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WESTERN VENEZUELA
Birdquest's Western Venezuela birding tour explores one of the richest parts of South America for birdwatching. Our Western Venezuela tour achieves the most comprehensive coverage of the region available and records an extraordinary variety of specialities, as well as experiencing the waterbird riches of the Llanos.
Saturday 22nd February -
Saturday 8th March 2014
(15 days)
Santo Domingo Andes & Llanos Extension to Friday 14th March (6 days)
Leader:
Mark Van Beirs
Group Size Limit: 9
Tour Category: Easy to Moderate
The magnificent Orange-throated Sunangel is confined to western Venezuela and northeastern Colombia and is easy to see at several locations in the Andes (Mark Van Beirs)
Whether this is your first tour to South America, or whether you are a veteran of Latin American journeys, Western Venezuela offers a compelling experience. The region’s extraordinarily rich avifauna includes such diverse groups as tinamous, screamers, sunbitterns, hoatzins, parrots, hummingbirds, quetzals, jacamars, puffbirds, toucans, woodcreepers, ovenbirds, antbirds, tapaculos, cotingas, manakins, orioles and tanagers.
Western Venezuela is undoubtedly one of the classic regions to visit in ‘The Bird Continent’, as South America is known, for this part of the country has many species which are either endemic or only shared with rather inaccessible neighbouring regions of Colombia, as well as a large number of species of broader distribution in the Neotropics. Our tour is designed to be the most comprehensive birding tour of Western Venezuela available, producing more specialities than any other.
Such captivating names as Boat-billed Heron, Northern Screamer, Yellow-knobbed Curassow, Sunbittern, Orange-throated Sunangel, Long-tailed Sylph, Red-billed Scythebill and Pearled Treerunner conjure up images which are not disappointed by the reality. Equally, with its many exciting endemic and near-endemic birds, Western Venezuela is a key area to visit for a Neotropical enthusiast, no matter how well-travelled. The vast tropical forests, the huge river systems dominated by the mighty Orinoco, the endless savanna wetlands of the Llanos and the high mountains that form the northernmost ranges of the Andes all add to Venezuela’s remarkable diversity. Venezuela’s comparatively well-developed road system, a superb field guide and a general lack of tourists make exploration here a pleasure and enable us to unlock the country’s avian treasure chest.
We start our journey in the Cordillera de la Costa Central, a mountain chain on Venezuela’s Caribbean coast. Here amongst the varied forest types near Colonia Tovar and in the superb Henri Pittier National Park we will first appreciate the pleasures of Venezuelan birding. Birdlife here is rich and diverse, including a considerable number of endemics ranging from such spectacular birds as White-tipped Quetzal and Handsome Fruiteater to the more unassuming Blood-eared Parakeet, Groove-billed Toucanet and Caracas Tapaculo.
From here we will travel into the arid zone of northwestern Venezuela, home to some very special birds including American Flamingo and such endemics and near-endemics as Plain-flanked Rail, Bare-eyed Pigeon, Yellow-shouldered Parrot, Buffy Hummingbird, Slender-billed Inezia, Maracaibo Tody-Flycatcher and Vermilion Cardinal.
Reaching the northern base of the Andes, we shall visit Yacambú National Park, where a peaceful pond holds Caribbean Coot and the endemic Rusty-flanked Crake, while surrounding montane forests will offer a first introduction to the rich Andean avifauna.
Next we will make our way to the huge Lake Maracaibo, home to the stately Northern Screamer, and in the surrounding verdant lowlands and foothills we shall seek out such specialities as Saffron-headed Parrot, Pygmy Palm-Swift, Citron-throated Toucan and Grey-throated Warbler before climbing higher into the Venezuelan Andes.
Bird speciation has occurred more rapidly in the Andes than anywhere else on earth as the progressive uplift of these magnificent mountains has isolated one tract of forest from another. During our stay here we will explore a wide variety of montane forest habitats ranging from the humid cloudforests along the Azulita road and the bamboo-choked temperate forest and shrubbery of northern Tachira to the magnificent primary forest north of Mérida
During our Andean exploits we will encounter a marvellous selection of species including many interesting endemics and other specialities, and we hope to find the captivating Rose-crowned Parakeet, the gorgeous Longuemare’s Sunangel, the elusive Grey-naped and Slate-crowned Antpittas, Mérida Tapaculo, White-fronted Whitestart, Mérida Flowerpiercer and Grey-capped Hemispingus, and if we are fortunate the rare Slaty-backed Hemispingus, as well as many other exciting birds.
During the optional extension we will first explore the alpine paramo zone of the Andes with its dramatic scenery and attendant bird specialities and then the rich east slope habitats below Santo Domingo. Here we will be looking for such stars as Ochre-browed Thistletail, Mérida Wren and the beautiful but sometimes elusive Bearded Helmetcrest, as well as lekking Andean Cocks-of-the-Rock and many other superb birds.
From the Andes, in striking contrast, we descend into the Llanos, a wetland area of international importance teeming with waterbirds of many kinds and a superb collection of raptors. An enlightened policy of conservation in conjunction with cattle ranching at Hato El Cedral, a remote ranch that encourages visitors, gives us access to the finest area in these bird-rich savannas. This extraordinary place will be a fitting climax to a marvellous adventure as we admire huge Jabirus and no fewer than seven species of ibis (including the incomparable Scarlet), explore jungle creeks in search of secretive Zigzag and Agami Herons, near-endemic Yellow-knobbed Curassows and extraordinary Sunbitterns and Hoatzins, and search the grassland and riverine woodland for specialities such as Dwarf Cuckoo, Amazonian Black-Tyrant, Riverside Tyrant and White-bearded Flycatcher, all while enjoying the sights of thousands of waterbirds, lazing capybaras and quietly lurking caiman.
Birdquest has operated tours to Venezuela since 1988.
(Note: The above is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed, day-by-day itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)
Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels/lodges are of normal Birdquest standard throughout, although sometimes we have no choice but to use establishments at the simpler end of the scale where hot water supplies can be erratic. Road transport is by small coach and roads are variable in quality.
Walking: The walking effort is easy to moderate.
Climate: Generally warm or hot, dry and sunny at lower altitudes, but cool in upland areas (and even downright cold in the high Andes). Overcast weather is quite regular and there will be some rain at times. It will be fairly humid in the lowlands.
Bird Photography: Opportunities are worthwhile (good in the llanos).
Linkable Birdquest: Eastern Venezuela
Tour Price: (provisional): $4830 Caracas/Caracas. Post-Tour Extension: $2200. Price includes all transportation (including Mérida-Caracas flight for those not taking the post-tour extension), all accommodations, all meals, bottled water, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.
Single Room Supplement: (provisional): $612. Post-Tour Extension: $311.
Deposit: 10% of the tour price (excluding any single supplement).
Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.
The unobtrusive Green-tailed Emerald is a nectar “filcher”, endemic to Venezuela’s northern mountains (Pete Morris)
The glorious Sunbittern is the only member of its family and is a fairly common inhabitant of the Venezuelan Llanos (Pete Morris)
The peculiar Hoatzin is a prehistoric-looking species of vegetation-lined rivers and lakes in the Llanos (Pete Morris)
The Llanos of Venezuela are a paradise for a wide variety of waterbirds (Mark Van Beirs)
62 photos
View Gallery Photos From WESTERN VENEZUELA
We will put a lot of effort into getting the highly-prized Bearded Helmetcrest on to everyone’s lifelist (John Drummond)
The cracking Rose-crowned Parakeet is endemic to the Venezuelan Andes (John Drummond)
The Northern Screamer is the rarest of the three species of screamers, but can still be found in the Lake Maracaibo basin (John Drummond)
The Pale-headed Jacamar is confined to western Venezuela and northeastern Colombia and usually occurs in small family groups in gallery forest along rivers (John Drummond)
The Two-banded Puffbird is a split from Russet-throated Puffbird and is often very approachable (Pete Morris)
The Fasciated Tiger-Heron is a solitary inhabitant of rocky streams (Pete Morris)
Rufescent Tiger-Herons are pleasingly common in the marshes of the Llanos (Mark Van Beirs)
The retiring Pinnated Bittern is widespread, but very localized in the Neotropics and the famous llanos are one of the better areas to observe it (Mark Van Beirs)
The mainly crepuscular Double-striped Thick-knee is a regular sight in the Llanos (Mark Van Beirs)
Capybaras abound in the Llanos and this Green Iguana has chosen this large rodent as a resting spot (Mark Van Beirs)
With a bit of luck we will encounter the exceptional Giant Anteater (Mark Van Beirs)
We will hear, and even feel, the deafening dawn chorus of Red Howler Monkeys in Henri Pittier National Park (Pete Morris)
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Ph: 512-343-1700, Fax: 512-343-1701
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