Colombia: Diverse Western Bogota 2026
Dates: January 17 - 23, 2026
Leaders: David Ascanio & Camilo Orjuela
E-bird
Total Species: 183 birds
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Overall Summary
The dim light of dawn didn’t keep us from seeing an astonishing Stygian Owl in flight, carrying prey. That magical moment prepared us for the experiences we would have as we visited the richly diverse west slope of the eastern Andes, around the city of Bogota in the department of Cundinamarca.
We greeted the day in Parque La Florida, where we saw the endemic subspecies of the Yellow-hooded Blackbird and Spot-flanked Gallinule. We also enjoyed wonderful looks at the Andean Duck and superb views of a pair of Silvery-throated Spinetails—a Colombian endemic—building a nest. We left the park without a sighting of the Bogota Rail, but we knew that days to come would bring better chances. A detour along the highway to Medellin took us to two other remarkable localities, Laguna Tabacal and the famous Jardín Encantado, or Enchanted Garden. In Laguna Tabacal, we tallied another Colombian endemic, the Velvet-fronted Euphonia, as well as a pair of Band-backed Wrens and the endemic subspecies of the Speckled-breasted Wren. Birding the trail wasn’t easy, but still we succeeded in adding the Blue-necked Tanager and Acadian Flycatcher to our day list.
What came next was the highlight of the day, our visit to the Enchanted Garden. Here we added the Colombian endemic Indigo-capped Hummingbird along with another twelve species of winged wonders, including the diminutive Gorgeted Woodstar. Learning the hummingbird names and telling the birds apart from one another required concentration and practice. By the end of the afternoon, we were all able to identify all thirteen of the species present!
The second full day found us visiting a wonderful forest, Chicaque. This natural park includes some of the finest and most pristine cloud forest cladding the walls and escarpments of the Bogota Plateau. But before entering the reserve, we took a detour on a steep trail to visit a new site with hummingbird feeders, where we hoped to see the astonishing Golden-bellied Starfrontlet; we saw it, and how! We also came up with five more fantastic hummingbird species while we enjoyed the distant song of an Andean Pygmy-Owl.
Chicaque was a chance to experience the challenge of seeing mixed-species flocks in the canopy; we were grateful that at least some of the birds emerged into good light rather than hiding behind the foliage. We greatly enjoyed the forest as we learned about how air masses packed with humidity crash into the plateau to provide the rainfall needed by evergreen trees, aerial plants, and ferns.
The best was still to come. Along the road, we admired the astounding bill of the Brown-billed Scythebill. Near the restaurant at the bottom of the road, we had a canopy-level view into the forest, a completely new way to experience those dimly lit and hard-to-see birds of the treetops. Now we were seeing the Pale-edged Flycatcher and Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant at eye level. Over lunch, knives and forks dropped to our plates when some of that mixed-flock magic happened right in front of our eyes: Beryl-spangled, Metallic-green, Golden, Blue-and-black, and fabulous Flame-faced tanagers were foraging at eye level right in front of us. These birds may have been eating fermented fruits, since they were hanging around rather than disappearing in seconds. With images filling our souls and flashcards, we left with the satisfaction of having experienced a truly amazing park.
The following day found us in a completely different habitat, on the rain-shadow side of the mountains, abounding in cacti and tropical dry to moist forest. We were warmly welcomed to Los Cactos Reserve as Scrub and Blue-necked tanagers visited the feeders. A walk along the road and through a forest restoration area provided a unique opportunity to see the Lance-tailed Manakin and White-bellied Antbird, two birds restricted to this habitat, along with Rufous-tailed Jacamar and Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher.
When we reached the headquarters for lunch, though, we were still missing the much-wanted Barred Puffbird—twice I had located one and twice it flew away, leaving us with the bitter taste of a bird that vanishes before everyone can enjoy it. But we remained determined. After lunch, we birded the gardens, where we added the Pileated Finch: but still no sign of the puffbird. It was getting late and we were about to leave when magic happened again. A pair of Barred Puffbirds were singing around the parking lot, and this time we were able to celebrate our lengthy views of the pair. After that, it was time to head back to Bogota to prepare ourselves for the next big day, one that would take us high into the upper montane forest and onto the paramo. We were back at the hotel in time for an early dinner and a good night’s sleep.
To make the most of our day in the high Andes, the last full day of our tour, we left the hotel very early. An hour’s drive took us to a wetland, where the intriguing Bogota Rail made us work hard—until a single individual appeared in full view, and everyone got to see it! That was certainly a sign that things were going to unfold well. We then drove to the charming Andean town of Guasca for a delicious breakfast with hot chocolate and the always welcome coffee. Once in the upper montane wet forest, we enjoyed views of colorful hummingbirds and excellent looks at the Muisca Antpitta. An optional walk was offered to see one of the rarest, if not the rarest, species in the family Nyctibiidae, the Andean Potoo. Watching this nocturnal bird freeze in place, barely moving its head, we came to understand why it has so many interesting names in Spanish, including “stick-bird,” “standing well,” “feathered sloth,” and most romantic of all, “mother of the moon.”
In addition to this rare night bird, we also had a wonderful view of a Powerful Woodpecker and the endemic Brown-breasted Parakeet. Among the wealth of hummingbirds were the Blue-throated Starfrontlet, Tyrian Metaltail, and Longuemare’s Sunangel, all with amazing plumage and equally amazing energy, which they devoted largely to territorial behavior. Other bird families were represented by such exquisite species as the Black-billed Mountain-Toucan and the cute Golden-fronted Redstart. To round off our hummingbird experience, we concluded the day at the Observatorio de Aves Los Andes, property of an artist who has made her workshop a home for many members of the family Trochilidae. These wonders included the Sword-billed Hummingbird, Black-tailed and Green-tailed trainbearers, Glowing Puffleg, Great Sapphirewing, and White-bellied Woodstar.
Back at the hotel, we enjoyed a farewell dinner and some well-earned sleep before heading back home, filled with memories of the colorful creatures of the forest, wetlands, and paramo of the East Colombian Andes. Until our next birding trip!
Day-by-Day Summary
January 17 – Arrival
Participants arrived in Lima and prepared for the expedition.
January 18, Day 2: Florida wetland, Tabacal lagoon and Enchanted Garden
January 19, Day 3: Chicaque
January 20, Day 4: Los Cactus Reserve.
January 21, Day 5: Pedro Pablo lagoon road. Return to Hilton Garden
January 22, Day 6: Full Day in the high Andes near Bogotá: Guasca and Hummingbird Observatory at La Calera
January 23, Day 7: Departures for Home.