Outdoors experience mixed with wildlife, plenty of colors and which give to our landscapes pretty relaxing sounds when sunrise is coming.South America hides in its forests, mountains and wonderful sceneries the more than 33% of birds, and the 44% of it are in Venezuela. Birding in the Andean region, offers you increase your records with endemic, migratory and interested species, you can be part of its environment. Los Llanos with a wide variety of wildlife is an option to mix birding with adventure. Henri Pittier national park, offers an interesting mix between mountains, sea coast and rivers.
Itineraries (4 nights / 5 days)
Day 1 - Merida City / Mérida City / Airport arrival / Assistance and meeting with the tour operators / Transfer to the Hotel / Check-in, drinks and tour briefing / Today we will visit two different ecosystems: the Andean cloud forest at 1.850 mts. S.l. that includes open areas and the eroded valley of the Chama River Can-yon at lower elevations (with desert like xerophytic vegetation) with various habitats along the way / Transfer to the waterfalls “Chorreras las Gonzales” (one of Venezuela´s 21 Natural Monuments) / Rest of the morning bird-watching around the area / Magnificent birding walk between two of the major waterfalls including beautiful mountain landscape with pristine Andean cloud forest and open farm areas / Some of the best species reported in the area are: the endemic: Rose-crowned parakeet, and the Inca Jay, Andean Guan, Black Phoebe, Tropical Parula, White-capped Dipper, Roadside Hawk, Bicolored Hawk, Golden-headed Quetzal, Long-tailed Sylph, White-collared swift, Emerald Toucanet, Saffron-headed Tanager, Golden Tanager, the migratories: Blackburnian Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Broad-winged Hawk, Summer Tanager and so many possible others / Lunch at 1:00 p.m. approx. at the colonial town of Jaji / Continuing our afternoon birding on the way down to La Mesa de San Juan with a visit to the Natural Monument “Laguna de Urao” (the second NM to visit in our first day of the itineraries) / Some specialties of the area are: Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Sooty-capped Her-mit, Streaked Saltator, Tropical Mockingbird, Common Gallinule, and many others / Return to Mérida City / Hotel / Dinner.
Day 2 - Merida- Humboldt Trail-Paramos / Mérida City / Check-out from the Hotel and early transfer to the “Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada de Mérida” and visit to “La Mucuy” near the town of Tabay (walking around the recreational area adjacent to the Park´s station) / Excursion along the renowned Humboldt Trail, where a bird observatory (Estación Ornitológica La Mucuy) was founded years ago) / Pic-nic breakfast / Some magnificent species are: Masked Trogon, Golden-bellied Fruiteater, Chestnut-crowned Antpitta, Chestnut-bellied Thrush, Booted Racket-tail Hummingbird, Collared Inca, and countless others / The endemics: White-fronted Whitestart, Gray-naped Antpitta, Golden-tailed Startfronlet, Gray-capped Hemispingus, Slaty-backed Hemispingus, Black-ish Chat-Tyrant among others (depending on the elevation)/ Pic-nic lunch on the trail or at the Park´s restaurant / Midday and early afternoon birding around the Park´s recreational grounds / 3:30 p.m. approx. we will visit a pair of Torrent Ducks in a confidential place about half an our from the Park (this ducks are part of a field study leaded by the Venezuelan Waterfowl Foundation) / Eastern Wood-Pewee, Smoke-colored Pewee, Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Beryl-spangled, Black-capped, Black-headed, Saffron-headed & Blue-capped Tanagers, Chestnut-breasted Chloroph-nia, Glossy-black thrush, Pale-eye thrush, Andean Solitaire, White-capped Dipper and many others / Transfer to a mountain lodge (recommended place Los Frailes) / Dinner.
Day 3 - Paramos / Hotel-Mountain Lodge / Early excursion to the Eagle Pass (Pico Aguila) and visit to the Mifafi Valley at “Parque Nacional Sierra de La Culata” (where the Condor reintroduction project was originally founded / Break-fast on the way / Spectacular mountain landscape and very fine birding at higher elevations / Just some of the specialties of the area are: the endemics: Ochre-browed Thistletail, Merida Wren, Merida Flowerpiercer and the Black-chested Buzzard Eagle, Bearded Helmetcrest Hummingbird, Paramo Pipit, Bar-winged Cinclodes, Streak-backed Canastero, Andean Tit-Spine-tail, Merida Tapaculo, Great Thrush, White-sided Flowerpiercer, Plain-colored, Paramo and Plumbeous Sierra-Finch, Andean Siskin, Brown-bellied Swallow among others / Lunch in Apartaderos / Continuing our afternoon birding around Laguna de Mucubaji (Mucubaji Lagoon) and if the group is agreed a walk to the Laguna Negra (Black Lagoon) or to Victoria Lagoon is highly recommended / Look for the following species: Andean and Blue-winged Teals, Andean Snipe, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, Rufous-collared Sparrow, White-throated Tyrannulet, Purple-backed Thornbill (around Black lagoon), Crimson-mantled Woodpecker (walking around Black Lagoon) & also many others / Return to the Lodge / Dinner.
Day 4 Paramos-Santo Domingo-San Isidro Trail / Hotel-Mountain Lodge / Check-out and early transfer to San Isidro trail / Full morning birding in this pristine but threatened cloud forest / Pic-nic breakfast / Some spectacular spectacular species are: Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Red-headed Barbet, Booted-Racket Tail, Bronzy Inca, Violet-fronted Brilliant, Green-tailed Emerald (endemic), Black-and-chestnut Eagle, Golden-winged Manakin, Yellow-billed Toucanet, Golden-headed Quetzal, Red-billed Parrot, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Black-hooded Thrush and many more / About 1:00 p.m. we will return to Sto. Domingo (half an hour) to a mountain Hotel / Check-in /Lunch and afternoon excursion to “Las Tapias” trail / Interesting habitat of Paramo ecosystem that includes the ecotone with Elfin Forest (or Dwarf Forest) from the higher elevations of the near Montane Wet Forest of the upper Sto. Domingo River / Some magnificent species founded or seen in the area are: Scaly-naped (rare bird seen flying high) & White-capped Parrots (also rare), Orange-throated, Tyrian Metal-tail, Sparkling Violetear, Sword-billed and Golden-Tailed Starfronlet Hummingbirds, Black-collared Jay, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Pear-led Treerunner, Blue-backed Conebill, Lacrimose Mountain-tanager, Plushcap, Bluish, Masked, Glossy, Merida & White-sided Flowerpiercers, Citrine Warbler, White-fronted Whitestart, Slaty and Moustached Brush-Finches, Blue and Black Tanager and many others / Return to the Lodge / Dinner.
Day 5 - Santo Domingo-Barinas / Hotel / Check-out / Transfer to Altamira, La Soledad, Barragán River and El Cacao near Barinitas on the lower elevations of Sto. Domingo Valley / Breakfast on the way / Full day birding / In search of following species: Yellow-legged Thrush, Speckled, Burnished-buff, Bay-headed, Golden, Swallow, Orange-eared, White-winged, Silver-beaked and other Tanagers, Yellow-backed & Orange-crowned Orioles, Russet-backed Oropendola, Subtropical Cacique, Magpie Tanager, Crimson-backed Tanager, Golden-rumped Euphonia, Streaked, Boat-billed, Kiskadee, Cliff, Piratic, Golden-crowned, Olive-sided and Cinnamon Flycatchers, White-bearded Manakin, Plain-brown Woodcreeper, Red-billed Scythebill, Crimson-crested, Linea-ted and Yellow-tufted Woodpeckers, Many-banded Aracari, White Throa-ted Toucan, Pale-headed Jacamar, Northern Violaceous Trogon, White-vented Plumeleteer, White-collared Swift, Violaceous jay among many other species / Lunch on the way / Afternoon birding in El Cacao, excellent place for lowland species of Andean rainforest foothills / Blue-headed and Saffron-headed Parrots, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Russet-throated Puffbird, Amazon Kingfisher, Glittering-throated Hummingbird, Neotropical Palm-Swift, Troupial and much more / Transfer to Barinas City / Hotel-Check-in / Dinner / Next day transfer to the Airport and end of our services.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
4 pax a 7 pax = 5.472$
8 pax a 11 pax = 4.500$
Also see tour packages in:
South America
Venezuela
Ecotourism
Birdwatching
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