POJO & LIST 
BOLIVIA

COCHABAMBA (Compass)

Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W ha topography msl 
Protected/registered status 
Best Time for visit (13th January, 2006)

 

Birding Site Guide

Pojo is a town between Comarapa and Cochabamba (on the old highway) and can be reached by buses from either. A bus leaves from Hotel Central in Comarapa at 7pm for Cochabamba and reaches Pojo Cruce in under 3 hours. From there it is 4km down into the valley and free transport met our bus. A bus leaves Cochabamba at about midday from near 6 de Agosto and Republica. Buses leave from the plaza in Pojo for Cochabamba at 5pm amd midnight and take about 6 hours. There are seemingly 2 places to stay in Pojo. I stayed at 'La Pension Rincon de Pojeñito' 1 block from the plaza with a single for Bs 15. Taxis leave the plaza and can drop you at Pojo Cruce at the top of the hill (Bs3). From there (km194) start walking in the direction on Cochabamba. The first stretch was very productive. After about 500m I saw Olive-crowned Crescent-chest calling in the morning and also several Bolivian Earthcreepers (which I missed at Tambo) hopping up bare earth banks by the side of the road. 3km further down is a small settlement where there also seems to be a place to stay. The km markers are confusing as they are from either direction and old and new ones seem to differ. Cross a bridge and continue on up the hill passing through another small settlement and then into good habitat. This road continues winding up and up and about 10km from Pojo Cruce you will come to a green marker signed 'SNC Km317' which may correspond to a point 78 km from Comarapa for Wedge-tailed Hillstar. I saw a female of this endemic hummer just past the post perched in tree. I also saw Andean Tinamou cross the road here and heard many. Shortly after this the road curves round the valley giving a spectacular view from where I saw Andean Condor soaring. The road goes on and is not really a comfortable walking distance. It reaches the town of La Habana after which I saw Bolivian Warbling-Finch but little else. Several kms past the km317 sign the road curves into a gorge where there was some Polylepis that may be worth exploring. I saw 42 species including 3 lifers. 


Species seen 

  • Andean Tinamou Nothoprocta pentlandii
  • Andean Condor Vultur gryphus Near-threatened Photographed
  • Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata
  • Bare-faced Ground-Dove Metriopelia ceciliae Possibly seen
  • Mitred Parakeet Aratinga mitrata Heard only
  • Gray-hooded Parakeet Psilopsiagon aymara Photographed
  • Andean Swift Aeronautes andecolus
  • Sparkling Violet-ear Colibri coruscans
  • White-bellied Hummingbird Leucippus chionogaster
  • Speckled Hummingbird Adelomyia melanogenys
  • Wedge-tailed Hillstar Oreotrochilus adela Endemic Near-threatened
  • Red-tailed Comet Sappho sparganura Photographed
  • Spot-backed Puffbird Nystalus maculatus
  • Bolivian Earthcreeper Ochetorhynchus harterti Endemic Photographed
  • Rufous Hornero Furnarius rufus
  • Azara's Spinetail Synallaxis azarae
  • Creamy-breasted Canastero Asthenes dorbignyi Photographed
  • Olive-crowned Crescent-chest Melanopareia maximiliani Photographed
  • White-tipped Plantcutter Phytotoma rutila
  • White-crested Elaenia Elaenia albiceps
  • Bran-colored Flycatcher Myiophobus fasciatus
  • Cliff Flycatcher Hirundinea ferruginea
  • White-winged Black-Tyrant Knipolegus aterrimus
  • Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus
  • Blue-and-white Swallow Notiochelidon cyanoleuca
  • House Wren Troglodytes aedon
  • Chiguanco Thrush Turdus chiguanco Photographed
  • Brown-capped Redstart Myioborus brunniceps
  • Hepatic Tanager Piranga flava
  • Sayaca Tanager Thraupis sayaca
  • Bolivian Warbling-Finch Poospiza boliviana Endemic
  • Rufous-sided Warbling-Finch Poospiza hypochondria
  • Ringed Warbling-Finch Poospiza torquata
  • Band-tailed Seedeater Catamenia analis
  • Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola
  • Great Pampa-Finch Embernagra platensis
  • Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis
  • Golden-billed Saltator Saltator aurantiirostris
  • Black-backed Grosbeak Pheucticus aureoventris
  • Bay-winged Cowbird Molothrus badius
  • Hooded Siskin Carduelis magellanica Photographed
  • House Sparrow Passer domesticus Introduced species


Other Fauna 
A total of -- species of mammals. 

There are -- recorded species of amphibians and reptiles. 

Flora 

Author: Charles Hesse

 

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