Natural Chingaza National Park

National Park · Colombia

No ratings yet

Photo © Juan Manuel García Mejía

Photo © Juan Manuel García Mejía — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

Where the Andes rise above three thousand metres in the Cundinamarca region, high-altitude grasslands and cloud forests converge in a landscape shaped by both geology and climate. Chingaza National Park, spanning approximately 2,471 square kilometres around the town of Junín, protects one of Colombia's most ecologically vital upland systems—a terrain of páramo meadows, rocky escarpments, and montane forest that accumulates moisture from Pacific weather systems and channels it into the rivers supplying Bogotá itself. The park's elevation gradient creates distinct ecological zones: lower reaches harbour humid montane woodland with dense canopy cover and epiphytic mosses; mid-altitude zones transition into shrubby páramo studded with hard-leaved cushion plants and grasses; the highest ridges become windswept grassland dotted with giant rosette plants. This mosaic supports populations of small forest mammals, high-altitude rodents, and birds of prey that hunt across the open moorland, alongside mixed flocks of cloud-forest songbirds and hummingbirds attracted to flowering plants that bloom throughout the year in these cool, wet conditions.

For wildlife photographers and ornithologists, Chingaza demands patience and respect for its climate. The park's elevation and moisture-laden air mean that mist and cloud often obscure views—yet these same conditions create dramatic lighting opportunities during dawn hours when fog lifts briefly, revealing the landscape's sculptural terrain. Birdwatchers will find the greatest diversity in transition zones between forest and grassland, where mixed flocks concentrate along forest edges. The park's role as a water source means it remains relatively protected and undisturbed, allowing wildlife to move freely across its zones. Access is typically via established trails from Junín and surrounding communities; the best months for visibility align with Colombia's drier seasons, though weather remains unpredictable at this altitude. This is not a destination for passive observation—it requires commitment, proper gear, and willingness to embrace mountain weather as part of the experience itself.

Website colparques.net/CHINGAZA

Andean Cock-of-the-rock

Rupicola peruvianus

Sword-billed Hummingbird

Ensifera ensifera

Turdus fuscater

Tyrian Metaltail

Metallura tyrianthina

Glowing Puffleg

Eriocnemis vestita

Blue-throated Starfrontlet

Coeligena helianthea

Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager

Anisognathus igniventris

Penelope montagnii

Longuemare's Sunangel

Heliangelus clarisse

Golden-fronted Whitestart

Myioborus ornatus

White-throated Tyrannulet

Mecocerculus leucophrys

Rufous-collared Sparrow

Zonotrichia capensis

Pale-naped Brushfinch

Atlapetes pallidinucha

Plumbeous Sierra Finch

Geospizopsis unicolor

Warbling Masked Flowerpiercer

Diglossa cyanea

Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle

Geranoaetus melanoleucus

Rufous-browed Conebill

Conirostrum rufum

White-bellied Woodstar

Chaetocercus mulsant

Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant

Ochthoeca fumicolor

Cinnycerthia unirufa

Eastern Meadowlark

Sturnella magna

Cyanocorax yncas

Lesser Violetear

Colibri cyanotus

Sparkling Violetear

Colibri coruscans

Red-crested Cotinga

Ampelion rubrocristatus

Black Flowerpiercer

Diglossa humeralis

Coragyps atratus

Crimson-mantled Woodpecker

Colaptes rivolii

Slaty Brushfinch

Atlapetes schistaceus

Glossy Flowerpiercer

Diglossa lafresnayii

Coppery-bellied Puffleg

Eriocnemis cupreoventris

Sicalis flaveola

Pearled Treerunner

Margarornis squamiger

Southern House Wren

Troglodytes musculus

Rupornis magnirostris

Black-capped Tyrannulet

Tyranniscus nigrocapillus

Streak-throated Bush Tyrant

Myiotheretes striaticollis

Brown-bellied Swallow

Orochelidon murina

Black-crested Warbler

Myiothlypis nigrocristata

Sayornis nigricans

Spinus spinescens

Zenaida auriculata

Whistling Heron

Syrigma sibilatrix

Southern Lapwing

Vanellus chilensis

Fulica americana

Yellow-backed Oriole

Icterus chrysater

Superciliaried Hemispingus

Thlypopsis superciliaris

Band-tailed Pigeon

Patagioenas fasciata

Mountain Elaenia

Elaenia frantzii

Oxyura ferruginea

Black-tailed Trainbearer

Lesbia victoriae

Bare-faced Ibis

Phimosus infuscatus

Silvery-throated Spinetail

Synallaxis subpudica

Tropical Mockingbird

Lesser Goldfinch

Spinus psaltria

Blue-grey Tanager

Thraupis episcopus

White-tailed Kite

Elanus leucurus

Pitangus sulphuratus

Band-winged Nightjar

Systellura longirostris

Tropical Screech Owl

Megascops choliba

Yellow-bellied Elaenia

Elaenia flavogaster

Black-billed Mountain Toucan

Andigena nigrirostris

Slate-throated Whitestart

Myioborus miniatus

Mountain Velvetbreast

Lafresnaya lafresnayi

Trogon personatus

Flame-winged Parakeet

Pyrrhura calliptera

Smooth-billed Ani

Broad-winged Hawk

Buteo platypterus

Andean Pygmy Owl

Glaucidium jardinii

White-sided Flowerpiercer

Diglossa albilatera

Common Squirrel Cuckoo

Pale-bellied Tapaculo

Scytalopus griseicollis

Blue-and-black Tanager

Tangara vassorii

Buff-breasted Mountain Tanager

Dubusia taeniata

Plum-crowned Parrot

Pionus tumultuosus

Merganetta armata

Catamblyrhynchus diadema

Powerful Woodpecker

Campephilus pollens

Common Tody-Flycatcher

Todirostrum cinereum

Green-and-black Fruiteater

Pipreola riefferii

Grey-breasted Wood Wren

Henicorhina leucophrys

Chestnut-crowned Antpitta

Grallaria ruficapilla

Azara's Spinetail

Synallaxis azarae

Tropical Kingbird

Tyrannus melancholicus

Blue-and-white Swallow

Pygochelidon cyanoleuca

Cinnamon Flycatcher

Pyrrhomyias cinnamomeus

Gorgeted Woodstar

Chaetocercus heliodor

Bronze-tailed Thornbill

Chalcostigma heteropogon

Hooded Mountain Tanager

Buthraupis montana

Green-bearded Helmetcrest

Oxypogon guerinii

American Kestrel

Falco sparverius

Mountain Cacique

Cacicus chrysonotus

Machetornis rixosa

Blackburnian Warbler

Setophaga fusca

Muisca Antpitta

Grallaria rufula

Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant

Ochthoeca cinnamomeiventris

Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant

Ochthoeca rufipectoralis

Purple-backed Thornbill

Ramphomicron microrhynchum

White-chinned Thistletail

Asthenes fuliginosa

Black-chested Mountain Tanager

Cnemathraupis eximia

Blue-backed Conebill

Conirostrum sitticolor

Great Sapphirewing

Pterophanes cyanopterus

Black-collared Jay

Cyanolyca armillata

Smoky Bush Tyrant

Myiotheretes fumigatus

Black-headed Hemispingus

Pseudospingus verticalis

Bluish Flowerpiercer

Diglossa caerulescens

White-capped Dipper

Cinclus leucocephalus

Golden-crowned Tanager

Iridosornis rufivertex

Cistothorus platensis

Montane Woodcreeper

Lepidocolaptes lacrymiger

Boyaca Antpitta

Grallaria alticola

Smoke-colored Pewee

Contopus fumigatus

Buff-tailed Coronet

Boissonneaua flavescens

Plain-colored Seedeater

Catamenia inornata

Blue-capped Tanager

Sporathraupis cyanocephala

Torrent Tyrannulet

Serpophaga cinerea

Strong-billed Woodcreeper

Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus

White-banded Tyrannulet

Mecocerculus stictopterus

White-capped Tanager

Sericossypha albocristata

Black-and-chestnut Eagle

Spizaetus isidori

Undulated Antpitta

Grallaria squamigera

White-rumped Hawk

Parabuteo leucorrhous

Many-striped Canastero

Asthenes flammulata

Streak-necked Flycatcher

Mionectes striaticollis

Paramo Ground Tyrant

Muscisaxicola alpinus

Ochre-breasted Brushfinch

Atlapetes semirufus

Paramo Seedeater

Catamenia homochroa

Fawn-breasted Tanager

Pipraeidea melanonota

Grass-green Tanager

Chlorornis riefferii

White-collared Swift

Streptoprocne zonaris

Green-fronted Lancebill

Doryfera ludovicae

Lazuline Sabrewing

Campylopterus falcatus

Greater Yellowlegs

Tringa melanoleuca

Neotropic Cormorant

Nannopterum brasilianum

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Accipiter striatus

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

Blackish Tapaculo

Scytalopus latrans

White-tailed Tyrannulet

Mecocerculus poecilocercus

Red-rumped Bush Tyrant

Cnemarchus erythropygius

Crowned Chat-Tyrant

Silvicultrix frontalis

Fork-tailed Flycatcher

Tyrannus savana

Anthus bogotensis

White-naped Brushfinch

Atlapetes albinucha

Band-tailed Seedeater

Catamenia analis

Beryl-spangled Tanager

Tangara nigroviridis

Flame-faced Tanager

Tangara parzudakii

Tawny-breasted Tinamou

Nothocercus julius

Blue-winged Teal

Spatula discors

Colombian Chachalaca

Ortalis columbiana

Sickle-winged Guan

Chamaepetes goudotii

Crested Bobwhite

Colinus cristatus

Common Nighthawk

Chordeiles minor

Rufous-bellied Nighthawk

Lurocalis rufiventris

Lyre-tailed Nightjar

Chestnut-collared Swift

Streptoprocne rutila

Brown Violetear

Colibri delphinae

Speckled Hummingbird

Adelomyia melanogenys

Green-tailed Trainbearer

Greenish Puffleg

Haplophaedia aureliae

Shining Sunbeam

Aglaeactis cupripennis

Coeligena torquata

White-booted Racket-tail

Ocreatus underwoodii

Short-tailed Emerald

Chlorostilbon poortmani

Uranomitra franciae

Lined Quail-Dove

Zentrygon linearis

Paint-billed Crake

Mustelirallus erythrops

Rallus semiplumbeus

Spot-flanked Gallinule

Porphyriops melanops

Porzana carolina

Common Gallinule

Gallinula galeata

Tachybaptus dominicus

Pied-billed Grebe

Podilymbus podiceps

Jameson's Snipe

Gallinago jamesoni

Gallinago nobilis

Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius

Solitary Sandpiper

Tringa solitaria

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Butorides striata

Butorides virescens

White-tailed Hawk

Geranoaetus albicaudatus

American Barn Owl

White-throated Screech Owl

Megascops albogularis

Rufous-banded Owl

Strix albitarsis

Falco columbarius

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Streaked Xenops

Xenops rutilans

Streaked Tuftedcheek

Pseudocolaptes boissonneautii

Striped Treehunter

Thripadectes holostictus

Andean Tit-Spinetail

Leptasthenura andicola

White-browed Spinetail

Hellmayrea gularis

Rufous Spinetail

Synallaxis unirufa

Ocellated Tapaculo

Acropternis orthonyx

Agile Tit-Tyrant

Uromyias agilis

Vermilion Flycatcher

Pyrocephalus rubinus

Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant

Silvicultrix diadema

Eastern Kingbird

Tyrannus tyrannus

Pachyramphus versicolor

Vireo olivaceus

Brown-capped Vireo

Vireo leucophrys

Riparia riparia

Hirundo rustica

American Cliff Swallow

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Apolinar's Wren

Cistothorus apolinari

Troglodytes solstitialis

Andean Solitaire

Myadestes ralloides

Swainson's Thrush

Catharus ustulatus

Catharus fuscescens

Common Chlorospingus

Chlorospingus flavopectus

Grey-browed Brushfinch

Arremon assimilis

Chestnut-capped Brushfinch

Arremon brunneinucha

Moustached Brushfinch

Atlapetes albofrenatus

Yellow-breasted Brushfinch

Atlapetes latinuchus

Molothrus bonariensis

Quiscalus lugubris

Yellow-hooded Blackbird

Chrysomus icterocephalus

Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

Tennessee Warbler

Leiothlypis peregrina

Citrine Warbler

Myiothlypis luteoviridis

Russet-crowned Warbler

Myiothlypis coronata

Black-backed Grosbeak

Pheucticus aureoventris

Yellow-bellied Seedeater

Sporophila nigricollis

Pink-billed Cnemoscopus

Cnemoscopus rubrirostris

Black-capped Hemispingus

Kleinothraupis atropileus

Oleaginous Hemispingus

Sphenopsis frontalis

Black-eared Hemispingus

Sphenopsis melanotis

Grassland Yellow Finch

Sicalis luteola

Haplospiza rustica

Rusty Flowerpiercer

Diglossa sittoides

Blue-winged Mountain Tanager

Anisognathus somptuosus

Lacrimose Mountain Tanager

Anisognathus lacrymosus

Highland Tinamou

Nothocercus bonapartei

Oxyura jamaicensis

Amethyst-throated Sunangel

Heliangelus amethysticollis

Long-tailed Sylph

Aglaiocercus kingii

Emerald-bellied Puffleg

Eriocnemis aline

Coeligena coeligena

Violet-fronted Brilliant

Heliodoxa leadbeateri

Patagioenas subvinacea

Purple Gallinule

Porphyrio martinica

Golden-headed Quetzal

Pharomachrus auriceps

Northern Emerald Toucanet

Aulacorhynchus prasinus

Southern Emerald Toucanet

Aulacorhynchus albivitta

Barred Parakeet

Bolborhynchus lineola

Yellow-eared Parrot

Ognorhynchus icterotis

Tyrannine Woodcreeper

Dendrocincla tyrannina

Olive-backed Woodcreeper

Xiphorhynchus triangularis

Rusty-winged Barbtail

Premnornis guttuliger

Montane Foliage-gleaner

Anabacerthia striaticollis

Lineated Foliage-gleaner

Syndactyla subalaris

Spotted Barbtail

Premnoplex brunnescens

Grallaria quitensis

Slaty-crowned Antpitta

Grallaricula nana

White-crowned Tapaculo

Scytalopus atratus

Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet

Mecocerculus minor

Rufous-headed Pygmy Tyrant

Pseudotriccus ruficeps

Golden-faced Tyrannulet

Zimmerius chrysops

Rufous-breasted Flycatcher

Leptopogon rufipectus

Flavescent Flycatcher

Myiophobus flavicans

Handsome Flycatcher

Nephelomyias pulcher

Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcher

Poecilotriccus ruficeps

Barred Fruiteater

Pipreola arcuata

White-bellied Drongo

Dicrurus caerulescens

Sepia-brown Wren

Cinnycerthia olivascens

Southern Nightingale-Wren

Microcerculus marginatus

Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush

Catharus fuscater

Chestnut-bellied Thrush

Turdus fulviventris

Glossy-black Thrush

Turdus serranus

Ashy-throated Chlorospingus

Chlorospingus canigularis

Yellow-billed Cacique

Amblycercus holosericeus

Crested Oropendola

Psarocolius decumanus

Scarlet-rumped Cacique

Cacicus uropygialis

Cardellina canadensis

Yellow-faced Grassquit

Tiaris olivaceus

Capped Conebill

Conirostrum albifrons

Saffron-crowned Tanager

Tangara xanthocephala

Tremarctos ornatus

Common Woolly Monkey

Lagothrix lagothricha

Brazilian Guinea Pig

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

Sylvilagus andinus

View Complete List (283 more) →

0 Community observations

No community observations yet — be the first to log a sighting here.