General Tour including Santa Marta Mts

Cost (based on 6 participants):

• £3250 Bogotá - Bogotá

Date: As required

Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive Bogotá

Day 2: At dawn we shall visit a local marsh in search of Apolinar’s Marsh-wren and Bogotá Rail before visiting a private reserve overlooking the city to look for Rufous-browed Conebill, Blue-throated Starfrontlet, Matorral Tapaculo and Silvery-throated Spinetail. Night in Bogotá.

Day 3-5: We shall take an early morning lfight to Bucaramanga before transfering to the ProAves Cerulean Warbler Reserve for a three night stay. Here we shall look for Black Inca, Turquoise Dacnis-tanager, Gorgeted Wood-quail, Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird, Recurve-billed Bushbird and Parkers' Antbird.

Day 6: After a final morning birding around the reserve we will return to Bucaramanga and take a connecting flight to Cali.

Day 7: Today will shall go in search of Multicoloured Tanager before visiting a garden with a spectacular number of hummingbirds visiting feeders - up to 200 individuals of 15 species including Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Purple-throated Woodstar and Brown Violetear.

Day 8: Today we shall spend the morning at one of the last remaining wetlands in the Cauca valley. Here we hope to see Spectacled Parrotlet, the rare and particularly nomadic Apical Flycatcher, Bar-crested and Jet Antbirds, Greyish Piculet and Common Potoo. In the afternoon we shall head to La Suiza for an overnight stay.

Day 9: We shall spend most of the day birding around La Suiza in search of Cauca Guan, Crested Ant-tanager, Moustached Antpitta and Stiles’ Tapaculo before heading of the the Rio Blanco for three nights.

Day 10: Birding at Rio Blanco for several Antpittas including Brown-banded and Bicoloured, Dusky Piha, Black-billed Mountain-toucan, Occelated, Spillman's, Ash-coloured and Blackish Tapaculos, Rusty-faced Parrot and Golden-plumed Parakeet.

Day 12: Birding on the slopes of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano to look for Rufous-fronted Parakeet, Golden-crowned Tanager, Black-thighed Puffleg and Bearded Helmetcrest. Evening drive to Rio Claro.

Day 13: We shall spend the day in the Rio Claro area searching for White-mantled Barbet, Antioquia Bristle-tyrant, Sooty Ant-tanager, Beautiful Woodpecker, Citron-throated Toucan, Black Antshrike, Grey-cheeked Nunlet, Barred and White-whiskered Puffbird and Oilbird.

Day 14 Early morning birding at Rio Claro, then we shall depart for Jardin with the main aim of seeing the very rare Yellow-eared Parrot. Additional time in the area could reward us with Tanager-finch, White-capped Parrot, Black-billed Mountain-toucan and Red-bellied Grackle

Day 15: After a final morning birding around Jardin we shall drive to ProAves Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve in Anorii for a two night stay.

Day 16: Birding here we will search for the recently described Chestnut-capped Piha, Parker’s Antbird, Multicoloured Tanager, Black-and-gold Tanager, Purplish-mantled Tanager, Stiles' Tapaculo, Pale-eyed Thrush and Red-bellied Grackle.

Day 17: Drive to Medellin for flight to Santa Marta.

Day 18: Today we shall visit La Guajira for Coro endemics including Tocuyo Sparrow, Vermillion Cardinal and Buffy Hummingbird. We shall also hope to see Bare-eyed Pigeon, White-whiskered Spinetail, Black-crested Antshrike, Venezuelan Flycatcher, Orinocan Saltator, Pale-eyed Pygmy-tyrant, Glaucous Tanager, Slender-billed Inezia, Russet-throated Puffbird, Double-striped Thick-knee and Northern White-fringed Antwren.

Day 19: Drive to Santa Marta Mts – Today we shall be birding the lower reaches of the Mican road with the aim of seeing the Santa Marta races of Rusty-breasted Antpitta and Ruddy Foliage-gleaner, Santa Marta Tapaculo, Black-backed Antshrike, Blossomcrown and Rosy Thrush-tanager.

Day 20: Today we shall spend the day birding the San Lorenzo ridge in search of the many endemics that the region has to offer including Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Bush-tyrant, Santa Marta Seedeater, Santa Marta Warbler, Santa Marta Mountain-tanager, Santa Marta Brush-finch, White-lored Warbler, Yellow-crowned Whitestart, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Streak-capped Spinetail, White-tailed Starfrontlet, Santa Marta Antpitta, and Santa Marta Woodstar. Other species may include White-tipped Quetzal, White-rumped Hawk, Black-and-chestnut Eagle, Black-fronted Wood-Quail, Golden-breasted Fruiteater and Lined Quail-Dove.

Day 21: We will spend the day birding from San Lorenzo to Minca.

Day 22: We shall spend the early morning in Isla Salamanca in search of the endemic Chestnut-winged Chachalaca and Bronze-brown Cowbird. We shall also hope to see Bicoloured Conebill, Northern Scrub-flycatcher and the black-winged race of Wattled Jacana before driving to Barranquilla for our flight to Bogotá for connecting flights to UK or elsewhere.

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