Santa Cruz, Amboró, Comarapa, Siberia Cloud Forest & Red-fronted Macaw Reserve
Overview
Explore some of the best birdwatching destinations in eastern Bolivia on this 6-day specialist birding tour from Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
The journey combines the Santa Cruz lowlands, Lomas de Arena, Refugio Los Volcanes and Amboró National Park, Samaipata, Comarapa, the Siberia cloud forest and the Red-fronted Macaw Reserve.
By travelling through dramatically different elevations and ecosystems, birders have the opportunity to search for a variety of Bolivian endemic, near-endemic and restricted-range birds, including Red-fronted Macaw, Black-hooded Sunbeam, Bolivian Recurvebill, Bolivian Blackbird and Bolivian Brushfinch.
This tour is designed for birdwatchers and can be adapted according to recent sightings, weather conditions and individual target species.
key birding regions
headline target species
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We begin with a full day of birdwatching around Santa Cruz de la Sierra, exploring a mixture of lowland forest, wetlands, open country and savanna.
We also visit Lomas de Arena, an important birding area close to Santa Cruz with a combination of sand dunes, grassland, wetlands and patches of forest.
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Parrots, woodpeckers, raptors, flycatchers and numerous other eastern Bolivian species are also possible.
Overnight: Santa Cruz
After breakfast, we travel from Santa Cruz toward Refugio Los Volcanes, situated beside Amboró National Park.
As we approach the eastern Andes, the landscape changes from tropical lowlands to spectacular forested valleys and subtropical foothill forest.
After arriving, we spend the afternoon birdwatching along the trails and forests surrounding the refuge.
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Overnight: Refugio Los Volcanes
We begin with early-morning birdwatching at Refugio Los Volcanes, taking advantage of the increased morning bird activity.
Afterwards, we travel toward Samaipata, stopping briefly at a local hummingbird refuge to search for hummingbirds and other birds of the inter-Andean valleys.
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We then continue to Comarapa, one of Bolivia’s most important birdwatching regions and an excellent base for exploring several different elevations and habitats.
Overnight: Comarapa
Today is a full day of specialist birdwatching around Comarapa and the Serranía de Siberia.
This region is particularly important for endemic and restricted-range Andean birds. We explore cloud forest, montane habitats and inter-Andean valleys, selecting our birding locations according to recent activity and conditions.
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We enjoy another early-morning birding session around Comarapa before continuing toward the Red-fronted Macaw Reserve.
The habitat changes considerably as we enter the dry inter-Andean valleys.
After arriving at the reserve, we spend the afternoon searching for the area’s endemic and restricted-range birds, particularly the spectacular Red-fronted Macaw.
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We begin our final day with early-morning birdwatching at the reserve, providing another opportunity to observe Red-fronted Macaws and other dry-valley specialties.
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After our morning birding session, we return to Santa Cruz via Samaipata, making additional birding stops along the route when time and conditions permit.
Arrival in Santa Cruz during the afternoon or evening. End of tour.
at a glance
target list
Important target species during the journey can include:
Birds listed are target species and are not guaranteed. Sightings depend on weather, season and local conditions.
extensions
This itinerary can be combined with other important birdwatching destinations in Bolivia, including:
Blue-throated Macaw and Beni savanna specialties.
Exceptional Amazon–Andes bird diversity.
High-Andean and cloud-forest birding.
Longer customized Bolivia birding itineraries can be designed according to your available time and target species.
Our team replies within a few hours. We also speak Spanish and English.
Yes. The itinerary is designed specifically for birdwatchers and focuses on finding endemic, restricted-range and regional specialty birds. We use experienced birding guides and adapt daily birding according to current conditions and target species.
Major targets include Red-fronted Macaw, Black-hooded Sunbeam, Bolivian Recurvebill, Bolivian Blackbird, Bolivian Brushfinch, Bolivian Earthcreeper, Rufous-faced Antpitta, Cliff Parakeet and Red-tailed Comet. No wild bird sighting can be guaranteed.
The tour visits Santa Cruz, Lomas de Arena, Refugio Los Volcanes and the Amboró foothills, Samaipata, Comarapa, the Siberia cloud forest and the Red-fronted Macaw Reserve.
Yes. We particularly recommend extending the trip to Barba Azul Nature Reserve in Beni to search for the endemic Blue-throated Macaw, allowing birders to target both the Blue-throated Macaw and Red-fronted Macaw during the same Bolivia birding trip.
Yes. Extensions can include Madidi National Park and Sadiri Lodge, Barba Azul Nature Reserve, La Paz and the Yungas, as well as other birdwatching regions according to your target species and available time.
Yes. Birdwatching conditions change constantly, so our guide may adjust locations, departure times or birding stops according to weather, road conditions and recent sightings.
No. All species are wild and sightings cannot be guaranteed. The species listed are important targets recorded in the regions visited.