Amazing birdwatching in Bolivia

BIRDS OF JAGUARLAND RESERVE IN SANTA CRUZ BOLIVIA

While Jaguarland Reserve is the best destination in Bolivia for big cats sighting, its also spectacular for birdwatching as well. From hosting several species of Macaws, storks, woodpeckers and more it has it all. 

Here are some of the beautiful birds which can be observed during a wildlife trip here.

 Rosate Spoonbill

Touca Toucan

King Vulture 

Southern Crested 

 Cara Cara

Burrowing Owls

 White throated Piping Guan

These are just some of the amazing birds this Reserve offers. For more details and information about our Bolivian wildlife watching tours, jungle trips or birding tours contact us today
www.nicksadventuresbolivia.com

5 REASONS WHY SANTA CRUZ BOLIVIA IS THE BEST WILDLIFE WATCHING DEPARTMENT IN BOLIVIA

5  REASONS WHY SANTA CRUZ DEPARTMENT IS THE BEST WILDLIFE WATCHING REGION IN BOLIVIA

Santa Cruz department is the forgotten wildlife watching paradise of Bolivia. While millions of travellers visit Uyuni, La Paz and Sucre , most skip the most wild areas of Bolivia. The below examples are why Santa Cruz Department should not be missed.

1: BIRDWATCHING PARADISE

If you like birding then Santa Cruz department is the perfect destination, from the countries best Condor watching, though to seeing rare species like Harpy Eagles, Military Macaws and more. Amboro National Park alone boasts over 900 species of birds.

2: JAGUARS 

Want to see a Jaguar ? Santa Cruz department is the best option by far. Kaa Iya National Park, San Miguelito Jaguar Reserve, Noel Kempff and a new private Reserve in Santa Cruz all offer big cat lovers excellent opportunities to see these majestic felines.

3 : UNTOUCHED NATIONAL PARKS 

Santa Cruz department boast some of the most intact and pristine National Parks on the planet. From Noel Kempff, Otuquis National Park and Kaa Iya National Park, these areas are the ideal destinations for intrepid travellers looking for unique flora and fauna.

4 : ANACONDA WATCHING TOURS

Want to observe and photograph an Anaconda in the wild ? The Bolivian Pantanal in the Santa Cruz Department offers the best oppportunity. Otuquis National Park also recieves less than 300 tourists per year so its an incredible place to observe wildlife.

5: PRIVATE RESERVES 

Not only does Santa Cruz department host incredible National Parks, its also the destination of fantastic private Reserves with incredible wildlife watching opportunities. San Miguelito Jaguar Conservation Reserve is the first of these examples and offers tourists an astounding amount of wildlife and activities which cater to everyone. 

These are just a few reasons why Santa Cruz department should not be skipped. If you are an avid nature lover, want to see wildlife and avoid the crowds then Santa Cruz Department is a paradise.

For information about the best wildlife watching trips in Bolivia contact Nicks Adventures Bolivia today. 

RARE HARPY EAGLE SIGHTING IN BOLIVIA

RARE HARPY EAGLE SIGHTING IN BOLIVIA

From my first memories of seeing the majestic Harpy Eagle on National Geographic , it was always a bird i have dreamt of seeing. On the 25th of January 2019 that dream became a reality.

The Harpy Eagle or flying Wolf as many call them is the holy grail for birdwatchers, this rare and elusive Raptor is the king of the skys and its rein of terror among Sloths and Monkeys is the stuff of legends.

After recieving  call about a possible Harpy Eagle in a private Reserve, i was on the next plane and on route to hopefully have a sighting, considering the areas last sighting was over 5 years ago and its easily confused with the Crested Eagle i didnt have my hopes set too high. 

On route to where the Harpy Eagle was spotted 

The first scouting trip was unsucessful , we did see an Osprey, Pink River Dolphins, Red Howler Monkeys and even a King Vulture, however luck was not on our side. Still optimistic we left and decided to come back the next day. 

The next day we set out again and almost immedietly we were in luck, sitting just a few hundreds metres was this impressive beast of a bird, one which had eluded me in literally hundreds of Amazon trips. 

BELOW ARE SOME FINAL IMAGES OF THIS INCREDIBLE RAPTOR

If you are interested in a birding trip to see the majestic Harpy Eagle in Bolivia then contact us, we can also combine a Harpy Eagle tour to see the critically endangered Blue throated Macaw as well. WWW.NICKSADVENTURESBOLIVIA.COM

THE BEST NON TOURISTIC JUNGLE EXPERIENCES IN BOLIVIA

BEST BOLIVIAN ALTERNATIVE JUNGLE AND WILDLIFE TOURS 

Every year thousands of tourists from all over the world flock to the town of Rurrenrabaque to visit the Amazon and Pampas.While these locations are spectacular and worth visiting we have devised a list of alternative Jungle and Amazon Tours well off the well worn gringo trail.

1 : SAN CARLOS WILDLIFE RESERVE

This is the most spectacular of all of our new wildlife watching destinations. Remote and wild this private reserve in Beni offers incredible wildlife watching opportunities. Here virtually untouched grass savannahs verge with dry forest islands and in turn lead to pristine Amazon Rainforest Jungles. Our wildlife watching sucess here has been excellent, multiple Jaguar sighting, Black Caimans, Pink Dolphins Monkeys, Armadillos, Giant Anteaters and more. We explore the reserve by a combination of different methods including hiking, boating, 4wds and horseriding.

CHUCHINI RESERVE TRINIDAD

An amazing option for wildlife watchers, this reserve offers boat trips though the scenic Ibare and Mamore Rivers which combine to create spectacular merging of rivers as well as excellent Pink Dolphin watching. Alternative activities include hiking, night boat trips, piranah fishing, bird watching and more. This is an excellent alternative Amazon Rainforest Tour in Bolivia. Contact us for more details about our 2-4 day Wildlife watching trips here.

SAN MIGUELITO JAGUAR RESERVE

Located just 3.5 hours from Santa Cruz is this spectacular wildlife conservation Reserve. Home to 6 different species of felines, this reserve also hosts some of the highest densities of Jaguars found in South America. During a typical 3 day tour here you can see up to 150 species of birds as well as have the chance to see a huge variety or flora and fauna. Activities include hiking, boat rides, horse riding, setting up and checking camera traps and much more.

BLUE THROATED MACAW NATURE RESERVE

Remote and wild, the Blue throated Macaw Nature Reserve is a must for anyone wanting to see rare animals and pristine ecosystems. This reserve is home to the largest surviving populations of critically endangered Blue throated Macaws as well as a huge amount of birdlife. For mammal watchers this is the best location in Bolivia to observe Maned Wolf and the strange Giant Anteater

IF YOU ARE VISITING BOLIVIA AND WANT TO SEE WILDIFE THEN CONTACT US TODAY, WE ARRANGE THE BEST WILDLIFE AND JUNGLE TOURS IN BOLIVIA AND OUR EXPERT GUIDES WILL HELP YOU FIND RARE AND WONDERFUL FLORA AND FAUNA.

INTERESTING WILDLIFE OF BOLIVIA

INTERESTING ANIMALS OF BOLIVIA

PART 1 

Bolivia with its huge varieties of different ecosystems could be the worlds most underated wildlife watching destinations. Here is a list of some of the interesting animals Bolivia has to offer.

BLUE THROATED MACAW

First of our list is the endemic and critically endangered Blue throated Macaw. This rarely seen Macaw only lives in a few isolated areas in the Beni department. They are so rare that they number between 200-350 in the wild.  Nicks Adventures Bolivia offers day tours from Trinidad through to multiple day packages to the spectacular Blue throated Macaw Nature Reserve.

JAGUAR  - PANTERA ONCA

The largest cat in the America's, the Jagaur is the king of the Amazon, Chaco, Pantanal and many other ecosystems. It kills with a crushing bite to the base of the skull and its prey includes anything from Caimans and Anaconda though to 250kg Tapirs. Suprisingly unlike its other relatives the Tiger, Lion or Leopard its rarely implicated in attacks on humans and it prefers to stay away from humans. Sadly it is frequently killed by Ranchers and now is poached for its teeth for Chinese medicine.
Best places to observe Jaguars is during our San Carlos Reserve , the Bolivian Chaco and Madidi National Park trips.

LOWLAND TAPIR

One of my personal favourite giants of South America. The Lowland Tapir is Latin Americas largest land mammal. This unique species looks like a pig, but is closely related to horses and rhinos. It communicates via whistles and has one of the longest gestation periods of any animal. The Tapir is very shy and can be observed at salt licks or swimming in rivers during hot days. Sadly it is threatened thoughout its range due to overhunting for meat and loss of habitat. Our tours to Madidi National Park, San Carlos Wildlife Reserve and Kaa Iya National Park offer excellent chances to observe these species.

ANACONDA 

The stuff of legends, the infamous Anaconda is one of the most iconic and infamous animals of South America. This species is called the Yellow Anaconda and only grows to a maximum of 4 metres. It feeds on Capyabara, birds and whatever smaller mammals it can capture. Its larger cousin the Green Anaconda is the worlds heaviest snake and can grow to 9.8 metres. This species is often killed on sight due to lack of education, movies such as Anaconda are partly to blame for the unfair reputation these amazing snakes have. Nicks Adventures Bolivia offers tours to the Bolivian and Brazilian Pantanal to look for Jaguars and Anacondas.

 TARANTULA 

Another of South America's infamous species. The Tarantula often has an unfair reputation, it is commonly seen along roads at night and unlike the hysteria from movies it generally tries to avoid humans.

PUMA

South America's 2nd largest feline, the Puma is sleek, shy and rarely seen. In some areas where it competes with the Jaguar it can actually grow to the same size or larger. Unlike its North American cousin which is responsible for many attacks on humans, the South American Puma prefers to avoid humas. The Puma is the most adapatable of all cats and can survive in Amazon Rainforest, Pampas, Pantanal, deserts, Mountains , dry chaco forests and more.

For more information about the incredible wildlife of Bolivia contact us at www.nicksadventuresbolivia.com

** All pics were taken during tours with Nicks Adventures Bolivia

CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH MANED WOLF

AMAZING WILDLIFE WATCHING TRIP REPORT TO THE BLUE THROATED MACAW NATURE RESERVE

From the 16th-20th of September we visited the remote and spectacular Blue throated Macaw Nature Reserve. This former cattle ranch is one of the only places on earth where nature lovers can observe the critically endangered Blue throated Macaw, a species which is numbered at less than 300 in the wild.

Unlike the normal tourists our objective was not birdwatching, we were looking for one of the most elusive species on the planet, the strange and rarely seen Maned Wolf. 

To find the Maned Wolf which is no easy feat we had to combine very early mornings, late evening searches, also we were also aiming to photography the equally strange Giant Anteater in which this Reserve is a stronghold for the species. Our host Tjalle Boors who manages the reserve was instrumental at showing us the Reserve, however we knew what a task we had ahead of us when he informed us that in 4 years he personally had never had a sighting of the Maned Wolf.

The endemic and critically endangered Blue Throated Macaws.

With knowledge of proven Maned Wolf hotspots we were on constant elert, a few times in the night i heard the strange barking/scream of the Wolf, a positive sign that they were in the area. 

The first few days we had little signs, poor weather didnt help, however we were kept intriqued by huge flocks of Blue and Yellow Macaws, Capybara, Lesser Anteaters, Peccaries, Armadillos and many other species. 

Excellent Savannah habitat with forest islands, home to the Maned Wolf, Giant Anteater and Blue throated Macaw

The first main mammal sighting we had was a close up encounter with a Giant Anteater, these unique animals which can eat thousands of termites daily. Its claws are impressive and have been known to have even killed Jaguars and occasionally the odd hunter who has tried to attack these generally peaceful animals. 

 

As the days passed we ticked up our mammal species, also saw an impressive 3.5 metre Black Caiman as well, however the main species we came to look for was still playing hide and seek.

The 2nd last day again presented us with incredible views of the Blue throated Macaws and even better another close up sighting of the Giant Anteater, it literally walked 1 metre from us, an amazing experience given the hardship of seeing them in other locations.

One of 3 Giant Anteater sightings during this mammal watching trip

 

Our last morning we set off again, with still no Maned Wolf sighting. We were almost losing hope when literally out of nowhere the impressive shape of the Maned Wolf appeared out of nowhere, stunned we could barely take pictures as we were watching one of the strangest and most elusive species in South America. 

With the mission accompolished we left this incredible location , with cameras full of images and even more important memories which will last a lifetime. 

For more information about our wildlife watching trips in Bolivia, visit our website of www.nicksadventuresbolivia.com

Blue throated Macaw Watching Tour

Gran Mojos Protected Area 

This new and exciting Blue throated Macaw bird watching tour takes you to the newly formed Gran Mojos Protected Area which is located in the Beni department of Bolivia. This stunning 580,000 hectare reserve is a new paradise for bird watchers and photographers who wish to observe the Blue throated Macaws in the wild. 

Pristine forests and Savannas of the Gran  Mojos Protected Area. Home to the Blue throated Macaw

With the Blue throated Macaw population fluctuating between 150-300 birds, this tour gives you the unique opportunity to observe these critically endangered macaws which can be found only in a few select locations on earth, in addition this tour is much more accessible than other areas where the Blue throated Macaws are found. This reserve is also home to breeding pairs of Blue throated Macaws so this protected area is vital to the future survival of the species.

In addition to the Blue throated Macaw, the Gran Mojos Protected area offers excellent bird watching with a huge variety of hundreds of other Amazonian and Savannah species being found.

  

For more information about our Blue throated Macaw tours in the Mojos Protected Area Contact us today.

  BIRD WATCHING IN BOLIVIA

Unknown to many Bolivia is literally a Birders Paradise, not only does it host some of the highest recorded numbers of birds , it also has a large selection of unique and endemic birds which are found no where else on the Planet.

Here is a select list of some of our favourite birds of Bolivia which we frequently see during our Bird watching tours in Bolivia

RED FRONTED MACAW

Critically endangered a few years ago this spectacular Macaw species is endemic to Bolivia and is only found in just a few select locations on earth, thanks to increased conservation efforts the numbers of the Red Fronted Macaws are slowing increasing. These magnifient Macaws can be found in Toro Toro National Park, The Red Fronted Macaw Lodge and a small yet visable population also just outside Samaipata as well.

 ANDEAN CONDOR 

The spectacular Andean Condor is a must see for all nature lovers and birdwatchers. With a Wingspan of up to 3 metres its the worlds heaviest flying bird. The Andean Condor is best observed in Samaipata Bolivia where these is a location which nearly promises sightings and as such could be considered the very best  Andean Condor watching location on the planet.

BLUE THROATED MACAW  

 

With populations thought to be between 150-300 the Blue Throated Macaw is critically endangered and is the worlds rarest wild living Macaw. It survives in just a few areas in the Beni department. There are only a few places where these beautiful and endemic Macaws can be seen including the Blue Throated Macaw Lodge and  to a private ranch to do the BLUE THROATED MACAW DAY TOUR where Blue Throated Macaws can be seen frequently quite close to Trinidad.

HOATZIN 

 

The Hoatzin or Stink bird is a unique and strange looking bird which is found in tropical forests and the wetland areas, its distinguished by its strange crest on his head and the chicks have claws on their wing digits.

These are just a few of the hundreds of species of birds found in Bolivia, This country truly is a bird watchers paradise. If you are needing more information about Bird watching in Bolivia write to our email of  nicksadventuresbolivia@gmail.com or  visit us  at www.nicksadventuresbolivia.com

BIRDWATCHING IN BOLIVIA

The unknown bird watching paradise in South America

Unknown to most, Bolivia is one of the best places on the planet to go birdwatching, from seeing the majestic Harpy Eagle though to the critically endangered Blue Throated Macaw and Red Fronted Macaws this is a must stop destination for serious birdwatchers.

Here is a list of our top birdwatching destinations in Bolivia.

1 AMBORO NATIONAL PARK

Just 3 hours from the city of Santa Cruz is this small yet spectacular National Park, it comprises of many different ecosystems and as a result is one of the best birdwatching destination in the world. The park itself has over 840 species of birds ( Highest of any National Park in the world) and famous species include the Harpy Eagle, Military Macaw Andean Condor and the critically endangered Southern Helmeted Currasow.

RED FRONTED MACAW LODGE 

This beautifully located community run lodge is based in one of the only breeding colonies of the critically endangered Red Fronted Macaw, here you have incredible birdwatching and photographic opportunities to see this endemic and beautifully colored Macaw in its last stronghold.

ANDEAN CONDOR TREK ( SAMAIPATA)

Just a few hours drive from Santa Cruz is this incredible Condor Trek which is most likely the very best location to observe this giant bird in the wild, some trips you can see over 100 Condors in a day and the usual is around 20-30 Condor sightings per day.

 BLUE THROATED MACAW WATCHING IN BENI BOLIVIA

If you are a serious birder than you MUST do a trip to see the endemic and critically endangered Blue Throated Macaws, there numbers are between 150-300 left in the wild, here they are only found in a few small populations in Beni Bolivia and we arrange trips to see them in 2 different locations

MADIDI NATIONAL PARK

Literally one of the most spectacular and bio diverse National Parks on the planet, Madidi National Park is a must visit destination for all bird watchers and nature lovers alike, Here you can see anything from Harpy Eagles, Huge flocks of Macaws eating clay and literally hundreds of other species. Sadiri Lodge is located on the border of Madidi National Park and is internationally famous for birders.

 Overall Bolivia is a birdwatchers paradise, if you are interested in birdwatching in Bolivia or any of our birdwatching tours in Bolivia then CONTACT US TODAY FOR BIRDWATCHING TOURS IN BOLIVIA