The Birds of Venezuela

Wonderfully easy birding in Andes, Llanos and the coastal cordilleras

A visit to central and western Venezuela offers a staggering variety of habitats for the first time visitor and veteran neotropical enthusiast alike. We explore humid cloud forests of the Andes and the stunning desert and alpine habitats of their higher elevations, along with dry deciduous woodlands and vast savannas and wetlands in the Llanos.

Venezuela is country of great ornithological riches. With an avifauna of nearly 1,400 species we have plenty to look for, from the more widely distributed but exciting species such as screamers and hoatzins to parrots and hummingbirds, stunning quetzals, jacamars, puffbirds and toucans. We also have plenty of opportunity to look through the huge number of sub-oscine passerines including many oven-birds, antbirds, tapaculos, cotingas, manakins and flycatchers, not forgetting gaudy orioles and tanagers. Within this incredible diversity there are many endemic species and we aim to see as many as possible while still devoting time to the more widely distributed species characteristic of the whole continent.

Our tour begins in the Andes, makes a transect down the eastern slopes, continues to the low plains of the Llanos, and finishes behind the coast in Henri Pittier National Park. This is classic neotropical birding, with huge variety, long lists and many exciting and special birds to see. We see plenty of other wildlife along the way and experience some wonderful scenery. Facilities are relatively good, and levels of comfort are very acceptable.

Our first destination is the Cordillera de Mérida which is one of the most northerly sections of the high Andes. We will have plenty of opportunity to explore the open páramos and cloud forests of the north and south facing slopes of the Andes. Separating these broad swathes of forest are the high peaks and páramos around Mérida itself and we take a few days to explore this area thoroughly. We should see a good range of species from Rose-headed Parakeet and Orange-throated Sunangel to Grey-naped Antpitta, Ochre-browed Thistletail, Mérida Tapaculo, Mérida Wren, White-fronted Redstart, Mérida Flower-piercer and Slaty-backed and Grey-capped Hemispingus. Within easy reach of the old colonial city of Mérida we have access to the humid cloud forests cloaking the lower slopes of Pico Humboldt where we may encounter some of these species in large mixed flocks and a good variety of understorey species while working our way up through these beautiful bromeliad-laden forests. We also visit some stunning páramos set against the back drop of the high peaks of the region before dropping down through the humid subtropics to the lowlands in a complete transect. The forests en route are justly famous for their superb selection of sites. We shall try to see the extraordinary Ocellated Tapaculo in dense bamboo thickets and find the incomparable Lyre-tailed Nightjar lower down the Santo Domingo valley, as we descend through successive altitudinal zones into the low plains of the Llanos.

The Llanos is an important endemic bird area that covers a vast stretch of seasonally flooded grasslands along the Orinoco flood-plain. The spectacle of thousands of herons, ibises and storks gathered together here is one of the wonders of the natural world. We will also be looking for some of the less conspicuous endemics, including Pale-headed Jacamar, White-bearded Flycatcher and Yellow-knobbed Currassow. We will also take time to explore the swathes of dry deciduous gallery woodlands where we can find a good variety of species unique to the region and some rather widely distributed species such as Red-billed Scythebill. We also visit a small area of freshwater mangroves on the ranch where we should be able to see the Agami Heron, surely the most beautiful heron. The Zig-zag Heron—an infrequently seen, somewhat mythical bird of dense forest interiors—is a major target for us here. We have a good chance of finding this shy species at this site.

We then head north to the Coastal Cordilleras and the famous Henri Pittier National Park, where we are in the most important area for conserving the wildlife of this small area. The park is crucial for the survival of the Northern Helmeted Currassow and we shall make every effort to see this shy species. It is also important for other regional endemics and our time will be taken up searching for them amongst the pleasurably distracting profusion of life that is found in this excellent park. We hope to see the beautiful White-tipped Quetzal and Handsome Fruiteater along with Rufous-cheeked Tanager, Black-throated Spinetail, Groove-billed Toucanet and Golden-breasted Fruiteater. We will also have time to visit the Caribbean dry zone at the northern base of the coastal cordillera, which though limited here extends westwards right into Colombia; we should manage to see the rare and localised Black-backed Antshrike and Rosy Thrush-Tanager here.

The locations we visit are fairly wealthy by South American standards and typically very friendly. Although there are not many tourists we are always treated very well, making our trips here thoroughly pleasurable.

Caracas

Day 1 After being collected at the airport we meet at our 3-4* hotel in the nearby seaside town of Macuto, for a welcome dinner beside the Caribbean.

Andes

Day 2 An early start to catch the morning flight to Mérida in the Andes. We drive to the area of La Azulita, picking up the commoner species en route and perhaps seeing Black-mandibled Toucan, Crested Oropendolas and the endemic Rose-headed Parakeet. We arrive at Hacienda La Bravera a family-run lodge with very comfortable chalets set in bird-filled gardens at the lower edge of a band of pristine cloud forest with páramo grassland above.

Day 3 There is some great dawn birding in the garden of La Bravera, with cloud forest around us and short trails on to open páramo above. We explore these varied habitats looking for Mérida Sunangel, Crested Quetzal, and Black-and-chestnut Eagle. Hummingbirds visit well-maintained feeders around the lodge in a varied selection and in good numbers. In the afternoon we return to Mérida for 2 nights.

Day 4 We visit the Sierra Nevada National Park today to bird along the lower section of the Pico Humboldt Trail. Here we expect the endemic White-fronted Redstart and Slaty Brush-finch among many others.

Day 5 We bird the Transandean highway onto the high páramos, a treeless habitat of frost-shattered rocks, grasses, lichens, gorse and frailejónes. This is home to the near-endemic Bearded Helmetcrest, which survives the cold mountain nights by entering a hibernation state, the endemic Páramo Wren and Ochre-Browed Thistletail. During the day we are likely to encounter Torrent Duck, and Andean Condor. We stay on the moor at a comfortable 3* lodge for 2 nights.

Day 6 Today’s highlight is a lek of Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. It is quite a scramble down a ravine to overlook the lekking area but the sight is unforgettable. Our current record is 50 males displaying at once! We may also search for the often elusive but stunning Ocellated Tapaculo.

Andes-Llanos transect

Day 7 We spend today birding the eastern slopes of the Andes from high elevations down to the low Llanos plains, a large transition that provides some very varied birding in changing habitats. Our stops include La Soledad and Río Barragan Bridge. Night in Barinas.

Llanos

Day 8 A morning’s drive into the Llanos—one of South America’s great wildlife areas. Here we are guaranteed waterbirds in profusion, plus Capybara, piranha, Spectacled Cayman and with luck Orinoco Crocodile, Anaconda, Freshwater Dolphin, Giant Anteater, armadillo, Giant River Otter and Red Howler Monkey. We stay 3 nights at Hato El Cedral.

Days 9-10 Two busy days’ birding around the ranch’s land with abundant and outrageously plumaged Scarlet Ibis. We may also find Pinnated Bittern, the rare Yellow-knobbed Curassow, and Zig-zag Heron. This is all in the thronging mass of wetland and open country birds that make birding in the Llanos so exciting.

Henri Pittier National Park

Day 11 Fly to Caracas and drive to Maracay at the edge of Henri Pittier NP, with the possibility of late afternoon birding if flight schedules permit. 578 species of birds have been recorded here in habitats that range from deciduous and transition forest through cloud forest, to desert scrub. We stay for 3 nights at a good 3* hotel in Maracay: a converted colonial-style hacienda set in gardens.

Days 12-13 Dawn birding from the Rancho Grande building with views over and into the cloud forest canopy. We should find flocks of the endemic Blood-eared Parakeet, Groove-billed Toucanet and the endemic Rufous-cheeked Tanager and Handsome Fruiteater The Northern Helmeted Curassow is found here in good numbers and we do have a chance of seeing this elusive species one morning. Descending the far side of the range may produce Black-backed Antshrikes, Lance-tailed Manakins and Glittering-throated Emerald in the arid scrub near the coast.

Caracas

Day 14 Time for a final dawn’s birding at Rancho Grande before the drive back to Caracas for flights home.

Prices

Next steps

• Request a brochure

• Reserve a place