Bolivian Specialities

Endemic, Near-endemic, Potential-endemic, Chaco habitat endemic, Restricted-range and Expected Encounter species

by Bennett Hennessey Updated Nov 2018

In order to help guide birdwatchers when visiting Bolivia, Bird Bolivia has created the Bolivian Specialities. The Bolivian Specialities are 75 birds that are special to Bolivia which most (95%) of birdwatchers will not see in the rest of South America. The “Endemic” title is a tool to help guide birdwatchers to observe the right species in the optimal place, but this should not be the only tool. The Bolivian Specialities list includes the clear Bolivian Endemic and Near-endemic species (data provided by Sebastian Herzog) as well including Restricted-range species, Chaco habitat, and continentally rare species commonly seen in Bolivia. Many of these species are birds hard to see out of Bolivia, or in small areas of other countries where there are no organized birdwatching trips. We have classified them within six groups:
• Endemic (17) species that only occur within the political borders of Bolivia.
• Near-endemic (19) species where the majority of their range is within Bolivia.
• Potential-endemic (8) present Endemic subspecies that range from suspected to be species to known distinct species once someone completes the science to prove it.
• Chaco habitat endemic species (5). Most birdwatchers never visit the Chaco habitat in Paraguay, meaning their visit to Bolivia is their only chance to see these habitat specialists and therefor Bolivian Specialities.
• Restricted-range (14) are species that have a range of less than 10,000 km2- usually species you will only see in Bolivia unless you birdwatch near Bolivia in surrounding countries.
• Expected Encounter (13). Birds which can have a wide distribution, but for some reason are more common or easier to see in Bolivia.

For more detailed information see Beni Endemic Bird Area section and the Species Locator guide.

Bird Bolivia’s Bolivian Specialties