Birding in Eastern Andes
Humedales
The Eastern Andes are the broadest of the 3 ranges. Around Bogota there is a vast plateau with several marshes.
These high elevation wetlands are isolated and has caused the development of endemics:
Bogota Rail (Rallus semiplumbeus),
Apolinar's Marsh-Wren (Cistothorus apolinari),
Silver-throated Spinetail (Synallaxis subpudica),
Rufous-browed Conebill (Conirostrum rufum) (not only restricted to the wetlands).
All relative easy found in the wetlands.
Spot-flanked Gallinule (Gallinula melanops) is not endemic but is seen here more
easy than in southern S-America.
La Florida
Perhaps best of the Bogota wetlands is the Humedal La Florida, a tiny part of wetland
close to the airport.
Here it was easy to see Andean (Oxyura (jamaicensis) ferruginea) and
Masked Ducks (O. dominica).
But in recent years the vegetation has overgrown the last part of open water place,
making it somewhat more difficult now.
(But with some luck, as we had in april 2004, it is still possible.)
Anyway I noticed that it is now easier to see Bogota Rail (Rallus semiplumbeus).
In feb 2004 we heard and saw 10.
Other birds worth mentioning are:
Spot-flanked Gallinule (Gallinula melanops),
Subtropical Doradito (Pseudocolopteryx acutipennis) (once) and
Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrcygna bicolor).
La Conejera
This humedal has always been my favorite. Though last years it has disappointed me a bit.
Rails such as Sora (Porzana carolina) was very easily found, but the last years I haven't seen it.
For seeing Bogota Rail (Rallus semiplumbeus) all depends now on how tall the reed is.
Nevertheless still very good for seeing
Rufous-browed Conebill (Conirostrum rufum) and
Silvery-throated Spinetail (Synallaxis subpudica) along the water edge.
Also Noble Snipe (Gallinago nobilis) I have often seen.
Wild Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus) are abundant.
For La Conejera take bus to Suba. Here you must change to another one that goes to
Compartir. Get off at the end of the line and walk back till a small parking place.
Cross this parking and continue towards the entrance. Remember that the park opens at 8 am!
For La Florida, which is more difficult with public transport, you have to take a bus to Engativa.
Laguna de Fuquene
This lake (now 3300 ha) at an altitude of 2540 m asl. used to be Colombias biggest natural lake.
In the last 30 years drainage for farmland has reduced it to half of its original size and is only 2,5 meter deep.
On top of that an introduced weed (Egeria densa) has covert the lake completely.
It might be worth making a trip by boat on the lake. We have seen here Great Blue Herons
(Ardea herodias). It used to be a very good place for watching migrating ducks.
Hunting
But it is still interesting for
The extensive reeds esp. around the tunnel are the easiest place to see
Apolinar's Marsh-Wren (Cistothorus apolinari).
Least bitterns (Ixobrychus exilis bogotensis) and Spot-flanked Gallinule
(Gallinula melanops) are very common.
Around the Refugio we found as well Short-tailed Emerald (Chlorostilbon poortmani)
and Black-backed Grosbeak (Pheucticus aureoventris).
The Laguna can be reached very easy by public transport. Take a bus from the Terminal in Bogota
to a place called Chiquinquira.
Tell the driver you want to get off at the laguna Fuquene. They will stop at exactly the spot where you have to be.
Best is to stay overnight in the Refugio El Santuario.
It is a holiday centre, but outside weekends and holidays you will likely have the place for yourself.
Contact Jairo Valderrama (tel: 8633497/8633501 or email: jvalde@humedales.com).
More information on Fuquene can be found at the website of
Living Lakes.
More information on the wetlands can be obtained at
Fundacion Humedales
Calle 97 nr 21-42
Bogota
(Tel: 6164777)
or on this
this website, which is devoted to birds of the Bogota wetlands.
Laguna de Pedropalo (Tena, dep. Cundinamarca; 2100 m asl)
Laguna de Pedropalo (4°41.079N 74°23.401E) is a lake about 30 km NW of
Bogota.
It is a famous site for 2 interesting endemics can be found here: Black Inca (Coeligena prunellei) and
Turquoise Dacnis (Dacnis hartlaubi).
Up to now I didn't have time to visit it, but Henry David Benítez
gave me following information.
The site was closed for 5 years, but now they have opened it again.
To visit the area you need to have a permit from the Tena Alcaldia.
To get there, take a bus from Bogota to La Mesa. Get off at a look-out which is called "Patio Bonito".
From here it is a 30-40 minute walk (birding!) to the lake.
It is possible to camp here or stay overnight in the village of Tena.
There are plenty of food stalls around the Patio Bonito.
More information can be obtained from
Henry David Benítez.
Here is the bird list of Laguna de Pedro Palo (PDF-file).
Paramos
Paramo Santa Ana
From the centre of Bogota it is quite easy to make a small excursion to the paramo.
Take a minibus (or taxi) to Choachi and get off at the paramo in Santa Ana.
If you find a flowering agave it is worth waiting for:
Great Sapphirewing (Pterophanes cyanopterus),
Bronze-tailed Thornbill (Chalcostigma heteropogon),
Black-tailed Trainbearer (Lesbia victoriae) and
Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina).
Other hummers there are
Glowing Puffleg (Eriocnemis vestitus),
Coppery-bellied Puffleg (Eriocnemis cupreoventris) and
Golden-breasted Puffleg (Eriocnemis mosquera).
I also found Black-chested Mountain-tanager (Buthraupis eximia) here.
Chingaza NP
This National Park is quite big. One can visit various parts of it.
In the north the easiest way to enter is through La Calera.
One has to get first to the remote village of Guasca.
From here one can take a bus to the entrance.
Best is not to go during the dry season (february - april) (you won't see much).
Reserva La Laja
To get to the south is a bit more complicated but it looks interesting.
Here there are various private reserves. One of them is called La Laja.
It is a relative newly established reserve.
I haven't have time to pay a visit, but it looks promising with some interesting birds:
Black-and-Chestnut Eagle (Oroaetus isidori),
Scaly-naped Parrot (Amazona mercenaria),
Brown-breasted Parakeet (Pyrrhura calliptera),
Rusty-faced Parrot (Hapalopsittaca amazonina),
White-capped Parrot (Pionus senilioides),
Black-billed Mountain-Toucan (Andigena nigrirostris),
Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola peruviana),
Red-ruffed Fruitcrow (Pyroderus scutatus),
Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus),
Coppery-bellied Puffleg (Eriocnemis cupreoventris).
The reserve is located in Fómeque in the vereda Hatoviejo, which is adjacent to the Chingaza NP.
It has an area of 450 Ha, between 2700 and 3200 meters asl.
It has areas of high andean forest (primary and secondary) and páramo, and part of the reserve is
in recuperation after many years of agriculture.
The reserve is managed by Luis Maria Romero and Claudia Durana (email: reservalalaja@hotmail.com).
Claudia explained me how to get there:
From Bogota, there is public transport to Fómeque, and from there you have to take a jeep who takes you to Encenillo,
the point where the road finishes.
From there you walk about four (4!) hours, the first two in open areas, and then in recuperated and natural forests and paramo.
The way to get there this way is an old road, first an indian road to the Chingaza lake and later a national walking road that
goes from Choachi to San Juanito (Meta).
After this four (or less) hours you get to the house.
From there you can take a lot of roads to lakes (Chingaza, Carrizal, Sebia, etc), caves and miradores.
You can camp here or stay in the house.
Reserva La Laja can also offer you transport from Bogotá (private transport),
the guidance and the food, the camping site or the accomodation in the house.
You can contact Claudia also by phone (571-6290887).
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Other areas
Rogitama (Arcabuco, dep. Boyaca) (2300 m asl)
Rogitama is a small reserve in the Departement Boyaca and is situated
along the road between Bogota (3 hours) and Bucaramanga, near the border Boyaca-Santander.
So it is very easy to get here with public transport.
The owners Roberto and Ginette Chavarro Chávarro are very friendly.
Roberto planted lots of flowering bushes and hummingbirds such as
Short-tailed Emerald (Chlorostilbon poortmani),
Black Inca (Coeligena prunellei),
Golden-bellied Starfrontlet (Coeligena bonapartei),
White-bellied Woodstar (Acestrura mulsant),
can be easily seen.
For the rest I found here plenty of Blackburnian warblers. But I was rewarded for continuing
watching as I found a Townsend's Warbler (Dendroica townsendi).
Other good species we found here were:
Amethyst-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus amethysticollis),
Rufous-rumped Tapaculo (Scytalopus griseicollis),
Grey Potoo (Nyctibius griseus) (2300 m !!!),
Scarlet-bellied Mountain-tanager (Anisognathus igniventris),
Ashy-throated Bush-tanager (Chlorospingus canigularis) and
Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens).
There is also a small marshland (see background of this page) were Noble Snipe (Gallinago nobilis),
Grassland Yellow-finch (Sicalis luteola) and
Striated Heron (Butorides striatus) are common.
If you are interested in visiting the area, please contact Roberto:
Roberto Chavarro Chávarro.
Here is the bird list of Rogitama (PDF-file).
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Cachalu (1500-3500 m asl)
A forest reserve owned by the Fundacion Natura, where
Black Inca (Coeligena prunellei),
Gorgeted Wood-quail (Odontophorus strophium) and
Mountain Grackle (Macroagelaius subalaris) are found.
They are very friendly and helpful. We had a funny misunderstanding
when I asked if "Ara militaris" (Military Macaws) occurs in the reserve.
"No, the reserve is very safe, no paramilitaries".
And indeed up to now the reserve is safe (no armed force).
The disadvantage here is getting there, which is quite complicated.
First you have to get a bus to San Gil (from Bucuramanga or Bogota).
Then take a shared taxi to Charala (40').
From the Panadera La Danesa there are buses at 1 and 4 pm to Encino (2 or 3 hours).
You can stay in Encino or walk from here to the reserve.
Staying overnight in the reserve is 5 US.
Contact Carolina Roa (she knows everything about the birds here),
or Clara Solana.
More info on the website of the reserve:
Fundacion Natura and
Cachalu Reserve (E Andes).
Fundacion Natura
Calle 55 # 15-14
Bogota
Tel.: 3456188
An alternative is Virolin were similar birds are found.
Around Bogota there are other interesting reserves:
PN Chicaque is a private run park with good cloud forest. It is quite
good, but has no real specialities (Though Black Inca is supposed to
occur here).
To get there you must first take a bus to Soacha and then another to the entrance.
On following pages you can find some more information:
General information about PN Chicaque
A 360° picture
Tabio and Tenjo are villages with good forest.
© 2004 Jurgen Beckers
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