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Recent bird sightings:
Sites - El Cairo (Alto Galapagos & Cerro Ingles)

Site evaluation: 5 Stars 5 Stars 5 Stars 5 Stars 5 Stars
Species:  
Elevation: 1500-2000 m
Climate: Mild and very wet
Trails: Roadside
Accommodation: 3 Stars 3 Stars 3 Stars
Food: 3 Stars 3 Stars 3 Stars
Hot water: Yes
Electricity: Yes
Communications: Cell phone
Region: Choco & Cauca Valley
Location: El Cairo, Valle/Choco Depts,
Summary: This hot new birding site is an excellent site for a large variety of exciting Choco middle-elevation birds. Both reserves are owned and managed by Serraniagua (serraniaguaATgmail.com), a NGO based in El Cairo that promotes sustainable and organic agriculture with local communities in addition to working in biodiversity conservation in the area. It is very important that visitors coordinate their visit with Serraniagua, as they will know the current security and road conditions. Be prepared for rain - it is not unusual for the majority of the day to be very rainy and foggy.
Endemics: Chestnut Wood-Quail, Munchique Wood-Wren, Gold-ringed Tanager, Crested Ant-Tanager
Key Species: Empress Brilliant, White-tailed Hillstar, Velvet-purple Coronet, Brown Inca, Violet-tailed Sylph, Fulvous-dotted Treerunner, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Uniform Treehunter, Bicoloured Antvireo, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Nariño Tapaculo, Bronze-olive Pygmy-Tyrant, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Scaled Fruiteater, Olivaceous Piha, Club-winged Manakin, Beautiful Jay, Black Solitaire, Indigo Flowerpiercer, Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager, Flame-faced Tanager, Glistening-green Tanager, Rufous-throated Tanager, Dusky Bush-Tanager, Tricolored Brush-Finch, Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia and Yellow-collared Chlorophonia
Access: The pleasant town of El Cairo is 2 hrs west of Cartago; both birding sites are 1 hr from El Cairo, 4 x 4 vehicle necessary
Site Description: The best reserve to visit is Alto Galapagos. Before actually arriving at the reserve, the road crosses a river. The forest in this area is good for Beautiful Jay, Crested Ant-Tanager, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock and more. The reserve begins at the crest of the ridge (the entrance to the Department of Choco). Bird from the crest of the ridge down the road; birding is excellent for over 8 km of steep roadside forest, and there is very little traffic.

The top target at the site, the Gold-ringed Tanager, is usually very common. The much-wanted Black Solitaire is also regularly seen in good numbers, while Empress Brilliant, Velvet-purple Coronet, Violet-tailed Sylph, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Narino Tapaculo, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Purplish-mantled Tanager, Black-chinned Mountain Tanager, Glistening-green Tanager, Dusky Bush-Tanager, Tricolored Brush-Finch and Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia are all fairly common.

White-tailed Hillstar, Brown Inca, Fulvous-dotted Treerunner, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Uniform Treehunter, Bicolored Antvireo, Indigo Flowerpiercer and Yellow-collared Chlorophonia are less common, but still regularly seen. The Treerunner, Tuftedcheek and Treehunter are often seen in mixed flocks that are also good for various tanagers. Munchique Wood-Wren can also be found along the road – listen for its distinctive song.

Club-winged Manakins are fairly common along the lower portion of the road (1600-1700 m). The lower portion is also best for Indigo Flowerpiercer, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, Yellow-collared Chlorophonia, Rufous-throated and Flame-faced Tanagers and Scaled Fruiteater. There are also records of Black-and-gold Tanager from this area, although it appears to be a very difficult bird to see here.

The second reserve in the area is Cerro Ingles. Access to this reserve is more difficult after many landslides blocked the road in November 2008 during an intense wet season (still blocked in April 2009 with no plans to clear them). The often-muddy road/path into the reserve passes through forest that is good for Crested Ant-Tanager, while mixed flocks may hold Variegated Bristle-Tyrant, Olivaceous Piha, Striped Treehunter and more. The forest is not as steep in this area, making it easier to see the common Yellow-breasted Antpittas. However, there are generally fewer Choco specialties at this site until you climb above the reserve cabin (3 km from where the road ends). Munchique Wood-Wren is fairly common above the cabin, and both Tanager Finch and Bicolored Antvireo are regular in the area, while mixed flocks are good for Fulvous-dotted Treerunner (beware! Streaked Tuftedcheeks are common in this area, and it may prove to be possible to see both Tuftedcheeks in the same flock!).
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