Bird and mammal list from trip to Bolivia 

3-22 August 2005


Birds
Mammals


BIRDS

 

Greater Rhea                           Rhea americana

An iconic bird of the pampas that we were rather lucky to spot just west of Santa Rosa on the way from Rurrenabaque to Caracoles. Around half a dozen rheas were stalking the grassland and only slowly moved off after we stopped the jeep to watch them more closely. They were safer birds to count than the one that was wandering about the grounds of the Hotel Safari, Rurrenabaque.

 

Great Tinamou                                    Tinamus major

One good view of this species at Chalalan along the trail to the landing stage. Sandro’s keen eyes picked it up perched about two meters off the ground in fading light. When we passed the same spot in the dark the next morning we flicked the torches on and it was still there. The tremulous call of this tinamou was also heard at Villa Tunari.

 

Cinereous Tinamou                  Crypturellus cinereus

Just a few minutes before our Great Tinamou sighting we heard the very strong short piping of this species frustratingly close to the track. Despite all best attempts to talk back the bird remained sufficiently far into the dense undergrowth of the forest that all notions of chasing it were cast aside.

 

Little Tinamou                          Crypturellus soui

A truly invisible tinamou, as it has been on all my trips into tinamou country. The haunting rising whistle was one of the first forest noises heard on our nocturnal morning hikes. A species that calls well before the coming of the dawn.

 

Brown Tinamou                       Crypturellus obsoletus

A tinamou seen ahead on the track that follows the western shore of Lake Chalalan was confidently identified by Sandro as this species. I have to confess that I am relying on his knowledge of his local patch as I could not narrow it down beyond being a plain mid-sized crypturellus (Brown, Cinereous or Undulated).

 

Tataupa Tinamou                     Crypturellus tataupa

The very distinctive call of this species was heard at first light on the grassy plain behind Caracoles Lodge. It starts with some slow hesitant high-pitched piping and then gradually accelerates while descending, ending almost in a low trill. It’s a small tinamou though… smaller than the grass in which it hides.

 

Undulated Tinamou                  Crypturellus undulatus

A classical Amazonian sound. The steady loud descending four hoot call of this tinamou was heard at Villa Tunari, Chalalan and most closely at Los Volcanes. How such a loud bird can be so invisible beats me, but that’s tinamous for you.

 

Red-winged Tinamou              Rhynchotus rufescens

Now this is more my idea of a tinamou. Easily heard, but also possible to observe. Or perhaps it is just that you have to go to the right sort of place. Kim’s Golf Course just outside Santa Cruz is the right sort of place. Unkempt rank grassland is plentiful, but so are neat fairways – the perfect place to see travelling tinamous. We heard plenty there and saw two, although they took some hunting amongst the grazing herds of Burrowing Owls.

 

White-bellied Nothura              Nothura boraquira

Another invisible bird that, judging by the background level of high-pitched whistling, is a common species in the grasslands of Lomas de Arena near Santa Cruz.

 

 

Speckled Chachalaca              Ortalis guttata

Strange arboreal birds that were fairly easily seen in river-edge forest on the way to Chalalan (and at Chalalan). Our closest views were from the dugouts on the Río Yacuma around Caracoles, where they were seen daily.

 

Spix’s Guan                             Penelope jacquacu

A bigger version of the chachalaca that we recorded in almost every lowland habitat that we visited. The most interesting encounters were around the Victoria Resort Hotel, Villa Tunari, where we were serenaded by their romantic vomiting calls shortly after breakfast. We also saw one in magnificent flight near the salt lick, looking only a few stages in evolutionary advance of a pterodactyl. Spix’s Guan was commonly heard in the forests of Chalalan.

 

Blue-throated Piping-Guan      Pipile cumanensis

This is a very fine member of the cracidae family, eccentric not only in its dark plumage, white cap and blue throat pouch, but also in its amazing call. This is made by the shaking the wings and was often heard just before daybreak, sounding a bit like an electric motor. A “bonkers” species that gets my full appreciation and one that was common around Chalalan.

                                   

Razor-billed Curassow             Mitu tuberose

Someone suggested to us that we would see curassows if we were very lucky, but we found them to be ten-a-penny. Well maybe that is a slight exaggeration… We saw our first from the boat in on the way in to Chalalan and then another at the swamp in Chalalan. Sandro saw yet another the next day very close to the lodge. However we saved up our best encounter for the Río Yacuma near Caracoles Lodge. Two curassows had come down to the edge of the river to feed and they casually strolled along the muddy margins before flying in front of our boat and then scuttling up the bank. You don’t get better views than that.

 

Horned Screamer                    Anhima cornuta

Sometimes you come across a bird that is simply indescribable within the boundaries of past experience. The two Horned Screamers resident at the Chalalan swamp were probably my candidates for birds of the trip. They are just bizarre birds. The look like,, umm.. umm.. that’s my point really. Almost bustard like, except they live in wetlands. Bulky birds that look terrestrial, except that we only ever saw them perched on top of trees. A bird of that size should really be silent, but these ones called with such ferocity that they could be heard kilometres away. And then there is that bizarre quill that pokes from their forehead…

 

Southern Screamer                 Chauna torquata

Another bizarre species, but probably slightly more mundane than the previous one. Almost resembling a cross between a grey long-necked crested goose and a vulture, we saw these on a couple of occasions in the pampas close to the Río Yacuma near Caracoles. On the first occasion they were first heard but we had to manoeuvre the boat back and forth and engage in an amount of neck straining before two birds were seen in a distant tree. We had clearer views the next day. Interestingly John’s digital photo processing revealed the previously unknown fact that he had seen one at Lomas de Arena (or rather he had photographed one) without working out what it was at the time!

 

Orinoco Goose             Neochen jubuta

An attractive orange and white goose that was seen on several occasions in groups of two of three on sandbars on the journey along the Río Beni and Río Tuichi from Rurrenabaque to Chalalan.

 

Muscovy Duck                          Cairina moschata

One lone bird was seen on Laguna Volcanes and a flock of a dozen was noted in one of the many flooded lagoons off the road between Santa Rosa and Reyes on our way back to Rurrenabaque .

 

Brazilian Teal                          Amazonetta brasiliensis

Somehow the name suggests a teal with flair, colour and a bit of attitude. Alas this is a very drab duck. Around ten were patrolling the waters of the lagoon at the Lomas de Arena dune system and four were seen along one of the creeks at Kim’s Golf Course, Santa Cruz.

 

Yellow-billed (Brown) Pintail               Anas georgica

A classic high altitude duck that we surprisingly only saw well once on Lake Titicaca. However we did not have the chance to study the best birding areas of the La Paz side of the lake and I would expect this species to be fairly common there.

 

Puna Teal                                Anas puna

In contrast to Brazilian Teal, the dull sounding Puna Teal is actually a very attractive teal with an azure blue bill and white face beneath a striking dark cap. Several birds were seen on Lake Titicaca and it was the commonest duck that we saw there (not that our sample size was particularly significant).

 

Masked Duck                           Oxyura dominica

A very small oxyura duck that we saw on Laguna Volcanes. Aidan commented that this may be an endangered species in Bolivia, but I cannot find any information about that.

 

Ruddy (Andean) Duck              Oxyura jamaicensis

I assume that the alternative name suggests that the subspecies in this part of America was once thought of as a distinct species. We only saw Ruddy Duck once on Lake Titicaca at the only productive reedy headland that our catamaran passed within good range of.

 

Least Grebe                             Tachybaptus dominicus

Laguna Volcanes is not an enormous area of fresh water. Nonetheless it supported an astonishing population of diminutive Least Grebes as they covered the surface of the water. In contrast Lake Chalalan, a similarly sized lake in Amazonia sported a couple at most. A couple of birds were also seen on the lake in the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz.

 

Pied-billed Grebe                    Podilymbus podiceps

Only recorded at the essential birding stop near Santa Cruz, Kim’s Golf Course, where a couple of grebes were spotted on the lagoon at the far end of the course, right next to where a couple of non-grebes had their afternoon bathing nuptials spoiled by the unexpected arrival of a telescope and several sets of binoculars.

 

White-tufted Grebe                  Rollandia Rolland

A handsome small grebe, resembling a darker version of a Black-necked Grebe. We only saw one bird at the Transturin catamaran base on Lake Titicaca, where the white tuft glowed in the early morning sunshine out on the mirror surface of the lake.

 

Short-winged Grebe                Rollandia microptera

The largest grebe at Lake Titicaca and of significant interest as it is flightless and endemic to this lake and one other at similar altitude. A couple of birds were seen from our catamaran as we cruised back down the lake in the late afternoon.

 

Silvery Grebe                          Podiceps occipitalis

A small grebe (in fact seemingly no larger than the Least Grebe) with a white neck and throat that we saw on several occasions during our Titicaca cruise.

 

Neotropic Cormorant               Phalacrocorax brasilianus

The one and only cormorant of the region. Noted on our first birding outing at the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz and seen in all the expected locations. Most commonly observed on the long boat journeys along the Río Beni and Río Tuichi in and out of Chalalan. Surprisingly not seen at Lake Titicaca.

 

Anhinga                                   Anhinga anhinga

A species that never allows itself to be taken for granted. A couple of birds were active around Lake Chalalan and often observed in flight or on surprisingly high perches above the lake. Surprisingly only seen once on the boat trips between Rurrenabaque and Chalalan. More common along the Río Yacuma at Caracoles and seen in front of our boat one afternoon “doing the snake neck thing”.

 

Rufescent Tiger Heron             Tigrisoma lineatum

A beautiful heron that was pleasingly common and abiding in the waters along the Río Yacuma (Caracoles). While the adults have a stunning thick rufous neck it is the immature birds that actually have the “tiger” plumage. One adult quietly fished from the boat landing area at the lodge. This was probably also the species that launched itself from cover at dusk and flew across Lake Chalalan.

 

Fasciated Tiger Heron             Tigrisoma fasciatum

A drabber and slightly smaller version of the previous species that we only saw once, hunting amidst the boulders at the edge of the fast-flowing river near the Oilbird Caves in Carrasco National Park.

 

Agami Heron                           Agamia agami

This secretive heron was seen perched low in a tree close to a small forest stream not far from the swamp at Chalalan. Although the bird was immature there was no mistaking the crouched forward posture of this Amazonian heron.

 

Boat-billed Heron                    Cochlearius cochlearius

Just a couple of boat-bills were seen on this trip, both downstream from Caracoles Lodge in the pampas, hiding in the riparian vegetation along the Río Yacuma (as much as you can with an appendage of that size).

 

Black-crowned Night-Heron     Nycticorax nycticorax

At least a couple of birds (mainly immature) were flushed on each boat trip along the Río Yacuma from Caracoles Lodge. The broadest winged and stockiest of the herons in the pampas.

 

Striated Heron                         Butorides striatus

Although the commonest heron in the pampas and regularly seen scuttling for cover along the banks of the Río Yacuma by Caracoles Lodge, this species was nowhere near as common as on my previous neotropical trips.

 

Cattle Egret                              Bubulcus ibis

This is such a ubiquitous world bird that my memory treats them akin to Feral Pigeons and I am left struggling to recall encounters with them in Bolivia. I can definitely recall seeing flocks at dusk flying by the roadside west of Villa Tunari, but we surely saw them more often than that.

 

Cocoi Heron                             Ardea cocoi

This big white version of the familiar Grey Heron was first seen mid-stream at the bottom of the Chapare road. However it was to become gradually more common as our trip proceeded, with several on the Chalalan boat trips along the Río Beni and Río Tuichi and many along the Río Yacuma in the pampas around Caracoles.

 

Great Egret                              Ardea alba

Nowhere common on our travels. One bird was seen overhead at Lomas de Arena and several seen on the boat trips in to Chalalan from Rurrenabaque.

 

Whistling Heron                       Syrigma sibilatrix

A grassland heron whose unusual blue and orange plumage makes this the most stunning of Bolivian herons. Our windy walk into the swirling sands of Lomas de Arena was made worthwhile by good views of several of these herons amidst the dunes. Those who missed out had another chance at Caracoles where we saw some from the dyke on our morning walk.

 

Capped Heron                         Pilherodius pileatus

If Whistling Herons are the most striking of the Bolivian offering, then Capped Herons are definitely the most delicate. A smallish white heron with blue bill and visible plume, this delightful species was seen on each journey along the Río Beni and Río Tuichi in and out of Chalalan. Also seen along the Río Yacuma at Caracoles.

 

 

 

Snowy Egret                            Egretta thula

The commonest egret and seen on all our river trips. At sunset we saw several flocks flying upstream from Rurrenabaque, the sun glinting of their backs and their yellow feet glowing in the late light. One bird was also seen at the Santa Cruz Jardin Zoologico (definitely outside a cage).

 

Little Blue Heron                     Egretta caerulea

Only one bird was seen on the whole trip, standing on one of the many river islands on the way from Rurrenabaque to Chalalan.

 

Puna Ibis                                 Plegadis ridgwayi

We hotly debated whether a flock of formation flying glossy black birds at Copacabana on Lake Titicaca were ibises or cormorants. However no such debate was necessary for the gathering flocks of Puna Ibis that assembled in the fields at the end of the lake at dusk, seen from the minibus on our way back to La Paz.

 

Green Ibis                                Mesembrinibis cayennensis

A lone ibis in the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz surprisingly proved to be this dark species. Several were also seen along the Río Beni and Río Tuichi on the way to Chalalan and whiling away the heat of one afternoon in the small swamp behind Caracoles Lodge.

 

Bare-faced Ibis                                    Phimosus infuscatus

There were several claims on this species at various points on the trip but the only definite sighing for me was a flock of 20 that flew over the grasslands behind Caracoles Lodge on our early morning walk. The red legs and yellow bills were quite definitive.

 

Plumbeous Ibis                        Theristicus caerulescens

A large and rather beige looking ibis with a long notable crest that we saw several times in the pampas around Caracoles Lodge. This is quite an imposing ibis and much more beautiful in the telescope than a first glance suggested.

 

Buff-necked Ibis                       Theristicus caudatus

Another big bruiser of an ibis that was put up to flight when we landed our boat in the pampas to bale out the copious amounts of water that were sloshing about in the gunnels. I suspect that a very large ibis glimpsed flying over Lomas de Arena was probably also this species.

 

Roseate Spoonbill                   Ajaia ajaja

These visions in pink were regularly seen in flight high above the pampas. We were fortunate enough to find some perched atop a tree during our big walk at Caracoles, offering much more prolonged views of their vibrant colours.

 

Maguari Stork                          Ciconia maguari

The closest that neotropical storks come to looking like the White Stork, mainly differing by having a yellow rather than red bill. Fairly common around Caracoles and the pampas in general, with flocks of substantial numbers seen spiralling the thermals.

 

Jabiru                                      Jabiru mycteria

The condor of the storks. We saw several in flight high above our boat on the Río Yacuma at Caracoles but then enjoyed good telescope views the next day in the grasslands. The best views however were reserved for the drive back to Rurrenabaque, when a couple were spotted close to the road in small water-filled ditches. Their thick bare necks resembled elongated balloons as they strutted past our jeeps.

 

Wood Stork                              Mycteria americana

Nobody ever accused a Wood Stork of being beautiful. Mini jabirus without the gorgeous flash of red, these black and white brutes were seen in small numbers around the waters of Caracoles Lodge and the pampas, again often as specks in the sky above us.

 

Turkey Vulture                         Cathartes aura

As in much of the Americas, TVs were the default big dark raptor in the sky, so much so that we almost developed a punishment system on the bus for anyone caught calling a halt for one. Only in Amazonia did they surrender their default status to the next species. This bird also had the honour of being our first Bolivian species when they were se tossing in the wind outside Santa Cruz airport.

 

Greater Yellow-headed Vulture           Cathartes melambrotus

It would be nice to say that in Amazonia GHVs replace TVs, but it doesn’t work quite like that. The blue and yellow facial pattern is actually quite attractive, although we only had the chance to see it well when we sped past a couple of GHVs sitting on a sandbar on our way back from Chalalan to Rurrenabaque. We also saw a GHV at the salt lick near Villa Tunari.

 

Black Vulture                           Coragyps atratus

Widespread and familiar almost everywhere. Definitely the default mid-sized raptor.

 

King Vulture                            Sarcoramphus papa

Having only seen this species as small white specks in a big azure sky before, I was very pleased to have a variety of good views of this chunky vulture. First seen soaring above Los Volcanes but most closely seen when several were seen in a tree along the main trail between Chalalan Lodge and the boat landing area.

 

Andean Condor                       Vultur gryphus

It would be criminal to have failed to see this species on a visit to Bolivia, but we nearly succeeded. The only location where we recorded this giant was Los Volcanes. Our first “condor” was a false start as it turned into a King Vulture, but just as spirits were down a real condor flew over the ridge. It was being mobbed by some tiny “sparrows”, which turned out to be Short-tailed Hawks – so I guess these are indeed big birds. Longer, but not closer, views were had of a pair of condors who lived high in a gully above Los Volcanes. They circled around the valley early in the afternoon – a suitably magnificent setting for this special bird.

 

Gray-headed Kite                    Leptodon cayanensis

One bird was first heard, and then located, calling noisily from a tree on the edge of a clearing near the Río Tuichi at Chalalan. We then saw this bird again at the landing stage as it flew across the river.

 

Swallow-tailed Kite                 Elanoides forficatus

I missed the bird that was seen from the bus on the way back up along the Chapare Road from Villa Tunari to Cochabamba. Fortunately another more obliging bird was seen from the boat on the way to Chalalan. This is the flagship species for the Bolivian ornithological association Armonia.

 

Snail Kite                                 Rostrhamus sociabilis

We were very pleased to pick this species up at Kim’s Golf course near Santa Cruz, hunting over the lagoon. However nothing quite prepared us for how common this species would be in the pampas. Almost every puddle by the roadside had a Snail Kite perched on a post, surveying for molluscs, hooked bill at the ready. The Río Yacuma had a Snail Kite every few hundred meters and at dawn in the grassland behind Caracoles we watched hundreds of Snail Kites heading off from a communal roost.

 

Double-toothed Kite                 Harpagus bidentatus

A classical “sparrowhawk” that was seen gliding above the monkey enclosure at feeding time at the Villa Tunari animal refuge. It perched quietly in a tree and watched proceedings very carefully. We also saw one at Chalalan, again following the movement of some monkeys – this time a troupe of Brown Cappuchins. 

 

Plumbeous Kite                       Ictinia plumbea

A long straight-winged kite that was seen on a few occasions high above the Río Beni and Río Tuichi on our way from Rurrenabaque to Chalalan.

 

Crane Hawk                             Geranospiza caerulescens

A distinctive dark hawk with unusual white stripes near the ends of each underwing and two white tail bars that was identified using the scope from the dyke during our morning walk at Caracoles.

 

White Hawk                             Leucopternis albicollis

Seen just the once, at a distance, soaring above the river valley just upstream from the salt lick site near Villa Tunari.

 

Great Black Hawk                    Buteogallus urubitinga

An aptly named raptor that was first seen standing on a sandbar on the return boat trip from Chalalan. We were told that they would be common in the pampas, but in fact we saw this species only once at Caracoles, perched on top of a bush close to the edge of the river.

 

Savanna Hawk                                    Buteogallus meridionalis

An attractive reddish-brown hawk, first seen from the top of a windswept sandy ridge at Lomas de Arena, where four birds were observed rising into the air and being buffeted over the arid scrubland. We later saw this species several times in the pampas, most notable the single bird that saw out siesta time at the swamp behind Caracoles Lodge, hopping along the ground trying to disentangle some branches that appeared to have been caught up in its talons.

 

Black-collared Hawk                Busarellus nigricollis

This is one of the handsomest raptors in Southern America, with a creamy head offset from the rusty body by an unusual black front semi-collar. One bird took off from the Chalalan swamp grasping something in its talons and caused an amount of confusion for at least 24 hours as Sandro appeared to have thought it was a “Bicoloured Hawk” (that was until I figured out that we had misheard him). They were relatively common in the pampas and we enjoyed several good views there.

 

Roadside Hawk                        Buteo magnirostris

Common and confusing. We recorded this species at most locations, but more so once we established that the chocolate brown hooded raptors that we had been seeing prominently perched at several locations (including Los Volcanes and regularly on the boat trip to Chalalan) were in fact immature Roadsides. These are not depicted accurately in any of the field guides that we had access to.

 

Short-tailed Hawk                    Buteo brachyurus

A smallish white hawk with a partially dark hood (upper head only) that was seen in flight several times (for example Lagunas Volcanes and the Villa Tunari salt lick). Easily identified in the air by these characteristics.

 

Red-backed (Variable) Hawk   Buteo polyosoma

One species or two? Leaving aside the taxonomic debate, this flavour of Variable Hawk was only seen at Laguna Volcanes, where  a bird that perched out in a dead tree at the edge of the lagoon and then flapped around the edge of the water was clearly this species by the rusty upper back.

 

Puna (Variable) Hawk              Buteo poecilochrous

The other flavour of Variable Hawk was first seen in the puna at the pass between Cochabamba and Villa Tunari, but was also common and viewed closely in the puna around Copacabana on Lake Titicaca.

 

Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle               Spizastur melanoleucus

A large pale eagle (from beneath) with a barred undertail that we enjoyed clear views of high above Laguna Volcanes. If only all raptors were so clearly marked…

 

Black Hawk-Eagle                    Spizaetus tyrannus

This raptor was the surprise package on the way into Chalalan from Rurrenabaque. We saw it above the riparian woodland to our left and had enough time to take good field notes. The bird was large, small-headed, black and showed very fine barring on the broad underwing and undertail. Black Hawk-Eagle is the only candidate.

 

Black Caracara                        Daptrius ater

These birds always look somewhat sinister to me, like messengers from the dark side. Perhaps it’s the large coloured face patches. Almost all our sightings were from the Río Beni and Río Tuichi en route to Chalalan, where they featured on dead logs on river islands and perched atop trees.

 

Mountain Caracara                  Phalcoboenus megalopterus

A glamorous caracara that brightened up some of the highest altitude locations that we visited. First seen at the high pass between Villa Tunari and Cochabamba, with one immature (not so glamorous in autumnal yellow and brown) bird on the way down and several adults on the way back (including perched at the roadside). The only raptor seen at the high pass behind Lake Titicaca on our way to Copacabana.

 

Southern (Crested) Caracara               Caracara plancus

The largest and most widespread of the caracaras, particularly common in the open country around Santa Cruz and the pampas. We drove past several fields that appeared to have grazing herds of this species picking their way over the turf.

 

Yellow-headed Caracara         Milvago chimachima

Probably our first caracara, seen from the bus on the way in to Santa Cruz from the airport, but not seen well enough. Our only definite record was on top of a tree in front of our canoe on the Río Yacuma at Caracoles.

 

Barred Forest-Falcon               Micrastur ruficollis

We had several incorrect calls on this species during the first week of the trip but finally came good in Chalalan, where an immature forest falcon that was seen on consecutive visits to the swamp, quietly perched on the edge of the clearing, turned out to be this species.

 

Lined Forest-Falcon                 Micrastur gilvicollis

On our last morning in Chalalan we approached a tall tree at dawn, where an incredibly ventriloqual call resounded from somewhere in the canopy. Try as we might we could not locate the caller (although Alejandro assured us it was a forest-falcon) and had to walk on in defeated frustration. Subsequent listening to Sjoerd Mayer’s CD confirms that Alejandro was correct and that the call was almost certainly this species.

 

American Kestrel                     Falco sparverius

The most commonly seen falcon, with regular records throughout the trip. Notably seen on the first day, flying over the Plaza 24 de Septiembre, Santa Cruz, and on the second last day above Lake Titicaca (which gives a fair indication of its cosmopolitan habitat and altitude preferences).

 

Bat Falcon                               Falco rufigularis

Our first and most memorable sighting of this little falcon was at Laguna Volcanes, where one was classically perched on the tip of a tall dead tree, silhouetted against the bright late morning sunshine. We watched it through the scope make a few rapid sallies from its lookout post, catching an insect and returning to the perch. Also seen from the boat on the journey in to Chalalan.

 

Limpkin                                   Aramus guarauna

An eccentric water bird that made an early appearance at the lagoon by the entrance to Kim’s Gold Course near Santa Cruz, with three birds visiting in the late afternoon. However there is no doubt that Caracoles stole the Limpkin show, with literally hundreds of Limpkins in the air at dusk, flying over the Río Yacuma on the way (presumably) to communal roosting sites.

 

Ocellated Crake                        Micropygia schomburgkii

Of the many strange noises most likely coming from various invisible rallidae in the rank grasslands of the Río Yacuma floodplain, only a Corncrake-like rasping was positively identified as being this species.

 

Gray-necked Wood-Rail           Aramides cajanea

A large and easy-to-see forest rail that made several appearances. Tony’s group drew first blood along the stream at Los Volcanes. We quickly pulled level with a sighting in the hills at Achira. However nobody could miss the birds seen by the edge of the Río Tuichi on the way in to Chalalan and along the margins of the Río Yacuma at Caracoles.

 

Rufous-sided Crake                  Laterallus melanophaius

Two birds were seen noisily chasing one another back and forth along a dead log that lay out in the swamp at Chalalan. It may not be the most stunningly beautiful crake in the world – but hey, they all count…

 

Common Moorhen                   Gallinula chloropus

As always there was that slight feeling of robbery when I realised that the common freshwater gallinule is the same species that haunts my local park. First seen in the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz and most impressively resident in huge numbers on the small Laguna Volcanes.

 

Slate-coloured (Andean) Coot             Fulica ardesiaca

Bolivia hosts several species of coot and in the deceiving light of Lake Titicaca we thought that maybe we were seeing several of them. They were big (but not as big as Giant Coot), they had something bobby on their forehead (but not as bizarre as those of the Horned Coot), and sported prominent white under tail-coverts (ruling out White-winged Coot). Selected reedy edges of Lake Titicaca were covered in coots, but every bird that was thoroughly checked turned out to be this species. I am sure there were others out there.

 

Wattled Jacana                       Jacana jacana

Present at almost all locations where a jacana would be expected: namely ponds and shallow lagoons. On most occasions we also saw young birds. Example locations included the Jardín Botánico Municipal Santa Cruz, the swamp at Chalalan and many in the floodplain of the Río Yacuma around Caracoles.

 

Black-necked Stilt                    Himantopus mexicanus

Several flocks in the air above the sand dunes of Lomas de Arena were our only encounter with this species.

 

Pied Lapwing                          Vanellus cayanus

Looking much more like a true plover than a lapwing, this small vanellus was fairly common along the banks and sandbars of the Río Beni and Río Tuichi between Ruurenebaque and Chalalan. It was also very approachable and tended to stroll off rather than fly.

 

Southern Lapwing                   Vanellus chilensis

A large, common  and attractive lapwing of the lower elevations, first recorded at Lomas de Arena but then seen regularly elsewhere.

 

Andean Lapwing                     Vanellus resplendens

A smaller and slightly duller version of the previous species, which appears to take over at the higher elevations. They were obediently waiting for us in the car park of La Paz airport and were common on the altiplano, especially around Lake Titicaca.

 

Greater Yellowlegs                  Tringa melanoleuca

From the windswept sand ridges at Loma de Arenas we had distant scope views of a flooded lagoon where several small groups of waders were foraging. The larger of the waders present were this species.

 

Solitary Sandpiper                  Tringa solitaria

Having expected to see this species on the two length boat trips between Rurrenabaque and Chalalan, it wasn’t until our return to Rurrenabaque that one was seen hunting by the sewage outflow just outside our hotel. We also saw this bird at Caracoles.

 

Spotted Sandpiper                  Actitis macularia

Several were seen as the “default sandpiper” on the boat trips between Rurrenabaque and Chalalan.

 

Pectoral Sandpiper                 Calidris melanotos

I have spent hours hunting through flocks of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers in Australia looking for this species, so it was somewhat of an anticlimax to so easily finally see “pecs” on this trip (with their cleanly demarked breast plumage easily seen even from a distance through the scope). The first small flock was from the windswept ridge at Lomas de Arena, but some very good views were had at the Rurrenabaque sewage outflow and also from the dyke at Caracoles.

 

Andean Gull                            Larus serranus

For many hours on the slowest catamaran in the world, this was the only species visible over Lake Titicaca. In fact is safe to say that if these were not fairly common over Lake Titicaca, the inner realms of the lake itself would be a birding desert.

 

Yellow-billed Tern                   Sterna superciliaris

The more slender (and boring) of the two river terns, we saw this species several times on our runs between Rurrenabaque and Chalalan.

 

Large-billed Tern                     Phaetusa simplex

An almost comic looking tern, whose conk gives it the impression of a skimmer rather than a tern. Certainly much more of a yellow bill than the previous species, but “large-billed” is undoubtedly appropriate. We saw this species several times on the boat trips to Chalalan. Most notable was one that followed us for quite a few kilometres on the outward journey (not long out of Rurrenabaque) and the pair that dive-bombed Henry and George on one of the sand islands that we traversed on foot.

 

Black Skimmer                                    Rynchops niger

Fantastic birds that we saw on just a few occasions on the way back from Chalalan to Rurrenabaque. One patrolled the sewage outflow outside the Hotel Safari at Rurrenabaque and circled round and around, skimming just offshore right in front of my binoculars. Unfortunately when John went down with his killer lens the bird made one last circle and then flapped off downstream.

 

Scaled Pigeon                         Columba speciosa

A very spotty brown pigeon of the rainforest, seen well during one of our many neck-craning exercises at Chalalan. We only saw the species once, but it isn’t clear how many of the silhouetted pigeons seen flying at speed over the canopy might also have been this species.

 

Spot-winged Pigeon                Columba maculosa

It took a few missed opportunities before I finally got a good look at the large greyish pigeons that were commonly seen flying around the shores of Lake Titicaca. A glance of one at Copacabana left the impression of white on the wing, but a good view of one at Isla del Sol showed the telltale white spots on the wing.

 

Pale-vented Pigeon                 Columba cayennensis

It seems to be fairly easy to overlook this large pigeon and we certainly had done so on the trip until arriving in the pampas, where several were seen from the boat on our outings at Caracoles.

 

Plumbeous Pigeon                  Columba plumbea

First heard (the classical “who cooks for you” of the neotropical forest) and seen at Los Volcanes. We saw greatest numbers of this skittish species at Chalalan, where several sizeable flocks were seen from our canoe out on Lake Chalalan, seemingly able to constantly disappear into the forest canopy and only be seen in flight when disturbed.

 

Ruddy Pigeon                          Columba subvinacea

A rusty version of the previous species that was probably overlooked in Chalalan. We definitely recorded it once, when a clearly reddish pigeon sat out on a bare limb directly above our heads, but we probably crossed paths more often than that.

 

Eared Dove                              Zenaida auriculata

Not the common city dweller that we were familiar with in Ecuador. This did describe it however at Copacabana on Lake Titicaca, where Eared Doves sat on the lampposts in the busy town centre. Elsewhere it seemed surprisingly scarce and we only definitely noted a small flock at Lomas de Arena and Kim’s Golf Course. Another species that was probably overlooked.

 

Ruddy Ground-Dove                Columbina talpacoti

A distinctive small ground dove that we saw on a number of occasions. Our first solitary bird was foraging by the edge of the river at the salt lick site near Villa Tunari. Subsequently we saw this species at close range from the boat at Caracoles.

 

Picui Ground-Dove                  Columbina picui

Rather dull for a dove, with only the white flask on the wing distinctive. This was the common default dove at the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz and Kim’s Golf Course. We also ran into it in small numbers around Caracoles.

 

Blue Ground-Dove                   Claravis pretiosa

Just one pair of these unusual doves (he’s blue and she’s reddish brown) was seen sitting in the dust by the edge of the road as we rattled back down the highway to Rurrenabaque from Reyes. It was a brief glimpse, but enough to be sure.

 

White-tipped Dove                   Leptotila verreauxi

One bird seen perambulating through open forest at the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz was almost certainly this species.

 

Gray-fronted Dove                   Leptotila rufaxilla

This was a surprisingly easily seen dove on the edges of the Río Yacuma at Caracoles, where we regularly saw them strutting along the bank, waddling into cover as our boat approached.

 

Ruddy Quail-Dove                    Geotrygon violacea

A low Bronzewing style “ooming” heard deep in the forest at Chalalan was highly likely to have been this species. In fact we almost certainly also saw it, when a bright rufous bird was seen flying low down a gully beneath our path.

 

Blue-and-yellow Macaw          Ara ararauna

Three birds offered prolonged views atop one of the pinnacles at the Villa Tunari salt lick. Watching them fly in and settle about 50 metres from where we were crouched was a truly memorable experience. Later views of this species were all of distant birds in flight across the Río Beni and Río Tuichi on our way to Chalalan.

 

Military Macaw                                    Ara militaris

We heard throaty macaw calls long before we saw this species on the ridge high above Los Volcanes. After our guide had identified the call we waited a full minute before four birds were seen slowly cruising towards us high in the sky. They looked at one point as if they would pass directly overhead, but then changed direction slightly and passed behind the mountain.

 

Red-and-green Macaw                        Ara chloroptera

A couple of birds were seen at the Villa Tunari salt lick, arriving towards the end of our vigil and shortly after Arturo had decided they would not show. Subsequently we saw this species fairly regularly flying over the Río Beni and Río Tuichi on the journeys to and from Chalalan. Notably this species also had a nest hole at the top of a sheer cliff by the edge of the river and was seen peeking out of its hole on the way in to Chalalan.

 

Chestnut-fronted Macaw          Ara severa

The second commonest species at the Villa Tunari salt lick, where several small flocks flew in for nourishment. Also a fairly common macaw along the Río Beni and Río Tuichi on the way to and from Chalalan.

 

Red-bellied Macaw                  Orthopsittaca manilata

This was species was seen in flight just once, flying rapidly above us while we walked along a dyke at Caracoles.

 

Mitred Parakeet                       Aratinga mitrata

Distinctive parrots with red faces and crowns offsetting a white eye. This was one of the most active species at Los Volcanes but it took a while before we were able to pin some down in a distant tree and study them against the steep slope through the telescope.

 

White-eyed Parakeet               Aratinga leucophthalmus

Although I am sure we did see this species later, my only strong recollection is of a small flock that flew by us at Kim’s Golf Course, near Santa Cruz. The yellow forehead and notable white eye provided the identifiers.

 

Dusky-headed Parakeet           Aratinga weddellii

A small dark-headed parakeet that was the third most numerous at the Villa Tunari salt lick. Also recorded along the Río Beni and Río Tuichi en route to Chalalan.

 

Peach-fronted Parakeet           Aratinga aurea

Exotically named parakeets that were the “default parrots” in the pampas. The were regularly seen flying over head but it took some time before we were able to study some in a tree, and even then at some distance.

 

Green-cheeked Parakeet         Pyrrhura molinae

Quite a strange looking parakeet with a rather “dirty” plumage, sporting a green cheek only when examined carefully, but otherwise appearing somewhat dishevelled. Our first and best view of this species was in the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz, where a small flock had arrived to drink from a leaking water tap.

 

Blue-winged Parrotlet             Forpus xanthopterygius

A tiny tailless parrot that we saw on our first day, screaming through the suburbs of Santa Cruz and briefly perching on some telegraph wires. Their tiny lorikeet-like calls were heard around the city more commonly than at other locations that we visited.

 

Yellow-chevroned Parakeet    Brotogeris chiriri

A fairly common parakeet of Santa Cruz and surrounds, and easily seen around the city itself. What of course is most confusing is that this species is not depicted in any of the three field guides that I was travelling with. However a healthy collection in the Santa Cruz Jardin Zoologico aviary banished any identification doubts.

 

Cobalt-winged Parakeet          Brotogeris cyanoptera

This species replaces Blue-winged Parrotlet as the default “small noisy and fast” parrot of the Amazon regions. Never seen well, but always easily identified by the speed, agility and high pitched screeches as flocks shot over the Río Beni and Río Tuichi on the way to and from Chalalan.

 

White-bellied Parrot                Pionites leucogaster

I suppose that the white belly is indeed a feature, but this unusually smart parrot also sports a yellow face and rusty cap, to which my eyes were more naturally drawn. We saw small flocks on several occasions around Chalalan. This species is highly distinctive and unlike other parrots tended to be very visible in the upper canopies of trees by the river edge.

 

Blue-headed Parrot                 Pionus menstruus

Probably one of the most beautiful Bolivian parrots and certainly not a hard bird to see. Large amazona-sized parrots heard croaking and seen in flight above Santa Cruz may well have been this species, but it was at the Villa Tunari salt lick that we became most familiar with this species as a large flock were present. They tended to be rather jumpy and on several occasions all took to the air and circled before landing once again. In the early sun we saw a small party perched on top of a bush, catching the full glow of the light on their deep blue heads.

 

Scaly-headed Parrot                Pionus maximiliani

A fairly large parrot with a red vent, which proved a useful field mark given that they were often seen from below. The commonest parrot at Los Volcanes and also seen at Achira near Samaipata.

 

Blue (Turquoise)-fronted Parrot                       Amazona aestiva

Another mystery parrot that was not in any of my field guides and so took some time to nail down. This was a fairly common species around Los Volcanes, where we finally established that our eyes were not deceiving us and that there was a parrot with a turquoise fore crown in the area.

 

Scaly-naped Parrot                  Amazona mercenaria

The half dozen bland green amazona parrots seen in the valley at Achira were eventually identified as this species more by their lack of field marks than anything else. Only the red wing spot proved useful in sorting them out.

 

Mealy Parrot                            Amazona farinosa

Large parrots that were heard more often than seen on a number of occasions around Chalalan.

 

Hoatzin                                    Opisthocomus hoazin

Perhaps the novelty wears off after time. When I first came across these birds in Ecuador I thought they were awesome, amusing, breathtaking in their lack of convention and beauty. This time around I thought they were noisy, stupid and bizarre. In fact all of these apply really, so there is no contradiction. Common around Lake Chalalan, where six separate communities lived around the lake periphery. More notably a family of around a dozen held fort at the swamp. Also fairly common at Caracoles and often heard hissing from the banks of the Río Yacuma as we past in our canoe.

 

Squirrel Cuckoo                       Piaya cayana

A big cuckoo with a long tail that was recorded widely. Others reported them from the arid scrub of the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz, but I certainly saw them in the mountain forests Los Volcanes and the Amazonian lowland rainforests of Chalalan. A cosmopolitan beast.

 

Smooth-billed Ani                    Crotophaga ani

One of the commonest species in Bolivia and probably most readily seen in small parties by the side of the road, where open ground and secondary scrub proved more than good enough for this primeval black cuckoo. 

 

Guira Cuckoo                           Guira guira

A strange crested cuckoo that favoured open arid terrain, normally also occurring in small noisy parties. We first saw them at the start of the trip in Lomas de Arena and then towards the end of the trip in the pampas.

 

Striped Cuckoo                        Tapera naevia

We glimpsed one at the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz but then had to wait until the scrubby pasture behind Caracoles Lodge before we saw them again. This encounter was at dawn when a few birds were making high-pitched whistles from dense scrub in the breaking light. One was tracked down by torch, with just its head protruding from the thorny entanglement, resonating a gutsy morning piping.

 

Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl      Otus watsonii

A common sound around Chalalan, but we never very close to being able to find one in the vast blackness that cloaks the forest after sundown. The regularly piping (increasing slightly in loudness) could be heard from the lodge as well as further out on the trails.

 

Spectacled Owl                       Pulsatrix perspicillata

The biggest South American owl and probably the least likely of the local owls at Chalalan to be seen. Yet we saw two! The fist was at dawn on the main trail to the river when a call drew our attention to the canopy where a large bird was glimpsed flitting between trees. Later that day however we flushed one just behind the lodge, on the western shore of Lake Chalalan. It flew off into the forest, where we flushed it again just ten minutes later. Spectacled Owl madness…

 

Black-banded Owl                    Ciccaba huhula

We were taunted several times by this species at Chalalan. The “woop woop woop” call was heard from our hut while we were safely tucked up beneath the sheets. Later a manic pre-dawn screaming noise from deep inside the forest was heard and attributed to this species.

 

Amazonian Pygmy-Owl            Glaucidium hardyi

A rapid piping heard quite close to the track at dawn one morning at Chalalan was definitely this species. But the light was poor and there was a lot of forest in which to look for it.

 

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl           Glaucidium brasilianum

More pre-dawn piping noises, this time outside our room at the Victoria Resort Hotel, Villa Tunari. There does not seem to be other candidates for this noise at that location.

 

Burrowing Owl                                    Athene cunicularia

And finally an owl that can actually be seen! Lomas de Arena is where we saw our first couple, standing outside a burrow, undaunted in the full face of a mid morning gale. They were also spotted on posts on our walk down to the dunes at this site. But at Kim’s Golf Course they truly excelled, littering the golf course to the point of becoming serious sporting hazards.

 

Oilbird                                     Steatornis caripensis

These birds beat Hoatzin hands down for the most bizarre species of the trip. The Olibird caves at Carrasco National Park were a real highlight for me. And these were only the “public caves” and not the “real colony”, so heaven knows what that is like. Weird popping and hissing from a tall narrow cleft in a massive cliff could be traced to row upon row of long pheasant-like feathers poking off narrow clefts, each of which was the tail of one of these extraordinary birds.

 

Common Potoo                        Nyctibius griseus

Surprisingly this was not a common species and indeed was only heard once, interleaving with my dreams from the bunk at Caracoles with its hauntingly descending “poo poo poo” call. Whether we heard Great Potoos or Smoky Jungle Frogs grunting deep in the Chalalan forests at night remains an unsolved problem.

 

Sand-coloured Nighthawk       Chordeiles rupestris

The main advantage of having to port the Chalalan boats around one of the main sand islands in the river was that we were able to flush several of these pretty nighthawks and then watch them at very close range when they settled back onto the gravel.

 

Pauraque                                 Nyctidromus albicollis

Another night bird that was surprisingly absent for most of the trip. Only at Caracoles did they become common, with several seen each evening at dusk flying over the water. At dawn in the scrubby paddock behind the lodge there were pauraques everywhere and their red eyes shone around the bushes as if we were in a crocodile-infested swamp.

 

Silky-tailed Nightjar                 Caprimulgus sericocaudatus

Heard on several occasions around Chalalan. We seemed frustratingly close to this species, but there was no access to either of the dense entanglements within which they were calling and the birds seemed quite content to sing ad nausea rather than engage in airborne sallies.

 

White-collared Swift                Streptoprocne zonaris

The common large swift of lowland forest regions and regularly seen above the Río Beni and Río Tuichi on the way to Chalalan, as well as at the Villa Tunari salt lick site amongst others.

 

Short-tailed Swift                     Chaetura brachyura

This species was the common bird in the air above Santa Cruz, where it was in the first five species that we saw on arrival, appearing almost tailless as it swooped across the hot skies.

 

White-tipped Swift                   Aeronautes montivagus

Delicate swifts that we saw well as they performed daring low flights just above our heads on the ridge behind Los Volcanes. Tracing them with binoculars during their aerial endeavours was particularly challenging.

 

Reddish Hermit                        Phaethornis ruber

Getting good views of hummingbirds in Bolivia requires luck and persistence, as this is not a country of hummingbird feeders. This was the most diminutive species that we saw, seemingly not much larger than a decent hornet. We saw it several times around Chalalan, including from the steps of our hut.

 

White-browed Hermit              Phaethornis stuarti

A classical hermit species that was common around Villa Tunari. We first came across it at an impromptu birding stop while we were in a long traffic jam at some temporary lights on the road down from Cochbamba. It was a common species in the grounds of the Villa Tunari animal sanctuary.

 

Planalto Hermit                       Phaethornis pretrei

A rusty hermit with long white tail streamers that notably caught our eyes whilst feeding on some red flowers in a garden in Achira, just down from Samaipata. Nice garden bird if you can get it.

 

Sparkling Violetear                 Colibri coruscans

A cosmopolitan species that turned up in the grounds of the main tourist complex at Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca and was the only hummingbird species we saw at this altitude.

 

Black-throated Mango             Anthracothorax nigricollis

We came across a flowering tree very close to the Villa Tunari salt lick that was covered n little hummingbirds, keeping themselves busy with the flowing nectar. The most easily recognised of the partygoers was this species, notable for a long black stripe right down the breast. Interestingly this species is not recorded for Carrasco National park, which is just a few kilometres upstream.

 

Violet-headed Hummingbird   Klais guimeti

Another of the species attending this very productive tree near Villa Tunari. This species was recognised by its deep blue fore crown and short downcurved bill.

 

Glittering-bellied Emerald       Chlorostilbon aureoventris

A small green hummingbird with a striking red bill. This was one of the commonest species in the damp meadows on the side of the ridge behind Los Volcanes, which were surprisingly active with hummingbirds.

 

Fork-tailed Woodnymph          Thalurania furcata

A hummingbird with a brilliant blue breast and bright green throat that was also seen in the meadows behind Los Volcanes, feeding on the flowers growing on the narrow fertile strip beneath the rock face, below where the condor flies.

 

White-chinned Sapphire          Hylocharis cyanus

After much debate and numerous second looks we safely concluded that the little hummingbird flitting on the edge of the Chalalan swamp was this species. It did perch well for us but to get good looks you had to stand with both feet on a slightly tippy log that was stuck in the quagmire. Not the ideal hummingbird watching conditions.

 

Gilded Hummingbird               Hylocharis chrysura

This was our first hummingbird and we had plenty time to study it as it perched motionless on a tree in the grounds of the Santa Cruz Jardin Zoologico.

 

Red-tailed Comet                     Sappho sparganura

A big and striking hummingbird that was common in the grounds of El Fuerte historical site. This was the only “extraordinary” hummingbird that we saw, the billing referring to its spectacularly long forked tail. A second “species” that was described from this site was later determined to be the rather less dramatic female of this species.

 

Black-eared Fairy                    Heliothryx aurita

As hummingbirds go, this is a very white species, especially when seen from below, This was exactly the view we had of this smartly plumaged species as we started up into the canopy of the flowering tree near the Villa Tunari salt lick.

 

Blue-tufted Starthroat              Heliomaster furcifer

Effervescence can be deceiving, which is why we had this bird down as being a variety of combinations of blue and green until the light caught it just right and we realised that its throat was bright red. This was another species that perched obediently in a tree in the Santa Cruz Jardin Zoologico and gave us all the time in the world to sort it out.

 

Blue-crowned Trogon              Trogon curucui

The trogons are all subtle in their differences and so care always needs to be taken when identifying a seemingly unmistakably colourful bird. We saw this species in a mixed flock that was working its way along the entrance road to Los Volcanes. I am also fairly sure we picked it up somewhere else…

 

Collared Trogon                      Trogon collaris

A trogon will probably never be seen so well as the one whose head poked out of a short tree stump at the Chalalan swamp. The entrance to the nest was just a metre above the ground and we could only see a trogon eye revolving around the hollow entrance. 

 

Black-tailed Trogon                 Trogon melanurus

This trogon was heard hollering from the canopy of the forest on our first morning in Chalalan and easily located, looking like a ripening fruit high up on a bare branch. Also recorded at Caracoles. 

 

Ringed Kingfisher                    Megaceryle torquata

The biggest of the Amazonian kingfishers and fairly commonly seen on the Río Beni and Río Tuichi on the way to Chalalan and the Río Yacuma. It was common to first hear their grated call and then see this Jackdaw sized kingfisher take off in flight.

 

Amazon Kingfisher                  Chloroceryle amazona

Probably the second most common kingfisher species and seen on almost all waterways that we visited.

 

Green Kingfisher                     Chloroceryle americana

This small kingfisher was seen just once, perched on a dead log as we sped past on our way along the Río Beni and Río Tuichi from Rurrenabaque to Chalalan.

 

Green-and-rufous Kingfisher    Chloroceryle inda

Undoubtedly the most pretty of the kingfishers. We had excellent close views of this species on the Río Yacuma at Caracoles, where we were able to closely approach a skulking bird that was perched in some overhanging riverside vegetation.

 

American Pygmy-Kingfisher    Chloroceryle aenea

We only saw this diminutive species once, darting beneath our feet as we looked out over a river bend at Chalalan on a misty morning.

 

Rufous-tailed Jacamar             Galbula ruficauda

The only jacamar that we picked up on the trip. This was first seen from the boat on the way into Chalalan but was also seen perched in thick vegetation by the Chalalan landing area the next morning. We also saw one at Caracoles Lodge, sitting on an open branch just behind the huts.

 

Black-fronted Nunbird              Monasa nigrifrons

The first of the two almost identical species was seen in the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz. It was perching so well in the open that my failure to get a good photo is damning testament to incompetence.

 

White-fronted Nunbird             Monasa morpheus

We saw this matching species perched over the track on our way back from one of the morning walks at Chalalan. In fact it was only a day later that I twigged that in fact this had been the other nunbird species.

 

Swallow-winged Puffbird        Chelidoptera tenebrosa

A regular sighting from the boat en route to Chalalan, where they characteristically perch at the top of prominent riverside trees and conduct sally raids for insects.

 

Gilded Barbet                          Capito auratus

Although only seen once near the swamp at Chalalan, this species was heard on several days calling from deep inside the forest. A loud noise for so small a bird.

 

Emerald Toucanet                   Aulacorhynchus prasinus

Our guide at Los Volcanes rounded a bend in true tracker style and pointed tremulously into the canopy. However none of us saw a thing except that every now and again there would a pigeon-like breaking of wings and a green bird would rapidly break from cover and sweep down into the valley below. This happened about four times and they were all this species.

 

Chestnut-eared Aracari            Pteroglossus castanotis

A brown-headed aracari with yellow breast and prominent single red band. Our best view of this species was probably the single bird that flew across the river in front of our boat on the trip in to Chalalan from Rurrenabaque.

 

Curl-crested Aracari                 Pteroglossus beauharnaesii

This is a seriously cool species with almost clown-like features that include a green back, multicoloured bill and bright yellow breast with a broad red band. It was definitely one of my favourites and we saw them on several occasions at Chalalan, almost all of which involved painful neck craning into the canopy.

 

Golden-collared Toucanet       Selenidera reinwardtii

A small but very handsome toucan. We saw a male on our first day at Chalalan and were thus fooled by the mystery brown toucanet that we saw later in the week, sporting a blue eye patch and red bill – this of course proved to be the female of this species.

 

Channel-billed Toucan                        Ramphastos vitellinus

This is the “croaker” of the Chalalan toucans, which is probably the only reliable means of telling it from the White-throated Toucan. We heard – and saw – small parties of this species on a couple of occasions while walking the Chalalan trails.

 

Toco Toucan                            Ramphastos toco

A classical looking toucan, with black back, white breast and bright orange bill. This is the dry country toucan in Bolivia and we saw some on each of the journeys from Rurrenabaque to Caracoles, either flying over the scrub or perched like a beacon on a distant tree.

 

White-throated Toucan            Ramphastos tucanus

This is the “yelper” and was a common noise at Chalalan. However it was probably hunting for them at Los Volcanes that was more emotive. Towards the end of the day we could hear their haunting currawong-like call ringing across the valley and only careful scanning of the slopes provided glimpses of the originators. The next day we also saw them at distance, but this time from above looking down. 

 

Ocellated Piculet                     Picumnus dorbignyanus

A tiny woodpecker that was spotted clambering around in secondary vegetation by the side of the road above Achira. We later saw a small party of three birds just a few bends further above the valley. More like wrens than woodpeckers.

 

White Woodpecker                  Melanerpes candidus

There is no doubt that the Americas have some extraordinary woodpeckers and this species is certainly one of them. It reminded me of Lewin’s Woodpecker from the States through its bold plumage and habit of being visible and certainly not seen creeping quietly up the back of trunks (Lewin’s is also a melanerpes woodpecker). A small flock was seen flying over the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz as soon as we stepped out of the minibus and we later saw very close views of this species by the roadside in Lomas de Arena.

 

Yellow-tufted Woodpecker      Melanerpes cruentatus

Another very strikingly unconventional looking woodpecker, being almost entirely black with a peculiar yellow band running between the backs of both eyes. We saw this species on our first day in Bolivia, sitting quietly in the upper foliage of a line of trees in the suburbs of Santa Cruz, close to Hotel Urbari.

 

Red-stained Woodpecker        Veniliornis affinus

A small olive backed woodpecker that was seen several times around Caracoles, including in the lodge grounds itself as well as in riparian vegetation during an enforced stop to bale out water from the canoe.

 

White-throated Woodpecker    Piculus leucolaemus

This pretty little woodpecker was only seen once, during a frenzy of morning birds at the Chalalan boat landing area on our first morning walk in the lowland forest. It took several glimpses of this restless bird until the full set of field marks had been assembled.

 

Golden-olive Woodpecker       Piculus rubiginosus

Some far from perfect views of a woodpecker at the top of a tree as we drifted along the Río Yacuma at Caracoles was initially misidentified as the relatively rare Spot-breasted Woodpecker until I realised that the noted field marks also fitted the female of this commoner species. So you could call this sighting a “downgrade”!

 

Campo Flicker                         Colaptes campestris

A cool name for a cool bird. Just as our track at Lomas de Arena opened out into a wide open grassland at a river crossing we noticed that every other fence post was occupied by this colourful black and yellow woodpecker. It was also seen by the roadside on the drive from Rurrenabaque to Caracoles.

 

Scale-breasted Woodpecker   Celeus grammicus

A bunch of up to seven of these relatively drab woodpeckers were seen piling into a relatively tiny hole a few metres up a trunk on our way home from a late afternoon walk at Chalalan. In fact the light had very much drained from the sky as we watched this rather improbable spectacle unfold.

 

Cream-coloured Woodpecker  Celeus flavus

This vivid species was only seen very briefly flying over the clearing at the Chalalan swamp and resting for a short while in the top of a tree on the opposite side from our viewing position. I would still love to see one close up as the cream plumage is just so unwoodpecker-like.

 

Lineated Woodpecker             Dryocopus lineatus

Not the common species that it has been on previous neotropical expeditions, this species was only seen once in the distance at Caracoles, where a couple of birds were seen through the telescope on a distant tree during our morning walk along the dyke path.

 

Red-necked Woodpecker        Campephilus rubricollis

A very substantial pecking machine that we saw closest on an ill-fated attempt to find Andean Cock-of-the-Rock at a lekking site about 10 kilometres from Villa Tunari. It was the wrong time of the year for the cotingas but we did have close views of this black and cinnamon species with its bold red head. This species was also recorded at Chalalan.

 

Plain-brown Woodcreeper      Dendrocincla fuliginosa

Given that woodcreepers are just appalling things to have to identify, it is ironic that this anonymous sounding species is actually one of the easiest to identify. Plain brown maybe, but its relatively small size and unique profile make it an easy one. This was a fairly common species along the trails at Chalalan.

 

Olivaceous Woodcreeper        Sittasomus griseicapillus

And again “olivaceous” rings the tones of innocuousness but in fact this woodcreeper is not only notably wee, but also strikingly two-toned and therefore another easy pick. This was the only woodcreeper that we saw in the montane forest around Los Volcanes.

 

Wedge-billed Woodcreeper      Glyphorynchus spirurus

A sharp calling from the undergrowth on our first morning walk to the Chalalan swamp was called by Sandro as this species and indeed it matches the calls on Sjoerd’s CD. However we didn’t manage to see this species.

 

Straight-billed Woodcreeper   Xiphorhynchus picus

A mid-sized woodcreeper with a notable white bill that we saw only once, in the grounds of the Santa Cruz Jardin Zoologico (free flying, honest…).

 

Ocellated Woodcreeper          Xiphorhynchus ocellatus

A mid-sized woodcreeper that was notable for the fact that its streaked head markings ended very abruptly and abutted a plain brown back (a sort of Pectoral Sandpiper of the woodcreeper world). We saw this species just once, close to the Chalalan swamp at a location that had at least three woodcreeper species.

 

Spix’s Woodcreeper                Xiphorhynchus spixii

A highly generic looking woodcreeper that was common at Chalalan once we had learned the call. Identifying this species was not made any easier by Sandro’s habit of referring to this as Elegant Woodcreeper, a species that it was apparently recently regarded as being conspecific with.

 

Buff-throated Woodcreeper     Xiphorhynchus guttatus

The “default” woodcreeper and the first one that we came across when we walked in the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz. Subsequently seen at several locations, including the woodcreeper paradise of Chalalan.

 

Narrow-billed Woodcreeper    Lepidocolaptes angustirostris

Another easy one fortunately – this woodcreeper has a white front, bold white eyestripe and yellow bill (if only there were more clear cut cases). This is a pampas species and we saw one bird in dry scrub on our way back to breakfast after a dawn walk in the meadows behind Caracoles Lodge.

 

Bar-winged Cinclodes             Cinclodes fuscus

It might not be the most exciting bird on the planet, but this bold little brown job was one of the commonest species around Lake Titicaca where it was seen wherever rocks (or manmade objects) met water, typically hopping underneath jetties, flitting between boulders or creeping over moored boats.

 

Rufous Hornero                        Furnarius rufus

We became very familiar with this dumpy brown bird with a slightly downcurved bill as it was one of the commonest species in dry country, such as around Santa Cruz and in the pampas. They have this wonderfully proud little walk as they strut along the ground looking like little pompadours. Even more evident than the birds themselves were their baked mud nests, typically glued into a branch fork of a tall tree, or even on top of telegraph poles.

 

Chotoy Spinetail                      Schoeniophylax phryganophila

Where were all these spinetails that we were supposed to be able to see in Bolivia? This was the only species that we identified, although the answer to my question may have something to do with how hard even this one was to locate. Aidan helped us chase several birds around some rank grassland at Kim’s Golf Course near Santa Cruz. For most of this chase the views were only of long tails vanishing into bushes, but eventually a decent glimpse allowed identification. I have to confess that I do like birds like this…

 

Rufous-fronted (Common) Thornbird   Phacellodomus rufifrons

Another decent reddish brown skulker, which gave away its presence on several occasions due to its incessant chatter. Restless, fast and hard to get good views (but not hard to see glimpses of). This is also a species whose presence is given away by the messy nest of thorns that are easy to spot. We saw this species at Lomas de Arena and Caracoles.

 

Rufous Cachalote                    Pseudoseisura unirufa

A rufous furnariid with the appearance of a small jay. We saw two birds chasing each other along the branches of a tall tree on our morning walk in the meadow area behind Caracoles Lodge. At first glance we assumed that they were thornbirds until we realised that they were larger, crested and completely brown.

 

Striped Treehunter                  Thripadectes holostictus

I was disappointed with the number of furnariidae seen on the trip, although a couple did get away. This one was in the middle of a mixed flock that we encountered on our second last morning in Chalalan. The bird was typically restless and hard to chase, but was notably streaked all over, which eliminates almost all other options.

 

Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner Automolus ochrolaemus

A smallish brown bird with orange throat and breast that was seen high up in foliage on a couple of occasions around the trails of Los Volcanes, normally in mixed flocks. We did manage one slightly better view of one very low in a small flock just behind the lodge at Chalalan, but these are birds you simply never see well.

 

Plain Xenops                           Xenops minutus

Xenops are cute little birds and deserve a better name in my opinion. OK – so the Plain Xenops is indeed a bit on the plain side, but anything that looks like a little woodpecker with a slightly upcurved bill surely should have some more evocative name to it. Anyway, this species was seen on our first morning at Chalalan just as the sun started to sparkle through the riparian vegetation near the boat landing area.

 

Streaked Xenops                     Xenops rutilans

A streaky version of the previous species (so at least the naming works well in that regard). We saw this species a couple of times around Los Volcanes, notably when we started walking out on our way home and one was seen silhouetted against the cloudy sky, showing its rather bizarre profile to perfection.

 

Fasciated Antshrike                 Cymbilaimus lineatus

Here we go… antthings. Why else does anyone go birding in South America unless they have a deep deep passion for antthings? I adore them because they are such utter utter &^%*&^*s to see. Kinking off with this species that is finely barred from head to foot, making it look as if it has left home in its pyjamas. We saw this bird in the same binocular view as the Plain Xenops on our first morning at Chalalan.

 

Great Antshrike                        Taraba major

One of the biggest antjobs and surprisingly elusive for a bird that has a black back and white breast, which is surprisingly good camouflage on a neotropical rainforest floor. We saw a pair hopping around the edge of a dry stream bed in the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz, one in the grounds of Caracoles Lodge and another in river edge scrub along the Río Yacuma during one of the boat trips.

 

White-shouldered Antshrike    Thamnophilus aethiops

This species could easily have been called Dull-grey Antshrike because the white shoulder does need a killer view to confirm. We heard their nasal calls on several occasions on the Chalalan trails but it was only after a fairly unproductive morning walk on the other side of the lake that we decided to invest the time to try to defeat them at a game of hide-and-seek in a natural woodpile. You need a good binocular draw...

 

Plain-winged Antshrike           Thamnophilus schistaceus

A thoroughly dull bird, almost identical to the previous species but without that almost invisible white shoulder mark. The deal here is call, as this species has a distinctive plaintive cry, which allowed us to locate one calling at first light from a perch half way up a small tree on the edge of the carpentry clearing at Chalalan.

 

Bolivian Slaty-Antshrike          Thamnophilus sticturus

Allegedly common at the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz, but I only saw one female for a few seconds as she popped out of the vegetation into my binocular vision and then vanished. It shouldn’t have been so hard.

 

Pygmy Antwren                       Myrmotherula brachyura

A small but very attractively marked antwren with find black and white streaking and a wash of yellow on the rump and breast, which shows up many of its larger relatives. This was one of our first antsuccesses at Chalalan, revealing itself close to the trail just after our first Amazonian dawn had broken.

 

White-flanked Antwren            Myrmotherula behni

More of a classical antwren in its colouration, with the male being largely black, showing only a small flash of white on the flank (surprisingly enough). We had bad views of this species at first light one morning at Chalalan when several birds crossed our path in a small patch of secondary first. Later the same day however we enjoyed better views in the understorey on our way back to the lodge for lunch.

 

Gray Antwren                          Myrmotherula menetriesii

It was raining birds (hallelujah) at the Chalalan boat landing area on our first morning walk and this was one of several species that we saw well as it foraged a few metres from the forest floor as part of a small flock of birds on the move in the early sunshine of the day.

 

Banded Antbird                       Dichrozona cincta

A real bonus little antnumber, whose high-pitched whistle was picked up by Alejandro on our last walk to the Chalalan swamp. We took several minutes to chase down the diminutive bird that was creeping between the fallen logs and ferns like a forest pipit (two yellow wings bars and long straight bill did nothing to diffuse this image).

 

Gray Antbird                            Cercomacra cinerascens

We heard this species calling close to the path on our first dawn walk at Chalalan, but unlike most species heard on that first morning we never relocated it. I’ve looked in the guide book and it doesn’t look like we missed much (ah hem..)…

 

White-backed Fire-eye                        Pyriglena leuconota

A dark black antbird (I mean seriously black) with a stunningly red eye, like a little demi-god. We were probably lucky to enjoy excellent prolonged views of this species at the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz, where a male was seemingly unperturbed by a dozen birders stumbling about trying to watch him dance through the bushes on the edge of a small dry creek.

 

White-browed Antbird             Myrmoborus leucophrys

Another anttriumph from our glorious first dawn at Chalalan, where was saw good views of a female (for once the more attractive of the two genders, with a bold yellow eyebrow and chestnut back) working her away along the edge of the riparian forest by the landing stage.

 

Black-faced Antbird                 Myrmoborus myotherinus

This is a classical antbird, in my book at least. All grey with a black face, some faintly dotted wingbars and a preference for keeping low and unobtrusive. Its steady then descending whistle was first heard at the alleged Cock-of-the-Rock lekking site near Villa Tunari (and was therefore one of our first antbirds). This bird was seen well and then several more were spotted creeping about near the Chalalan swamp.

 

Chestnut-tailed Antbird            Myrmeciza hemimelaena

See-see-see---chick-uh. Know tha call 9and several other weird ones to boot) and you’ll soon realise that every other Bolivian antspecies is the Chestnut-tailed Antbird. It doesn’t make them easy to see, but it makes your chances of finally seeing one exceptionally high. We first picked this species up in Carrasco National Park but then came to regard this dunnock-like bird as a familiar friend on our patrols along the trails of Chalalan.

 

Plumbeous Antbird                  Myrmeciza hyperythra

This is a nice antbeast, with the male all black with a blue eye mask and the female sporting a black back, orange breast and the same fetching eyeshadow. We enjoyed a couple of good views in Chalalan of this handsome antbird.

 

White-throated Antbird            Gymnopithys salvini

The poorest view of any of our antdings was had of this species, flitting low in thick foliage whilst we were stumbling around off-piste in Chalalan trying to locate (of all things) our first Dwarf-Tyrant Manakin. It’s on the edge of respectability to include this on the list, but a fully brown antbird was seen and Sandro was 100% certain of the call.

 

Spot-backed Antbird                Hylophylax naevia

Avery attractive little antnumber with enough streaks and spots and black smudges to probably qualify for a bit of wall space in the Tate Modern. There was a territory just behind Chalalan Lodge and the birds never ailed to show on each of the occasions that we ventured into it – the first time being on our first “pig hut”.

 

Rufous-capped Antthrush         Formicarius colma

A long (long!) weak call that drifted through the forest from somewhere far away on our last morning walk with Sandro was identified as being this species, and indeed correlates with Sjoerd’s CD. It was too ephemeral and distant to even begin to contemplate a hunt.

 

Short-tailed Antthrush              Chamaeza campanisona

A glimpse was all I got off this dumpy antball as it strutted in a zigzag fashion into the undergrowth as we rounded a bend on a walk just behind the lodge at Los Volcanes. In the en it was our only sighting of an antthrush anywhere on the trip.

 

Bolivian Tapaculo                    Scytalopus bolivianus

The typical tapaculo trill (trying saying that after few beers) was heard in a cool leafy gully as we worked our way up the ridge behind Los Volcanes. Our guide kept seeing the bird but none of the rest of us did.

 

Yellow-bellied Elaenia                        Elaenia flavogaster

About as generic a tyrannid flycatcher as you can get (grey back, yellowish lower breast, slight crest). The problem we had was that having identified this species early on at Lomas de Arena, we simply could not convince ourselves that any other elaenia species seen was not just this species again (and maybe we were right). So, possibly also seen in Carrasco national Park and also at Chalalan.

 

Suiriri Flycatcher                     Suiriri suiriri

Three or four very pale grey flycatchers with pale wash on the wing were identified as this species thanks to the presence of the Armonia library just down the road from where they were seen in roadside vegetation at Lomas de Arena. There was no hope of identifying them from the illustrations in the Collins checklist.

 

White-throated Tyrannulet       Mecocerculus leucophrys

This is a small flycatcher with a slaty head and two brown wingbars. The only place we definitely saw this species was at first light in the grounds of our lodgings at Samaipata, where one popped out of a hedge and showed well.

 

Torrent Tyrannulet                   Serpophaga cinerea

This smart river tyrannulet was seen daringly insect hunting amongst the boulders of the gushing river at Carrasco national park, near the Oilbird caves.

 

Ringed Antpipit                        Corythopis torquata

We had a couple of good views of this unusual flycatcher, wandering along the forest floor in Chalalan. The best view was just after our hasty retreat from a dangerous pig hunt. Looks at the antpipit were interspersed with regular glances down the trail to monitor the temper levels of the large White-lipped Peccary who was keeping us very much in his radar.

 

Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant     Pogonotriccus ophthalmicus

There are definitely moments of birding in the neotropics that almost fill me with despair. The most common such experience is that after an hour of almost no activity a mixed flock is suddenly twittering somewhere high above my head and yet I cannot latch onto any of the members. And then when I do find a bird it is a tiny tyrannid flycatcher. The heart sinks, the bird brain surrenders and you sullenly mouth the word “flycatcher” like a poison. Our only certain encounter with this species was one such moment where I recovered just in time to note that the bird in the forest on the edge of Carrasco National park (near the salt lick) has a smudgy comma behind its eye.

 

Ochre-bellied Flycatcher         Mionectes oleaginous

This was not as common a species as I was expecting and we only saw it once at close range, on one of trails close to the lodge at Chalalan. On previous neotropical trips this has been a common species.

 

McConnell’s Flycatcher           Mionectes macconnelli

A distinctively orange-breasted flycatcher that was seen perched deep in the forest at Carrasco national Park was probably this species, part of a mixed flock that was operating in the area. This species was also identified by call by Sandro at Chalalan, but I did not latch onto it well enough.

 

Plain Tyrannulet                      Inezia inornata

How far around the world would you travel to see a species of this name? Plain – very… We needed the help of Aidan to identify this dullest of the dull tyrannid flycatchers in an open area of cactuses at the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz.

 

Flammulated Tody (Bamboo)-Tyrant   Hemitriccus flammulatus

This is another seriously dull brown flycatcher whose drzzp drzzp call was annoyingly heard at several locations around Chalalan without revealing the source. However we simply had to get this species into the list for its name alone and finally tracked one down on the western side of the Lake Chalalan one afternoon.

 

Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant      Hemitriccus margaritaceiventer

This is where Sjoerd Mayer’s CD starts to prove its worth. A mysterious ping-pong ball with a distinctive call was seen in thick riparian scrub at Achira. A scribbled down some inadequate field notes, of which the only ones that proved of worth concerned the call. Back home it was definitively sorted out thanks to the CDRom. Next time that CD has to come with me into the field…

 

Gray-crowned / Yellow-olive Flycatcher          Tolmomyias sp.

Right – this one is a tale in itself. Several small flycatchers were seen at the Chalalan swamp. With grey caps, yellow breasts, olive backs and a pale wing flash it all seemed clear enough. And into the bargain their call was distinctive – a steady and rising repeated tchweeee. However I discovered that this only narrows the choice down to three species. Onto the CDRom and I discover that only one recording accurately reflects the birds that we heard – and amazingly it is recorded from the village just upstream from Chalalan. It is Yellow-Olive Flycatcher with 90% probability according to Sjoerd. However when I foolishly email him saying how I agree that the Chalalan dialect of this species is indeed different from the other recordings for this species he tells me that this is an infamous recording and nobody can agree what it is. He has now changed his mind to Gray-crowned with 90% probability – but the issue remains unresolved. So much for the experts… all I can say is that it was definitely one of the two!

 

Fuscous Flycatcher                  Cnemotriccus fuscatus

Several small flycatchers with white eyebrows, black eyelines, two brown wingbars and apparently longish tails that were seen in the scrub around Caracoles Lodge were deduced to be this species. I say “deduced” because identifying these birds from field guides is a relatively treacherous activity, especially if they have not provided a much-needed burst of call. However I am pretty confident – let’s go for 95% just to keep clear of Sjoerd’s dodgy use of the number 90.

 

Black Phoebe                          Sayornis nigricans

This is a bird that in Bolivia occupies the niche of the likes of Grey Wagtail and was seen several times in mid stream or hopping around rocky river edges. We had lovely views of Black Phoebes for example at the river crossing at Achira and by the river behind the lodge at Los Volcanes. Note that this is quite an interestingly different ecological niche to this species in North America, which is a fairly common bird of west coast parks and gardens.

 

Vermilion Flycatcher               Pyrocephalus rubinus

I’d always wanted to see this species as it leaps out of North American field guides at any reader whose eyes are beginning to glazing over other tyrannids. We didn’t have to wait very long to see one as a female (looking for all the world like a Spotted Flycatcher) was found on our first morning just outside the Hotel Urbari, Santa Cruz. However brilliant males became something of a habit as we travelled around, always perching prominently and shining like fairy lights. Our first was in the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz and none were tamer than the ones on the fence posts outside the Hotel Safari, Rurrenabaque.

 

Austral Negrito             Lessonia rufa

Despite sounding like an exotic dessert or perhaps a cocktail, this unusual little flycatcher apparently (according to the Collins guide) hangs out on lake shores. It would be stretching the concept slightly to describe the pond at Kim’s Golf Course a “lake”, but the Bolivian checklist does indeed refine the habitat of this species to include the muddy margins of almost any puddle of freshwater. Our female negrito was hunting for food on a most unpromising stretch of mud and looked as if it had been granted exclusive licence to do so as no other birds were close.

 

Hudson’s Black-Tyrant Knipolegus hudsoni

We kept seeing small flycatchers by the edge of the Río Yacuma around Caracoles that my field guide collection could only indicate were probably White-winged Black-Tyrant (both males and more commonly females), which would be a new record for Beni (and so clearly a non-starter). However on getting home I discovered that Hudson’s Black-Tyrant looks very similar and is not depicted well in any of my guides. An “ah-hah” moment. I was relieved to hear from Bennet Hennessey that these critters had caused the experts problems in the past. It’s always good to know that others have suffered the same pain…

 

White-winged Black-Tyrant     Knipolegus aterrimus

The real one this time. This species was seen in radically different habitat to Hudson’s as it was a garden bird of our rather dodgy motel at Samaipata. A male was seen on several occasions launching sallies from the top of a tree and flashing these beautiful white wing patches in the process.

 

Spectacled Tyrant                   Hymenops perspicillatus

I spy with my very white eye. A rather bizarre professorial looking black tyrant, whose eyering really does look like a carefully worn monocle. We saw one at the pond near the entrance to Kim’s Golf Course and then had to wait until the ay at Caracoles before we saw another one in the rank grassland overlooked by the dyke on our morning walk.

 

Drab Water-Tyrant                   Ochthornis littoralis

I first thought that Sandro was insane when he kept calling this species from the boat on our way upstream to Chalalan. They were common, always flying along the shore or hopping about on beaches. But for some reason I had the idea of a Torrent Tyrannulet locked into my head and so I could not understand why all these birds were mousy brown (drab indeed). How come they were all apparently immature Torrent Tyrannulets? Only later did the penny drop – hello, similar behaviour but different elevation – different species dorkhead…

 

Yellow-browed Tyrant             Satrapa icterophrys

A boldly marked yellow tyrant that left no identification concerns. This was another species that emerged from the unpromising looking gardens of our Samaipata motel and even presented itself in full view from the breakfast table.

 

Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant    Myiotheretes striaticollis

A relatively common thrush-sized flycatcher around Los Volcanes, where we first saw it hopping improbably on narrow clefts in the rock face high above the valley. Later views were in more accessible locations, typically perched on top of a tree. This species was also seen in the grounds of the ferry terminal at Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca, which is at the high elevation limit for this species.

 

Streamer-tailed Tyrant                        Gubernetes yetapa

Stop the jeep, stop the jeep… Well it’s never that easy when you see an interesting species. Unfortunately our views of this amazingly long-tailed species were limited to distant views of a tail flying from bush to bush in the dry scrub of the pampas on our way from Reyes to Caracoles.

 

Black-backed Water-Tyrant     Fluvicola albiventer

A tidy little flycatcher giving the impression of a dwarf Pied Wagtail. We saw this species regularly around Caracoles, often walking along the muddy margins of the Río Yacuma, but also strutting around the edges of the small swamp behind the lodge.

 

White-headed Marsh-Tyrant    Arundinicola leucocephala

Although a small bird, it left a big impression when one was glimpsed from the jeep as we sped towards Caracoles through pampas country. One glimpse was enough to identify this little black fly with a totally white head, as it dived into a patch of reeds.

 

D’Orbigny’s Chat-Tyrant           Ochthoeca oenanthoides

This is another pretty member of the tyrannidae (hey, they’re not all that bad…). A bold white eyestripe was enough to identify our first distant glimpse of a bird flitting about a small patch of woodland at the highest point on the pass between Villa Tunari and Cochabamba. We had to wait until we were once again at head spinning altitude before we saw better views of this species on Isla del Sol.

 

Cattle Tyrant                            Machetornis rixosus

Superficially similar to the Tropical Kingbird, this flycatcher offers a quite unique jizz to the trained eye. Its habitat preferences are the back of animals or walking on disturbed ground. We saw our first in the Santa Cruz Jardin Zoologico (where both habitats are plentiful) and later one was horse riding at Kim’s Golf Course. The only other places that we definitely saw this species were the muddy sewage outflow outside the Hotel Safari at Rurrenabaque and when the jeeps stopped in Reyes on our way back to Rurrenabaque from Caracoles. While a quick tyre change was taking place at we watched one strutting about somebody’s very muddy yard, competing with chickens for scraps. These are tyrannids with an attitude.

 

Piratic Flycatcher                    Legatus leucophaius

Once you start to tune into calls, these brown-backed, yellow-breasted, streaky-headed tyrannids begin to make some sense. Our only Piratic was a resident of the main clearing at Chalalan Lodge and launched his long prseeeee-ah whistle from the very tops of the highest trees there.

 

Rusty-margined Flycatcher      Myiozetes cayanensis

We needed Sandro’s call help to pick this species from the treetops on the other side of our viewing point by the edge of the Chalalan swamp. Otherwise this species is very similar to the next one. However having heard the call I was able to “back identify” the “social-like” flycatchers that we had seen at close proximity near the Villa Tunari salt lick, whose long high-pitched whistle was now clearly this species.

 

Social Flycatcher                     Myiozetetes similes

Probably massively under-recorded on our travels as we were slow to pick up (or in my case revise) the necessary skills to identify it with certainty. This species was definitely present around our cabins at the Victoria Resort, Villa Tunari and was recorded at several other locations.

 

Gray-capped Flycatcher          Myiozetetes granadensis

We saw this species on our first morning at the Chalalan boat landing area, where it was active in the tops of some trees at the edge of the forest. It was not seen again however.

 

Great Kiskadee                        Pitangus sulphuratus

This was not the common species that I was expecting, and neither was “kiskadee” a daily sound on our travels. However we did encounter the species regularly, probably most commonly around the Santa Cruz locations that we visited on our first few days in the country.

 

Lesser Kiskadee                      Philohydor lictor

The decorative yellow tyrannids that were draped around the foliage on the margins of Lake Chalalan were all this rather long-billed species. I am sure we also saw these in the pampas but cannot find a record of this in my notes.

 

Streaked Flycatcher                Myiodynastes maculates

This was recorded a couple of times, but the only sighting I can remember well was a bird perched quietly on the fork of a branch just a few metres from the edge of the track as we descended from the ridge behind Los Volcanes. It was superbly camouflaged and several of the group simply could not see it when described. 

 

Boat-billed Flycatcher             Megarynchus pitangua

Again a possibly overlooked species, but one was definitely seen towards the end of our first dawn walk at Villa Tunari, when we ended our stroll at the edge of the property of a less than friendly small holder. The tree at the end of his entrance drive had a Boatbill grating like a small parrot from one of the branches.

 

Crowned Slaty-Flycatcher       Empidonomus aurantioatrocristatus

Another resident of the main Chalalan clearing and one that we nearly missed out on through complacency as it had a habit of perching on top of a tree just above the jetty  - a location that we wandered past several times a day. A much easier tyrannid to pick off than most of the recently described ones as it is sooty grey (with a not very obvious crown).

 

Tropical Kingbird                     Tyrannus melancholicus

A common species throughout our travels (except at high altitude). The tone was set immediately outside the Urbari Hotel, Santa Cruz, where they perched on the telegraph wires and chattered as the light seeped from the end of the day. The phrase “kingbird” was soon associated with an unsaid prefix of “it’s only another…”.

 

Sirystes                                    Sirystes sibilator

Even though we saw our only specimen at great distance, this flycatcher has such a notable profile that it is easily identified from a long way off. I think my previous encounter in Ecuador was exactly the same. Our only Sirystes was seen on top of a tree through a canopy window close to the Chalalan swamp.

 

Rufous-tailed Flatbill               Ramphotrigon ruficauda

On our first dawn walk at Chalalan the long whistle of this species was so common at braking light that I assumed we would be tripping over them for the next few days. However actually seeing this species well proved more difficult and indeed our first involved a neck jarring session as the bird was able to move through the canopy above us with invisible ease. We did however get good views eventually, on several occasions.

 

Dull-capped (White-eyed) Attila           Attila bolivianus

Our last morning a Chalalan turned up one bird high in a tree next to the Chalalan swamp. Alejandro told us that we would become very familiar with this species in the pampas, but he was very much mistaken (he must have been confused as I don’t think the pampas is habitat for this bird anyway).

 

Bright-rumped Attila                Attila spadiceus

Careless careless. This was a regular dawn caller around Chalalan and we assumed that one would eventually turn up. You’d think you’d learn… We heard several at more mature times in the day but only got notional glimpses of movement in the high canopy which even I would not sink to the depths to count as a sighting!

 

Masked Tityra                          Tityra semifasciata

You’ve even got to take care with tityras, these most boldly marked of white tyrannids, because there are several similar looking species. However the only ones that I ever saw were Masked. The first was on a distant tree from the bridge just behind the lodge a Los Volcanes and the other was by the angry farmer’s property near the Victoria Resort Hotel, Villa Tunari.

 

Cinereous Mourner                  Laniocera hypopyrra

This bird has one of the sweetest calls of the Amazonian forest, a gentle descending series of delicate whistles. We tracked on down one morning at Chalalan and enjoyed excellent views of the cinnamon spots that form gentle wingbars on its otherwise slaty plumage.

 

Spangled Cotinga                    Cotinga cayana

Our only encounter with this blue cotinga was a view from directly beneath a bird that was attending a fruiting tree close to the main path from the boat landing area to the lodge at Chalalan. In all, Bolivia was a disappointment from the cotinga perspective.

 

Screaming Piha                       Lipaugus vociferans

The shore of Lake Chalalan resounded all day to the familiar pi-piha of this surprisingly drab bird. We were also able to locate the vocalist by walking around the lake and watching how the song emerges with such force that it threatens to evict the entrails in the process. In fact we only saw this species around the lake.

 

Bare-necked Fruitcrow            Gymnoderus foetidus

Not a pretty sight, but not seen often enough to cause any offence. In fact we only saw this species a couple of times at Chalalan, in each in flight over the canopy or across the main river.

 

Dwarf Tyrant-Manakin             Tyranneutes stolzmanni

A little fluffball that perched inconspicuously on overhanging branches and repeated the phrase “chew-it” ad nauseum through the hottest parts of the day. However actually finding this drab little bird was never particularly easy despite the prominent perches because its colour matches so well the general browny green of the rainforest canopy. And even once someone has located one, describing its location can be painful. After a long search for our first one we discovered that there was a chew-it bird perched above the path from our hit to the toilet block – and he didn’t move for over an hour.

 

Blue-crowned Manakin            Lepidothrix coronata

A manakin that was seen on several occasions along the Chalalan trails. We more commonly saw the bright green female than the black male, however this was the least numerous of the three species that we saw at Chalalan.

 

Yungas Manakin                      Chiroxiphia boliviana

As manakins go, this guy is a bruiser, being up to twice the bulk of a typical member of the family. We were delighted to have several flying above our heads on the trail up the ridge behind Los Volcanes. That said, most of the views were of an extremely fast blob hurtling from one obscure perch in the canopy to another. Bruisers maybe, but fast as well.

 

Round-tailed Manakin             Pipra chloromeros

The commonest and also the loveliest of Chalalan’s manakins. We were lucky enough to see them on several occasions displaying on branches very close to the path. Our first encounter was of two males dancing next to one another on a branch, making grating noises and flicking their very obviously round tails. Later we saw three females in a similar dance and on numerous occasions heard or saw this species close to the trails.

 

Rufous-browed Peppershrike              Cyclarhis gujanensis

A curious olive bird with a surprising red eyebrow that was seen foraging in long grass in the understorey of the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz. They are unlike any species I have seen before – a robust warbler with a shrike-like head is about as close as I can suggest.

 

Red-eyed Vireo                        Vireo olivaceus

Not as ubiquitous as might have been expected and in fact only definitely seen once, in the forest behind Laguna Volcanes during our first brief sortie into rainforest habitat.

 

Purplish Jay                             Cyanocorax cyanomelas

This large drab jay was ultimately one of the most widely distributed species. We first started to see them as we climbed up the pass on the way from Santa Cruz to Los Volcanes (although Aidan had heard them in Santa Cruz) and soon became familiar. However there is something about this bird that always caught the eye before I deduced that it was a jay: as in “what’s THAT? – oh.. just a Purplish Jay..).

 

Plush-crested Jay                    Cyanocorax chrysops

A stunning jay that we first saw from a lookout point over the river on the climb up from Santa Cruz to Los Volcanes. The electric blue eye and back of the neck contrast with a dark blue back and lemon breast, making this species a real eye catcher. It was a regular sight over the next few days while we were based in Los Volcanes and Samaipata.

 

White-winged Swallow                       Tachycineta albiventer

Despite being very obviously hirundines on flight, the bright white wing patch regularly fooled us when birds were seen perched (typically on dead branches by the riverside or on sandbars) into thinking that they were some sort of flycatcher. This was a common species along the Río Beni and Río Tuichi between Rurrenabaque to Chalalan, and was common on Lake Chalalan itself. Also seen by the river at the Villa Tunari salt lick.

 

Brown-chested Martin              Progne tapera

A rather large martin (not unlike the Sand Martin) that was fairly common on the journeys between Rurrenabaque and Chalalan. We saw a single bird battling into the wind at Lomas de Arena and had good views of this species perched near the dyke at Caracoles, where its size truly confused us and we struggled for a while to be sure that is was indeed a huge hirundine.

 

Blue-and-white Swallow         Notiochelidon cyanoleuca

A cosmopolitan swallow that could be seen at high altitudes as well as low. We first saw this species flying around the grounds of our motel at Samaipata.

 

Brown-bellied Swallow           Notiochelidon murina

A dusky brown swallow of high altitude that we saw flying overhead at the top of the pass between Villa Tunari and Cochabamba, where two birds were chasing each other.

 

White-banded Swallow           Atticora fasciata

The most handsome of the Bolivian swallows and very much restricted to Río Beni and Río Tuichi sightings between Rurrenabaque and Chalalan, where it was not uncommon but never seen in large numbers.

 

Southern Rough-winged Swallow       Stelgidopteryx ruficollis

An isolated bird was seen flying around at Lomas de Arena. This was strangely a species that we did not encounter again.

 

Thrush-like Wren                     Campylorhynchus turdinus

A pale-breasted morph of birds that occur further north, this species was a common garden bird in the suburbs of Anta Cruz and we also recorded it at several other locations. In fact their explosive scolding duets were by far the loudest dawn noise in Santa Cruz, although it took a small hunt before we saw a pair chasing each other along the top of one resident’s rooftop.

 

Fawn-breasted Wren               Thryothorus guarayanus

Aidan identified the call of this pretty little wren in the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz but we could not coax it out from the thicket in which it was hiding. We had more luck at Lomas de Arena, where we were able to watch one work its way through the scrub vegetation at the side of the road.

 

House Wren                             Troglodytes aedon

Once again this species lived up to its name and was only ever seen in the gardens of our accommodation. The Hotel Urbari in Santa Cruz did not have much of a garden but it was more than enough for a pair of House Wren who sang loudly each morning and challenged viewers from the motel balcony to try to spot them as the darted amongst the ornamental shrubbery, with occasional bursts of song from the gatepost. A slightly more surprising location was the grass behind the accommodation at Los Volcanes, which also hosted a pair.

 

Scaly-breasted (Southern Nightingale-) Wren Microcerculus marginatus

Probably one of our highlights of the Chalalan visit was on the last morning when Alejandro decided to sing to the Nightingale Wren. We had just descended into a steep gully and he heard one calling some way off the track. We all hid behind a bush and he started to whistle. Almost immediately the wren was calling just off the track and in less than a minute it stepped into full view, looking for all the world like a European Dipper. The song was extraordinarily loud, consisting of a series of rising whistles that the bird was pouring its entire energy into producing, stretching back its neck and emitting them like a little wolf howling to the moon.

 

Black-capped Donacobius       Donacobius atricapillus

A most unlikely wren, this unusual bird was seen only at the Chalalan swamp, where a pair seemed to hold territory amongst some large bushes that were growing in the centre of the swamp. These are large fawn-coloured birds that don’t look anything like a typical wren.

 

Masked Gnatcatcher                Polioptila dumicola

Despite several possible sightings of this species at other locations we only definitely saw it once on the edge of the large wet meadow behind Caracoles Lodge, where one bird was seen thorny scrub.

 

Chiguanco Thrush                   Turdus chiguanco

A thrush of high altitudes, we came to the conclusion that all the large “blackbird” thrushes that we were seeing from the road at the pass above Cochabamba and around Lake Titicaca were this species rather than Great Thrush.  The birds had warm coloured bills and were dark brown, but none of the field guides illustrations are very helpful in this regard. In the end we concluded that most of these birds were simply not big enough to be Great Thrushes (but I suspect we did see some Greats). Typically seen at the side of the road or flying over rooftops in towns and villages.

 

Glossy-black Thrush                 Turdus serranus

A shiny version of the European Blackbird that we disturbed on several occasions as we walked along the trails at Los Volcanes. A typical view consisted of seeing movement on the track ahead and then watching carefully as the bird hopped around the forest floor just to the side of the track before flying ahead of us once again.

 

Rufous-bellied Thrush              Turdus rufiventris

No identification problems are possible with this robust thrush. It has a distinctive orange lower belly and is vaguely reminiscent of an American Robin. Strangely we only saw this species in the grounds of our Samaipata motel, where it was very common. Perhaps we spent too much time in more interesting habitat!

 

Creamy-bellied Thrush            Turdus amaurochalinus

This is a bird that caused a fair amount of angst because it was extremely widespread but also seemed to come in a variety of sizes and minor colour variations. It was extremely common around Santa Cruz and was one of the first species identified in Bolivia as one lived in the gardens backing on to the street of our motel. At the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz we kept looking at thrushes and eventually deciding that they were all this species.

 

Black-billed Thrush                  Turdus ignobilis

Ploughing through all the Creamy-bellied Thrushes at Kim’s Golf Course we noticed one very similar thrush with a distinctively dark bill. Assuming that this is indeed Black-billed Thrush it does leave me slightly uncomfortable about how many other of our “Creamy-bellied” sightings might have been this species. There is no doubt however that Creamy-bellied is dominant.

 

Lawrence’s Thrush                  Turdus lawrencii

A magnificent songster of the Chalalan forest that was heard (especially at dawn) more often than seen. We did manage to locate a small flock on one of the trails but they were hard to see well and flew before we had a chance to study them well.

 

White-necked Robin (Thrush)  Turdus albicollis

It is a little bit surprising just how many bland brown thrushes evolution has managed to churn out in this part of the world. All are superficially highly similar but this species can be picked by the prominent white line that crosses the throat like a necktie. We saw one in Carrasco National Park near the salt lick, just at the start of a very steep mountain trail, and several more at the Chalalan swamp.

 

Chalk-browed Mockingbird      Mimus saturninus

The Bolivian mockingbirds are one of these “what on earth is that?” families when you first encounter them. Looking like large pale thrushes, their habit of perching highly and prominently in arid scrub means that they are not going to be missed easily. Having determined that this species was fairly common at Lomas de Arena it took us a while to realise that in fact it was not alone...

 

White-banded Mockingbird     Mimus triurus

… Indeed there was something not quite right about some of the Lomas de Arena mockingbirds. That was in fact because we were commonly seeing two different species, so all sightings had to be revised! This species had less of an eyebrow and more white on the wing. 

 

Hellmayr’s Pipit                       Anthus hellmayri

All that habitat and only one pipit. I presume that if you spend time birding the high Andes and the endless miles of paramo then pipits may become a familiar species, but we saw just one of the entire trip. That pipit was strolling around the ruins of El Fuerte archaeological site and was highly obliging. At this altitiude (1900m) there is fortunately only one likely species.

 

Bananaquit                              Coereba flaveola

A lovely little bird with a name to match the honour. We only saw neck-strangling views of this species as it twittered high in the canopy of the forest around Los Volcanes. It would be an easy species to overlook elsewhere.

 

Black-faced Tanager               Schistochlamys melanopis

An unusually grey tanager (you wouldn’t be missing anything watching in black-and-white). We saw two of these birds in roadside vegetation at Lomas de Arena. Both the dry habitat and the markings reminded me strongly of Masked Woodswallows in Australia – but this was definitely a tanger.

 

Magpie Tanager                      Cissopis leveriana

Miniature Magpies that were most common around the Victoria Resort Hotel at Villa Tunari, where they stood out clearly amongst the secondary vegetation in which they seemed to thrive.

 

Orange-headed Tanager         Thlypopsis sordida

This unlikely looking species (it looks as if a small grey bird has had an accident with a tin of orange paint) was only seen once, when a bird emerged briefly at the forest edge near the Villa Tunari salt lick.

 

White-rumped Tanager           Cypsnagra hirundinacea

One of the most productive (certainly with respect to species per second) birding stops was on the way to Caracoles when we made a brief stop just short of Santa Rosa to let Tom stretch his legs and admire some rheas in the adjacent paddock. One of several species that turned up during this short stop was a couple of this colourful black-and-white tanager with an orange throat.

 

Black-goggled Tanager           Trichothraupis melanops

This has to be my favourite name for a Bolivian tanager and I am honoured that it has indeed made the bird list. The field notes of “grey tanager with black mask and golden crown stripe” capture this bird in a nutshell. We saw it at the bottom of the entrance road to Los Volcanes at the end of our one-hour hike down from the main road to the lodge.

 

White-shouldered Tanager      Tachyphonus luctuosus

A dark tanager whose only field mark is a white flash on the shoulder, so I guess this one is named spot on. The only sighting that I clearly recall is one from the forest trail in Carrasco National park near the salt lick site. However I am sure we did see it subsequently.

 

Silver-beaked Tanager                        Ramphocelus carbo

A well-dressed maroon tanager (sometimes just appearing all dark) that turned out to be the commonest lowland species in heavily forested areas. We first saw them in the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz but they were also the default tanager in Carrasco National Park and at Chalalan. This was also one of the most common bird table species in the grounds of Caracoles Lodge.

 

Blue-gray Tanager                   Thraupis episcopus

Just to prove how tricky bird identification is in these parts, this species was wrongly called by me as one of our first Bolivian species in the grounds of the Hotel Urbari, Santa Cruz. In fact its almost identical close relative the Sayaca Tanager is the dominant species there, with true Blue-grays only seen by us in the pampas, where they are indeed brighter and paler than Sayacas. Apparently both occur in Rurrenabaque.

 

Sayaca Tanager                      Thraupis sayaca

So now I know – this species is the commonest garden tanager (and indeed one of the commonest species) in suburban Santa Cruz. It is a more uniformly washed pale blue – a slightly dirtier version of the Blue-gray. It was still holding fort at Villa Tunari, but was losing its grip at Rurrenabaque. Interesting…

 

Palm Tanager                          Thraupis palmarum

Another common garden tanager species, which we saw particularly large numbers of around Villa Tunari. John has a nice photo of a palm frond that appears to be dripping with a combination of Palm and Sayaca tanagers. But it is a dull bird.

 

Fawn-breasted Tanager          Pipraeidea melanonota

A reasonably large blue tanager with a pale fawn breast that was seen on two occasions around Chalalan. The first was at the boat landing area on our first morning and the second was in the vegetation at the edge of the Chalalan swamp.

 

Paradise Tanager                    Tangara chilensis

This tanager jewel was seen in the forest at the salt lick end of Carrasco National Park on a couple of occasions. The first views were difficult to obtain as they were high in the canopy on the opposite of a steep gully that we were descending. Later we saw them in the riparian forest at the edge of the main river, which was at a more accessible binocular angle.

 

Green-and-gold Tanager         Tangara schrankii

A lemon and lime tanager that was seen both in Carrasco National Park and at Chalalan. In fact at Chalalan they were one of the few species on the move all day and were the most common species encountered in the deep forest (in contrast to Silver-beaked which seemed to prefer forest edge).

 

Swallow Tanager                    Tersina viridis

An exotic pale blue tanager that was seen high in the foliage of tall trees on the opposite side of the Chalalan swamp. Perhaps not the best of views, but this is a tanager that nobody is going to confuse with anything else.

 

Black-faced Dacnis                  Dacnis lineata

This species was first seen from above at Los Volcanes where we watched small party quickly move through the vegetation beneath our lookout at the top of the ridge. We also saw this species near the oilbird caves at Carrasco, but this time from beneath, which is actually not a bad position to be in when trying to identify it as they have blue and white bellies.

 

Blue Dacnis                             Dacnis cayana

The dark blue male and bright green female of this small tanager species can easily fool as they are so different. Fortunately the pair we saw in the grounds of the lodge at Los Volcanes were hanging about together in a most suspicious manner.

 

Purple Honeycreeper              Cyanerpes caeruleus

We saw this bird frequently in Carrasco National Park near the oilbird caves, where small flocks were encountered on several occasions. The strange thing however was that the flocks were entirely made up of female birds, which look very unusual with their rusty faces, speckled breasts, green backs and downcurved bills. Where were the males?

 

Green Honeycreeper               Chlorophanes spiza

And this species was also seen regularly near the oilbird caves, but this time only male birds, with their turquoise backs and black heads. Now I know what you are thinking… and that is exactly what we were thinking. But there is just no way that we could get confused between the opposite sexes of either of these species. Any explanations anyone?

 

Guira Tanager                         Hemithraupis guira

Thanks to its suitably gaudy black, orange, green and yellow head this was one of the only species that we managed to identify as a mixed flock poured over our heads along the entrance drive to Los Volcanes as we were hiking our way out.

 

Yellow-backed Tanager           Hemithraupis flavicollis

On our most barren morning bird walk in Chalalan we hiked along trails on the opposite side of the lake to the lodge and saw, well, almost nothing. However on the way home we did meet up with a small flock that were operating at a very uncomfortable angle above our heads. This pied species with a yellow rump and throat was one of the two common tanagers in this flock (the other being Green-and-gold).

 

Cinereous Conebill                  Conirostrum cinereum

A tiny grey “warbler” with a pale eyebrow and a rufous vent that was fairly common in the grove of tall trees at the tourist complex on Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca. Of course it is not a warbler, but it behaved very much like one as it restlessly worked the foliage.

 

Black-throated Flowerpiercer  Diglossa brunneiventris

This was another species that was fairly common, and very approachable, in the vegetation on Isla del Sol. A fetching bird with a black back and bright red breast, with the tell-tale flowerpiercer bill that we saw being put into action in the upper terraces of the Inca gardens.

 

White-winged Tanager                        Piranga leucoptera

We only saw this red tanager with dark wing and two white wingbars once, from the lookout at the top of our walk onto the ridge behind Los Volcanes, where it was one of several species enjoying the relatively rich flora beneath the base of the clifftops.

 

Red-crowned Ant-Tanager       Habia rubica

A commonly heard species from the Chalalan trails, although chasing this bird down for good looks always required a bit of proactive effort as they tend to skulk just above the forest floor and often proved quite elusive.

 

Purple-throated Euphonia       Euphonia chlorotica

The trip euphonia count was disappointingly low and this was the default species that we encountered almost exclusively in urban environments, such as the park next to the Hotel Urbari, Santa Cruz, and the riverside at Rurrenabaque.

 

Golden-bellied (White-lored) Euphonia           Euphonia chrysopasta

A quite unusual looking euphonia that lacks sexual dimorphism with both species being green with notable white lores. We saw several birds high in the canopy on the edge of a small clearing just short of the Chalalan swamp on our first visit there.

 

Rufous-collared Sparrow         Zonotrichia capensis

Once you reach a certain altitude this handsome little sparrow suddenly becomes somewhat ubiquitous. Hence this was a common species at places such as Samaipata and anywhere around Lake Titicaca.

 

Grassland Sparrow                  Ammodramus humeralis

A very typical looking brown job with a little yellow mark between the bill and the eye. We saw our first one perched low in a bush as a sandstorm whipped up over the plains at Lomas de Arena. They were much more audible (and visible with effort) in the short grass of the paddock behind Caracoles Lodge.

 

Yellow-browed Sparrow          Ammodramus aurifrons

It took us some time to realise that the sparrows seen hopping about on the edge of the river at Carrasco National Park and Rurrenabaque were in fact a different species to the last one, as they looked almost identical. This species gave away its difference by having a long insect like buzzing call, which was so distinctive once learned that we were able to back-identify a previously untraced call from the grassland behind the Victoria Resort Hotel, Villa Tunari.

 

Peruvian Sierra-Finch             Phrygilus punensis

Despite being dead ringers for the male and female Grey-hooded Sierra-finch in the Collins Illustrated Checklist, I have been reluctantly persuaded that the birds that we saw on Isla del Sol must be the more gaudy Peruvian Sierra-finch. The one that cause me most grief is the description I took of what appeared to be the female bird: “grey face, olive nape, grey back, peachy wash on breast”. Anyway, all voices of sanity suggest these were Peruvians – and we were just a few kilometres from the border after all!

 

Mourning Sierra-Finch             Phrygilus fruticeti

These birds were fairly common on Isla del Sol. The female resembled a stout female Reed Warbler and the male was largely greyish black with a white lower breast. They were seen hopping about the ruins of the terraces like sparrows and finally one male flew into a tree and “sang” a most unexpected song.

 

Black-capped Warbling-Finch Poospiza melanoleuca

Little grey long-tailed finches with black faces and caps and white breasts, looking a bit like a party of masked bandits as they noisily hunted collectively through the bushes of our Samaipata motel. At first glance they vaguely resembled a party of foraging Long-tailed Tits. This species was also probably seen in the riparian vegetation by the river just behind Los Volcanes lodge.

 

Saffron Finch                           Sicalis flaveola

There are a score of seemingly identical dirty yellow finches in this part of the Americas and it is hard to pull them apart without knowledge of habitat, distribution and jizz. We only definitely identified this species, which was both a suburban Santa Cruz bird (where it was very much a denizen of wires) and a bird of the open pampas grassland at Caracoles. When seen well, the male showed a distinctive orange forecrown.

 

Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch       Emberizoides herbicola

There are not too many other finches on the books with such spectacularly long tails, making this an easy species to identify at a distance, especially when they perched up on top of far bushes. We recorded these birds in Lomas de Arena, Kim’s Golf Course and in the grassland beneath they dyke at Caracoles.

 

Great Pampa-Finch                 Embernagra platensis

Another wonderfully named species, this bird is very bulky for a finch and indeed it was not the section of the guidebook that we started looking for it in. We watched a couple of them from the dyke at Caracoles at our turning point on the morning walk, impressed by the streaked olive back and bright red bill of a large and unusual species.

 

Blue-black Grassquit                Volatinia jacarina

Not Bolivia’s most exciting bird, this species was seen twice on our second day in Santa Cruz. The first sighting was in a low bush on the way up a sandy ridge at Lomas de Arena and the second was as part of a small flock of birds that kept emerging from the rank grassland of a dry swamp on Kim’s Golf Course.

 

Rusty-collared Seedeater        Sporophila collaris

When we saw this bird for the first time hopping about a muddy pool in the middle of our path through the grassland behind Caracoles Lodge, we were completely defeated as to what type of bird it might be. Although generally rufous, the stubby bill and clown markings of the face really defeated us. However it is a seedeater and we were more prepared when we saw it again later the same morning from the dyke path.

 

Double-collared Seedeater     Sporophila caerulescens

A confusingly named species as there only seems to be one collar to me. Despite this discrepancy (which meant that I never succeeded in remembering the name of this bird) we first saw a few in the dry swamp at Kim’s Golf Course. A much larger flock of around 50 birds was seen in the rank grasses in front of the Hotel Safari, Rurrenabaque.

 

White-bellied  Seedeater        Sporophila leucoptera

Several of these tidy little seedeaters were seen flying around the low scrub at Lomas de Arena and left no identification debate thanks to their pure white breasts and dark grey backs.

 

Tawny-bellied (Ruddy-breasted) Seedeater    Sporophila hypoxantha

A grey-backed and rufous-breasted seedeater of which there were just a few specimens amongst the mixed seedeater flock that emerged from the swap at Kim’s Golf Course. We had to track this madness of seedeaters for a few moments until we managed to get a good view of this species.

 

Chestnut-bellied Seedeater     Sporophila castaneiventris

A much more extreme seedeater that is superficially similar to the last species but that has more of a dark slaty back and a deeper chestnut breast. This species was present in the rank grassland at the edge of the river in front of the Hotel Safari, Rurrenabaque.

 

Plain-coloured Seedeater       Catamenia inornata

It could really be much worse with a name such as this, but in fact this bird is not as plain as might be expected as it has a pink bill, tawny vent and is otherwise pale grey. I mean that’s not exciting, but “plain” seems harsh. We saw just one, perched in the middle of a small bush amidst the Inca terraces on Isla del Sol.

 

Saffron-billed Sparrow                        Arremon flavirostris

A very similar species to the Orange-billed Sparrow of further north, we heard and then saw this species at first light in secondary growth on the edge of a eucalyptus plantation that bordered our motel grounds at Samaipata.

 

Red-crested Cardinal               Paroaria coronata

A bright and cheery resident of any places where man was leaving food or water out. Hence we first saw this species in the Santa Cruz Jardin Zoologico, where it was happily raiding food supplies and coming in to watering points. It was also a regular visitor to the Caracoles bird table.

 

Red-capped Cardinal               Paroaria gularis

Very similarly marked to the previous species, there were several ed-capped Cardinals living on the edge of Lake Chalalan and they were always a highlight of taking one of the canoes for a quiet paddle around the lake margins.

 

Black-backed Grosbeak           Pheucticus aureoventris

We came across this species deep inside a thicket on the edge of the dam at the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz on our first full day of birding in Bolivia. Also seen in an area of recently cleared forest above Achira.

 

Buff-throated Saltator              Saltator maximus

This was the commonest saltator and seen on several occasions. Our first bird was in riparian scrub by the edge of the river behind the lodge at Los Volcanes. We subsequently saw them fairly regularly in Chalalan and in Carrasco.

 

Grayish Saltator                       Saltator coerulescens

A very grey saltator that showed well when we saw up to three birds in thorny scrub at Lomas de Arena. They were first brought to our attention by a sweet call that stood amongst the harsher arid bird noises of this dry environment.

 

Tropical Parula                        Parula pitiayumi

This quickly became our default little colourful warbler as almost every small yellow bird glimpsed in the canopy of a tall tree turned out to be this ubiquitous forest species.

 

Masked Yellowthroat               Geothlypis aequinoctialis

A “yellowthroat” seen briefly near the lodge at Los Volcanes was almost certainly this species, however we had a definite view towards the end of our only full day at Caracoles when one was seen in the thickets while we wandered around the humid banks of the Río Yacuma while the others were piranha fishing.

 

Slate-throated Red (White) start          Myioborus miniatus

I found the red (white) starts very confusing to identify, as their field marks seem so stark that somehow the brain switches off at the vital moments and the key differences between them are sometimes missed. Despite this, I do believe that we saw all three species. This is one is by far the most straightforward and was seen at the bottom of the entrance drive to Los Volcanes as we hiked in for the first time.

 

Brown-capped Red (White) start          Myioborus brunniceps

A noisy red (white) start that only ever partially revealed itself in second growth scrub at the back of our motel garden in Samaipata must have been this species by altitude and habitat. We enjoyed several views of part of its body but never ever saw the whole thing.

 

Spectacled Red (White) start               Myioborus melanocephalus

A photo stop at one of the many bends in the Chapare Road from Cochabamba down to Villa Tunari provide the added bonus of some red (white) starts flicking about in bushes on the other side of the road. We watched them from the bus in between the backs of enormous trucks that were crawling up the road in the opposite direction.

 

Two-banded Warbler               Basileuterus bivittatus

A small olive and yellow warbler with a notable orange crown that was fairly common in the densest of vegetation around Los Volcanes, particularly in the drier scrub at the top of the entrance drive.

 

Riverbank (River) Warbler       Phaeothlypis rivularis

This remained a mystery bird until we came home and I partook in some extra research with the help of some of the Bolivian experts. We saw two birds hopping along the trail in front of us at Carrasco National Park. They looked like oversized Red-eyed Vireos, but their terrestrial aspect and the fact that they regularly flicked their tails made them clearly something else. We chased them round several bends before they flew into the forest.

 

Russet-backed Oropendula      Psarocolius decumanus

Oropendulas become such a familiar sight that it is easy to start ignoring them. This burnt coloured species was most familiar to us at Villa Tunari, where it was probably the commonest species present.

 

Crested Oropendula                Psarocolius decumanus

The default oropendula and if you are not careful it might be the only species that you appear to have seen on a trip here. Keep watching closely! In several habitats that we visited this was the only species (for example the dry country around Santa Cruz), which meant that complacency was inevitable when other species started to appear. Despite being common this is a very attractive bird.

 

Amazonian Oropendula          Psarocolius bifasciatus

A highly attractive oropendula that we saw only at the “cock-of-the-rock” site near Villa Tunari. Two of these birds emerged from the forest at the side of the road. Half lime, half chocolate with a dark bill tipped in red, this is an oropendula to be savoured.

 

Yellow-rumped Cacique          Cacicus cela

As with past experiences, this species is one that cohabits with man very comfortably (unless you are hoping for a long lie). They build their large communal nest sites in clearings, which are often provided by human habitation. Thus both the Victoria Resort Hotel at Villa Tunari and Chalalan Lodge provided perfect open space for cacique colonies, and these highly attractive birds were the perfect accompaniment to breakfast on the Victoria Resort open dining area as the first sunlight of the day ignited their colours.

 

Troupial                                   Icterus icterus

A breathtakingly bright and beautiful oriole. My first sighting was of one that swooped over the road in front of our jeep as we entered the Área Protegida Santuario Roseno just beyond Santa Rosa and simply presented a blur of radiant tangerine. We were pleased (or perhaps slightly disappointed) to discover that Caracoles Lodge had a couple that occasionally came in to the bird table. Somehow it wasn’t quite the same seeing them scrubbing in with the cardinals.

 

Epaulet Oriole                         Icterus cayanensis

A much duller oriole whose only field mark of note was a small red shoulder patch. This however was a reliable identifier when see even at a distance and especially in flight. A fairly common species around Villa Tunari, for example.

 

Chopi Blackbird                       Gnorimopsar chopi

We first saw this species singing its very sweet “chopi chopi” from the top of a tree in the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz. It was fairly common there and in similar habitat elsewhere. Some small dark birds that came in to the bird tables at Caracoles were identified as “Velvet-fronted Grackles” by Sandro, but I rather suspect that they were also this species.

 

Giant Cowbird                         Molothrus oryzivorus

These big bruisers of the genre were most commonly seen perched on sandbars while we were luxuriously being swept up and down the Río Beni and Río Tuichi between Rurrenabaque and Chalalan. They could not possibly be confused for anything else other than crows, and as there are no crows n Bolivia…

 

Shiny Cowbird                         Molothrus bonariensis

A common site in urban and disturbed areas. We saw our first flock on the drive from Santa Cruz airport to Hotel Urbari and were serenaded by them (if that is the right word) on our first Bolivian morning, as they gathered on the struts of a huge pylon outside the motel and metallically squeaked the world awake.

 

White-browed Blackbird          Sturnella superciliaris

This is a species that we got good view of in the swamp at Kim’s Golf Course and then again in the low grassland behind Caracoles Lodge, where they provided a flash of early morning colour when they clambered up on top of the sedge.

 

Hooded Siskin                         Carduelis magellanica

A species thus crosses the altitude ranges with seemingly comfortable ease. We first saw them in the riparian thickets behind the lodge at Los Volcanes but then encountered them in several other places including the car park at La Paz airport.

 

Black Siskin                             Carduelis atrata

A very pretty black and yellow siskin that was a common urban species in Copacabana by Lake Titicaca. We also saw them flying around Isla del Sol.

 

Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon)        Columba livia

It always has to make the list. This species was not our first in Bolivia, but it was our second with flocks flying over the road on the outskirts of Santa Cruz. That’s more than enough on this one.

 

House Sparrow                        Passer domesticus

Having noted this species in Santa Cruz I then blanked it out my mind, so goodness knows whether it was common elsewhere or not. I didn’t cross the world to count U.K. red list species.

 

Total: 357 seen + 19 heard

           

OTHER RECORDS

 

 

 

MAMMALS

 

Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth        Bradypus variegates

There were no problems identifying the single sloth that we found low in a tree in the Jardín Botánico Municipal, Santa Cruz. It wasn’t doing very much, but it did wave its limbs in our faces and there were definitely three toes.

 

Southern Tamandua                            Tamandua tetradactyla

The dry palm trees outside the dormitory at Caracoles Lodge rustled all night and when I woke just before dawn I set off with a torch to locate the noise. Having drawn a complete blank I was retreating when an early rising member of the kitchen staff pointed into the heart of one of the palms and muttered something about “ormiga”. I flashed the torch on and there was a wonderful creature, stuffing its nose deep into a tree-ant nest.

 

Long-nosed Bat                                   Rhynchonycteris naso

These bats were noted a couple of times during the day around the shore of Lake Chalalan. We first flushed a couple as we were harassing a Spectacled Caiman from our dugout canoe. A more interesting view was later had of a classical column of these bats, perched one above the other on a branch just above the surface of the water.

 

Common Vampire Bat                         Desmodus rotundus

Sounds dramatic doesn’t it? However reality was in fact a fairly innocuous small bat clinging to the roof of a cave in Carrasco National Park. We also saw a family of three youngsters, grasping the stonework and squeaking more like mice than blood-thirsty predators.

 

Hairy-legged Vampire Bat                   Diphylla ecaudata

An apparently fairly rare black vampire bat that feeds almost exclusively on birds. We saw a single bat in the same cave as the Common Vampires. It flew off into the back of the cave but we could see a dark smear of digested blood on the floor beneath its regular roosting perch, which left no doubt that this specimen sucks blood for a living.

 

Common Long-tongued Bat                 Glossophaga soricina

The neighbouring cave at Carrasco was full of bats, hanging in small groups in the twilight of the interior. Apparently the groups consisted of mixed groups of this and the following species, so similar that the experts need them in the hand to tell the difference.

 

Short-tailed Fruit Bat                           Carollia perspicillata

See above.

 

Common Squirrel Monkey                   Saimiri sciureus

A common small monkey of the forest surrounding Chalalan, seen almost exclusively close to the edge of the lake in quite sizeable parties. Cute, active and very much every child’s idea of what a monkey should be.

 

Brown Capuchin Monkey                     Cebus apella

We invested a lot of time in locating our first small party of these attractively marked monkeys on a forested ridge above Los Volcanes. However they proved to be common at Chalalan and were usually seen in mixed foraging parties with Common Squirrel Monkeys. Although normally a mid-sized primate, we saw one very large male in Chalalan who eyeballed us pretty seriously.

 

Red Howler Monkey                            Alouatta seniculus

The traditional roar of dawn in Amazonia, heard every morning at Chalalan. However we did not hear any howling after the light broke. A small group were tracked down at dawn close to the river but were only seen silhouetted against the new sky. A couple were seen in much better light close to the swamp.

 

Black Howler Monkey                          Alouatta caraya

A dry country howler that we saw several times on our wanderings in the pampas at Caracoles. The large black males contrast with the smaller paler females. Easily spotted in the tops of trees in the gallery forest of the Río Yacuma that bordered open grassland, but never heard howling.

 

Kinkajou                                              Potos flavus

It’s a monkey,… no it’s a cat,… No – it’s a kinkajou. One cute animal was seen just before dawn on one of our early starts at Chalalan. It gave away its presence with a soft rustling in the canopy and its eyes were picked out with the torchlight.

 

Boto (Pink River Dolphin)                    Inia geoffrensis

A quite improbable species really. Just as you are paddling down a narrow waterway in the pampas you see a sequence of concentric ripples breaking out on the surface of the water as fish break for cover and then a much bigger ripple as a low pink form briefly breaks the surface. Caracoles just didn’t look like dolphin country, but in the end we saw plenty of them, notably at a shallow bend in the Río Yacuma that proved a popular spot for surfacing boto. Most appeared grey on the brief glances, but occasionally bright pink and even white animals were seen.

 

Red Brocket Deer                                Mazama Americana

The unobtrusive deer of the Amazonian rainforest. This species was glimpsed just once, picked out by torchlight as it slipped between the shadows of ancient tree trunks in the Chalalan pre-dawn. The size of a Roe Deer.

 

Capybara                                             Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris

One of my favourite mammals of the trip. Gigantic rodents that were common along the banks of the Río Yacuma at Caracoles. The river was particularly low and it was amusing seeing these guys scrambling up the banks with the athleticism of wombats.

 

White-lipped Peccary                          Tayassu pecari

Definitely our most exciting mammalian encounter. Several herds were encountered during our wanderings at Chalalan varying from a few dozen to several hundred. First the sound (the clunking of teeth), then the smell, and finally (if we were careful) the sight of these smart pigs. An exciting mammal to meet in the forest, carrying with it an attitude and the slight air of danger.

 

Paca                                                    Agouti paca

Agoutis were short on the ground on this trip and the only one that we saw was close to Chalalan Lodge, where it padded out of the night and wandered across our track. It was a large attractive agouti, marked with rows of spots that looked like delicate stripes.

 

Arboreal Rice Rat??                             Oecomys sp.

A nocturnal rat with a long tail was photographed up a tree at Caracoles Lodge, but we have been unable to confirm the identity of this species. This is a best guess.

 

OTHER RECORDS

Some other species were recorded by our guides and other members of the group. Tony’s group at Chalalan saw Brazilian Tapir when one came down to the lake for a late afternoon drink and bath. We came close to it the next day and saw a very fresh print, but alas it got away. Tony’s group also ran into a recently described (sub)species of Dusky Titi Monkey at Chalalan. Henry and the Anaconda hunters ran into a couple of Jaguarundi on a dyke at Caracoles. A Tayra was glimpsed launching itself from an overnight roost into the canopy at Chalalan, but only the swaying palm fronds were seen well. Jaguar prints were clearly seen on a sandy riverbank at Chalalan and there were plenty of armadillo holes throughout the forest.

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