A Visit to Colombia - Part 4

05 December, 2025

Hacienda El Bosque, Manizales

     After our usual hearty breakfast we set off for an exciting day's birding at Hacienda El Bosque, a location renowned for its antpittas and other characteristic birds of the central Andes.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     Following standard practice the local guide, armed with a copious supply of worms, began to call in an Equatorial Antpitta (Grallaria saturata).

     It was not long before he succeeded.

     This species appears to have a checkered taxonomic history and is not recognized by HBW.

     Furthermore, it is not included in Harold F. Greeney's authoritative work, Antpittas and Gnateaters (2018). I am unable to find any reference to it at all, so I cannot speculate on the reasons for the apparent controversy. The species is accepted without question by eBird, iNaturalist and doubtless by other internet platforms and taxonomic regimes. Interestingly, however, my entry on iNaturalist has not been confirmed and has not been elevated to research grade.

     Be all that as it may, it was for everyone in our group an exciting bird to see.

     Here is the Antpitta Pied Piper tossing worms to lure in the birds.

     He was a pleasing, friendly young man and I think we all enjoyed his company.

     There were always flowers to charm us, even though we were frequently unfamiliar with them; in this case I am pretty sure the plant is found in the tribe Ixieae, but I'm unable to identify it specifically.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     The formidable bill on a Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera) has to be seen to be believed!

Photo: Pam Sadler

     This species specializes in flowers with long pendent corollas; it hovers below them in order to access the nectar deep inside.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     It is a species much sought after by visiting birders and I know that everyone in our group was delighted to see it. 

     Black Flowerpiercer (Diglossa humeralis) was but one of three species of flowerpiercer we saw.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     You will see the hooked tip of the upper mandible used by the bird to pierce the base of the flower, thereby robbing it of nectar without providing any reciprocal benefit like pollination.

     It gave us great delight to spot a Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant (Silvicultrix diadema).

Photo: Pam Sadler

     It is usually found in dense undergrowth close to the ground and is thereby hard to see. Unlike most flycatchers it sometimes takes prey, primarily small beetles, from twigs, or on the ground.

     There were cows to keep us company.

     Horses, too.

     White-browed Spinetail (Hellmayrea gularis) feeds on arthropods found in moss, dense foliage, dead leaves, bark and bamboo.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     It is an acrobatic little bird, often gleaning for insects upside down. You will see above how it comes by its name.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     Grass Wren (Cistothorus platensis) has a staggering nineteen subspecies in eight subspecies groups. The taxonomy of this species, formerly a Sedge Wren (C. stellaris), is not yet resolved.

     No such controversy exists over Mountain Wren (Troglodytes solstitalis).

Photo: Victoria Ho

     These little birds have figured out that humans bring juicy worms and they showed no reluctance to take food offered from a beneficent hand.

 

     Lisa was enjoying the whole spectacle and chatting to the resident bird whisperer who sported the largest neckband ever seen!

     Hummingbirds are all spectacular. You have met Shining Sunbeam (Aglaectis cupripennis) before but who can get enough?

Photo: Pam Sadler

 

     How about one more look at the "shining" part of the bird's name?

Photo: Pam Sadler

     Shimmering Sunbeam might be a better appelation!

     No one can be faulted for lack of signage at this location!

     We had no luck with the Crescent-faced Antpitta (Grallaricula lineifrons). Perhaps it prefers its worms à la mode.

     We were not particularly thrilled with the rain, but without a doubt raindrops have a distinct beauty about them.

     Victoria did a wonderful job photographing flowers; would that I did as well naming them.

     In the subfamily Crocoideae.....

     A female Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura iracunda) perched nicely for us.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     We saw Sickle-winged Guan (Chamaepetes goudotii) quite often.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     It is an opportunistic bird and is drawn to bird feeding stations where its large size enables it to feed unmolested. In the picture above you will see a Great Thrush (Turdus fuscater) at the bottom right. 

     Sickle-winged Guan is often joined by Andean Guan (Penelope montagnii) which feeds in similar fashion.

     Either bird is capable of reducing a banana to the skin in just a couple of gulps.

     Callianthe is a genus of flowering plants distributed throughout the Neotropics.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     We did not see many mammals during our stay in Colombia, but we were always taken with Red-tailed Squirrel (Sciurus granatensis) and its antics.

     It is in the same genus as our familiar Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and seems well endowed with the same mischievous ways.

     Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis), despite my feigned air of detachment, remains one of my favourite birds.

     Look closely and you will see three of them on the ground in the picture above.

     Mountain Velvetbreast (Lafresnaya lafresnayi) is a sensational little hummingbird.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     Pam captured it on the way to the feeders.....

     ..... and Victoria caught it when it had settled in to feed.

     I managed this picture of a Hooded Mountain Tanager (Buthraupis montana).

     Here it is a little closer feeding on worms set out for it.

     Birds in the family Cotingidae are in many instances difficult to see, so we were thrilled when a male and a female Barred Fruiteater (Pipreola arcuata) paid us a visit.

Barred Fruiteater (♂) Photo: Victoria Ho

Barred Fruiteater (♀) Photo: Victoria Ho

     Fortunately, this species is relatively willing to reveal itself, and it brought back memories for me of the first time I saw it in Ecuador many years ago.

     Sparkling Violetear (Colibri coruscans) is suitably named, I am sure you will agree.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     It is aggressive and territorial and tends to dominate other species.

     I am going out on a limb here, possibly a shaky one, and calling this plant Racineae tetrantha.

Photo: Victoria Ho 

 

     It is listed as being native to Bolivia, Costa Rica, Venezuela and Ecuador, so with Colombia being positioned between Venezuela and Ecuador it doesn't seem unreasonable to me that the plant should be found there.

     Blue-capped Tanager (Sporathraupis cyanocephala) is a scintillating bird in a scintillating family.

     The diversity of beautiful tanagers is both bewildering and satisfying, especially for those of us who live in the north. Here in Ontario we can reasonably expect to see Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea), sometimes Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) in the southernmost part of the province, and rarely Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana). In Colombia, to see several species together is not unusual. What a feast for northern eyes!

     White-bellied Woodstar (Chaetocercus mulsant) is a tiny hummingbird, amazingly insect-like in flight.

White-bellied Woodstar (♀) Photo: Victoria Ho

     It is an annual rite of passage for southern Ontario birders to greet the arrival of warblers to the province, so it is very enjoyable to see a species that does not appear here. Golden-fronted Whitestart (Myioborus chrysops) is a very attractive bird.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     White-sided Flowerpiercer (Diglossa albilatera) was seen quite often.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     Northern Slaty Brushfinch (Atlapetes schistaceus) was never far from the food laid out and frequently replenished by dedicated human assistants!

Photo: Victoria Ho

     Many species enjoy grapes and they are often used to attract birds. Here a Great Thrush takes full advantage of them.

      This casts a whole new light on elbows on the table!

     Actually, if you pay close attention to it, it is a very handsome bird.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     A Grey-browed Brushfinch (Arremon assimilis) darted back and forth to snag morsels of food.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     It was all together a great day of birding, but decidedly cool and lunch was a kind of hot pot where you added your own ingredients to a hot broth, and it was perfect for the weather. Dessert was cheesecake and there was hot Colombian coffee.

     We left mid-afternoon, well satisfied with our experience at Hacienda El Bosque. I would go back there in a heartbeat!