DAY 1 - TRANSFER TO CHARAZANI

We'll spend the morning birding around Lake Titicaca and then driving north to Charazani, about a 4-hour transfer. If the extension is added to our central Bolivia tour, this transfer will occur on the last afternoon of that tour rather than heading to the airport. At Lake Titicaca the primary target bird is the Titicaca Grebe, which can typically be seen swimming around reedbeds along the shoreline. Other likely birds include Andean Goose, Crested Duck, Plumbeous Rail, Puna Miner, Many-colored Rush Tyrant, Short-billed Pipit, Yellow-winged Blackbird, Band-tailed Sierra Finch, and Grassland Yellow-Finch. Overnight at a hotel in Charazani.

DAY 2 - TRANSFER TO ATEN

We'll spend much of the day driving to Apolo and then on to Aten south of there. Aten is located on a high Andean plateau and is mostly scrub and cattle pasture. It's the hub for birding remnant dry woodlands and scrub south of Apolo, Machariapo forest to the north and Apolo Yungas to the southwest. Overnight hotel in Aten.

DAY 3 - ATEN

The habitat near Aten is Bolivian Cerrado, an area of grassland and scrub on a plateau in the Apolo region. There is also some good Yungas cloud forest south of town. The main target species in this area is the endemic Palkachupa Cotinga. A second and more difficult target is the rare Green-capped Tanager. Seeing the tanager is hit or miss. It's typically seen in flocks in open savanna with scattered trees. The forest in the western valley south of Aten is usually better than the eastern valley. At nearby Cerro Asunta Pata there is a reasonable chance of seeing the recently described near-endemic Yungas Tyrannulet and the localized White-browed Hermit. Other good birds there include Upland Antshrike, Bolivian Tapaculo, White-crowned Tapaculo, Bolivian Recurvebill, Yungas Manakin, Yungas Tody-Tyrant, and Green-throated Tanager.

The savanna can be good for raptors such as King Vulture, Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, Chaco Eagle, and White-tailed Hawk. Other possibilities include Black-capped Tinamou, Red-winged Tinamou, Rufous-crested Coquette, Rufous-sided Crake, and White-eared Puffbird. Interesting species in the cloud forest include Hooded Tinamou, Black-capped Tinamou, Pavonine Cuckoo, Black-and-chestnut Eagle, Red-stained Woodpecker, Ashy Antwren, Rufous-margined Antwren, and Chestnut-crested Cotinga. Overnight hotel in Aten.

DAY 4 - MACHARIAPO FOREST

We'll spend all this day birding the dry forest of Machariapo Valley north of Apolo. The valley is home to the recently described and enigmatic Inti Tanager, This species is reportedly a seasonal migrant. It's prevalent in the valley beginning in October and breeds there from November-March, spending the remainder of the year dispersed northward and into southern Peru. A rare and secretive bird also found there is the Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo. The Machariapo Valley is the only dependable site in Bolivia and the best site in the world to see that species. Unfortunately the best time to see it is the same dry period when the tanager is likely absent. A variety of more widely distributed species are also present, including some from the Chaco region around Santa Cruz as well as middle montane species such as Plain Antvireo, Yungas Manakin, Two-banded Warbler, and White-winged Tanager. Overnight hotel in Aten.

DAY 5 - APOLO YUNGAS & TRANSFER

The road from Apolo back to La Paz goes through lush middle elevation montane forest of Cotapata National Park. Early morning birding there is worthwhile to seek cloud forest species that may have been missed the preceding two days. Some possibilities include Andean Condor, Red-necked Woodpecker, Streak-throated Bush Tyrant, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, and various other Yungas birds. We then continue on to Charazani for an overnight stay there. Night at a hotel in at Charazani.

DAY 6 - END OF TOUR

We have a half-day transfer to La Paz, so we may do some birding en route back to La Paz, depending on flight schedules. We'll arrive at the La Paz airport in time for international flights home. End of tour at the airport.

DAY 7 - ARRIVE HOME

International flight home.

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFO
(Not on Menu Above)

• Country Map
• Accommodations
• Photos from Past Tours
• Travel Information

BIRDING LOCALES

• Apolo Area & Machariapo Valley