San José de Uchupiamonas

by A. Bennett Hennessey

San José de Uchupiamonas (San José) is a small peaceful town (no electricity!) at 600 meters in the Tropical Hill Forest of Madidi National Park at the end of the Serranía Sadiri road. The town is located in the middle of the ancient route between the Andean Quechua culture of the town of Apolo and the Tropical Forest culture of the Tacana people, and consequently San Jose has taken on its own mix of these two cultures. San José could offer a more rounded cultural birding experience. Though the forest directly around the town has been disturbed, one does not have to venture too far to encounter foraging flocks and antbirds. In the scrubby areas around the town you can find Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Ruddy Spinetail, Fasciated Antshrike, Black-faced Antbird, Bright-rumped Attila, Saffron Finch, Blue-black Grosbeak and Palm Tanager. Right in the town can be seen large flocks of White-collared Swifts, Dusky-headed Parakeets and Crested and Amazonian Oropendolas.

The town is isolated and does not have a hotel, but there are rooms available and a camping spot for a small fee. Decent birding can be done along the 2 km footpath to the Tuichi river which passes through terra firme and varzea forest with birds like White-fronted Nunbird, Red-necked Woodpecker, Black-faced Antthrush, Ringed Antpitta and along the deeper forested road one can find Strong-billed Woodcreeper, Screaming Piha, Southern Nightingale Wren, Lawrence’s Thrush and Red-crowned Ant-Tanager. This is a town nestled within a large expanse of Amazonian “rainforest” with probably the same diversity as Chalalan, including open grassland birds like seedeaters that foraging in the town.

Logistics: San Jose is accessible by boat and by a broken dirt/ hiking road from Tumupasa (see Serranía Sadiri section). If you plan to stay in the town of San José de Uchupiamonas, it would be preferable that you speak in advance with members of the community who work in Rurrenabaque for the Chalalan Ecolodge. They would also be able to help arrange boat transportation. It is also possible to visit San José during a trip to Chalalan eco-lodge. Contact Bird Bolivia for direct information and reservations (birdbolivia@unete.com.bo).

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