The Very Best of Colombia: The Andes and Chocó

We invite you to view our revised Colombia Birding Tour: The Very Best of Colombia itinerary. This 14-day Colombia birding tour provides some of the best birding that Colombia has to offer and will explore many of the country’s finest birding sites. We will visit the central Andes from the spectacular Los Nevados National Natural Park and the Rio Blanco Reserve in search of the most-wanted White-capped Tanager, Ocellated Tapaculo, Masked Saltator and Buffy Helmetcrest to the Otún-Quimbaya Flora and Fauna Sanctuary in search of the endemic Cauca Guan and the secretive Hooded Antpitta. At the bird-rich Tatamá National Park, where the western Andes meets the Chocó, we will search for a fine selection of Colombian birds, such as Gold-ringed (endemic), Black-and-gold and Glistening-green Tanagers, Club-winged Manakin, Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer, Dusky Starfrontlet, Black Solitaire and Munchique Wood Wren. We will then explore wetlands near the shores of the Cauca River in search of the endemic Apical Flycatcher, Spectacled Parrotlet and many classic aquatic species.

Multicolored Tanager is one of our targets on this tour (photo Daniel Orozco).

Without doubt, another highlight of this birding tour will be the Pacific lowlands, where we will have the chance to look for the most-wanted Toucan Barbet and visit the San Cipriano Reserve where it is possible to find Chocó specials such as Black-tipped Cotinga, Black-breasted Puffbird, Tawny-crested Tanager, Rufous-winged Tanager, Scarlet-and-white Tanager and the unique Sapayoa. The Pacific lowlands are home to the sought-after Ocellated Antbird, Rose-faced Parrot, Choco Toucan and Lita Woodpecker. The humid forests above Cali are home to the Multicolored Tanager, one of the most beautiful tanagers in the world.

Colombia with its many diverse habitats is home to more bird species than any other country in the world. With the country’s almost 2,000 bird species, be prepared to be in awe of its spectacular avifauna as we explore Colombia on this 14-day birding adventure. This tour can be combined with our Santa Marta Escape birding tour which takes place immediately after this tour and is centered around the endemic-rich Santa Marta Mountains in northern Colombia.

The endemic Gold-ringed Tanager is a major target on this tour.