The Queen of the Forest
There are moments when looking for wildlife when you get that feeling you’re being watched. With eyesight eight times more powerful than our own, it'll be the harpy eagle that sees us first in Colombia. Product Manager Ian Loyd is delighted to introduce a new birdwatching tour to Colombia which goes in search of the country’s most iconic raptor.
When it comes to the title of the world’s most sought-after bird of prey, the harpy eagle is hard to beat. With huge, curved talons the length of a grizzly bear’s claws, piercing eyes set back on an owl-like oval face, a gargantuan hooked beak and striking colouration, these enormous eagles are a spectacular sight to behold. They epitomise everything we imagine and admire about eagles, and it’s perhaps their remarkable hunting agility, intelligence and elusiveness that adds to their allure.
Despite being so iconic, very few visitors to the forests of Latin America will ever be fortunate enough to see a harpy eagle in the wild. With expansive territories and spending most of their lives in the high canopy, encountering one of these awe-inspiring eagles by chance would be a rare and lucky sighting.
This is why we're so thrilled to launch our new adventure in search of these charismatic birds. On our new tour, we descend from the mountains around Bogotá to visit a beautiful forested area, where at least two active eagle nests will hopefully reward us with memorable sightings of both the developing chicks and the enormous adults.
This beautiful and seldom-visited region supports one of the highest-known densities of harpy eagles on the continent. Remarkably, there are as many as five pairs of harpy eagles nesting in this area, and some of these nests have been used for over 30 years. The main nest we plan to visit is in a large kapok tree, at the base of a serene forested slope. It’s from here that we can enjoy watching the birds from a privileged eye level vantage point without causing disturbance. We’ll soak up every minute of this incredible opportunity to be in the presence of this supreme apex raptor, watching the behaviour through our guide’s Swarovski ATX telescope, in addition to our binoculars and cameras.
Crucially, through our visit, we support the local communities who are safeguarding the nests and the precious surrounding forest, which would otherwise be at risk.
When it comes to birds, Colombia is unquestionably spectacular. With such variation in altitude and climate, it harbours an extraordinary complexity of ecosystems and bird diversity. The country boasts not only the greatest number of bird species on Earth but also the highest number of terrestrial mammals.
Throughout our tour, we sample much of this diversity. One day, we hope to witness the dazzling display of the vivid Guianan cock-of-the-rock at its lek and seek out such beauties as paradise tanager, black-headed parrot, many-banded aracari and the colourful king vulture.
Our second location on the great plains of Villavicencio not only brings new bird species like hoatzin, scarlet ibis and the impossibly well-camouflaged great potoo but also fantastic mammals in the form of giant anteater, southern tamandua, Brumback’s night monkey and ornate titi.
If you’ve ever had the desire to see South America’s apex avian predator, now's your chance!
Contact us to book your place on our Harpy Eagle Adventure, the ultimate trip to Colombia for birdwatchers.
