Bogotá & Coffee Area Birding Itinerary

This is the perfect birding adventure for the discerning birder and nature lover, with just over a week to explore the tropics. On this short yet mesmerizing birding tour in the Andes, you can expect to find over 200 bird species, including 30 species of hummingbirds and many iconic birds that call Colombia home. Please review the itinerary and let us know whether this tour is for you.

Day 1 – Arrival in Bogotá: Welcome to Colombia!
As you step off your plane at Bogotá International Airport, you’ll be greeted by your tour guide and the driver who will whisk you away to a comfortable haven, your home away from home in this bustling metropolis. Tonight, we will introduce you to the wonders of our Bogotá birding adventure and discuss the route, rules, expectations, and more. We’ll answer any questions you have, ensuring you’re fully prepared for our first day of birding.

Night at Hotel Luisitania Bogotá

Day 2 – La Florida Wetland, Sendero Paramuno in Monserrate, and City Tour

Just 20 minutes from Bogotá’s airport, La Florida Park protects a remnant of wetland habitat home to the endemic Bogotá Rail. Other sought-after species include the endemic Apolinar’s Wren, typically found among tall cattails, and the endemic subspecies of the Yellow-hooded Blackbird, often present in conspicuous numbers. Rarer targets such as the Noble Snipe and Subtropical Doradito add to the excitement for patient birders.

In the late morning, we will drive 30 minutes to one of Bogotá’s most iconic landmarks, Monserrate Mountain, rising over 10,341 feet and offering sweeping views of the city, plus a scenic trail surrounded by lush Andean forest. This area is a hummingbird paradise, with more than 25 species recorded, including Sword-billed Hummingbird, Green-tailed Trainbearer, and Coppery-bellied Puffleg – along with over 100 other bird species. The mix of panoramic vistas and close-up bird encounters makes it an exceptional destination for bird photography.

Time permitting, in the afternoon, you’ll enjoy a traditional santafereño lunch before setting off on a guided tour of Bogotá’s historic center, where you’ll stroll through the cobblestone streets of La Candelaria, admiring its colorful colonial architecture. Highlights include Plaza de Bolívar, framed by the Capitolio Nacional, the Primatial Cathedral, and the Palace of Justice; the Gold Museum, home to one of the world’s finest collections of pre-Hispanic gold artifacts. Along the way, you’ll hear captivating stories about the city’s history, culture, and transformation over the centuries.

Night at Hotel Luisitania Bogotá

Day 3 – Birding Bosque Guajira and Zoque Nature Reserve

Nestled in Colombia’s Eastern Cordillera, near the town of Guasca, the Bosque Guajira Nature Reserve protects 55 hectares (136 acres) of pristine páramo habitat. As part of the buffer zone for Chingaza National Natural Park, it has a humid high-Andean climate, with an average temperature of 55.8°F and elevations ranging from 9,318 to 9,721 feet.

The reserve shelters an impressive diversity of birdlife, including Blue-throated Starfrontlet, Longuemare’s Sunangel, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Mountain Velvetbreast, Brown-breasted Parakeet, and Muisca Antpitta, making it a prime birding destination. It is also home to spectacled bears, deer, pumas, a wealth of amphibians, and the emblematic frailejón, all safeguarded by a devoted local community. 

Located in the municipality of Guasca, Cundinamarca, El Zoque Nature Reserve preserves a vital páramo ecosystem revered by the Muisca people, who called it ‘Zoque’ and honored water through seasonal migrations and sacred rituals. This landscape plays a crucial role in supplying fresh water, with the Uval Stream – Guasca’s second most important water source – flowing through its heart.

Covering elevations from 8,200 to 11,150 feet and averaging cool temperatures around 55°F, the reserve offers a scenic trail that transitions from Andean forest to páramo. Along the way, visitors can discover abundant birdlife, including target species like Coppery-bellied Puffleg, Silvery-throated Spinetail, Pale-bellied Tapaculo, Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, and Muisca Antpitta

Night at Hotel Luisitania Bogotá

Day 4 – Tabacal Lagoon and Enchanted Garden

At the crack of dawn, and beating Bogotá’s traffic, you travel west towards the Magdalena Valley and the Tabacal Lagoon, a hidden wetland just 1.5 hours from Bogotá. At the entrance, you can expect to find some interesting targets, including Black-bellied Wren, Ruddy Foliage-gleaner, and Red-billed Scythebill. As we venture further, we may spot the Velvet-fronted Euphonia and the elusive White-throated Crake. Our quest may even lead us to the majestic Black Hawk-Eagle and the captivating White-bearded Manakin.

Tabacal offers a tantalizing taste of the lush lowland forests of the Magdalena Valley, an essential stop on your Short Colombia birding tour.

In the afternoon, we’ll visit the Enchanted Garden, a private paradise perched at 4,990 feet. Over 200 hummingbirds grace this garden at any given time with their presence, including the esteemed Indigo-capped Hummingbird, Red-billed and Short-tailed Emerald, and the hard-to-find and stunning Indigo-Topaz Hummingbird.

We travel west for another two hours to spend the night at the quintessential colonial town of Honda, perched in the heart of the Magdalena Valley.

Night Hotel Posada Las Trampas