On 20 Sept 2012 Norm Erthal wrote:

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The Venezuela trip is shaping up well. I have several commitments. There is still space available. The dates are January 12-29. Estimated cost is $3700 plus air compared to over $6k by the major tour companies. for 17 days. I also build in some costs that tour companies do not... like water and tips.

Venezuela hosts 1346 species, the sixth highest number of species in the world of which we have a chance at 800. The trip gives us a shot at 33 of Venezuela's 46 endemics. There are 37 regional endemics in the areas that we will visit that are seen in northern South America and adjacent Andean Colombia which currently is to be avoided. We will visit a wide variety of habitats including the coastal ranges, visiting world famous Rancho Grande NP (a section of Henri Pittier NP), desert thorn scrub, dry tropical forest, northwestern desert, both slopes of the western Andes (including Sierra Nevada NP for cloud forest and paramo), lowland forest and marshes of the Lake Maracaibo basin, and the llanos (staying at the renowned Hato Cedral...a large ranch specializing in combining birding and ranching). Llanos are seasonally flooded lowland woodland and grasslands with unique wildlife.

An important consideration in deciding to bird in Venezuela is the ongoing changes in the opportunity to bird in Venezuela because of President Hugo Chavez. There have been some ranches in the llanos that used to host birders but have had the property turned over to indigenous populations. While on the surface this might seen to benefit those populations, the seasonally flooded nature of the area is not conducive to the type of slash and burn agriculture employed, resulting in loss of good habitat. There could be other current reserves at risk as well.

Good birding,

Norm

303-917-2596

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