BOLIVIA MEGA TOUR
Tour Overview
BOLIVIA
BIRDING TOUR
ANY TIME*
| Duration: | 29 days, 28 nights |
| Group Size: | 2-6 |
| Anytime Price: | 10,200 |
| Group Price: | $9400 |
| Single Suppl: | $600 |
| Est #Species: | 675-725 |
| Pace: | Moderate |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
| * This tour is available for any dates of your choosing provided guide services and accommodations are available. | |
Bolivia is a less traveled and to a considerable extent unheralded birding destination. However, it offers some truly superb birding. Habitats range from the rarely visited extremely arid Chaco in the southeast to altitundinal zones of the middle elevation and high Andes, semi-arid plateaus, lakes, lagoons, and rivers. middle elevation plateau savanna, subtropical forests, and Amazonian rainforest. Some 1485 species have been recorded in Bolivia despite its lack of a coastal region, including 24 endemics and 130 near endemics. Our Bolivia Mega Tour is designed to sample all the habitats of Bolivia except the remote southeastern Chaco and is offered at a very competitive price. As many as 750 species are possible during this tour. Best times for birding Bolivia is dry season from May to end of November, with April acceptable and September a bit questionable because of prevalent smoke in the interior from burning agricultural fields. Our suggested itinerary is typical for this duration of tour but sometimes needs adjustment of the sequence depending on when the tour will take place. Please contact us for our recommendations in that regard.
Our tour begins with some birding near the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Central Bolivia at the edge of the Chaco. Then attention moves to the northern part of Bolvia. First up is a flight to the city Trinidad followed by an afternoon flight to Riberalta in the far north. The cerrado outside Riberalta is the only place to see the vulnerable Masked Antpitta. After an afternoon and full day at Riberalta we make the long drive south to Rurrenbaque and then to Sadiri Lodge within Madidi National Park. Habitat there is mainly foothill tropical rainforest. After a full day birding there, we drive back to Trinidad, arriving in time for birding gallery forest outside the town. From Trinidad a charter flight takes us to Barba Azul, best site for the critically endangered Blue-throated Macaw and the only ungrazed tall grass savanna in Bolivia, home to many other birds and interesting mammals. After three nights there, we fly back to the city of Trinidad and from there back to Santa Cruz.
From Santa Cruz the tour proceeds to Bermejo and on to Refugio Los Volcanes for much of two days birding the canyonlands there. A stop at Samaipata to seek out Tucuman Parrot and Dot-winged Woodpecker near Quirusillas follows. Then the tour proceeds to Pereralta, best place to find the critically endangered Red-fronted Macaw along with Cliff Parakeet. A full day transfer to Comarapa with birding enroute followed by a full day birding nearby Siberia Cloud Forest above the city to seek out the difficult Rufous-faced Antpitta as well as Diamed Tapaculo and others. The transfer to Cochabamba, a heavily agricultural area surrounded by great birding sites, follows. Three full days will be devoted to birding the upper and lower sections of Charpare Road, Cerro Tunari, and Laguna Alalay before flying to La Paz.
From La Paz we'll devote much of a day birding the Sorata Road seeking out the very range restricted endemic Berlepsch's Canastero followed by an afternoon stop at Lake Titicaca to view then endemic flightless Titicaca Grebe. Next is a two day birding excursion to Coroico, birding the upper and lower sections of the famed Coroico Road. This site is worth two full days of birding, one day to the south near Aten for the recently split endangered Palkachupa Cotinga and many other species of open scrub and cloud forest. The second day will be devoted to the dry forest of the Machariapo Valley, home to the recently described and enigmatic Inti Tanager. We typically depart early for the long drive back back to La Paz, stopping for some morning birding in the Apolo Yungas enroute before arriving back in La Paz for an overnight stay or overnight flight home. The tour ends at the airport.
TOUR NOTES
Group price applies for 3-6 persons.