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A Birding & Nature Tour
in 
Venezuela

April 3-17, 2010

(tour: FON/VE-1, '10)

With Some of the Best 
Neotropical Birding
to be had Anywhere


During two weeks,
exciting birding in eastern Venezuela 
in, among others, the states of Sucre and Bolivar,
with Amazonian Forest and Tepui Specialties.

Including great birds such as Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, 
White Bellbird, Capuchinbird, Red-fan Parrot, 
and more, much more.

Itinerary & price follows. 
 

Birds during previous FONT Tours in Venezuela  (with some photos)

Birds of the Amazonian Basin

South American Mammals & Other Wildlife  (with some photos)

Selected Butterflies of South America  (with some photos) 

Tour Registration Form

Itinerary:

Sat: Apr. 3  Arrival in Venezuela. Overnight near the airport, by the Caribbean coast, not far from Caracas.

Sun: Apr. 4  A morning flight from Caracas to Cumana, in the state of Sucre, in northeast Venezuela. From Cumana, travel to Caripe. In the afternoon we'll visit the "Cueva de los Guacharos" (the "Cave of the Oilbirds") for birding in that area mid to late afternoon, and then witnessing the departure of the Oilbirds from the cave at dusk. Overnight in Caripe.

Mon: Apr 5  Morning travel, with birding along the way, to the Araya Peninsula, where there's an arid habitat with cacti and xerophytic plants and birds such as: Vermilion Cardinal, Buffy Hummingbird, and Yellow-shouldered Amazon. Birding on the Araya Peninsula through the balance of the day. Overnight in Carupano.

Tue: Apr 6   Some final birding on the Araya Peninsula, before going to the Finca Vuelta Larga, now an ecolodge, with some very good birding there and nearby. We'll be there 3 days and 3 nights.
In the flooded varzea forest, local & rare birds occur such as the Crimson-hooded Manakin and the Black-dotted Piculet. Also, the Rufous Crab Hawk in addition to the Scarlet Ibis and Hoatzin.

Scarlet Ibis, above & Hoatzin, below

Wed: Apr 7  A day-trip into humid forest in the mountains, to Cerro Humo on the Para Peninsula for some local Venezuelan endemic birds, including: Scissor-tailed Hummingbird, White-tailed Sabrewing, Paria Whitestart, White-throated Barbtail, and more difficult, the Venezuelan Parakeet, and the local race of the Slate-crowned Antpitta.

Thu: Apr 8  Another, and slightly more arduous day-trip into the mountains to Cerro Negro, for more endemic and specialty birds: the endangered Gray-headed Warbler, Guttulated Foliage-gleaner, and two special hummingbirds: the Venezuelan Sylph and the Rufous-shafted Woodstar.

Fri: Apr 9  A boat-trip, this day, on the lower Orinoco River, particularly to islands in search of some specialty birds that have just recently been discovered at such places. Not just at such places, but only there, these birds recently found "new to science" include the Rio Orinoco Spinetail and the Delta Amacuro Softail. In addition to these, an interesting wagtail-tyrant has recently been discovered in the region, where yet another specialty is to be sought, the attractive Black-chested Tyrant. Overnight in Ciudad Guayana.

Sat: Apr 10  Travel south this day, with birding enroute, to Las Claritas. In that mostly-forested area, in southeastern Venezuela, during 4 days, we'll be in an area including the vast tableland known as the Gran Sabana, and the plateaus called Tepuis. The first of 4 nights at Las Claritas.

Sun-Tue: Apr 11-13  Some very good birding, these days, at various places in southeastern Venezuela:
Not far from Las Claritas, some of the best of the birding is along a road called the "Escalera" ("the stairway") up into the high country of the Gran Sabana. Our birding will be along that road, on a tepui called Sierra de Lema, and elsewhere in the region.
About 30 specialty and endemic birds of the Tepuis that will be sought include some that have been given that very name, "Tepui": 
Tepui Tinamou, Tepui Parrotlet, Tepui Goldenthroat, Tepui Spientail, Tepui Antpitta, Tepui Greeenlet, Tepui Whitestart, and Tepui Brush Finch.
Also among the specialty and endemic birds of the region: Fiery-throated Parakeet, hummingbirds such as the Peacock's Coquette and Violet-browed Brilliant, and numerous antbirds (and some of them, rare).
Also: Roraiman Barbtail, White-throated Foliage-gleaner, the Ruddy Tody-Flycatcher, and the Golden-tufted Grackle.
And the COTINGAS!  - the wonderful group of birds including:
the Red-banded Fruiteater, Rose-collared Piha, both White Bellbird and Bearded Bellbird, Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, and an odd one, for sure, the Capuchinbird (at a lek).
Where we'll stay at a lodge, during this time, in lowland forest, the Crimson Topaz (a large & colorful hummingbird) should be at feeders, and the Paradise Jacamar should be in the treetops.
Yet other birds to be sought in the Gran Sabana/Tepui area will be: Blue-cheeked Amazon, Red-fan Parrot, Waved Woodpecker, Black-faced Hawk, and Orange-breasted Falcon.

Red-fan Parrot

Wed: Apr 14  Travel north, with birding, from Las Claritas to the Imataca Forest Reserve, an area of Guianan lowland forest, in Rio Grande. Accommodation there to be at a lodge in the forest, this being the first of 2 nights there.

Thu: Apr 15 & Fri: Apr 16  Imataca is a place best-known for the Harpy Eagle.
But the "supporting cast of birds" there is also quite good, with the Pompadour Cotinga, Green Aracari, Black-spotted Barbet, Guianan Toucanet, Curve-billed Scythebill, Marail Guan, and Black Curassow.
And quite a "sub-cast" of ANTBIRDS, including: Rufous-throated Antbird, Ferruginous-backed Antbird, and the wonderful White-plumed Antbird! Specialty antwrens include: Todd's, Gray, Spot-tailed, and Long-winged.
The night of April 16 to be in Cuidad Guayana/Puerto Ordaz, so as to be at the Puerto Ordaz airport early the following morning.

Sat: Apr 17  The early morning flight from Puerto Ordaz to connect to the international flights departing from Venezuela. 

Includes:
All overnight accommodations 
Land & boat transportation in Venezuela
All meals, April 4-16
All birding/nature excursions, and services of an expert birding guide

Does not include:
Air Transportation to/from and within Venezuela.
Airport departure taxes. 
Items of a personal nature.

South America has been called "the Bird Continent", and with good reason. About 40%  of the approximately 9,000 species of birds in the world occur there. In Venezuela, there are about 1,300 bird species.

Southeast Venezuela is particularly known for its great variety of bird species. There's a road there that ascends to the plateau called the Gran Sabana. An excellent birding road, it's called "La Escalera", which means "the staircase". Along that road is dense cloud forest that's home to most of the PANTEPUI SPECIALTY BIRDS, those that are typical of the foothill slopes of the "table mountains" known as "tepuis".
38 species of birds are "Pantepui endemics & specialties". And more study is almost certain to reveal more. A number of the Pantepui endemics & specialties are also restricted to Venezuela. 
    

A LIST OF SOME OF THE PANTEPUI ENDEMIC & SPECIALTY BIRDS:


Among Pantepui Specialties endemic to Venezuela:

Tepui Tinamou
Tepui Goldenthroat
Great Elaenia
Black-fronted Tyrannulet
Streak-backed Antshrike

Among Pantepui Specialties:

Fiery-shouldered Parakeet
Tepui Parrotlet
Caica Parrot
Dusky Parrot
Rufous-winged Ground Cuckoo
"Roraiman" Foothill Screech Owl
Tepui Swift
Rufous-breasted Sabrewing
Peacock Coquette
Copper-tailed Hummingbird
Velvet-browed Brilliant
Olive Manakin
Scarlet-horned Manakin
Orange-bellied Manakin
Rose-collared Piha
Red-banded Fruiteater
Chapman's Bristle Tyrant
Ruddy Tody-Flycatcher
Roraiman Flycatcher
Roraiman Antwren
Tepui Antpitta
McConnell's Spinetail
Tepui Spinetail
Roraiman Barbtail
Tepui Foliage-gleaner
Tepui Greenlet
Flutist Wren
Black-hooded Thrush
Tepui Whitestart
Roraiman Warbler
Olive-backed Tanager
Greater Flowerpiercer
Tepui Brush Finch
Golden-tufted Mountain Grackle
 
Also occurring at the Gran Sabana are rarities such as:

Giant Snipe
Bearded Tachuri

And birds in the Cotinga Family in addition to those above include:

Purple-breasted Cotinga
Spangled Cotinga
Pompadour Cotinga
Bearded Bellbird
White Bellbird
Capuchinbird
Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock

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