Highlights of Eastern Andes

It is located in the province of Sumapaz, on the Eastern Andean Mountain Range, in the department of Cundinamarca. It is a locality in the Capital District of Bogota.
Sumapaz Paramo, is considered the largest páramo ecosystem in the world. Our target there include: Bearded Helmecrest, Apolinar’s Wren, Bogota Rail, Bronze Tailed Thornbill, Chestnut Winged Cinclodes, Many Striped Canastero, Andean Tit Spinetail, Paramo Seed-
eater, Plain Coloured Seedater and Black Chested Buzzard Eagle

We will make an early start to venture in to the hills, ascending l high into elfin forest in the huge Chingaza National Park which is 53,000 ha, and provides the majority of the drinking water for Bogota. You will find most of the Eastern Andean Highland near endemics here.

The short stunted trees and nearby paramo habitat encourages small mixed roving flocks and amongst these we will search for Rufous-browed Conebill, Silvery-throated Spinetail, the skulking Pale-bellied Tapaculo. The White–faced form of Golden-fronted Whitestart, Black-chested, Buff-breasted, and Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanagers, Red-crested Cotinga, Pale-naped Brush-finch, Rufos Wren, Superciliared, Black-eared, Black-headed, and Oleaginous Hemispingus, and other delights, such as Plushcap, Black-crested Warbler, White-throated Tyrannulet, Rufous Antpitta, Glowing and the near endemic Coppery-bellied Puffleg.

We may even entice an Andean Pygmy-owl to show itself and if we are very lucky we could find Bronze-tailed Thornbills. The endemic Brown-breasted Parakeet is one of the targeted species and artificial nest boxes have been set up in the area for the continued survival of this endemic species.

Making our way higher in elevation we can continue searching for Tyriant Metaltail, Glossy and Masked Flowerpiercer, Barred Fruiteater, Slaty Brus-finch, White-chinned Thistletail, Streak-throated Bush-tyrant.

In the afternoon we will visit some Hummingbird feeders where we have good chances to see the Sword-billed Hummingbirds, Great Sapphirewing Green violetear, Sparkling Violetear, Amethyst-throated Sunangel,  Black-tailed and Green-tailed Trainbearers, Purple-backed Thornbill, Glowing Puffleg, Coppery-bellied Puffleg, Shining Sumbeam, Blue-throated Starfronlet, Mountain Velvet-breast and White-bellied Woodstar.

Pedro Palo is a municipal lagoon close to Bogotá. Unfortunately, the access to the lagoon itself is forbidden now days, but the entire road surrounding the lagoon is very good for near-endemics such as Moustached Brush Finch, Ash-browed Spinetail and Rufous-naped Greenlet. Biggest targets there are the endemics Turquoise Dacnis and Black Inca.

The Golden-bellied Starfrontlet is a Near-endemic Hummingbird species that we look for in Chicaque Park, besides some other high elevation birds that moves in the mixed flocks.

El Tabacal is a small lagoon located in La Vega municipality, nearby Bogotá. We will explore the natural park looking for the rare Gray-throated Warbler, endemic Velvet-fronted Euphonia, near-endemic Bar-crested Antshrike, Stripe-breasted Spinetail, Rusty-breasted Antpitta, Blue-lored Antbird and the tricky Rosy Thrush-Tanager. Commoner species include Olivaceous Piculet, Plain Antvireo, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Yellow-Olive Flycatcher, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Cinereous Becard, White-shouldered Tanager, Crimson-backed Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager and Ruddy-breasted Seedeater.

In the afternoon we will head to Jardin Encantado (Enchanted Garden), one of the biggest hummingbird feeders in Colombia. Main targets there will be the endemic Indigo-capped Hummingbird, Ruby topaz Hummingbird, Gorgeted Woodstar (the smallest of the woodstars) and Red-billed Emerald. 

La Florida Park is a wetland area located in the northwestern part of Bogotá at 2600 meters above sea level. Although it has been heavily impacted by city development, the region still contains small remaining natural areas which are an excellent place to find the secretive and endemic Bogota Rail. Other target species including: the endemic Apolinar’s Wren, Silvery-throated Spinetail, Yellow-hooded Blackbird, and small numbers of Spot-flanked Gallinule. Rufous-browed Conebill can also occasionally be found in the surrounding Eucalyptus trees and parkland.