Bird Bolivia Trip Reports

Chalalan Eco-lodge

by A. Bennett Hennessey

For many people, when they think of Madidi National Park- they think of this luxurious Yankee-flavoured lodge. For me this has always been a real shame, as the lodge is poorly placed in a tropical forest rain shadow- a drier area of forest that has low species diversity and abundances.

Chalalan is along the Tuichi river, about 5-8 hours up river from Rurrenabaque. This lodge (about 8 rooms) is a half-hour hike from the river, beside a picturesque lake, in the middle of the Amazonian forest. Chalalan is within Madidi National Park, very likely the richest park in the world in terms of avifauna with an estimated 1000 plus bird species (so far Bennett has only been able to get the list to 905 birds). The bird list for Chalalan stands at over 300 species with many of the great Amazonian birds like Red-throated Caracara, Red-necked Woodpecker, Mealy Parrot, Royal Flycatcher, and many other less common species likely to be added in the future.

Chalalan is a comfortable introduction to the sights, sounds, smells and texture of the tropical rainforest. However, bird diversity is not as high as less accessible areas along the first ridge of the Andes- the parts of the uncut forest between Ixiamus and San Buenaventura- the best spot being- Alto Madidi. The lodge offers the necessary creature comforts with rustic yet charming rooms, full board, communal bathrooms (with flush toilets) and showers, solar lighting and even cold beers. Birding starts as soon as one sets foot outside the front door with the lake edge lookout with Neotropical Cormorant, White-winged Swallow, Hoatzin, Cuvier’s Toucan and Red-capped Cardinal. The symphony of Neotropical sounds starts up before first light with the ripping sound of the Blue-throated Piping-Guan’s wing display, the Barred Woodcreeper’s laughing call, and the haunting sounds of the Barred Forest-Falcon. And one is sure to fall asleep to the sounds of Spectacled, Crested and Black-banded Owl. Another advantage of Chalalan is its wonderful trail system that takes the visitor through a variety of different habitats and microhabitats. Chalalan also has a rudimentary guidebook, which includes an accurate bird list based on an in-depth two-month study, description of the trails, a summary of some of the more common animals in the area, and a mammal, and tree checklist for the site. The lodge also offers nature guides, who while not bird guides, are outstanding spotters and patient with birders.

About an hour downriver from Chalalan, one passes a series of exposed cliffs where Red‑and‑green and Chestnut‑fronted Macaws have dug out nests. This site, called Caquiawara, is near the junction of the Beni and Tuchi Rivers. The cliffs are very prominent on the right (north) side of the river. From the riverbank, a short trail leads uphill to an overlook. Here one can watch these impressive macaws fly, call and interact from above, with a perfect backdrop of dark green forest. The macaw nesting cliffs are best in either early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Any trip to Chalalan can include a stop at the Caquiawara macaw cliffs, but Chalalan staff members are occasionally reluctant to offer this interesting stop because they must obtain Madidi National Park permission. You may want to insist that you want this as part of your tour when booking in Rurrenabaque.

Logistics: To make reservation for Chalalan, contact them through their WEB page at (www.ecotour.org) or E-mail (Chalalan@cibol.rds.org.bo) and telephone (519) 892-2419. Chalalan has an office in La Paz and Rurrenabaque. In Rurre, the Chalalan office is on calle comercio (the only paved street) near to the central plaza. Rainforest birding is always far more interesting with a trained birding guide, and it is worth trying to arrange such a guide in advance to make the most of your trip. We highly recommend seeking out Sandro Valdez as you bird guide, a very compentent bird guide. Be warned that the package sale is not always clear. Many times the boat trip can take 8 hours. There have been complaints of a 3 day trip sold to them in La Paz, which consisted in a night in Rurrenabaque, a full day trip in the boat, a day at Chalalan, and leaving the next day early for a full days boat trip back to Rurrenabaque. You need to make sure all the trip details and prices are clear when visiting the lodge.

Be warned that Amazonian forest birding in Bolivia can be less productive from December to May, as this is the end of the breeding season and many birds are not in song. Also in June and July brief winter cold spells (called suarazos) can really slow down the bird activity and if a suarazo coincides with your visit, you are likely to be disappointed. The Forest is best from September to November when many species are singing and breeding activity is starting.