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BIRDS
AND NATURAL HISTORY
Venezuela - home to 40 percent of South America's bird species;
home to 43 protected National Parks
Day
One:
Upon arrival we will be transferred to Caracas, and our
hotel for the evening at Hotel Caracas
Day
Two to Four:
This morning we will depart early to drive to Maracay. We
will explore one of Venezuela’s natural gems, Henri
Pittier National Park. Its impressive list of birds includes
over 500 species, including 30 species of hummingbirds! This
220,000-acre wonderland goes from cloud forest at 4,000
feet, through several diverse habitats, reaching down no the
Caribbean Sea and its mangrove forest. Today we will bird
from the cloudforest to the lowland tropical deciduous
forest, along the famous Choroni Road. Our day will begin
among the giant liana-covered trees of the cloud forest
searching out such species as Band-Tailed Guan, Band-tailed
Pigeon, Blue-Winged Mountain Tanager, Speckled Hummingbird,
Yellow-Legged and Glossy-Black Thrush,a nd perhaps with luck
the secreative Black Hawk-Eagle. Later we will work our way
down hill towards the small town of Cumboto, where we will
picnic at one of the Cocoa plantations looking for soaring
Ornate Hawk-Eagle,a nd searching for lineated Woodpecker,
Lance-Tailed Mankins, Black-Crested Antshrike, and
Orange-Crowned Oriole, Hopefully, we will have time for a
swim in the blue Caribbean as we watch soaring frigatebirds
and pelicans. Night
Day
Five: We
will begin our day at the well-known Rancho Grande
Biological Station Henri Pittier National Park searching out
such species as White-Tipped Quetzal, Bronzy Inca,
Long-Tailed Sylph, Green Jay, golden-Breasted Fruitcater,
and Swallow Tanager, after breakfast at Rancho Grande
Research Station, we will explore the trails looking for
secretive forest birds such as Plumbeous Antshrike,
Smoky-Brown Woodpecker, Black-Faced Anthrush,a nd perhaps
lined quail-dove. We will hope for a feeding flock of
tanagers, (made up of such specialties as Beryl-Spangled,
Rufous-Cheeked, Golden, and Blue-Capped Tanagers), and
endemics such as Handsome fruteater, Blood-Eared Parakeet,
Groove-Billed Toucanet,a nd Guttulated Foliage-Gleaner. In
addition, Rancho Grande is a great place to get a good look
at Red-Howler Monkey and sloths. We will depart in the late
afternoon for Caracas, where we will have dinner and spend
the night at the Caracas Hilton Hotel.
Day
Six:
Today we have a mid-morning departure flight to Merida,
Venezuela’s gateway to the Andes. Merida is set on a
plateau surrounded by the country’s highest peaks, Pico
Bolivar and Pico Espejo, both over 16,000 feet. It is one of
the few areas in Venezuela that still maintains a colonial
flavor in its culture and architecture. We will visit the
fascinating there-story marketplace, which sells everything
from Andrea handicrafts to local fruits, vegetables and
spices. We will then check into our hotel, located outside
of the city of Merida, in time for lunch. This charming
mountain Hotel’s grounds offer us the opportunity for
excellent bird-watching, and we are likely to see Slaty
Brush-Finch, Black-Capped Tanager,a nd Yellow-Bellied
Siskin. Overnight Hotel Belensate.
Day
Seven:
We will start out early this morning for the cloud forest at
La Mucuy, in Sierra Nevada National Park. In this lush,
misty forest we will look for Quetzals, Guans, Fruiteaters,
Rose-Headed Parakeet, Red-Ruffed Fruitcrow and Merida
Sunangel. After lunch we will take a scenic drive through
Andrean Villages, climbing into the highlands and our hotel
for the evening. Our hotel, located at 8,200 feet, is a
replica of a colonial convent, with spectacular views of the
mountains and Paramo. Night Hotel La Trucha Azul.
Day
Eight:
This morning we will start out early to explore the Paramo.
This treeless environment found over 8,000 feet has a unique
flora; the dominant plant being a composite, Espeletia,
Unique bird species occur here, such as Black-Chested
Buzzars Eagle, Paramo Wren, and if we’re lucky the Bearded
Helmeterest. We will stop at Lago Mucubaji, a glacial lake
in tha Paramo, to look for some of these unique species, and
make several stops at lower elevations to look for such
specialties as Lacrimose Mountain Tanager, Coal-Black
Flower-Piercer, Orange-Throated Sunangel, and Great Thrush,
Night Hotel La Trucha Azul.
Day
Nine:
Today we will begin our day by exploring the National
Park’s cloudforest. In this exquisite forest, its trees in
bromeliada, ferns and orchids, we will watch for feeding
fruiteaters and tanagers, Golden-Headed Quetzal, and
Golden-Bellied Starfrontlet. We will make a special attempt
to visit a lek of the Andrean Cock-of-the-Rock; this
spectacular bright orange bird is known for the elaborate
performance of the males, as they display and dance to
attract a female. We will then descend into the foothills
looking for Black-and-Chestnut Eagle, Golden and Blue-necked
Tanager, Violaceous Jay, and Orange-Headed Oriole. Along the
streams we will look for Torrent Duck and White-Capped
Dipper, there is the possibility of Spangled Coquette,
Booted Racket-Tail and Striped Manakin. We will continue
downward, past the lovely Andrean Village of Altamira, into
the drier habitats looking for Qhite-Browed antbird,
Cinnamon Becard, Golden-Crowned Warbler and Thick-Billed
Euphonia. We will spend the night at the Hotel Bristol in
Barinas.
Day
Ten to Twelve:
This morning we will depart early to drive into the vast
interior region of Venezuela; The Llanos. Here at Hato El
Cedral, a 106,000 acre private wildlife santuary, you will
be introduced to one o this continent’s greatest wildlife
spectacles. Three days of excursions on this working cattle
ranch will likely bring you sights of Jabiru, Maguari, and
Wood Stork; seven species of Ibis; White-Necked, Whistling,
Capped and Rufescent-Tiger Heron; Homed Screamer,
White-Faced and Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks, Orinoco
Goose; plus easy sightings of such after birds as Hoatzin,
Sunbittern, and Aplomado Falcon; and a long list of 200
other possibilities including Yellow-Knobbed Curassow,
Chestnut-Fronted and Scarlet Macaw, plus the near endemic
Pale-Headed Jacamar and White-Bearded Flycatcher. In
addition we will see herds of Capybara, hundred of Caiman,
giant Anaconda, along with mammals such as Red-Howler
Monkey, Crab-Eating Raccoon, and Pink Dolphin. Our night
time excursion will add immensely to the richness of our
visit as we search for night birds, giant Anteater,
Crab-Eating Fox, Ocelot and hopefully the Puma.
Our
accommodations at Hato El Cedral are in spacious,
air-conditioned, attractively furnished bungalows, each with
private bath. The dining room serves excellent family-style
meals, and the swimming pool is available throughout our
visit. At the end of a long day you may be entertained by
the famous Venezuelan cowboys, the “Llaneros”, who with
their harps, “cuatros”, and maracas present their
beautiful national music for visitors. Nights at Hato El
Cedral..
Day
Thirteen:
We will have an early morning departure for San Fernando de
Apure or Barinas, and our flight back to Caracas. Departure
for the airport and our flight home.
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Package
Included:
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*Accomodations
at Indicated Lodges
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*Full
Board During the whole trip
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*All
Ground Transportation
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*All
Internal Flights
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Package
Not Inluded:
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*Lunch
days 2, 10, 13.
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*
Dinner days 13.
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*Alcoholics
beverages & phone calls
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*Personnal
expenses
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*
Tips
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Venezuela Photo Galleries - (4) - more than 300- Photos
Venezuela Video Gallery (8) by Regions 
National
Parks
Natural Monuments
Nature Calendar
