Birding in Colombia #7: High in the Andes

The Páramo

This morning was dedicated to birding the páramo high in the Andes, in and around Los Nevados Natural Park on the flanks of the volcano. We drove in glorious sunshine up to a Visitor Center with an observation deck just outside the entrance to the National Park at 13,500 feet. 

A Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant seen from the deck

That was the highest we would go on this tour. Even though I did get winded when walking quickly uphill, I found the altitude less daunting than at home, perhaps because there is more vegetation because the tree line is higher.

Quite a view

We were in the páramo zone, where vegetation is dominated by bunchgrass, woody plants and groves of espeletia, commonly called frailejónes. Their name translates to "big monks” because, when viewed from a distance in the thick mist of the Andean páramos, their tall, fuzzy and hooded appearance resembles a procession of monks wearing robes. 

They just look like cactus to me (they are actually part of the sunflower family)

Because frailejónes grow in large, dense groups, these towering plants often appear to be "marching" or watching over the landscape. While they are primarily known for resembling monks, some people have likened them to cartoon characters like Beaker from The Muppets.

Or maybeTriffids (IYKYK)

Native mainly to Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador, frailejones have a thick trunk with succulent hairy leaves in a dense spiral pattern. They have leaves that wither but do not fall off, remaining attached through winter and into spring to protect buds from freezing (yeah, we were near the equator, but it’s cold at 12,000+ feet!) and deter birds and animals from eating new growth. The flowers are usually yellow, similar to daisies.

The plant is endangered due to destruction of the páramo for agriculture, especially potato crops. This activity continues, despite the Colombian government declaring it illegal.  

Threats include beetle larvae, a moth and fungus that climate change allows to flourish

Frailejónes contribute to water sustainability by capturing vapor from passing clouds in their spongy trunks and releasing it through roots into the soil, thus helping to create vast high-altitude subterranean water deposits and lakes that eventually form rivers.

The area where we stopped sat under some very steep mountainsides that Alejandro told us had never been explored.

Mystery mountains

The view out over more mountains was stunning.

So green for such high altitude

We saw another Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle playing in the wind currents above the mountaintops. 

Closer than the first one, but it wouldn't perch as I hoped

I kept looking for an Andean Condor, but we never saw one. A local guide we talked to at the observation deck had seen one the day before.

Maybe somewhere out there

In the shrubland stretching out below us, we saw a couple Brown-backed Chat-Tyrants, a lifer.

On a wire ...

... and in the Shrubs

I saw an Andean Tit-Spinetail, but it was too, too fast.

But, after missing one the day before, I did capture a Plumbeous Sierra Finch running along a stream next to the road.

Plumbeous means gray

Right at that moment, someone spotted our main target: the endemic Buffy Helmetcrest. Chaos ensued because lots of people were there looking for this tiny Hummingbird.

The Buffy Helmetcrest is just about five inches long

We saw it twice (or, perhaps, we saw two), perched on two different twiggy bushes in the open. 

It was a bit too far away for a clean shot 

The Buffy Helmetcrest has a very limited range, found only at extremely high elevations in Colombia's central Andes, making any sighting rare.

Not many places to look

I largely ignored some familiar birds we spotted – Eared Doves, a Great Thrush, Rufous-collared Sparrows and another Plain-colored Seedeater – and I totally missed a Tawny Antpitta (I should NEVER go to the restroom!).

We hoped that we might see one (or two) of the animals living in the National Park – the Mountain Tapir or the Spectacled Bear. No such luck. As I said before, mammals were in very short supply in Colombia, which seemed odd in such a wild and unpopulated place.

After time at the top, we wound our way back down the mountain, making several stops for views of Nevado del Ruiz and for birds. 

You can see it puffing in the lower right photo

I managed to snag a four more lifers, including Red-crested Cotingas far, far (as in binocular far) across the valley ...

Two males enjoying berries

... and was finally gratified when they landed a bit closer to us as we stood by the side of the road ... 

You can see the crest here

The Red-crested Cotinga has what is called a disjunct distribution; it is found in the isolated Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia, in the Serranía del Perijá that straddles the Colombia-Venezuela border, in the Andes from northeastern Trujillo in Venezuela into the northern part of Colombia's Eastern Andes and nearly continuously in the Andes from Colombia's Central and Western ranges south through Ecuador and Peru into Bolivia. 

Carrying nesting material

It inhabits semi-open landscapes on the edges of cloud forest and humid woodlands, in the páramo with some patches of trees and bushes and borders of agricultural areas that have trees. It is found at elevations between 7,500 and 12,500 feet in Colombia.

Surveying the landscape

While the Cotingas perched at the tops of the shrubs, we found a cute little Grass Wren deep inside the thicket.

Trying (and failing) to hide from us

Also in that thicket was a crafty White-throated Tyrannulet (a lifer) and a Pale-naped Brushfinch (a repeat bird from Termales del Ruiz) that successfully avoided the spotlight, as did a small flock of Golden-plumed Parakeets that zoomed over a couple of times. The White-naped Brushfinches the rest of the group saw escaped my notice altogether.

I was not on my flying bird game during this trip, so much so that I didn’t even try most of the time a flock of Parrots or the ever-present Brown-bellied Swallows and the occasional White-collared Swifts flew over.

But, I did get some nice shots of a cute little Golden-fronted Redstart in the trees. 

Adorable

The name "redstart" originates from a combination of the color "red" and the Old English word steort (or Middle English stert), which means "tail." It literally translates to "red tail," describing the reddish-orange or rusty-red tail feathers of both European and American Redstart species, which they frequently fan and flash. The name was originally applied to European Thrush species (such as the Common Redstart). The American Redstart, a Warbler, was named because the male resembles the Common Redstart.

 

The Golden-fronted Redstart, however, does not have red tail

The first part of its name references the brilliant yellow on its face and breast. The Redstart name comes from its habit of fanning and flashing its tail. It used to be called the Golden-fronted Whitestart, which makes more sense. Oh, and as you’ll see later, some Golden-fronted Redstarts have white faces!

Frailes

After our super-high-altitude adventure, we traveled down for just some high-altitude roadside birding near Frailes. 

The beautiful Andes

A rural coffee-growing area near Villamaría in Caldas, Frailes is near the source of the Chinchiná River and is characterized by fertile forested terrain. 

Local flora

Most of what we saw were familiar birds (even if they were only familiar since our last stop): Andean Tit-Spinetail, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, Brown-bellied Swallow, Great Thrush, Golden-plumed Parakeet (flying once again!).

A Rufous-collared Sparrow

A Golden-fronted Redstart having a bad hair day 

Several Red-crested Cotingas; this is a female

And, a lifer, a Black-capped Tyrannulet

Tyrannulet is a diminutive term for Tyrant Flycatchers to denote their status as tiny members of the family. Tyrant Flycatchers are fearless and aggressive, even toward larger birds. 

This stop was where I saw my first Tapaculo, a Paramo Tapaculo, although I wasn’t able to get a photo. Heck, I could barely see it. Tapaculos are known for skulking in dense vegetation that renders them almost invisible.

Sort of like this, but darker; Photo (before I darkened it): eBird

The Tapaculo’s song is a dry, cicada-like rattle that usually lasts two to six seconds and is then repeated again after a pause. While they may be tricky to see, the are certainly easy to hear.

The day was starting to wane and we still had a way to go to make it to our evening destination: Reserva Ecológica Río Blanco. The route took us through many coffee plantations, some down the sides of very steep hills. It is common for the coffee to be grown under the shade of plantain or banana trees, making for interesting rows of plants.

Mixed coffee/banana plantation; Photo: Barista Hustle

Then, we drove through Manizales, the city we had been able to see from our mountaintop lodging at Hotel Termales del Ruiz. 

Distant Manizales

The main center for the production of Colombian coffee, Manizales is described as having an "abrupt topography" with many ridges and steep slopes. This, combined with the seismic instability of the area, has required architectural adaptations and public works to make the city safer from earthquakes, mudslides and volcanic eruptions.

Despite being located in the tropics, the city seldom gets very hot, featuring spring-like temperatures throughout the year because of its high altitude of about 7,100 feet. Compared to the other places we had been in Colombia, Manizales looked modern and clean. 

Manizales; Photo: Wikipedia

And, it certainly appreciated birding. Manizales has a statue of a giant Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, one of many bird statues, in town. 

Statue and the real thing that we saw later; Left photo: La Patria

Hernan negotiated the town’s heavy traffic using what seemed to be a series of short-cuts and by-passes. And, then, as quickly as we left rural Colombia to enter Manizales, we were back outside the city on our way to Río Blanco.

Collared Inca, Buff-tailed Coronets and Long-tailed Slyph at Río Blanco

But, that’s for next time.

Tour dates: March 7-28, 2026

Birding in Colombia #6: An Active Volcano and Hot Springs

Nevado del Ruiz volcano

After finishing up at Bellavista, we began a rather lengthy drive that would take us up the flanks of the Central Cordillera of the Andes, rising from about 3,200 feet in the Cauca Valley to altitudes in excess of 12,000 feet.

Lunch with Birds

We stopped for lunch in Estadero El Mirado. The open-air restaurant seemed to specialize in huge platters of meat accompanied by all the usual Colombian sides. Plus, they had their own coffee. Colombia, is after all, known for its coffee and we were entering coffee country.

They sell their own coffee (pretty pricey)

While at lunch, we saw a couple of birds because sitting down for a meal doesn’t stop the birding instinct. 

It's hard to miss a Vermilion Flycatcher

There were a couple of trees across from the parking lot with a constant stream of birds flying in and out. None were new, but we enjoyed watching them. 

A Ruddy Ground Dove

A Vermilion Flycatcher, Shiny Cowbird and Carib Grackle

I got my Cattle Tyrant shot! Every one I saw was on a man-made structure (this is a vent)

This was my first chance to photograph this gorgeous part of the Andes. 

Farms on the mountainsides

The surrounding area was dotted with cattle farms situated on steep green slopes caressed by drifting clouds. It was cooler than I expected our visit to Colombia to be. 

Such a beautiful place

A Theme Park that Looks Like a Lake

As we continued to climb, it got colder and windier. We made a quick stop at Laguna Negra Parque Temático (actually translates to Black Lake Theme Park), but it just looked like a lake with a tiny shack that sold souvenirs and hot chocolate.

Laguna Negra Parque Temático

We were there to look for Ducks and there were some that took my terrible eyes forever to find. On the windy surface of the lake were two Andean Teals and two Andean Ducks. 

The Teals were new for me

Located in Caldas, Laguna Negra is a nature reserve dedicated to the conservation of the páramo, which is an intertropical alpine ecosystem with shrubby vegetation that is classified as mountain grassland and scrubland.

High-altitude lake

A páramo is generally located at altitudes ranging from approximately 9,500 to 16,500 feet above sea level. The most well-known is the Andean Páramo of South America.

We were going up to the páramo the next day 

The Park offers ecotourism activities such as hiking, birding, horseback riding and camping at an altitude of over 11,000 feet. Where we were was at 12,155!

Yes, folks, we were in the Andes

Looking on an Active Volcano

Our next stop was a popular overlook that faced Nevado del Ruiz, a 17,680-foot-tall active volcano that dominates the landscape.

Nevado del Ruiz

A stratovolcano cone composed of many layers of lava alternating with hardened volcanic ash and other pyroclastic rocks, Nevado del Ruiz first erupted about two million years ago. The current volcanic cone formed during an eruptive period that began 150,000 years ago. 

It was still smoking when we saw it

Glacier-covered Nevado del Ruiz has a habit of eruptions that produce swift-moving currents of hot gas and rock called pyroclastic flows. These eruptions often cause massive lahars (mud and debris flows), which pose a threat to human life and the environment. Then, to make it more fun, the hot gas and lava melt the mountain's snowcap, adding large quantities of water to the flow. 

Eruptions; Left: Al Jazeera; Right IUGS Geoheritage.org

On November 13, 1985, a small eruption produced an enormous lahar that buried and destroyed the town of Armero in Tolima, causing an estimated 25,000 deaths. 

1985 lahar; Left: Britannica; Right: All That's interesting

This event later became known as the "Armero tragedy." It was the deadliest lahar in recorded history.

And, there I was the next day: right under it

The loss of life during the 1985 eruption was due partly to the fact that scientists did not know precisely when the eruption would occur and the authorities would not take costly preventive measures without clear warnings of imminent danger. Because the volcano's last substantial eruptions occurred in 1845 and 1595, it was difficult for many to accept the danger the volcano presented; locals even called it the "Sleeping Lion." 

Until it roared; Photo: BettingSitesCom

Hazard maps showing Armero could be completely flooded after an eruption were distributed more than a month before the the actual event, but the Colombian Congress criticized the scientific and civil defense agencies for scaremongering (does this sound familiar?). Local authorities didn’t alert the residents and the mayor and a priest even offered reassurances after two ash eruptions before the blast. 

Then, a storm caused electrical outages that hindered communications. Civil Defense officials from four nearby towns tried to warn Armero the lahar was approaching an hour before it reached the town, but couldn’t make radio contact.

A terrible tragedy; Illustration: WION

The volcano continues to pose a threat to the nearby towns and villages, and it is estimated that up to 500,000 people could be at risk from lahars from future eruptions. The last documented eruption was in 2017. And here we were just looking at it while searching for high-altitude birds.

A lifer Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle cruising above the mountain was one

The volcano is one of several volcanos in Los Nevados National Natural Park, where we would be going the next day. It covers an area of more than 77 square miles, stretching 40 miles from east to west. 

Left: Arenas Crater, Guillermo Sánchez Garzón; Right: Colombia' volcanos, ReliefWeb

The Arenas crater at the summit is 0.62 miles in diameter and 790 feet deep. The mountain’s ice cap is approximately 160 feet thick on average, but parts exceed 600 feet. Its meltwater drains primarily to the Cauca River and Magdalena River via the western and eastern flanks of the volcano, respectively, providing a source of fresh water for 40 surrounding towns.

Nevado del Ruiz; Right photo: NASA

Nevado del Ruiz’s forestation depends upon elevation. Below the tree line, parts of the volcano are covered with dwarf (AKA elfin) forests. 

Birds (What We Came Here For)

As we stood by the road marveling at the volcano, we did see a couple of birds …

Great Thrushes, a bird I first saw when I visited the Andes in Ecuador in 2023 and which we saw many, many times on this trip

Female, left, and male (with the eye-ring), right

Rufous-collared Sparrow (AKA RCS), an extremely common bird in the highlands that just loves to throw its head back and sing.

Perhaps this one was too winded to sing

Another bird with a sad name, but a cute demeaner, a Plain-colored Seedeater, doing what Seedeaters do. 

This little female was a lifer

We saw two more birds that I didn’t get photos of, both lifers: a Stout-billed Cinclodes (that sucker few away three times and I missed it every time) and a Plumbeous Sierra Finch.

Bob's Stout-billed Cinclodes photo

Plus, I saw a Yellow-headed Caracara flying over.

Finally, we loaded up and headed to our evening’s destination. 

More Enchanted Gardens

We were spending the night at the Hotel Termales del Ruiz.

Hotel Termales del Ruiz; Right Photo: Hotel

The lodge had a spa, hot springs and a mountainous setting (leading to lots of steps between the sections of the grounds).

Mountains beside the hotel

This was one of the nicest places we stayed and I deeply regret that there just wasn’t time to go to the hot pools (although Alejandro managed to squeeze time in before dinner). The hotel was an interesting blend of rustic and luxurious, classic and modern.

The rooms had shuttered windows that opened to a beautiful view of the Andes ... 

... and of the city of Manizales in the valley below

Located at 11,500 feet above sea level, it was lush, green and very flowery.

The grounds had a beautiful garden with Hummingbird and fruit/nut feeders

As soon as we checked in, we walked past the hot springs and up the hill to a manicured garden with discreetly placed Hummingbird and fruit feeders, winding paths and an open pergola with stairs to the roof.

Bird garden

The reserve has recorded 69 bird species. We didn’t get anywhere near that, but the birds we saw were spectacular, including a three lifer Hummingbird species ...

The most common was the endemic Shining Sunbeam, a bronzy dark-brown hummingbird that was flitting around the feeders and the flowers.

Resting in the garden

About five inches long, the Shining Sunbeam has a short, straight, black bill. 

Their bills make hawking (catching insects in mid-air) easier

Unique among Sunbeams, neither sex has much white plumage. 

I see a little white plumage on the vent

They are found in all three Andean ranges of Colombia and south from there through Ecuador to parts of Peru at elevations from 8,200 to 14,100 feet. 

They live in both páramo and cloud forest

We saw several male Great Sapphirewings, bright shimmering emerald with blue wings. 

Great Sapphirewing

Larger than almost all other Hummingbirds, reaching more than seven inches long, the Great Sapphirewing has slower wingbeats compared with the typical Hummingbird blur. One seemed to be enjoying the sunset and the view of Manizales below.

Flying off its perch

Great Sapphirewings are found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru on the edges of humid evergreen and elfin forest, on shrubby slopes with scattered trees and well into the páramo. In Colombia it occurs between 8,500 and 11,800 feet.

Left: Bob caught the blue wings; Right: I just got a silhouette

It feeds on the nectar of a wide variety of flowering plants, typically feeding by hovering or perching at the outside of the host plant. It usually defends patches of flowers but also forages by visiting a circuit of feeding sites. 

This perch was on the circuit

In addition to feeding on nectar it captures small arthropods by gleaning from foliage and by hawking.

Pollen covering the bird's face

I didn’t get any photos of the energetic Viridian Metaltail – not because it was too far away, but because it was too fast and too close. One landed on my chest and looked me in the eye before speeding off. I wish I had a picture of that.

Heather enjoyed the Hummingbirds

But, while I thought Hummingbirds were the main draw, I didn’t expect the gorgeous birds at the fruit feeder, including four colorful lifers.

Pale-naped Brushfinch, which lives at high elevations in Ecuador and Colombia ...

This Pale-naped Brushfinch was just there briefly

Lacrimose Mountain Tanager, which was given its name because of the yellow teardrop below its eye ... 

Lacrimose (or lachrymose) is an adjective describing someone given to shedding tears

Lacrimose Mountain Tanagers have been found as high as 12,500 feet

Brilliant blue Masked Flowerpiercers with black heads and striking red eyes ...

A beautiful bird

They get their name from their feeding strategy of piercing the base of flowers to access nectar that otherwise would be out of reach, using their upswept hooked bills.

This one had skipped the flowers for fresh grapes

There are 16 species of Flowerpiercers in South America (especially the Andes) and two in Central America; we saw more later.

However, the Masked Flowerpiercer was the most common

As pretty as these three were, the real star was the Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, with its brilliant red belly and ear patch and its blue rump and shoulder ...

This Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager was perched above the feeders

It flew in for a snack

Found at altitudes up to 12,000 feet, they sometimes travel in flocks, but here there were just a few.

While not as beautiful as the other birds, the Great Thrushes at the feeder – a male and a female – were handsome ...  

Male Great Thrush

Female Great Thrush

The descriptions I read say the Great Thrush is “brown overall, varying across range from dark blackish to paler grayish-brown.” I would say black to gray; none I’ve seen looked brown.

I was enthralled by the gardens and the birds in them, despite it being bone-chillingly cold.

The trees and the birds were gorgeous

We finally had to quit the garden because it was dark and we had dinner reservations. 

Hummingbird as the day wanes

And, dinner was lovely. This was definitely a more upscale restaurant and hotel than the other ones we stayed in.

Colombia’s currency is the peso and it uses the same dollar sign we use in the U.S. But the exchange rate ($10 USD = $37,000 COP) makes for interesting menu reading. Yes I know it’s a $20 dinner, but $72,000 for a filet mignon just looks so crazy.

After dinner, I briefly considered trying to get to the thermal pools before they closed, but it was getting cold outside, so I took a blissfully hot shower, closed the open window, figured out how to use the space heater and buried myself under a wonderfully fluffy comforter for a good night’s sleep.

We had another early morning the next day. When I travel, I take my laptop. I download my photos every night and try to stay on top of processing and maybe even drafting blogs. 

I didn't get to these hotel shots for days – maybe even weeks

But, these birding trips are packed. And, bird photography means lots and lots of photos just to get a few good (or passable) ones.

I wasn't sure I had good photos of this bird; I'm happy I did

Even though we ended early most nights, we got going super early in the mornings. So, I often found myself falling asleep after doing just a few photos and falling farther and farther behind every day. And writing draft blogs became impossible. That’s why it takes so long after I get home to, first, post photos and, second, post blogs. It’s always a race to finish one trip's photos and blogs before the next trip. I usually fail.

I posted my January trip blogs in May

Morning Birding

The next morning, we spent some time in the Hummingbird garden, had a lovely breakfast and then spent a little more time in the hotel’s parking area where more Hummingbird feeders were placed among the bushes.

Morning light on the mountains

We along walked along the road a bit to see some more birds. The morning light added dimension we didn’t have the night before and we added some birds. 

Let's start with the gardens ...

It was chilly in the garden, but warmer than the night before

The Shining Sunbeams were the only Hummingbirds out in the garden. 

I guess the others aren't early risers like the Sunbeams

This one was showing off its iridescent lilac-gold lower back and rump. 

A beautiful side we hadn’t really seen yet

Some of the usual suspects arrived at the fruit feeders …

Both Mountain Tanagers: Scarlet-bellied and Lacrimose

A Great Thrush picking off the last of yesterday’s grapes

A Rufous-collared Sparrow hopping around the edges of the garden

And, from our vantage point, I could see some Brown-bellied Swallows, a lifer, lighting on the windowsill of my room.

Resting up for a day of soaring

I tried to see if they were still there when I went back to get my luggage, but by then they were doing what the usually do – flying so fast that they are impossible to photograph.

And, in the garden, I also got another lifer, a Golden-fronted Redstart.

A cute little bird that rapidly became a common sighting after this morning

The hotel had also placed Hummingbird feeders in the hedges outside the hotel in the parking lot.

Flowers and dense foliage

The parking lot and walk delivered four more lifers … 

The coolest was a Rainbow-bearded Thornbill in the shrubs along the road. A Hummingbird slightly smaller than the Shining Sunbeam, it lives in the western Andes of Colombia and Ecuador and on both slopes of the Andes into northern Peru.

Alejandro had been looking for this one for us

A bird of high elevations, it is typically found between 8,900 and 13,500 feet in Colombia. Its primary habitat is páramo and gulleys with thickets of ferns and bromeliads.

It mostly feeds on the nectar of small flowers on low bushes and shrubs, often clinging to these flowers while feeding. It will chase off competitors for food sources, even if they are considerably larger. The Rainbow-bearded Thornbill will not tolerate other Hummingbirds even on large fruiting trees.

This is probably why it wasn't at the feeders

The Rainbow-bearded Thornbill was so small and fast that I assumed all the photos I took would be a bust.

But, they turned out pretty good

Very good

I just wish I had been able to get more head-on shots to capture the rainbow beard.

This is mine

This is eBird's

We also saw a Golden-breasted Puffleg, a Black Flowerpiercer and a Black-crested Warbler, all of which eluded my camera completely.

Bob’s photo shows where the Golden-breasted Puffleg it gets its name

I spent a lot of time trying to capture the Glossy Flowerpiercer as it flew to and from the Hummingbird feeder (and, no, it is not a Hummingbird). I just wanted to get some shears and trim the branches in front of the feeder! I was somewhat successful, but you have to look closely.

I had seen a Glossy Flowerpiercer the first day, but didn’t get any photos until here

There were more Shining Sunbeams out front, too

A nice start and the sun was barely up. And, speaking of up, that was where we were headed.

Up the flanks of the volcano

Tour dates: March 7-28, 2026