Colombia’s fourth largest city, Barranquilla lies right astride the mouth of the mighty Magdalena River. With its headwaters at the junction of the Western and Central Andes ranges, it then flows almost 1000 miles down into the Caribbean here. Along the way its drainage serves about 2/3 of the nation’s populace. There are direct flights from Miami to Barranquilla. Another option is to fly into Bogota and then catch a short flight to Barranquilla from there. We will arrange transport to our hotel, where we will enjoy a welcome dinner together here on our first night of the tour. Meet in the hotel lobby area at 630pm for dinner. Night in Barranquilla.

Working our way along the coast, with about a 3-hour drive, eventually we turn up into the mountains, passing through the lovely little mountain villa of Minca. Nestled just above town in the lower slopes of the Santa Martas is our ecolodge where we spend the next 3 nights. After arrival and lunch we can enjoy the busy feeding stations right outside our rooms which often hold species such as Santa Marta Brush-Finch, Black-headed Tanager, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Blossomcrown, and many more. After we get settled we have several options including walking the road from the lodge, heading back down lower into Minca, or heading uphill a bit higher into the Santa Martas. We’ll assess the weather, make a plan based on this. The town of Minca just below us, attracts tourists for its waterfalls, coffee and cocoa farms, and also for its pleasant climate. For bird-watchers it is a great jumping off point for the Santa Martas. Night above Minca.

Rising very early, well before dawn, we will make our way up the rough mountain road, to ascend to 9000 feet and reach the San Lorenzo Ridge by dawn. This is one the most special places in Colombia, with a number of special birds possible basically only here. At treeline, there remain some of the wax palms (palmas de cera), and these trees are endemic, endangered, and also the tallest palm tree species in the world. They are also the preferred nesting trees of the parakeets, which are increasingly tricky to find. As we search for the parakeets, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for endemics like Black-cheeked Mountain-Tanager and Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant, the two endemic spinetails, and specials like Flammulated Treehunter, and more. By mid-morning we’ll begin our descent to hit some other birding areas, seeking Santa Marta Antpitta, before arriving back at the lodge in early or mid-afternoon, for some R & R or birding around the lodge grounds. Night above Minca.

With another full day in the area here, we can take stock of how we did the day prior up high in the Santa Martas and weigh our options and priorities. There is so much to see and record. We could again make the early start and take the rough road back up for the high altitude specials. Or, we could stay closer to the lodge, seeking lower/middle elevation birds such as Santa Marta Antbird, Santa Marta Blossomcrown, Golden-winged Sparrow, Lazuline Sabrewing, White-tailed Starfrontlet, White-tipped Quetzal, Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner, and others. Night above Minca.

After a final morning in the Santa Martas, we pack up and head east along the coast for the town of Riohacha. Along the way we’ll pass through forest patches that can hold birds like Russet-throated Puffbird, White-bellied Antbird, Lance-tailed & White-bearded manakins, Golden-winged Sparrow, and quite a few others. But we’ll have to be mindful of timing as it’s also likely we’ll want to hit the dry forest and coastal lagoons nearer to Riohacha. Those areas can host a great variety of wading birds, shorebirds, and terns, and also birds such as Buffy Hummingbird, Vermilion Cardinal, White-whiskered Spinetail, and others. We’ll spend the night in Riohacha, long famous as the home to the Amerindian group named the Wayuu, and also famous for its Vallenato folks music. Night in Riohacha.

This morning we move on from the Caribbean coast and up into a mountain range that few birders and ornithologists ever visit, the Serranía del Perijá, or as we call it, the Perijá Mountains. As is so often the case in Colombia, access is via a rough road using 4x4s to reach our remote lodging for the next 3 nights. A remote, basic yet clean and comfortable, lodge we’ll have a host of range-restricted endemic birds right outside our lodging here. This northernmost offshoot of the Andes also serves as the border between Colombia and Venezuela, with just under half the mountain range falling on the Colombian side. Staying at the Chamicero de Perija, a lodge and reserve established in 2014, with over 330 species of birds documented here, we’ll have parts of 4 days to work the area and try and record sounds of some seldom-encountered bird species. Night at Chamicero de Perijá.

These two days and nights we explore the mountains, forest, and paramo habitat of Perijá. At times we may reach altitudes of over 9000 feet above sea level, and it could be quite cold. Our main focus will be the endemic species but also the endemic subspecies here, many of which likely are species themselves. Perhaps our recordings will help clarify their status? Fingers crossed! In addition to classic endemics such as Perijá Metaltail, Perijá Thistletail, Perijá Antpitta, Perijá Brushfinch and the relatively newly described (in 2015) Perijá Tapaculo, there are also endemic forms of Lacrimose Mountain Tanager, Rufous Spinetail, and Yellow-breasted Brushfinch, among others, that almost certainly represent endemic species. And there are other thrilling birds present here too. And being at such a remote seldom explored site, one never knows what discoveries might lurk amid the clouds and the forest. There are species here too who range outside of Perijá, elsewhere in the Eastern Andes of Colombia, or in Venezuelas but that are relatively seldom-seen, especially away from wilderness like this. So we’ll keep an eye out for Black-fronted Wood-Quail, Black-and-Chestnut Eagle, Klages’s Antbird, Loungamere’s Sunangel and at night we’ll listen up and search for the obscurus ssp. of (another likely endemic) White-throated Screech-Owl. Nights at Chamicero de Perijá.

Today we descend and depart from Perija. Perhaps we’ll see or record one or two final birds, such as a Highland Tinamou, a Barred Fruiteater, or a Crested Quetzal. And while it may be hard to leave behind the solitude and expanse of wilderness that is the Perijá, probably we will welcome a return to “civilization”. This is largely a travel day, with not much field time planned, so after we descend from Perijá, strap yourself in for the journey back to Barranquilla, where we’ll enjoy a nice farewell dinner together at a cozy restaurant with great food. Night in Barranquilla.

Hasta pronto amigo! Depending on your flight timing you may enjoy breakfast at the hotel, or you may head straight to the airport for an early flight back towards the US or points onward