Santa Marta Endemics

Arrive in Barranquilla for transfer to your hotel.

Early morning search for the elusive Chestnut-winged Chachalaca before heading to the Parque Nacional Isla Salamanca en route to Santa Marta, an area well-known for its rich birdlife. We should have time to build an exciting list of species which might include Sapphire-throated Hummingbird, Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird, Chestnut-winged Chachalaca, Bronzed Cowbird, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Red-rumped Woodpecker, Bicolored Conebill, Green-and-rufous Kingfisher, Yellowchinned Spinetail, Northern Screamer, Russet-throated Puffbird, Bicolored Wren, Stripe-backed Wren and Dwarf Cuckoo. After lunch we will continue eastward to the village of Camarones, stopping in the late afternoon for a first taste of birding in the coastal desert and perhaps a quick check of the lagoon, we will focus on the special birds of the tropical dry forest scrub of the Guajira peninsula including the stunning little White-whiskered Spinetail and the striking Vermilion Cardinal with its impressive, pointed crest – the males are an almost impossible shade of red! Other targets in the dry scrub around the saline lagoons are Buffy Hummingbird, Chestnut Piculet (another gorgeous little bird and always a favourite), Tocuyo Sparrow, Bare-eyed Pigeon, Common and Ruddy Ground-doves, Brownthroated and Blue-crowned Parakeet, Greenrumped Parrotlet, Red-billed Emerald, Rufoustailed Jacamar, Bluecrowned Motmot, Russetthroated Puffbird, Pale-breasted Spinetail, Black-crested Antshrike, White-fringed Antwren (northern race), Northern Scrub-flycatcher, Southern Beardless-tyrannulet, Slender-billed Tyrannulet, Pale-eyed Pygmy-tyrant, Pearly-vented Tody-tyrant, Vermilion Flycatcher, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Glaucous Tanager, Pileated Finch, Grayish, Buff-throated and Orinocan Saltators, Saffron Finch and Yellow Oriole.

Overnight stay in Camarones.

Enjoy early morning birding around the lodge. After lunch and free time to explore the nearby lagoon, we will continue into wetter marshlands before returning back to Santa Marca. Here we will change from our travel bus to 4WD SUVs to climb the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marca.

Upon arrival, the lodge here provides us with wonderful views of the forests, with hummingbird feeders attracting Steely-vented and Rufous-tailed hummingbirds, Black-throated Mango, White-necked Jacobin, Whitevented Plumeleteer and, occasionally, Palebellied Hermit.

Our lodge, where we will stay the night, is located at the edge of the small town of Minca.

We will be up early for breakfast and an outing nearby, here we’ll bird a nice trail that offers a suite of excellent birds which might include Black-backed Antshrike, both Lancetailed and White-bearded Manakin, Rufoustailed Jacamar, Whooping Motmot, both Lineated and Spot-breasted Woodpeckers, Keel-billed Toucan, Golden-fronted Greenlet, both Rufous-and-white and Rufous-breasted Wrens, the tricky Long-billed Gnatwren and the very attractive Golden-winged Sparrow.

Some of our targets among other lower elevation species of the foothills of Santa Marta would be Santa Marta Parakeet, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Hermit Wood-wren, both Santa Marta and Sierra Nevada Antpittas, Sierra Nevada Brush-finch, Brownrumped Tapaculo, Santa Marta Bush-tyrant, Yellow-crowned Redstart, Santa Marta Warbler and Santa Marta (Black-cheeked) Mountain-Tanager.

Night at El Dorado Lodge.

Very early departure (likely around 4:00 am) followed by a morning of birding. There will also be plenty of time to enjoy the birds in the garden, where the photographic opportunities are excellent, as Crowned Woodnymphs (colombica) and Lesser (formerly Green) Violetears throng the hummingbird feeders, rarer hummingbirds are realistic (White-tailed Starfrontlet, and, exceptionally, Black-backed Thornbill), Blue-naped Chlorophonias (endemic yellow-fronted form psittacina) and Black-capped Tanagers come to the fruit, and many gorgeous flowers are stationary targets. There are always a few Santa Marta Brushfinches about, and the scraps behind the kitchen attract Sierra Nevada (part of the former Stripe-crowned, now split up into a plethora of species) Brushfinches (basilicus). Sickle-winged and Bandtailed guans can be rather raucous around the clearing and gang up at feeders and the composting area.

Another night at El Dorado Lodge.

Another day birding in the area surrounding the El Dorado Lodge.
The Santa Marta Mountains shelter twenty species of endemic birds, the highest concentration of endemics in such a small area, of any locality in Colombia. Indeed, because of this concentration of endemic birds, this area is of special interest to birders and naturalists alike, and thanks to the El Dorado Reserve, and the access track which runs through it, this region is one of the top birding sites in the tropical Americas.

All of the Santa Marta endemics can be seen along the forested road (well, it’s more of a 4×4 track!) which eventually ends at a communication facility at 9,600 feet. The views along the way are simply spectacular, with humid montane forest draping the mountainsides in all directions and the shimmering Caribbean coast spread out before us some sixty miles away, while a turn of the neck will reveal the snowcapped peaks of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, perhaps while an endemic Santa Marta Woodstar fills up on its last nectar for the day!

Overnight once more in El Dorado Lodge.

Another day at leisure birding in the surrounding areas of the El Dorado Lodge.
Yet more sought after species (many of them endemic subspecies, and potential future splits) can be found in these mid/high elevation humid forests, and we will spend our time here looking for such beauties as White-tipped Quetzal, Goldenbreasted Fruiteater, Whiterumped Hawk, Band-tailed Guan, Sickle-winged Guan, Blackfronted Wood-quail, Band-tailed Pigeon, both Scarlet-fronted and Barred parakeet, Masked Trogon, (Santa Marta) Emerald Toucanet, Streaked Xenops, Graythroated Leaftosser, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Mountain Elaenia, Blackcapped Tyrannulet, both Spectacled and Whitethroated Tyrannulet, Olive-striped Flycatcher, Blackthroated Tody-Tyrant, Cinnamon Flycatcher, Yellowbellied Chat-tyrant, both Orange-billed and Slatybacked nightingale-thrush, Yellow-legged Thrush, Black-hooded Thrush, Slate-throated Redstart, Threestriped Warbler, White-sided Flowerpiercer, Blue-capped Tanager, Blue-naped Chlorophonia and Paramo Seedeater. Nights at El Dorado Lodge.

We take this morning to enjoy time on the mid/lower slopes of the San Lorenzo ridge, focusing on spotting birds we have previously missed. Species such as Golden-winged Sparrow, Rosy-thrush Tanager, Santa Marta Foliagegleaner, Santa Marta Antbird and Rusty Breasted Antpitta will be key targets.

Following lunch and a short break at the Hotel Minca, we will finally exit the mountains and drive west along the coast from Santa Marta to Barranquilla, arriving around 5:00 p.m., with time to re-pack for flights tomorrow.

Our day will conclude with a farewell dinner at a pleasant restaurant near the hotel. Night in Barranquilla.

We enjoy a leisurely, last morning, at our lodge with short walks getting in a few more birds around the area. Then we pack up and get a transfer to the airport to take your scheduled flight home.