the way and had no interest in scoping cotingas or parrots from the roadside. Very irritating - especially when a stunning snowy-white male Black-tipped Cotinga flew alongside the jeep briefly.
The lodge is lovely, set on the back of the beach and at the base of a forested ridge. I dropped my bags and headed up the trail behind the rooms. Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Pacific Antwren, Dot-winged Antwren, White-flanked Antwren and Plain-coloured Tanager were all new for the trip. A male White-ruffed Manakin perched up in full view and Dusky-faced Tanagers called from the area behind my cabin along a swampy stream.
Soon it was dark and hordes of tiny mosquitoes appeared as I headed back to the lodge and a very tasty dinner. I made arrangements for the next day, hoping that Chu (the local guide) was actually going to arrive at 6 am as I had asked and not at 9 am as the lodge had suggested! The walk to the site on the edge of the nearby Utría National Park was a long one and there were no second chances for me given the schedule.
17/10/10 - Utria National Park
Carlos ('Chu') arrived on time and we headed off up the beach and through the village towards the national park. The trail is generally pretty wet, so be prepared if you ever find yourself here! In many places, the water would have been over the level of walking boots even, so wellies are definitely recommended. At first, the trail passes through secondary forest and cleared areas before entering the forest proper. The best forest is a couple of hours further on, but as is so often the case, the patchier and more degraded areas can be very birdy. There are a few side trails, but it would be difficult to get lost and the track is well used.
In the early morning light, Northern Waterthrushes flushed off the path, calling abruptly and bobbing nervously on the edges of the puddles. There were certainly plenty of feeding areas as torrential rain overnight meant that 90% of the trail was flooded and thick with glutinous mud. Although a flat level trail, this made it hard going in places. Only when you enter Utria proper does the trail start to undulate up and down slopes, making it less muddy and easier on the feet!
One of the first birds of the morning was a perched adult Semiplumbeous Hawk, much more contrasting than birds I have seen in Central America. A second bird seen later was more typical. A pair of Spot-crowned Barbets generated excitement - this was one of my secondary targets here. Nice chunky birds, the spots on the crowns were actually difficult to see. The male perched up beautifully, appearing very white-crowned with a pronounced peach wash to the sides of the breast. Super! Nearby, Chocó Toucans and Stripe-billed Aracaris were scoped in the scattered large trees in the surrounding pastures. A pair of Checker-throated Antwrens were new for my South American list and flaunted themselves in the forest edge reacting strongly to playback.
The Baudó Oropendola colony is situated on a side trail populated by vicious mosquitoes. We headed off piste until we reached the single palm with a cluster of oropendola nests attached to the base of the crown, many nests overlying each other like a bunch of fruit. The birds were conspicuously absent so we worked our way back to the main trail. I was a little concerned but Chu seemed perfectly calm!
Further up the trail, the forest peters out into more patchy secondary forest with old cleared areas and pastures with fruit trees. An oropendola was calling ahead and a commando roll under the nearest barbed wire fence followed by a sprint through the overgrown pasture produced the goods - 3 Baudó Oropendolas were feeding alongside a dozen or more Chestnut-headed Oropendolas. The Baudós were shy and moved quickly into the forest, but not before giving some good scope views. They are very smart birds, with black hoods and chestnut bodies, but what really draws attention is the pastel pink bare facial skin contrasting with the blue of the bill. Total corkers!
Leaving the Chestnut-headeds still feeding noisily, I headed back to the trail. From here, the track passes into Utría over a small bridge, through some taller denser forest and ends in mangroves.
The sound of whip cracks and pops from a scrubby area on the left of the trail signalled a manakin lek. The form here is sometimes treated as a subspecies of White-bearded Manakin or alternatively as a full species, Golden-collared Manakin. As always, these fast-moving birds took a while to get good views of, as they zipped to and fro between low perches and the ground, popping and cracking to attract female attention. I spent some time watching the lek - the males really are striking and their acrobatics amazing. When the beard is folded forward under the bill, the head shape is bizarre. Given the other contortions and the way in which they sometimes seem to fly backwards, this gives them real character!
In taller forest, a jet black male Red-capped Manakin performed its own, quieter display. Sitting in the midstorey on an open horizontal branch, it called a few times and then did its extraordinary moonwalk shuffle backwards along the branch. Incredible - these birds never cease to impress me.
Given the time of day by now, it was not surprising that the mangroves were quiet. However, a male Mangrove Warbler, Sapphire-throated Hummingbird and what appeared to be a Humboldt's Sapphire were all welcome. From here, you can catch a boat to the park headquarters where you can stay overnight, but we were to head back along the same trail to El Valle. The walk back was enlivened by Blue Ground-Dove, Yellow-rumped and Scarlet-rumped Caciques and a single Connecticut Warbler. The highlight however was a troop of Geoffroy's Tamarin, respendent in grey, black, white and chestnut and a new monkey for me.
As well as being fantastic for birding and a great place for a relaxing few days, El Almejal is located on a beach which is a nesting ground for the endangered Olive Ridley Turtle. The lodge is actively involved in a conservation programme, collecting eggs from the beach and releasing the hatchlings back into the sea. This fantastic work has been going for several years now involving tens of thousands of hatchlings. Today, a nest had hatched and at dusk, we filed down to the beach to release the babies.
I had mixed feelings about the release, A line was drawn in the sand, well up the beach, and each guest was allowed to release a few turtles. It started well and the 20 or guests were all totally enthralled. As it got dark, things started to deteriorate a little with children running to and fro over the release area - I was using my torch to try and ensure no hatchlings got squashed. The staff struggled to control the situation. In the end, all babies made it successfully to the sea and the education value is probably huge as releases are carried out regularly between September and January and well attended. There was also opportunity to chat to locals who gathered to watch - many turtles are still harvested for the table along the Pacific coast.
In total, we released 60-70 hatchlings and it was sobering to watch their instincts kick in as they started to 'row' down the beach into the waters of the Pacific and swim out into a darkening sea.
18/10/10 - return to Bogotá
My last morning on the Pacific coast started at the viewing platform above the lodge, where Scarlet-thighed Dacnis and Golden-hooded Tanagers were feeding on a fruiting tree. Sadly, the hoped-for Scarlet-and-Whites and Blue-whiskereds never showed their faces and would have to wait for another trip.
Speaking to the lodge manager the previous night, I had asked about logistics for birding the road before my flight. Some people bird along the road as they drive to the airstrip but I was anxious to avoid the problems of the outwards journey.
César suggested I could get dropped off by a motorbike a few km up the road and bird the forest patches from say 7 to 9.30 am, when the jeep would pass me with other guests and my luggage. I could then jump in, catch a lift to the airstrip and all would be fine. At the time it sounded ideal......
So after an early breakfast, I dropped my bags at the lodge and headed up the road on the back of a moto. Although César had explained to me and the driver that the best area was only a few km up the road at a place nicknamed 'las curvas', we drove straight past these patches and into more open farmland along the dirt road. Despite my protestations, we ended up much further along the track, only stopping when the road become so muddy that the moto was slipping in the sludge. He refused to take me back and asked who was paying him. Payment had never been mentioned and I had very little Colombian money by this stage so I told him to speak to the lodge assuming he was trying it on.
As he rode off, I started to walk the road, thinking of all those cotingas and tanagers at Las Curvas. The habitat I was walking through was much more degraded and the road 6 inches deep in mud which made walking in sandals fun!
Birding was slow, although some nice raptor additions to the trip list included a kettle of snowy-white adult King Vultures, a distant Black Hawk-Eagle and a very smart and vocal Hook-billed Kite. A pair of Pied Puffbirds in a faraway treetop were new for me although I failed to see Black-breasted - good job I had this species as a bonus at El Paujil. Another distant tree was topped by a female Black-tipped Cotinga and other birds included Dusky Pigeon, Bronzy Hermit, Great Antshrike, Thick-billed Seedeater and Fulvous-vented Euphonia. The birding generally was pleasant, but not spectacular.
I had covered considerable distance by now and it was already 9.30. The road here is straight as a die and in the distance the car appeared. I shut my tripod down, happy to have seen one new species in this bonus morning and stood expectantly.
The jeep was indeed laden with people and luggage but swept past and continued into the distance. Hmmm.
My flight was due to leave at 11.15, check-in was closing at 10 and the airport was an hour drive from El Valle. Allowing for my 2 hours birding along the road, this meant things were still tight unless the car arrived soon. I had no charge on my phone, and it wouldn't have helped anyway if the car hadn't left El Valle so I decided to keep walking.
By 10.15, I was getting seriously concerned. In the last 3+ hours I had been passed by one jeep and 2 motorbikes. If I missed my domestic flight to Medellín, I would be stuck here overnight and would miss my international flight the following night - the reason for returning to Bogotá on the 18th in the first place. As I pondered my admittedly limited options, a Streak-chested Antpitta called next to the road! This was a new bird for me, and it was close albeit in a thick tangle of vegetation with no access. I whistled back and thus began a lengthy conversation between us, with the result that the bird moved exactly zero metres towards the road. Viewing into the tangle was impossible and there was no way of getting inside the bushes to try further.
Eventually I decided this was going nowhere. I moved a few steps further towards the airstrip when a second antpitta called on the opposite side of the road. This one was in identical habitat, but there was a small hollow on the far side of the thicket with an animal track leading to a small stream. I pondered. What if the jeep appeared just as I got into the thicket? César had given me very strict instructions not to leave the road.
On the other hand, a new antpitta...
Weighing the pros and cons, I put my tripod next to the road with my backpack. Hopefully, I would hear the car coming in plenty of time and even if not, they should see the scope and bag and stop for me. The long straight road meant if I ran out after they'd passed the driver should still see me in his mirror.
Any birder would know that the antpitta won. I ducked under the low barbed wire fence, carefully made my way down the slippery slope to the stream and waited. It took a few minutes of my bad antpitta impressions to get a response. Gradually the bird came closer, remaining invisible in the thicket. My ears strained for traffic noise! Then it happened - a sudden small movement and a Streak-chested Antpitta bounded up to a low branch a few metres away and sang straight at me. Silent air punching!
As I admired this gorgeous bird, I heard a distant engine. Panicking, I raced back up the slope and did an elegant commando roll under the barbed wire. Elegant in that the end result was me on the road but my scalp and t-shirt still attached to the barbed wire... To add insult, the engine was a distant helicopter and the road was as empty as ever.
As I staunched the hole in my scalp, a motorbike came into view way down the road. I flagged it down to ask how close I was to the airstrip - it turned out I was almost there. The driver, José was very friendly and offered to give me a lift the last few km despite the fact he already had a passenger, but I explained the situation with my luggage and flight. They had not passed another vehicle and advised me to get to the airstrip where I would be able to phone the lodge. His mate jumped off the bike, I jumped on and José set off for the airstrip.
By the time we arrived it was already gone 10.45. The flight was closing at 11 now but I still only had 15 mins to check in. I couldn't check in without my bag and if it arrived late, I would have to have it couriered to London at huge expense - no doubt more than the value of the meagre contents! There followed much discussion with typical latin excitement and the involvement of another 5 or 6 staff, the owners of the small snack bar opposite and three young military police. All were very sympathetic but there was little they could do to help. As I had my passport, it was decided I would check in at 11 without my bag if necessary. In the meantime, the snack bar owner leant me his phone and I called the lodge where César answered, surprised the car hadn't arrived. It had set off ages before.
I declined the kind offer from the soldiers who had suggested they drive back to El Almejal for me - the length and state of the road meant they would have been too late to help.
The shout went up as I was talking to check-in again. A distant car was duly scoped and identified by the soldiers as definitely not belonging to the lodge. At 10.55, a second distant jeep was scoped and this time confidently stated as the right one. Check-in agreed to let me wait and started to book me on the flight. Several minutes later, the jeep arrived to cheers from all and sundry and discharged a family I recognised from El Amejal. They clustered around me, telling me how they'd thought I'd vanished from the road. All was now fine. The tarpaulin was ceremoniously pulled off the roof of the jeep to reveal the complete absence of my grey holdall. This was turning into something from a farce. A soldier slapped my back and another was laughing so much he had to sit down. To top it all, the driver gave me a note from César asking me for 2000 pesos for the moto lift - only £7 (although steep for the service involved) but more than I had left on me.
As check-in closed, a shout went up - a third jeep was in the shimmering distance. Out came the scope and our resident car expert identified the second El Almejal jeep. More laughter. The first driver was still harrassing me so in the end I flung my final 600 pesos at him leaving me with no Colombian currency.
The car arrived, this time with my bag. Lots of hand shaking from the soldiers and more back slapping. I was checked in and had made the flight. As the attendent gave me my boarding pass, she casually said 'pay your departure tax at the kiosk'. What? Why hadn't this been mentioned before? I had no cash now and the woman in the kiosk leaned back with folded arms and refused me access to the flight. The tax was about £2 and would have been easily covered by the money I'd just given the driver. Lengthy discussion persuaded her to accept dollars, but she refused to give change in pesos. As my smallest note was $20 this gave her a tidy profit but my new soldier friends intervened and everything was finally sorted.
Naturally the plane left 1 and 1/2 hours late.
Quibdoi, Medellín and Bogotá airports later, I was in my hotel in Bogotá knackered but enjoying a hot bath and welcome meal.
19/10/10 - Bogotá
My last day in Colombia was originally planned for Chingaza - a good site for Brown-breasted Parakeet, Rufous Antpitta, Bronze-tailed Thornbill and many others. Having seen all the targets already, I decided instead to revisit La Florida - a wetland area in the city which I had last visited on a student trip in 1992.
Diana from Ecoturs was my guide for the day and we set off early for the marshes. The only potential new species here for me was Subtropical Doradito but this bird proved elusive. However, there were plenty of other birds including a splendid Bogotá Rail, Apolinar's Wren, Rufous-browed Conebill, Band-tailed Seedeater and Yellow-hooded Blackbird. Diana and I were chatting about the extensive restoration work being done in the Bogotá wetlands when she casually mentioned a finca belonging to her friend which had regular Golden-bellied Starfrontlet attending! Once I had composed myself, we agreed to head out of the city and try for this desirable species. She contacted her friend who agreed we could visit and we were off.
The finca was an hour or so away, and we had to walk the last section due to the state of the road. Unfortunately, a Sparkling Violetear had taken up territory next to the feeders at the finca and was seeing off all comers. We only had a short time before we had to head back for my flight and Green-tailed Trainbearer, Tyrian Metaltail and White-bellied Woodstar were the only hummers present. Silvery-throated Spinetails sang from the shrubbery and a smart male Black-backed Grosbeak was perched up.
Heading back for the airport, I bid Diana goodbye and caught my flight to the UK. Another fantastic trip in this amazing country with all but one target in the bag but still plenty more to come back for.
M - Monterredondo
S - Soatá
O - Ocaña
Ce - Cerulea / Reinita Azul
P - El Paujil
T - Las Tangaras
Co - Colibri del Sol
BS - Bahía Solano
Bg - Bogotá / La Florida
(h) = voice only record
1. Highland Tinamou Ce (h), T (h)
2. Tawny-breasted Tinamou M (h)
3. Little Tinamou P (h), BS (h)
4. Choco Tinamo BS (h)
5. Pied-billed Grebe Bg
6. Brown Pelican BS
7. Neotropical Cormorant P, Cauca
8. Anhinga Ce -> P
9. Magnificent Frigatebird BS
10. Capped Heron Ce -> P, P -> T
11. Cocoi Heron
12. Great Egret
13. Little Blue Heron BS
14. Snowy Egret
15. Cattle Egret
16. Striated Heron
17. Black-crowned Night Heron Bg
18. Fasciated Tiger-Heron T
19. Rufescent Tiger-Heron Ce -> P
20. Bare-faced Ibis
21. White Ibis
22. Rpseate Spoonbill
23. Northern Screamer P
24. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
25. (Greylag)
26. Torrent Duck Co
27. (Mallard)
28. Blue-winged Teal BS, Bg
29. Black Vulture
30. Turkey Vulture
31. Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
32. King Vulture BS
33. Osprey Cauca, Bg
34. Grey-headed Kite BS
35. Hook-billed Kite T, BS
36. Swallow-tailed Kite
37. White-tailed Kite
38. Plumbeous Kite BS
39. Plain-breasted Hawk T, BS
40. Crane Hawk
41. Semiplumbeous Hawk BS
42. Savanna Hawk
43. Roadside Hawk
44. Broad-winged Hawk Bg
45. White-rumped Hawk M, S
46. Swainson's Hawk P
47. Black Hawk-Eagle BS
48. Crested Caracara
49. Yellow-headed Caracara
50. Laughing Falcon P, T, BS
51. American Kestrel
52. Aplomado Falcon P
53. Bat Falcon
54. Peregrine BS
55.Colombian Chachalaca P
56. Andean Guan M, S
57. Sickle-winged Guan M
58. Blue-knobbed Curassow P
59. Crested Bobwhite S
60. Marbled Wood-Quail P
61. Black-fronted Wood-Quail O
62. Gorgeted Wood-Quail Ce
63. Russet-crowned Crake P
64. White-throated Crake P
65. Bogota Rail Bg
66. Purple Gallinule BS
67. Laughing Moorhen P
68. American Coot Bg
69. Wattled Jacana
70. Southern Lapwing
71. Semipalmated Plover BS
72. Wilson’s Plover BS
73. Spotted Sandpiper
74. Willet BS
75. Sanderling BS
76. Semipalmated Sandpiper BS
77. Least Sandpiper BS
78. Royal Tern BS
79. Black Skimmer Cauca
80. (Feral Pigeon)
81. Band-tailed Pigeon
82. Pale-vented Pigeon
83. Plumbeous Pigeon
84. Dusky Pigeon BS
85. Eared Dove
86. Common Ground-Dove
87. Plain-breasted Ground-Dove
88. Ruddy Ground-Dove
89. Blue Ground-Dove BS
90. White-tipped Dove
91. Lined Quail-Dove M, Ce
92. Blue-and-Yellow Macaw P
93. Chestnut-fronted Macaw P
94. Todd’s Parakeet O
95. Brown-breasted Parakeet M
96. Barred Parakeet O (h)
97. Spectacled Parrotlet P
98. Orange-chinned Parakeet
99. Rose-faced Parrot T
100. Rusty-faced Parrot S, Co
101. Blue-headed Parrot
102. White-capped Parrot S
103. Red-lored Amazon BS (h)
104. Yellow-crowned Amazon P
105. Orange-winged Amazon P
106. Mealy Amazon P
107. Squirrel Cuckoo
108. Greater Ani P
109. Smooth-billed Ani
110. Grrove-billed Ani S
111. Striped Cuckoo O (h)
112. Barn Owl S
113. Rufescent Screech-Owl Ce (h)
114. Vermiculated Screech-Owl P (h)
115. Mottled Owl Ce (h)
116. Rufous-banded Owl Co
117. Crested Owl P
118. Lesser Nighthawk P
119. Common Nighthawk P
120. Pauraque P
121. Band-winged Nightjar T
122. Swallow-tailed Nightjar M
123. Chestnut-collared Swift M
124. White-collared Swift
125. Band-rumped Swift P
126. Grey-rumped Swift P
127. Chapman’s Swift T
128. Rufous-breasted Hermit P
129. Bronzy Hermit BS
130. Band-tailed Hermit P
131. Green Hermit T
132. Western Long-tailed Hermit P
133. Tawny-bellied Hermit Ce, T
134. Stripe-throated Hermit P
135. White-necked Jacobin P
136. Green Violetear
137. Sparkling Violetear
138. Black-throated Mango
139. Ruby-Topaz O
140. Green Thorntail Ce, T
141. Violet-crowned Woodnymph O, Ce
142. Green-crowned Woodnymph T
143. Violet-bellied Hummingbird Ce
144. Sapphire-throated Hummingbird BS
145. Humboldt's Sapphire BS
146. Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
147. Chesnut-bellied Hummingbird S
148. Andean Emerald Ce, T
149. Indigo-capped Hummingbird Ce
150. Green-bellied Hummingbird M
151. White-vented Plumeteer P
152. Speckled Hummingbird
153. Fawn-breasted Brilliant T
154. Empress Brilliant T
155. Green-crowned Brilliant O, Ce
156. Buff-tailed Coronet M, T
157. Velvet-purple Coronet T
158. Mountain Velvetbreast Co
159. Brown Inca T
160. Black Inca S, Ce
161. Collared Inca M, Co
162. Dusky Starfrontlet Co
163. Blue-throated Starfrontlet M
165. Sword-billed Hummingbird M, Co
166. Great Sapphirewing M
167. Longuemare's Sunangel M
168. Tourmaline Sunangel Co
169. Glowing Puffleg M, Co
170. Greenish Puffleg T, Co
171. Booted Racket-tail M, Ce
172. Green-tailed Trainbearer Bg
173. Tyrian Metaltail
174. Viridian Metaltail Co
175. Bronze-tailed Thornbill M
176. Long-tailed Sylph M
177. Violet-tailed Sylph T
178. Purple-throated Woodstar T
179. White-bellied Woodstar M, Co
178. Western White-tailed Trogon P, BS
179. Collared Trogon S
180. Masked Trogon T, Co
181. Black-throated Trogon BS
182. Slaty-tailed Trogon BS
183. Golden-headed Quetzal M
184. Ringed Kingfisher BS
185. Amazon Kingfisher BS
186. Green Kingfisher
187. Rufous Motmot P
188. Black-breasted Puffbird P
189. Pied Puffbird BS
190. White-whiskered Puffbird P
191. Moustached Puffbird S
192. White-fronted Nunbird P
193. Spot-crowned Barbet BS
194. White-mantled Barbet P
195. Red-headed Barbet T
196. Toucan Barbet T
197. Andean Toucanet M
198. Crimson-rumped Toucanet Ce
199. Collared Aracari P
200. Stripe-billed Aracari BS
201. Black-billed Mountain-Toucan Co
202. Choco Toucan BS
203. Citron-throated Toucan P
204. Chestnut-mandibled Toucan P, BS
205. Olivaceous Piculet P
205. Greyish Piculet Cauca
206. Acorn Woodpecker S
207. Black-cheeked Woodpecker BS
208. Red-crowned Woodpecker
209. Smoky-brown Woodpecker S, Bg
210. Red-rumped Woodpecker Ce, P
211. Golden-olive Woodpecker S, T
212. Crimson-mantled Woodpecker
213. Lineated Woodpecker
214. Crimson-crested Woodpecker
215. Caribbean Hornero P
216. Andean Tit-Spinetail M
217. Azara's Spinetail
218. Silvery-throated Spinetail Bg
219. Pale-breasted Spinetail
220. Slaty Spinetail
221. Stripe-breasted Spinetail O
222. White-browed Spinetail Co
223. White-chinned Thistletail M
224. Rusty-winged Barbtail Ce
225. Spotted Barbtail Ce
226. Fulvous-dotted Treerunner T
227. Pearled Treerunner Co
228. Plain Xenops P
229. Streaked Xenops O
230. Montane Foliage-Gleaner Ce
231. Scaly-throated Foliage-Gleaner T
232. Streaked Tuftedcheek Co
233. Pacific Tuftedcheek T
234. Flammulated Treehunter T -> Co (h)
235. Uniform Treehunter T
236. Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper T
237. Tyrannine Woodcreeper
238. Olivaceous Woodcreeper
239. Cocoa Woodcreeper
240. Spotted Woodcreeper
241. Olive-backed Woodcreeper
242. Great Antshrike BS (h)
243. Bar-crested Antshrike Ce, Cauca
244. Black Antshrike P
245. Uniform Antshrike O, Ce, T
246. Western Slaty Antshrike P, BS
247. Recurve-billed Bushbird O
248. Pacific Antwren BS
249. Checker-throated Antwren BS
250. White-flanked Antwren BS
251. Slaty Antwren Ce
252. Dot-winged Antwren BS
253. Northern White-fringed Antwren Ce
254. Long-tailed Antbird O
255. Rufous-rumped Antwren Ce, T
256. Dusky Antbird BS
257. Bare-crowned Antbird P (h)
258. Chestnut-backed Antbird P, BS
259. Dull-mantled Antbird P, BS
260. Immaculate Antbird Ce (h)
261. Black-faced Antthrush P
262. Undulated Antpitta Co (h)
263. Chestnut-crowned Antpitta O (h)
264. Cundinamarca Antpitta M
265. Chestnut-naped Antpitta Co (h)
266. Yellow-breasted Antpitta T
267. White-bellied Antpitta Ce
268. Rufous Antpitta M
269. Urrao Antpitta Co
270. Streak-chested Antpitta BS
271. Ash-coloured Tapaculo M (h)
272. Long-tailed Tapaculo Ce
273. White-crowned Tapaculo Ce
274. Nariño Tapaculo T
275. Spillman's Tapaculo S, Co
276. Alto Pisones Tapaculo T
277. Paramo Tapaculo M (h)
278. Paramillo Tapaculo Co
279. Matorral Tapaculo O, Bg
280. Upper Magdalena Tapaculo Ce
281. Ocellated Tapaculo M (h)
282. Orange-breasted Fruiteater T
283. Olivaceous Piha T
284. Black-tipped Cotinga BS
285. Purple-throated Fruitcrow BS
286. Golden-collared Manakin BS
287. White-bearded Manakin P
288. White-ruffed Manakin BS
289. Blue-crowned Manakin BS
290. Red-capped Manakin BS
291. Golden-winged Manakin Ce
292. Western Striped Manakin P
293. Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet P, BS
294. Yellow-bellied Elaenia S, Ce
295. Torrent Tyrannulet T
296. Streak-necked Flycatcher M, S, T
297. Olive-striped Flycatcher T
298. Sepia-capped Flycatcher P
299. Slaty-capped Flycatcher T
300. Bronze-olive Pygmy-Tyrant T
301. Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant T
302. Antioquia Bristle-Tyrant P
303. Variegated Bristle-Tyrant T
304. Black-capped Tyrannulet T
305. Golden-faced Tyrannulet S -> O
306. White-throated Tyrannulet
307. White-tailed Tyrannulet
308. Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet M
309. Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant BS
310. Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant Ce (h)
311. Southern Bentbill P, BS
312. Slate-headed Tody-Tyrant P
313. Common Tody-Flycatcher
314. Fulvous-breasted Flatbill T
315. Yellow-margined Flycatcher
316. Yellow-throated Spadebill Ce
317. Ornate Flycatcher
318. Flavescent Flycatcher Ce
319. Handsome Flycatcher T
320. Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher BS
321. Cinnamon Flycatcher
322. Black-billed Flycatcher P
323. Olive-sided Flycatcher P
324. Smoke-coloured Pewee M, T
325. Western Wood-Pewee BS
326. Eastern Wood-Pewee Ce
327. Acadian Flycatcher P
328. Black Phoebe
329. Vermilion Flycatcher
330. Crowned Chat-Tyrant M
331. Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant S (h)
332. Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant M, T
333. Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant M
334. Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant M
335. Pied Water-Tyrant
336. White-headed Marsh-Tyrant
337. Cattle Tyrant
338. Bright-rumped Attila P, T, BS
339. Dusky-capped Flycatcher
340. Great Kiskadee
341. Rusty-margined Flycatcher
342. Social Flycatcher
343. Grey-capped Flycatcher
344. Golden-crowned Flycatcher S
345. Piratic Flycatcher
346. Tropical Kingbird
347. Eastern Kingbird O
348. Fork-tailed Flycatcher
349. Barred Becard T
350. Cinnamon Becard P
351. One-coloured Becard
352. Masked Tityra
353. Black-crowned Tityra
354. Grey-breasted Martin
355. White-winged Swallow
356. Blue-and-White Swallow
357. Brown-bellied Swallow
358. Southern Rough-winged Swallow
359. Cliff Swallow
360. Barn Swallow
361. White-capped Dipper M
362. White-headed Wren T
363. Bicoloured Wren S, Ce
364. Rufous Wren M
365. Sharpe's Wren T
366. Sooty-headed Wren
367. Black-bellied Wren P
368. Whiskered Wren O
369. Bay Wren T, BS
370. Rufous-and-White Wren O
371. Nicefero's Wren S
372. Southern House Wren
373. Sedge Wren M
374. Apolinar's Wren Bg
375. White-breasted Wood-Wren P, T, BS
376. Grey-breasted Wood-Wren M, S, Ce, T, Co
377. Munchique Wood-Wren Co (h)
378. Scaly-breasted Wren P (h)
379. Tropical Mockingbird
380. Andean Solitaire M, T
381. Black Solitaire T
382. Swainson's Thrush
383. Great Thrush
384. Glossy-Black Thrush M
385. Black-billed Thrush
386. Black-chested Jay P, BS
387. Inca Jay S, O, T
388. Black-collared Jay M
389. Brown-capped Vireo Ce
390. Red-eyed Vireo
391. Choco Vireo T
392. Yellow-green Vireo
393. Rufous-naped Greenlet Ce
394. Scrub Greenlet O
395. Lesser Greenlet BS
396. Yellow-browed Shrike-Vireo Ce
397. Rufous-browed Peppershrike O
398. Andean Siskin M, Bg
399. Lesser Goldfinch
400. Tropical Parula
401. Yellow Warbler Bg
402. 'Mangrove Warbler' BS
403. Blackburnian Warbler
404. Blackpoll Warbler S
405. Caerulean Warbler Ce
406. Black-and-White Warbler Ce
407. American Redstart Ce
408. Norther Waterthrush
409. Connecticut Warbler BS
410. Mourning Warbler Ce
411. Canada Warbler Ce, T
412. Slate-throated Redstart
413. Golden-fronted Redstart
414. Citrine Warbler M, Ce, T
415. Black-crested Warbler Co, Bg
416. Golden-crowned Warbler
417. Three-striped Warbler
418. Flavescent Warbler Cauca
419. Buff-rumped Warbler
420. Bananaquit
421. Rufous-browed Conebill M, Bg
422. Blue-backed Conebill M
423. Capped Conebill T, Co
424. Grass-green Tanager M, Co
425. White-capped Tanager M
426. Common Bush-Tanager Ce, T
427. Yellow-green Bush-Tanager T
428. Ashy-throated Bush-Tanager
429. Grey-hooded Bush-Tanager M, Co
430. Black-capped Hemispingus M
431. Guira Tanager Ce
432. Yellow-backed Tanager P
433. Dusky-faced Tanager T, BS
434. Ochre-breasted Tanager T
435. Grey-Headed Tanager P
436. Rufous-crested Tanager T
437. Scarlet-browed Tanager P
438. White-shouldered Tanager P
439. Tawny-crested Tanager T, BS
440. White-lined Tanager T
441. Sooty Ant-Tanager P
442. Crested Ant-Tanager T
443. Highland Hepatic-Tanager S
444. Summer Tanager
445. Crimson-backed Tanager
446. Flame-rumped Tanager T
447. Lemon-rumped Tanager Ce, T
448. Blue-grey Tanager
449. Blue-capped Tanager
450. Palm Tanager
451. Black-and-Gold Tanager T
452. Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager Co
453. Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager M
454. Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager Ce, T
455. Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager T
456. Purplish-mantled Tanager T
457. Golden-crowned Tanager M
458. Velvet-fronted Euphonia P
459. Thick-billed Euphonia
460. Fulvous-vented Euphonia BS
461. Orange-bellied Euphonia
462. Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia T
463. Glistening-green Tanager T
464. Plain-coloured Tanager BS
465. Golden Tanager
466. Silver-throated Tanager T
467. Saffron-crowned Tanager Ce
468. Rufous-throated Tanager T
469. Bay-headed Tanager
470. Scrub Tanager
471. Golden-naped Tanager T
472. Metallic-green Tanager O
473. Blue-necked Tanager Ce
474. Golden-hooded Tanager
475. Beryl-spangled Tanager
476. Blue-and-black Tanager
477. Black-capped Tanager Ce, O
478. Scarlet-thighed Dacnis BS
479. Bue Dacnis P
480. Green Honeycreeper
481. Purple Honeycreeper
482. Swallow-Tanager P
483. Plushcap Co
484. Blue-black Grassquit
485. Variable Seedeater T, BS
486. Yellow-bellied Seedeater T, BS
487. Ruddy-breasted Seedeater T
488. Large-billed Seedfinch Ce
489. Thick-billed Seedfinch BS
490. Band-tailed Seedeater Bg
491. Yellow-faced Grassquit
492. Black-faced Grassquit S
493. Rusty Flowerpiercer Bg
494. Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer Co
495. White-sided Flowerpiercer M
496. Glossy Flowerpiercer M
497. Black Flowerpiercer M, Bg
498. Black-throated Flowerpiercer Co
499. Indigo Flowerpiercer T
500. Bluish Flowerpiercer M, Ce, Co
501. Masked Flowerpiercer M, Co
502. Saffron Finch
503. Olive Finch T (h)
504. Yellow-throated Brush-Finch T
505. Slaty Brush-Finch M, Co
506. Choco Brush-Finch T
507. Moustached Brush-Finch S
508. Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch
509. Stripe-headed Brush-Finch Co
510. Black-headed Brush-Finch T
511. Orange-billed Sparrow P
512. Rufous-collared Sparrow
513. Streaked Saltator S
514. Greyish Saltator Ce
515. Buff-throated Saltator
516. Black-backed Grosbeak Bg
517. Blue-black Grosbeak BS
518. Yellow-hooded Blackbird P, Bg
519. Red-breasted Blackbird P, T
520. Eastern Meadowlark
521. Great-tailed Grackle
522. Shiny Cowbird
523. Giant Cowbird BS
524. Yellow-backed Oriole S, Ce, Bg
525. Yellow Oriole Ce
526. Orange-crowned Oriole Ce
527. Yellow-rumped Cacique BS
528. Scarlet-rumped Cacique BS
529. Northern Mountain Cacique M, Co
530. Russet-backed Oropendola
531. Chestnut-headed Oropendola BS
532. Baudo Oropendola BS
533. Red-bellied Grackle T
534. Mountain Grackle S, Ce