THE GRAND ANDES & MARACAIBO LAKE BIRDING TOUR   8 Days / 7 Nights

DAY 1: MERIDA-LA AZULITA
Mérida City. Airport/Hotel assistance & transfer to “Chorrera Las Gonzalez”, big waterfalls surrounded by pristine cloud forest area, birdwatching between the falls and La Mesa de Los Indios road (Blackburnian Warbler, Andean Guan, Emerald Toucanet, White-capped Dipper, Goldenheaded Quetzal, Balck Phoebe, Green Violetear,...) Lunch at the colonial and  historical village of Jají, visit to the “Museo de los Pájaros” (wood sculptures) souvenirs. Early in the afternoon (14:00) transfer to  La Azulita town.  Birding on the way. Spectacular cloud forest of El Chorotal (1500/2000 mts.) with a great view of Maracaibo Lake (Golden Tanager, Blue-capped Tanager, Glossy- black Thrush, Masked Trogon, Blue-necked, Saffron-headed, Flamed -headed, Bay-headed & Blue and Black Tanagers, Blue-napped and Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonias, Scarlet-fronted Parakeet, Long- tailed Sylph, Rose-headed Parakeet, Collared Inca, Mountain Velvet-breast Hummingbird, Booted- racquet-tail Hummingbird,...) Lodge and dinner.

DAY 2: LA AZULITA
Breakfast & morning walk around San Luis, La  Osa, & Quebrada Azul (Orange-crowned Oriole, Magpie Tanager, Crimson-backed Tanager, White-lined Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager,Swallow-wing Tanager, Blue and grey Tanager, Bicolored Wren, Blue-necked Tanager, Yellow-billed Toucanet, Crimson- crested Woodpecker, Black-faced Tanager, Squirrel Cuckoo, Bicolored Hawk, Black-mandible Toucan, Yellow-legged Thrush,...) Pic-nic lunch and second visit to El Chorotal area, afternoon birding (White- rumped Hawk, Road-side Hawk, Swallow-tailed Kite, Barred-forest Falcon, Green Jay, Black and Chestnut Eagle, Rufous-vented Chachalaca, Ruddy Pigeon, Band-tailed Pigeon, Andean Guan, Lazuline Sabrewing, Booted Racquet-tail Hummingbird, Collared Inca, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Little Hermit, Golden-headed Quetzal, Golden-winged Manakin, Red-billed Parrot, Lineated Woodpecker, Green & Black Fruiteater, Chesnut-bellied Thrush, Swallow-wing Tanager,...) Lodge. Dinner

DAY 3: LA AZULITA-PTO. CONCHA
Breakfast and transfer to Puerto Concha. Lunch and boat trip to the village of Congo, during the journey we will visit the Catatumbo River Delta. Great scenery and wildlife experience; Zulian Two-toed Sloth, Red Howler Monkeys, White-faced Capuchin Monkeys, Tamandua, Caribbean dolphins. The rare Orinocan Manatee is reported in the area. Birding. o (Black-capped Mocking- thrush, Tropical & Grey Kingbirds, Chestnut-bellied Heron, Hook-billed & Everglade Kite,Pygmy Swift, Smoth-billed Ani, Trou -pial, Greater Ani, Pied Water-Tyrant, Rufous-crab Hawk, Rufous-necked Woodrail, Great Kiskadee, White-wing Swallow, Wattled Jacana, Swallow-wing Yellow-hooded Blackbird, Northern Screamer, Great Potoo, Pale-vented Pigeon, Ringed Kingfisher, Green Kingfisher, Yellow-throated Spinetail, Band-tailed Barbthroat, Rufous-breasted Hermit, Black-chested Jay, White-headed Marsh-Tyrant, Brown Pelican, Common Tern, Vermillion Flycatcher,Fork-tailed Flycatcher,Great Kiskadee, Panamá Flycatcher, Yellow Oriole...) Lunch on the way. Accomodation in hammocks. Dinner and night trip.

DAY 4: PTO.CONCHA-MERIDA 
Breakfast and return to Puerto Concha (Greater ani, Neotropic Cormorant, Little Blue Heron, Large- billed tern, Laughing Gull,Common Tern Great Kiskadee,...) Lunch & transfer to El Vigía City. Afternoon visit to the Hydroelectric Dam of Onia (White-necked & Capped Herons, Smoothbilled, Groove-billed & Greater  Anies, White-faced Whistling Duck, Black bellied Whistling Duck, Paraguayan Snipe, King Vulture, Pied-billed Grebe, Purple Gallimule, Spotted Sandpiper, Dark-backed Gold Finch, Saffron Finch, Buff- throated Saltator, Blackfaced Tanager, Yelow-hooded Blackbird, Oriole Blackbird, Wood Pewee, Black- capped Mocking-thrush, Tropical Mockingbird, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Common Gallinule, Southern Lapwing, Osprey, Capped Heron, Anhinga, Troupial, Yellow Oriole, Hook- Billed Kite,Common-Tody Flycatcher,...) Evening transfer to the City of Mérida. Check-in at the Sierra Nevada’s National Park Guesthouse in La Mucuy area. Dinner and night walk. (Barn Owl, White-Throated Screech-Owl,..)

DAY 5: SIERRA NEVADA
“Very early” walk to the areas (Owls & Nightjars) and full day birdwatching on the Humboldt trail (5:45aprox.) Pic-nic breakfast and lunch (Glossyblack Thrush, Black-headed Tanager, Blue and  Black Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager,Blackburnian Warbler, White-fronted Redstart, American Redstart, Slate-throated Redstart, Brown-rumped TapaculoGolden-crowned Flycatcher, Black &-white Warbler, Barred Fruiteater Chestnut-crowned Antpitta, Smokey-brown WoodpeckerEmerald Toucanet, Crested Quetzal, Long-tailed Sylph, Gorgeted Woodstar, Mérida Sunangel, Golden-bellied Startfronlet, Collared Jay, Green Jay, Collared Inca, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Mountain Velvet-bre-ast, Rose-headed Parakeet, Scaly-naped Parrot, Ruddy Pigeon, Slaty-backed Hemispingus, Band-tailed Guan, Gray-capped Hemispingus, Masked Trogon, Yellow-legged Thrush, White-fronted Redstart,...) Evening birding along La Mucuy River (White Capped Dippers) Dinner and well deserved rest at the Park’s mountain lodge.

DAY 6: SIERRA NEVADA-LOS FRAILES
Breakfast and morning tour to the Eagle Pass. The highest paved road in Venezuela (over 4.000 meters), in search of the Great Andean Condor. There is a colony of released ones established in Mifafí Valley. Visit to the Biological Station. Birding. Souvenirs. (Bar-winged Cinclodes, Andean Tit-spinetail, Páramo Pipit, Bearded Helmetcrest, Black-chested Buzzard Eagle,...). Lunch at Mucubaji Lagoon, (Andean Siskin, Sierra Finch, Great Thrush, Brown-back Chat-tyrant, Whitesided Flowerpiercer, Sparkling Violetear,Speckled Teal, Blue-wing Teal,...) Afternoon birding in Las Tapias (or Gustavo´s trail), the ecotone between cloud forest and Páramos (Torrent Duck, White Capped Dipper, Lachrymose Mountain-tanager, Blue-back Conebill, Masked Flower-piercer, Streak-throared Bush-Tyrant, ...) Rest at Los Frailes, charming mountain lodge built in 1.643 from the ruins of a Franciscan monastery surrounded by deep valleys, rivers, glacier lakes, moraines and unique ecosystem. Dinner.

DAY 7: LOS FRAILES-BARINITAS
Morning tour to Santo Domingo river (Torrent Ducks)  breakfast and transfer to San Isidro trail. Full day birding “including pic-nic lunch”. (Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Chestnut-bellied Thrush, Hooded- mountain Tanager, White-wing Tanager, Bluecapped Tanager, Blue-hooded Euphonia, Speckled Tanager, Green & Black Fruiteater, Rufous-vented Chachalaca, White Hawk, Saffron-headed Parrot, Red-headed  Barbet,  Andean Guan, Ruddy Pigeon, Manakin, Ruddy Quail-Dove, Helmeted Curassow, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Orange-throated Sunangel, Band-tailed Pigeon, White-capped Parrot, Red-billed Parrot, White-collared Swift, Cliff Flycatcher,Crested & Goldenheaded Quetzals, Masked Trogon, Emerald Toucanet, Red-headed Barbet, Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Green Jay, Tropical Parula, Three-striped Warbler, Black and white Warbler,Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Orange-eared Tanager, Lined Quail-Dove,..) Accomodation in Barinitas. Guesthouse / dinner.

DAY 8: BARINITAS-BARINAS-CCS
Breakfast, morning birding around La Soledad and Altamira de Cáceres area, excelent andean foothill rainforest (Collared Swift, Yelow-rumped Cacique, Yelow-billed Cacique, White-vented Plumeleteer, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Swallow-wing Tanager, Little Hermit, Red-crowned Ant Tanager, Guira Tanager, Blackfaced Tanager, Chestnut-bellied Thrush, Magpie Tanager, White-bearded Manakin,  Bayheaded Tanager,  Blue-naped Tanager, Saffron- headed Parrot, Turpial,..) Lunch.  After noon transfer to Barinas Airport.Che-ck out. Caracas.
 



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ARASSARI TREK  -  V.T. 2256
Raquel & Tom Evenou
Final calle 24, 8-301.  Mérida - Venezuela
Tel /Fax :  ++58  (0274) 2525879     Cel. (0414) 7463569
E-Mail: info@arassari.com  ó arassari@telcel.net.ve

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