VENEZUELA:  ANDES, LLANOS & COASTAL MOUNTAINS TOUR 2007

 

“The start of the main Venezuela tour this year was somewhat different from usual as after our flight to Merida in the high Andes we drove straight across the tops to stay at a new lodge close to the La Azulita road called Estancia La Bravera.  This private lodge is unique in Venezuela in having banks of hummingbird feeders in the garden.  While this is commonplace in the USA, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and southeastern Brazil for some reason it has never caught on in Venezuela.  Our host, Jorge Davila set his feeders up last year and the place has been inundated with hummingbirds ever since.  Along with the expected species in the garden, such as Collared Inca and Orange-throated Sunangel, were Venezuelan 'rarities' such as Buff-tailed Coronet and Gorgeted Woodstar.  We spent much of our first day watching the feeders but also took a break to walk the road nearby where Crested Quetzals performed well, and Rose-crowned Parakeets, a Venezuelan endemic, were numerous.

 

The following morning we walked the La Azulita road as usual finding some great mixed-species flocks that included Pearled Treerunner, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Olive-backed and Montane Woodcreepers, Variegated Bristle-Tyrant, Mountain Wren, and Saffron-crowned and Black-capped Tanagers.  We also encountered a Band-tailed Guan which is endemic to Venezuela, nesting Black-mandibled Toucans, and more Crested Quetzals, but Golden-headed gave us the slip this year.  After a lunch surrounded by hummingbirds, we return to Merida that afternoon and next visited the Pico Humboldt trail where cotingas featured once again with great views of Golden-breasted and Green-and-black Fruiteaters.  Antpittas proved a frustration as while we heard three species only one or two people glimpsed any of them.  More cooperative were Andean Guan, Longuemare’s Sunangel, Masked Trogon, Rufous Spinetail, Russet-crowned Warbler, and Merida Flowerpiercer.

 

Our day in the paramo zone on the high tops was very successful.  We saw a Bearded Helmetcrest briefly almost as soon as we arrived though had to wait quite a while for it to return to its favoured tree.  Endemic Ochre-browed Thistletails were nesting nearby and gave stunning views, while Black-breasted Buzzard-Eagles soared overhead and Andean Siskins tinkled in the nearby bushes.  We had to make two visits to the valley below Pico de Aguila but our persistence paid off and we eventually saw Streak-backed Canastero, Paramo Pipit, and Merida Wren very well.

 

On then to the eastern slopes and the Santo Domingo valley.  Here the Band-winged Nightjars in the hotel garden were almost too easy this year.  But the following morning the Torrent Ducks made up for that by proving elusive, at least initially - we finally tracked down a couple of pairs and saw a few young ones as well.  Our walk to the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek was enlivened by a Green-fronted Lancebill, a Red-headed Barbet, two Scaled Piculets, and acrobatic Cliff Flycatchers, while the display by the cocks-of-the-rocks themselves was simply fabulous – eight adult males in the trees at close range squealing loudly, puffing themselves up and bowing to one another in turn.  The next day in the Upper Santo Domingo valley we enjoyed roadside flocks of tanager and warblers, including the endemic Gray-capped Hemispingus, finally spotted two Red-crested Cotingas sitting lethargically in the top of a tree, and were then surprised and delighted by a Sword-billed Hummingbird feeding in some flowers overhanging the road – the first sighting in Venezuela for David of this spectacular species.

 

Next we moved down into the lowlands and headed out across the llanos to Hato El Cedral.  En route we stopped at the Rio Apure and walked across the bridge to look for Pink River Dolphins.  Several were feeding just under the bridge and we watched them from above as they dived and surfaced.  The flocks of waterbirds alongside the road increased in size and colour as we progressed and it was hard not to stop at ever pool to scan through the flocks.  But numbers at the ranch always exceed everything along the road with the exception of Limpkins and Snail Kites which have very specific requirements.  We made sure to stop for those and then headed for the main show.  We weren't disappointed as the flocks of birds at the ranch were vast once again and included many species of heron, three storks, seven species of ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Orinoco Goose, three species of whistling duck, countless waders, terns, skimmers, and far more birds than the mind could take in.

 

Our time here was filled with overwhelming numbers of birds in every direction.  Highlights are too numerous to mention but included Pinnated Bittern, Agami Heron (four in views at once!), Yellow-knobbed Curassow, Sunbittern, Hoatzin, Boat-billed Heron, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Scarlet Macaw, and the endemic White-bearded Flycatcher.  The only bird missing was Zigzag Heron which despite being regular during our previous few visits hadn't been seen since the end of January.  And on the mammal front there were hundreds of Capybara, White-tailed Deer, more Pink River Dolphins, Savannah Fox, and best of all a Giant Anteater.

 

We then spent a day travelling east and then north to the coastal mountains, making a few stops en route for such varied and wondrous creatures as Horned Screamer, Pale-headed Jacamar, Orinoco Saltator.

 

Our final stop was Henri Pittier National Park - a fantastic mountain range covered in pristine rainforest.  Here our days were spent on cool mountain roads at mid-elevation searching for more of Venezuela's endemics such as Groove-billed Toucanet, Blood-eared Parakeet, Guttulated Foliage-gleaner, Venezuelan Bristle-Tyrant, Golden-winged Sparrow and the gorgeous Handsome Fruiteater – our fifteenth cotinga of the tour.  The best of the endemics was probably Scallop-breasted Antpitta which came right out over the road for us early one morning - a species seen by very few birdwatchers, the call of which was unknown up until three years ago.  Other highlights in the park included Fasciated Tiger-Heron, Black Hawk-Eagle, Pavonine Cuckoo, Moustached Puffbird, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Black-backed Antshrike, Lance-tailed and Wire-tailed Manakins, Flavescent Warbler, and Rosy Thrush-Tanager.

 

We finished off with a morning at Colonia Tovar, the German colony on the cross-country route back to the airport.  Here we found yet more endemics including Black-throated Spinetail and Caracas Tapaculo, and some of the group saw a Slate-crowned Antpitta.

 

So to sum up, a fantastic month in Venezuela with in excess of seven hundred species encountered.  Great birds, wonderful scenery, some lovely accommodation (and some basic places too!), excellent food (especially Carlos's picnics), and really good company.  Lots of fun was had by all!”  David Fisher.

 

Key to the columns of numbers and letters between the English and the scientific names:

 

First column = number of days recorded

Second column = maximum daily count

H = only heard

(H) = at least one bird seen, but most birds only heard

N = nesting evident

 

Birds:

 

The order, English and Scientific names used in this list follow Birds of Venezuela by Steven L. Hilty (2003).  A few species have been split since the publication of that book and footnotes are included for these at the end of the list.

 

Highland Tinamou 

1

1

H

Nothocercus bonapartei

Little Tinamou 

1

1

H

Crypturellus soui

Least Grebe 

1

1

 

Tachybaptus dominicus

Pied-billed Grebe 

3

2

 

Podilymbus podiceps

Brown Booby 

1

6

 

Sula leucogaster

Brown Pelican 

1

2

 

Pelecanus occidentalis

Neotropic Cormorant 

9

'00s

 

Phalacrocorax brasilianus

Anhinga 

4

50

 

Anhinga anhinga

Magnificent Frigatebird 

2

50

 

Fregata magnificens

Horned Screamer 

1

3

 

Anhima cornuta

Fulvous Whistling-Duck 

2

4

 

Dendrocygna bicolor

White-faced Whistling-Duck 

4

'0,000s

 

Dendrocygna viduata 

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 

4

'0,000s

 

Dendrocygna autumnalis

Orinoco Goose 

3

'00s

N

Neochen jubata

Muscovy Duck 

1

15

 

Cairina moschata

Torrent Duck 

2

7

N

Merganetta armata

Andean Teal 

1

12

 

Anas andium

Blue-winged Teal 

4

4

 

Anas discors

Brazilian Teal 

4

'00s

 

Amazonetta brasiliensis

Pinnated Bittern 

2

1

 

Botaurus pinnatus

Rufescent Tiger-Heron 

4

'00s

 

Tigrisoma lineatum

Fasciated Tiger-Heron 

1

2

 

Tigrisoma fasciatum

Cocoi Heron 

5

100

 

Ardea cocoi

Great Egret 

7

'00s

 

Ardea alba

Snowy Egret 

4

'00s

 

Egretta thula

Little Blue Heron 

4

100

 

Egretta caerulea

Cattle Egret 

6

'00s

 

Bubulcus ibis

Striated Heron 

6

30

 

Butorides striatus

Agami Heron 

2

4

 

Agamia agami

Whistling Heron 

2

10

 

Syrigma sibilatrix

Capped Heron 

4

6

 

Pilherodius pileatus

Black-crowned Night-Heron 

5

100

 

Nycticorax nycticorax

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 

2

2

 

Nyctanassa violacea

Boat-billed Heron 

3

20

 

Cochlearius cochlearius

Buff-necked Ibis 

4

50

N

Theristicus caudatus

Sharp-tailed Ibis 

3

12

 

Cercibis oxycerca

Green Ibis 

3

3

 

Mesembrinibis cayennensis

Bare-faced Ibis 

6

'00s

 

Phimosus infuscatus

White Ibis 

3

10

 

Eudocimus albus

Scarlet Ibis 

4

'00s

 

Eudocimus ruber

Glossy Ibis 

4

'00s

 

Plegadis falcinellus

Roseate Spoonbill 

4

'00s

 

Ajaia ajaja

Wood Stork 

5

'00s

 

Mycteria americana

Maguari Stork 

4

50

 

Euxenura maguari

Jabirú 

3

10

 

Jabiru mycteria

Black Vulture 

13

'00s

 

Coragyps atratus

Turkey Vulture 

8

20

 

Cathartes aura

Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture 

3

4

 

Cathartes burrovianus

Osprey 

7

5

 

Pandion haliaetus

Swallow-tailed Kite 

2

4

 

Elanoides forficatus

Pearl Kite 

1

2

 

Gampsonyx swainsonii

White-tailed Kite 

6

3

 

Elanus leucurus

Snail Kite 

4

15

 

Rostrhamus sociabilis

Plumbeous Kite 

1

1

 

Ictinia plumbea

Crane Hawk 

1

1

 

Geranospiza caerulescens

Plain-breasted Hawk 

2

2

 

Accipiter ventralis

White Hawk 

1

1

 

Leucopternis albicollis

Savanna Hawk 

4

20

 

Buteogallus meridionalis

Great Black-Hawk 

3

6

 

Buteogallus urubitinga

Harris's Hawk 

3

1

 

Parabuteo unicinctus

Black-collared Hawk 

4

10

 

Busarellus nigricollis

Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle 

2

3

 

Geranoaetus melanoleucus

Roadside Hawk 

9

10

 

Buteo magnirostris

Broad-winged Hawk 

3

1

 

Buteo platypterus

Short-tailed Hawk 

4

1

 

Buteo brachyurus

White-tailed Hawk 

5

4

N

Buteo albicaudatus

Black Hawk-Eagle 

1

1

 

Spizaetus tyrannus

Black-and-chestnut Eagle

1

1

 

Oroaetus isidori

Northern Crested-Caracara 

4

30

 

Caracara cheriway

Yellow-headed Caracara 

9

20

 

Milvago chimachima

Barred Forest-Falcon 

1

1

H

Micrastur ruficollis

American Kestrel 

5

4

 

Falco sparverius

Merlin 

1

1

 

Falco columbarius

Aplomado Falcon 

3

1

 

Falco femoralis

Bat Falcon 

1