Cerro Jefe/Cerro Azul (1 Viewer)

[njlarsen]

Good evening all,
A question about access: there seems to be some reports that access is difficult without a local guide. At the same time I have been unsuccessful in finding a person to guide us/me to this area. Any information?
Niels

 

[THE_FERN]

Good evening all,
A question about access: there seems to be some reports that access is difficult without a local guide. At the same time I have been unsuccessful in finding a person to guide us/me to this area. Any information?
Niels

I found it difficult and disappointing. I did it by booking accommodation. In the end I arrived late and couldn't find it so spent the night in the car. In my experience the people there are unhelpful. It's a national scandal that some developer has been able to gate the main public access.

I think it's possible to approach from the east but might be difficult without 4wd. My impression is that climate change has really affected the site: was very dry when i was there. Eg. Not sure the antshrike is still there, ditto the chlorospingus

 

[pbjosh]

I agree that Cerro Azul is a total pain in the rear. I have visited twice. Once on my very first tropical birding trip with a guide, and then later at the invitation of a friend who lives there. The second time would have been about 2014, and I did find the Antshrike and Chlorospingus, but we hiked a long ways down a seldom used, hard to find trail that is kept purposefully so (to keep any poachers from finding it). I would assume the Antshrike must still be possible but it might be hard to figure out access to trails that descend, and/or a very long hike, resulting in it being easier to get it at Nusugandi.

 

[Xenospiza]

We did it with a guide (Jacobo Ortega) back in January 2015. Saw the chlorospingus, not too far from the plush settlement at Mirador Vistamares (with Black-and-yellow and Carmiol's Tanagers).

Other possible guides could be Alex Guevara (who seems to be the guy for the antshrike at Nusagandi - if only we had known that) and Nando Quiroz.

(Contact details not hard to find online).

 

[THE_FERN]

We did it with a guide (Jacobo Ortega) back in January 2015.

I was there in 2019. I remember I watched/heard/read a report about climate change at this site (although I can't remember which), which reinforced my own impression. By all means try it, but suspect you'd be better off elsewhere. There are sites in the east for the chlorospingus (not quite as far as Darien) and of course the reservation for the antshrike

Edit: just looked ebird records. There are a (v) few records of the chlorospingus in recent years. So it's still there

 

[Xenospiza]

I was there in 2019. I remember I watched/heard/read a report about climate change at this site (although I can't remember which), which reinforced my own impression. By all means try it, but suspect you'd be better off elsewhere. There are sites in the east for the chlorospingus (not quite as far as Darien) and of course the reservation for the antshrike

The chlorospingus was in trees in rather open and dry terrain on the ridge. The latest sighting in ebird for this location is March this year, so you must still have a good chance. It took us quite a while to find it!

 

[njlarsen]

I visited with Domiciano Alveo this week. We did not try too hard for antshrike or chlorospingus, but it was worth while for me as a decent birding site not too far from the airport with a different habitat than the canal area (where we had been previously on the trip). It had to be close to the airport as we flew out the next morning.
Niels