In early February 2022 we headed out to visit Colombia and bird with a group of friends. This trip was set up by Tom and Carol Sykes, our regular trip leaders. What an adventure it was. This was a slightly altered Tropical Birding trip led by guide Nick Athanas. We flew into Medellin and departed from Bogota, with an in-country flight from Pereira to Bogota. We had 10 days of birding in the Central and Western Andes and it was amazing. We had a total of 401 birds seen and heard, and some of the heard birds were heard over and over and over so often that I got some really good recordings with the Merlin app.
The great Andean mountain range splits into three chains as it traverses Colombia, resulting in a very high degree of endemism (70+ endemic bird species). Colombia is blessed with an extensive system of reserves that protect many of these species, and we visited many of them on our tour. Among the many spectacular birds we saw on this trip were Buffy Helmetcrest, Yellow-eared Parrot, Black-and-gold, White-capped, Grass-green, Hooded Mountain, Lacrimose Mountain, Scarlet-bellied, Gold-ringed, and many more beautiful Tanagers.
Our trip went from 9 to 21 February with a travel day before and after the trip. There was a total of 10 intrepid travelers in our group and one great guide that was often supplemented by additional local guides. The birding was fantastic, and the people were warm, welcoming, and always willing to go the extra mile to help us in any way possible. As always on these trips, the food was wonderful, and we had more than we could eat on many occasions, even with assistance from others in our group.
These photos are not in chronological order abut I hope to rearrange them in the future into a more coherent trip report.
You can view the photos here and they will have titles, or you can click on the picture and it will take you to the viewing mode.
More text to follow as time permits, but here are some photos to start with.
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Our Itinerary
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| The outskirts of Medellin, Colombia 9 February |
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| A local brew |
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| Delicious Rib dinner |
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| Happy campers at Jardin Botanical Garden restaurant, Medellin |
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| Beer in the park after birding |
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| Lunch at the botanical garden |
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| The square right outside our hotel in Jardin, Colombia 11-12 February |
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| Central church in Jardin, next to our hotel |
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| Dinner, Bandeja Paisa, a traditional five-meat meal |
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| Sandwich vendor right outside our hotel in Jardin |
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| Our hotel in Jardin, right on the town square. |
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| Hotel dining area with a view of our rooms on the left |
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| Hotel entrance and ice cream store on the left |
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| Central Andes |
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| Our tour bus and driver |
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| Umbrella birding, became a common thing |
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| Many meals start with a hearty soup |
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| A little pre-hike breakfast and coffee/hot chocolate at 11,000 feet |
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| Mural on the building wall |
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| Our first Andean Condor of the trip at Negro lagoon |
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| Lunch at Negro Lagoon on the thermal route |
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| Golden-breasted Puffleg |
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| Rise" feeding the Glossy Flowerpiercer |
Rise" handfeeding the Golden-breasted Puffleg
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| Steak and salad dinner |
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| The Andes from 13,000 feet |
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| Volcano selfie |
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| Nevado del Ruiz Volcano |
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| Indigo-winged Parrot Preserve |
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| Relaxed birding. Carol, Marge, Connie, & Russell |
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| Our Cabin for the night |
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| Don Frijolies Restaurant |
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| Traditional meal, Ajiaco, a hearty white chicken soup with sides. Look at the avocado slice |
, 7 inches long
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| I found a friend |
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| Just another selfie in the Andes |
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| Birding in the rain |
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| Some of the birds in Tatama park |
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| Tilapia dinner |
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| Birding the mountain road |
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| What would you expect in the cloud forest |
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| Close in birding |
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| Delightful lunch on the road |
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| The western Andes Mountains |
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| Hand feeding a Masked Flowerpiercer |
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| Hand feeding a hummingbird |
Now that you have a little taste of the country, the areas we were birding. and the hotels and food, I will throw a few bird pictures in the mix. Enough of the phone photos it is time for some camera shots.
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| Hand feeding a Buff-tailed Coronet |
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| Montane Woodcreeper |
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| Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner |
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| Collared Trogon (female) |
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| Roadside mishap |
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| Andean Condor |
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| Andean Guan |
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| Andean Lapwing |
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| Bar-crested Antshrike |
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| Barred Fruiteater (female) |
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| Barred Fruiteater (male) |
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| Bay-headed Tanager |
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| Bicolored Wrens |
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| Bicolored Wrens |
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| Black and white Warbler |
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| Black-and-White Becard |
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| Black-billed Trush |
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| Black-capped Tanager |
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| Black-capped Tanager |
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| Black-crested Warbler |
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| Black-crowned Antshrike (female) |
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| Black-crowned Antshrike (male) |
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| Black-winged Saltator |
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| Blue-and-black Tanager |
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| Blue-capped Tanager |
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| Blue gray Tanager |
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| Blue-necked Tanager |
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| Blue-winged Mountain Tanager |
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| Bronzy Inca |
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| Buff-tailed Coronet |
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| Buffy Helmetcrest at Los Nevados National Park |
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| Buffy Helmetcrest |
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| Chami Antpitta (chick) |
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| Chami Antpitta (mom) |
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| Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer |
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| Chestnut-crowned Antpitta |
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| Chestnut-crowned Antpitta |
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| Chestnut-headed Oropendola |
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| Cinnamon Flycatcher |
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| Andean Cock-of-the-Rock |
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| Cocoi Heron |
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| Local farmer |
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| Collared Inca (female) |
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| Common Tody-Flycatcher |
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| Andean Cock-of-the-Rock |
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| Andean Cock-of-the-Rock |
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| Andean Cock-of-the-Rock |
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| Crescent-faced Antpitta |
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| Crescent-faced Antpitta |
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| Crimson-manted Woodpecker |
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| Crimson-backed Tanager |
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| Crimson-mantled Woodpecker |
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| Eared Dove |
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| Equitorial (Rufous) Antpitta |
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| Equitorial (Rufous) Antpitta |
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| Collared Inca & Fawn-breasted Brilliant |
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| Our hotel, the Hacienda Etramadura, in Sabanetta, outside Medellin |
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| Part of the hotel |
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| Our rooms on the right |
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| Flame-rumped Tanager (juvenile) |
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| Flame-rumped Tanager |
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| Glossy Flowerpiercer |
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Southern Lapwing
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Golden-crowned Warbler
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Hummingbirds
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Red Squirrel
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Stout-billed Cinclodes
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Spot-breasted Woodpecker
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Plain Seedeater
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Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant
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Silver-throated Tanager
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Scrub Tanager
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Scrub Tanager
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Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager
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Safron Finches
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Great Thrush
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Indigo-winged Parrot
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| Indigo-winged Parrot. One of 230-300 remaining on earth |
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Lacrimose Mountain Tanager
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Lacrimose Mountain Tanager
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Juan Valdez
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Lesser Violetear
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Local Bus
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Purple-throated Woodstar
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Red-headed Barbet (female)
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Red-bellied Grackle
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Torrent Ducks actual view.
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Purplish-mantled Tanager, #2000 life bird
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Red-headed Barbet (male)
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Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Otun Quimbaya Sanctuary
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Purplish-mantled Tanager #2000 life bird
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Plushcap
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Plumbeous Sierra Finch
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Plain-colored Seedeater
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Palm Tanager
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Gray-browed Brushfinch
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Great Kiskadee
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Green Honeycreeper
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Hepatic Tanager
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Hooded Mountain Tanager
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| Indigo-winged Parrot, preserve outside Santa Clara, Colombia |
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Indigo-winged Parrots
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Long-tailed Sylph
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Masked Flowerpiercer
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Collared Trogon (female)
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Masked Flowerpiercer
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View of Medellin from our hotel
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Yellow-rumped Cacique
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Collared trogon (male)
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Yellow-rumped Cacique
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Munchique Wood-Wren
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Munchique Wood-Wren
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Ornate Flycatcher
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Ornate Flycatcher
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Orange-chinned Parakeet
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Pale-naped Brushfinch
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Pale-naped Brushfinch
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Red-ruffed Fruitcrow
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Orange-breasted Fruiteater (male)
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Spectacled Parrotlet
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| Streaked Flycatcher |
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| Golden Tanager |
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| Golden-crowned Flycatcher |
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| Golden-faced Tyrannulet |
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| Golden-fronted Redstart |
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| Golden-plumed Parakeets |
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| Grass-green Tanager |
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| Grass-green Tanager |
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| Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan |
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| Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan |
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| Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan |
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| Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan |
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| The trails could be quite steep |
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| Coca Tea |
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| Some folks had the Coca Tea, with no affect |
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| Swordbill |
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| Tanager Finch |
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| Tawny-bellied Hermit |
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| Tawny-bellied Hermit |
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| Three-striped Warbler |
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| Torrent Duck (male) |
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| Torrent Duck (female) |
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| Torrent Ducks |
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| Torrent Tyrannulet |
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| Tourmaline Sunangel |
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| Tricolored Brushfinch |
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| Tropical Kingbird |
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| Velvet-purple Coronet |
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| Velvet-purple Coronet |
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| Long-tailed Sylph |
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| White-collared Swift |
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| White-whiskered Hermit, Bananaquit, White-necked Jacobin |
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| White bellied Woodstar |
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| White-browed Gnatcatcher |
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| White-capped Dipper |
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| White-capped Dipper |
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| White-capped Tanager |
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| White-capped Tanager |
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| White-capped Tanager |
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| White-sided Flowerpiercer |
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| White-throated Tyrannulet |
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| Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant |
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| Yellow-bellied Elaenia |
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| Yellow-eared Parrot |
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| Yellow-eared Parrots |
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| Yellow-headed Carcara |
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| Yellow-headed Caracara |
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| Yellow-headed Manakin |
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| Yellow-tailed Oriole |
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| Green Jay |
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| Green Jay |
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| Andean Lapwing |
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| Gold-ringed Tanager |
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| Gold-ringed Tanager |
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| Orange-breasted Fruiteater (female) |
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| Ochre-breasted Antpitta |
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| Ochre-breasted Antpitta |
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Agouti
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