COLOMBIA Western Andes
With more than 800 bird species, the Colombian Andes are one of the richest and most diverse regions on earth. The mountains are divided into three ranges or "cordilleras" that bisect the central part of the country running roughly parallel to each other north to south. The Western Andes run adjacent to the Pacific Coast. The Central Andes bisect the center of the country and include the cities of Medellín, Manizales and Pereira. The Eastern Andes, the largest of the three ranges includes the capital city of Bogotá and extends all the way into Venezuela.
Area Description Map: Major Birding Regions of Colombia
The Western Andes is the lowest and geologically youngest mountain range in Colombia. Montane humid forests cover the western slope with rainfall up to 4.5 meters annually and dry forests are found on the eastern slope. Páramo habitat occurs at the higher elevations.
Birding Opportunities Specialty birds of W. Andes (pdf)
The Western Andes hold a variety of interesting birding areas, with some 60 species restricted to this range including Yellow-eared Parrot, Dusky Starfrontlet and Chestnut-bellied Flower-piercer.
To the south, the main city in the range is Cali which itself offers several fine options for birding with a good chance of seeing the endemic Multicolored Tanager.
Further north, the slopes near El Cairo hold several endemics including Black-and-gold Tanager and Gold-ringed Tanager as well as the recently described Munchique Wood-Wren. Galapagos Road is the best birding area here and can produce many middle-elevation Choco specialties including the endemic Chestnut Wood-Quail and Crested Ant-Tanager. Other specialties include White-tailed Hillstar, Brown Inca, Fulvous-dotted Treerunner, Uniform Treehunter, Bicolored Antvireo, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Scaled Fruiteater, Olivaceous Piha, Club-winged Manakin, Beautiful Jay, Indigo Flowerpiercer, Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager, Flame-faced Tanager, Glistening-green Tanager, Rufous-throated Tanager, Dusky Bush-Tanager, Tricolored Brush-Finch, Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia and Yellow-collared Chlorophonia.
Still further north, is the beautiful village of Jardín located at an elevation of 2000-2500 meters. This area it harbors many marvelous Andean birds and just 30 minutes from town is the Alto de Ventanas, the road of dreams for restricted-range species like the near-endemic Tanager Finch, Chestnut-crested Cotinga and the endemic Dusky Starfrontlet. Birding along the road can be intense as mixed flocks of tanagers, hummingbirds, flycatchers, and warblers, are encountered. This is also where the endemic and highly-endangered Yellow-eared Parrot is found. A life experience is to watch these birds as they come in to feed or roost just before dusk. Other areas around Jardín can yield a splendid array of tanagers, euphonias, chlorophonias and hummingbirds. Ther is even the chance for the stunning, dark-orange Andean Cock-of-the-Rock and the endemic Turquoise Dacnis.
Photos by Steve Bird:
Right: Yellow-eared Parrots near Jardin 2009.
Below: Gold-ringed Tanager, Slaty-backed Chat Tyrant, and
Chestnut-crested Cotinga on nest near Jardin, 2009.
Dusky Starfrontlet. Photo Gina Nichol.
Recently rediscovered in Colombia.
This bird seen on our November 2009 tour!
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Below is an excerpt from the report about our scouting trip to this area (Read the full report>>):
Wednesday, 27-May-09: Western Andes to Choco region
Before dawn, we boarded our Willys jeep and headed for Galapagos Road in the western Andes. The road didn’t seem too bad at first but we soon realized why we needed the X-military vehicle to negotiate the bumps and deep ruts as we ascended into the mountains. The amazing thing was the Chivas (colorful, traditional wooden buses) that were also negotiating the rough road. In all the excitement we were at our birding spot in no time and taking in the delights of the western Andes. It did not take long to see our first Gold-ringed Tanagers, gorgeous and confiding but almost too easy and common to appreciate. Velvet-purple Coronets were everywhere and the most charming hummingbird was a Brown Inca tending to a very low nest with two naked chicks. Amazingly close to the road, the nest shook when a Chiva railroaded past but bird soon returned to tend to her young ones. Panic ensued when a Black-and-gold Tanager was spotted and we all managed excellent views of it. The Munchique Wood-Wren, newly described to science in 2003, was a little more of a challenge but we persevered to make sure we could see the distinctive field marks that separate it from the Gray-breasted Wood Wrens also present. A Purplish-mantled Tanager showed well and a Choco Tapaculo scuttled around our feet. Amazing!
Other birds recorded along Galapagos Road, western Andes (for complete list see the Trip List): Tricolored Brush Finch, Dusky Bush-Tanager, Narino Tapaculo, Tawny-bellied Hermit, Blue-capped Tanager, White-sided Flowerpiercer, Yellow-vented Woodpecker, Glistening Green Tanager, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Green-and-Black Fruiteater, Purple-throated Woodstar, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Uniform Treehunter, Slaty-backed Flycatcher, Lemon-browed 
Flycatcher, Violet-tailed Sylph, Empress Brilliant, Greenish Puffleg, Indigo Flowerpiercer, Uniform Antshrike, Black Solitaire, Rufous-throated Tanager, Yellow-breasted Antwren, Three-striped Warbler, Red-headed Barbet, Lemon-rumped Tanager, Ornate Flycatcher, Rufous-bellied Tanager, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Golden-winged Manakin, Green-fronted Lancebill, White-tailed Hillstar
Thursday, 28-May-09: El Cairo, Transfer to Medellin
We spent the morning birding a mid- elevation section of Galapagos Road this time enjoying better views of the Munchique Wood-Wren. A Moustached Antpitta called from the forest and we had our last looks at Gold-ringed Tanager. A group of Crested Ant Tanagers were very active but soon disappeared into the brush under a tree where a Golden Tanager was foraging. From here we made our way back to Pereida for our flight to Medellin.
Other birds recorded along Galapagos Road, western Andes (for complete list see the Trip List): Orange-bellied Euphonia, Spotted Barbtail, White-capped Dipper, Yellow-throated Brush Finch, Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant, Russet-crowned Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler, Uniform Treehunter, Streaked Saltator, Bay-headed Tanager, Metallic green Tanager, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Grass Green Tanager, Black-winged Saltator, Scrub Tanager, Yellow-throated Brush Finch
Friday, 29-May-09: Departure to Jardin, Birding Alto Ventanas
Another early departure got us to Jardin at 7000 feet in Colombia’s Antioquia department by breakfast time. After breakfast in this delightful, colonial town, we ascended the slopes of the western Andes to bird along a road in Alto de Ventanas. As soon as the vehicle stopped the birding was fast and furious as a flock moved through the trees above which included an eclectic mix of Three-striped Warbler, Montane Woodcreeper, Striped Xenops, gorgeous Blue-winged Mountain Tanagers, many Rufous-breasted Flycatchers, Saffron-headed Tanager, and a pair of Spot-breasted Woodpeckers. Further up, a Chestnut-crested Cotinga was heard as it called in the fog and with patience we found a pair showing well in the treetops not far from the road. We spent quite a bit of time quietly watching and photographing the birds when one of them moved 
slowly into position on a nest! Our local guide advised that this was likely the first ever recorded nest of Chestnut-crested Cotinga and we were thrilled to be part of the discovery!
After lunch, we continued up the hill and panic ensued when a pair of Tanager Finch crossed quickly in front of us and then disappeared. Our first Yellow-eared Parrots were seen flying in the distance at the top of the hill. We traversed a farm field to see an active nest box of this rare bird on the side of a tall Wax Palm. A group of three birds were tending the box (a pair and a “helper”) and we watched them perched and then flying from palm to palm marveling at excellent flight views. As we began to head back to the road, more and more small flocks of parrots were evident. We stopped on a hillside at eye level with the top of a palm and our local guide informed us that sometimes the birds come to roost in that tree. Soon the flocks began to arrive at the palm and we watched in awe as at least 75 Yellow-eared Parrots arrived at the tree to roost for the night! It was nothing short of incredible to see these birds from 50 yards away at eye level! We spent more than an hour here until it was too dark to see anything more. It was a life experience for all of us, even our guide who had never witnessed such a spectacle in his eight years of working on conservation projects with these birds!
Other birds recorded at Alto de Ventanas (for complete list see the Trip List): Speckled Hummingbird, Grass Green Tanager, Golden-headed Quetzal, Mountain Elaenia, Black-billed Mountain Toucan, Black-collared Jay, Golden-fronted Whitestart, Black-capped Tyrannulet, Barred Becard, Smoke-colored Pewee, Streak-throated Bush Tyrant, Gray-hooded Bush Tanager, Buff-breasted Mountain Tanager, Black-capped Hemispingus, Blackish Tapaculo, Emerald Toucanet, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Lacrimose Mountain Tanager, Black-billed Peppershrike, Rufous-capped Warbler, Tourmaline Sunangel, Superciliaried Hemispingus, Slaty Brush Finch, Golden-crowned Tanager, Pale-browed Spinetail, Spillman’s Tapaculo, Bluish Flowerpiercer, Scarlet-fronted Parakeet
Saturday, 30-May-09: Birding around Jardin, Transfer to Medellin for departure to Santa Marta
In the morning, we birding some agricultural areas outside Jardin. The flocks of Yellow-eared Parrots in the distance paled by comparison after our experience last night. One area had a colony of Russet-backed Oropendolas nesting and we watched a Giant Cowbird attempting to parasitize the Oropendola nests. Not far away a group of fifteen Red-bellied Grackles were actively feeding on flowers of an Erythrina tree. The call of an Andean Cock-of-the-Rock was heard just before the bird flew across a small stream and disappeared into the undergrowth. From here we made our way back to Medellin for our flight to Santa Marta noting a Rufous-collared Sparrow feeding young on a nest inside the Medellin airport!
Other birds recorded around Jardin (for complete list see Trip List):
Beryl-spangled Tanager, Golden Tanager, Streaked Xenops, White-tailed Hawk, Sparkling Violetear, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Tropical Kingbird, Chestnut-collared Swift, Bronzy Inca, Scrub Tanager, Yellow-throated Brush Finch, Golden-faced Tyrannulet, Striped Treehunter, Lineated Foliage Gleaner, Andean Emerald, Streak-necked Flycatcher, Palm Tanager, Masked Flowerpiercer, Sooty-headed Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Elaenia
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