A Visit to Colombia - Part 8

 09 December, 2025

Manantial del Turpial, Jardín, Antioquia

     Today was a day that had been eagerly awaited by all members of our group. The Oilbird (Steatornis caripensis) verges on mythological; this was the day for mythology to be transformed into reality.

     After a fine breakfast we set off for Manantial del Turpial, a short distance from our hotel.

     The streets were as lovely as ever.

     The place was well maintained and quite delightful, with cabins dotted throughout the grounds. 

Photo: Pam Sadler

    The unit seen above was unoccupied and the hammock was used by more than one of our group for a brief period of relaxation.

    Ruddy Ground Doves (Colombina talpacoti) were active everywhere, often displaying either agonistically or amorously. 

Picture: Victoria Ho

     It was sometimes difficult to interpret their behaviour - as it often is with humans!

Ruddy Ground Dove (♀) Photo: Victoria Ho

     Pam captured this glorious flight sequence. 

     An Andean Motmot (Motmotus aequatorialis) perched quietly, indifferent to the antics of the doves, or the arrival of human visitors.

     A Lineated Woodpecker (Hylatomus lineatus) was far away, but a persistent Victoria managed a shot.

    

     Black-chested Jay (Cyanocorax affinis) is a striking bird with a good degree of swagger.

     As was the case with the doves, the interplay between them was either aggression or lust, with comingling of the two behaviours it seemed.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     A Roadside Hawk (Rupornis magnirostris) surveyed the world from a perch on a wire.

     Manantial del Turpial was thematically appointed, and these chairs evoked the interest of all of us.

     I think that Jim was trying to figure out how to stuff one in his backpack.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     It would be quite a conversation piece in his family room in southern Ontario, wouldn't it?

     A Pale-vented Pigeon (Patagioenas cayennensis) occupied the overhead wire when it was vacated by the Roadside Hawk.

Photo: Victoria Ho

 

     The male Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) comes by its name honestly.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     The female is a little more demure.

Photo: Victoria Ho

      It was great to see a couple of Blue-necked Tanagers (Stilpnia cyanicollis) but they cared little for our blandishments and maintained their distance.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     We had been thrilled a couple of days earlier when we saw our first Red-bellied Grackles (Hypopyrrhus pyrophogaster) ever, so we were elated when a small flock of them arrived in the garden.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     We were able to observe them for much longer and at closer range. The female of the species resembles the male but is smaller in size. The allofeeding behaviour above probably is involved with courtship and pair bonding.

     The birds were quite acrobatic and foraged extensively along tree branches.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     An Andean Emerald (Uranomitra franciae) is an exceptionally striking hummingbird.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     We were all very pleased to see a pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (Pheucticus ludovicianus), like running into an old friend while on vacation.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     The male seemed to be eying up the large fruit and wondering how to tackle it. Finally he had a go!

Photo: Victoria Ho

     Perhaps the female was taking notes.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     It appears that a hefty meal would be a just reward for the effort.

     To say that a Crimson-backed Tanager (Ramphocelus  dimidiatus) is a stunning bird would be a paradigm of understatement.

Photo: Pam Sadler

    The silvery-white lower mandible seems almost unreal.

     The whimsically named Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera deliciosa) is very attractive.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     As might be expected, Colombian Chachalaca (Ortalis colombiana) was not shy about invading the feeders.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     Its food of choice seemed always to be bananas.

     Pam took this great shot of a female White-sided Tanager (Tachyphonus rufus).

     To be frank, I don't remember seeing this bird, but the picture is evidence that it was there.

     Actually it highlights the obvious; one can only be looking in one direction at a time, so a bird out of view can easily be missed. With ten of us scanning and searching, it's doubtful that many birds escaped our scrutiny. 

     A Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) was the very image of diminutive perfection perched on a lichen-encrusted branch.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     A Scrub Tanager (Stilpnia vitriolina) was seen most days, and we rejoiced in every sighting.

Photo: Pam Sadler 

     The same could be said of Green Honeycreeper (Chlorophanes spiza), especially females.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     The time had come for us to make the long, steep descent to the roaring rapids below where the Oilbirds awaited.

     Trevor, stalwart and resolute as always, stabilized by his trusty canes made the descent with aplomb.

     Here is the narrow suspension bridge we would

 have to cross to see the Oilbirds.

     We were all infused with a spirit of Indiana Jones derring-do as we gazed at the foaming, churning rapids!

     But we were happy to see that the bridge was exceptionally well anchored!

     I think that Dario is an incipient birder and he was keen to set up a scope to survey the landscape.

     This is Arley, the owner of Manantial del Turpial, an avuncular fellow, ably assisted by his daughter, who was there to ensure that we all were properly equipped with a safety harness and that we received appropriate instructions.

    Any connection to the exploits of Indiana Jones was beginning to fade!

    Lisa, bold and brash, set out first (well, following Ernesto), and walked with a sprightly confident step to inspire confidence in all of us. Just look how cool she is.

     We approached the birds one at a time, waiting for the person who had preceded us, to return.

     And here was our reward. Oilbirds!

Photo: Victoria Ho

     A word or two about this enigmatic species. 

     It breeds and roosts in deep ravines or inside caves, and forages at night. In darkness it echolocates like a bat, spending the day in near or total darkness. It feeds at night on fruit often far from its roosting sites. It is seldom seen by birders.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     I had seen it once before in a cave in Trinidad where it was so dark and access so restricted that it was impossible to really see the bird. So, today was a triumph!

Photo: Victoria Ho

      Victoria returned in sprightly manner, no doubt buoyed by the excellent views of this intriguing bird.

     We were thrilled with the diversity of butterflies.

Graphita griphe

Smudged Crescent (Castilia cranites)

Red Peacock (Anartia amathea)

Grass Skippers (subfamily Hesperiinae)

     I am grateful to Victoria for shots of three more species.

Actinote stratonice

genus Pseudohaetera

Longtails (genus Spicauda)

     We climbed back up to the gardens where lunch was served, and we spent the afternoon relaxing and birding in a sedentary manner.

    Remarkably, both a male and a female Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola peruvianus) paid a visit, but our cameras did not click into action at all for the female; Victoria managed a record shot of the male.

     Our only Russet-backed Oropendola (Psarocolius angustifrons) of the trip paid us a visit, and posed nicely.

     A couple of Bay-headed Tanagers (Tangara gyrola) made frequent forays to the feeder, often perching momentarily on a branch before zooming over to the bananas.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     The Ruddy Ground Doves continued with their antics, with perhaps a hint of debauchery thrown in for good measure.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     I doubt that I could ever become blasé about toucans and toucanets, they are just so exotic. We were enchanted by this Southern Emerald Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus albivitta).

Photo: Pam Sadler

      This female Flame-rumped Tanager (Ramphocelus flammigerus) was enough to set my heart aflutter, let alone the male of her species!

     A couple of Black-chested Jays still hung around, scarfing down food at an amazing rate.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     All good things must end and it was time to leave. However, Dario has been the driver for other ornithological quests of one kind or another, and knew of a local spot that held promise.

     He was right!

     A Western Cattle Egret (Ardea ibis) in high breeding plumage preened in a streamside tree.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     A Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) displayed its characteristic patience as it waited for insects to fly by, to be snapped up and consumed.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     Meantime a tiny Torrent Tyrannulet (Serpophaga cinerea) plunged into the roiling eponymous torrent in its own quest for insect prey.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     The real object of our search here was Torrent Duck (Merganetta armata), a species confined to the seething, boulder-strewn rapids of the Andes, where both adults and young display a remarkable ability to navigate the most turbulent water.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     Male and female are distinctly dimorphic; the female is shown above.

     Here is a female with two young.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     And here is a male.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     Not surprisingly, White-capped Dipper (Cinclus leucocephalus) frequented this same stretch of water.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     A Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) chose a less agitated section of the streamside.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     A couple of Inca Jays (Cyanocorax yncas) was a pleasant counterpoint to the ducks and dippers.

     We left to return to our hotel, having enjoyed a remarkable day's birding.

     Dinner was taken in the usual elegant fashion of the hotel.

     A great way to end another day in our sojourn in the Colombian Andes.

HOT OFF THE PRESS

     Just as I was completing this post, I saw the following headline from the journal One Earth.

"Scientists warn the Earth is on course to become uninhabitable."

We are nuts, aren't we?