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COLOMBIASpecialties of Mitú
with Diego Calderon! APRIL 2022
(Dates to be determined once local airline flight schedules have been published).
Contact gina@sunrisebirding.com for availability.
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Over the last few years Colombia has hit the birding headlines as being a fantastic, new, safe destination, with more species (over 1900) than any other country in the world. Our guide Diego Calderon has been at the forefront of birding in this his home country and with new hotspots and new species being found all the time we are delighted to offer our second tour with him to one of the very best – Mitú. Here the diverse biodiversity holds a great variety of species amongst habitats such as Terra Firma, White Sands, Varzea and Riparian Forests. Many Amazon/Guianan Shield specialties can be found here and the sheer variety and quality of the species on offer is astounding.
For those that have been to Colombia before or for those wanting to experience somewhere new, our Mitú itinerary is a must. Add to this a few days before and after Mitú looking for some very special endemics and hummingbirds this is a trip not to miss!
Photo: Red-fan Parrot. Photo by Diego Calderon.
Day 1: Arrival Day
Plan for a flight that arrives at El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá, Colombia. Once we know your flight schedule, we will arrange your airport pick-up and transfer to our hotel. This is an arrival day with no activities planned and the tour will begin with dinner tonight. (D)
Day 2: Sumapaz NP
This morning we will leave early and travel towards Sumapaz National Park. As we reach the low stunted paramo we will search for a variety of hummingbirds including Glowing Puffleg, Tyrian Metaltail, Bronze-tailed Thornbill and the recently split Green-bearded Helmetcrest. Other interesting species here include endemics such as Bogotá Rail and Apolinar’s Wren and we would also hope to find Rufous-browed Conebill, Black Flowerpiercer, Silvery-throated Spinetail, Pale-naped Brushfinch, Andean Tit-Spinetail and the often very confiding Tawny Antpitta. Later we will head back to Bogotá and our small city hotel. (B,L,D)
Day 3:
Bogotá – Mitú
This morning we will head for Bogotá Airport in time for our domestic flight to Mitú. Depending on our arrival time we may be able to do some birding near to town. Mitú offers some unique habitats that attract many species hard to see elsewhere. Just 15 minutes from our hotel we could find interesting birds such as Olive Oropendola, Spotted Puffbird, Scarlet Macaw, Blue-crowned Trogon, Paradise Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Dacnis and Masked Tanager. But this is just a glimpse of the many special birds we will be looking for over the next 6 full days.
Night Mitú. (B,L,D)
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Specialties
& Targets:
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Days 4 - 9: Mitú
We have 6 full birding days among the local indigenous communities of (Mitú Cachivera, Santa Cruz, Tayasu, Pueblo Nuevo, Urania, Ceima Cachivera) and roads and trails near Mitú for a superb mix of white-sand, igapó, várzea, terra firma, and semi-open areas full of endemics restricted to the Orinoco and Negro rivers. This is an incredible place and we have and incredible list of birds to search for.
On the forest trails we could find Gray-legged Tinamou, Blackish Nightjar, Banded Antbird, Bronzy Jacamar, Brown-banded Puffbird, Rusty-breasted Nunlet, Orinoco Piculet, Rufous-tailed Xenops, Point-tailed Palmcreeper, Chestnut-winged Hookbill, Cinnamon Neopipo, Bar-bellied Woodcreeper, Black Bushbird, Yellow-throated, Cherrie's & Spot-backed Antwrens, Imeri Warbling-Antbird, White-plumed, Grey-bellied & Chestnut-crested Antbirds, Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, Saffron-crested Tyrant-Manakin, Yellow-crowned & Black Manakins, Musician Wren and with luck the superb Chestnut-belted Gnateater.
Flowering trees can attract hummingbirds such as Straight-billed Hermit, Black-bellied Thorntail and Gould's Jewelfront, and we even have a spot for displaying Fiery Topaz, as well as the super rare Fiery-tailed Awlbill. Roadside birding is very productive and gives us opportunities for Tawny-tufted Toucanet, Red-fan Parrot, Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet, Paradise and Yellow-billed Jacamars, Spangled & Pompadour Cotinga, Dusky-chested Flycatcher, Azure-naped Jay and White-naped Seedeater.
Quietly scanning the forest edges we may spot Chestnut-capped & Spotted Puffbirds, Lemon-throated Barbet, Spot-winged, Fasciated, Blackish-gray & Amazonian Antshrikes, and possibly Amazonian Umbrellabird. In the unique ‘White Sand’ forest lurks the incredible Red-billed Ground-Cuckoo which we will need more than a little luck to find one. A little easier should be Yellow-green Grosbeak, Citron-bellied Attila, Pale-bellied Mourner, Striated Antthrush, Collared Puffbird, Black-bellied Cuckoo, Yellow-breasted Antbird, Pearly Antshrike and Short-billed Honeycreeper. Of course the list goes on and on with other good birds including Black Caracara, Red-bellied Macaw, Maroon-tailed Parakeet, Dusky-billed Parrotlet, Long-tailed Potoo, Lettered Aracari, Olive-backed Foliage-gleaner, Rufous-tailed, Pygmy, White-flanked & Long-winged Antwrens, Gray, Dusky & Blackish Antbirds, plus White-browed, Black-faced, Black-chinned, Silvered, Black-throated, White-cheeked & Scale-backed Antbirds, Thrush-like Antpitta, Rusty-fronted & Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatchers, Musician Wren, Paradise, Opal-rumped & Opal-crowned Tanagers, Yellow-bellied Dacnis, Moriche Oriole and Plumbeous Euphonia among many others. As you will see, this is truly a wonderful birding destination. Nights, Mitú. (B,L,D)
Day
10: Mitú – Bogotá
This morning depending on flight times we will either do some local birding or head to the airport in time for our flight back to Bogotá. We should have time this afternoon to visit La Florida Park in the center of Bogotá. This large public park contains several large ponds and areas of reed bed. If we missed it previously then this gives us a second chance to look for Bogotá Rail and Apolinar’s Wren. Other species that can be found in the park include Yellow-hooded Blackbird, Subtropical Doradito, Rufous-browed Conebill, Silvery-throated Spinetail, Spot-flanked Gallinule and with a lot of luck, Noble Snipe. After, we will make our way to our hotel. Night, Bogotá. (B,L,D)
Day 11: Morning birding – Bogotá
We will set off early and drive up into the mountains that surround Bogotá. Our first destination will be Chingaza NP where we will search for a variety of high altitude specialties including a few that we would have looked for at Sumapaz NP. We will look for both Tawny and the local subspecies of Rufous Antpitta, Red-crested Cotinga plus Golden-fronted Whitestart, Purple-backed Thornbill, Black-chested Mountain Tanager, White-chinned Thistletail, Pale-naped Brushfinch and possibly Brown-breasted Parakeet or Andean Pygmy-Owl.
From here we will descend and go to the Observatorio de Colibries where a sumptuous lunch will be set up for us, Our visit here is aimed at getting spectacular views of hummingbirds including some very special ones such as the gorgeous Blue-throated Starfrontlet, Coppery-bellied Puffleg and the extraordinary Sword-billed Hummingbird. Of course there are more species to see than this and are afternoon will be a real highlight of our tour. Afterwards we will head back to our hotel in Bogotá.
Night, Bogotá. (B,L,D)
Day 12: Morning birding -
Departures
from Bogotá
after
8 PM
This morning we will leave early to cross Bogotá before the traffic gets too bad and head to Chicaque Park where we hope to see another spectacular hummingbird the Golden-bellied Starfrontlet. Other species present should include Glowing Puffleg and Moustached Brush Finch. After lunch here we will drive back a couple of hours to Bogotá airport arriving late afternoon in time for any international departures which should be no earlier than 8:00/9:00pm. Alternatively we can arrange an additional night near the airport.
Note this extra night would be on your own expense. (B,L)
Leader: Diego Calderon & local guides
 COLOMBIA:
Specialties
of Mitúwith Diego Calderon! April 2022 Questions? Email [email protected] Registration Form> TOUR
PRICE: $TBA
(2021 Tour Price
$3995.00
per
person/double
occupancy
from Bogotá,
Colombia, Airport
Code:
BOG).
Once
the tour is confirmed
to go ahead,
we
will send you
information
about booking
your
flights. Please
do not book flights
until you receive
this information
from us.
Contact Steve
Bird
at [email protected]
for more information.
Final payment
is
due January 2022. Credit
card payments
are
possible, must
be
pre-approved
and
will incur a
5% fee. Please
note: Tour
prices are based
on quoted costs
from ground
operators, estimated
fuel costs, and
the rate of exchange
the time of
itinerary
publication.
The erratic
nature
to global financial
markets makes
it difficult
to predict changes
in costs and
foreign currency
exchange rates
over the long
term. Since
tours are priced
well in advance
of the actual
operation of
the tour, tour
costs, fuel
costs and exchange
rates
can change,
sometimes
drastically.
Depending on
the extent of
such changes,
it may be necessary
to implement
a surcharge on
this tour. If
a surcharge
is necessary,
every effort
will be made
to minimize the
amount.
Cancellations
and Refunds:
TRIP
INSURANCE:
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PLEASE NOTE:
Questions?
Email [email protected] |
