Day 1: You’ll be met on arrival in Bogotá and transferred to our hotel where the tour begins this evening. Night in Bogotá.

Day 2: We’ll set off early this morning for a two-hour drive to Chingaza National Park, where amongst beautiful Andean scenery we’ll look for the endemic Brown-breasted Parakeet, near endemic Pale-bellied Tapaculo and Rufous-browed Conebill, and a host of high elevation and temperate forest species including Andean Guan, Bronze-tailed Thornbill, Muisca Antpitta, White-chinned Thistletail, Golden-fronted Redstart and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager. After lunch near the town of La Calera, we’ll head towards the ‘Observatorio de Colibries’ (Hummingbirds Observatory), our first hummingbird feeding station. Enjoying a cup of coffee, we expect to see, amongst numerous Sparkling Violetears, a few White-bellied Woodstars, Glowing Pufflegs, Tyrian Metaltails or even the unique and impressive Sword-billed Hummingbird. The endemic Blue-throated Starfrontlet also occasionally visits the feeders, and Red-crested Cotinga is often seen in the garden. After a fun first day filled with birds, we’ll return to Bogota. Night in Bogota.

Day 3: After an early breakfast, we’ll spend a few hours in La Florida Park, a marsh and lake close to the international airport where our targets include a vulnerable Colombian endemic, the Bogota Rail, along with other specialties like Spot-flanked Gallinule and Yellow-hooded Blackbird. We’ll then drive to lower elevation. If time permits, we’ll make a stop at Laguna Tabacal, a popular place where we can find Plain-colored Tanager, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Sooty-headed Tyrannulet or Chestnut-capped Warbler. But the main attraction on the way to Victoria is the amazing Jardin Encantado, where dozens of feeders attract sometimes hundreds of hummingbirds, among them the endemic Indigo-capped Hummingbird, the widespread Rufous-tailed Hummingbird and White-vented Plumeleteer, and localized Gorgeted Woodstar. After visiting this very unique place, we will spend most of the afternoon driving to Victoria. Night in Victoria.

Day 4: We’ll spend our morning in the forest above Victoria looking for several endemics including Sooty Ant-Tanager, Beautiful Woodpecker, White-mantled Barbet and Colombian Chachalaca. The forest here is home to many birds, and we are sure to encounter a host of common species. Manakins are especially well-represented with the possibility of White-bearded, White-bibbed, Striolated and Golden-headed. We’ll also keep an eye out for the endemic White-footed Tamarin, a primate which is being intensively studied at this site. In the afternoon, we’ll visit a small lake which we’ll explore by canoe and where many wetland species await us including Northern Screamer, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Black-collared Hawk, Rufescent Tiger-Heron and more! Night in Mariquita.

Day 5: We’ll have a full morning birding the dry forest near Laguna del Hato where we hope to see the endemic Velvet-fronted Euphonia, both Jet and White-bellied Antbirds, Northern White-fringed Antwren, Barred and Russet-throated Puffbirds, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Barred Antshrike and possibly White-eared Conebill or Crested Bobwhite. As we will be at low elevation in the dry Magdalena Valley, it will be quite hot by mid-morning but the bird activity always stays very good here. After lunch we’ll make our way to Ibague and then up into the cooler temperatures of Combeima Canyon, where we’ll spend two nights in a pleasant country hotel. Night near Ibague.

Day 6: This morning we’ll be up early for our forty-minute hike to the small and lovely Ukuku Lodge, where we will station ourselves in the lounge to wait for the arrival of the endemic Tolima Dove that often visits the seeded lawn at dawn. (This hike can be done on horseback for those who prefer not to walk.) Hopefully having seen this enigmatic species, we will then stake out some flowers in the garden in the hope of Tolima Blossomcrown. The gardens themselves are very birdy and along with a third endemic – Yellow-headed Brush finch – we also hope to enjoy a good selection of hummers and tanagers at the various feeders. We will have breakfast and lunch here and then make a slow hike back to our hotel, with the possibility of Torrent Duck and Torrent Tyrannulet along the river. Night near Ibague.

Day 7: After our relaxing day, we’ll depart for ‘El Reposo de los Picaflores’ for another breakfast in front of hummingbird and tanager feeders! While enjoying our coffee and arepas (Colombian traditional breakfast) we should see Andean Emerald, Acorn Woodpecker, Southern Emerald-Toucanet or Blue-necked Tanager. If we haven’t seen it at Ukuku, we have another chance for Tolima Blossomcrown here. Then we’ll continue onward to Otun Quimbaya Ecological Reserve, near La Suiza. We’ll probably arrive for lunch, and after a short break at the hotel we’ll have an afternoon of birding at the reserve. Here we’ll look for Collared Trogon, Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, Black-winged Saltator or a group of Colombian Red Howler monkeys. Night near Otun Quimbaya Sanctuary. 

Day 8: We’ll be birding all morning along a beautiful track through good forest at 6,500 feet. The endemic Cauca Guan is reasonably common here, and we also have a chance of seeing the stunning Torrent Duck or the elusive Crested Ant-Tanager. We’ll be on the lookout for the endemic Multicolored Tanager, as well as exciting mixed-species feeding flocks. Another attraction of this site is Red-ruffed Fruitcrow and we hope to obtain great views of this large and impressive cotinga. After a full morning birding at Otun Quimbaya, we’ll have lunch and make our way towards Manizales. Night in a country hotel just outside Manizales.

Day 9: Today we’ll visit the Rio Blanco reserve for a long but bird-filled day. We’ll arrive early and bird around the small lodge, looking for such species as Black-billed Mountain Toucan, Sickle-winged Guan, Green-and-black Fruiteater and Black-collared Jay. About an hour after dawn, we’ll be led by a local guide to special antpitta feeding stations where we hope to enjoy close-up views of the endemic Brown-banded Antpitta and the impressive Chestnut-crowned Antpitta. We also have a good chance of seeing Bicolored and Slate-crowned Antpittas, both of which visit various feeding stations in the forest off and on throughout the year. Much of the remainder of the day will be spent exploring the excellent network of trails. The mixed flocks at this site are often large and varied and we will hope to connect with several species of hemispingus, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Pearled Treerunner and many tanagers. This site is also rich in skulkers, and we’ll be looking for several tapaculos and the elusive Masked Saltator. We’ll take a break for lunch at the lodge and enjoy the spectacular hummingbird show at the feeders and then then continue birding at the reserve all afternoon. Night outside Manizales.

Day 10: Today we’ll have a full morning at Hacienda El Bosque above Manizales where various feeding stations attract great birds such as Andean Guan, White-throated Quail-Dove and Gray-browed Brushfinch. The beautiful Barred Fruiteater is often spotted grabbing worms thrown to the Equatorial Antpitta, and even Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucans come in to fruit! This is also the only place where it is possible to see the charismatic Crescent-faced Antpitta coming in to get some worms, even if like any superstar, its appearance is never guaranteed. After a full morning at this unique location (including breakfast and lunch there) we’ll head toward Nevado del Ruiz National Park, spending part of the afternoon looking for Paramo Tapaculo, White-throated Tyrannulet, Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager, and Black-backed Bush-Tanager amidst spectacular scenery. The hotel where we are staying tonight has a great pool with thermal waters, so don’t forget your swimsuit to enjoy it! Night at Thermas del Ruiz.

Day 11: We’ll have a full morning to bird the high elevation Nevado del Ruiz National Park (13,000 feet) for a second chance to bird the páramo zone, on the lookout for the endemic and very localized Rufous-fronted Parakeet. Flowering bushes attract a variety of colorful hummingbirds including Viridian Metaltail, Golden-breasted Puffleg and Shining Sunbeam. On occasion, the nomadic Black-thighed Puffleg can be present in some numbers, but at other times it’s absent. Tawny Antpittas are often very tame here and we’ll also search for the dazzling Buffy Helmetcrest. We’ll return to the hotel for lunch where you’ll have a last chance to bathe in the sulphureous waters or to enjoy the feeders attracting some of the high-elevation hummingbirds of the area, as well as Lacrimose Tanager and Masked Flowerpiercer. After lunch we’ll drive on to Pereira to conclude the tour with a great farewell dinner. Night in Pereira.

Day 12: The tour ends this morning with transfer to Pereira airport.

2025 Narrative

This second trip to Central Colombia was another great success! Starting in Bogota, we had a first day in the Eastern cordillera, followed by some time in the Magdalena valley, followed by several days at various elevations and in different habitats in the Central cordillera, ending the tour at 13,500+ feet high in the beautiful paramo of Nevado del Ruiz.

It’s hard to pick the best birds of the trip amongst almost 340 wonderful species contacted in only nine days, but here are some of the best sightings of the tour: the repeated encounters with Rainbow-bearded Thornbill at Nevados del Ruiz whose colorful beard concluded tour nicely ; the fantastic show given by Pancho, the baited Chestnut-crowned Antpitta at Rio Blanco; the great sighting of a Noble Snipe flushed in the high-elevation paramo; the fantastic and close meeting with a pair of Northern Screamers during our boat ride in the Magdalena valley (and yes, Screamers scream!); and prolonged views of a beautiful male White-booted Racket-tail coming to flowers in the garden at the lovely Ukuku Lodge! 

Besides these very memorable sightings, we also had fantastic looks at Crested and Sooty Ant-Tanagers, White-mantled Barbet, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, White-bibbed Manakin, Grass-green Tanager, Torrent Ducks, Crescent-faced Antpitta, Buffy Helmetcrest, Bogota Rail and so many more! We also visited several hummingbird feeding stations and saw no less than 39 species of these fascinating birds!  

Obviously, besides the incredible diversity of birds, we were amazed by the incredible diversity of flowers, orchids, butterflies, etc. Colombia is definitely THE biodiversity country!

We spent our first day in the surroundings of Chingaza National Park near Bogota. Located to the northeast of the Colombian capital, the park’s 75,000+ hectares protect several glacier lakes and provide more than 80% of Bogota’s potable water. The park also protects extensive and pristine cloud forest and paramo habitat, home to a wonderful bird community! 

Leaving the hotel early (and this would be the rule for most of the tour) we drove towards the Piedra Gorda entrance of Chingaza NP. We stopped just after 6 a.m. in some nice cloud forest for a field breakfast. Unfortunately, the weather was terrible, with rain most of the day, mixed with cold wind, making the birding very difficult. Bird activity was very low, but between showers we were able to find a few flocks containing Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Blue-backed Conebill, Black-headed Hemispingus, Northern Slaty Brushfinch, Golden-fronted Redstart and Glossy Flowerpiercer. We also started our hummingbirds list with fantastic views of the well-named Glowing Puffleg. At higher elevation, we reached some high-elevation shrublands mixed with paramo with several large patches of Espeletia in bloom. But the weather up there was even worse, adding fog to the rain, and we only heard a few White-chinned Thistletails and Muisca Antpittas. On our way down, we had a nice prolonged observation of the beautiful Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, a pair of Black-crested Warblers, a pair of Black-backed Grosbeaks and a flock of Andean Siskins.  

After a lunch at a nice restaurant near La Calera, we stopped at a hummingbird garden where amongst the numerous Sparkling Violetears, we found a beautiful male of Black-tailed Trainbearer, an impressive Sword-billed Hummingbird, a few White-bellied Woodstars and Tyrian Metaltails, at least two male Longuemare’s Sunangels, and 10+ Blue-throated Starfrontlets - absolutely stunning! Besides hummingbirds, we also had excellent views of three Red-crested Cotingas, and a small group of the impressive Hooded Mountain-Tanager.

After a relaxing night at our Bogota hotel, we left early to avoid the traffic jam and birded La Florida Park. On the main pond, we found 50+ Bare-faced Ibis, 100+ American Coots, Andean Duck, at least five Striated Herons, a few Pied-billed Grebes, and got good looks at both Purple and Common Gallinules. We also enjoyed great views of several Yellow-hooded Blackbirds singing on the top of the reeds, a Yellow-backed Oriole, a few tame Brazilian Guinea Pigs and even spotted a lovely Subtropical Doradito. This park protects some nice wetlands and reedbeds home to a small population of Bogota Rail. And we didn’t have to wait very long before one of this endangered species came out in the open for a while, offering a fantastic show! 

We then started our drive towards the Magdalena valley and arrived at Tabacal Lake by mid-morning. This is a very birdy spot where time always flies. As soon as we arrived, we found Blue-necked and Blue-gray Tanagers, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Tropical Mockingbird, Black-billed Thrush, a singing male Yellow-bellied Seedeater, a Black Hawk-Eagle calling high in the sky, and a small group noisy Band-backed Wrens from the parking lot! We also heard a pair of Rosy Thrush-Tanagers, and some of us even got a brief glimpse of this lovely but secretive species. Along the trails, we found Golden-faced and Sooty-headed Tyrannulets, Red-crowned and Red-rumped Woodpeckers, Yellow-bellied Elaenias, Crimson-backed Tanagers, Common Tody-Flycatchers and responsive Boat-billed Flycatchers. On the lake itself we found a few Least Grebes and a dozen Neotropic Cormorants. It was hard to leave this great place, but we had to continue on our way to Victoria. 

During lunch we found a few more birds like Blue-necked Tanager, a pair of Spectacled Parrotlets and numerous Carib Grackles. We then visited the famous ‘Jardin Encantado’ and its 50+ feeders attracting, according to some estimates, up to 1,000 hummingbirds some days! We were amazed by the hundreds of Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds, Indigo­-capped Hummingbirds and Black-throated Mangos buzzing everywhere! Amongst these very numerous ones, we also spotted a few White-bellied Woodstars and the tiny Gorgeted Woodstar, an Andean Emerald, a few White-vented Plumeleteers and a Brown Violetear. We were so amazed by these hummingbirds that we barely had time to look at the seed feeders attracting Ruddy Ground-Doves, Shiny Cowbirds, Scrub and Crimson-backed Tanagers! After a nice cup of coffee watching the feeders, it was time to leave and drive the rest of the afternoon towards Victoria where we stayed the night.

The next morning, we set off early and had our breakfast near the little town of Victoria. From our table, we saw Vermillion Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Seedeater and Carib Grackle. Together with Arturo Parra, an enthusiastic local birder, we next birded the Bellavista reserve for most of the morning. We quickly found Rufous-naped Greenlet, a few Scarlet-fronted Parakeets and a Swallow Tangager, when we suddenly heard and then saw the rare and endemic Antioquia Bristle-Tyrant! In the forest, we had great views of Black-crowned Antshrike, White-bibbed, Golden-headed and Striolated Manakins, Velvet-fronted Euphonia, Cocoa and Plain-brown Woodcreepers and a cooperative pair of Blue-black Grosbeaks. We also had great and prolonged view on a pair of White-mantled Barbets, showing well in the open! And in the dark understory, we also found a small group of the sought-after Sooty Ant-Tanager (another Colombian endemic whose vocalization would be the perfect ring tone), as well as Checker-throated Stipplethroat and Orange-billed Sparrow! We also made a stop at a known Magdalena Antbird territory where a singing bird was hard to see in the dense foliage.

Arturo then took us to La Camelia, a private reserve where we had good views of (female) White-bearded Manakin, Olivaceous Piculet, Spectacled Parrotlet and Colombian Chachalaca. We also enjoyed the amazing show of a pair of White-bellied Antbirds coming to the worms thrown by Arturo! Another amazing sighting was a pair of Gray-legged Night-Monkeys roosting with their very young baby. We then enjoyed our lunch overlooking the Magdalena valley, followed by a visit to the Charca de Guarinocito, a small lake where we embarked on a peaceful boat ride. During this ride, we scored Striated and Cocoi Heron, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, numerous Yellow-chinned Spinetails and Pied Water-Tyrants, a few Black-capped Donacobius, and no less than three species of Kingfisher: Ringed, Amazonian and American Pygmy! Our local guide even knew a tree where a Great Potoo was roosting. But the superstar of this lake was definitely the beautiful pair of Northern Screamers, offering amazing close views, just a few meters away!

After a night in the small town of Mariquita, and breakfast in one of the local 24-hr bakeries, we spent the whole morning along the Hato road, mostly birding in the shade of some trees along a lovely river. The bird activity was great and we quickly found Dwarf Cuckoo, Yellow-crowned Parrot, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Northern White-flanked Antwren, Barred Antshrike, Green Kingfisher, Black-crowned Tityra, Scrub Greenlet, Lineated Woodpecker, Jet Antbird and a group of Black-chested Jays. We also had excellent views of both Russet-throated and Barred Puffbirds, as well as a very cooperative Gray-lined Hawk! Unfortunately, the pair of White-eared Conebills we found during our walk stayed high in a tree.

Scanning the open fields, we found Vermilion Flycatcher, Red-breasted Meadowlark, and no less than three Hook-billed Kites. And in dry woodland we enjoyed great looks at Panama Flycatcher, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Forest and Greenish Elaenia, Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Plain-colored Tanager and Rufous-tailed Jacamar. After a wonderful birding morning, we went back to the hotel to shower and check out. After lunch in Mariquita, we drove onward to Ibague and Iguaima countryside hotel for two nights.

At dawn we set off on a 1.5km walk to the lovely Ukuku Lodge, where we would spend the morning. The walk was steep toward the end, but we were rewarded by an amazing landscape and overwhelmed by the numerous birds found in the garden! As soon as we arrived at the lodge, Truman, the owner, oriented us to a hide where we had excellent views of the very shy and endemic Tolima Dove. The fruit feeders also attracted many birds including Blue-gray, Palm, Saffron-crowned and Scrub Tanagers, Thick-billed Euphonias, Andean Motmots, Black-billed Thrushes, Buff-throated Saltators and Southern Emerald Toucanets!

At the hummingbird feeders and the numerous flowers in the garden, we saw an amazing total of 20 species of hummingbirds! The most common species visiting the feeders were Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Buff-tailed Coronet, Indigo-capped Hummingbird and Andean Emerald, amongst which we also found Green Hermit, Sword-billed Hummingbird, White-bellied and Purple-throated Woodstar, Collared and Bronzy Inca. The species only visiting the flowers included the endemic Tolima Blossomcrown, Red-billed Emerald, White-booted Racquet-tail and even a White-throated Daggerbill! Between tasty breakfast and lunch at Ukuku, we had the whole morning to enjoy the lodge, and also found birds away from the feeders, including White-tipped Swift, Rusty Flowerpiercer, Lesser Goldfinch, Black-and-white Seedeater, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Pale-edged Flycatcher or Montane Foliage-gleaner. After our wonderful morning at Ukuku, one of the highlights of the trip, we walked back to the hotel for a relaxing afternoon. In the evening, we enjoyed a short walk on the hotel grounds, finding Flame-rumped Tanager, a Slaty-capped Flycatcher, and even a Lyre-tailed Nightjar on his day roost! After dinner, two Mottled Owls even visited the garden, offering great views!

Leaving early the next morning, we arrived on time for breakfast at ‘El Retorno de los Colibries’, where we enjoyed the traditional Colombian breakfast consisting of eggs, arepa (sort of pancake made of corn), cheese, coffee and hot chocolate. From our breakfast table, we could scan the feeders, attracting White-vented Plumeleteer, Brown Violetear, Black-billed Thrush, Southern Emerald-Toucanet, and the clown-faced Acorn Woodpecker, here at the southern edge of its range.

Driving the rest of the morning, we arrived at Kumanday Hotel near Otun Quimbaya Sanctuary just in time for lunch! And after an excellent lunch there, we traded our bus for a few SUVs to drive us the rest of the way up to the Otun Quimbaya Sanctuary. On the way we stopped at a bridge on the Otun river, finding a spectacular pair of Torrent Ducks foraging in the tumultuous water! Making a few stops in the reserve we quickly found the endemic Cauca Guan, and the sought-after Red-ruffed Fruitcrow! The activity was quiet in the afternoon, but we managed to find our first Golden-bellied Flycatchers, Montane Woodcreeper, a pair of Gray-breasted Wood-Wrens and a White-winged Becard! Staying in the reserve until after sunset, we first heard (only) a Rufescent Screech-Owl who had no interest in the tape, and a distant Common Potoo! Then it was finally time to drive back to our hotel for a great dinner.

Starting our drive in the dark the next morning, we arrived at the end of the road in Otun Quimbaya Sanctuary just after dawn for our field breakfast. We birded this area for about two hours and then started to walk back down finding a few flocks including Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, Marble-faced Bristle-tyrant, Slate-throated Redstart, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Black-capped and Golden Tanagers. Along the Otun river we had close views of a male White-capped Dipper, together with a male Torrent Duck. We heard the beautiful song of Gray-breasted Wood-Wren and eventually saw two of them. We also had good views of the endemic Crested Ant-Tanager, as well as a pair of Black-banded Woodcreepers, a male Collared Trogon, a pair of Black-winged Saltators, and a male Pale-eyed Thrush offering prolonged scope views. We even found a White-throated Hawk, a rare austral migrant far from its breeding grounds in Chile and Argentina.

After another delicious lunch, we birded the Ecoparque near the city of Manizales. There, we found some great birds including the lovely Red-headed Barbet, a male Flame-rumped Tanager and a Smoky-brown Woodpecker. We also heard the distinctive song of the secretive Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush. We then headed to our very comfortable hotel in the outskirts of Manizales where we stayed three nights.

We had another early start, to spend a full day at the Rio Blanco Reserve, which protects about 5,000 hectares of cloud forest between 2,100 and 3,700 m elevation. After meeting up with Carlos Julio, the local guide who would help us find some of the birds here, we had our breakfast at the headquarters of the reserve. What a luxury to stand with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate in front of feeders attracting Buff-tailed Coronet, Long-tailed Sylph, Tourmaline Sunangel, Speckled Hummingbird, Collared and Bronzy Incas! Carlos Julio is an expert in feeding antpittas, and this morning we visited three different feeding stations. The Slate-crowned Antpitta was apparently not hungry and didn’t show, but we had amazing views of both Chestnut-crowned and Brown-banded Antpittas! A beautiful male Green-and-black Fruiteater even came to take some worms from the hand of Carlos Julio!

Birding the upper ridge, we found some mixed-species flocks which had Black-capped and Black-eared Hemispingus, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Black-billed Peppershrike, Golden-fronted Redstart, Sharpe’s Wren, Blue-and-black Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Capped Conebill, Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager and a few Montane Woodcreepers. A small group of the rare Rusty-faced Parrot also flew by but unfortunately didn’t land close. We got on Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcher, Cinnamon Flycatcher, a family group of Black-billed Mountain-Toucans and another Southern Emerald-Toucanet.

Hacienda El Bosque is one of the new sites in Colombia receiving birders. After serving us a fantastic breakfast, Juan, the owner, spoke about the history of the place and why he wanted to turn part of the cow farm activity into ecotourism. Then, with the help of Christian, we visited several feeding stations and were amazed how close the birds came: Gray-browed Brushfinches, Grass and Mountain Wrens, Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrants and even a stunning White-browed Spinetail! A pair of Equatorial Antpittas and a beautiful male Barred Fruiteater also gave great views, but the headliner and definitely one of the best birds of the trip, was Lunita, a stunning Crescent-faced Antpitta! What a beautiful bird!

But the show was not over with the Lunita’s appearance, and we enjoyed seeing a pair of Hooded Mountain-Tanagers, a family of Sickle-winged Guans, a pair of Andean Guans and a few Blue-capped Tanagers! We also tallied several hummingbird species including Sword-billed Hummingbird, Shining Sunbeam, Buff-winged Starfrontlet and Tourmaline Sunangel. It’s worth spending the full morning at this lovely spot, as much for the birds as for the hearty Ajiaco we had for lunch!

In the afternoon we prospected the high-elevation shrub, finding a few White-throated Tyrannulets and Golden-fronted Redstarts. We also had a cracking view of Paramo Tapaculo. But the most surprising sighting of the afternoon was definitely the Noble Snipe, flushed just a few meters from the roadside!

For our last day, we birded the paramo and elfin forest at high elevation, along the road towards the popular Nevados del Ruiz. We had breakfast near Laguna Negra where we found a pair of Andean Tit-Spinetails, Plumbeous Sierra-Finch, Plain-colored Seedeater and a pair of Stout-billed Cinclodes. We even found a Tawny Antpitta running in the open! At 4,100 m elevation (13,500 feet), we enjoyed a cup of warm coffee or coca tea, while watching the most sought-after Buffy Helmetcrest! This is really a unique hummingbird, and we enjoyed repeated views of a male, perching atop bushes in bloom, and showing off his purple and green gorget!

Starting our way down, most of the cloud disappeared, revealing a beautiful landscape of slopes covered with Espeletia. And while watching the base of the snow-covered volcano (the top was in the clouds), four Black-chested Buzzard-Eagles flew overhead, when two of the rare and localized Rufous-fronted Parakeet flew in and perched atop some bushes offering great and prolonged scope views! And then an impressive adult male of Andean Condor appeared from nowhere, giving a fantastic show! Three fantastic birds in just a few minutes!

Continuing our way down, we stopped in some elfin forest patches, finding a great flock including Lacrimose and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers, Black-backed Bush-Tanager, White-throated and White-banded Tyrannulets, and the lovely Golden-fronted Redstart of the endemic chrysops subspecies. We also got nice views of Rainbow-bearded Thornbill and Viridian Metaltail. We had lunch at Termales del Ruiz, the popular hot springs, where we also enjoyed Golden-breasted Puffleg, Great Sapphirewing, Shining Sunbeam, Viridian Metaltail and Rainbow-bearded Thornbill coming to the feeders, and some of them even came to feed from our hands! What a fun and unforgettable way to watch hummingbirds!

The last addition to our amazing list of 340 species was a beautiful Many-striped Canastero offering fantastic views! And we concluded the trip with a beautiful male Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, showing his multicolored gorget very nicely! What a great way to end this fantastic tour! It was now time to head towards Pereira for a last night and farewell dinner. 

- Fabrice Schmitt

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