A less visited region of Bolivia that is typically not included in standard birding tours to the country is the Beni region in the north. The Beni region encompasses a vast area of diverse habitats including Amazonian rainforest near the border with Brazil, vast seasonally flooded savannas, dry cerrado in the northeast, and temperate forest in the Andean foothills. It features a wide variety of birds including a good number of specialties not found in central Bolivia. The goal of this extension is to see two localized endemics, Masked Antpitta around Riberalta and the critically endangered Blue-throated Macaw south of Trinidad. It can be conducted at the beginning or end of our Central Bolivia tour.

The tour begins with an early flight from La Paz to the far northern city of Riberalta, located near the border with Brazil. We'll spend the rest of that day and, if necessary the next morning, seeking out our first target, the Masked Antpitta. Once we have seen that species, we'll devote the rest of the time birding other sites outside town, most likely the San Lorenzo pampa area. On the afternoon of our second day, we'll fly to the town of Trinidad for an overnight stay. The next morning we'll visit a private reserve south of town to seek out the critically endangered Blue-throated Macaw. We'll return to Trinidad in time for lunch and an afternoon flight to either Santa Cruz or Lima, depending on your ongoing travel arrangements.

Tour Considerations

PACE - The pace of this very easy.

DIFFICULTY - Birding in the far north around Riberalta is mostly along roadsides with possibly some fairly flat trails. Birding around Trinidad is along fairly flat roads.

CLIMATE - The Beni region of Bolivia has a tropical monsoon climate. During rainy season from October to May, conditions are hot, very humid, and rainy. Some roads can be impassable. Dry season frm June to September is somewhat cooler and has significantly less rainfall.

BIRD ACTIVITY - Most birds breed in the Beni region during November to April in the midst of rainy season. The nesting season of Blue-throated Macaws is mainly from October to March, but the birds can be seen during dry season. Forest birds are generally very active throughout the dry season.

PHOTOGRAPHY - Getting photos of birds during this tour is opportunistic.

 

 

 

 

 

• Photos from Past Tours
• Travel Information

BIRDING LOCALES
FOR THIS TOUR

• Riberalta Area
• Trinidad - Lake Suarez