Grand Bolivia: Part I

Blue-throated Macaw © Andrew Whittaker

Bolivia is truly a hidden gem and an overlooked birders’ paradise! Part I of our Grand Bolivia tour begins with exploration of vast birdy habitats from Chaco, lovely inter-Andean dry valleys, and lush Yungas cloud forest to the vast Pantanal wetlands teeming with life. Avian highlights will be two stunning and iconic endemic macaws, along with a wealth of around 450 species, of which many are seldom seen exciting South American birds; dramatic scenery throughout; and excellent photographic opportunities. A combination of Grand Bolivia Parts 1 and 2 offers the possibility of nearly 650 bird species, the highest number of bird species ever to be seen on any VENT tour!

A unique landlocked paradise, Bolivia is—among birders and naturalists alike—still poorly-known and typically overlooked. However, this South American country is unique, holding a superb variety of unspoiled habitats with a bewildering avian diversity approaching 1,450 species. Among these are currently 25 endemics, close to 100 near-endemics, and several newly described species. Bolivia is one of the world’s last birding frontiers, where new discoveries are almost expected (we have had a few!). Macaws abound with seven species probable, including two simply stunning endemic macaws, Red-fronted and Blue-throated (worth the trip alone), as well as Yellow-collared and the rare Military Macaw! We highlight a wide range of other beauties too, such as Tucuman Parrot, Orinoco Goose, Red-faced Guan, Cream-backed Woodpecker, Ringed Teal, Chaco and Black-streaked puffbirds, Blue-banded Toucanet, Giant Antshrike, endemic Rufous-faced and White-throated antpittas, Slaty Gnateater, Yungas Manakin, Olive-crowned Crescentchest, Band-tailed Fruiteater, and endemic Gray-crested Finch, all of which burnish Bolivia’s reputation as an undiscovered birding mecca.

Bolivia has made great strides in the past two decades upgrading its infrastructure, with enormously improved roads and surprisingly good guest accommodations—excellent in some areas—and the country has made significant progress socially and economically as well. Despite such modernization, age-old customs flourish and are constantly on display, as evidenced by colorful and often strictly traditional clothes and dress, colorful and diverse markets, and many pastoral landscapes.

Our introduction to Bolivian birding begins in the city of Santa Cruz, where we visit its lovely botanical garden for Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Bolivian Slaty Antshrike, Purplish Jay, Blue-crowned Trogon, and Three-toed Sloth. We also visit a rich new wetland full of water birds including the lovely localized Ringed Teal. We depart the capital for the lush Andean foothills and Refugio Los Volcanes, a true paradise in an idyllic isolated and scenically stunning valley on the edge of Amboró National Park, where we’ll enjoy a lovely mild climate, cool star-filled nights, and spectacularly clear daytime skies. Cloaked in Yungas forest rich in southern Andean birds, this special area will yield a host of marvelous birds. Majestic Andean Condors and Military Macaws abound around our lodge among a treasure-trove of possibilities including White--throated Piping-Guan, Green-cheeked Parakeet, Red-necked Woodpecker, rare Subtropical Pygmy-Owl, Plush-crested Jay, endemic Bolivian Tapaculo and Recurvebill, Slaty Gnateater, Riverbank Warbler, lovely White-winged and Blue-browed tanagers, and Yungas Manakin.

Next we will bird the unique inter-Andean dry valleys, home to several range-restricted and sought-after endemics. At our lovely secluded eco-lodge, we overlook breathtaking sandstone cliffs, among giant columnar cacti, where we will enjoy flocks of stunning endemic Red-fronted Macaws, certainly the most beautiful macaw of all, in addition to other dandies such as endemic Cliff Parakeet, White-fronted and Striped woodpeckers, the odd White-tipped Plantcutter, Black-and-chestnut Warbling-Finch, endemic Bolivian Blackbird, and Ultramarine Grosbeak. Yet another highlight will be the unparalleled opportunity for exploration of the exciting cloud forests of the Samaipata area. Here, the orchid-rich forests should reward us with swirling flocks of colorful mountain-tanagers of several types, massive Black-and Chestnut Eagle, endemic birds like Rufous-faced Antpitta, Bolivian Brushfinch, and Gray-bellied Flowerpiercer, as well as lovely Crested Quetzal, Blue-banded Toucanet, Scarlet-breasted or Band-tailed fruiteater, Red-crested Cotinga, and Olive-crowned Crescentchest (highland form). Night birding offers us a good chance for Rufous and Scissor-tailed nightjars and two poorly-known owls: Buff-fronted Owl and Cloud-forest Screech-Owl. Yungas Forest birding highlights include Tucuman Parrot, Yungas and Red-faced guans, Cream-backed Woodpecker, Giant Antshrike, and White-throated Antpitta. We will also visit a private hummingbird garden.

For a grand finale we will visit the bird-rich Pantanal of Trinidad, home to the exquisite endemic Blue-throated Macaw, on a private ranch (working on their conservation) with a healthy breeding population. These bird-rich marshes and gallery forests hold the likes of Greater Rhea, Jabiru, Whistling Heron, Slender-billed Kite, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Toco Toucan, Hoatzin, Red-billed Scythebill, Plain Softtail, Band-tailed Manakin, Campo Flicker, and stunning Scarlet-headed Blackbird, as well as the rarely seen endemic Unicolored Thrush and endemic Rio Beni Titi. A wonderful morning boat trip along the Rio Mamore is great for birding and seeing the rare Orinoco Goose, and for observing pods of amazing Pink River Dolphins and much more!

Good accommodations and food; easy rich birding throughout; mostly easy walking on well-kept forest trails at lodges or along dirt tracks; one pleasant boat trip in covered boat along the Rio Mamore; no altitudes higher than 8,800 feet; travel by comfortable air-conditioned bus and one commercial plane flight to Trinidad and back to Cochabamba; tour pace moderate (but with some early starts); midday breaks; mostly cool, pleasant temperatures in the Ande, and warm to hot in the Trinidad lowlands.

Blue-banded Toucanet © Andrew Whittaker