Western & Central Andes of Colombia: one of the best introduction of birding in the Neotropics
- Alejandro Pinto
- Apr 8
- 9 min read
In South America, the Andes are truly one of a kind. While it is a single mountain range, in southern Colombia, it splits into three branches, creating an unparalleled variety of ecosystems and habitats that range from tropical forests in the lowlands to the peaks above the páramo. This diversity gives rise to an astonishing array of biodiversity in the Colombian Andes, where countless birds, elusive mammals, butterflies, and orchids beautify the mountains, making it a true paradise for birdwatchers, naturalists, and photographers alike.
This trip was meticulously designed to maximize our chances of several endemic and rare species in a slow pace, while we enjoy the country the people and the culture.
Our adventure began in Cali - western Andes - where we set off to explore the renowned Km 18, also known as the San Antonio Forest, perched majestically above the city. This cloud forest is recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and is a hotspot for birdwatching, brimming with an incredible diversity of avifauna.
Our spots in the area: La Florida and San Felipe and not far from from km18, the spectacular Araucana lodge.
The unique ecosystem of the cloud forest provides a habitat for both resident and migratory species, making it an ideal location for spotting rare and endemic birds, here we encountered a colorful array of species, from the striking Tanagers: Multicolor Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, Golden Tanager, Black-capped Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Scrub Tanager, Saffron-crowned Tanager to the elusive Chestnut Wood Quail, Ruddy Quail Dove and Grey-headed Dove
The Hummingbirds here never dissapoint and the list includes 16 of them already!
On the western slope of the Andes, at mid-elevation, the old road to the Pacific in the higher Anchicaya area was very productive and included spectacular birds and moments. We started with a distant sighting of male and female Torrent Ducks, the female Collared Trogon catching moths in front of us, the Brown-billed Scythebill going back and forth to its nest, and the Andean Solitaire singing its melody. However, the most remarkable moment of the morning was the male Club-winged Manakin displaying in the sub-canopy of the humid forest.
Late in the morning, we visited Doña Dora's house and enjoyed the feeders loaded with colorful birds: Glistening-green Tanager, Toucan Barbet, Silver-throated Tanager, Rufous-throated Tanager, Spot-crowned Barbet, Red-headed Barbet, among many others!
Our next stop, a couple of days in the lowlands, near the Cauca river valley, we leave behind the mountains - not for too long - and with that we switched the set of birds.
we started the morning with "Manchas" a Crested Bobwhite that appears every morning to eat corn, Wattle Jacana, Bare-faced Ibis, Black-crowned Night Heron among other water birds near the ponds in the property. Bar-crested Anthshrike, Vermilion Flycatcher, Tropical Parula and Tyrannulets in the secondary growth. later in the morning we drove few minutes on the rural area in the search of new birds: Blue-necked Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Guira Tanager, Crimson-backed Tanager and one of the best sights of this day the endemic Turquoise Tanager! on the way back a couple of Aplomado Falcons made our day!
Our second day and to close in the right way our stop in the lowlands, we visited Sonso lagoon area, and oxbow of the Cauca river, the morning was way over our expectations! as soon as we leave the van we setted our scope and bingo: Ruby Topaz was working in a blooming tree! during the walk the sound of the ciccadas was overwelming and even we could not heard the birds for a while! anyway we spotted: 4 Common Potoos, 2 Lesser Nighthawks, over a dozen Snail Kites, Oriola Blackbirds, Spectacled Parrotlet, Littel Cuckoo, Dwarf Cuckoo, Tropical Screech Owl and Horned Screamers, over 50 species, not bad for 3 hours! on the way to the central Andes.
Otun Quimbaya, the flora and fauna sanctuary was our first stop on the central Andes. Nestled in the heart of Colombia's Coffee Region, this sanctuary is renowned for its rich biodiversity, including some iconic birds of the Andes. during our afternoon we were enjoying a pair of Torrent Tyrannulet when suddendly a Tayra crossed by us!
Our morning started with a drive toward the end of the road known as "El Cedral." It was still dark outside, and the rain from the night before had transformed into a gentle drizzle, but just when we thought we were on the right track, we hit a snag. About halfway on the bumpy road, we encountered a huge tree that had decided to take a nap right in the middle of our path, there was no way to get through, and it looked like we were stuck, a forest breakfast right there, of course and got ready for birds!
However, there was one hilarious hiccup: our hot chocolate thermo had turned into a bit of a rebel, spilling all over the place thanks to the bumps in the road. So, instead of a cozy cup of cocoa, we found ourselves with just good coffee to sip while soaking in the sights and sounds of the forest, when we are traveling, flexibility is a must.
Some of the highligts during our walk: the endemic and critical endangered Cauca Guan was spotted several times, the same with the elusive Red-ruffed Fruitcrow. in the mix flocks: Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, Variegated Bristle-tyrant and Marble-faced Bristle-tyrant. After several tries we finally got a glimpse of the Northern Chestnut-breasted Wren, but the best moment came at the end of the morning with a juvenile male Andean Cock of the Rock who came straight to us and made a short stop! we were enjoying the White-capped deppers and again a Tayra appears, just to dissapear half second later!
our next stop was the Tinamu reserve and surrounding areas. this reserve is a coffee farm house with a long conservation story, the secondary forest is near 40 years old and the birds here are all over. The first morning we depart for a short walk, we enjoyed a Blue-lored (Immaculated) Antbird inside the forest and the Common Pauraque nesting on the ground, the Moustached Puffbird inside the Guadua Bamboo forest and several tanagers and hummingbirds species. late morning we had 3 main highlights: the incredible Golden-collared Manakin, Green Hermit and Stripe-throated Hermit leking!
In the afternoon the surrounding areas keep providing good birds! the Skulking and endemic Parker´s Antbird, the beautiful Speckle-breasted Wren, Bar-crested Antshrike and Squirrel Cuckoo.
when you are in the coffee area in the country with the best quality coffee in the world, is mandatory to visit a coffee farm house and learn how the coffee has been an engine to dinamyze economies in small, mediumm and large scale, but also learn about coffee itself, from seed to beans to a cup of coffee.
we visited the renowned Hacienda Venecia, a traditional farm house with over a century producing coffee, it was a fascinating experience!
Now heading to the high elevations on the central cordillera, we visited two main spots on the way: the iconic Rio Blanco reserve and el Color de mi reves. both are inside or in the buffer area of CHEC forest, which is part of the Manizales water company and protect thousands of hectares of primary high andean forest. our first stop Rio Blanco delivered over 60 species during the morning, including the endemic Brown-banded Antpitta, the near endemic Golden-plummed Parakeet and spectacular views of Southern Emerald Toucanet, Green and Black Fruiteater, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Sharpe´s Wren and Black-billed Mountain Toucan among many others. During the walk we heard the distintive call of the Golden-headed Quetzal, we quickly moved to get closer and finally spotted one male getting fruits in the sub canopy, no doubt was the highlight!
Color de mi Reves was an spectacular day in the mountains, surrounded by the high andean-cloud forest and several colorful birds! we started the morning with spectacular views of Black-collared Jay, Tyrannine Woodcreeper, Andean Guan, Blue-capped Tanager and Hooded Tanager. after our breakfast in the lodge we heard a family of White-capped Tanagers and we spoted them in the distance.
Inside the forest we had eprfect views of Bicolored Antpitta, Golden-fronted Redstar, Pearled Treerunner among others. and just to end our day a Crab-eating Fox and the Black-billed Mountain Toucan less than 10 ft away!
Los Nevados area, the top of the Central Andes.
first afternoon and on the way to our hotel, we decided to make a last stop before dark. there is a well known spot where the endemic and very range restricted Rufous-fronted Parakeet like for rusting. we waited for about 15min and nothing...decided to quick, it was getting dark and cooling down. as soon as we jumped inside the car a small flock of about 10-12 of them arrived to the cliff! we quickly jumped out of the car and spotted them!
After enjoying a hearty breakfast, we set off on a drive to the highest point of our trip at an elevation of 4,130 meters (or 13,500 feet). As we traversed a mountain ridge, an unexpected surprise awaited us: the fog cleared for just a few moments, revealing the magnificent snow-capped peak of El Ruiz Volcano. What a breathtaking landscape!
In the higher altitudes, we finally encountered our main target—the Buff Helmetcrest. Not only is this bird endemic to the region, but it is also entirely confined to Los Nevados National Park, making its range of distribution incredibly small. The thrill of seeing such a unique species was a highlight of our journey!
Other birds during the day includes the beautiful Rainbow-beaded Thornbill, the near endemics: Black-thiged and Golden-breasted Pufflegs, the elusive Black-backed Bush Tanager, Black-chested Buzzard Eagle, Tawny Antpitta, Andean Tit Spinetail, , Blue-backed Conebill, Golden-crowned Tanager among many others!
Words from our participants:
Undoubtedly one of the highlights for me was our last morning hike out from Termales del Ruiz and down past La Gruta. After two days of cloudy skies we finally could see Manizales in the distance under a mostly clear blue sky. Among a few smaller mixed flocks were three species of Mountain Tanager (Lacrimose, Scarlet-bellied, and Hooded) which is always a treat, but we knew our morning was off to a fantastic start when Alejo pointed up into the sky and excitedly yelled “Condor!” Sure enough, a majestic Andean Condor, a lifer for several of us, was soaring high above our happy group as we basked in the sunshine. As we rounded a corner farther down the mountainside past La Gruta, we were greeted by several Purple-backed Thornbills working the blooms above our heads. At this same spot we could hear an Ocellated Tapaculo just downslope from where we stood, and due to Alejo’s patience and persistence we eventually tracked the bird down and obtained stunning views of the “holy grail of tapaculos.” And as if the morning hadn’t been a stunning success already, our final mixed flock of the hike included a couple Citrine Warblers and Black-capped Hemispinguses in addition to a single Plushcap! Although we felt very lucky that morning, this was the type of experience we had come to expect with Alejo as our guide, as he always seemed to know where we should be and what time we should be there to experience the best birding.
Last day in the field, Hacienda el Bosque, a magnificent lodge and project nestled in the slopes of the central andes, above manizales and surrounded by high andean forest. after a delicioues breakfast with hot chocolated we visited several spots in order to add new species to our already big list. one of the first birds was the Paramo Seedeater, the Equatorial Antpitta and the White-browed Spinetail. The morning continued and: Grass Wren, Mountain Wren, Yellow-bellied Chat Tyrant and a Golden-fronted Redstar building a nesting showed off very well! but the rockstars of Hacienda el Bosque was just to come: Crescent-faced Antpitta and Grey-breasted Mountain Toucan with superb hummingbirds including the Sword-billed Hummingbird and the Buff-winged Starfrontlet. what a way to end our trip!
we finished our trip with 330 bird species, full checklist at: https://ebird.org/tripreport/333858
Our top 3:
Toucan Barbet
Multicolor Tanager
Common Potoo
Honorable mention: Andean Condor
Best place: Top of the central cordillera, Los Nevados national park and the landscapes surrounded.
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