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Colombia - Santa Marta Extension

© Santa Marta Parakeets by Adam Riley

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. Our endemics-laden extension takes us to the Santa Marta Mountains and the Guajira Peninsula on the northern coast of Colombia. 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 endemic 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).

Top Birds

Santa Marta & Sierra Nevada Brushfinches, Santa Marta Bush Tyrant, Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Woodstar, Santa Marta Mountain Tanager, White-tailed Starfrontlet, Hermit Wood Wren, Santa Marta & White-lored Warblers, Yellow-crowned Whitestart, Black-backed Thornbill, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Santa Marta Blossomcrown, Santa Marta Antpitta, Santa Marta Screech Owl, Santa Marta & Brown-rumped Tapaculos, Vermilion Cardinal, Glaucous Tanager, Sapphire-bellied, Buffy & Sapphire-throated Hummingbirds, Red-billed & Coppery Emeralds, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Chestnut Piculet, Rufous-vented & Chestnut-winged Chachalacas, White-tipped Quetzal, Black-fronted Wood Quail, Bronze-brown Cowbird, Turquoise-winged Parrotlet

Habitats Covered

Rainforest, dry forests, estuary, xerophytic scrub

Expected Climate

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

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader and 1 local leader

Tour Pace & Walking

brisk pace, some demanding walks

Accommodation

good to very comfortable

Ease of Birding

moderate with some challenging species

Number of Species Expected

270+ (700+ when combined with Northern Andes series)

Other Attractions

spectacular Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta range, Caribbean Sea

Photographic Opportunities

good

What our clients say about us

Forrest Rowland
LR, Colombia 2018

Forrest Rowland is an incredible guide.

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.

Stephan Lorenz
KH & DH - Colombia 2019

Stephan Lorenz is an outstanding guide – extremely knowledgeable, extremely diligent in getting target birds, and is full of enthusiasm every day.  A real pleasure.

Robert Williams
LW, Colombia 2021

"This was the fourth of four tours we did for Colombia 2021. This was a great experience. Such diversity of habitats and birds in this small area! Both our guides were excellent. Rob particularly went above and beyond all expectations helping participants with the logistics of getting Covid testing done under the severe time restrictions imposed by recent changes in US rules. We always feel secure traveling with Rockjumper because of the quality of the tour leaders!!"

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.

Colombia - Santa Marta Extension 2025

30 Jul 2025 - 04 Aug 2025 (6 days)

USD2,495 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Alexander Alvarado

Tour price (Per person): USD2,495 * GBP2,002 * EUR2,330 * AUD3,837

Single Supplement: USD190 * GBP152 * EUR177 * AUD292

Flight costs: USD90 * GBP72 * EUR84 * AUD138

Flight costs (Linked Tour): USD100 * GBP80 * EUR93 * AUD154

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