PRICE of main Parrot Watching Eco-tour.
£5500 per person sharing a double/twin room £495 single supplement DEPOSIT £1000 Balance to be paid 60 days before the start of the trip. Includes all road transfers within Bolivia, accommodation, meals (from dinner on 13th September to breakfast on 28th September), water, transport including drivers, guide, and all entry fees to National Parks and private ranches. Also includes internal flights and boat trip. NOT included:- International flights, insurance, drinks, souvenirs, tips, any additional activities not mentioned in the itinerary. 
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Maximum 7 people on this Parrot Watching Eco-tour
I already have 3 reservations ITINERARY
13th September - Arrive Santa Cruz Arrive at any time today and we will be met at the airport for a transfer to our hotel in the city. We will meet up and go for dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Santa Cruz 14th September – Santa Cruz to Los Volcanes Travelling for just 3 hours we will reach the valley known as Los Volcanes. This is not just a stopover there are lots of opportunities to see parrots at this lodge in the forest. The Bolivian sub-species of the Military Macaw can be found here and will be the main parrot that we want to look for here. This Macaw is almost an endemic sub-species with its range slightly extending beyond Bolivia into the very north of Argentina. Overnight Los Volcanes 15th September – Los Volcanes All day for the Military Macaws again although other parrots that can be found here are Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Blue-headed, Red-billed and Scaly-headed Parrots, Mealy and Blue-fronted Amazons as well as Green-cheeked and Mitred Conures. 16th September – Los Volcanes and transfer to Red-fronted Macaw Lodge. After an early morning observing the Military Macaws and other Parrots again in the valley we then travel by road to the Red-fronted Macaw Lodge. It is from here that we could encounter the Red-fronted Macaw the first endemic parrot we will observe in the wild. Our lodge is situated directly opposite the nesting and roosting cliff sites for this special Macaw. 17th September – Red-fronted Macaw Lodge All day to check out the Red-fronted Macaws and try to photograph them from every angle as they are on the cliffs, in flight, going down to the river for drinking and bathing as well as feeding in the trees. Here we can climb onto the cliff to get good vantage points to photograph the Red-fronted Macaws in flight or see them at their nest and roosting areas. Let’s not forget all the other Parrot species that inhabit these dry valleys. Grey-hooded, Yellow-chevroned and Cliff Parakeets, Green-cheeked, Blue-crowned, Mitred and White-eyed Conures and Blue-fronted Amazons will be on our list for this area. 18th September – Red-fronted Macaw Lodge Red-fronted Macaw cliff for some close-up photography shots with more time to spend with the Red-fronted Macaws although once again we will be checking out the other Parrots here. Both the Green-cheeked and Blue-crowned Conures are endemic sub-species and only in this area of Bolivia whilst the Mitred Conure here is possibly an un-described sub-species which would also make it an endemic. The Cliff Parakeet, once a sub-species of the Monk Parakeet, has now been recognised as a separate species which is also endemic to Bolivia and, in particular, to this region. 19th September – Red-fronted Macaw Lodge More time for the Red-fronted Macaws and time to get those photos we have missed. Some of the other Parrots come into the garden of the lodge so we don't have to go far. 20th September – After breakfast transfer to Samaipata for lunch with an afternoon visit to Quirisillas. The main parrots in this area are Tucuman and Blue-fronted Amazons as well as Green-cheeked and Blue-crowned Conures. Here the Tucuman Amazon is the priority as we will not see it anywhere else on this tour. Back to Samaipata for overnight 21st September – Early morning visit to Quirisillas. This will be a very early start to search for the Tucuman Amazons again. We were more successful with this Amazon in the morning in 2019. Breakfast in the local village and then back to Samaipata for lunch with an afternoon transfer back to Santa Cruz and overnight. 22nd September – An early morning flight to Trinidad for the next part of our adventure. We should arrive in plenty of time to take a boat trip on the local river where we get the chance to see many water birds including herons, kingfishers and maybe some parrots but the main attraction here will be the Pink-river Dolphins although getting a good photo is a bit of a challenge but I am always up for a challenge – how about you??? Overnight Trinidad 23rd September – Private flight to Barba Azul I am chartering two 6 seater Cessnas for a private flight to Barba Azul. With just 4 of us per plane this gives us more room for some extra luggage although we can leave some at our hotel in Trinidad. We are now in the savanna which floods for 8 months of the year, fortunately we are arriving in the dry season although it is possible there will be wet areas. The bonus for this unusual landscape is that the Blue-throated Macaw loves this habitat and although there are only between 300 and 500 individuals left in the wild they are being protected by a number of conservation projects. We are going to visit and stay at one of these projects so Blue-throated Macaws will be the main parrot to see in this region. The Blue-throated Macaw is endemic to Bolivia and only found in a very small area. There are several Macaws in this area including Yellow-collared, Chestnut-fronted, Green-winged and Blue and yellow. The Blue and yellow Macaws are very close to the Blue-throated Macaws so we need to make sure we identify them correctly. Usually the Blue-throated will be in the palm trees whilst the Blue and yellow Macaws can be in any of the trees around. 24th September – Barba Azul A full day to enjoy the Blue-throated Macaws but as well as these and the other Macaws listed there are Yellow-chevroned and Cobalt-winged Parakeets, Scaly-headed and Blue-headed Parrots, Blue-fronted and Orange-winged Amazons, Blue-winged Parrotlets and Peach-fronted and Dusky-headed Conures. All Parrots are great to watch but the 2 Parakeets here are endemic sub-species and only found in this region. It will be interesting to see if they can be distinguished from the nominate species. 25th September – Barba Azul This time of year is usually good to see large flocks (about 50 to 60) of the Blue-throated Macaws so we have more chances of seeing them. 26th September – Barba Azul Whilst we are here we can take a boat trip on the local rivers to see more special wildlife in this area but as always looking out for more encounters with Parrots. 27th September – Private flights back to Trinidad and overnight in Trinidad 28th September - Flight back to Santa Cruz for flights home. Sorry our ADVENTURE has come to an end. I am sure we will have many photos and lots of memories. Until the next time Thank you. Alternatively:- For those of you with a little bit more time I am working on an extra trip further north to Riberalta where there are some clay licks that no other person other than the local fishermen have been. These do have parrots on them but I am not sure which species yet so this will be a real adventure. Also a chance to go into the Madidi National Park for some time in the Jungle with all the wildlife. If this extension trip interests you please contact me. |
Parrots which are possible on this trip
Blue-and-yellow Macaw - Ara ararauna Blue-throated Macaw - Ara glaucogularis Red-and-green Macaw - Ara chloropterus Military Macaw - Ara militaris Red-fronted Macaw - Ara rubrogenys Chestnut-fronted Macaw - Ara severus Yellow-collared Macaw - Primolius auricollis Red-shouldered Macaw - Diopsittaca nobilis Blue-crowned Parakeet - Thectocercus acuticaudatus White-eyed Parakeet - Psittacara leucophthalmus Mitred Parakeet - Psittacara mitratus Dusky-headed Parakeet - Aratinga weddellii Peach-fronted Parakeet - Eupsittula aurea Monk Parakeet - Myiopsitta monachus Cliff Parakeet - Myiopsitta luchsi Green-cheeked Parakeet - Pyrrhura molinae Grey-hooded Parakeet - Psilopsiagon aymara Blue-winged Parrotlet - Forpus xanthopterygius Yellow-chevroned Parakeet - Brotogeris chiriri Yellow-faced Parrot - Alipiopsitta xanthops Blue-headed Parrot - Pionus menstruus Red-billed Parrot - Pionus sordidus Scaly-headed Parrot - Pionus maximiliani Yellow-crowned Parrot - Amazona ochrocephala Mealy Amazon - ASmazona farinosa Orange-winged Parrot - Amazona amazonica Turquoise-fronted Parrot - Amazona aestiva Tucuman Parrot - Amazona tucumana 
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