Collared Trogon. Photo by Rick Taylor.
Copyright <strong>Borderland Tours</strong>. All rights reserved.

Sampling almost every major habitat occurring in Colombia, this trip serv es up a gourmet’s delight in colorful and endemic birds—and in generous por tions! It’s widely known that Colombia hosts the world’s richest avifauna i n an area covering less than one percent of the earth’s surface. Aside from a staggering 70 endemic species of birds, more than 1800 additional specie s are known from an area smaller than Alaska. Our tour of Colombia will be unique. Essentially describing three loops, one in the highlands around the capital, Bogotá, one in the tropical lowlands of the Magdalena Valley, and one along the Caribbean coast and in the Sierra Santa Marta, we will trans ect a kaleidoscope of bird communities. But, unlike any other commercial bi rding tour that surveys this much of Colombia, there are simply no frustrat ing all-day-long drives on winding highways where delays, detours, and truc k traffic are the norm. We will fly. Beginning with Flame-winged (Brown-bre asted) Parakeets and possible Ocellated Tapaculo in Chingaza National Park, up to 20 species of hummingbirds at private feeders, and the highly locali zed Bogotá Rail in Parque La Florida, along with other birds such as Subtro pical Doradito, Apolinar’s Wren, and Rosy Thrush-Tanager, our first loop in the immediate precincts of Bogotá will only whet our appetites. Next we wi ll criss-cross the upper Magdalena Valley, visiting a series of nature pres erves that between them are home to more than 500 species of birds. Among t he available Magdalena Valley delicacies are endemic Tolima Dove, Blossomcr own, White-mantled Barbet, Beautiful Woodpecker, Yellow-headed Manakin, and the near endemic Northern Screamer. We may also have the opportunity to sa vor Pheasant Cuckoo, Tody Motmot, and Oilbird. A short flight to Santa Mart a on the Caribbean saves us an aggregate of three travel days. Soaring abov e are the 19,000’ high, snow-clad summits of the world’s tallest coastal mo untain range. Isolated by hundreds of miles from the Andes, the Sierra Sant a Marta is globally recognized as a center of endemism. Hence there are bir ds with names like Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Screech-Owl, Santa Mar ta Metaltail, Santa Marta Antpitta, Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner, Santa Mart a Bush-Tyrant, Santa Marta Warbler, Santa Marta Mountain-Tanager, and Santa Marta Brush-Finch—among others. The Antpitta and Brush-Finch are actually common on the grounds of our mile-high lodge, where temperatures are perfec t for both birding and sleeping. Three nights are planned for this comforta ble and birdy location. While visiting the Caribbean we will also wander to Los Flamencos National Park and the adjacent desert. Los Flamencos is dedi cated to conserving a population of American Flamingos, but among other bir ds we hope to see here are Scarlet Ibis and gems of the cactus forest like Vermilion Cardinal. No nation on earth harbors as many birds as Colombia. O n this tour you will learn why.

~~Cost of Colombia includes all accommodations, all meals, and a ll internal air and ground transportation beginning in Bogotá and ending in Barranquilla—$7795.~~