Fabrice Schmitt on his just-completed tour, Colombia

It was another fantastic tour to Colombia! Visiting the three cordilleras, crossing both the Magdalena and Cauca valleys, birding from sea level to 15,000 feet elevation, and even adding a few days in the isolated Santa Marta and Guajira Peninsulas, we had an amazing overview of the Colombian avifauna.

Our group at 15,000 feet in Nevado del Ruiz National Park

 
Superb cloud forest in the Western Cordierra

Sunset in the Santa Marta Cordillera

 It’s hard to pick the best birds of the trip amongst hundreds of wonderful species, but here are the top ten as voted by the group: Santa Marta Screech-Owl, Rosy Thrush Tanager, Ocellated Tapaculo, White-whiskered Spinetail, Buffy Helmetcrest, Santa Marta Antpitta, White-headed Wren, Chestnut Piculet, Munchique Wood-Wren, and tied for ninth place, Dwarf Cuckoo and Blue-naped Chlorophonia.

Santa Marta Screech-Owl - Image: Bruce Sorrie

 
Rosy Thrush-Tanager

 
Munchique Wood-wren

Dwarf Cuckoo

We visited more than 10 different hummingbird feeding stations and saw no fewer than 57 species of these fascinating birds!

 
Tourmaline Sunangel

Long-tailed Sylph

Violet-tailed Sylph

Velvet-purple Coronet

We also visited several antpitta feeders, allowing great views of several members of this secretive group.

 
Chestnut-crowned Antpitta

Santa Marta Antpitta

Bicolored Antpitta

We were amazed as well by the remarkable range of flowers, orchids, grasshoppers, butterflies, moths, etc. Colombia is definitely THE biodiversity country!

 
One of the numerous glass-winged butterflies

One among many, many species of orchid