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Friday 19th October – Sunday 4th November 2012
 Bolivia is a biological treasure nestled between Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Chile and Paraguay. Our tour starts in the tropical lowlands at Santa Cruz, and slowly takes us day-by-day up to the high Andes, to finally reach an altitude of around 4,720 meters. We will undoubtedly experience the most spectacular scenery on earth during this tour. With its diversity of habitats ranging from huge snow-capped Andean peaks, puna grassland and high-altitude lakes, down through polylepis, Yungas cloud forest laden with moss-encrusted branches and epiphytes, right down to the Amazonian lowlands - Bolivia has it all! This small landlocked country hosts over 1,300 species of birds: a full 40 percent of the species in South America. The tropical Amazonian portions of Bolivia have barely been studied and the species list may be much more extensive. About 20 species are endemic, with three times that many represented by endemic races. Another hundred or so are endemic to the limited ecosystems that share a border with Bolivia’s neighbours. We invite you to join us in this unique birding adventure to the heart of South America.
Targets:
Day 1 UK - La Paz - Santa Cruz - 19th October
Our tour begins with an overnight scheduled flight from London to Santa Cruz via La Paz.
Day 2 Santa Cruz to Buena Vista
Morning arrival in Santa Cruz. This is the second largest city of Bolivia and lies in the transitional zone between the seasonal marshes and Chaco desert to the east, the southern edge of the Amazonian rainforest to the north, scrub and grasslands to the south and the foothills of the Andes to the west. On arrival we will go birding to the local botanical gardens for a gentle introduction to Bolivian birds. After having a box lunch here, we will drive north towards the small city of Buena Vista, where we will spend the following two nights. Buena Vista is located on the edge of the northern boundaries of Amboró National Park and on our way there we will cross some grassland habitats, which are always very productive for birdwatching. Some of the birds we can expect to see today include Whistling Heron, Red-winged Tinamou, White-bellied Nothura, Savanna Hawk, Blue-crowned Parakeet, Blue-winged Parrotlet, Scaly-headed Parrot, Toco Toucan, Burrowing Owl, Campo Flicker, Gilded Hummingbird, Black-banded Woodcreeper, Greater and Rufous-fronted Thornbirds, Suiriri Flycatcher, White-banded Mockingbird, Pale-breasted and Yellow-chinned Spinetails, Stripe-backed Antbird, Red-crested Finch, Ultramarine Grosbeak and Sayaca Tanager to name but a few. Night Buena Vista.
Day 3 Amboró National Park
 Amboró National Park protects 180,000 hectares of pristine bird habitat, and it is nestled amidst three unique and very different ecological regions: the Andes, the Amazon basin and the Chaco. We will explore the forests of Amboró in the vicinity of Buena Vista, searching for birds like Yellow-tufted and Red-necked Woodpeckers, Blue-crowned Trogon, Purplish Jay, Buff-throated and Straight-billed Woodcreepers, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Great and Barred Antshrikes, Fork-tailed Woodnypmph and Russet-backed and Crested Oropendolas. In the early evening we will go birding at the nearby marsh of Curichi Cuajo, where we expect to see some very charismatic species, like Southern Screamer and Hoatzin. Night Buena Vista.
Days 4 - 5 Buena Vista - Los Volcanes
 We will leave our hotel in Buena Vista very early in the morning and take the road to Samaipata for 70km to finally reach Refugio Los Volcanes, where we will spend the following two nights. Los Volcanes lies right next to the south-eastern corner of Amboró National Park, in a deep valley overlooking some impressive sandstone cliffs and surrounded by wet tropical forests. The area is remarkable not only for its birds, but also for its flora. Around 100 species of orchids have been identified from this area, and there’s also a wide variety of bromeliads. We will spend one and a half days here exploring the trails around our lodge, and searching for several species of parakeets, like Blue-crowned, Mitred and Dusky-headed, whilst flocks of Andean Condors are often seen here as well. We will also go birding in a dry, deciduous forest near Samaipata to look for such specialties as White-faced Dove, Green-cheeked Parakeet, Buff-bellied Hermit, Slender-tailed Woodstar, Ochre-cheeked Spinetail, Lined Antshrike, Ocellated Piculet, Slaty Gnateater, Grey-crested Finch, Black-capped and Ringed Warbling-Finches and Dull-colored Grassquit. Other possibilities in this region include Tataupa Tinamou, Common Piping-Guan, Black-capped Antwren, Plush-crested and Purplish Jays, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Moustached Wren, Black-goggled, Orange-headed and Guira Tanagers and Dusky-green Oropendola. Nights at Refugio Los Volcanes.
Days 6 - 7 Los Volcanes - Comarapa - Siberia Forest
 We will leave our lodge at Los Volcanes and drive west to explore the Samaipata area in search of Large-tailed Dove, Green-cheeked Parakeet, Turquoise-fronted Parrot, Planalto Hermit, Ocellated Piculet, Sooty-fronted Spinetail, Bolivian Slaty Antshrike, Short-tailed Antthrush, Olive-crowned Crescentchest, Black-capped Antwren, Cliff Flycatcher, Rufous Casiornis, Black-and-chestnut Warbling-finch and Saffron-billed Sparrow. Comarapa is the best area to see the rare endemic Red-fronted Macaw, as well as Dusky-legged Guan, Cliff and Grey-hooded Parakeets, Golden-breasted and White-fronted Woodpeckers, Bolivian Earthcreeper, Stripe-crowned Spinetail, Greater Wagtail-tyrant, Spot-backed Puffbird, White-tipped Plantcutter and the local Grey-crested Finch, and this is also a good site for numerous raptors. This part of the itinerary will allow us to bird a highly transitional area, which goes from the humid tropics to the Bolivian desert. The vegetation becomes drier as the altitude increases and we enter the dry valleys in the rainshadow of the surrounding mountains. A short drive up on the mountains gets us to some of the southernmost deciduous forest in the eastern Andes. At elevations above 2,440 meters we will be amused by the abundance of epiphytes and purple flowers of the Melastomaceae family as we enter Siberia Forest. The avifauna here is quite different from what we have been seeing thus far. This is the easternmost distribution range for birds like Scaly-naped and Black-winged Parrots, Violet-throated Starfrontlet, Tyrian Metaltail, Bar-bellied Woodpecker, Pearled Treerunner, Trilling and Unicolored Tapaculos, Red-crested and Chestnut-crested Cotingas, Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant, Tawny-rumped and White-throated Tyrannulets, Sierran Elaenia, Spotted Nightingale-Thrush, Spectacled and Brown-capped Redstarts, Pale-legged Warbler, White-browed Conebill, Blue-winged and Chestnut-bellied Mountain-Tanagers, Rufous-naped and Stripe-headed Brush-Finches and Moustached Flowerpiercer. Other harder to find species here include Blue-capped Puffleg, the stunning Crested Quetzal, Crested Becard, Plumbeous Tyrant, Band-tailed and Barred Fruiteaters, Yellow-billed Tit-tyrant, Rufous-naped and Fulvous-headed Brush-finches, Rusty-browed Warbling-Finch, Great Pampa-Finch and the endemics Light-crowned Spinetail, Grey-bellied Flowerpiercer and Rufous-faced Antpitta. Our Bolivia bird list will surely be visibly higher by the end of this day! Nights at Comarapa.
Day 8 Comarapa - Cochabamba
 Our early start to Cochabamba will allow us time to stop in some good birding areas. We will target the endemic Black-hooded Sunbeam along with the very restricted Blue-capped Puffleg, whilst the showy Red-tailed Comet is possible here as well. After crossing a very scenic pass through the high mountains near Siberia where we can admire the mighty Andean peaks, the road drops down again passing a series of valleys and ridges. We will soon reach slopes covered with gnarled, red-bark Polylepis forests. These trees grow at higher altitudes than any other and support a good number of new bird species for us. We will look for Olive-crowned Crescentchest, Spot-breasted Thornbird, Rufous-bellied Saltator, and both Rufous-sided and Rusty-browed Warbling-Finches. As the day goes on other stops include habitat for the lovely and near-endemic Citron-headed Yellow-Finch, as well as Spot-winged Pigeon, Bare-faced Ground-Dove, Grey-hooded Parakeet, Golden-breasted Flicker, Striped Woodpecker, Plain-breasted and Rock Earthcreepers, Brown-capped Tit-Spinetail, Creamy-breasted Canastero, Rufous-webbed and Streak-throated Bush-Tyrants, D’Orbigny’s and White-browed Chat-Tyrants, Brown-bellied Swallow, Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Hooded Siskin, Ash-breasted and Black-hooded Sierra-Finches, Greenish Yellow-Finch, Plain-colored and Band-tailed Seedeaters and many more. We’ll also look for Tawny-throated Dotterel, Slender-billed Miner, Cream-winged Cinclodes, Maquis Canastero and the endemic Cochabamba Mountain-Finch. A handful of delightful hummingbirds include Giant, Sparkling Violet-ear and Red-tailed Comet. At the end of the day we will cross the last ridge and descend to the historical city of Cochabamba to spend the night.
Days 9 - 10 Cochabamba - Villa Tunari - Carrasco National Park
 This morning we will leave Cochabamba, at 2,560 meters, to climb to the Puna ridge at 3,660 meters before dropping back down to rich montane temperate forest. This is the Villa Tunari Road, known to be one of the best birding sites in South America and we will initially concentrate our efforts around the stunted, mossy elfin forest where the endemic Black-throated Thistletail resides. A little lower is the bromeliad-laden temperate forest and the humid subtropical forest where some of the least common Andean species reside. Amongst a huge list of possibilities we'll look for Torrent Duck, Black-winged, Speckle-faced and Scaly-naped Parrots, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Great Sapphirewing, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Black-hooded Sunbeam, the fabulous Golden-headed and Crested Quetzals, White-throated Quail-Dove, Yellow-ridged Toucan, Hooded Mountain-Toucan, Blue-banded Toucanet, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Bolivian Tyrannulet, Streak-necked Flycatcher, Marble-faced Bristle-tyrant, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Rufous Antpitta, Upland Antshrike, Andean Tapaculo, Rufous-bellied Bush-tyrant, White-eared Solitaire, Rufous-breasted and Brown-backed Chat-Tyrants, Glossy-black Thrush, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Rust-and-yellow, Straw-backed and Blue-and-Black Tanagers and White-browed Conebill. Later in the afternoon we will descend to the tropical lowlands and our hotel overlooking the river in Villa Tunari, where we will spend the following two nights. At the end of the day we will have dropped some 3,200 meters from the pass this morning all the way down to Villa Tunari. Located at the foot of the Andes, 450 meters above sea level, Villa Tunari is in one of the wettest areas of sub-tropical forest on the continent. We can also spend the following morning birding in the lower forests of Carrasco National Park. Our goal here is to explore a cave with the southernmost population of Oilbirds on Earth. The river crossing is an adventure in itself! In a safe but thrilling procedure, a little cable car is pulled across over the rushing river below. The forest here harbours a number of Amazonian species like Black-and-chestnut Eagle, Black-spotted Barbet, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Black-throated Antbird, Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Swainson’s Thrush, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Crested and Dusky-green Oropendolas, Screaming Piha, and the stunning Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. Nights at Villa Tunari.
Days 11 - 12 Villa Tunari - Cochabamba - Cerro Tunari
In the morning before leaving the Villa Tunari area, we will check Tablas Montes and Miguelito trails to search for any missed species. After lunch we will start our way back, up the mountains and on to Cochabamba, but taking a different road. In the late afternoon, we will continue up to the treeline, where we will bird until sunset to try for the rare Swallow-tailed Nightjar which lives in the canyons of this area. This bird is more easily seen here than anywhere else and we’ll make a special effort to find it. After targeting the vast majority of species that we were after in this region we will continue on to Cochabamba, where we will spend another two nights.
 At dawn we will see the sun creep over the mountains to the west and bring warmth to the valley below. The endemic Bolivian Warbling-Finch is here, along with dazzling hummingbirds including Red-tailed Comet and Sparkling Violet-ear and the less common Giant Hummingbird. Grey-hooded Parakeets leave their roosts squawking loudly as they race to the lower forests. We will pick up these and other birds before continuing on to a treeline forest with rushing mountain streams where Torrent Ducks feed next to White-capped Dippers. We will also look for Puna Hawk, Bare-faced and Black-winged Ground-Doves, Andean Hillstar, Rock Earthcreeper, Tufted and Yellow-bellied Tit-Tyrants, White-winged Black-Tyrant, Giant Conebill, Tawny Tit-Spinetail, Olive-crowned Crescent-chest, and White-browed Chat-Tyrant. Other birds we may see here in rocky canyons include Andean Swallow, Andean Flicker, Plain-breasted Earthcreeper, White-winged Cinclodes, Streak-throated Canastero, White-fronted, Cinereous and Puna Ground-Tyrants, Greenish and Bright-rumped Yellow-Finches, Rufous-bellied Saltator, Fulvous-headed Brush-Finch, Plumbeous Sierra-Finch and White-winged Diuca-Finch. After the activity dies down in the mid-morning we will continue up the mountain road to an area above the treeline, where the scenery changes drastically. Sheep and Llama farmers live in houses unchanged since the early 1500s, giving this place a very medieval look and their lifestyle has also changed little, so visiting this area will be like a journey back in time. This is also prime habitat for the rare Short-tailed Finch. We will enjoy a wonderful picnic lunch, served in a scenic location and will spend most of this day at altitudes above 4,270 meters. This will be important for our acclimatisation to the higher altitudes to be reached during the next few days. Nights at Cochabamba.
Day 13 Cochabamba - La Paz
We will leave Cochabamba early this morning to begin our journey to Oruro and on to La Paz. Our first stop will be to try for Brown-backed Mockingbird and the endemic, monotypic Bolivian Blackbird in the arid valleys south of town. The road climbs to the Puna grasslands at a mountain pass, where red-rock canyons off the road harbour Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail, D’Orbigny’s Chat-Tyrant and other interesting birds. The pass then lowers into the Bolivian altiplano and this rolling tableland stretches between the western and eastern cordilleras. Oruro is built on the slopes of a hill at 3,700 meters although we won’t spend much time here, and will make a quick stop just south of town to bird the rich avian delights at Lake Uru-Uru. An ancient inland sea once covered Lake Uru-Uru as well as Titicaca but today the two lakes are only connected in wet years by the Desaguardero River. Uru-Uru has extensive shallow shores with teeming waterfowl, shorebirds, marshbirds and waders. The most important of these is the endemic Short-winged (Titicaca) Grebe. At times the lake teems with three species of flamingos: Chilean, Andean and a small number of James’s, as well as Silvery Grebe, Andean Goose, Puna Ibis, Yellow-billed Teal, Crested Duck, Puna Plover and Least Seedsnipe. Continuing our journey in the afternoon to La Paz some roadside birding could produce Ornate Tinamou, Darwin’s Nothura, Aplomado Falcon, Black-winged and Golden-spotted Ground-Doves, Mountain Parakeet, Andean Lapwing, Tawny-throated Dotterel, Gray-breasted and Least Seedsnipes, Streak-throated Canastero, Rufous-banded and Common Miners, Cinnamon-bellied Ground-tyrant, Plain-mantled Tit-spinetail, Cordilleran Canastero, Andean Negrito, Short-billed Pipit and Band-tailed Yellow-Finch. At the end of another remarkable day we will arrive at our comfortable hotel in La Paz (3600m) and settle in for a three-night stay.
Day 14 La Cumbre Pass - Coroico Road
 Today you’ll experience some of the most impressive visata on Earth as we journey along the most spectacular highway in South America, the Coroico Road. We will leave La Paz after an early breakfast and climb through the clouds to La Cumbre Pass at over 4,570 meters where snow-capped peaks and snowfields will surround us. Natural Puna gardens attract a variety of hummers including Andean Hillstar. This delightful jewel is well adapted to the high altitude with its abilities to go into a dormant torpor to save energy at night and on cold days. Amongst the stunted polylepis scrub, high-altitude bogs and puna grassland there are such stars as Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Greenish Puffleg, Diademed Tapaculo, Slender-billed Miner, White-browed Ground-tyrant, Peruvian Sierra-finch, and White-browed Conebill. From this point, we will drop more than 3,380 meters in less than 80 kilometers, passing through Puna, Andean lakes, cloud forest and finally the exuberant rainforests of the Yungas. We will make numerous stops to bird the different habitats along the way. Birding the steep temperate and sub-tropical slopes will be exhilarating. We will look for Black-winged and Plum-crowned Parrots, Crested and Golden Headed Quetzals, Band-tailed and Barred Fruiteaters, Barred Becard, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Striped Treehunter, Crescent-chested Cotinga, Buff-banded and Bolivian Tyrannulets, White-eared Solitaire, Yungas Tody-tyrant, Yungas Manakin, Golden-browed Chat-Tyrant, Mountain Wren, White-collared Jay and a dazzling array of tanagers. Other possible birds include Citrine Warbler, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Ochraceous-breasted Flycatcher, Chestnut-bellied Mountain-Tanager, the stunning Golden-collared Tanager and a race of Light-crowned Spinetail with a white crest. Further down the habitat becomes more sub-tropical, with huge bamboo stands intermixed with cloud forest. Several bamboo specialists forage here and we will look for Sepia-brown Wren, Plushcap and Superciliaried, Three-striped, Orange-browed and Drab Hemispinguses. Some of the other forest species include White-throated Quail-dove, White-eyed Parakeet, Gould's Inca, Long-tailed Sylph, Rufous-capped Thornbill, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Blue-banded Toucanet, Hooded Mountain-Toucan, Versicoloured Barbet, Masked Trogon, Lineated, Crimson-mantled and Bar-bellied Woodpeckers, Scribble-tailed Canastero, Rufous-bellied Brush-Tyrant, Fulvous Wren, White-collared Jay, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Yellow-bellied Siskin, Rust-and-Yellow, Blue-and-Black, Golden-collared and Blue-capped Tanagers and Southern Mountain Cacique. Night at La Paz.
Day 15 Lake Titicaca - Sorata
 Lake Titicaca is the last stretch of an ancient inland sea that once covered over 62,120 square kilometers and included Lake Uru-Uru. It is the world’s highest navigable lake and stretches over 5,050 square kilometers. Its greatest known depth is 280 meters. Floating “totora” reeds enable descendants of the Uru Indians to maintain floating villages and inhabitants on the southern border use them to build the distinctive reed boats the lake is known for. Today we will bird the marshy shorelines to look for the endemic Short-winged (Titicaca) Grebe among the totora reeds. We will also look for Silvery Grebe, Plumbeous Rail, Andean Ruddy-Duck, Black-winged Ground-Dove, Puna Miner, Many-coloured Rush-tyrant, Short-billed Pipit, Mourning and Peruvian Sierra-Finches and Black Siskin. Other possible species here include Puna Snipe, Correndera Pipit and Slender-billed Miner. After lunch and an active morning we will change the pace of the tour and return to La Paz, where the rest of the afternoon is free to explore the markets in town!
Day 16 La Paz - UK
This morning we will transfer to La Paz International Airport to catch our international flights home and the conclusion of this wonderful tour.
Day 17 End of Tour - 4th November
Morning arrival in the UK and end of the tour.
Leaders: Nick Bray and local guides.
Single supplement: £300.00
Deposit: £400.00
Group size: Minimum for tour to go ahead 4 and maximum 8.
Included in cost: Accommodation in twin rooms en-suite, all meals, all entrance fees to national parks, transport throughout, and services of leaders and an English speaking guide.
Not included: International flight, insurance, drinks, tips, and items of a personal nature.
Accommodation: We stay in the best available local hotels closest to the birding sites and most are of a good standard.
 Tour Code: This is a standard birding tour with regular birding walks along roads and well marked trails, although we do spend some long days in the field. Please note that our birding ranges from 450m to 4720m during this tour, although we will only spend a short time at the highest altitude. We will probably experience a variety of weather ranging from showers in the lowlands to sunny, dry and cold weather in the higher areas.
View Tour Itinerary as a Pdf.
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