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.