Bird Guides of the World: Luis García Cuartas, Colombia

What is your favorite bird species?

A tough question! As you start birding, you also start to form a clear list of your favorite birds in your mind, such as the Black-backed Grosbeak. That bird to me is a symbol of where I come from as a birder.

But then there is the Green-bearded Helmetcrest, the most iconic species at the Sumapaz paramo birding hotspot. Both these species are just for Bogota, my local patch.

What is your name, and where do you live?

My name is Luis García Cuartas and I live in Bogotá, more precisely on the way to the Sumapaz paramo birding hotspot, the countryside of the capital city.

What are the main regions or locations you cover as a bird guide?

I am a bird guide based in Bogota and specialize in the surrounding area including the Western, Central, and Eastern Andes of Colombia. This stretches from the fantastic and the largest paramo in the world at my local patch in Usme, across cloudy, humid, and dry forests upon the Andes of Colombia, to the valleys of the Magdalena and the Cauca rivers.

How long have you been a bird guide?

5 fantastic years.

How did you get into bird guiding?

I got into this while starting a birding tourism company providing logistics and solutions for the Sumapaz paramo birding hotspot. I was inspired by the people traveling to Colombia to watch birds and have fun – a whole new life experience for me.

What are the aspects of being a bird guide that you like best? Which aspects do you dislike most?

For me, there´s something wonderful in birding and guiding in the cultural interchange while on a tour: Of course, we talk a lot about birds, but we also share aspects of our cultures and traditions, as well as the context we live in – this makes such a tour an even richer experience. That and being outdoors breathing fresh air and discovering the wonders of nature is what I like best. The only thing that I don’t like is that time flies when you have fun.

What are the top 5-10 birds in your region that are the most interesting for visiting birders?

This is my selection of 10 targets that you can have in Bogotá and the surroundings in less than a week:

• Green-bearded Helmetcrest – a member of the remarkable Helmetcrest group of hummingbirds and one of the three species found in Colombia, this bird can be observed in the Sumapaz páramo near Bogotá
• Black Inca – we can find this hummer in Arcabuco Boyacá where people call it “The prince of Arcabuco”
• Golden-bellied Starfrontlet, an astonishing hummingbird worth enjoying, a real jewel

• Sword-billed Hummingbird, well there’s not much to say about this guy, always impressive in the highlands of Cundinamarca
• Bogotá Rail, an iconic, endangered but beautiful endemic of Bogota.

• Black-billed Mountain-Toucan – the Mountain-Toucans are very attractive birds that are easy to locate by voice and their vibrant colors provide a contrast to the forest in Guasca
• Brown-breasted Parakeet, a flyby of a flock of these noisy and colorful parakeets is always a pleasure, apart from the Mountain Toucan, they are the main targets of the area
• Muisca Antpitta, one of the splits from Grallaria rufula is now one more endemic to Colombia, restricted to the eastern range, you can have this in the wild or at a feeding station
• Cundinamarca Antpitta, a wonderful discovery and one of the newest endemic species of Colombia with a nice story for you to know

• Black-backed Grosbeak, El Rey del Bosque, a year round active bird at Chiguaza Reserve in Bogota.

Can you outline at least one typical birdwatching trip in your area? Please briefly describe the locations, the key birds, and the approximate duration of such a trip

Bogotá Classic Birding, a week in the Andean plateau discovering amazing birds visiting incredible habitats and iconic places with the best of the local tastes and traditions.

Day 1: BOGOTÁ, Sumapaz paramo birding hotspot (3800 m asl), roadside birding + Chiguaza Reserve (2750 m asl) reforested grazing and feeding stations.

Targets: Green-bearded Helmetcrest, Apolinar’s Wren, White-chinned Thistletail, Bronze-tailed Thornbill, Boyaca Antpitta, Noble Snipe, Buff-breasted Mountain Tanager, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Black-backed Grosbeak, Rufous-browed Conebill, Green-tailed Trainbearer, Silvery-throated Spinetail, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager.

Day 2: Guasca CUNDINAMARCA, Observatorio de Aves de Los Andes (3200 m asl), forest birding and feeding stations.

Sword-billed Hummingbird, Brown-breasted Parakeet, Muisca Antpitta, Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, Andean Potoo, Chestnut-bellied Chlorophonia, Mountain Velvetbreast, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Masked Trogon.

Day 3: Arcabuco BOYACA, Rogitama Biodiversidad (3000 m asl), reforested forest and feeding stations.

Black Inca, Lazuline Sabrewing, Gorgeted Woodstar, Short-tailed Emerald, Southern-emerald Toucanet, Golden-fronted Redstart.

Day 4: Soacha CUNDINAMARCA, Chicaque Park (2000 m asl) cloud forest + Campo Tangara hummingbird observatory.

Golden-bellied Starfrontlet, Tourmaline Sunangel, Buff-tailed Coronet. Beryl-spangled Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Green-and-black Fruiteater, Plushcap, Black-eared Hemispingus, Collared Inca.

Day 5: Guayabetal CUNDINAMARCA, Sendero La Herrería (1200-2000 m asl) cloud forest and feeding stations.

Long-tailed Sylph, Collared Inca, Bronze-tailed Inca, Cundinamarca Antpitta, Emerald-bellied Puffleg, Rufous-banded Owl, Long-tailed Tapaculo, Spotted Barbtail

Rufous-banded Owl

Day 6: BOGOTÁ, La Florida Park (2600 m asl) wetland + Monserrate hill (3100 m asl) hummingbird observatory and Museo del Oro guided visit.

Bogota Rail, Spot-flanked Gallinule, Subtropical Doradito, Andean Duck, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Andean Guan, Blue-throated Starfrontlet, Shining Sunbeam, Glowing Puffleg 

The Bogota Classic Birding Tour can be customized by combining it with the West and Central Andes, extending it to a 10 to 12-day adventure.

What other suggestions can you give to birders interested in your area?

• The best time for doing the “Bogotá Classic Birding” is July through September and December through March
• Customized for photographers.
• Binoculars 10*42 and beyond work fine.
• Scope provided by me.

If any reader of 10,000 Birds is interested in birding with you, how can they best contact you?

Please email me to luisgarcia@mutar.com.co or WhatsApp me +573158815449