Dates: September 9 - 23, 2025

Leaders: Andrew Whittaker & Local Leader

E-bird

Total Species: 362 birds

Click Here to view list.

Overall Summary

Still one of the South American continent’s best-kept birding secrets, delightful Bolivia is a birder’s paradise and a not-to-be-missed destination. This year’s tour was as sensational as ever—it truly rocked!

As always, we enjoyed magnificent studies of both of Bolivia’s most sought-after endemics: the macaws. First up was the Red-fronted Macaw, with its breathtaking mix of vivid colors; this has to be the most beautiful of all macaws. We followed up with excellent studies of several family groups of the endangered Blue-throated Macaw in the Bolivian Pantanal. In the end, we marveled at no fewer than seven fabulous macaw species!

Throughout the tour, we were enthralled by Bolivia’s incredible variety of habitats, from lush yungas forest, Chaco Serrano, Chiquitania forest, dry interandean valleys, and southern cloud forest to the vast Pantanal wetlands teeming with wildlife. Many of our countless avian highlights were seldom-seen gems of South American birding.

We began our tour in the capital, Santa Cruz, where we met my good friend and co-leader, Indio Emiliano. Our excellent new hotel offered up an impressive nightly show as hundreds of Mitred Parakeets came to roost. The lovely gardens and pool produced Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Thrush-like Wren, and Purple-throated Euphonia. On a relaxed afternoon in the botanical gardens, we encountered a feeding Three-toed Sloth and enjoyed great looks at Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, Green Ibis, Dusky-headed Parakeet, White-wedged Piculet, Great Antshrike, and Fawn-breasted Wren, while egrets and Bare-faced Ibis walked carefully among the sunning caimans, including the rare Broad-nosed Caiman. At dusk, several smart Snail Kites came in to roost in the trees.

We left early the next morning for Refugio Los Volcanos, an isolated paradise on the edge of a national park, with just one dirt road winding in and out of this beautiful and secluded valley. The lodge here is surrounded by majestic sandstone cliffs on three sides, with a carpet of rich yungas forest stretching as far as the eye can see—a gobsmacking panoramic vista.

The lodge clearing is always a hive of avian activity. We enjoyed flocks of huge and colorful Military Macaws, Blue-headed Parrots, Plush-crested Jays, displaying Crested Oropendolas, and soaring Andean Condors. The sought-after White-throated Piping-Guans amused us with their wing-whirring displays. Even a neat Razor-billed Curassow was seen by the stream. It was also a thrill to find footprints of the incredibly poorly known nocturnal Water Opossum.

The trails through the yungas forest are enchanting, festooned with bromeliads and orchids, and here we tracked down such gems as Red-necked Woodpecker, Amazonian Motmot, Channel-billed Toucan, Green-cheeked Parakeet, Blue-crowned Trogon, Black-banded Woodcreeper, the localized Slaty Gnateater, Yungas Manakin, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, White-necked Thrush, Two-banded and Riverbank warblers, Dusky-green Oropendola, and the rare Blue-browed Tanager.

Sad as we were to leave this paradise, many other exciting birds still awaited us. As we climbed gradually up a lush river valley with spectacular cliffs and forest, the terrain became drier until we emerged into the stark, almost desert-like interandean valleys, a rain-shadow area with dramatically different birdlife. Always one of our trip highlights is the conservation lodge created to protect the enigmatic Red-fronted Macaw. And wow—these spectacular macaws did us proud almost immediately, with mega views against the stunning backdrop of sandstone cliffs.

As dusk fell around our lodge, the sunset struck the orange-tinged rimrock, and we retired for a well-earned rest. Rising early the next morning, we crossed the river to the base of the cliffs, full of anticipation at the prospect of enjoying our prize bird at close range. Immediately we were treated to the magical antics of the Red-fronted Macaws, some fifty individuals staging a truly world-class display at close range. The birds engaged in allopreening, then playfully flew in close to look us over. Unforgettable! We also enjoyed colorful Turquoise-fronted Parrots, Southern Martins, and colonies of Cliff Parakeets on their thorny twig nests.

Very happy, we returned to our lodge for a good breakfast and some birding from the shaded veranda, cool drinks in hand. The active feeders produced White-fronted Woodpecker, Bolivian Blackbird, Gray-crested Finch, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, and Golden-billed Saltator. A singing White-tipped Plantcutter, Cliff Parakeets, a Crowned Slaty Flycatcher (freshly arrived from the Amazon), and pairs of Greater Wagtail-Tyrants all showed well. We also enjoyed Spot-backed (Chaco) Puffbirds, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Masked Gnatcatcher, Ultramarine Grosbeak, and Ringed Warbling Finch near the lodge.

We retraced our steps to quaint and historic Samaipata, where our delightful family-run lodge nestles above the town. In addition to great hospitality and marvelous food, we enjoyed an exciting new set of birds in habitats ranging from cloud and Tucumano forest to lakes and Chiquitania woodland.

The next day’s dawn was an incredible contrast to the stark valleys. Now we were in the lush southern cloud forests of the Andes, a truly remarkable birding paradise. Spirits were high as this exciting site came up trumps with great looks at Blue-winged Mountain Tanager and Common Chlorospingus, both good candidates for future splits as endemics. After our second breakfast, made by Marco, raptors began to appear, among them displaying Swallow-tailed Kites, a hunting Bat Falcon, and a very confiding Barred Forest-Falcon; color was added by Crested Quetzal and Masked Trogon. Other noteworthy observations included Rothschild’s Swift, Montane Woodcreeper, Buff-banded Tyrannulet, Rufous-bellied Bush-Tyrant, Yungas Warbler, the rare Green-throated Tanager, and the endemic Bolivian Brushfinch.

The next day, we explored Tucumano forest and Chiquitania woodland, starting with wonderful looks at magnificent Cream-backed Woodpeckers, Yungas Guan, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Ochre-faced Tody-Flycatcher, Orange-headed Tanager, Moss-backed Sparrow, and Black-and-chestnut Warbling Finch. We enjoyed another expertly prepared breakfast by the delightfully forested lakeside.

Other highlights here included the rare Tucuman Parrot, Spot-breasted Thornbirds, Sclater’s Tyrannulet, and Golden-winged Cacique. Best of all, though, was a wonderful pair of obliging and massive Giant Antshrikes that sneaked in and were spotted by sharp-eyed Kimberlee. This largest member of the antbird family showed extremely well and is always such a thrill to see.

The next morning at another interesting cloud forest site was very productive. Jaque found us some cooperative Blue-banded Toucanets, followed by great studies of male Yungas Manakins on a lek. Other goodies included Tyrian Metaltail, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Masked Tityra, Slate-throated Redstart, and the distinctive orange-crowned form of the Saffron-crowned Tanager. A few of us also got to see a White-throated Antpitta. After another great lunch in Samaipata, we returned to Santa Cruz for a well-earned afternoon’s rest in our plush hotel.

Thanks to a later flight schedule, we had time to explore grasslands close to the airport, where noteworthy observations included Greater Rhea, Whistling Heron, Burrowing Owl, Toco Toucan, and Fork-tailed Flycatcher. Our flight then took us to bustling Trinidad, gateway to the famous Bolivian Pantanal. After a delicious meal at our favorite Brazilian restaurant, we checked in to our comfortable base for the night.

We left before dawn with our local guides to visit a private ranch, always a trip highlight, where we enjoyed the great privilege of more quality time with the fantastic endemic Blue-throated Macaw. There are estimated to be no more than 250 to 350 of these magnificent birds left, and we were extremely blessed to see 12 to 15 birds so very well!

Enormous thanks must go to the Bolivian conservation organization Armonia for buying and preserving this essential breeding site. As we saw, the nest-box scheme they have carried out with local landowners has been very successful. Other cool birds here included Jabiru Stork, charismatic and enormous Southern Screamers, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Red-shouldered and Chestnut-fronted macaws, Campo Flickers, Pale-crested Woodpecker, Little Cuckoo, Sunbittern, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, Greater Thornbirds, Red-billed Scythebill (always a favorite), Red-crested Cardinal, Chotoy Spinetail, White and White-rumped monjitas, and Orange-backed Troupial. We also found the near-endemic Rufous (Gray-crested) Cacholote, which Kevin Zimmer and I split from northeastern Brazil’s Caatinga Cacholote and elevated to full-species status in a 2000 paper in The Condor.

The rich marshes of the super-diverse Bolivian Pantanal produced a nonstop stream of birds for us. Outings right on the outskirts of town produced incredible sunset flocks of hundreds of White-faced and Black-bellied whistling-ducks, as well as Brazilian Teal. Other waterbirds were abundant, with Plumbeous, Buff-necked, Green, and Bare-faced ibis joined by Rufescent Tiger-Heron, stately Maguari Storks, and Roseate Spoonbills. We had wonderful scope studies of Yellow-collared Macaw, Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet, migrant Upland Sandpipers, Savanna Hawk, Aplomado Falcon, Long-winged Harrier, Scarlet-headed Blackbirds, Hudson’s Black-Tyrant, White-bellied and Rusty-collared seedeaters, and the mega-rare Great-billed Seedeater. Always crowd pleasers, Toco Toucans and Black-capped Donacobius performed their duet. We also relished great looks at the mega-rare form of the Gray-eyed Greenlet, which probably represents a new and undescribed species.

Visits to nearby gallery forest and a private reserve yielded stunning looks at Laughing Falcon, Scarlet Macaw, Blue-crowned Trogon, Hoatzins, Black-fronted Nunbird, Pale-crested Woodpecker, White-wedged Piculet, the endemic form of Plain Softtail, Dull-capped Attila, and Yellow-browed Tody-Tyrant. We even found South America’s smallest bird, the Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant. One of our best finds was the odd-sounding Sulphur-bellied Tyrant-Manakin, which is extremely local in distribution. And we won’t soon forget those dazzling male Band-tailed Manakins or the tremendous scope studies of a roosting Great Potoo.

Our morning boat trip brought us magnificent encounters with Amazon Pink River Dolphins, herds of Capybara, and even a group of rare Bolivian Red Howlers. Avian highlights included Black-collared Hawk, Slate-colored Hawk, Green Ibis, Wood Stork, Anhinga, Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, Blue-and-yellow Macaws, White-eyed Parakeet, Southern Lapwing, Large-billed Tern, Ringed and Amazon kingfishers, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, White-winged Swallow, and wonderful studies of several pairs of our main objective, the threatened Orinoco Goose.

Sadly, we had to say goodbye to this mega-rich biome and fly back to Cochabamba, where we said fond farewells to Gary, Kimberlee, and Franta before continuing on an exciting exploration of the Andes and wondrous Lake Titicaca on Part II of our tour.

First and foremost, we have to thank our two outstanding drivers, Marcus and Pepe, plus, of course, the one and only Indio for his smooth organization and sharp eyes. Last but not least, thanks to all of you for being such a great and fun group! It was a real blast sharing this fabulous country’s wildlife with you all. I am already looking forward to next fall’s return to this exceptional country, which touched all our hearts. I hope you enjoy reading my report and that it brings back some wonderful memories. Wishing you all happy birding, and I do hope we cross paths again on one of my exciting VENT tours worldwide.

Top 7 favorite birds: 

1. RED-FRONTED MACAW (ENDEMIC) 

2. BLUE-THROATED MACAW (ENDEMIC) 

3. BAND-TAILED MANAKIN 

4. CRESTED QUETZAL 

5. YUNGAS MANAKIN 

6. BOLIVIAN SLATY ANTSHRIKE 

7. NEW GREENLET 

Day-by-Day Summary

September 9 – Arrived in Santa Cruz and began the tour with birding in the city’s gardens and botanical areas, enjoying species such as Mitred Parakeet, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, and Green Ibis.

September 10 – Traveled to Refugio Los Volcanos, birding the spectacular yungas forests and sandstone valleys along the way. Highlights included Military Macaw, Andean Condor, White-throated Piping-Guan, and many colorful forest species.

September 11 – Explored the lush yungas forest trails around Los Volcanos, searching for specialties such as Amazonian Motmot, Channel-billed Toucan, Blue-crowned Trogon, Yungas Manakin, and Blue-browed Tanager.

September 12 – Continued into the dry interandean valleys and arrived at the Red-fronted Macaw conservation lodge. Excellent views of Red-fronted Macaws against dramatic sandstone cliffs were a major highlight.

September 13 – Spent the morning with family groups of Red-fronted Macaws before birding around the lodge for species including White-fronted Woodpecker, Greater Wagtail-Tyrant, Spot-backed Puffbird, and Ultramarine Grosbeak.

September 14 – Returned toward Samaipata and explored cloud forest habitats, enjoying sightings of Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Crested Quetzal, Masked Trogon, and the endemic Bolivian Brushfinch.

September 15 – Birded Tucumano forest and Chiquitania woodland around Samaipata. Highlights included Cream-backed Woodpecker, Tucuman Parrot, Giant Antshrike, Orange-headed Tanager, and Golden-winged Cacique.

September 16 – Explored additional cloud forest sites near Samaipata, finding Blue-banded Toucanet, Yungas Manakin, Tyrian Metaltail, and several colorful tanagers before returning to Santa Cruz.

September 17 – Birded grasslands near Santa Cruz before flying to Trinidad, gateway to the Bolivian Pantanal.

September 18 – Visited a private ranch in the Pantanal for unforgettable encounters with the endangered Blue-throated Macaw, along with Jabiru, Southern Screamer, Sunbittern, and many other wetland species.

September 19 – Explored the marshes and wetlands surrounding Trinidad, enjoying large flocks of whistling-ducks, ibis, macaws, seedeaters, raptors, and other Pantanal specialties.

September 20 – Birded gallery forests and private reserves in the Pantanal region. Highlights included Scarlet Macaw, Hoatzin, Black-fronted Nunbird, Sulphur-bellied Tyrant-Manakin, and a roosting Great Potoo.

September 21 – Took a morning boat excursion, enjoying views of Amazon Pink River Dolphins, Capybaras, Bolivian Red Howler Monkeys, and excellent birding that included Orinoco Goose and several kingfisher species.

September 22 – Returned from the Pantanal and flew onward to Cochabamba, concluding the main Bolivia tour while some participants continued on to the Andes and Lake Titicaca extension.

September 23 – Departures or continuation of post-tour extensions.

Wildlife Seen: 

MAMMALS: 

Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus)  

Rio Beni Titi Monkey (Callicebus modestus) * 

Brown (Tufted) Capuchin (Cebus apella)  

Black Howler Monkey (Alouatta caraya) 

Bolivian Red Howler Monkey (Alouatta sara) – Endemic and a superb find along the river on our great boat trip.  

Bolivian Squirrel (Sciurus ignitus) 

Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) 

Brown Agouti (Dasyprocta variegata) 

Crab-eating Fox (Cerdocyon thous)  

South American Coati (Nasua nasua)  

(Pink) Amazon River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) – Wondrous looks on our boat trip. Sometimes listed as a separate species, the Bolivian Pink River Dolphin. 

FISHES, REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS & INVERTEBRATES: 

Broad-snouted Caiman (Caiman latirostris) – endangered. 

Yacare Caiman (Caiman yacare) – Out of the water we were even able to see the valve on the back of the throat to stop water from choking it when it opens its mouth under water. 

Gallery