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Colombia - Northern Andes: Central Andes

© Buffy Helmetcrest by Stephan Lorenz
Colombia - Northern Andes: Central Andes 2025

24 Nov 2025 - 01 Dec 2025 (8 days)

USD3,695 - No Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Local Leader

Tour price (Per person): USD3,695 * GBP2,605 * EUR3,030 * AUD5,428

Single Supplement: USD300 * GBP212 * EUR246 * AUD441

Colombia has more species of birds than any other country - a staggering 1900 species are to be found within the confines of this incredible nation; of which, at least 89 are endemic. This huge diversity of species results from the equally diverse range of habitats: three Andean Cordilleras (Western, Central and Eastern Andes), two inter-Andean valleys (the Cauca and Magdalena Valleys), the lowland forests of the Amazon and Orinoco regions, the isolated snow-capped Santa Marta Mountains, the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, deserts and lakes, and the rich wet forests of the Chocó all help to make it one of the most exciting countries to bird on earth!

Our series of northern Andes tours focus on the bulk of endemics that Colombia has to offer, working our way through the Central and Eastern Andean ranges, Magdalena and Cauca Valleys, as well as the dry Guajira desert and the impressive Santa Marta Mountains.

Our tour of the Central Andes takes in Otun-Quimbaya, Finca Cortaderal, Rio Blanco, Hacienda el Bosque and PNN Los Nevados for Cauca Guan, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Chestnut Wood Quail, Crescent-faced, Brown-banded, Slaty-crowned, Moustached & Bicolored Antpittas, Fuertes’s & Rusty-faced Parrots, Golden-plumed & Rufous-fronted Parakeets, Cocoa Thrush, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Masked Saltator, Black-thighed Puffleg, Golden-crowned Tanager, Buffy Helmetcrest and Viridian Metaltail.

Top Birds

Cauca Guan; Red-ruffed Fruitcrow; Chestnut Wood Quail; Crescent-faced, Brown-banded, Slaty-crowned, Moustached & Bicolored Antpittas; Fuertes’s & Rusty-faced Parrots; Golden-plumed & Rufous-fronted Parakeets; Cocoa Thrush; Crimson-mantled Woodpecker; Masked Saltator; Black-thighed Puffleg; Golden-crowned Tanager; Buffy Helmetcrest; Viridian Metaltail.

Habitats Covered

cloud forest, elfin forest, paramo, alpine grassland, upper Choco forest, lowland rainforest, stunted forest

Expected Climate

temperate to cold in highlands (very cold on Los Nevados), hot and possibly humid in lowlands

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader and 1 local leader

Tour Pace & Walking

brisk pace, some demanding walks

Accommodation

basic to comfortable hotels & lodges

Ease of Birding

moderate with some challenging species

Number of Species Expected

700+ (full Northern Andes series)

Other Attractions

spectacular scenery in Los Nevados NP

Photographic Opportunities

average to good

What our clients say about us

Robert Williams
CA, Colombia 2017

From the several members of the office staff to the actual tour itself, I have nothing but high praise for my Rockjumper experience. This was my first tour with Rockjumper, but I hope it won't be my last. Alison and Sarah were tremendously helpful. Rob Williams is as good a leader as I have ever experienced. He not only knows the birds, but he made sure that we all got to see them, showing patience way beyond what I thought necessary. When one of our participants lost his passport, Rob bent over backwards to help this hapless person, never complaining while doing so. Rob always told us what the plan was for the next day. When Plan A didn't pan out, he had Plan B ready. If something went askew, he handled it with aplomb, always keeping his sense of humour. Did I mention he showed us wonderful birds? Oh, we saw some beautiful ones!

Tuomas Seimola
EM, Colombia 2019

"Tuomas was very knowledgeable, personable, and savvy. He did an excellent job of balancing hard core birding with the needs of the group. The accommodations and food were good throughout and the transportation was excellent! This was an adventurous, fun, and challenging trip and I very much enjoyed it. Roger, the local guide, was also very good. Thank you!"

Tuomas Seimola
GP, Colombia 2019

Tuomas was excellent. He was an excellent birder and group leader, ensuring the everyone saw each bird. He was persistent in pursuing our target birds but knew when enough was enough for the day. Tuomas has an easy going manner, but he (and the local leader) were efficient and effective in dealing with problems in the field or with the accomodation.

Forrest Rowland
LR, Colombia 2018

Forrest Rowland is an incredible guide.

Forrest Rowland
SS - Colombia 2019

First of all, Forrest Rowland's profound knowledge of the full range of bird identification traits, songs and calls, habitat preferences and behavioural detail was indispensable to our ability to view, hear, and understand what we were looking for/at. Even more so, his knowledge and ability to effectively convey such information in a timely and readily comprehensible manner was an essential component of our ability to get on birds effectively. Plus his expertise and experience did not stop with the bird life. Secondly, he was an amazing leader in keeping a diverse group of participants focused on tasks at hand and committed to an inclusive "team" dynamic, not an easy feat! His very personable and easy going style kept everyone engaged and appreciating contributions from the whole group... and no one ever appeared isolated. Lastly, and also crucial to an effective journey of this type, Forrest was always on top of tour logistics and management, which are extremely complex and sometimes change with little notice (e.g. flights being cancelled). ln part this was due to his own experience travelling within Colombia, building upon the wonderful network of supporting "staff/contributors", and he was always able to easily provide next step details, rationales, and alternatives to the group.

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