Bolivia’s Diversity
15 days, US$ 4,600
Upon request for 2022 

If you can only make one trip to Bolivia, this is the trip to take. In fifteen days we will cover lowland savannas to forest, and climb up the Andes twice, first along the dry Bolivian southern side, and then up the moist cloud forest near Cochabamba. The tour will cover an area with over 900 bird species, bringing us in range to 75% of Bolivia’s range restricted species, and half its endemics.

The tour starts in Santa Cruz, spending the first day in lowland savanna. We will then work our way up the dry Andes, seeking out Dusky-legged Guan, Giant Antshrike, and other dry habitat species. Our first proper lodge will offer dazzling looks at Bolivia’s Endemic and Endangered Red-fronted Macaw, along with 130 other desert adapted bird species, including two more Endemics: the Cliff Parakeet and the Bolivian Blackbird. We will then travel back down to the Los Volcanes lodge caught between foothill moist and foothill dry forest. Here we have 300 birds species to seek out including Andean Condor, Bolivian Recurvebill and Military Macaw. After a three night stay to do this forest justice, we will spend a morning on the edge of an Amazonian marsh seeking out Hoatzin’s and Southern Screamers, along with more secretive rails.

From here, we head to the wettest region in Bolivia, the Villa Tunari rainforest. We will spend a day in the hot humidity watching macaws on a clay lick, visiting an oilbird cave, and spying on displaying Cock-of-the-rocks. In our tropical base for three nights, we will work our way up the Yungas (cloud forest) dedicating time at different altitudinal ranges.

And then we will surface in the dry Andean valleys of Cochabamba, spending two days visiting Andean lakes, dry valleys, and the highly threatened Polylepis forest with six endemic species in the area. Cochabamba Mountain-finch will be our quest species, with search images set on Giant Conebill, Maquis Canastero and Giant Hummingbird. We will catch a return flight to Santa Cruz, where for our last day we can visit the dry forest before our last supper.

This is a very comfortable tour in a fully-equipped lodge with great food. Tour starts and ends in Santa Cruz. Price include transportation, lodge, food (except alcoholic beverages), and Sandro Valdez our acclaimed English speaking Bolivian bird guide. Tour has a five person limit.