Bolivia: The Chaco, Valle Zone, and Central Andes

Day 1: The tour begins this evening in Santa Cruz. Night in Santa Cruz. 

Day 2: Our first day of birding will be on the outskirts of town, in a reserve of mixed grasslands and semi-deciduous forest. The entrance drive may yield Red-winged Tinamou and perhaps even Red-legged Seriema and Greater Rhea, some of the most spectacular birds of South America. We’ll check the area for such interesting species as Small-billed Tinamou, Whistling Heron, the long-tailed and colorful Chotoy Spinetail, the furtive Fulvous-crowned Scrub-Tyrant, and Grassland Sparrow. Night in Santa Cruz. 

Day 3: We’ll leave early this morning for the drive south to new habitats. Thanks to the paved highway connecting Bolivia to Argentina, the drive to the Bolivian Chaco is not as arduous as it was 20 years ago, and we’ll have time for roadside stops. We’ll pass through a range of habitat transitions: the tall, dry forests are home to the near-endemic Bolivian Slaty-Antshrike and the loud and strikingly colored Stripe-backed Antbird, while the more humid Andean foothill woodlands are inhabited by Turquoise-fronted Amazon, lively Green-cheeked Parakeets, and Plush-crested Jay. Night in Camiri.

Days 4–5: Bolivia shares with Paraguay and Argentina the “Chaco,” a mix of thorn forest, scrub, and savanna habitats that support several endemic species. We’ll spend all of one day driving roads through this area, stopping whenever we see activity, and we’re certain to find many species not possible anywhere else on the tour. One of the primary targets is Black-legged Seriema, seen more easily on this tour than on any other. Other characteristic birds include the well-named Many-colored Chaco-Finch, the delightful Lark-like Brushrunner, and the jay-like Brown Cacholote. The Crested Hornero, a clever variation on the ubiquitous Rufous Hornero, is scarcer but certainly possible, as are the subtle Cinereous Tyrant, secretive Crested Gallito, and vocal Chaco Earthcreeper. White-barred Piculet and Checkered Woodpecker are even more likely, and we can always hope for a rarity such as Black-bodied Woodpecker, here just at the edge of its range.

On our other daywe’ll change directions and bird some foothill woodlands not far from town. The brushy roadsides along the way will be teeming with flocks of Black-capped Warbling Finches, Red-crested Finches, Red-crested Cardinals, and Golden-billed Saltators. Closer inspection of denser vegetation could yield skulking Ochre-faced Tody-Flycatcher and Moss-backed Sparrow, and we’ll need to keep our heads up to catch sight of Yungas Guan and Ocellated Piculet, one of three species of piculet possible on this tour. We’ll pass through the historic village of Lagunillas on the way to a series of wetlands where we could see Comb Duck, Ringed and Brazilian Teals, Spot-flanked Gallinule, and Southern Screamer. Even though we’re still in the lowlands, the nearby cliffs of the outermost Andean foothills are home to Andean Condor, the very rare and local Military Macaw, and Solitary Eagle. In short, it should be a bird-packed day.

Interesting animals and other creatures could enliven our days here. The Chaco is known for its armadillo diversity, with Big Hairy Armadillo being a distinct possibility. If it hasn’t been too dry, a number of interesting semi-temperate metalmarks and hairstreaks could be around. By late afternoon on both days, we’ll return to our hotel. Nights in Camiri.

Day 6: It’s a long drive to our next destination, broken by stops for some brief birding and lunch. A pause at Laguna Tatarenda could result in Black-necked Stilts (the southern form with a white back, which actually may be a different species), migrant Wilson’s Phalaropes and Lesser Yellowlegs, and perhaps other waterbirds. White Woodpecker, Burrowing Owl, and White Monjita are some birds by the roadside that may cause us to stop from time to time. By late-afternoon we’ll arrive at the gate of our home for the next two nights. Night at Refugio Los Volcanes.

Day 7: Refugio Los Volcanes, a privately owned nature preserve, is in an idyllic, isolated valley on the edge of Amboró National Park. We’ll spend a full day here birding the preserve’s trails. One trail crosses a meandering, rocky stream through the forest, where White-throated Piping-Guan and Sunbittern are often seen. Gray-throated Leaftosser may be found working the leaf litter, and colorful Blue-naped Chlorophonias are possible in fruiting trees. Another trail takes us to a scenic waterfall and deep swimming hole, while a third leads up a narrow canyon that almost always has some active feeding flocks. Bolivian Recurvebill, a rare and unusual near-endemic, has been sighted here, and flocks along this trail can include Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner, Ocellated and Black-banded Woodcreepers, Black-capped Antwren, Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant, and Black-goggled Tanager. We’ll also bird the entrance road, where the very attractive Chestnut-backed Antshrike, White-winged Tanager, White-bellied Pygmy-Tyrant, and elusive Slaty Gnateater can sometimes be found. If we’re very lucky, we’ll see the secretive Rufous-breasted Wood-Quail, Short-tailed Antthrush, or Gray Tinamou.

Time spent relaxing around the refuge buildings can also be productive. A fruiting tree at the edge of the clearing could host a bonanza of species such as Cinereous Conebill, Blue-browed Tanager, and Pale-vented Pigeon (or maybe a troop of Brown Capuchins), and we’ll keep a watchful eye on the sky in the late morning for Andean Condor, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, or even Solitary Eagle. Channel-billed Toucan and Bat Falcon perch on exposed snags, and noisy flocks of Mitred Parakeets are commonplace.

The flora here is spectacular, and we’ll likely see several species of blooming orchid, the lady-slipper Phragmipedium caricinum, growing like grass on the stream boulders being one of the more attractive ones. Thanks to the humidity, we’ll notice a big uptick in the butterfly numbers here (the many species of clearwings are particularly noticeable), and the permanent stream will give us a chance to photograph a few damselflies and dragonflies as well.

Since we’re located in the middle of prime birding habitat, some night birding will be possible. On a private tour here we discovered that the long-presumed Spectacled Owls near the rooms were in fact the much rarer Band-bellied Owl, while Ocellated Poorwill is here at the southern edge of its range. Night at Refugio Los Volcanes.

Day 8: We’ll have the first hours of the day to bird the entrance road of Refugio Los Volcanes before we continue to lunch in the historic town of Samaipata. After lunch we’ll continue to our next destination, and we’ll find the changing landscapes and plant life fascinating – several species of endemic cactus grow by the roadsides, trees become covered in several species of epiphytic bromeliads, and spiny thickets are formed by terrestrial bromeliads (many also endemic). We’ll be tempted to make at least a stop or two, perhaps finding our first Gray-crested Finches or Glittering-bellied Emerald along the way. Night in Comarapa.

Days 9–10: One full day in the Valle Zone and another in the nearby cloud forest of Siberia should give us plenty of time to pry out most of the wonderful birds found in this uniquely Bolivian ecoregion, a series of north-south valleys protected by the Andes from Amazonian weather systems. This zone is much like the deciduous thorn forests of Mexico, but the species makeup is very different here. Pepper trees, familiar as a landscaping plant in Arizona and California, are native here, as are many species of giant columnar cacti—but the birds that inhabit this area are wildly different from anything found in North America. The most spectacular endemic is the Red-fronted Macaw, and finding it will be a priority for us. Also endemic to this region are the Cliff Parakeet, Bolivian Blackbird, and Bolivian Earthcreeper.

Above the town of Comarapa is a patch of cloud forest in the Serranía de Siberia—though it is never really as cold as its namesake. Here the endemic Rufous-faced Antpitta is quite common (though never easy to see), and other forest inhabitants include Andean Guan, Black-winged Parrot, Violet-throated Starfrontlet, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Golden-headed Quetzal, Maroon-belted Chat-Tyrant, Buff-banded Tyrannulet, Pale-footed Swallow, Pale-legged Warbler, and the endemic Gray-bellied Flowerpiercer.

The semihumid transition zone between the cloud forest and the drier valleys is where the lovely warbling-finches reach the peak of their diversity. Ringed Warbling-Finches can be common in roadside flocks, while finding Black-and-chestnuts and Rusty-browed may take a little more effort. Bolivian Warbling-Finch is also a possibility here, and we’ll make an effort for Spot-breasted Thornbird and Giant Antshrike. The beautiful Olive-crowned Crescentchest (now in a tiny family with just three other species) is yet another of our targets here, while Cream-backed Woodpecker, a large crested woodpecker, will be a lucky find. Nights in Comarapa.

Day 11: We’ll have one last morning in the Siberia cloud forests before continuing westward and up and down rain-shadowed valleys, mostly in the lee side of the outer Andean ridge. Hooded Siskin, Purple-throated Euphonia, and Blue-and-yellow Tanager are sometimes common roadside birds, while patches of Polylepis might have the very local Thick-billed Siskin, skulking Bolivian Antpitta, or Black-hooded Sunbeam. After our longest drive on a now entirely paved road we’ll arrive at our hotel in Cochabamba. Night in Cochabamba.

Days 12–13: The Cochabamba Valley, one of Bolivia’s population centers, is at the nexus of three habitats: the dry interior Valle Zone reaches its highest elevation here, merging with the open puna of the high Andes, while the influence of the wet cloud forests of the Amazonian slope seeps over into local canyons. As a result, our next three days will bring an interesting change in habitat and birdlife as we explore these higher and drier woodlands, semihumid scrub, tundra-like habitat, and moist treeline cloud forest. Polylepis patches and woodland on the road up Cerro Tunari, the small range of rugged, towering peaks north of town, is home to the Cochabamba Mountain-Finch, which occupies one of the narrowest ranges of any of Bolivia’s endemics. The lovely and petite Gray-headed Parakeet forages in roadside weeds like a sparrow, the spectacular Red-tailed Comet is relatively common at blooming shrubs, and the nearly endemic Wedge-tailed Hillstar is a possibility. On the drier slopes we’ll search for birds such as Brown-backed Mockingbird, Plain-breasted Earthcreeper, Andean Swift, Creamy-breasted Canastero, Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail, and Andean Hillstar (the endemic subspecies), among many others. The rushing stream below often has Torrent Duck.

Roadside birding at the highest elevations may reveal several species of furnariid, such as Slender-billed Miner and Cordilleran Canastero, foraging among the boulders and grass tufts, while many kinds of ground-tyrants, such as Cinnamon-bellied, Rufous-naped, Taczanowski’s, Ochre-naped, and Cinereous, are possible on the grassy flats. Additional birds of interest include the subtle Glacier Finch, the simple yet enigmatic Boulder Finch (usually requiring a hike), and Black-winged Ground-Dove.

If it remains sunny into the warmer afternoon at the highest elevations (for it often fogs over), there are some little-known butterflies – skippers, satyrs, hairstreaks, and yellows – that will become active and visit the tiny cushion flowers in the tundra. Nights in Cochabamba.

An earlier start on another day will be in order as we head for the cloud forests on the Chapare Road. Right at treeline is a moist, densely vegetated canyon where the birding can be very exciting. Yungas Pygmy-Owl is a good possibility here, while Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Three-striped Hemispingus, and Spectacled Redstart populate the hyperactive mixed flocks; other specialties include the endemic Black-throated Thistletail, Light-crowned Spinetail, Crowned Chat-Tyrant, and Stripe-faced Wood-Quail. Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant and Puna Tapaculo are common where the last shrubs meet the higher grasslands, while Trilling Tapaculo can be commonly heard in the undergrowth just below there. Bolivian Tyrannulet, Deep-blue Flowerpiercer, and Scaly-naped Amazon are seen regularly at slightly lower elevations, while the rare but distinctly possible Hooded Mountain-Toucan and Chestnut-crested Cotinga are a couple of the most-sought after birds as well. Among the many hummingbirds here are the Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Great Sapphirewing, and Tyrian Metaltail, and one of the most spectacular hummingbirds, the endemic Black-hooded Sunbeam, will be our primary target.

Day 14: We’ll have a last day to bird wetland habitats in the valley around Cochabamba, in search of Wren-like Rushbird and Many-colored Rush-Tyrant in the cattails, while open water may harbor Speckled and Puna Teals, Yellow-billed Pintail, Rosy-billed Pochard, Andean Duck, and Silvery Grebe. White-tipped Plantcutter is common in the scrub around lakes. For those that are only doing this tour you will take the 45-minute evening flight back to Santa Cruz and overnight there.*

Day 15: The tour ends this morning with transfers to the international airport. 

2026 Narrative

Our varied group of seven participants made some lasting birding memories amidst the amazing and varied scenery of central Bolivia. In just two weeks we covered more diverse biomes that is possible anywhere else in South America, amassing a trip list of over 430 species of birds, as well as a flora and fauna rich in endemics. With so many wonderful and intimate experiences with the birds, it shouldn't be surprising that among the favorite species only one was mentioned twice. The electrifying, exotic, and endemic Black-hooded Sunbeam dazzled us on our next-to-last morning, with several birds joining a mob of treeline species to investigate a Yungas Pygmy-Owl. Other top favorites were the pair of Chaco Owls near Boyuibe, the intriguing Crested Caracaras (better appreciated by those who have read the book A Most Remarkable Creature by Jonathan Meiburg), the incomparable Red-fronted Macaw at their nesting cliffs, a female Giant Antshrike that gave us fully exposed views in an unexpected location, the dazzling Pearled Treerunners present in most of the high cloud forest mixed flocks, and a cooperative Bolivian Antpitta on our pre-breakfast birding in the bamboo-dominated elfin cloud forest one morning. Additional, particularly memorable birds from the first part of the tour were Spot-backed Puffbirds often perched on power lines, Black-legged Seriemas in the Chaco scrub, and Plumbeous Rails walking out in the open near Lagunillas. In the cloud forests we enjoyed the easy-to-observe Bolivian Brushfinches, a stunning pair of Maroon-belted Chat-Tyrants, Blue-capped Pufflegs in excellent light, and a pair of shockingly vibrant Grass-green Tanagers. In the drier, rain-shadowed slopes we had excellent experiences with furtive Olive-crowned Crescentchests and lucked into the unpredictable Brown-backed Mockingbird. We were not skunked on any of three owling attempts, and the Tropical Screech-Owl at point-blank range with a starry sky offered a lasting memory. We finished the tour with a pair of cooperative Gray-cowled Wood-Rails at a puddle down a dark side road, while a Barred Antshrike became one of the last birds we saw on the tour, a fitting farewell, as it was also one of the very first we saw.

Starting at Lomas Arena south of the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, it seemed like we were gasping for breath between the constant sightings of new birds. The aforementioned Spot-backed Puffbirds and Barred Antshrike put on a show, while a trio of Crimson-crested Woodpeckers foraging in small trees in an open landscape was a surprise. Crested Caracaras were a feature all morning, while a single Savannah Hawk patrolled the grasslands. We had nearly given up on seeing Fawn-breasted Wren and turned our attention to piculets and woodcreepers when a pair decided to give us amazing views where we could see into a dense thicket. At the botanical gardens we enticed a male Bolivian Slaty-Antshrike to show itself, a Black-banded Woodcreeper gave us good comparison with Buff-throated Woodcreeper, and a furtive Scaly-headed Parrot quietly ogled us from a perch in the midstory right over our heads.

We had a great early morning of birding in an area of transition from the Chiquitanía to the Chaco ecoregion. Our roadside picnic breakfast was next to a field where White-browed Meadowlarks sang from open perches, thanks to the unusual recent rains kickstarting the breeding season. The field also had Burrowing Owls and Buff-necked Ibis, and as breakfast was being served, a pair of White-bellied Nothuras foraged in the nearby grass quite exposed. We birded a bit down the road, finding our only Many-colored Chaco-Finches, several Yellow-collared Macaws, a few adorable Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrants, and our first of many Gilded Hummingbirds. We made a worthwhile afternoon stop at Laguna Tatarenda where a group of Coscoroba Swans was the highlight among many other water birds.

We started our full day in the lowland Chaco very early, not only to beat the heat, but to take advantage of a stakeout territory of Chaco Owls just a minute's detour off our path. We arrived with little time to spare, first flushing a Little Nightjar and, with little further ado, a pair of marvelous Chaco Owls began their gruff hooting, with one flying in for amazing views. We had breakfast by a lake adorned with many Ringed Teal, while Golden-billed Saltators sang in all directions and a Crane Hawk circled overhead. We made many stops along the road, finding a few Black-legged Seriemas (after hearing distant ones earlier in the morning), seeing King Vulture soaring very close overhead, lucking into a very cooperative male Blue-tufted Starthroat, and working hard to coax a quietly singing Solitary Black Cacique making odd noises from a dense thicket.

We had a good day in the foothill Chaco in the Lagunillas area, starting with picnic breakfast accompanied by a pair of Cream-backed Woodpeckers, very blue Ultramarine Grosbeaks, and a calling but invisible Tataupa Tinamou. We made a quick stop for a pair of Yungas Guans right on the side of the highway, in the process finding a gorgeous Black-backed Grosbeak in perfect light, followed by a pair of Laughing Falcons duetting visibly just down the road. We spent a good amount of time at Laguna Taputarenda where we soon spotted a few Plumbeous Rails walking in the open, while Silver Teal were another good find here. A Tropical Horned Owl (just split from Great Horned Owl) was a nice addition to the cumulative list (and Rich's only new Bolivia bird of the tour), while a pair of Ocellated Piculets were a good find.

On our travel day back northward, we made good use of the morning at Laguna Kaukaya, which, despite being largely dry, was still teeming with birds. We flushed some Yungas Guans on the way in, and the Southern Screamers apparently found the water level perfect for breeding, as evidenced by about 240 birds with young in all stages of growth (including a nest with eggs, which we surmised had been abandoned). Gray-cowled Wood-Rail and Rufous-sided Crake were seen well, and we had an amazingly cooperative Stripe-backed Antbird singing in plain sight. We had time for another check of Laguna Tatarenda, arriving with the thermals that revealed a gorgeous Swallow-tailed Kite, and a Striped Cuckoo came in very aggressively. The oddest sight here was a Three-toed Sloth on the last fence post far from any trees, just before the fence disappeared into the shallow lake. Highlights from our lunch stop were a lovely Rufous Casiornis and our only Guira Tanagers of the tour. We arrived at the gate to Refugio Los Volcanes right on time as the approaching cold front created gusts that took our breath away almost as much as the view into the valley below.

Another pre-dawn start, and another cool owl: our first morning at Refugio Los Volcanes resulted a delightful Rufescent Screech-Owl. We were back at the clearing before it was light, but we were able to just make out the iridescent blue of an Amazonian Motmot in the predawn glow. The day dawned mostly clear and still very windy, resulting in an unusually early soaring Andean Condor. We birded up the road, noting the lack of mixed frugivore flocks but getting good looks at noisy Military Macaws flying up and down the canyon. While our attempts to see a Short-tailed Antthrush were as unsuccessful as expected, we had better-than-hoped-for views of a Bolivian Tapaculo, at one point perching in the open and singing its distinctive trill. Similarly with Brown Tinamou, we were tantalizingly close to an invisible bird, but then farther down the trail we had superb views of a normally skulky Slaty Gnateater. The Yungas Manakin took a lot more work to see well, a male apparently more interested in chasing a female than sitting still. The forest in the afternoon was even more quiet, though a soaring Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle was a highlight.

Rain all night long and continuing as a light morning drizzle was a welcome change from the heatwave we experienced in the Chaco. The weather drove the White-tipped Swifts down to a more reasonable altitude as well to where we could see the black and white pattern. The rain also brought out alate termites, and all manner of birds became flycatchers, including a handsome Chestnut-backed Antshrike at our next stop, a hummingbird garden.  White-vented Violetear and Planalto Hermit were two birds we would have missed if not for the feeders at Refugio de los Colibríes, and our only Rusty Flowerpiercer was here as well. An Orange-headed Tanager here was a surprise, as unpredictable as any migrant, and our host Saúl was sure excited about seeing it, his first in the garden. We continued westward into the heart of Bolivia's Valle Region, making a worthwhile stretch stop with our first Brown-capped Whitestart, excellent views of a pair of Moss-backed Sparrow, which had eluded some until now, and several Andean Condors soaring against nearby hillsides and dwarfing the nearby Turkey Vulture.

We greeted dawn on our eighth day of birding in the middle of the Rio Mizque canyon, in a landscape and plant community that could be nowhere other than in the heart of Bolivia – and if those weren't convincing enough, the abundant Cliff Parakeets and raucous Red-fronted Macaws dominating the avifauna would have been good additional clues. Bolivian Blackbirds rounded out the endemics at our memorable picnic breakfast site. We birded down the canyon, spying a pair of adorable Gray-hooded Parakeets while enjoying the common but lovely Rufous-collared Sparrow amongst the many other new birds, such as Ringed Warbling Finch and Gray-crested Finch. Southern Martins were a struggle to get on as they flew against distant cliffs, but little did we know that further down the road they had begun to occupy drainage pipes in the new abutment directly below the recently paved highway, offering point-blank views of perched birds as well as those carrying nesting material. Andean Condors glided over the canyon in the same area, a sight one never tires of. We had a wonderful time with a close, singing White-tipped Plantcutter while being thwarted by two vocal but invisible Bolivian Earthcreepers, and then we were surprised by a Giant Antshrike in an area much drier and open than their usual habitat. This meant we might actually get to see this bird, and sure enough, the lone singing female hopped into view and gave us several extended views. After our picnic lunch we stumbled into a Bolivian Earthcreeper with a vainer attitude than the ones we heard earlier, as it sat up several times to sing in the open. After a brief siesta at the hotel, we moved up into moister habitat (where the Giant Antshrikes were decidedly invisible), and we had great views of two Olive-crowned Crescentchests as well as a stunning male Red-tailed Comet perch at ridiculously close range.

The cloud forest mixed flocks in the Siberia cloud forest performed well for us on our full day above Comarapa. Weather was picture perfect, which certainly helped. One of the first birds we spotted was the gorgeous Blue-capped Puffleg, and we ended up seeing several in even better light later in the morning. A pair of Maroon-belted Chat-Tyrant were near the start of the road in a new territory; in previous years we had to go much farther down the road to find this scarce bird. A Trilling Tapaculo came right in for everyone to see, and a pair of Andean Guans noisily descended the slopes as we had breakfast. A mixed flock drew us back up the road, the biggest prize being a pair of the rare Strong-billed Woodcreeper, but we also enjoyed teasing out Fawn-breasted Tanager and Pearled Treerunner. We found a few more mixed flocks, almost as frustrating as rewarding, but catching up with a gorgeous Chestnut-bellied Mountain-Tanager in one of them was a definite win. At our picnic lunch stop, those looking in the right direction were lucky to see a super rare Black-and-chestnut Eagle fly across the canopy, flushing flocks of Band-tailed Pigeons as vanished over the ridge.

We had another partial morning in the Siberia cloud forest before the long drive to Cochabamba. Right off the bat we heard Bolivian Antpitta and with patience saw it pop into sight. A pair of White-collared Jays were a good find, and we were surprised by a Barred Fruiteater perched in a tree right next to where we were standing. After breakfast we whistled in a Yungas Pygmy-Owl along with mobbing Blue-and-black Tanagers and a scarce Scaled Metaltail. Farther down the road we had a nice mixed flock with Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Tawny-rumped Tyrannulet, and a typically furtive and quiet pair of Yellow-billed Caciques that crossed the road and vanished into the dense brush. A nice surprise was a pair of White-rumped Hawk flying over the forest, with one coming down to perch by the road. At the same time two Swallow-tailed Kite appeared majestically over the beautiful forest. We picked up Rusty-browed Warbling Finch by the main highway before needing to find a place for lunch. In very different dry canyon country, we spied a pair of Bolivian Warbling Finch as Herman and Anna prepared lunch, and after lunch we walked down the road a bit to find a pair of Black-winged Ground-Doves near a spring, later hearing one of the birds make its unusual croaking song.

The brushy slopes of the Cerro Tunari road were a great place to spend a full morning. We worked hard to find Cochabamba Mountain Finch, and we ended up finding a pair and seeing them well. Along the way we added Rufous-bellied Mountain Tanager, Red-crested Cotinga, Brown-backed Mockingbird, and Tufted Tit-Tyrant to our list of memorable birds. It was tantalizing to see Giant Hummingbird fly over two or three times, though we certainly saw it well enough to get a grip on its massive size for a hummer. As we worked our way up the mountain to nearly 13,800 feet, we took an extended walk through a moist valley to a bouldery slope, seeing several Glacier Finches, huge flocks of Bright-rumped Yellow-Finches, and at least one pair of Taczanowski's Ground-Tyrants. One the way back down the mountain, an enterprising Mountain Caracara was taking advantage of the leftovers from our lunch that Herman had donated, and it allowed very close approach. We made one last birding stop to what was a very long but fun day of birding, finding a pair of Torrent Ducks on a rock below and flushing an Andean Tinamou from a dry field.

Picture-perfect weather made for an excellent day of birding in the upper cloud forests of the Corani area. Black-hooded Sunbeam was the first and best bird of the day, even before breakfast was ready, though seeing Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanagers and Rufous-bellied Bush-Tyrants join the mobbing of a very vocal Yungas Pygmy-Owl was also fun. Black-throated Thistletail was yet another endemic in this same area before we departed for a slightly lower elevation forest dominated by tree ferns. Tyrian Metaltails were the most common hummingbird here, but we also found Gould's Inca and Scaled Metaltail feeding from the abundant flowers. A pair of Bar-bellied Woodpeckers were following a mixed flock that also hosted an amazing pair of Grass-green Tanagers, along with Hooded Mountain Tanagers. As we continued walking the road, a Barred Fruiteater appeared in a mossy tree, a Black-and-chestnut Eagle glided high overhead, and a rare solitary Slaty Finch foraged in the seeding bamboo. As we were finishing our final picnic lunch, a couple of young birders walked past and stopped to chat. This American-Spanish couple were traveling for a year in South America, having started in Chile, and were hoping to see Hooded Mountain-Toucan on this road. We had dipped on it so four ourselves, but as luck would have it, Herman spotted one way up the hillside a few minutes later, and with a bit of playback we were all enjoying views in the spotting scope.

Our last day of birding started with a short morning outside of Cochabamba, where Black-crowned Night Herons, Wren-like Rushbird, and Plumbeous Rail were the highlights in an extremely birdy wetland. An exciting moment was when a pair of Aplomado Falcons zoomed past, a female in hot pursuit of a male, moments later whizzing past us again. Later we flushed a Harris's (Bay-winged) Hawk, a good split from our northern birds. After our flight to Santa Cruz, we had a couple hours of late afternoon birding where a perched Plumbeous Kite, a male White-bellied Seedeater, a pair of Gray-cowled Wood-Rails, and a group of cuddling Smooth-billed Anis were highlights. We spent some time trying to see a Small-billed Tinamou, and some people had solid glimpses of the bird in the grass, but more entertaining was a Barred Antshrike that curiously kept flying back and forth. We then realized that the start of the tinamou recording had a snippet of Barred Antshrike song. At the end of our walk, a showy Orange-backed Troupial flew in becoming the final and 431st species of bird on the official trip list.

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