Santa Marta Endemic Mountains Birding Tour, Colombia - 7 Days

Meeting in Barranquilla city; Night in Barranquilla: Hotel Hampton by Hilton

The first part of the birding begins in some swamps and mangroves before and along the park, let’s work on: Sapphire-bellied (EN) (CR) and Sapphire-throated Hummingbird, Rufescent-Tiger Heron, Snail Kite, Brown-throated Parakeet, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Coloured Conebill, Bronze Cowbird, Carib Grackle, Mangrove Warbler and many aquatic species. Salamanca N P to Santa Marta city: 1:50 hrs driving. Night in Santa Marta: La Casa de Viento Hotel Boutique.

This morning we will transfer to work on this loved natural area: Laughing Falcon, Crane Hawk, Lineated Woodpecker, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Blue-headed Parrot, White-bellied and Jet Antbird, Northern Royal Flycatcher, Lance-tailed and White-bearded Manakin, Scrub Greenlet, Buff-breasted and Bicolored Wrens and many more. After lunch we can continue to Riohacha city doing a birding stop before the city for: Double-striped Thick-knee, Limpkin and more.Tayrona NP to Riohacha: 2 hr driving.Night: Hotel Barbacoa.

Our warm-up for the endemic experience in the mountains begins around this Sanctuary, we will work on regional endemics found only in the Guajira area of Colombia and Venezuela: Tocuyo Sparrow, Orinocan Saltator, Vermilion Cardinal, Chestnut Piculet, White-whiskered Spinetail, Buffy Hummingbird, Bare-eyed Pigeon, Slender-billed Tyrannulet, Northern Scrub-Flycatcher, Glaucous Tanager, Pileated Finch and more specialties. On the salty lagoon troops of elegant American Flamingos strut very proud, and many other aquatic species can be enjoyed. After lunch we move to Minca village. Night in Minca: Hotel Sierra Sound.

Minca is the golden gate to the winged treasures on the mountains, the humid forest introduces us to the more enriching experience while we are getting to a higher altitude: let’s celebrate encounters of Golden-winged Sparrow, Black-and-white Owl, Red-bellied Emerald, Keel-billed Toucan, Whooping Motmot, Collared Aracari, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Gray-headed Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Blue-black Grosbeak, Red-billed Parrot… After lunch we will continue birding and ascending through the Santa Marta mountains along the road to the El Dorado Reserve working on some endemics as: Santa Marta Antbird, Santa Marta Tapaculo, Blossomcrown, Santa Marta Brusfinch, Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner plus other specialties.

Very early we’ll move to the top of the mountain – Cuchilla de San Lorenzo - for an endemic sunrise; let's work on Santa Marta: Parakeet, Mountain Tanager, Bush-Tyrant, Brushfinch, Warbler, Antpitta plus Yellow-crowned Whitestart, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Brown-rumped Tapaculo and the near endemic Streak-capped Spinetail plus more jewels of this endemic mountains. After lunch we’ll work at the low part of the reserve to look for: Coppery Emerald, Venezuelan Tyrannulet, Black-chested Jay, Souther Emerald and Groove-billed Toucanet.

This morning we will work near the lodge for: White-lored Warbler, White-tailed Starfrontlet, White-tipped Quetzal, Sierra Nevada Brushfinch, Band-tailed Guan, Black-fronted Wood-Quail, Golden-breasted Fruiteater and many more nice birds. After lunch we will begin descending toward Minca doing some birding stops on the road to look for species missed days before. Night in Minca: Hotel Sierra Sound.

In our last morning here, we will have a short birding when leaving Minca, then we transfer to Santa Marta city for a flight to Bogotá city connection to your country.