A Quest for Endemics: Triumph in the Santa Marta, Guajira, and Perijá Mountains (October 2018)

Endemics of the Evolutionary Islands

We are thrilled to share the highlights from this spectacular 10-day Colombia birding trip. Our four adventurous clients—Tony, Tom, Dale, and Daniel—joined us for a challenging but rewarding extension, targeting the “Big 3” specialties across Colombia’s northern ranges: the Santa Marta Mountains, the Guajira Peninsula, and the Perijá Mountains. This itinerary is a true showcase of Colombia endemic birds tours. Our team of Expert birding guides Colombia specializes in these unique regions, ensuring our guests from around the world experience the world-class biodiversity that makes us the choice for premier Birding tours Colombia. This Colombia birding itinerary offers an unparalleled neotropical birding tour experience.

Trip Summary: The Northern Endemics Quest

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta: An Ascent to Endemism

Our expedition began immediately after landing in Santa Marta. A quick stop at El Vale yielded views of a group of seven Chestnut-winged Chachalacas, an endemic to northern Colombia. We also spotted Crested Bobwhites and Groove-billed Anis.

Our initial stay at Hotel Minca provided a pleasant base for Birding in Minca Colombia. The feeders were buzzing with ten hummingbird species, including White-necked Jacobin, Long-billed Hermit, Lesser Violetear, White-vented Plumeleteer, Steely-vented Hummingbird, and Rufous-tailed Hummingbird. We also enjoyed sightings of Black-chested Jays, Bicolored Wrens, and Streak-headed Woodcreepers.

Day 2: El Dorado Lodge and Roadside Gems

The following morning, we drove up the steep mountain road towards ProAves’s El Dorado Lodge. This climb is a vital part of the Santa Marta birding tour, offering a perfect altitude gradient for endemic species. Stopping along the way, we successfully located the near-endemic Red-billed Emerald. More importantly, we found several key Santa Marta endemics: Santa Marta Foliage-Gleaner, Santa Marta Antbird, and Santa Marta Tapaculo.

At the Baticola stop, we were rewarded with the beautiful Santa Marta Blossomcrown, the Bang’s subspecies of Gray-breasted Wood-Wren, and a gorgeous Keel-billed Toucan. Other sightings included a pair of Crested Guans, a singing pair of Rufous-breasted Wrens, and a duet of Rufous-and-white Wrens.

Guide’s Moment: Recognizing the Mixed Flock

The forest was quiet, but I recognized the faint alarm call of an unseen bird, which often means a mixed flock is nearby. I told the group to get their binoculars ready. Sure enough, we began picking up species like Cocoa Woodcreeper, Whooping Motmot, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, White-bearded Manakin, and several flycatchers, followed by tanagers like the White-lined and Crimson-backed Tanagers.

After a late lunch at the lodge, the feeders provided quality birds: the endemic Sierra Nevada (Colombian) Brush-Finch, endemic Santa Marta Brush-Finch, endemic White-tailed Starfrontlet, and near-endemic Band-tailed Guan. Later, a short hike near the lodge provided views of the endemic White-lored Warbler and, thrillingly, the endemic Santa Marta Screech-Owl at night.

Day 3: Triumph on San Lorenzo Ridge

We had an early start (4:00 AM) to reach the San Lorenzo Ridge birding site. Birding was challenging, but our expertise ensured we gradually found most of our targets.

The trophies for the morning included the endemic Santa Marta Antpitta, Brown-rumped Tapaculo, Streak-capped Spinetail, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant, Santa Marta (Hermit) Wood-Wren, Black-cheeked (Santa Marta) Mountain-Tanager, and Santa Marta Warbler. We had close looks at a juvenile Solitary Eagle, and saw Plushcap and Tyrian Metaltail. Back at the lodge, we enjoyed great looks at 15 Band-tailed Guans and found a group of four Black-fronted Wood-Quails.

Day 4: Farewell to the Sierra Nevada

Our descent was highlighted by a spectacular show: four female White-tipped Quetzals being courted by two splendid males, right in the parking lot! We also found the endemic Santa Marta Woodstar and the near-endemic Golden-winged Sparrow.

All happy to be at the top of San Lorenzo ridge with a good day!

La Guajira Peninsula: The Dry Scrub Specialties

We settled in Camarones for a two-night stay, meeting our good friend José Luis Pushaina, an expert guide in this region. Our early start was crucial due to the midday heat.

Day 5: Desert Trophies and Coastal Flocks

We successfully located near-endemics like the Tocuyo Sparrow, Chestnut Piculets, three striking Vermilion Cardinals, and two White-whiskered Spinetails. We also found Buffy Hummingbirds and the Slender-billed Tyrannulet. Raptor highlights included an astounding Hook-billed Kite and a beautiful Crane Hawk.

At Boca de Camarones, the American Flamingos were the stars, with a flock of over 200 individuals. We saw a huge number of waders and aquatics, including Reddish Egrets, White Ibises, and three brilliant Scarlet Ibises.

Day 6: Cari-Cari Road

Birding the Cari-Cari road, we achieved second views of Orinocan Saltators, Vermilion Cardinals, and Glaucous Tanagers. We also added Russet-throated Puffbirds, Buff-breasted Wrens, and Scrub Greenlet. The afternoon was spent driving to Valledupar.

Excitement came with the extraordinary views of the endemic Perijá Thistletail.

The Perijá Mountains: Conquering the Final Frontier

Near midday, we started our ascent to the Perijá Mountains. A stop at Los Besotes private nature reserve secured the highly sought-after Red-legged Tinamou. On the climb, we added the endemic Perijá Tapaculo and near-endemic Gray-throated Warbler. The feeders at the lodge were busy with Speckled Hummingbird, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, and Tyrian Metaltail.

Day 8: Páramo de Sabana Rubia

The challenges were waiting for us up at Páramo de Sabana Rubia, a high-altitude area that provides a true test for Andes birding tours. Initially, we struggled to locate the target, but our patience and expertise were compensated with extraordinary views of the rare Perijá Thistletail. Soon after, we saw our first Perijá Metaltail and the Perijá (Rufous) Antpitta. A splendid Andean Condor soared high above us.

Other birds included Merlin, Red-crested Cotingas, Lacrimose Mountain-Tanagers, Blue-capped Tanagers, and Bluish Flowerpiercer. Before dark, we saw a pair of Golden-headed Quetzals and a Band-winged Nightjar below the lodge.

Day 9: Final Endemic Success

On the final day of the birding portion, we had a close encounter with a pair of the endemic Perijá (Phelp’s) Brush-Finch. We also saw a group of three Black-fronted Wood-Quails, Southern Emerald Toucanets, and several Perijá Tapaculos.

The group at Los Besotes reserve, after seing the Red-legged Tinamou. From left to right: Daniel, Tony, Dale, Tom and José Luis Ropero (local guide). Guess who bought the colorful Guajira bag the day before?

 Species  recorded across the three regions. Endemic (E) and Near-Endemic (NE) species are highlighted.

Full List of Species Observed

Start Your Colombian Adventure

This 10-day extension was a phenomenal success, securing spectacular sightings of Colombia’s rarest species. If you, like Tony, Tom, Dale, and Daniel, are ready to check off your own list of Colombia endemic birds or secure incredible shots on a Colombia bird photography tour, we invite you to join us.

Explore our scheduled tours and custom birding trips across Colombia’s Andes and Chocó region. Book birding tours Colombia by contacting us today to build your dream private tour.

A Quest for Eastern Andes Endemics: A Private Tour

Colombia Birding Trip Report: Eastern Andes near Bogota (October 2018) 

Welcome to our latest Colombia birding trip report , a series where we share the highlights from our world-class expeditions. As expert birding guides in Colombia , we specialize in connecting passionate birdwatchers  with the planet’s highest avian diversity. Our Colombia birding tours are designed to deliver unforgettable experiences, whether you join a scheduled departure or embark on a custom Colombia birding trip. We celebrate the joy of birding  and are thrilled to showcase the results of our recent adventures. Explore the possibilities for your own journey with Birding Tours Colombia.

A Custom Tour for Expert Listers

From October 9–18, 2018, we organized a specialized private birding tour for Tony Menart, Thomas Heatley & Dale Manor—three exceptional birders with life lists exceeding 6,500 species each. This marked their second Colombia birding trip with us, so our objective was clear: focus exclusively on their most-wanted target birds   

Our custom Colombia birding itinerary was designed to maximize their opportunities, covering the very best birding sites near Bogota and the eastern slope of the Eastern Andes. We explored a diverse range of habitats, from cloud forest and páramo to the foothills near Villavicencio. Sites visited included Laguna de Pedro Palo , Chicaque Park , Bosque Bavaria (Orange-breasted Falcon Reserve) , Monterredondo , and the high-altitude páramos of Chingaza National Park and Sumapaz.

Trip Highlights

The success of this trip lay in securing close views of several of the region’s most sought-after and difficult species:

• Tawny-breasted Tinamou: A ridiculously close, memorable encounter at Monterredondo.
• Bogotá Rail (E): Two individuals were seen very well at the Siecha gravel pits, though more than five others were heard calling from the reedy marsh.
• Brown-breasted (Flame-winged) Parakeet (E): Close views of a group of seven endemic parakeets perched at Monterredondo.
• Crestless Curassow: A surprising and delightful sighting of a male at Lagos de Menegua, a new and productive site.
• Hummingbird Heaven: The feeders at the Observatorio de Colibríes lived up to their legendary reputation, bustling with near-endemics like the Blue-throated Starfrontlet and the spectacular Sword-billed Hummingbird

Key Species Observed by Region

Laguna de Pedro Palo

Our birding at Laguna de Pedro Palo yielded the endemic and vulnerable Black Inca , alongside Spectacled Parrotlet, Gray-rumped Swift, White-tipped Swift, the near-endemic Gorgeted Woodstar, Crowned Woodnymph, Booted Racket-Tail, Andean Emerald, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Olivaceus Piculet, Streaked Xenops, Ash-browed Spinetail, Brown-capped Vireo, Black-capped Tanager, Scrub Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Metallic-green Tanager, Flame-faced Tanager, and Yellow-backed Oriole.

Chicaque Park

At Chicaque Park, we were delighted by the gorgeous near-endemic Golden-bellied Starfrontlet, spotting one male and two females. The hummingbird activity was excellent, with Tourmaline Sunangel, Collared Inca, Buff-tailed Coronet, Lesser Violetear, and Sparkling Violetear. We also tracked down a Whiskered Wren in the dense bamboo stands.

Bosque Bavaria (Orange-breasted Falcon Reserve)

Bosque Bavaria proved to be a great forest for birding. Our search produced Gray-chinned Hermit, Golden-tailed Sapphire, Green-backed Trogon, Amazonian Motmot, Yellow-billed Nunbird, Gilded Barbet, Channel-billed Toucan, Lettered Aracari, Scaled Piculet, Northern Slaty-Antshrike, Black-faced Antbird, Spot-winged Antbird, Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Flycatcher, White-necked Thrush, Speckled Tanager, Paradise Tanager, and Pectoral Sparrow

Lagos de Menegua: An Eastern Llanos Detour

Having successfully found our targets at Bosque Bavaria , the group opted to scout Lagos de Menegua, a new site for our company. This area, with its scrubby secondary forest, wetlands, and fishing ponds, proved to be a wonderful location for Eastern Llanos specialties. We were surprised by a male Crestless Curassow. As a bonus, we added Striated Heron, Undulated Tinamou, Horned Screamer, Black-collared Hawk, Snail Kite, Hoatzin, Greater Ani, Sulphury Flycatcher, Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant, Striped-necked Tody-Tyrant, and Red-capped Tanager.

Monterredondo

At Monterredondo, we had a ridiculously close encounter with a Tawny-breasted Tinamou walking along the road’s edge. We also achieved fantastic perched views of a group of seven endemic Brown-breasted (Flame-winged) Parakeets and very close views of the vocal Lined-Quail Dove. The forest was alive with birds, including: Speckled Hummingbird, Bronzy Inca, Green-bellied Hummingbird, Golden-headed Quetzal, Montane Foliage-Gleaner, Pearled Treerunner, Black-capped Tyrannulet, Cliff Flycatcher, Black-collared Jay, Spectacled Thrush, Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, a pair of the uncommon Black-chested Mountain-Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Blue-capped Tanager, Blue-and-black Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Capped Conebill, Bluish Flowerpiercer, Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch, Ochre-breasted Brush-Finch, Golden-fronted Whitestart, and Mountain Cacique. We also heard over seven Cundinamarca Antpittas calling, but they remained elusive this time.

Páramo de Sumapaz

In the high-altitude Paramo de Sumapaz , access restrictions meant we only saw the endemic Green-bearded Helmetcrest once, at a great distance. However, we secured close views of two pairs of the endemic Apolinar´s Wren and had good scope views of Andean Teal and Andean Duck on the lake .We also easily found Tawny Antpitta, Andean Tit-Spinetail, and Plumbeous Sierra-Finch.

Chingaza National Park

Birding in Chingaza National Park , we had another brief, distant view of a male Green-bearded Helmetcrest hovering over Espeletia flowers. We were more successful with other high-Andean targets, getting good views of the endemics Pale-bellied Tapaculo and Silvery-throated Spinetail, as well as the near-endemics Bronze-tailed Thornbill and Rufous-browed Conebill. Our checklist here also included Andean Guan, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, White-chinned Thistletail, Tawny-rumped Tyrannulet, Red-crested Cotinga, Superciliared Hemispingus, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Blue-backed Conebill, Plushcap, Paramo Seedeater, Pale-naped Brush-Finch, Black-backed Grosbeak, Golden-fronted Whitestart, and Andean Siskin.

The Hummingbird Observatory at La Calera

The gardens at the Observatorio de Colibríes (The Hummingbird Observatory) are always beautifully kept by its owner. This stop on our Colombia hummingbird tour  did not disappoint. The feeders were as busy as ever, with delightful views of the near-endemic Blue-throated Starfrontlet (male and female), Black-tailed Trainbearer (male and female), Green-tailed Trainbearer, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Great Saphirewing, Tyrian Metaltail, Glowing Puffleg, Sparkling Violetear, and Lesser Violetear.

Páramo Grande and Vereda Concepción

Both Páramo Grande and Vereda Concepción (with the Bioandina & La Guajira private reserves) hold great expanses of well-preserved habitat. We did well, finding the near-endemics Bronze-tailed Thornbill and Rufous-browed Conebill for a second time. We also had good repeat sightings of Blue-throated Starfrontlet, Andean Guan, Tyrian Metaltail, and Glowing Puffleg. Other notable birds included Streaked Tuftedcheek, White-browed Spinetail, Black-capped Tyrannulet, Smoky Bush-Tyrant, White-capped Dipper, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager, Blue-and-black Tanager, and Andean Siskin.

Guasca and Siecha Gravel Pits

At the Siecha gravel pits, we focused on marsh specialties. We successfully saw two individuals of the endemic Bogota Rail and heard at least five others calling from the reeds. We also found Noble Snipe, Spot-flanked Gallinule, Grassland Yellow-Finch, Striated Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, and Band-tailed Seedeater.

Enchanted Gardens of San Francisco

As always, the Enchanted Gardens were truly enchanting, with hectic activity at the feeders. This site was key for the endemic Indigo-capped Hummingbird. We also saw two male and one female Gorgeted Woodstar, White-necked Jacobin, White-bellied Woodstar, Andean Emerald, White-vented Plumeleteer, Black-throated Mango, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Lesser Violetear, and Sparkling Violetear.

Laguna de Tabacal

We can never overstate how good the birding is at Laguna de Tabacal. This site holds a high number of quality birds, specialties, and skulkers. We found many great species here, including the endemic Velvet-fronted Euphonia and the near-endemics Short-tailed Emerald, Bar-crested Antshrike, and Scrub Tanager. Other highlights included Ruddy Quail-Dove, Striped Hermit, Red-rumped Woodpecker, Jet Antbird, Blue-lored Antbird, White-bellied Antbird, Ruddy Foliage-Gleaner, Ash-browed Spinetail, Stripe-breasted Spinetail, Cinereous Becard, Rufous-naped Greenlet, Black-bellied Wren, Speckle-breasted Wren, Long-billed Gnatwren, Gray-headed Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Plain-colored Tanager, Rosy-thrush Tanager, and Black-striped Sparrow. We also enjoyed repeated views of the Rusty-breasted Antpitta and Red-billed Scythebill.

From left to right: Victoria Lizarralde, Dale Manor, Tony Menart and Thomas Heatley, at the Hummingbird Observatory.

This successful journey highlights the incredible birding possibilities in Colombia’s Eastern Andes. We are passionate about crafting unforgettable expeditions for birders and photographers. If this report inspires you, we invite you to explore our scheduled departures or contact us to design your own custom Colombia birding trip. Our expert guides are ready to show you the best of Birding Tours Colombia.