Birding in the Cauca Valley
I have included Bosque Yotoco in the Cauca, although it is actually already the
foothills of the Western Andes.
For birding in this region, it is best to stay in Buga.
From this small town with plenty of hotels,
it is very easy to get to Laguna de Sonso and Bosque Yotoco.
Laguna de Sonso Reserve
(Marsh land; Dep. Valle)
Laguna the Sonso is a 600 ha wetland reserve.
It is a natural oxbow from the Cauca river.
It is easily to get to (only 5 min by taxi).
If coming from Buga, there is a turnoff left just before the Cauca bridge. Ask the
driver to just pass the small village and then start birding.
Follow the signs. The first hacienda that you pass is now owned by the CVC
(the society that runs the reserve). Look in the trees here for
Grey Potoo and Common Nighthawk.
Behind the house the trail continues to open woodland and eventually ends
at the watchtower.
The reserve has also the only population of Horned Screamer (Anhima cornuta)
west of the Andes. But to see them you have to get to the other side of the reserve
which is difficult.
Here is the bird list of Laguna de Sonso (PDF-file).
You can find additional information on this website.
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Bosque Yotoco
(Dry forest at around 1200 m asl)
Bosque Yotoco is a small reserve on the eastern side of the Western Andes.
It has relative dry forest.
The reserve is as well managed by the CVC. You can get permission by phoning
Paulo Emilio Florez (052/2281922) and sending them a fax (052/2282492) with the time
you will be there and all names of participants.
The entrance fee is around 2500 Pesos/person, which you can pay at arrival.
It is easy to get to the reserve from Buga.
You can take a taxi to the reserve. Tell the driver that the reserve is on the road to Lago Calima/Buenaventura.
Some taxi drivers know the place, but most confuse it with the village of Yotoco, which a complete other direction.
It should not cost more than 20.000 Pesos (in 2004).
It is also possible to get here by bus, as all buses to Buenaventura pass here.
Once you arrive at the entrance there is a lovely managed garden.
Camping here is possible, but you have to provide your own food. Normally they only sell soft drinks.
The garden is as well good for birding. It is here that we saw once the endemic
Turquoise Dacnis-tanager (Pseudodacnis hartlaubi).
The main trails start behind the garden. There is a round trail and a trail that goes up.
At the end of the latter trail you will enter a paddock.
At the forest edge there are plenty of mixed flocks passing. Look for
Guira Tanager (Hemithraupis guira) and
Multicoloured Tanagers (Chlorochrysa nitidissima).
Other birds here are:
Crimson-rumped Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus haematopygus),
Greyish Piculet (Picumnus granadensis),
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus),
Purple-throated Woodstar (Philodice mitchellii) and
Slaty Spinetail (Synallaxis brachyura).
On the other side of the road there is a small trail that goes down. It is a bit overgrown at the entrance.
This is according our experience the best trail (esp. in the morning).
Several friends have seen here Chestnut-crowned Gnateaters (Conopophaga castaneiceps).
We heard here once a Rosy Thrush-Tanager (Rhodinocichla rosea), but we never saw it.
Last time we were here we ran into a family of Mottled Owls (Strix virgata).
Other jewels are the endemic Cauca Guan (Penelope perspicax) and
White-throated Spadebill (Platyrinchus mystaceus).
Watch out for Apical Flycatchers (Myiarchus apicalis), which has been seen here as well.
Here is the bird list of Bosque Yotoco (PDF-file).
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