Hardcore Bolivian Specialties

This is the most comprehensive tour for Bolivia’s Specialities that exists. First we worked on a bird list of not just endemic Bolivian species, but also the key species that you are most likely only to see in Bolivia (Bolivian Specialities). Then through our 20 years of Bolivian birding experience, tried to figure out where are the best places to see these birds.

The tour starts in the city of Santa Cruz. Before the main tour there is a three day extension to travel to the small spot on the planet of the Masked Antpitta. While at the site we can also visit Cerrado habitat. Then the full tour starts or Part I, beginning at Sadiri Forest Lodge in Madidi National Park. This spot is a must for visiting birders. We then travel to the next must, Barba Azul Nature Reserve to spend time in this wonderfully preserved tropical savanna habitat, seeing the Endemic Blue-throated Macaw, plus many threatened tall grass species. We then start working our way south to try and see the Bolivian Endemic Unicolored Thrush and Horned Curassow (now Critically Endangered). We will travel up the dry Andes of Santa Cruz to see the Bolivian Endemic Red-fronted Macaw and specialities of this ecosystem.

At 16 days, Part I of the tour will end returning to Santa Cruz. Part II will start in Santa Cruz meeting with the others to continue the trio, now more in the Andes. With the Bolivian highlands, we will visit different cloud forest locations in Cochabamba and La Paz to make sure we see all the specialities in this habitat. In Cochabamba we will visit the Polylepis forest to find the four endemic species here. On our way to La Paz, we will spend two mornings at Sajama to see the Bolivian Puna specialities. We will visit the site Apa apa site, which is fantastic for Bolivian middle cloud forest species.

And then we travel down to Apolo to see the many specialised species in this rare Bolivian Andean Cerrado habitat, including the star, the Palkachupa Cotinga. The tour will end in La Paz.