This photo expedition takes us on a journey through the hills and valleys of Colombia’s western Andes, visiting top locations for dazzling bird photography opportunities near Cali, Valle del Cauca, and Manizales, and Caldas, with opportunities to see and photograph some of the region’s rare and endemic species. Highlights and targets of this expedition include the endemic Multi-colored Tanager, Chestnut Wood Quail and Rainbow-bearded Thornbill. Other targets are Toucan Barbet, Guira Tanager, as many as five different antpitta species including Crescent-faced, Equatorial, State-crowned, Bi-colored and Chestnut-crowned, and a visit to a Golden-collared Manakin lek, Toucans, Tanagers, and many, many more. 

Our focus will be the Valle del Cauca, a strangely flat and elevated basin over 1000m elevation. This valley and surrounding cloud-forested mountains are home to over 800 species of Colombia’s 1,850+ species (with 79 endemics) making it an ideal birding location, with easy travel along the basin, and accessible forays into the mountains to see higher elevation species. Key features of the area are the number of private landowners who are collectively increasing areas protected from land use changes, and maintaining natural flora and fauna, along with the various National Parks. It is these local efforts that are becoming particularly efficient at attracting visitors of both human and avian kind, making it viable to leave the habitat and birds predominantly unmolested. Most make use of feeders to attract the grand variety of multi-colored tanagers, glittering hummingbirds and other special species into view, creating ideal opportunities for photography.

Get ready to witness and capture the mesmerizing moments as we delve into the heart of Colombia’s avian wonders! Book your Colombia photography tour today!