Santa Marta Mts (Minca Road)

Introduction

The Santa Marta Mountains hosts the largest number of endemics in Colombia, most of which are easily accessible from the Minca road up to the San Lorenzo Ridge (Cuchilla de San Lorenzo) and beyond. Access though is difficult and a 4x4 vehicle is essential.

Getting there

Shortly after leaving Santa Marta leave the main coast road and follow the signs for Minca. Once beyond the village of Minca it is worth starting to look for birds. Permission to stay at the San Lorenzo lodge needs to be obtained from the Environment Ministry in Santa Marta.

Birds to look for

At around 750 metres look for Keel-billed Toucan, Masked Tityra, Blue-crowned Motmot, Crested Oropendola, Golden-winged and Black-striped Sparrow, Rufous-capped Warbler, Yellow-backed Oriole and Cinereous Becard.

As you move up the mountain you begin to reach the coffee plantations. Here you may see Northern Oriole, Tennessee Warbler and other winter visitors, Yellow-legged and Black-hooded Thrush.

The birding is good all the way to San Lorenzo and it is well worth stopping regularly all the way up. Expect to take about 9 hours to get there. The first endemics can be seen above 1200m.a.s.l. At this altitude look for Santa Marta Brush-finch and White-lored Warbler. In the gardens of the few houses you pass look for the rare and endemic Blossomcrown, particularly in the garden of a house named Palo Alto.

Around the San Lorenzo Lodge and beyond, look for Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Mountain-tanager, White-tailed Starfrontlet, Santa Marta Bush-tyrant, Santa Marta Antpitta, Golden-crowned Whitestart, Red-billed Parrot, Band-tailed Guan, Barred Forest-falcon and many more...

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