Dan Peak, Sheridan Coffey, and Martin Reid (author) arranged another private birding tour to Colombia with Pablo Florez Valencia, a Medellin-based Bird Guide. See my August 2009 report for our first trip with Pablo and for details about him. It was to be a two-week trip, hitting a few selected East Andean sites but mostly concentrating on the Santa Marta and Guajira specialties. Pablo corresponded with the author beforehand, helping us select the best itinerary based on our birding needs (I’d been to Colombia the preceding August, Ecuador 14 times, plus Cerro Pirre in easternmost Panama), finances (preferred rooms with private bathroom and a/c in lowlands but not expensive), and abilities (two of us had physical limitations that meant no long/steep trails).
Here’s the itinerary we ended-up following; note that Pablo was busy with another client for the first few days of our two weeks, thus we started with a short Eastern Andes section guided by Pablo’s friend, Oswaldo Cortes:
Dec 5th: Sheridan and Martin arrived in Bogota in the late evening; we used a pre-arranged taxi to get to our hotel. Dan had arrived a day earlier to conduct some business, and we met him at the hotel; Dan could only be with us for this first section of the trip.
Dec 6th: We met our new guide Oswaldo and also Ever, our driver from August, promptly at 5.15am. Morning birding around Lago PedroPalo, one hour west of Bogota. In the early afternoon we drove back into Bogota and out on the northern side, and on up to Rogitama (c. 3 hours from Bogota, northwest of Tunja), arriving soon after dark.
Dec 7th: We spent the morning at or close to the main building, finding and photographing Black Incas. After a walk up to some oak woodland on the property, we left in the mid-afternoon for a long (5+ hours) drive north to the town of Soata. We made a brief stop on a side-road on the Paramo del Rusia, but the sunny, windy weather was not conducive to much activity. Night in a hotel in the center of Soata.
Dec 8th: Dawn found us driving up the road to Onzaga in search of Mountain Grackles. It was mostly cloudless and once the sun had lit up the oak forest, it became rather quiet. After a field lunch we descended back towards Soata and stopped to bird some flowering trees over a small rushing stream. Then back to Soata and a walk down a steepish trail on the downhill side of town to look for Nicifero’s Wren, Apical Flycatcher, and Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird. Night in Soata hotel.
Dec 9th: We spent most of the morning back down the trail below the town, then headed off for the long drive back south, with a brief and unproductive stop once more in the balmy Paramo del Rusia. We arrived at Lago Fuquene in the late afternoon and used the last hour-plus of birding light there, before driving on and back into Bogota for the night.
Dec 10th: All day birding on the east slope of the Andes at sites along the road to Villavicencio. Pablo met us at the hotel and thus we had Pablo and Oswaldo for this day. We spent all morning birding along the road where the Cundinamarca Antpitta was discovered. In the afternoon we dropped lower, looking for good hummingbird spots, and eventually finding a busy “Flame Tree” next to the stream in Guayabetal. Late afternoon drive back to Bogota for the night, saying goodbye to Oswaldo.
Dec 11th: Early morning drive to an area near Guasca, about an hour north of Bogota. After some lost time trying to find the gravel pits, we eventually got there, and spent a productive 90 minutes with Bogota Rails, Noble Snipe, etc. Then back to Bogota and the airport for an 11am flight to Santa Marta on Avianca (not a great experience, with confusion about boarding procedure, and poor ventilation on the older MD80 aircraft). Our driver, Jaime was there to meet us at Santa Marta airport and after shopping for some provisions in a swanky Mall, we headed off east towards Riohacha, with a couple of birding stops near Tayrona N.P. We arrived at our pleasant hotel (room with a/c) in the busy town of Riohacha after dark.
Dec 12th: All day birding around the village of Camarones some 30 minutes back west of Riohacha, with a local gide. It was very hot, but not too many biting insects (for me; Sheridan seemed to be tastier to the local bugs). We took a siesta for lunch back in Riohacha, and then met our local guide back at the trails at 2.30pm. Back to our downtown hotel for the night.
Dec 13th: After a few hours back on the trails around Camarones we drove/birded our way back to the outskirts of Santa Marta. We spent quite a bit of time looking for flowering trees for hummingbirds, but without too much success. Lunch was at a nice roadside stop with scattered tall trees and access to a riparian belt along a small stream close to where it entered a river. At Santa Marta we turned south on the road to Minca, getting to the small town at dusk. Night in a nice hotel on the edge of town with excellent staff and food, overlooking a scenic forested stream.
Dec 14th: Spent the morning birding along the road above Minca and down a side-road that ended at Pozo Azul (a local swimming spot). We returned to Pozo Azul (trying to re-find the Sabrewing) in the early afternoon, then birded our way up towards the El Dorado Lodge, with a stop at the tienda below the lodge. We arrived at the lodge with about an hour of birding light left, and birded the garden until dusk. The first of four fabulous nights at El Dorado Lodge, where the food was great, the views spectacular, and the staff very attentive.
Dec 15th: There had been a misunderstanding about our transportation preference, and we ended up spending the day without prearranged transport, so we birded around the lodge, along a couple of short trails close by, and along the road a short distance above and below the lodge. In the morning we managed to hitch a ride with our erstwhile 4WD provider (this day hired to take a security guard up to the antennae) up to the San Lorenzo Field Station (2,280m), where we spent over an hour before getting a ride back down. Night at El Dorado Lodge.
Dec 16th: Today we had our own hired 4WD SUV all day. An early start to get up to the antennas (beyond the Field Station) soon after first light. Spent most of the day birding between the various antenna locations, getting to within about 1 km of the end of the road at Kennedy Peak. Back down to El Dorado Lodge in late afternoon; night at the lodge.
Dec 17th: Again all day with our own (re-hired) 4WD SUV, so we drove/birded up as far as the San Lorenzo Field Station (2,280m) and down as far as just below the tienda below the lodge(c. 1,650m). Also in the lodge gardens; night at Lodge.
Dec 18th: After a early short foray in the gardens, we said farewell to the lovely Lodge staff and started our descent. We spent quite a bit of time at the tienda, then stopped a number times above Minca, finally reaching Minca as it got dark. We drove down to our pleasant downtown Santa Marta hotel and then enjoyed delicious seafood at one of the many restaurants close by.
Dec 19th: Early drive out of Santa Marta and along the coast road towards Barranquilla, with a roadside stop for Chachalacas before we reached Cienega Grande, then on to the entrance area of Isla Salamanca N.P. Birded there and at other roadside spots in the mangroves and salt flats until about 11am, then continued on to Barranquilla airport. Flew to Bogota in the afternoon (with Avianca – this time a smooth and pleasant experience on a new 737-800), then used an excellent pre-arranged taxi (Augusto) to get to our usual Bogota Hotel.
Dec 20th/21st: Travel day(s); we had a 14-hour delay due to a snowstorm in NE USA, eventually getting home to San Antonio in the late morning of Dec 21.
Guide: Pablo Florez Valencia; email paflorez13@hotmail.com. This is a reprint of my comments in my August 2009 trip report; not much to add except to note that Pablo has almost all of the target birds on his Ipod and had some excellent playback speakers. He has a fairly good owling light, but as of this time he does not own a telescope:- Pablo’s home town is Medellin, but he has birded repeatedly at all the major birding locations in the country – and many of the minor ones also. He is co-founder of Proaves, the principal Colombian NGO involved in acquiring and protecting critical bird habitat. He speaks fairly good English, but is not fluent, so it helps (but is not essential) to have some basic Spanish. He has a great temperament for guiding, being polite and patient (with us), and also persistent (with the birds). He has almost all the key birds on his Ipod, and is very knowledgeable about the vast majority of the birds, and especially about where to find them. However he is not quite at the level of a Bret Witney, Mitch Lysinger, or Paul Coopmans; I say this not as a criticism, because there are very few bird guides who are red-hot on ALL the birds. I feel it’s my duty to mention it so that prospective clients know what they are getting: an excellent birding guide, not an infallible Guru! Currently his prices are an incredible value, and our trip cost far less than any of my other guided trips in the Neotropics. I would place Pablo at the top of the ladder when it comes to organization and consideration for our well-being and safety – and that counts for a lot in this new birding frontier; I highly recommend him
Guide: Oswaldo Cortes. Oswaldo is a young man who works mostly for Pablo, and specializes in the eastern Andes. His English is okay but not great; at this time he does not have a telescope, owl light, or Ipod/playback capacity – but he has conducted research on many of the East Andean specialties such as Mountain Grackle and Cundinamarca Antpitta, and his knowledge of these species is perhaps unsurpassed. He’s a very nice fellow who works hard to get you onto the target birds, is excellent value, and I would highly recommend him for visits to such places as the Bogota Plateau and nearby sites, Soata, Rogitama, Monterredondo (Cundinamarca Antpitta), etc.
Summary of locations:
We intended to create an itinerary that mostly avoided strenuous hikes or steep/slippery trails, and to this extent it was a great success. The vast majority of our birding was walking along drivable tracks/roads at gentle inclinations, and it would have suited many birders who struggle with physically demanding terrain. Of course there were times when a willingness/ability to charge into the bush might have gotten better results (and Pablo and Oswaldo were willing and able!), but overall I feel that we did extremely well considering our self-imposed limits.
Laguna PedroPalo is close to the small town of Tena, due west of Bogota. The lake is at c.2,000 meters, but the birding is done between 2,100m and 1,600m. It is probably best done on a weekday – we had to go on a Sunday and there were some recreational users of the road above the Reserve. Most were walkers, and all were friendly – however they did create a slight level of distraction. Note that most birders do not enter the actual lakefront reserve (owned by the municipality of Tena and requiring a pre-issued permit) but instead bird along roads that overlook the lake or on the side of the main road that runs through mixed woodland below the lake. This location is the closest to Bogota for Turquoise Dacnis and Black Inca, but both are somewhat unpredictable there; we concentrated on the Dacnis but only one of us saw it.
Rogitama is located on Google Map’s “route 62” northwest of Tunja, near Arcabuco and close to the Santander/Boyaca boundary. Rogitama is a private reserve and the host Roberto was both charming and passionate about the special birds found on his property. There are many native species of hummingbird-friendly plants being propagated near the main house – but Roberto prefers to not use hummingbird feeders. Roberto also raises some orchids and other native commercial plants, but the whole layout is pleasingly haphazard and far from the neatly regimented vision I had prior to arrival! The main building complex is at c.2,600 meters, and the immediate area comprises small meadows/pastures with scattered stands of trees and shrubs – many of them planted to attract hummingbirds. Rooms are on the 2nd floor where there is a nice covered balcony that looks down on some excellent hummingbird habitat (sometimes the hummers are almost at arm’s length). Our room was okay, but the bed mattresses were painfully thin for an overweight person such as myself. Delicious meals are served family-style in a dining room that portrays posters about the birds and other wildlife found in the area. White-throated Screech-Owls reside close to the main building (but we did not see them even though they responded to tape). All the hummingbird plants are now dominated by Violetears, which sing from high exposed perches at dawn. We did see the occasional short-tailed Emerald sneak in to feed on some small plants hanging from the balcony, and also saw a couple of White-bellied Woodstars doing the same thing at the far end of the balcony. In the immediate area of the buildings we saw perhaps five different Black Incas, but they mostly stayed inside the shrubs to avoid the Violetears. In the past there have been numerous Lazuline Sabrewings seen on this property, but even with owner Roberto’s help we could not find one – the impression was that the recent increase in the number of Violetears might have pushed the Sabrewings away, but it could also be due to seasonal movements. We walked up to higher oak-dominated forests on the reserve via a trail that followed various riparian corridors through mostly pastureland. The oak forest looked very interesting but we were there in the middle of a sunny day, and did not have very long to explore (we did see some interesting butterflies and dragonflies at a stream crossing). This is a great location to see and photograph Black Inca, and may still harbour some Lazuline Sabrewings – Golden-bellied Starfrontlet has also been seen there. Roberto is regularly moving the flowering shrubs around, and this may change the pattern of use by the Sabrewings and other hummers.
Soata is a medium-sized town at c.2,000 meters in the Eastern Andes on the western slope above the Río Chicamocha – a tributary of the Rio Magdalena that cuts deep into the heart of the northern section of the Colombian eastern Andes. It is about 5 – 6 hours drive from Bogota, and one hour to the south of Soata the road crosses Paramo del Rusia (almost 3,400m) where some of the Paramo specialist species can be found. The town reminded us of El Cairo in the western Andes, being very pleasant and friendly, and somewhat dependant on coffee production. They have recently become aware of the eco-tourist potential due to three Critically Endangered bird species being found on their doorstep – the local Mayor drove past us and turned around to stop and chat and ask us to promote his town for birdwatching! Nicifero’s Wren and Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird can be found very close to the town itself – we found them within walking distance from the Central Square along a steepish trail that followed a downhill stream with narrow but dense riparian cover, where we also saw Apical Flycatcher, plus Lazuline Sabrewing in flowering trees along the edge of a pasture. The Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird has even been seen occasionally feeding on flowers in the Central Square. For the Mountain Grackle you need to ascend into the oak forests to the west of town, and there is a nice easily-drivable dirt road that climbs up to a pass at close to 3,000 meters then descends down towards the town of Onzaga. The grackles can be found anywhere in the oak-dominated stretches of forest along this road, as can Rusty-faced Parrots, Longuemar’s Sunangel (and perhaps Orange-throated Sunangel), Moustached Brush-Finch, with Bronze-tailed Thornbill and Golden-bellied Starfrontlet also possible near the Pass. Most of the visible forest before the Pass is owned by a family whose home is next to the road about ¾ of the way up to the pass, on the right; please stop and buy a cup of coffee from them, and tell them how much you appreciate that they are working to preserve habitat for the grackle (they asked for nothing, but I gave them a donation). Closer to Soata the road crosses a large stream with tall riparian woodland along its course – Nicifero’s Wren can also be found here, and we saw our first Chestnut-bellied Hummingbirds there, feeding high in the canopy. At this spot we had a close fly-over by a White-throated Hawk – previously unrecorded from this area. We stayed at a hotel on the Central Square; it was fine, and relatively peaceful (given that our first night was a Festive Holiday and fireworks were being let-off until 11pm). There are a couple of Internet Cafes in town, but the service is rather slow. Oswaldo Cortes has done research on the grackles along the Onzaga road and knows their habits intimately.
Lago Fuquene is a very large wetland located 1+ hour north of Bogota. Much of the lake is covered with stands of cattails and floating vegetation, and the cattails are THE best place to see Apolinar’s Wren. There is a dirt road that skirts the side of the wetland – we only explored a very small part of it as we had little daylight left when we got there. While we saw the wren very well at least 3 times (via telescope), they were on the far side of a channel so I could not get closer for photos; I gather that further around the road there are some spots where you can get closer to the cattails/wrens. Bogota Rails and Spot-flanked Gallinules also occur at the lake, but it is a massive area to check (the only rail we found was a Sora) with most of it very distant. Yellow-hooded Blackbird seems to be common there, and there have been occasional sightings of Subtropical Doradito.
Monterredondo is the name used to refer to the site for the Cundinamarca Antpitta. The type locality is in forests a c. 2,300 – 2,800 meters accessible from a dirt road that exits north from the Bogota – Villavicenio road just west (uphill) of the town of Guayabetal and climbs towards the small town of El Calvario. Guayabetal is between 2 and 2 ½ hours from Bogota depending on traffic (the road is choked with slow trucks). The main spot that birders visit for the antpitta requires a short (120 meters) but very steep scramble up an open pasture to the start of a somewhat level (a bit up-and-down) trail that enters a stand of forest. There are five known territories for the Antpitta along that section of the trail. It seems that December is not a good time for the birds to be responsive to tape, as we only got a reply from one individual (it called back and approached slightly on four separate occasions, but never showed itself). Other birders had visited the site two days prior to us and used tape, also without seeing the birds. As we birded our way downslope from this location we heard a calling Cundinamarca Antpitta in the forest next to the road; unfortunately this was at a spot where we could not find a way up a short but vertical bank into the dense undergrowth of the forest. The bird responded to tape and came right to the edge of the bank and within 15 feet of us, but none of us caught even the slightest glimpse of it. Golden-bellied Starfrontlet has been seen along this stretch of road, and Ochre-breasted Brush-finch is relatively common there (by voice - we only saw one pair). Emerald-bellied Puffleg also may occur there, and Highland Tinamou has been heard. Back down along the main road near Guayabetal (c. 1,000 meters elevation) flame trees concentrate the hummers, and among the many Green Violetears and Black-throated Mangos there are other species such as Green-bellied Hummingbird, Glittering-throated Emerald, and Tawny-bellied Hermit. From Guayabetal it’s about 90 minutes to the road north of Villavicencio where a number of lower foothill species can be seen (we ran out of time to go there).
Guasca gravel Pits are located just a few kms from the town of Guasca. I can’t tell you how to find them as none of us hade been there before (including Pablo) and we got hopelessly lost trying to follow verbal directions… Anyway once you find them they are terrific, with Bogota Rails and Noble Snipe very easy to see, and also some “Merida” Andean Teal. Pablo has looked for the Rail a number of times at various other Bogota sites and only seen them rather fleetingly – he was amazed at how easy they were to see at this location.
Riohacha/Camarones: Riohacha is a medium/large coastal town at the base of the Guajira Peninsula that seems to have a thriving local tourist trade. We stayed in a downtown hotel just two blocks from the seafront; it was decent, with a/c, private bath, and unheated water (but not really cold - which was perfect after a long hot day in the field). Young women in traditional dress of the indigenous Guajiro tribe were sat on the doorstep of our hotel making bags and bracelets just about every time we entered/exited; Sheridan bought some very nice stuff from them at very good prices. We used Riohacha just as a base, and did all of our birding close to the small town of Camarones, which lies north of the main road some 25 minutes back west towards Santa Marta from Riohacha. First activity was to drive into the local Indian (Guajiro) community near the beach to hire a local guide. Pablo said that while this is not strictly necessary, it does help the local community to associate their habitat and birds with a form of income, plus the maze of trails could prove very confusing. Our guide, a young teenager called “Diohannes” (my phonetic spelling!) was very sharp-eyed and spotted a number of our target species – although he was not discriminating and would equally line us up carefully on a Chestnut Piculet or a Yellow Warbler.... Most of the birding is done along level sandy trails through varying thicknesses of desert scrub, plus along the edge of a few of the many large tidal lagoons that stud the coastline in this area. A ‘scope is handy for shorebirds/waders, and helped us find a few Scarlet Ibis among the flamingoes and spoonbills. Our local guide was also able to take us to some private riparian areas along a stream south of the main road where we found some target species. To the west of Camarones and then all the way to Santa Marta the habitat changes to more typical lowland humid/semi-humid forest and woodland; we found a nice roadside Cabanas restaurant on a stream where we found some new trip species (note that all this section of humid forest/woodland is lumped into “Tayrona” in the species list key).
Cuchillo de San Lorenzo/Santa Marta highlands: What can I say? - quite simply it is one of the top experiences in Neotropical birding. We spent the first night in a very nice hacienda-style hotel on the edge of Minca, overlooking a lovely wooded stream. The areas along the road from below Minca right up to the antennae were much more forested than I’d expected; to be sure there is plenty of deforested land, but there seemed to always be significant corridors or connected patches of woodland even in the lower areas with the most alteration. Minca is a small, forested, rather sleepy town, and some good birds can be found right in the middle of town. Between Minca (c 630m) and the Lodge at El Dorado (c.1950m) there are a few stops that most birders make: not far above Minca there are areas where thick cover droops over the road from the uphill side, and this is where Rosy-thrush-Tanager, Golden-winged Sparrow, Black-backed Antshrike, and Rufous-and-white Wren can sometimes be called out into view. This section is also where most birders find Coppery Emerald – but it can be found sparingly right up to the Lodge itself. There is a public side road on the left that drops downhill at first then climbs back up, ending in a pull-out just across an old “ Madison County” style covered road bridge over a lovely clear large stream. There is a bathing pool (Pozo Azul) just upstream from this pull-out. We saw a male Santa Marta Sabrewing feeding on some flowers overhanging the stream next to the bridge; there are also numerous White-vented Plumeleteers and Black-throated Mangos along this part of the road. The Sabrewing had previously been reported from this road earlier in 2009 – some sightings of females may have been plumeleteers but at least one male was reported. While walking back from the bridge we entered a section where the forest closed over the road for a good stretch, and it was in this part that I found a Lined Quail-Dove feeding along the edge of the road. It saw me but did not fly, instead it walked away down the road for quite a while until it found a “path” back into the forest, and disappeared. I can’t be sure of the elevation of Pozo Azul (Google Earth has two quite different spots marked for it!), but it is below the usual elevational range quoted in field guides for the Sabrewing and the Quail-Dove. Note that while older references state that the Sabrewing is not found on the Cuchillo de San Lorenzo, it was found there in 1999 (I don’t know any details).
About 30 minutes below the El Dorado Lodge there is a small tienda that has planted many large hummingbird-friendly shrubs on both sides of the road. It is customary to stop and buy a drink and/or snack at the tienda, then relax at their “deck” to watch for hummers and enjoy the Chlorophonias and Brush-Finches (and Tennessee Warbler!) that come in to feed on the bananas placed out for them. The best flowers are the medium/small yellow-orange ones, and our only two sightings of male Blossomcrown were at this tienda. This was also the only place where we saw Sooty-capped Hermit (using large Turk’s-cap-like red flowers) and one short encounter with a Pale-bellied Hermit (note that Long-billed Hermit also occurs there). There is a gap in the forest canopy around the tienda that allows you to check a fairly large area of canopy and subcanopy – we saw Yellow-billed Toucanet, Golden-breasted Fruiteater, Yellow-legged Thrush, White-tipped Quetzal, Masked Trogon, and White-lored Warbler all at this one spot.
El Dorado Lodge comprises a main building (with dining room on the first floor and guest rooms on the 2nd floor) next to the road, then downslope via a short staircase and gentle stairway through the garden is a second large building with four rooms on the first floor and four on the second floor – all these rooms have private bathrooms (gas-heated hot water is normally available but was unpredictable during our visit due to a problem that they had trouble fixing) and a balcony facing the 6,000+-foot drop down to the Caribbean Sea overlooking the cities of Santa Marta and Cienega Grande – at night the lights of distant Barranquilla are discernable way off in the distance. This is perhaps the most spectacular view of any lodge I’ve stayed in, and on a clear night the sky had more stars than I’ve ever seen anywhere. The meals were very good and always on time (even the early breakfasts) and the staff very helpful. Note that they get electricity from the one powerline that snakes up the ridge to the Army base at the top antennae, and occasionally power is out due to high winds blowing a tree limb into the line – we had no power for the first 24 hours, but it was present (albeit rather weak some times!) for the rest of the time. There is a large planted “hummingbird garden” with many great shrubs that the hummers like to feed in – including a number of the yellow-orange flowered shrub that seemed the best for the smaller specialties. The area between the two main buildings also has a number of well-maintained hummingbird feeders that receive a variety of clientele. As with most montane concentration points, the flowers and feeders are dominated by Violetears – mostly Sparkling, but also some Green. Next in prominence are Violet-crowned Woodnymphs and Santa Marta Tyrian Metaltails, with one or two male and female White-tailed Starfrontlets visiting for short periods. A female Blossomcrown and female Santa Marta Woodstar were seen every day, from time to time sneaking in to feed on the yellow-orange flowers – the woodstar would also visit the feeders at the bottom of the dining room staircase. One female Coppery Emerald was seen a couple of times on the yellow-orange flowers next to the dining room staircase, and on two days a female Lazuline Saberwing was seen trying (and mostly failing) to get in to feed on feeders closer to the lower main building (some bird banders were at the Lodge during our stay, seeking Neotropical migrants, and their bycatch included a few male and female Lazuline Sabrewings – first recorded in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in 2003). NOTE: the El Dorado Lodge groundsman Montero is in the process of training a Santa Marta Antpitta to come in for worms! We only discovered this on our last night, and the next morning the Antpitta did not come in – but I expect that very soon the antpitta(s) will be regular visitors to Montero’s feeding station. ALSO: there is a small covered compost pile visible from between the main building and the staff building, and every dawn/dusk (and maybe at other times too) a small covey of Black-fronted Wood-Quails comes in to feed there. Other compost visitors include the Santa Marta Stripe-headed Brush-Finch, and I would not be surprised to learn that antpittas are visiting.
Prior to the opening of the El Dorado Lodge birders had to stay at the San Lorenzo Research Station, located c. 45 minutes uphill at c.2,280m. This looked like a nice place to stay, and it is less expensive, but I gather that the facilities are much more basic and do not include food – I’d definitely recommend the El Dorado Lodge as the best base from which to explore the ridge. We birded around the clearing there, seeing our first Santa Marta Parakeets flying close by us the first time. At about 2,450m you get to the first of many antennae spread out along the road – it is probably another 6 – 8 kms to the final antenna at almost 2,800m atop Kennedy Peak. We never quite got that far, as we found all the birds we were looking for in the stretch c. 6 – 2 kms before the end of the road. Before arriving I read all the Internet trip reports that I could find for the Santa Martas in the past five years, and almost none of them mentioned Black-backed Thornbill – yet it is definitely gettable at the right time of year, if you have a guide that knows their habits. I prefer not to provide details of our encounter, as to some extent it is proprietary information that gives our guide an edge… suffice it to say that definitely in Dec – Feb, and possibly at other times (at different habitats) the Thornbill is findable with the correct local knowledge. We saw one male very well (got it in the scope a couple of times) and probably a flyby female.
Isla de Salamanca National Park is located on the barrier island that separates the huge delta lagoons east of the Rio Magdalena from the Caribbean Sea; it is mostly mangrove forest. Note that the Chestnut-winged Chachalaca is more likely to be seen in the early morning atop bare snags in the mixed scrub-woodland that is found along the main road between Santa Marta and Cienega Grande (i.e. before reaching the barrier islands). At the park you must pay a hefty fee to enter (maybe USD15 per person for non-nationals) – or you can just stop along the roadside (but this road is busy and the noise is very off-putting). We went into the park (you enter the gate on the south side of the road then use a tunnel under the road to visit a trail system on the north side of the road.) With very limited time we failed to find either of the Lepidopyga hummers that have been found there, but did get good looks at Panama Flycatcher, the “Mangrove form” of Black-crested Antshrike, many Bicolored Conebills (also seen from the road), Yellow-chinned Spintetails, and Greater Ani; we also heard Rufous-necked Wood-Rail. Not far past the park entrance (going west) there is a gas station/tienda on the south side - it’s the only place to pull off from the main road for many miles. We stopped and enjoyed a cold drink and some snacks, and found Pied Water-Tyrant, Carib Grackle, Yellow Oriole all very close and photogenic, plus a flyover Large-billed Tern.
Bird List: key
PED = Laguna PedroPalo 1 hour west of Bogota.
ROG = Rogitama private reserve c.3 hours north of Bogota.
RUS = Paramo del Rusia 1 hour south of Soata.
ONZ = Soata – Onzaga road.
SOA = trails on east side of Soata (downhill).
FUQ = Lago Fuquene, 1 hour north of Bogota.
MON = “Monterrdondo” Cundinamarca Antpitta road.
BET = Guayabetal, on road to Villavicencio.
BOG = gravel pit area near Guasca, north of Bogota.
TAY = stops near Tayrona NP on north coast between Santa Marta and Camarones.
CAM = in or near Camarones, on the coast 30 minutes west of Riohacha.
MIN = above Minca (up to c. 1,100 meters on road to El Dorado).
LSM = Lower Santa Marta (road at and below El Dorado Lodge on the Cuchillo de San Lorenzo, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta).
USM = Upper Santa Marta (from below the Field Station up to the antennae).
SAL = at or close to Isla de Salamanca NP between Cienega Grande and Barranquilla.
Endemics and Near-Endemics (including subspecies) are in bold type. Other birds of interest are underlined. Heard only species are in []; species seen by others but not by me are in {}:
Andean Teal Anas andinum altipetens 4 BOG this is the paler “Merida Teal” form
Blue-winged Teal Anas discors 3 BOG; 50+ SAL
Colombian/Ruddy Duck Oxyura andina/jamaicensis 2 BOG
Band-tailed Guan Penelope argyrotis 2–4 LSM each evening in trees next to Lodge
Chestnut-winged Chachalaca Ortalis garrula 4 from road between Santa Marta and Cienega Grande
Black-fronted Wood-Quail Odontophorus atrifrons 4 LSM in/near compost pile at Lodge
Pied-billed Grebe Podylimbus podiceps 1 PED
American Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber 20+ CAM
Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis common on coast
Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus common on coast and inland a few miles
Anhinga Anhinga anhinga 1 SAL
Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens a few along the coast
{Boat-billed Heron Cochlearius cochlearius } 1 SAL (Sheridan)
Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax 2 BOG, 2 SAL
Green Heron Butorides virescens 1 CAM, 1 SAL
Striated Heron Butorides striata 1 BOG
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis fairly common throughout
Great Egret Ardea alba fairly common at all wetlands
Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias a few along the coastal strip
Cocoi Heron Ardea cocoi a few SAL
Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor 2 SAL
Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens a few in coastal lagoons
Snowy Egret Egretta thula fairly common along the coast
Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea 1 CAM, fairly common SAL
White Ibis Eudocimus ablus fairly common CAM
Scarlet Ibis Eudocimus ruber 4 CAM
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus 1 SAL
Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja fairly common CAM
Wood Stork Mycteria Americana two CAM
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura daily
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture Cathartes burrovianus a few along the coast
Black Vulture Coragyps stratus daily
King Vulture Sarcoramphus papa 3 MIN
Hook-billed Kite Chondrohierax ucinatus 1 LSM
Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis 1 CAM
Double-toothed Kite Harpagus bidentatus 2 LSM in flight display
Tiny Hawk Accipiter superciliosus 1 LSM
Savanna Hawk Buteogallus meridionalis 2 CAM
Harris’s Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus 2 CAM
Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris singles at five locations
Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus one or two at all mid-elevation locations
White-rumped Hawk Buteo leucorrhous 1 USM
Grey-lined Hawk Buteo nitidus 1 MIN
Short-tailed Hawk Buteo brachyurus 1 TAY
White-throated Hawk Buteo albigula 1 close fly-by on lower ONZ
Black-and-chestnut Eagle Spizaetus isidori 1 adult flying USM
[Barred Forest-Falcon Micrastur ruficollis] 1 heard only LSM
Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway a few in coastal strip
Yellow-headed Caracara Milvago chimachima a few SAL
American Kestrel Falco sparverius odd singles here and there
Merlin Falco columbarius 1 CAM
Bat Falcon Falco rufigularis 1 MIN
Peregrine Falco peregrinus 1 SAL
Limpkin Aramus guarauna 1 CAM, 1 SAL
Bogota Rail Rallus semiplumbeus 6 BOG
[Rufous-necked Wood-Rail] 2 heard only SAL
Sora Porzana Carolina 1 FUQ
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 1 PED, 1 SAL
Spot-flanked Gallinule Gallinula melanops bogotensis 2 FUQ, 1 BOG
Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinica 1 SAL
American Coot Fulica americana many FUQ; a few BOG
[Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis] heard-only CAM
Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola 1 SAL
Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus heard at CAM, 10+ SAL
Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus 1 SAL
Wilson’s Snipe Gallinago delicata 2 BOG
Noble Snipe Gallinago nobilis 8 BOG most in short flights, but 2 standing
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus 1 CAM, 1 SAL
Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius a few CAM; 1 SAL
Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes a few CAM lagoons
Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria 1 CAM, 1 SAL
Willet Tringa semipalmata fairly common CAM and SAL
Sanderling Calidris alba 7 SAL
Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri fairly common SAL
Wattled Jacana Jacana jacana 2 CAM, 8+ SAL
Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla common along actual coast
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus graellsii 1 adult and 1 2nd-cycle, CAM beach and lagoon
Large-billed Tern Phaetusa simplex 1 SAL
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia a few CAM
Common Tern Sterna hirundo 1 CAM lagoon
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis small numbers CAM and SAL
Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus fairly common along coast
Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina fairly common CAM and SAL
Plain-breasted Ground-Dove Columbina minuta 1 CAM
Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti common throughout lowlands
Scaled Dove Columbina squammata small numbers CAM and SAL
Rock Pigeon Columba livia common in towns
Bare-eyed Pigeon Patagioenas corensis fairly common CAM and SAL
Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata common in temperate areas
Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata common
White-tipped Dove Leptotila verrauxi fairly common throughout
Lined Quail-Dove Geotrygon linearis 1 MIN (Pozo Azul), 1 USM; both feeding on road
Scarlet-fronted Parakeet Aratinga wagleri common LSM, USM
Brown-throated Parakeet Aratinga pertinax common CAM, TAY, SAL
Santa Marta Parakeet Pyrrhura vindicata 8 USM
Flame-winged Parakeet Pyrrhura calliptera 2 MON
Green-rumped Parrotlet Forpus passerinus small flocks seen fairly often CAM
{Spectacled Parrotlet Forpus conspicillatus} 1 BET (Sheridan and Dan)
Orange-chinned Parakeet Brotogeris jugularis small groups in and near towns
Blue-headed Parrot Pionus menstruus 1 TAY
Red-billed Parrot Pionus sordidus fairly common LSM, USM
Orange-winged Parrot Amazona amazonica 1 SAL
Scaly-naped Parrot Amazona mercenaria a few LSM, fairly common USM
Squirrel Cuckoo Paiya cayana 2 PED, 1 MIN (Sheridan),
Greater Ani Crotophaga major 1 CAM, 1 SAL
Smooth -billed Ani Crotophaga ani fairly common
Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris a few SAL
[Santa Marta Screech-Owl Megascops gilesi] LSM heard only on two nights close to the Lodge
[White-throated Screech-Owl Megascops albogularis] ROG heard only
Lesser Nighthawk Chordeiles acutipennis 3 CAM
White-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus cayennensis male and female at dawn on road LSM
White-collared Swift Streptoprocne zonaris 70+ TAY
Band-rumped Swift Chaetura spinicaudus 4 TAY
Short-tailed Swift Chaetura brachyura 3 MIN
White-chinned Swift Aeronautes montivagus 4 SOA
Stripe-throated Hermit Phaethornis striigularis 2 MIN
Sooty-capped Hermit Phaethornis augusti 2 LSM at the tienda below the Lodge
Pale-bellied Hermit Phaethornis anthophilus 1 LSM at the tienda below the Lodge
Green Hermit Phaethornis guy 2 PED
{Tawny-bellied Hermit Phaethornis syrmatophorus}1 BET (Sheridan)
Green Violetear Colibri thalassinus fairly common at most montane locations
Sparkling Violetear Colibri coruscans common at all montane locations
Black-throated Mango Anthracothorax nigricollis 6+ BET, 1 MIN
Longuemare’s Sunangel Heliangelus [amethysticollis] clarisse 4 ONZ
Speckled Hummingbird Adelomyia melanogenys 1 ROG
Blossomcrown Anthocephala floriceps floriceps 3 LSM; female at Lodge, male and female at tienda
Long-tailed Sylph Aglaiocercus kingi kingi 1 MON of nominate race
Green-tailed Trainbearer Lesbia nuna gouldii 1 BOG of northernmost race gouldii
Black-backed Thornbill Ramphomicron dorsale 1 male USM; a probable female fly-by
Tyrian Metaltail Metallura tyrianthina 1 ONZ, 2 MON, common USM down to Lodge area
Bronzy Inca Coeligena coeligena 2 MON
Black Inca Coeligena prunellei 5 ROG
Collared Inca Coeligena torquata 2 MON
Mountain Velvetbreast Lafresnaya lafresnayi 1 USM
Booted Racket-tail Ocreatus underwoodi 2 PED, 1 MON
White-bellied Woodstar Chaetocercus mulsant 1 PED, 3 ROG
Santa Marta Woodstar Chaetocercus astreans 2 LSM both females, at Lodge and tienda
Red-billed Emerald Chlorostilbon gibsoni 3 CAM
Blue-tailed Emerald Chlorostilbon mellisugus 1 female PED
Coppery Emerald Chlorostilbon russatus 1 female LSM at Lodge
Short-tailed Emerald Chlorostilbon poortmani 1 ROG, 4 SOA
Lazuline Sabrewing Campylopterus falcatus 3 SOA, 1 LSM at Lodge
Santa Marta Sabrewing Campylopterus phainopeplus 1 male MIN (Pozo Azul)
White-vented Plumeleteer Chalybura buffonii 4 MON, 5 MIN
Violet-crowned Woodnymph Thalurania colombica common LSM, especially at Lodge and tienda
Fork-tailed Woodnymph Thalurania furcata 1 PED
Buffy Hummingbird Leucippus fallax 3 CAM
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl 2 CAM, 1 SAL
Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia castaneiventris 1 ONZ, 7 SOA
Andean Emerald Amazilia franciae 1 PED
Glittering-throated Emerald Amazilia fimbrata 1 BET
Steely-vented Hummingbird Amazilia saucerrottei 1 PED, 4 MIN
Indigo-capped Hummingbird Amazilia cyanifrons 2 PED
Green-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia viridigaster 4 BET
Sapphire-throated Hummingbird Lepidopyga coeruleogularis 1 imm. male CAM
Shining-green Hummingbird Lepidopyga goudoti 4 CAM
White-tipped Quetzal Pharomachrus fulgidus 3 LSM two at Lodge, 1 at tienda
Masked Trogon Trogon personatus 2 LSM
Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata 1 CAM, 1 SAL
Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana 1 CAM
{Blue-crowned Motmot Momotus momota} 1 MIN (Sheridan)
Rufous-tailed Jacamar Galbula ruficauda one or two at most lowland/foothill locations
Russet-throated Puffbird Hypnelus ruficollis 5 CAM, 1 SAL
Red-headed Barbet Eubucco bourcierii 1 PED
Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus 4 LSM
Andean Emerald Toucanet Aulacorhynchus prasinus albivitta 1 MON
Santa Marta Emerald Toucanet Aulacorhynchus prasinus lautus 5 USM
Yellow-billed Toucanet Aulacorhynchus [sulcatus] calorhynchus 4 LSM
Scaled Piculet Picumnus squamulatus 1 MIN
Olivaceous Piculet Picumnus olivaceus 4 PED
Chestnut Piculet Picumnus cinnamomeus 2 CAM
Red-crowned Woodpecker Melanerpes rubricapillus 2 PED, fairly common on northern lowlands
Smoky-brown Woodpecker Picoides fumigatus 4 PED
Golden-olive Woodpecker Colaptes rubiginosus 2 LSM
Crimson-mantled Woodpecker Colaptes rivoli 1 ROG
Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus 1 LSM
[Gray-throated Leaftosser Sclerurus albigularis] heard only LSM – the Santa Marta race
Caribbean Hornero Furnarius leucops longirostris 3 CAM
Silvery-throated Spinetail Synallaxis subludica 1 RUS, 1ONZ, 1 FUQ
Azara’s Spinetail Synallaxis azarae 2 PED, 1 ROG
Rusty-headed Spinetail Synallaxis fuscofufa 2 USM, 3 LSM
Slaty Spinetail Synallaxis brachyura 1 PED
White-whiskered Spinetail Synallaxis candei 6 CAM
Streak-capped Spinetail Cranioleuca hellmayri 4 USM
[Ash-browed Spinetail Cranioleuca curtata] heard only PED
Yellow-chinned Spinetail Certhiaxis cinnamomeus 4 SAL
Montane Foliage-gleaner Anabacerthia striaticollis fairly common LSM, a few USM
Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner Automolus rufipectus 2 LSM
Streaked Xenops Xenops rutilans 1 LSM
Plain-brown Woodcreeper Dendrocincla fuliginosa 1 MIN
Strong-billed Woodcreeper Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus 3 LSM race sanctaemartae
Straight-billed Woodcreeper Dendroplex picus fairly common CAM
Montane Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes lacrymiger 1 PED, 1 ONZ, 2 LSM
Black-crested Antshrike Sakesphorus canadensis 7 CAM, 1 male SAL
[Barred Antshrike Thamnophilus doliatus] heard CAM where 1 seen by Sheridan
{Bar-crested Antshrike Thamnophilus multistriatus} 1 PED (Sheridan and Dan)
Black-backed Antshrike Thamnophilus melanonotus 1 TAY, 1 MIN
Plain Antvireo Dysithamnus mentalis 3 PED
White-flanked Antwren Myrmotherula axillans 1 CAM
Northern White-fringed Antwren Formicivora griseus intermedia 2 TAY, 6 CAM
[Chestnut-crowned Antpitta Grallaria ruficapilla] heard only MON
[Cundinamarca Antpitta Grallaria kaestneri] heard only MON
[Santa Marta Antpitta Grallaria flavotincta] heard only many times LSM, USM
[Santa Marta Rufous Antpitta Grallaria rufula] heard only USM
Rufous/Rusty-breasted Antpitta Grallicula ferrugineipectus rara 2 LSM of the race rara
[Blackish Tapaculo Scytalopus latrans] heard only PED, MON
Santa Marta Tapaculo Scytalopus sanctaemartae 2 LSM
Brown-rumped Tapaculo Scytalopus latebricola 1 USM
[Matorral Tapaculo Scytalopus griseicollis ] heard only SOA
Sooty-headed Tyrannulet Phyllomyias griseiceps 1 PED
Black-capped Tyrannulet Phyllomyias nigrocapillus 1 ROG
Yellow-bellied Elaenia Elaenia flavogaster 1 TAY
Mountain Elaenia Elaenia frantzii common in eastern Andes, 1 LSM
Southern Beardless Tyrannulet Camptostoma obsoletum 2 BET, 1 CAM
White-throated Tyrannulet Mecocerculus leucophrys common in eastern Andes and LSM/USM
Mouse-colored Tyrannulet Phaeomyias murina 1 PED, 1 CAM
Venezuelan Tyrannulet Zimmerius improbus 2 LSM
Golden-faced Tyrannulet Zimmerius chrysops 2 PED
Olive-striped Flycatcher Mionectes olivaceus 1 MON
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Mionectes oleangineus 1 TAY, 4 LSM
Slaty-capped Flycatcher Leptopogon amaurocephalus 1 TAY, 1 MIN
Northern Scrub-Flycatcher Sublegatus arenarum 1 TAY, 5 CAM
Slender-billed Inezia Inezia tenuirostris 5 CAM
Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tryant Atalotriccus pilaris 4 CAM
Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant Hemitriccus margaritaceiventer 3 CAM
Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcher Poecilotriccus ruficeps 1 MON
Yellow-olive Flycatcher Tolmomyias sulphurescens 1 PED, 1 MIN
Yellow-breasted Flycatcher Tolmomyias flaviventris 1 PED
Cinnamon Flycatcher Pyrrhomyias cinnamomeus common at all montane locations
Smoke-colored Pewee Contopus fumigatus 1 ONZ
Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi 1 LSM near tienda below Lodge
Tropical Pewee Contopus cinereus 1 MIN
Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans seen PED, BET, LSM
Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus seen PED
Streak-throated Bush-tyrant Myiotheretes striaticollis 1 USM
Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant Myiotheretes pernix 2 USM
Pied Water-Tyrant Fluvicola pica 6+ SAL
Yellow-bellied Chat-tyrant Ochthoeca rufipectoralis 2 USM of nominate group of races
Brown-backed Chat-tyrant Ochthoeca fumicolor 1 RUS
Piratic Flycatcher Legatus leucophaius 2 SAL
Rusty-margined Flycatcher Myiozetetes cayanensis 1 PED
Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis 1 BET, 2 TAY, 2 MIN
Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus common CAM, SAL
Golden-crowned Flycatcher Myiodynastes chrysocephalus 2 LSM
Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua 1 TAY, 1 MIN
Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus ubiquitous
Fork-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus savanna 1 SAL
Gray Kingbird tyrannus dominicenis fairly common CAM
Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer 1 MIN
Venezuelan Flycatcher Myiarchus venezuelensis 2 CAM
Panama Flycatcher Myiarchus panamensis 3 SAL
Apical Flycatcher Myiarchus apicalis 1 SOA
Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus 4 CAM
[Bright-rumped Atilla Atilla spadiceus] heard only MIN
Golden-breasted Fruiteater Pipreola aureopectus 5 LSM of race decora
Striped Manakin Machaeropterus regulus 1 male TAY
White-bearded Manakin Manacus manacus 1 MIN
Masked Tityra Tityra semifasciata 1 MIN
Cinnamon Becord Pachyramphus cinnamomeus 2 MIN
Rufous-browed Peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis 1 TAY
Brown-capped Vireo Vireo leucophrys common
Rufous-naped Greenlet Hylophilus semibrunneus 1 PED
Golden-fronted Greenlet Hylophilus aurantiifrons 1 MON
Scrub Greenlet Hylophilus flavipes 2 TAY, 4 CAM
Black-chested Jay Cyanocorax affinis fairly common LSM, USM
Green/Inca Jay Cyanocorax yncas small numbers MON
Blue-and-white Swallow Pygochelidon cyanoleuca a few FUQ, MON
Brown-bellied Swallow Orochelidon murina fairly common in temperate areas
Southern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopterytx ruficollis common CAM
Gray-breasted Martin Procne chalybea 1 SAL
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica common FUQ
House Wren Troglodytes aedon fairly common CAM
Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis 1 ROG
Apolinar’s Wren Cistothorus apolinari 3 FUQ
Bicolored Wren Campylorhynchus griseus 4 SOA, common CAM
Rufous-breasted Wren Pheugopedius rutilus 2 MIN
[Rufous-and-white Wren Pheugopedius rufalbus] heard only MIN
Niceforo’s Wren Pheugopedius nicefori 2 SOA
[Sharpe’s Wren Cinnycerthia olivascens] heard only MON
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren Henichorina leucophrys heard in E. Andes; seen LSM and different form USM
Tropical Gnatcatcher Polioptila plumbea common CAM, 1 MIN
Andean Solitaire Myadestes ralloides 1 MON
[Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus aurontiirostris] heard only, MON
[Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus fuscater] heard only, SOA, and often LSM
Swainson’s Thrush Catharus ustulatus fairly common E. Andes
Yellow-legged Thrush Turdus flavipes 2 LSM
Pale-breasted Thrush Turdus leucomelas 1 PED, 3 LSM
Black-hooded Thrush Turdus olivater fairly common LSM
Black-billed Thrush Turdus ignobilis common in middle/lower elevations
Great Thrush Turdus fuscater common in temperate areas
Tropical Mockingbird Mimus gilvus common PED, CAM, SAL
Rufous-crested Tanager Creurgops verticalis 1 MON
Superciliated Hemispingus Hemispingus superciliaris 1 ONZ
Crimson-backed Tanager Ramphocelus dimidiatus fairly common PED, CAM, 2 MIN
Silver-beaked Tanager Ramphocelus carbo 3 BET
Blue-gray Tanager Thraupis episcopus a few PED, BET, TAY, MIN
Glaucous Tanager Thraupis glaucocolpa 2 CAM
Palm Tanager Thraupis palmarum a couple at lower elevations
Blue-capped Tanager Thraupis cyanocephala 1 ONZ, 1 MON, 3 USM
Santa Marta Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus melanogenys 6 USM
Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus igniventris 3 ONZ
Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus somptuosus 1MON
Fawn-breasted Tanager Pipraeidea melanonota 2 PED
Black-headed Tanager Tangara cyanoptera 3 LSM
Black-capped Tanager Tangara heinei a few PED, LSM
Scrub Tanager Tangara vitriolina a few PED, SOA
Blue-necked Tanager Tangara cyanocollis a few PED
Blue-and-black Tanager Tangara vassorii 1 PED, 1 MON, 1 USM
Beryl-spangled Tanager Tangara nigroviridis a few PED, 1 MON
Metallic-green Tanager Tangara labradorides 1 MON
Bay-headed Tanager Tangara gyrola a few PED, fairly common LSM – green-bellied form
{Saffron-crowned Tanager Tangara xanthocephala}1 MON (Sheridan)
Flame-faced Tanager Tangara parzudakii 2 PED
Swallow Tanager Tersina viridis 2 LSM above Minca
Turquoise Dacnis Dacnis hartlaubi 1 male PED (Martin only)
Purple Honeycreeper Cyanerpes caeruleus 4 BET
Red-legged Honeycreeper Cyanerpes cyaneus 1 TAY
Green Honeycreeper Chlorophanes spiza 1 PED
Bicolored Conebill Conirostrum bicolor 3 SAL
Rusty Flowerpiercer Diglossa sittoides 1 PED, fairly common LSM
Black Flowerpiercer Diglossa humeralis a few ROG
White-sided Flowerpiercer Diglossa albilatera fairly common in temperate areas
Buff-throated Saltator Saltator maximus fairly common CAM
Orinocan Saltator Saltator orenocensus 4 CAM
[Rosy Thrush-Tanager Rhodinocichla rosea] heard only MIN
Bananaquit Coereba flaveola a few at lower elevations
{Yellow-faced Grassquit Tiaris olivaceus} 1 PED (Dan)
Sooty Grassquit Tiaris fuliginosus 1 imm. male PED
Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis ubiquitous
Plumbeous Sierra-Finch Phrygilus unicolor 1 RUS
Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola 1 PED, 2 BET
Blue-black Grassquit Volatina jacanna 2 CAM
Gray Seedeater Sporophila intermedia 3 TAY
{Yellow-bellied Seedeater Sporophila nigricollis} 1 PED (Sheridan and Dan)
Thick-billed Seed-Finch Oryzoborus funereus 1 singing male MIN was all-black
Paramo Seedeater Catamenia homochroa 2 USM of the race oreophila
Toyuco Sparrow Arremonops tocuyensis 2 CAM
Golden-winged Sparrow Arremon schlegeli 2 MIN
Stripe-headed Brush-Finch Arremon torquatus 2 LSM at Lodge of the race basilicus
Moustached Brush-Finch Atlapetes albofrenatus 3 ONZ
Ochre-breasted Brush-Finch Atlapetes semirufus 2 MON
Santa Marta Brush-Finch Atlapetes melanocephalus common LSM, a few USM
Pale-naped Brush-Finch Atlapetes pallidinucha 1 ONZ
Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch Atlapetes latinuchus 2 ROG of the race simplex
Pileated Finch Coryphospingus pileatus 2 CAM
Golden-bellied Grosbeak Pheucticus chrysogaster 2 USM of race laubmanni
Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicanus fairly common PED, ROG, and LSM
Blue-black Grosbeak Cyanocompsa cyanoides 1 TAY
Summer Tanager Piranga rubra 2 SOA, 1 LSM
Common Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus opthalmicus a few ONZ and MON
{Ashy-throated Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus canigularis} 1 MON (Sheridan)
Tennessee Warbler Vermivora peregrina small numbers ROG, SOA, LSM
Northern Parula Parula americana 1 male CAM seen well by the author and Sheridan
Tropical Parula Parula pitiayumi 2 PED, fairly common SOA, 1 CAM
Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia a few CAM
Blackpoll Warbler Dendroica striata 2 CAM, 1 SAL
Blackburnian Warbler Dendroica fusca common almost everywhere
American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla 3 MIN
Black-and-White Warbler Mniotilta vana a few CAM, LSM
{Northern Waterthrush Seiurus noveboracensis} 1 TAY (Sheridan)
{Mourning Warbler Oporornis philadelphia} 1 PED (Sheridan)
Canada Warbler Wilsonia canadensis 1 PED
Slate-throated Whitestart Myioborus miniatus fairly common PED, ROG, ONZ, MON, LSM
Golden-fronted Whitestart Myioborus ornatus 6 ONZ of the race ornatus
Yellow-crowned Whitestart Myioborus flavivertex fairly common USM
Gray-throated Warbler Basileuterus cinereicollis 2 LSM near Lodge
White-lored Warbler Basileuterus conspicillatus 5 LSM near Lodge and tienda
Rufous-capped Warbler Basileuterus rufifrons 7 MIN
Three-striped Warbler Basileuterus tristriatus 2 MON
Santa Marta Warbler Basileuterus basilicus 4 USM
Russet-backed Oropendola Psarocolius angustifrons 1 MON
Crested Oropendola Psarocolius decumanus fairly common LSM
Venezuelan Troupial Icterus icterus 1 CAM
Yellow-backed Oriole Icterus chrysater fairly common in most montane locations
Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula 1 CAM, 1 SAL
Yellow Oriole Icterus nigrocularis 4 CAM, 1 SAL
Mountain Grackle Macroagelaius subalans 9 ONZ
Yellow-hooded Blackbird Chrysomus icterocephalus 4 FUQ
Bronze-brown Cowbird Molothrus [aeneus] armenti 1 near CAM
Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis a few CAM, MIN
Carib Grackle Quiscalus lugubris a few near beach village CAM, 3 SAL
Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus common in coastal strip
Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna 2 RUS
Andean Siskin Carduelis spinescens 1 PED, 2 USM
Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria a few PED, 1 BET
Trinidad Euphonia Euphonia trinitatis 1 TAY
{Golden-rumped Euphonia Euphonia cyanocephala} 1 FUQ (Sheridan and Dan)
Golden-bellied Euphonia Euphonia chrysopasta 2 BET
Blue-naped Chlorophonia Chlorophonia cyanea fairly common LSM at and below Lodge
I saw 356 species, of which 84 were lifers (in addition, 25 species were identified by voice only)