Colombia - August 2023 - Day 4 - Cueva de los Gaucharos

Any birder who speaks Spanish will know what a Gaucharos is - the Oilbird, Steatornis caripensis. Albert's brother had suggested visiting this local roosting cave, and so early on Saturday morning four of us - Albert, Albert's brother, Albert's mother-in-law and I set off to the town square in Sabanalarga. On the way I remarked that people at a local café were up pretty early today, but in fact as this was Saturday morning they hadn't gone to bed yet and this was still Friday evening revelry. In the square we met Gustavo Guevara (of Sabana Travel). He is a local guide keen to promote the area and I think we were his Oilbird Cave guineapigs....As you will see the Cueva de los Gaucharos in Sabanalarga isn't a mere stroll in the park!

After a quick chat underneath the amazing Samanea tree (I think), which is wider than it is tall and covers most of the square, we set off the short distance to the cave. It's on some land owned by a farm and a fledgling eco-tourism effort is underway. We were served breakfast and coffee under and awning before the landowner as well as the driver (who's name 11 months later I have unfortunately forgotten but who was a great guy) set off on foot to the cave.

It was a pretty steep climb up towards the cleft in the hillside seen in the photo above, but that was nothing compared to what we had to do when we got the top. Go down again, but with ropes! It was more like abseiling than trekking, and really quite tricky. Once down in the ravine we then had to wade waist deep into the cave. This was no great bother as by then some torrential rain had started and we probably going to be drier inside despite being stood in water than we would be staying outside. We picked/waded our way through various pools and over slippery boulders until we were in the main chamber. Oilbirds were everywhere! Perched on the walls of the cave but also constantly flying around in a swarm. It wasn't quite a cave, more a deep chasm in the rock with various holes and vents to the surface. Photographs were impossible, and even with a proper camera would have remained impossible. Nonetheless I find the second of these two images quite atmospheric. In the first you can just about make out Oilbirds perched on the walls, there are probably upwards of a dozen in view. In the second this is part of a constant vortex of birds swirling around one of the vents.

We picked/swam our way back out into the open to discover the torrential rain had not eased. If anything it was heavier than it had been. Regardless, we had to get out, which was the same way we had got in - basically vertically, but this time with the added complication of water and mud. Somehow we managed it, Albert's mother-in-law leading the way - she is tough as nails. Despite the effort it was a massive thrill to have gone down and come back up, an experience that will live with me for a long time. I don't suspect this will become a prominent stop on any Colombian bird tour, it is just too hard. I've seen first hand several times what most South American tour groups are like and there is just no way, or at least not without mass casualties.

Don Gustavo

Back in town we were treated to the other half of the tour operation, some nice food and a drink in their headquarters, and boy were we all in need of that. The full list of species seen is here, and included some new birds for the trip such as Chestnut-eared Aracari, Swallow Tanager and Blue-necked Tanager. But it was all about the Oilbirds really, what great birds they are. One of those almost mythical species that you've read about, seen on nature documentaries and so on, but that few people have seen with their own eyes. I'm glad to have rectified that.

What better than a restorative fruit salad?