Colombia: The Central Andes Feb 27—Mar 14, 2010
Posted by Steve Hilty
Steve Hilty
Steve Hilty is the senior author of A Guide to the Birds of Colombia, and the recently published Birds of Venezuela, both by Princeton University Press. Other credits inclu...Related Trips
Colombia is back after two decades, and "endemic fever" has struck many birders who have longed to see some of these fascinating birds long denied to them because of security risks. Now Colombia is rapidly becoming a "must see" destination, as many areas (but not all) are completely safe. Finding Colombia's many endemic and near-endemic species (those which occur primarily in Colombia but have been recorded just across a political border in a neighboring country, i.e. Panama, Venezuela, and Ecuador) is, however, a game of averages—think a baseball batting average. Numerous factors can affect the number of endemics one finds during a two-week period, and it is only rarely that all factors align for a perfect score. We experienced a dry period in Colombia with no rain in the Central Andes until our last site—La Reserva Arrierito Antioqueña—and then we had too much rain, losing a day-and-a-half of our two-day visit.
Trips provide memories, and this one was no exception. Surely at the top of most lists this year were: the surprising appearance of 5 oilbirds; beautiful Yellow-eared Parrots in the morning sun; almost 40 species of hummingbirds, of which none made a greater impression than the incomparable Blue-throated Starfrontlet; 8 species of antpittas (6 seen well); 6 species of tapaculos (4 seen); such gems as the Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant and Rufous-crowned Tody-Tyrant; Red-ruffed Fruitcrows calling at their lek; a gigantic mixed species flock (almost 40 species) near the Río Blanco Lodge; haunting wren songs; a pair of Masked Saltators; the large number of wintering Blackburnian and Canada warblers; and the amazing diversity of colorful tanagers.
This was a new route, and things sometimes go slightly awry on first trips (others as well), but aside from one unsuitable hotel near Pereira (quickly changed after one night), we experienced no other logistical problems, no security problems, and enough bumpy and curvy roads for our hardiest travelers. Colombia is clean, fresh, and bustling with commerce and energy, and a beautiful country besides. I hope we have a chance to see more of this lovely country together in the future.