Welcome to Birdquest
COLOMBIA
Saturday 5th March - Sunday 27th March 2011
Pete Morris
Brown-banded Antpitta (János Oláh)
Colombia is definitely the number one destination on the ‘Bird-Continent’ nowadays since it appeared on the ‘safe and possible’ birding destination scene a few years ago. Our 2011 Colombia tour to this amazingly bird-rich country was one of the most successful tours we ever run. We recorded an impressive 687 species, which more importantly included seeing no fewer than 43 of the widely accepted country endemics such as Cauca Guan, Colombian and Chestnut-winged Chachalacas, Chestnut Wood-Quail, Bogotá Rail, Yellow-eared Parrot, Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Screech-Owl, Blossomcrown, Black-backed Thornbill, Black Inca, White-tailed Starfrontlet, Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird, Santa Marta Woodstar, White-mantled Barbet, Greyish Piculet, Silvery-throated and Rusty-headed Spinetails, Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner, Parker’s Antbird, Santa Marta and Brown-banded Antpittas, Santa Marta- , Stile’s -, Mattoral- and Brown-rumped Tapaculos, Antioquia Bristle-tyrant, Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant, Apical Flycatcher, Chestnut-capped Piha, Apolinar’s Marsh Wren, Black-and-gold and Gold-ringed Tanagers, Santa Marta Mountain Tanager, Multicoloured Tanager, Turquoise Dacnis, Colombian Brush-Finch, Santa Marta Brush-Finch, Crested Ant-Tanager, Yellow-crowned Whitestart, White-lored and Santa Marta Warblers and Red-bellied Grackle. Although the actual number of endemics depends on the ever changing taxonomy and some interesting records too. The Streak-capped Spinetail of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta ought to be another endemic with a single record from the Sierra Perijá and others like the Santa Marta Rufous Antpitta, the Santa Marta Toucanet or the Bronze-brown Cowbirds are also likely candidates. Nevertheless we had a fantastic selection of endemics and also similar number of near-endemics - 41 species – on this action-packed and truly memorable tour!
Purplish-mantled Tanager (János Oláh)
