It’s simple, the Santa Marta Mountains are home to the highest concentration of endemic birds in the Americas. This, plus the very dry and tropical dry forests of northern Colombia, creates the perfect scenery for a memorable trip. Enjoy the views of the Caribbean sea and its white-sand beaches which lie under the vigilance of the Santa Marta mountains.
Welcome to the birdiest country: Colombia!
This tour is designed for every type of birder, from the most enthusiast in search of the rarities to the one wanting a more relaxed pace. The high number of endemics of the Santa Marta Mountains will be the star of this journey. The northern part of Colombia is composed of a group of tropical dry, dry and very dry ecosystems in the lower elevations, and singular subtropical forests in the mountains of the Santa Marta range, an isolated group of mountains where over 20 species of birds have evolved independently of their counterparts in the main Andes range.
Barranquilla – Santa Marta
The Caribbean Coast of Colombia is warm and tropical. Arid areas are overlapped with tropical dry forests. The Caribbean culture is pretty much like the one in Central America and other places of the region. Two main indigenous groups: Wayuu (the people from the desert) and Tayronas inhabit the region.
This day the group will meet the guide, talk about the itinerary, resolve questions, prepare everything, and fly in the evening to the coastal city of Barranquilla.
Night in Barranquilla. 5 m. 26°C
Early In the morning, we’ll take a 15 minutes drive to our first stop in the outskirts of Barranquilla where we will look for the first endemic of the region: the noisy Chestnut-winged Chachalaca. After trying some other few birds we will head east towards the area of the Salamanca National Park, just
before the park, there is a village road where the main specialties are (NE) Northern Screamer, (E) Bronzed Cowbird, White-cheeked Pintail, Dwarf Cuckoo, Stripe-backed wren, (E)Turquoise-winged Parrotlet, Russet-throated Puffbird, and others.
A short drive will take us to the Salamanca National Park public protected area which preserves important extensions of mangrove ecosystems. Here we will look for the endemic Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird, Saphire-throated Hummingbird, Bicolored Conebill, Brown-throated Parakeet, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Golden-green Woodpecker, Pied Puffbird, and other specialties. After this great introduction to the Caribbean avifauna, we drive to the tourist town of Palomino where a beautiful beach waits for us. If the time allows it, we may stop and try for some other specialties in the vicinities of Palomino.
Night in Palomino. 5 m. 28°C
We will rise early and head to the town of Camarones. We will bird along the trails in the dry scrub forest for specialties which include: (NE) White-whiskered Spinetail, (NE) Orinocan Saltator, (NE)Slender-billed Inezia, (NE) Chestnut Piculet, (NE) Red-billed Emerald, (NE) Tocuyo Sparrow (rare). In the very dry tropical forest, we will look for other specialties including a bird which has an important role in the local communities: the Near-endemic Vermilion Cardinal. Other specialties here are, Bare-eyed Pigeon, Bluecrowned Parakeet, Green-rumped Parrotlet, Red-billed Emerald, (Ne) Buffy Hummingbird, Black-crested Antshrike, Northern Scrub-flycatcher, Pale-eyed Pygmy Tyrant, Pearly-vented Tody Tyrant, (NE) Glaucous Tanager,Double-striped Thick-knee, White-fringed Antwren (northern race), Rufous-vented Chachalaca, Pileated Finch, Redish Egret, Scarlet Ibis, White-tipped Inezia, Pale-legged
Hornero (Caribbean) and the charismatic American Flamingo.
Night in Palomino. 5 m. 28°C
This morning we will explore a section of the tropical dry forest a few kilometers away from Palomino. Here we will look for Lance-tailed Manakin, One-colored Becard, Buff-breasted Wren, Brown-capped Tyrannulet, Trinidad Euphonia, Keel-billed Toucan, White-bellied Antbird, Grey Hawk, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Gartered Trogon, Barred Antshrike, and others.
After this morning, we will drive towards the Santa Marta mountains, the tallest coastal mountain of the world, and home of over 20 endemics only found there! the highest concentration of the Americas but this afternoon will be spent on the foothills of the mountains where another tropical dry forest will allow us to get some specialties like Military Macaw, Black-backed Antshrike, Pale-bellied, and Sooty-capped Hermit, Rufous-breasted and Rufous-and-white Wren, Lance-tailed Manakin, Blue ground-dove, Zone-tailed Hawk, White hawk, Short-tailed hawk, King Vulture, Golden-fronted Greenlet, Trilling (Long-billed) Gnatwren, and others.
Night in Minca. 650 m. 24°C
We will rise early and begin our ascent into the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains. We will stop along the way looking for the first endemics and other specialties of the area like (E) Sierra Nevada Brushfinch, (E) Santa Marta Tapaculo, (E) Santa Marta Woodstar, (E) Santa Marta Blossomcrown, (E) Santa Marta Antbird, (E) Santa Marta Tapaculo, (E) Santa Marta Foliage Gleaner, (E) White-lored Warbler, (E) Santa Marta Brush-finch, (NE) Black-fronted Wood-quail, (NE) Coppery Emerald, (NE) White-tipped Quetzal, (E) Streak-capped Spinetail, Band-tailed Guan, King Vulture, Grey-headed Kite, Black-and-white Owl, Zone-tailed Hawk, (NE) Golden-Winged Sparrow, Scaled Piculet, Golden-headed Manakin, Rosy Thrush-tanager, (NE) Yellow-billed Toucanet, Golden-breasted Fruiteater, Orange-billed & Slaty-backed Nightingale Thrushes, Red-billed Parrot, Black-headed Tanager, Long-billed Hermit, Golden-winged Warbler, (NE) Spectacled Tyrannulet, Yellow-legged, Black-hooded & Pale-breasted Thrushes and Rusty-breasted Antpitta among others. We will lunch at the lodge and spend the remainder of the day birding around the nearby forests where is possible to see the recently
described Santa Marta Screech-Owl (at dusk), the endemics White-tailed Starfrontlet, Hermit Wood-wren, and Yellow-crowned Whitestart. The feeders of the reserve are a great place to rest and get great views of some common hummingbirds, tanagers, and the always impressive sunset over the Caribbean Sea.
Night in El Dorado lodge. 1900 m. 19°C
This day we will rise very early and head up to higher elevation looking for the Santa Marta Endemics of this section. With the stunning views of the tallest snowy peaks of Colombia, we will look for the endemics, Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Warbler, Santa Marta Mountain-tanager, Santa Marta Bush-tyrant, Santa Marta Antpitta, Brown-rumped Tapaculo, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Yellow-crowned Whitestart, Black-backed Thornbill, and the recently split of the Rufous Antpitta, Santa Marta Rufous Antpitta. Other specialties are also found here like the Santa Marta race of the Tyriant Metaltail, Scaly-naped Parrot, Flammulated Treehunter, Paramo Seedeater, Golden Grosbeak, Black-and-chestnut Eagle, Black-and-white Hawk-eagle and the near endemic White-tipped Quetzal. The afternoon will be spent looking for missing specialties around and below the lodge.
Night in El Dorado lodge. 1900 m. 19°C
This morning we will start our way back to the lowlands exploring the forest below El Dorado lodge and towards Minca. There we will clean key missing species (see day 4) until we reach the town of Minca by lunchtime. After that, we will explore the tropical dry forest below Minca in search of
additional or missing species.
Depending on the previous arrangements we may fly late in the afternoon to Bogotá for international connections or stay overnight in Santa Marta. International flights also depart from Cartagena (3 hours from Santa Marta)
Night in: Santa Marta, Cartagena or Bogotá
END OF THE TOUR
