Simply Birding Catalog

North Central Andes - Colombia
[centandescol]

The northern portion of the Central Andes is a superb birding area; critical habitats include Andean montane and premontane forests, and some minor paramune areas found from 1800 to 3000 m.

The Amalfi municipality lies just 100Km N of Medellín and several recently described new Colombian species, such as Chestnut-capped Piha, Stiles’s Tapaculo and Parker’s Antbird are very common in the region. This is a great area in which to spend a couple of excellent birding days, securing good views of these new species as well as other specialties like White-mantled Barbet, Red-bellied Grackle and Multicolored Tanager. Moreover, several species we have found as new records for the Central Andes or from the Chocó lowlands hot-spot will be in your list: Rufous-rumped Antwren, Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, and Purplish-mantled Tanager are easily observed, while Blue-fronted Parrotlet, Lanceolated Monklet, Scarlet-and-white Tanager and Lemon-spectacled Tanager are quite likely too. We lodge in small, local hotels in town, giving us easy access to several terrific birding areas a mere 30-45 minute drive away.

Unlike most major cities, Medellín is blessed with several first-class birding options close by. Located in the beautiful Valle de Aburrá, the slopes around Medellín still contain well-preserved high Andean IBA forests - just what the doctor ordered for local endemics! We should find groups of more than 25 Red-bellied Grackles, the elusive Bicolored Antpitta (recently rediscovered in this locality after more than 100 years without any records), Stiles’s Tapaculo, Crested Ant-Tanager, Parker’s Antbird as well as many other high elevation mountain-tanagers, hummingbirds, and tyrant flycatchers. Endemic Chestnut Wood-Quails are heard constantly, but, as with Yellow-headed Manakin, you really need to be lucky to get the glimpse of them. In addition to the cool mountain forests, coffee shade plantations near the city provide fun birding all day long. Lodging and eating can be customized for any budget, with countless options in Medellín, all of which will provide easy driving access to birding areas in the richest and most diverse Biodiversity Hotspot of the world!

Pictures Courtesy Diego Calderon and Colombia Birding

Memory

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This item was added to our catalog on Thursday 02 September, 2010.