Sunrise Birding, LLC - COLOMBIA - Private, custom birding tours

The verdant Amazon jungle covers the vastness of the southern Colombian lowlands and offers an incredible birding experience with the possibility of seeing almost half of the more than 700 Amazonian species in just a week or less of birding this magnificent jungle and river landscape. Tours to this area are staged from Leticia, Colombia's southernmost city which can be reached via a one hour flight from Bogotá. This peaceful, isolated town sits on the bank of the mighty Amazon River giving access to more remote birding areas and unique species.

Area Description Map: Major Birding Regions of Colombia
The Amazon River flows through this region bounded on its banks by lush tropical rainforest with an annual rainfall of more than three meters. The forests and river edges are home to indigenous Makuna and Huitoto communities and you can choose to lodge in those communities if you want to live closely with these fascinating people while learning from their rich traditions and folklore.

Birding Opportunities Specialty birds of Amazonia (pdf)
In and around Leticia, there are flocks of noisy Canary-winged, Orange-cheeked, and Maroon-tailed Parakeets, Short-tailed Parrots, plus the hard to see Orange-headed Tanager, and Band-tailed and Casqued Oropendolas. In the forests, army ant swarms attract many species, including the very sought-after White-plumed Antbird. Amazon specialties here include Fiery Topaz, Pearly Antshrike, Yellow-browed Antbird, White-eyed Tody-Tyrant, Plum-throated Cotinga, and Rufous-bellied Euphonia. Once night falls, it is worth taking a short walk around to find Tropical Screech-Owl, Crested and Black-banded Owls, and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Short-tailed Nighthawk and Common Pauraque.

There is much birding along the river and visits to the river islands must be included on any itinerary here. Isla Ronda is a great choice and just a one-hour boat trip from Leticia. Here, it is possible to camp and bird for 2+ days or, alternatively, you can stay in a hotel in Leticia and visit the island during the day. On Isla Ronda, there are river-restricted specialties including Zimmer's Woodcreeper and Castelnau's Antshrike. Horned Screamer, Spangled Cotinga, Bare-necked Fruitcrow, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Hauxwell's Thrush, and Solitary Black Cacique also inhabit this island.

Following against the flow of the river further to the north-west, the Amacayacu & Puerto Nariño area also offers exceptional birding. Gray-winged Trumpeter, Chestnut-capped Puffbird, Scarlet-crowned, Gilded, and Lemon-throated Barbets, Orange-fronted Plushcrown, Rusty-belted Tapaculo, Lawrence's Thrush, and Yellow-bellied Dacnis are among more than 150 species to look for in the vicinity. As with all the birding localities near the river, herons, egrets, sandpipers, kingfishers, etc. abound, along with plenty of raptors and toucans.