Jose Arrieta Photo Tours
Start with a Free Inquiry
menu

Custom Bird Photography Trips in Colombia, Planned by a Local

Read Our Reviews
Details
Details
Looking for bird photography tours in Colombia? I plan custom trips for solo travelers, couples, and small groups across Colombia's top birding regions. You travel with local specialist guides. I handle all the logistics.

Tour Map

Sample of Colombia Birding Itinerary: Cali to Manizales

Every trip is built around your dates, target species, and budget.
Duration
7–14 Days, fully custom
Starting Price
$2.000 Per Person

How I Plan Your Colombia Birding Trip

I’ll help you plan a smooth, affordable trip to Colombia’s best birding spots. With over six years of experience exploring the region, I know where to go and how to make it work within your budget.

When you book a custom trip through me, you travel with local specialist guides who work these regions every week. I handle the planning and bookings before you arrive. You focus on the birds.

Make It Simple and Affordable

Tailored Itinerary

A personalized birding trip designed around your schedule, goals, and budget.

Budget-Friendly Options

Affordable lodges, local transport, and feeder station reservations, no overpriced packages.

Expert Guidance

I connect you with local birding guides who work these regions year round KM 18, Manizales, San Cipriano, and more.

Bird Photography Tours in Colombia: What to Expect

Colombia has more bird species than any other country in the world. With nearly 2,000 species recorded, including 82 endemics and 158 migratory species, it is the top destination for birding and bird photography in South America.

I have spent six years scouting Colombia's top birding regions. The Western Andes and Pacific lowlands of Valle del Cauca, the cloud forests of Caldas and Risaralda, the Central Andes of Antioquia, the wetlands of Córdoba on the Caribbean coast, and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Magdalena. I know which lodges are reliable, which local guides are strong, and which feeder stations are worth your time.

Colombia's geography creates the diversity. Three Andean ranges, Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, Amazon lowlands, and high-altitude páramo grasslands all sit within one country. Each habitat holds species you will not find anywhere else. A two week trip can cover lowland tropical forest, mid-elevation cloud forest, and high Andean ecosystems without leaving the country.

Colombia has more bird species than any country in the world

With 1,954 recorded species, 82 found nowhere else on Earth, and 131 currently threatened, Colombia is the top destination for birding and bird photography in the world.

1954+

Bird species

82

Endemic species

158

Migratory species

131

Endangered Species*

Bird Photography in Colombia

All photos taken on location across Colombia's birding regions.
Saffron-crowned Tanager perched in the cloud forests of Colombia, displaying its bright yellow crown, turquoise-blue body, and intricate black markings.
Female Red-headed Barbet and Golden Tanager perched together in the cloud forests of Colombia, showcasing their vibrant plumage with the barbet's green body and subtle orange-brown head alongside the tanager's bright golden-yellow feathers.
Crimson-rumped Toucanet perched in the cloud forests of Colombia, showcasing its vibrant green body and distinctive red tail.
Toucan-Barbet perched in the cloud forests of Colombia, displaying its vibrant red, yellow, black, and blue plumage with a distinctive thick bill.
Glittering-throated Emerald Hummingbird feeding from a vibrant flower in the tropical forests of Colombia, displaying its iridescent green throat and sleek emerald plumage.
Chamí Antpitta perched in the cloud forests of Colombia, showcasing its elusive nature, brownish plumage, and distinctive stance on the forest floor.
Black-capped Tanager perched in the cloud forests of Colombia, displaying its striking blue and black plumage.
Agami Heron wading in the wetlands of Córdoba, Colombia, displaying its striking blue plumage and elusive nature.
Green Honeycreeper perched in the tropical forests of Colombia, displaying its bright green plumage, black mask, and distinctive curved bill.
Ocellated Tapaculo spotted in the cloud forests of Colombia – a secretive species known for its distinctive plumage and calls.
Masked Trogon perched in the cloud forests of Colombia, displaying its vibrant green back, deep red belly, and distinctive black mask around its eyes.
Blue-capped Tanager perched in the cloud forests of Colombia, displaying its vibrant blue head, yellow body, and subtle green wings.

Who Books a Custom Colombia Birding Trip

I work with solo travelers, couples, and small groups. All trips are custom, built around your dates, target species, and budget.

 

Solo Birdwatchers and Photographers Your dates, your targets, your pace. I build the trip around you.

Small Groups and Birding Couples Two to six people. One itinerary, one planning fee, split across the group.

Raised for bird conservation since 2019

$350,000+ Directed Toward Bird Habitat Protection

We donate 10% of profits from every trip to bird conservation organizations in Colombia and the United States. Every trip booked through Jose Arrieta Birding Tours contributes directly to protecting the habitats where your target species live.
American bird conservancy logo and Jose arrieta

Bird Conservation in Colombia: A Conversation with Sociedad Ornitológica de Córdoba

Hugo Herrera, president of the Ornithological Society of Córdoba, talks about the conservation work happening in the regions where our trips run and why it matters.

Plan Your Custom Colombia Birding Trip

Start with a Free Inquiry

What Past Travelers Say

All reviews from Google.
Review
Review
Review
Review
Review
Review

Itinerary

This is a sample 9-day route from Cali to Manizales. Every trip I plan is built around your dates, target species, and budget.

Your local guide meets you at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport and transfers you to your hotel in Cali. Evening briefing covers the route, target species, and what to expect each morning.

LODGING: Cali

Full day at Finca La Florida in the San Antonio cloud forest, one of the most productive birding sites in the Western Andes. Target species include Multicolored Tanager, Scaled Antpitta, Little Tinamou, Chestnut-wood Quail, and Greenish Puffleg.

LODGING: Cali

Second day in the KM 18 corridor, birding the Doña Dora feeders and surrounding forest. Target species include Toucan Barbet, Rufous-gaped Hillstar, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Silver-throated Tanager, and Rufous-throated Tanager.

LODGING: Cali

Morning session at Doña Dora to photograph any remaining targets. Early lunch before driving north to Manizales in the Central Andes.

LODGING: Manizales

Morning at Río Blanco Nature Reserve above Manizales, one of Colombia's best sites for antpittas at established feeders. Target species include Bicolored Antpitta, Rufous-crowned Antpitta, Slate-crowned Antpitta, Brown-banded Antpitta, Green-and-black Fruiteater, and Black-billed Mountain Toucan.

LODGING: Manizales

Full morning at Hacienda El Bosque near the CHEC forest reserve in Caldas. Afternoon transfer to Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados buffer zone. Target species include Crescent-faced Antpitta, Gray-breasted Mountain Toucan, Hooded Mountain Tanager, Golden-fronted Whitestart, and Sword-billed Hummingbird.

LODGING: Manizales

Morning birding in PNN Los Nevados and its high Andes buffer zone. Afternoon at Hotel Termales del Ruiz feeders, one of the few reliable sites for high-altitude hummingbirds in Colombia. Target species include Buffy Helmetcrest, Tawny Antpitta, Great Sapphirewing, Shining Sunbeam, and Andean Duck.

LODGING: Manizales

Full day at Tinamú Birding Nature Reserve in Caldas, a private reserve with well-maintained feeders and forest trails covering multiple habitat zones. Target species include Gray-headed Tanager, Scrub Tanager, Guira Tanager, Golden-collared Manakin, and Moustached Puffbird.

LODGING: Pereira

Morning transfer to Matecaña International Airport in Pereira for your outbound flight.

Custom Colombia Birding Trip Planning

I plan your entire trip. You travel with local specialist guides who know these regions year-round.

 

Route

I build your itinerary around your target species, travel dates, and fitness level.

Bookings

I book your lodges, local guides, feeder station reservations, and ground transport.

Support

I handle all communication with lodges and guides before and during your trip.
Starting at
$ 2,000
Planning fee
% 15
Start with a Free Inquiry

The inquiry is free. You only pay once you decide to move forward.

What's included
  • Lodging customized to your budget and target regions
  • Local specialist guides for each region on your route
  • Ground transport between all birding locations
  • Feeder station reservations where applicable
  • Entrance fees for all listed locations
  • All taxes on services booked through me
What's not included
  • International and domestic airfare
  • Travel insurance
  • Meals and drinks unless arranged through me
  • Guide and driver tips
  • Phone calls
  • Medical evacuation costs

Before You Travel

Consult your doctor before traveling

The CDC website has updated vaccination recommendations for international travel.

Insurance

Travel insurance is not included. We recommend securing trip cancellation and medical coverage before departure. For quotes visit  www.heymondo.com.com

Internet access

Most lodges on the route have Wi-Fi in common areas. Coverage in remote birding zones is limited.

airport

You arrive at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali (CLO) and depart from Matecaña International Airport in Pereira (PEI). Your local guide handles all transfers.

Electricity

Outlets in Colombia are US-style (110V). Travelers from Europe or Asia will need a travel adapter.

Ready to Plan Your Colombia Birding Trip?

Send your dates and target species. I will put together a route and budget at no cost.
Start with a Free Inquiry

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about planning a custom birding trip to Colombia.

Trips start at $2,000 USD per person. The total depends on regions, number of days, lodge level, and group size. My planning fee is 15% of the total trip cost, added to your invoice.

Route planning, lodge and guide bookings, feeder station reservations, ground transport coordination, and all communication with local operators before and during your trip.

A 30% non-refundable deposit secures your dates. The remaining balance is due 90 days before departure. All amounts are in USD. Installment plans are available on request.

No. I plan and book your trip from the United States. You travel with local specialist guides who work these regions year-round.

December to March and July to August are the most reliable months. I plan your route around your target species and travel dates.

The regions I plan trips to are safe and well-established for tourism. All lodges and guides I work with are vetted operators with track records in the birding community.

No. Your local guides speak English. I also handle all communication with lodges and drivers before you arrive.

Send your dates, target species, and rough budget through the free inquiry form. I will follow up with a route and cost estimate at no charge.

Plan Your Colombia Birding Trip

Send your dates and target species. I will put together a route and budget at no cost.
Start with a Free Inquiry