Colombia: Santa Marta

• A host of endemics and range-restricted specialties in a very bird-rich area
• Explore the Santa Marta mountains – from our lodge to the ridgetop you get beautiful views of this landscape and great birding
• Diverse habitats, guaranteeing an impressive tally of species

Tour Overview

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is an isolated mountain range with snow-capped peaks within sight of the sea, and is among the most endemic-rich areas in the world. Our comfortable lodge at ProAves’ Reserva Natural de las Aves (“RNA”) El Dorado is situated on a private reserve at 1950 m on an outlying ridge of the San Lorenzo Ridge with marvelous views of the valleys and the Caribbean beyond. The area supports a range of habitats from 900m to 2600m, including evergreen forests, bamboo thickets and upper-level stunted forests, with scattered clearings and disturbed areas, and many endemic birds (about 15) and specialties occur here including Santa Marta Antpitta, White-tipped Quetzal, Santa Marta Sabrewing (very rare), White-tailed Starfrontlet, Santa Marta Warbler, Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Mountain-Tanager, Yellow-crowned Redstart, Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant, Santa Marta Brush-Finch, Santa Marta Blossomcrown, Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner, and Santa Marta Antpitta. Other goodies include Brown-rumped Tapaculo, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Band-tailed Guan, Golden-breasted Fruiteater, Yellow-legged and Black-hooded Thrushes, Black-headed Tanager – the list seems endless!! Furthermore a recently-described (2017) species of screech-owl has been found near the lodge.

The more mesic areas near Barranquilla and Minca have a different avifauna, including Chestnut-winged Chachalaca, Zone-tailed Hawk, Red-billed and Coppery Emeralds, Black-backed Antshrike, Rusty-breasted Antpitta, Santa Marta Tapaculo, Venezuelan and Brown-capped Tyrannulets, Golden-fronted Greenlet, Rosy Thrush-Tanager, Swallow Tanager, and Golden-winged Sparrow. We will find another different avifauna at Los Flamencos, where the xerophytic (dry) scrub supports Green-rumped Parrotlet, Buffy Hummingbird, Black-crested Antshrike, White-whiskered Spinetail, Slender-billed Inezia, Vermilion Cardinal, Orinocan Saltator, Pileated Finch, and Tocuyo Sparrow, as well as several lagoons used seasonally by large concentrations of Greater Flamingos.

Our Santa Marta birding tour is an extension to our longer Colombia birding tour. Save $225 USD ($300 CAD) when you book on both Colombia tours.