AMAZONIAN COLOMBIA
with Pre and Post Tour Extensions

Main Tour: Mitú

Main Tour Day 1: Arrive in Bogotá

Main Tour Day 2-8: After our flight out to Mitú we shall spend our week bird watching along the very many trails around Mitú. Unusually for birding sites in the Amazon, Mitú boasts three very different habitat types, Varzea, Terra Firma and White Sands forests and, as a result, an enormous diversity of birds. Some of the specialities that we shall look for include Red-fan Parrot, Blackish Nightjar, Fiery Topaz, Orinoco Piculet,Tawny-tufted Toucanet, Chestnut-crested Antbird, Spot-backed Antwren, Yellow-crowned Manakin, Saffron-crested Tyrant-Manakin, Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, Purple-breasted and Pompadour Cotingas, Azure-naped Jay, Lemon-chested and Brown-headed Greenlets and White-naped Seedeater.

Other species could include White-throated Toucan, Chestnut and Scale-breasted Woodpecker, Saffron-crested Tyrant-Manakin, Paradise Jacamar, White-chested and Spotted Puffbirds, Screaming Piha, Cinereous, Pearly and Amazonian Antshrikes, Black-throated, Black-headed, White-plumed and Bicoloured Antbirds,Cherrie's and Long-winged Antwrens, Black Bushbird, Spangled Cotinga, Green Oropendola, White-eyed Tody-Tyrant, Green Manakin, Rufous-tailed Xenops, Dusky-chested Flycatcher, Collared Gnatwren, Pink-throated Becard, Wing-barred Piprites, Flame-crested and Green-and-gold Tanagers and Pectoral Sparrow.

Pre Tour Extension: East Andes & Magdalena Valley

Pre-tour Extension 1: Arrive in Bogotá

Pre-tour Extension 2: At dawn we shall find ourselves on Cerro Guadalupe overlooking the vast city of Bogotá. Here we shall look for the endemics, Matorral Tapaculo and Silvery-throated Spinetail as well as the near endemics, Rufous-browed Conebill and Coppery-bellied Puffleg. Mid morning we shall head off to some nearby gravel pits for Bogota Rail, Spot-flanked Gallinule and Merida Speckled Teal. After a short lunch we shall visit a vast reed bed to look for Apolinar's Marsh-wren. Night in Chiquinquirà.

Pre-tour Extension 3 - 5: We shall set off early for the Cerulean Warbler Reserve for a three night stay and passing through the scenic Chicamocha Canyon en route. We shall spend our time focusing on nine of the endemics this reserve has to offer; Gorgeted Wood-quail, Indigo-capped Hummingbird, Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird, Black Inca, Upper Magdalena Tapaculo, Mountain Grackle, Niceforo's Wren, Parker's Antbird and Turquoise Dacnis. Other highlights could include Highland Tinamou, Yellow-throated Spadebill and White-bellied Antpitta.

Pre-tour Extension 6 - 8: After an early breakfast we shall leave head south towards El Paujil stopping en route to look for Northern Screamer that frequents the marshes alongside the main highway. Once at the reserve we shall focus our time looking for Blue-billed Curassow as well as several other endemics such as White-mantled Barbet, Beautiful Woodpecker, Colombian Chachalaca and Sooty Ant-tanager. Other species we should look out for include Black-billed Flycatcher, Black Antshrike, Citron-throated Toucan and Saffron-headed Parrot. After lunch on our final day in the reserve we shall return to Bogotá for a one night stay.

Post Tour Extension: Santa Marta

Post Tour Extension 1: We shall take an early morning flight to Santa Marta. The rest of the day will be spent birding our way up to the El Dorado Lodge for a two nights stay.

Post Tour Extension 2-3: Birding the Santa Marta Mountains. Clearly our focus will be on seeing as many of the endemics as possible which include Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Screech-owl, Blossomcrown, Black-backed Thornbill, White-tailed Starfrontlet, Santa Marta Woodstar, Santa Marta Sabrewing, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner, Santa Marta Bush-tyrant, Santa Marta Brush-finch, Colombian Brush-finch, Santa Marta Mountain-tanager, White-lored Warbler, Santa Marta Warbler, Santa Marta Tapaculo, Brown-rumped Tapaculo, and Yellow-crowned Whitestart. Other species may include White-tipped Quetzal, White-rumped Hawk, Black-and-chestnut Eagle, Black-fronted Wood-Quail, Golden-breasted Fruiteater and Lined Quail-Dove.

Post Tour Extension 4: Today we shall spend our time in the Xerophytic scrub of La Guajira in seach of such specialities as Chestnut Piculet, Tocuyo Sparrow, Vermillion Cardinal and Buffy Hummingbird. We shall also hope to see Bare-eyed Pigeon, Green-rumped Parrotlet, White-whiskered Spinetail, Black-crested Antshrike, Orinocan Saltator, Pale-eyed Pygmy-tyrant, Glaucous Tanager, Slender-billed Inezia, Russet-throated Puffbird and Northern White-fringed Antwren. Night in Santa Marta.

Post Tour Extension 5: We shall spend the early morning in Isla Salamanca in search of the endemic Chestnut-winged Chachalaca and Bronze-brown Cowbird and maybe the rare Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird. We shall also hope to see Bicoloured Conebill, Northern Scrub-flycatcher and the black-winged race of Wattled Jacana before driving to Barranquilla for our flight to Bogotá to connect with international flights.

Dates:

Main Tour: 30th November – 8th December 2012 (9 days)
Pre-tour Extension: 23rd – 30th November 2012 (7 days)
Post-tour Extension: 9th – 13th December 2012 (5 days)

Price:

Main Tour: GB£1700/US$2720 per person
Pre-tour Extension GB£1350/US$2160 per person
Post-tour Extension GB£1500/US$2400 per person

Max Group Size: 4

Tours Include: All accommodation in hotels and lodges, ground transport, internal flights, meals, services of tour leader and drivers.

Not included: International flights, departure tax, alcoholic drinks, tips, laundry and other items of a personal nature.