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Reporting from Western Colombia

Posted Aug 8, 2025 by Fabrice Schmitt
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Fabrice Schmitt

Leader

Learn more about the Colombia: The West tour

Back-to-back with our Central Colombia tour, this first trip to Western Colombia has been a fantastic tour! 

Meeting in Pereira, we first spent two full days along the fantastic and scenic Montezuma Road...

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Tatama peak vista, from the Montezuma Road
Fabrice Schmitt
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Gold-ringed Tanager along the Montezuma Road
Fabrice Schmitt
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Lanceolated Monklet
Fabrice Schmitt
The rare and very local Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer
The rare and very local Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer
Fabrice Schmitt
This Crested Quetzal gave us a great show!
This Crested Quetzal gave us a great show!
Fabrice Schmitt
We also had great looks at Tanager Finch
We also had great looks at Tanager Finch
Fabrice Schmitt

Next we did some birding in the Cauca Valley, visiting the very birdy Laguna de Sonso.


A distant Pinnated Bittern at Laguna de Sonso (can you spot it?)
A distant Pinnated Bittern at Laguna de Sonso (can you spot it?)
Fabrice Schmitt
Spectacled Parrotlets are abundant at Laguna de Sonso
Spectacled Parrotlets are abundant at Laguna de Sonso
Fabrice Schmitt

We then stayed four days at the beautiful and very comfortable Araucana Lodge from which we visited different bird feeding stations, as well as the upper Anchicaya road and the lowlands near the little village of San Cipriano.


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Rooms are so comfortable at Araucana Lodge! We were happy to stay there four nights!
Fabrice Schmitt
Crimson-rumped Toucanet visits the feeders at Araucana Lodge
Crimson-rumped Toucanet visits the feeders at Araucana Lodge
Fabrice Schmitt
Chestnut Wood-Quail coming to the feeders at La Florida
Chestnut Wood-Quail coming to the feeders at La Florida
Fabrice Schmitt
Multicolored Tanager coming to the pond...
Multicolored Tanager coming to the pond...
Fabrice Schmitt
...along with Golden-naped and Golden Tanagers...
...along with Golden-naped and Golden Tanagers...
Fabrice Schmitt
...and Red-headed Barbet
...and Red-headed Barbet
Fabrice Schmitt
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The group on the 'brujitas', when visiting San Cipriano
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The Doña Dora garden had a pair of breeding Toucan Barbets...
Fabrice Schmitt
...and Choco Brushfinch visiting the feeders
...and Choco Brushfinch visiting the feeders
Fabrice Schmitt
White-booted Racquet-tail, one of the 32 species of hummingbirds seen on the tour
White-booted Racquet-tail, one of the 32 species of hummingbirds seen on the tour
Fabrice Schmitt
Feeders are also attracting several species of mammals, including Tayra
Feeders are also attracting several species of mammals, including Tayra
Fabrice Schmitt
Speckled Anole on the Montezuma Road
Speckled Anole on the Montezuma Road
Fabrice Schmitt

The eBird trip report can be seen here: https://ebird.org/tripreport/395040

 And the iNaturalist trip report of plants and animals photographed during the trip can be seen here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/wings-western-colombia-2025