Easy & Short Birding

Itinerary

Day 1

Red-legged Seriema by Hugo Santa Cruz

We begin our day bright and early at 5:30 AM, departing from the hotel to one of the most surprising birding hotspots in Santa Cruz city: the international airport! Believe it or not, some fantastic birds inhabit the savanna surrounding the airport, including the enormous Greater Rhea, the elusive Red-winged Tinamou, and the secretive White-bellied Nothura.

This expansive green area, nestled within the concrete jungle, is a patch of grassland that belongs to the Chiquitania ecoregion. Just a few steps outside the airport building, you’ll start spotting great species like Burrowing Owl, Campo Flicker, Guira Cuckoo, Red-crested Cardinal, Sayaca Tanager, and Chopi Blackbird. With a bit of luck, we might also see the striking White-browed Meadowlark.

Around midday, we hop in the car and head to the largest aviary in Bolivia: Biocentro Güembé, a bird and wildlife refuge where we’ll also enjoy a well-earned lunch.

After our meal, we’ll explore the bird sanctuary, which houses several species in captivity, including macaws, parrots, toucans, and peacocks. The park is also home to other animals like monkeys, sloths, squirrels, tortoises, and countless colorful butterflies. Thanks to the abundance of trees in the area, there’s also a wide variety of wild birds. Some of the species we may encounter include Wattled Jacana, Amazonian Motmot, Thrush-like Wren, Smooth-billed Ani, Black-backed Water-Tyrant, Red-capped Cardinal, Palm Tanager, and Purple-throated Euphonia.

After a full day of birding, we’ll head out for a well-deserved dinner. While we wait for our meal, we’ll recount the highlights of the day and go over the species we spotted during our adventure.

Day 2

Toco Toucan by Hugo Santa Cruz

We start the day with a visit to Lomas de Arena Park, a protected area located at the northern edge of the Chaco, where open savannas and patches of woodland dominate the landscape. Depending on the time of year, you may even spot seasonal lagoons nestled among the iconic sand dunes that give the park its name.
Our main targets here include the Red-legged Seriema, Spot-backed Puffbird, Toco Toucan, Blue-crowned Trogon, White Woodpecker, White-wedged Piculet, and Chotoy Spinetail.

In the afternoon, we head to the Botanical Garden, a lush 550-acre tract of mature forest in the heart of the city. This forest, part of the Chiquitania ecoregion, is rich in biodiversity and offers excellent wildlife viewing.
The area is home to five species of monkeys—Tufted Capuchin, Black-and-gold Howler, Bolivian Red Howler, Azara’s Night Monkey, and White-eared Titi—with the first two often easily spotted. Other remarkable creatures include the Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth, Southern Amazon Squirrel, Capybara, Yacare Caiman, and Yellow-headed Sideneck Turtle.

And we haven’t even mentioned the birds! The forest teems with them. Among the highlights are Bare-faced Ibis, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Ringed Kingfisher, Great Kiskadee, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Yellow-tufted Piculet, and the sought-after Bolivian Slaty-Antshrike.

If time allows, we’ll end the day at Laguna Guapilo, a tranquil lagoon that hosts hundreds of aquatic birds. Finally, we’ll celebrate with a farewell dinner, sharing highlights and recounting the bird species we spotted throughout the day just like the night before.