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Colombia - Perijá & Santa Marta Endemics (Small Group)

© Santa Marta Parakeets by Adam Riley

Colombia has more bird species than any other country; a staggering 1 900 species occur within the confines of this incredible nation, of which 89 are endemic! Our endemics-laden tour of Northern Colombia takes us to the Santa Marta Mountains and the Guajira Peninsula on the northern coast of Colombia, as well as the recently explored Perija range on the Venezuelan border. The Santa Marta massif is an isolated mountain range and its snow-capped peaks are the highest coastal mountains in the world. It is also one of the most endemic-rich regions of South America, hosting nearly 50 endemics and regional specialities plus numerous endemic subspecies (several of which, upon further taxonomic review, are likely to be elevated to full species status in the future). We spend time at both low and high elevations of the Perija Range, birding near Valledupar before basing ourselves at the Chamicero Reserve. Purchased in 2014 after the discovery of good forest tracts on accessible land for the entire suite of Sierra de Perija endemics, including the yet-to-be-described Perija Tapaculo and another 35 subspecies that need further research. The local forms of Golden-bellied Starfrontlet, Emerald Toucanet, Rufous Spinetail and Rufous Antpitta are all proposed splits that require more conclusive documentation.

Top Birds

Santa Marta Bush Tyrant, Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Woodstar, Santa Marta Mountain Tanager, White-tailed Starfrontlet, Santa Marta & White-lored Warbler, Yellow-crowned Whitestart, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Santa Marta Blossomcrown, Santa Marta Antpitta, Santa Marta Screech Owl, Santa Marta, Perija & Brown-rumped Tapaculo, Vermilion Cardinal, Glaucous Tanager, Sapphire-bellied, Sapphire-throated, Buffy, Shining-green & Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, Red-billed & Coppery Emerald, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Chestnut Piculet, Rufous-vented & Chestnut-winged Chachalaca, White-tipped & Crested Quetzal, Black-fronted Wood Quail, Turquoise-winged Parrotlet, Trinidad Euphonia, Stripe-backed & Bicolored Wren, Russet-throated, Pied & Double-banded Puffbird, Bicolored Conebill, Golden-winged Sparrow, Black-hooded Thrush, Hermit Wood Wren, Tocuyo Sparrow, Rufous Nightjar, Double-striped Thick-Knee, Military Macaw, White-whiskered & Rufous Spinetail, Venezuelan Flycatcher, Venezuelan Tyrannulet, Golden-bellied Starfrontlet, Perija Metaltail, Perija Thistletail, Perija, Chestnut-capped, Slaty, Black-fronted, Santa Marta & Sierra Nevada Brushfinches, Longuemare's Sunangel, Rufous-shafted Woodstar, Klage's Antbird.

Habitats Covered

rainforest, dry forests, estuarine, xerophytic scrub, paramo grasslands

Expected Climate

temperate to cold in highlands (El Dorado and Perija), hot and dry in the lowlands (Guajira Peninsula). Rain is likely on some days.

Max Group Size

6 with 1 Rockjumper leader and 1 local leader

Tour Pace & Walking

brisk pace, some demanding walks

Accommodation

very good with some basic

Ease of Birding

moderate with some challenging species

Number of Species Expected

300+

Other Attractions

Cartagena, spectacular scenery of the Santa Marta massif, stunning Caribbean ocean

Photographic Opportunities

good to very good

What our clients say about us

Forrest Rowland
PI, Colombia 2018

Thank you so much for a wonderful experience on my Remote Colombia Tour. Forrest remains among one of the best guides I have ever travelled with. His knowledge of the areas within Colombia is astounding, he clearly knows his birds and their respective calls, he knows the off-track spots to seek out the more difficult species and the local people he interacts with clearly respect and value their relationship with him. Witnessing the interaction of these relationships makes for such a more enjoyable overall experience. Forrest as a guide brings a strong combination of spotting birds, knowing the bird calls and getting people on the bird. Equally important, he interacts with each and everyone of his participants and just displays such a passion for birds, wildlife and the local culture.

Robert Williams
JP, Colombia 2021

I was extremely pleased with Rob and his ability to locate birds and get all members of the group on them for viewing. This was no small task given the reclusive nature of many of the species and the size of our group. In addition to Robs valuable birding skills are his management skills in planning and timing and surmounting both the usual and the unexpected difficulties associated with delays and circumstances. Rob is extremely knowledgeable and has excellent communication skills. His stories are informative and most often entertaining. He was a fun guide and I give him a 5 star plus rating.

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.

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
AH, Colombia 2018

I have travelled with Forrest before, and still he manages to beat my expectations with his wonderful visual and auditory skills, hard work and preparation, and he is just fun to travel with. Special kudos on this trip for how he continued on despite being very unwell with fever and chills.

Colombia - Perijá & Santa Marta Endemics (Small Group) 2024

10 Jul 2024 - 20 Jul 2024 (11 days)

USD6,295 - 3 Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Local Leader

Tour price (Per person): USD6,295 * GBP5,059 * EUR5,886 * AUD9,673

Single Supplement: USD780 * GBP627 * EUR729 * AUD1,199

Flight costs: USD170 * GBP137 * EUR159 * AUD261

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