Arcabuco Birding and Butterflying

Laura and I changed course from our original itinerary only two hours after leaving Duitama. Our plan had been to visit the Soatá area for a night – home to the Mountain Grackle but also two other endemic species (the Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird and Niceforo’s Wren). But we were having a hard time finding a place to stay. Both AirBnB properties we inquired with that would be suitable turned us down and we could not find anything else online. And on top of that, the drive would be a lot longer than we had originally anticipated due to the winding roads with frequent construction. And so, we changed course and turned the car south, aiming for the town of Arcabuco. Besides, I had already seen the Mountain Grackle and I would hopefully have a chance to search for the other two target species later on at the Cerulean Warbler Reserve. 

Lazuline Sabrewing - Rogitama Birding, Aracbuco, Boyacá, Colombia

We stayed at a property called Rogitama Birding. The property had formerly consisted of pasture fields but in 1982 the family which purchased the property began a decades long conservation initiative that is still ongoing. They replaced a lot of the soil, introduced earthworms and planted a wide range of tree species. While still surrounded by pastures, the property is lush and beautiful with many native species thriving in this environment. Among birders, this property is well-known as one of the easiest locations to see the range-restricted and Endangered Black Inca. 

Black Inca - Rogitama Birding, Aracbuco, Boyacá, Colombia

We enjoyed two nights at Rogitama. It was a perfect base to explore the surrounding areas, with trails, a beautiful wrap-around porch containing over a dozen hummingbird feeders, and Colombian hospitality from the family that owns the property. The price was right as well. 

Black Inca - Rogitama Birding, Aracbuco, Boyacá, Colombia

We encountered about a dozen hummingbird species on the property. Top of the list was, of course, the Black Inca. But we also viewed Lazuline Sabrewing and Short-tailed Emerald here for the first time. I think the Lazuline Sabrewings were my favourite! What a stunning hummingbird. 

Lazuline Sabrewing - Rogitama Birding, Aracbuco, Boyacá, Colombia

Short-tailed Emerald - Rogitama Birding, Aracbuco, Boyacá, Colombia

Birding was a little slower in the forest away from the lodge but with patience we found a few things of interest. Territorial Black Incas and Lazuline Sabrewings topped the list. But we also enjoyed Moustached Brushfinches, Pale-bellied Tapaculos, Yellow-backed Orioles and a bunch of tanagers and warblers. 

Summer Tanager - Rogitama Birding, Aracbuco, Boyacá, Colombia

The nearby fields held Eastern Meadowlarks and White-tailed Kites, while a close stream produced Torrent Tyrannulet, Black Phoebe and Solitary Sandpiper. 

White-tailed Kite - Rogitama Birding, Aracbuco, Boyacá, Colombia

Most people who visit this part of Colombia for “nature reasons” check out Iguaque National Park. However, the entrance fees for foreigners were prohibitive (over 20$ pp to enter) and so we made alternative arrangements. I had heard about a trail known as Sendero El Peligro from Dorian Anderson’s excellent blog/site guide. Located about 10 minutes from Rogitama, this trail cuts through a swath of different habitats, but mostly, montane forest. Laura and I visited for a full day and came away very impressed! Please check out Dorian’s page for information on directions, maps, etc. 

 Sendero El Peligro, Boyacá, Colombia

Portions of the trail passed over bedrock. Along with the shrubby vegetation and cool morning temperatures, it brought back memories of hiking in the Canadian Shield region. The only thing missing were the Massasaugas.

 Sendero El Peligro, Boyacá, Colombia

 Sendero El Peligro, Boyacá, Colombia

The trail was in good condition and while there were a few elevation changes, for the most part it was relatively flat. This meant that more time could be focused on wildlife-finding and not on watching our feet. It is the dry season at the moment and we managed just fine with our hiking boots, but in the wet season rubber boots may be mandatory for certain sections. Our favourite part about the hike (other than the gorgeous scenery and excellent birding) was that we did not encounter a single human all day long! Bliss.

 Sendero El Peligro, Boyacá, Colombia

Sendero El Peligro is located at a fairly high elevation and so the bird life was not nearly as diverse as lower altitudes. But we had an awesome day of birding with perfect weather. Despite not arriving until close to 7:30 AM we still racked up 54 species. 

Golden-bellied Starfrontlets were occasionally noted. To think I made sure that we visited Chicaque near Bogotá, when the hummingbird is just as easy here! We also noted Glowing Puffleg, Short-tailed Emerald and Lazuline Sabrewing among our eight hummingbird species. 

Golen-bellied Starfrontlet - Sendero El Peligro, Boyacá, Colombia

Mixed flocks were frequent, keeping us on our toes. We enjoyed a nice selection of birds in these flocks including Cerulean Warbler, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Golden-fronted Redstart, Brown-capped Vireo, Mountain Elaenia, Montane Foliage-Gleaner, Blue-and-black Tanager and Bluish Flowerpiercer. We frequently heard Chestnut-crowned Antpittas, Blackish Tapaculos and Pale-bellied Tapaculos. A little flock of Yellow-breasted Brushfinches appeared and we had flyover Andean Siskins, White-collared Swifts and Chestnut-collared Swifts. We had great views of many species and it was certainly an enjoyable day out!

Symbolanthus sp. - Sendero El Peligro, Boyacá, Colombia

The sun was out for most of the day which powered up many insects. The butterfly show was never ending and gave us something to marvel at whenever the birding was slow.

Adelpha corcyra - Sendero El Peligro, Boyacá, Colombia

Unidentified - Sendero El Peligro, Boyacá, Colombia

Unidentified leafhopper - Sendero El Peligro, Boyacá, Colombia

Corades enyo - Sendero El Peligro, Boyacá, Colombia

Dione glycera - Sendero El Peligro, Boyacá, Colombia

Pronophila epidipnis - Sendero El Peligro, Boyacá, Colombia

One of the more spectacular butterflies was Morpho sulkowskyi, a species that we had noted a few previous times when hiking at this elevation in the Colombian Andes. The underside of the wings is a pale yellow but the upperside is spectacular – an iridescent, powdery blue. 

Morpho sulkowskyi - Sendero El Peligro, Boyacá, Colombia

Later on, we stumbled across an individual that had seen better days. But this provided us with a great opportunity to see the colouration and iridescence up close. Incredible!

Morpho sulkowskyi - Sendero El Peligro, Boyacá, Colombia

Morpho sulkowskyi - Sendero El Peligro, Boyacá, Colombia

We enjoyed our time at Rogitama and along Sendero El Peligro. The Boyacá province in Colombia is filled with many hidden gems that are not on the “typical” birding circuit, and these places are two of them!