Birding Factoids

1,374 species
in 62 families

20 endemics
37 speciality species
28 endangered species
including 6 endemics
3 week trip expectation -
400 species

    Bolivia
    Hotspots
Checklist of Bolivian BirdsConservation, Biodiversity and the EnvironmentTours and GuidesEco-LodgesSpeciality BirdsMap and General Country Information
...
Bolivia Specialities
Andean Condor - Bolivia's National Bird - Photo copyright Steve Metz
Photo copyright Steve Metz
...
Greater Rhea - Photo copyright Cagan Sekercioglu
Photo copyright Cagan Sekercioglu
...
Mountain Parakeet - Photo copyright Harald Kocksch
Photo copyright Harald Kocksch
...
Black-collared Hawk - Photo copyright Jan Hein Ribot
Photo copyright Jan Hein Ribot
...
Rufescent Tiger-Heron - Photo copyright Marcus Martin
Photo copyright Marcus Martin
...
Plumbeous Ibis - Photo copyright Arthur Grosset
Photo copyright Arthur Grosset
...
Blue-crowned Parakeet - Photo copyright Mark Bittner
Photo copyright Mark Bittner
...
Orinoco Goose - Photo copyright Mariano Jiminez
Photo copyright Mariano Jiminez
...
Gilded Hummingbird - Photo copyright Alec Earnshaw
Photo copyright Alec Earnshaw
...
Greater Yellow-headed Vulture - Photo copyright Arthur Grosset
Photo copyright Arthur Grosset
     
    Explanation of icons....Road from Trinidad to La Habana -
      no useful information available on the WWW
    ...
    ....Birding in Bolivia - Squarely placed in the heart of South America,
      landlocked Bolivia supports more than 40% of the total number of bird species found in South America, making it the richest landlocked country in the world in terms of bird diversity. To this point, some 1300 species have been identified, however, considering that it is one of the least studied countries on the  continent (with sizeable areas of its northern tropics yet to be visited by ornithologists) Bolivia could easily yield another 100 species. This site includes some sample itineraries of birding activities in Bolivia from the major Bolivian equippers/guides who operate these tours. 
    ...
    ....Birder's Guide to Bolivia: Part 1: the Bolivian Highlands, by 
      Lawrence Rubey and A. Bennett Hennessey. October, 2005. Bolivia is a huge country the size of France and Spain combined. Compared to other countries in South America, the birdlife is relatively under-studied. Seasonal and altitudinal movements of many species are still poorly understood. Many promising sites are somewhat inaccessible to all but the "expedition-ready" birder. And more than a few birds are likely to be added to the Bolivia list in the coming years. As a result, this guide is an attempt to capture the richness of just a small part this fascinating country. 
    ...
    ....Site Descriptions, Trip Reports etc. from Bolivia - by Sjoerd Mayer. This
      excellent site contains a number of downloadable reports, maps and photos of many of the key birding areas in Bolivia.
    ...
    ....Amboro National Park, Bolivia - An ecological masterpiece with over
      700 birds, jungle cats and the rare spectacled bear  by Jonathan Derksen
    ...
    ....Madidi National Park - Up in the far north-west of the country, in a
      remote region close to the Peruvian border, lies the newly-declared Madidi National Park - nearly two million hectares of spectacularly lush Andean rainforest, home to jaguars, ocelots, pink river dolphins and over 300 species of birds.
    ...
    ....Bolivia's Threatened Savannah Birds at the Beni Man and Biosphere
      Reserve, Bolivia - this Earthwatch site is primarily about volunteering to work on ecological projects in the reserve - Take care, in part it says...Volunteers should be able to hike, work in hot weather, and swim short distances.
    ...
    ....Wetlands of La Puna - At an altitude of 3,500 - 4,000m, La Puna or 
      the High Andean Plateau of the Central Andes, is shared by Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. It is a cold, desert region with intense solar radiation and strong winds which cause extreme temperature variations. Yet in the middle of this desert landscape, the greatest explosion of life is without a doubt associated with the lakes and 'salares'; the great variety and number of birds, many of them endemic to La Puna, is particularly striking.
    ...
    ....Serrania de Huanchaca: Bolivia's Island in Time - by Steve Hilty. 
      In Venezuela it would be known as a tepui. In Wyoming we would call it a mesa. In Bolivia it is known as the Serrania de Huanchaca-a long, low, and flat-topped mountain with vertical sides and great waterfalls plunging over its cliffs. The mystique is irresistible.
    ...
    ....Bolivia - Directory of Wetlands of International Importance -
      includes information on all Bolivia's Ramsar designated sites, including:
      • Laguna Colorada
    ...
    ....Bird Bolivia - with Bennett Hennessey. This web page is dedicated to
      Bolivian bird tour news, conservation news, research news and other information that might be helpfull to birdwatchers including notes on how to design a custom Bolivia birding tour.
    ...
    ....Birding in Bolivia - Trip Report by Rolf A. de By and Sjoerd Mayer -
      November 1991-January 1992 - this outstanding (and lengthy) trip report contains seperate sections on:
      • Santa Cruz area
      • Buena Vista and surroundings
      • Sajta lowland forest
      • Cochabamba Yungas
      • Cochabamba and surroundings
      • Takesi trek
      • Sorata village
      • Coroico Road
      • Oruro and vicinity
      • Siberia rainforest
      • Comarapa and surroundings
    ...
    ....Trip Report: Bolivia, March 5-25, 1992 by Niels Poul Dreyer
    ...
    ....Trip Report:Bolivia - August 21 - September 5, 1999 by A. Bennett
      Hennessey & Alvaro Jaramillo. I think we were all surprised how well everything worked out, with a tour total of 458 birds identified (442 seen) in 15 days. This trip had some spectacular birds!
    ...
    ....Bolivia and the Blue Throated Macaw - How to get there and see
      them on the cheap, as researched by your roving reporter Harold Armitage! Our fourth expedition 1999 to see Blue Throated/ Red Fronted /Green Wing /Severe /Blue & Gold Macaws. 
    ...
    ....Birdwatching in Bolivia and Chile - August, 1999. By Erik MØlgaard,
      Jesper Meedom & Ulrik Andersen, Danish Ornithological Society, Birdlife, Denmark. (NOTE: this is a downloadable report in WORD format from the Danish Ornithological Society´s website). In August 1999, the excursions committee of the Copenhagen chapter of the Danish Ornithological Society (DOF) carried out its first tour to Bolivia. The tour was designed to give the participants a good coverage of the most typical habitats and of the biodiversity of the country. The time of the year was selected to minimize the amount of rain and here we actually succeeded too well - we didn’t have any rain on the entire tour and the very dry conditions kept the bird song at a minimum and was probably part of the reason we missed quite a few of the species normally associated with Bolivia. 
    ...
    ....Trip Report: Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, Bolivia - November
      30th to December 14th, 2000 - by A. Bennett Hennessey. Neblina forest held its first organized December tour to Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (N Kempff) this year, 2000, from November the 30th to December 14th.  The park contains some of Bolivia’s most pristine and well protected tropical forest and cerrado habitat.  The area is exceptional for its diversity of habitat all in a small area, from river edge, marshes, inundated forest, Gallery forest, bamboo, tall forest, foothill forest and a series of variable savannas from pure grassland to heavily treed cerrado.  All this habitat diversity makes for fun birding with lots of different birds around every corner. 
    ...
    ....Trip Report for Bolivia May 30-June 14, 2001- by Roger L. Boyd. 
      There was a total of 5 of us in the group; Jan and Roger Boyd and Clyde Ferguson from Kansas, David Pantle from Colorado, and Roma Lenehan from Wisconsin.  We were very pleased with our experience, accommodations, food, transportation, and most of all, that Barry was able to be our guide for the trip. We recorded 408 species in total. 
    ...
    ....Trip Report: Riberalta, Bolivia - 15-20 July 1997. By Jon Hornbuckle.
      Includes links to an October 1998 Trip Report by Barry Wright, as well as Notes on Additional Sites by Jon Hornbuckle. The town of Riberalta in the far north of Bolivia lies at the confluence of the rivers Beni and Madre de Dios, at the boundary on Pando and Beni, some 80km from the border with Brazil. It is easily reached by air from La Paz or Trinidad, although flights are not daily. 
    ...
    ....Birdwatching in Bolivia - this is a commercial site offering adventure
      tours. Nevertheless, it provides an outline of the key birding locations which are of most interest to birders.
    ...
    ....Biosphere Reserves in Bolivia - map showing the location of Biosphere
      Reserves in Bolivia

Choose another countryChoose another continentAdd or change a URL

Top of Page

Conservation, Biodiversity

and Environment

...
Blue-throated Macaw - ENDANGERED - Photo copyright Loro Parque Fundación
Visit the Parrot conservation activities of the Loro Parque Fundación
...
Yellow-faced Parrot - ENDANGERED - Photo copyright Arthur Grosset
Photo copyright Arthur Grosset
    ....Blue-throated Macaw Conservation Program, Bolivia - The aim 
      of the Blue-throated Macaw conservation program is to establish the most secure and self-sustainable means of long term local protection for this species. Estimated at 120 individuals, the remaining population, which is restricted to north central Bolivia, is threatened by poachers taking birds for the wildlife trade. Whilst efforts at curbing macaw trafficking on a national level are ongoing, the protection of the Macaws must begin locally. The existing macaw population requires basic monitoring and regular censuses. Searches for additional sub-populations and macaw sites also need to continue to remove all risk of researchers having overlooked unknown locations where there may be an isolated group still existing. The program is also examining comparative habitat availability between seasons and at different locations, and conducting an exploratory nesting-requirement study to identify the natural nesting conditions and those pressures which may be limiting population recruitment. The project is carried out by Armonía the Bolivian bird conservation organization, who has received funding from the foundation to census the population of the highly threatened Ara glaucogularis, and to develop conservation management measures involving local people. For more information on how to help this project contact: Mike Parr mparr@abcbirds.org or Yves de Soye/Loro Parque Fundación

Choose another countryChoose another continentAdd or change a URL

Top of Page

Tours and Guides

Tour Guide rape in Bolivia, please read the Travel Advisory

See DISCLAIMER


Blue-grey Tanager - Photo copyright Jean Coronel
Photo copyright Jean Coronel

Andean Flamingo - ENDANGERED - Photo courtesy of the Aves de Chile website

Photo courtesy the Aves de Chile website

Blue-fronted Parrot - Photo copyright Centro de Estudos Ornitológicos

Photo copyright Centro de Estudos Ornitológicos

Roadside Hawk - Photo copyright Didier Godreau

Photo copyright Didier Godreau
    ....
    **..Birding Bolivia with Birding in Peru - If you are an avid birder looking 
      for a quality and amazing birding tour experience in Peru, Bolivia or Chile, we have that birding trip for you. We cover all birding areas of these countries. The varied topography of Bolivia makes for many habitat types and consequently one of the largest bird lists for a landlocked country in the world. Travel with us and we will ensure that you have the most complete birding experience ever with expert neo-tropical bird tour leaders!
      ..
    **..Bolivia Birding with Neotropical Journeys - The tours and programs
      offered by Neotropical Journeys are designed to visit destinations with rich avifaunas, outstanding wildlife, wilderness and cultural significance at their seasonal best. Neotropical Journeys is actively involved in regional and local conservation projects and organizes tours aimed to raise funds for bird and nature conservation. 
    **..
    **..Eastern Bolivia: Noel Kempff National Park & Blue-throated 
      Macaws of the Beni with Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT)
      Eastern Bolivia is one of the last untraveled wilderness regions of South America. It has remained unvisited by groups for the simple reason that there have been no facilities. This trip is an adventure, a learning experience, and an opportunity to see terrific birds and wildlife in places where few people have been before. 
      • Eastern Bolivia - July 08 - July 23, 2002 (16.0 days - Limit 14) with leaders Steve Hilty & TBA.
      VENT offers nearly 140 tours to over 100 land-based destinations each year and is the largest tour company in the world specializing in birding and natural history.

 

Choose another countryChoose another continentAdd or change a URL

Top of Page


Eco-Lodges

See DISCLAIMER


Blue-crowned Trogon - Photo copyright Greg Neise
Photo copyright Greg Neise
        The Chalalan Ecolodge is located in Madidi National Park Bolivia's
      premier Amazonian reserve. The Lodge design privodes comfortable accommodations while ecotourists enjoy an adventurous backcountry experience in tropical forest. 

Choose another countryChoose another continentAdd or change a URL

Top of Page


Endemics and Specialities

in Bolivia

Information on endemics and specialities is derived from Sibley & Monroe checklists and bird distribution lists in Thayer's Birder's Diary - Version 2.5, supplemented by material found in Where to Watch Birds in South America - by Nigel Wheatley. South American speciality birds, while not endemic, are those that can only be found in three or less countries of South America. Information on endangered birds is derived from the IUCN Red List, Birdlife International, and supporting data bases developed by Ian Patton, of Merlin Species Watcher.  The endemic, endangered and speciality birds may be uncommon, extremely rare vagrants, may be extirpated in the country now or may only be present in migration. However, documented sightings of each species noted below have been made in Bolivia. 

 
Endemics in Bolivia
___ Ashy Antwren
___ Berlepsch's Canastero
___ Black-hooded Sunbeam
___ Black-throated Thistletail
___ Bolivian Blackbird
___ Bolivian Earthcreeper
___ Bolivian Recurvebill
___ Bolivian Warbling-Finch
___ Citron-headed Yellow-Finch
___ Cochabamba Mountain-Finch
___ Coppery Thorntail
___ Huayco Tinamou
___ Inquisivi Spinetail
___ Maquis Canastero
___ Red-fronted Macaw
___ Rufous-faced Antpitta
___ Unicolored Thrush
___ Wedge-tailed Hillstar
___ Yungas Tody-Tyrant
___ Zimmer's Tapaculo
...
Endangered Birds in Bolivia
(endemics are printed in bold italic)

Breeding Birds

Non-Breeding Birds

___ Andean Flamingo
___ Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant
___ Ashy Antwren
___ Berlepsch's Canastero
___ Black-and-Tawny Seedeater
___ Black-masked Finch
___ Blue-throated Macaw
___ Bolivian Recurvebill
___ Cochabamba 
___ Mountain-Finch
___ Coppery Thorntail
___ Crowned Eagle
___ Green-capped Tanager
___ Horned Coot
___ Horned Curassow
___ Hyacinth Macaw
___ Maquis Canastero
___ Military Macaw
___ Puna Flamingo
___ Red-fronted Macaw
___ Royal Cinclodes
___ Rufous-bellied Saltator
___ Rufous-sided Pygmy-Tyrant
___ Rufous-throated Dipper
___ Wattled Curassow
___ White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant
___ White-winged Nightjar
___ Yellow-faced Parrot
___ Yellow-rumped Antwren
___ Dinelli's Doradito

Other Speciality Birds in Bolivia
(from Where to Watch Birds in South America - by Nigel Wheatley.)

___ Amazonian Umbrellabird
___ Andean Avocet
___ Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
___ Andean Condor
___ Andean Flamingo
___ Band-tailed Fruit-eater
___ Black Metaltail
___ Black-and-Tawny Seedeater
___ Blue-banded Toucanet
___ Blue-throated Macaw
___ Bolivian Tyrannulet
___ Chestnut-crested Cotinga
___ Citron-headed Yellow-Finch
___ Giant Antshrike
___ Golden-collared Macaw
___ Golden-collared Tanager
___ Grey-bellied Flower-piercer
___ Hazel-fronted Pygmy-Tyrant
___ Hooded Mountain-Toucan
___ Horned Curassow
___ Moustached Flower-piercer
___ Olive-crowned Crescent-chest
___ Orange-browed Hemisphingus
___ Puna Flamingo
___ Red-tailed Comet
___ Rufous-bellied Saltator
___ Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe
___ Scarlet-hooded Barbet
___ Scimitar-winged Piha
___ Short-tailed Finch
___ Short-winged Grebe
___ Slaty Gnateater
___ Snow-capped Manakin
___ Straw-backed Tanager
___ Stripe-headed Antpitta
___ White-eared Solitaire
___ White-throated Antpitta

Choose another countryChoose another continentAdd or change a URL

Top of Page