This is the first of a two-part blog-series about Colombian & other useful Neotropical field guides and literature. Yes, this addresses to the bibliophilic birder, to build the best Neotropical birders’ library, as nowadays there are many other means of information sources and identification aides.
If you, like me, still like to read and carry along good old paper format field guides, you’ll find them presented and reviewed here. It might facilitate to choose the one(s) that appeals most to you, to take along in the field. The first series, emphasizes on field- and site guides dedicated to Colombia’s avifauna.
The second series will suggest & review literature covering a broader Neotropical area, but encompassing Colombia as well, so highly useful and complementary to the books discussed here.
A preliminary note:
Colombia and allother countries in South America lying within equatorial regions are hosting a disproportionate amount of earth’s bird (bio)-diversity, and diversity is for sure higher than what current field guides of the region reflect!
It is therefore almost impossible to produce any complete field guide without making any compromises in order to shape and trim a book into field guide format. As well, some mistakes will inevitably creep into all works of this magnitude.
Any author and illustrator have to be acknowledged greatly for their efforts and contributions to Neotropical avifauna!
Colombian Field Guides
Field Guide to the Birds of Colombia by Miles McMullan (2nd edition, 2018, ISBN: 978-958896962)
Field Guide to the Birds of Colombia by Miles Mc Mullan (2nd edition, 2018, ISBN: 978-958896962)
The second edition of this widely acclaimed Field Guide to the Birds of Colombia is probably the most used Field Guide about birds in Colombia. It states that there are 1909 species recorded in Colombia according to the classification of the Birds of Colombia published in the journal Ornitología Colombiana.
It covers them all and implements taxonomic modifications proposed by the South American Classification Committee (SACC). Since the first publication 2014, 24 species have been added to the Colombian List. A wealth of new information about Colombian birds has been gathered and been included in a compact field Guide written and illustrated by a single author – Miles McMullan – WOW!
The book’s setup is introduced with conservation status, both at national and international level (this following the IUCN Red list of Threatened Species) and notes on how to interpret/use voice transcription, maps, illustrations, and abundance.
Topography & climate, account for such rich avian diversity. To show that, vivid maps like political areas, vegetation zones, rainfall pattern, endemic bird areas & protected areas in Colombia are depicted.
The heart of the book is the plate/identification section. There is brief written introduction (variable information) of every family & genus (genus, if represented by 2+ species, but often repetitious with family section) and how many species they comprise. Families are divided in color sections on the page fronts of the book. Hardly anybody will use them and they fade quick.
The plates are arranged to show the names of the species, illustrations, maps (incl. elevation & sub-species information), texts, field notes and notes on status & voice, in a single informative cell. This helps tremendously to navigate through a guide with such large avifauna. 3-6 species are covered per page. The text is short but precise.
Rufous – throated Tanager – Ixothraupis rufigula. Illustration by Milles McMullan
To judge quality of illustrations is always highly subjective. The drawings have been made in aquarell (more than 5000 illustrations) by a single artist and are of various quality varying from good – less so. Some species are anyway only identified with additional knowledge. If there is significant sexual dimorphism in species, both sexes are depicted.
In families, where there are species with many different plumage-types (e.g. Gulls and New World Warbler) several plumages are shown. The song and calls are transcribed following widely-used conventions for voice transcription.
There is little blank space, indicating that the layout of the guide has been well executed. This pays off in the format of the book – it has just over 400 pages and weighs 600 grams – and its general appeal.At the end comes a section of 3 plates with escaped birds. It could probably be expanded randomly, therefore not very representative.
Followed by charts of endemics & near endemics, respectively threatened bird in Colombia. Finally, there is the index with all English and generic Latin names.
Guía Ilustrada de la Avifauna Colombiana by Fernando Ayerbe Quiñones (2018, ISBN: 978-958-5461-10-9)
Guía ilustrada de la avifauna colombiana, 1st edition, English version, ed. WCS Colombia, Fernando Ayerbe Quiñones.
Shortly after the publication of the above introduced book, a new field guide about Colombia’s avifauna appeared. It is about the same weight as the previous one, and just a bit smaller. After the prologue the Orders, each represented with color bars and depicted with a representative example are introduced, an index and how many species they encompass. A chart on how the plates are structured and abbreviations are explained.
The color plates facing species names (English & scientific) and distribution maps with color subspecies and elevational info. There are blank lines between the bird names & distribution maps. They have been inserted for that Spanish speaking ornithologists can pencil in local names.
The guide lacks any identification text (apart from very short family and generic descriptions) and voice transcriptions! This compromises it a bit to use as a classic field guide. It is more a (very well & thoroughly) illustrated checklist. Up to 10 species with 26 illustrations are found on a plate. Sometimes, these are a little crowded, but that’s the exception.
Up to 4 plumage types are depicted in some New World Wood Warblers and some Gulls. Male and female are illustrated where needed and for waders there’s winter plumage and juvenile depictions. There are 52(!) hypothetical species lacking documented records in Colombia included on the main plates, probably to raise observer awareness.
Guía ilustrada de la avifauna colombiana, 1st edition in Spanish by Fernando Ayerbe Quiñones
The illustrations are highly accurate (in my opinion the best of any Colombian field guide) and you find many relevant details to identify difficult species.
The guide closes with an appendix of scientific order-, family- and generic names, a list for the endemic & hypothetical and threatened species in Colombia, and non-pelagic species on the Isla de Gorgona (a far-flung destination), a topographical map and one with the national parks in Colombia.
All in all, a very appealing book and a must to take in the field for every visiting birder.
Guía Ilustrada de la Avifauna Colombiana by Fernando Ayerbe Quiñones (2nd edition, 2019)
Guía ilustrada de la avifauna colombiana, second edition in Spanish by Fernando Ayerbe Quiñones
In November of this year, the author has just published a second edition with the following changes:
Change of cover.
Change in Paper type.
Adjustments in the color of the illustrations (lighting).
The shadow of each illustration was removed.
The illustrations now have a greenish background that helps highlight the colors of the birds.
Page of maps and texts in white background and more contrasting letters to facilitate reading.
Nomenclature and phylogenetic order (at the family level) updated according to SACC. 1941 species.
Species and genera grouped by similarity within each family (more comparative).
The item “Almost Endemic” is included.
Includes check box for the species already seen.
Includes measurements in inches.
Includes names in French and German.
Let’s see how it works at field and we will tell you!
A Guide to the Birds of Colombia by Steven L. Hilty and William L. Brown
Illustrated by Guy Tudor, John Gwynne, H. Wayne Trimm, Michel Kleinbaum & others (1986, ISBN: 978-0691083728)
A Guide to the Birds of Colombia, by Steven L. Hilty and William L. Brown
This book has long been the standard reference not only for Colombia, but areas adjacent to it (especially Amazonia). Since its publication there has been tremendous changes in bird systematics, knowledge about birds in Colombia increased, resulting in many new species been discovered within its political boundary (and some to science).
It’s size and weight are compromising its use as field guide. It has 836 pages and weighs over 2 kg. This is said keeping in mind, that now there are more compact options (see below). Imagine what people would have sacrificed to take such a book in the field, at the times, no such publications were available! Nevertheless, the book deserves a place in the hall of fame of neotropical bird books, or the shelve of any bibliophile ornithologist!
Introductory chapters and photographs highlight Colombia’s geography, climate, and vegetation, and discuss migration and conservation questions, and the history of Colombian ornithology. As usual at that time, the illustrations plates are bundled together at the middle section of the book.
Colombia’s magnificent avifauna is illustrated on 56 color plates, drawn mainly by Guy Tudor, John Gwynne, H. Wayne Trimm, Michael Kleinbaum and others. Especially Guy Tudor’s paintings are of high artistic quality, timeless and true in detail. They’re still considered to be among the best neotropical bird drawings! The other illustrations are a mixed bag of quality, some drawings are not true to life and detail at all, and are obviously done from museum skins.
Further, there are 13 half-tone plates and 99 line drawings (both not very useful) inserted in the text section. Not every bird species known to occur in Columbia at that time is depicted. Many are summarized and mentioned as similar species to the ones depicted, together with other brief information on facing plates. There are 1475 range maps.
The text section is written by one of the foremost authorities about Colombian Birds, Steve Hilty (and William Brown as co-author). It is highly captive and focuses on bird identification. It covers song/call transcriptions, behavior, habitat, status as well as some breeding data and notes about taxonomy and hypothetical species.
Appendices contain bibliography and section on birding locations.
Birdwatching in Colombia by Jurgen Beckers & Pablo Florez (2013, ISBN: 978-9090277851)
Birdwatching in Colombia by Jurgen Beckers & Pablo Flores
If you plan a trip to Colombia, whether on an individual or guided basis, this site guide will be indispensable. Not only for thorough preparation but travelling as well. It is written by two very active and experienced birders in the Colombia.
Jurgen Beckers has extensively travelled Colombia and now runs one of the best and nicest reserves (at the time of the book published not yet established therefore not covered) in Putumayo: La Isla Escondida! Pablo Flores has visited nearly every corner in Colombia for over 20 years and runs a well-established bird tour company in Colombia, Multicolored Birding.
The guide is divided in 12 chapters, each one representing a distinctive eco-zone, the guide describes 127 birding destination in Colombia (and oh, there are so many more).
The book’s introduction focuses on how to use it and deals with taxonomic issues made up until the book’s publication. It explains the icons inserted in the introductory section of each site, what to bring, safety issues, climate, and there are maps showing travel distance & time between major areas/cities in Colombia.
Each chapter begins with a short summary of the associated endemic birds & specialties and shows a map of the area. Sometimes there are notes on local cultural heritage. The sites are being described on 1-3 pages, accompanied by 1 -4 color photographs of birds and habitat.
It has detailed information of what species to expect, how to get there, where to stay & eat and many other logistical information, provided by the graphical icons mentioned above. All this information is to be used in conjunction with well-designed maps for most birding locations!
If you read this book, it will make you immediately want to go birding and explore Colombia!
As the book has been published in 2013 some of the information is outdated. Colombia’s tourism industry has changed fundamentally in past years. Many new sites have become available to birders, infrastructure and access has improved considerably. Some of the described sites are not operating the same way anymore as in 2013, phone numbers and contacts have changed.
Professional bird guide, swiss native, with more than 32 years of experience guiding hardcore birders and birdwatching tours. He has been focused in bird identification. He also travelled many countries, starting in Switzerland and then exploring south America, the most biodiverse continent in the world, becoming specialized in Neotropical birds.
Sara Colmenares
Current director of Sula. Doctor in Biological Sciences. Her main interests are to explore and understand the organism – environment interactions, taking advantage of emerging knowledge for the management and conservation of species and ecosystem services. She is currently working as a consultant in functional ecology, ecosystem services and conservation projects in Colombia related to ecotourism and birdwatching.
The birding equipment, a telescope or just scope, with tripod and binoculars, will not only identify you as birdwatcher, but are your most important tools for observing birds in the field! If you have the possibility, it’s worth to invest a little more for the good brands when buying your equipment for bird watching.
Impressively and interestingly enough, the technology of binoculars and scopes have remained – since the use of foolhardy pirates and suchlike – the same! They are set together by the 3 elementary components 1) lenses, 2) prismsystem and 3) eyepieces.
The object your looking at reflects rays of light and they strike the lenses. Inside the binoculars/telescopes this light is corrected by the prisms and through the eyepieces it hits the human eye. That works very much the same way today. As these technological traits still remain the same, quality and ergonomics have improved and evolved light years.
So, if you wonder what model of binocular/scopes suits most for birdwatching, and you even consider buying a new model, you’ll find some info here in this blog. You can confidently leave grandfather’s old pair of binoculars, weighing 2 kg, crosshairs in each lenses and independent focus knob for each barrel in the antiquity box! Read on!
A lot has been written in depth about different brands of optical equipment used for birdwatching. Rather to compare them technically here, I share personal opinion and experience about what to consider when choosing/opting for a certain brand or model.
Binoculars for Birdwatching
Let’s start with binoculars, your most important tool for birding obviously. For the use of bird watching, the following factors are most important:
They should be ergonomic (not too large & heavy as you’ll carry your bins for many hours, fit in your hands, the focus knob should be reached operated easily, they should fit your eyes (with or without glasses).
Optically they should be of fine quality, robust and suitable for tough weather conditions like rain and high air-humidity as well as different light condition!
Magnification and diameter of the front lens.
Magnification
On all binoculars you’ll find two numbers (e.g. 8×42). Here is a brief primer on what those numbers mean. The first number (8) refers to magnification. You therefore see the object 8x bigger/closer than you do with normal eyesight.
Optical magnification is the ratio between the apparent size of an object (or its size in an image) and its true size, and thus it is a dimensionless number. Optical magnification is sometimes referred to as “power” (for example “10× power”).
For birding you should use a model between 7 – 10x magnification. Models with a 7x and 8x magnification hold the following advantages:
A brighter picture,
A wider field of view (makes it easier to find birds)
Better depth of focus (a benefit especially it forest, where birds often hide beneath several layers of foliage),
Shorter minimum focus distance (oh boy, did this Antbird come close… or if you use your binoculars for butterflies, insects and other critters).
Magnification is the process of enlarging the apparent size, not physical size, of something.
10x have the advantage that more details are recognized. Compared to 7x magnification the difference can be important in order to detect subtle plumage details. The difference between 8x and 10x is obviously less, and it is highly subjective on what one likes or prefers more.
Less magnification would not be enough for recognizing many of the relevant identification details on birds. With magnification larger than 10x, you won’t be able to hold binoculars quiet and get a shaky picture.
Diameter of the front lens
The second number refers to the diameter of the front lens in mm (in our example 42). The larger this number is, the more light enters and hits the prisms (but as well, the heavier your model will be!) and therefore you get a brighter picture.
You should be aware, that your eye-pupil can take up only a certain amount of light. During the day the eye-pupil remains open about the same size. It opens up (and can take up) more in twilight so a brighter picture (through binoculars) is only perceived in dark conditions.
Carrying heavy, luminosity intense binoculars around your neck during the day, is therefore totally useless! Models with strong luminosity work only and best in very dark forest interior, where sometimes just 5% of daylight penetrates the forest floor or twilight hours!
Diameter of the front lens in mm (in our example 42). The larger this number is, the more light enters and hits the prisms.
For birding purpose, the diameter of the front lens shouldn’t be bigger than 42. If you opt for one the top 3 best brands Swarovski, Zeiss, Leica (sequence changeable) you won’t do anything wrong, as they are (and have been) the undisputed industry leader! Optically they all are of finest quality and their top-models all fulfill the above-mentioned requirements.
Nikon, Vortex, Bushnell produce good-high quality binoculars, for (a little) less money. Ask specialists, birding buddies and browse the web for the many options.
Zoom binoculars or image stabilized binoculars are notwithstanding requirements for birdwatchers. They are to heavy with to small field of view, and have limited brightness.
I use Swarovski.
Telescopes & Tripods
Scopes are a the other widely used optical aid for birders. They offer way larger magnification than binoculars, allowing you to observe distant birds without disturbing them. As well, they’re frequently used for taking pictures (digiscoping). The scope’s two elementary components are 1) lens and 2) eyepiece.
To support a device with such large magnification you need a tripod, as well.
Lenses.
Smaller and lighter telescopes usually have an objective diameter of around 60 mm. With these compact devices, a wide-angle eyepiece improves the brightness of the image.
Most producers also offer scopes with a larger lens diameter (up to 95 mm, but the same rule applies as for binoculars: The bigger the opening – the more glass there is – the heavier it gets). However, as the larger aperture can focus more light, these instruments also give a brighter picture. They are therefore better suited for use in unfavorable lighting conditions and for photographing.
To reduce color deviations, some manufacturers use specially coated glasses (APO, ED, HD). The picture is brighter and more brilliant on these devices than on conventional telescopes. As in binoculars, best brand are Swarovski, Zeiss, Leica which also are the most expensive and approved sellers. Kowa, Nikon, are top brands, too. Check out Celestron, Vortex, Optolyth & Pentax to name but a few more.
Eyepiece.
The magnification depends on the eyepiece used and ranges from 15 × to 75 ×. There are special eyepieces with even greater magnification, but these are not suitable for bird watchers. Magnification between 20 × and 60 × is the rule. When using larger magnification, the amount of light and thus the brightness of the image usually decreases significantly. In addition, every vibration of the scope and flickering of the air – when heated or windy – is felt much stronger.
For most scopes of renowned manufacturers, there are different interchangeable eyepieces on offer. Eyepieces with fixed focal lengths were formerly used most, because they were visually superior to the former zoom eyepieces thanks to their simple design. Today they are no longer available from all producers.
Zoom eyepieces now deliver equal results. Since a single eyepiece usually covers the entire range of 20 × to 60 ×, which is important for bird watching, they have become standard today, and some manufacturers produce high quality zoom wide-angle eyepieces.
You’ve noticed that there are two different scope/eyepiece-versions: 1) Straight and 2) angled forms. Both forms offer the same quality and both have their (dis)advantages. With straights you’ll find the birds easier and it is more protected from rain. As well it’s more comfortable to use them in hides and blinds. With angled forms it’s easier to follow a moving object, it’s more relieving for your neck and easier to watch birds in treetops. They are also better for tall people and they are more stable.
Tripod & tripod-head
Do not forget to consider the use of a good tripod & tripod-head, which has to provide good stability. Even the best scope produces no good pictures when it trembles with every little shock. The tripod should have a sufficient height, in addition to a frictionless running it should be equipped with a fluid and smooth tripod-head.
Gitzo and Manfrotto (European providers), offer the best brands. Some are made of carbon. Those are very light but still robust & stable. And very expensive! Most are made of aluminum. There is a big array of cheaper models on the market.
Before buying and taking a scope into the field, ask yourself, where and for what you are going to use it!
Before buying and taking a scope into the field, ask yourself, where and for what you are going to use it! If you plan your trip focusing on birding only or mostly in forest interior, a telescope is your least important tool. If you want access for observing the canopy, a decent tower or walkway is your gateway rather than a scope.
In fact, I always take my scope to any place (fool, me) in the Amazon rainforest, only to find out, that after a couple months birding, I didn’t even used it once… Scopes are best used in open areas, forest edges and lodge clearings, as well for migration watching (raptors etc.). If you use your telescope for digiscoping, the matter is obviously different, and topic of another blog entry.
Buying optical equipment for birdwatching
In my opinion, when buying optical equipment for bird watching it’s worth to invest a little more for a good brand, if you have that possibility. Yes, the best ones are the most expensive ones. But you’ll get what you’ll pay for. And, if taken care of (see below), they might be your faithful companion in the field for a lifetime!
Good brands invariably offer better picture quality, as well they are more robust and all are waterproof (nitrogen-filled, very important in neotropical environment). As well, their customer service is more reliable than the cheap junk brands! In any case, it’s mandatory to compare your favorite models side by side in order to choose & purchase your personal favorite.
Remember, if you wear glasses, check that you have the full field of view and that you have good comfort using while looking through your tools.
While going through the evaluation process, don’t let too many cooks spoil the meal: Get advice from birders and not hunters, sailors etc. They might know everything about optics and such, but their application areas – hence the binoculars and scopes – are totally different than those ones required and used by birders!
Finally, handle your optical equipment with utmost care! No, it’s not meant to be forgotten in whatever remote roadside café, taxi/bus seat, or on your vehicle-roof while driving off… Keep away equipment from heavy dust, DEET Bug spray and other extreme conditions. Store it well when not using it.
Don’t touch lenses with your fingers and never clean them with tissue, toilet paper, paper napkins, newspaper etc. All of those contain wood-fibers that will scratch and destroy the lens coating which can’t be repaired or replaced.
Clean your equipment with microfiber lens cloth. Blow off all dust and other material from lenses, before cleaning it with liquid and/or lens cloths. If you clean it with liquids use water (especially for sea-spray) or lens-cleaner that doesn’t attack lens coating.
Your optician will (should) know, which one is safe to use. Apply only small amounts of liquid and then wipe softly. When it comes to birdwatching, your optical equipment will make all the difference in perceiving and enjoying what you see! Choose well, and take care of it…
Professional bird guide, swiss native, with more than 32 years of experience guiding hardcore birders and birdwatching tours. He has been focused in bird identification. He also travelled many countries, starting in Switzerland and then exploring south America, the most biodiverse continent in the world, becoming specialized in Neotropical birds.
We assume that you are here to know about birding in the Neotropics –the richest area in terms of species diversity in the World!
What is the Neotropical Region?
The Neotropical Region is one of the 8 ecozones that exist in the Planet. It extends from Mexico to the southernmost tip of South America (map below). It is the ecozone with the highest area covered by tropical rainforests, including the Pacific Chocó Forest, the vast Amazon rainforest, and the endangered Atlantic Forest. These rainforests are the most important reserves of biodiversity on Earth.
“The Neotropical region has more species of birds than any other region on Earth,” said Brian Smith in his paper about how did this extraordinary bird diversity originate.
Yes, the numbers are staggering, overwhelming, and quite unbelievable, but flipping through the literature can be quite confusing.
Birding in the neotropics makes you find species so incredibly colorful, rare, and even mythical, you wouldn’t dare to dream of spotting them. Others so confusingly similar to each other that you might think distinguishing them to be impossible.
All of this only to remember that you still have to consider the genus and family levels as well!
Of course there are a lot of different strategies to achieve such tasks and just about as many different ways to practice your birding in the neotropics.
If you are looking for a place to begin, we are keen to share some of our personal experiences with you so that you can better orient yourself in this complex but rich world of Avifaunas.
How do I Prepare for Birdwatching in the Neotropics?
Birdwatching at the Amazon Forest, Mitú, Vaupés, Colombia
Planningand Preparation
Any successful trip starts with thorough planning and preparation. Unless you are short on time, a well-seasoned Neotropic birder, a pure lister, or someone who is searching for missing target-species, there is absolutely no need for hurry!
Planning tightly scheduled trips through many different biomes and regions will likely leave you with missed species and unsatisfactory views of the species you do catch. When birding in the neotropics all-day bird scouting through the largest of mixed flocks is the exception, not the rule! This is luck and dependent on the season.
More realistically, you’ll spend a considerable amount of time walking through some of the most biodiverse habitats only to see or hear a few species. This is especially true for forest birding and less so for open or aquatic habitats. Moreover, you’re likely to lose time travelling large distances between sites on bad or blocked (or both!) roads.
Schedule and choose a trip that is well balanced and with low stress. You will certainly see and enjoy more than if you were to rush from one site to another.
Consider the Season!
Green-and-black Fruiteater – Pipreola riefferii at Montezuma Hill. Risaralda, Colombia
As mentioned above, when birding in the neotropics, consider the season. The two seasons in the Neotropics are defined by rainfall patterns –a Rainy season and a Dry season. Both seasons have their pros and cons that impact local bird communities.
You might not want to visit the wettest parts of the amazon in the peak rainy season while you may want to schedule your trip to the Pantanal during dry season. In addition, there are different migration patterns to consider. Between August-April, you will find boreal birds while you will find austral migrants between May-August.
On the topic of weather and climate, birders must be aware of issues surrounding climate change and conservation that are occurring on a global scale. Unfortunately, these changes are disturbing and changing many of the normal patterns amongst species.
Learn about the Region you will visit
Drone photo Anchicayá, Valle del Cauca
Finally, before traveling you should always be informed on the current political situation in respective countries/regions and consult the tropical healthcare institute a couple of months ahead of your trip! Spanish for most parts, aside from Portuguese in Brazil and various indigenous languages, is the official language used. Having basic knowledge of these languages and other considerations will improve your trip to Latin America.
Learning to identify birds in the neotropics requires careful and concentrated observations and examinations in the field, but in order to do these thing successfully, you must understand distribution patterns, ecology and behavior, be aware of the various songs and calls, and have experience studying guides and other literature (we’ll fill you in on a separate blog).
Study the Bird Families Before Arriving
Try to get a grip on the many new families and genus before moving on to the species-level, especially when dealing with large and confusing families (i.e. Tyrannidae).
Correctly identifying the species within certain families requires knowledge beyond what an average field guide provides and thus can be acquired through experience gained in the field.
Try to train your hearing as much as possible, as many birds are detected and identified by their voice. In general, birds are more often heard than seen, especially in forest habitats! Excellent resources for bird vocalization are www.xeno-canto.org and www.birds.cornell.edu.
Study Birds Behaviour and Ecology
As mentioned above, for birding in the Neotropics you will not only need knowledge of field marks, but behavior and ecology. Many of the new species and families you’re likely to encounter not only look different but behave differently than what you’re used to observing at home.
Many species in the neotropics are sedentary, not migratory. They defend and occupy territory year-round and are often found exploiting certain niches. Hence, they are extremely well adapted to their natural environments. This leads to interspecies behavior differences.
Many birds travel in flocks to gather food (insectivorous & and frugivorous, alike), as they are chasing fast and in frantic movements through the strata of the forest and other biomes! Others form army, ant-like swarms (some are totally dependent on them) while others fly solo and thus are rarely spotted unless you know exactly how and where to look/listen for them!
This book also points out the extremely complex (especially in the Neotropics) interaction between birds (and that goes for all other organisms) and their natural surroundings. Having an idea about these interactions will help you improve and understand the pivotal points about birding in the Neotropics.
For this purpose, we highly recommend you read The New Neotropical Companion by John Kricher. This new edition about tropical ecology is enhanced by its abundant and superb photographs. Many chapters (i.e. evolutionary processes) are explained with examples of birds! So, as a birder, reading this book (or parts of it) makes a lot of sense. Additionally, there’s a chapter on the potential dangers of birding in tropical areas.
How to behave in the field?
Once in the field, you’ll find out quickly that early starts are mandatory, as there is a lot more activity in the morning. If you can be patient and quiet, which means birding alone or with a small group, you will improve your chances of observing birds and other wildlife considerably.
In walking through hot, muddy, and steamy rainforest or trekking through cold, windswept paramos, you will realize that many of the birds illustrated in the field guilds look completely different! This might be due to unideal observation conditions (bad light, distance), or it could be that the illustration you are using is incorrect.
Take pictures and videos along with sound recordings of the birds so that you can go back and compare and discuss with like-minded birders on the above-mentioned platforms/databases. No, you don’t need professional equipment. There are many good and handy (and cheaper) options out there nowadays. More blogs about this and other topics are in currently in production, so stay tuned…
Trying do unriddle and solve those mysteries, however, is one biggest and arguably most enjoyable parts about birding in the Neotropics. It’s when all your preparation starts to pay off.
Knowledge about birds in the Neotropics is still very much incomplete and thus each birder is able to contribute to unraveling this mystery by simple observation.
Birding with Sula
If your time is limited or you simply don’t want to put the effort in for your pre-trip preparation, a good option for you might be a tour led by professional guides who can explain the wildlife to you.
There are many excellent companies, like Sula, and on these types of tours, you don’t have to worry about being left on your own nor not knowing a foreign language. Everything will be taken care of for you: when to have your meals, how long you’ll be on an excursion, what to bring, and above all, what to expect.
At the end of your exciting day, you’ll summarize your observations in a bird log and be briefed about the next day’s activities. This is a great way to learn a lot of information in a short amount of time!
We hope these tips gave you some insight on how to prepare for your Neotropical birding quest and that you’ll enjoy birdwatching in this region as much as we do! See you soon.
About the authors
Jérôme Fischer
Professional bird guide, swiss native, with more than 32 years of experience guiding hardcore birders and birdwatching tours. He has been focused in bird identification. He also travelled many countries, starting in Switzerland and then exploring south America, the most biodiverse continent in the world, becoming specialized in Neotropical birds.
Sara Colmenares
Current director of Sula. Doctor in Biological Sciences. Her main interests are to explore and understand the organism – environment interactions, taking advantage of emerging knowledge for the management and conservation of species and ecosystem services. She is currently working as a consultant in functional ecology, ecosystem services and conservation projects in Colombia related to ecotourism and birdwatching.
Sustainable nature tourism initiatives in Colombia are key to be implemented to avoid the negative impact that tourism may bring. Even more so when Colombia has never had massive visitors to its most preserved natural areas.
Tools for Conservation and Challenges
Sustainable tourism in Colombia: A report from Colombia BirdFair 2018, Cali, Colombia.
1. Promotion
Colombia has been promoted as a nature tourism destination, with special emphasis on the birdwatching segment, at important international tourism fairs in the world such as the International Tourism Fair of Madrid, FITUR, and at the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show, ITB. This is because Colombia has more than 1950 bird species to see. The National Government of Colombia, through the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism (MINCIT), seeks to positionate Colombia as a world-class birding destinationpar excellence. The objective is to join forces, at regional and country level, to create birding trails which offer high quality standards and sustainability criteria.
Among the activities that enhance bird tourism are the local, regional, national and international bird fairs and festivals. Among the main bird fairs in the world are the British Bird Fair, the American Birding Expo, the Asian Bird Fair and the South American BirdFair. These fairs are an opportunity to promote products related to avitourism, such as birding equipment, destinations, companies and agencies. At the same time, bird fairs serve as an space for scientific divulgation, financially support actions for the conservation of species around the world, and invite people of all conditions to be closer to nature, and enjoy spending time outdoors through this activity.
The Colombia BirdFair
The most important international bird fair in Colombia is the Colombia BirdFair. This fair was created in tribute to the more than 1950 bird species that inhabit the country. All the Colombia BirdFair versions have offered a program that includes birding trips, lectures and several workshops offered to professionals and the general public from children, youth and adults. Lectures and workshops are offered by scientists and professionals working on ornithology, tourism, arts, environmental policy and many other interesting topics. Colombia BirdFair is held in the city of Santiago de Cali, in the department of Valle del Cauca, known as the city of birds due to its high number of species (around 561).
In the words of the director of the fair, Carlos Mario Wagner, the objective of the fair is to “unite wills, unite friends and unite the passion for birds”. The main purpose is to make “a tribute to birds as symbols of union and conservation and as a bridge of brotherhood and fraternity among peoples”.
Carlos Mario Wagner, Colombia Birdfair Director
The fair has generated a social and cultural impact at a local level. This has been expanding to the point of positioning Colombia as one of the most important destinations for birdwatching.
During the Colombia Birdfair 2018 the main topic was Sustainability, and the main lecturers were: Megan Epler Wood (International Sustainable Tourism Initiative), David Lindo (The Urban Birder), Carolina Murcia (Conservation Expert), Miles McMullan (Illustrator and Author of the Field Guide of the Birds of Colombia), Sussy de la Zerda (Founder of the Colombian Ornithological Association ) and Horacio Matarasso (Expert in Avitourism).
Here I brought a resume of the lectures who impressed me more during the 2018’s version of the Colombia Birdfair.
3. Citizen Impact on Restoration
Extended 3R Rule
Carolina Murcia brought the message of Restoring the House of Birds. The call is to the citizens to contribute by expanding the rule from the three R’s to five. This rule, also known as the three R’s of ecology or simply 3R, proposes to develop three habits of responsible consumption: Reduce, reuse, recycle. The expanded rule includes reject and recover.
The 5 Rs
Reduce, reuse, recycle, reject and recover. For example, reject the excessive use of plastic packaging such as polystyrene for food packaging on the market, promoting the recovery of reusable materials, such as cloth bags or biodegradable material to replace existing bags and containers.
The following actions, made by each citizen, are important keys to contribute to sustainable tourism:
Try to consume local products to promote social equity, keeping the countryside alive by supporting small local producers,
Get involved with political decisions and commit to the country’s destiny.
All this has an effect on the house of the birds avoiding the gradual disappearance of the ecosystems.
Companies also play an important role in committing to responsible production and consumption, some of the expected actions to develop are:
Restoration projects in forests,
Rehabilitation projects in productive areas,
Planting native trees,
Controlling the use of polluting agents, among others.
4. Sustainable Tourism on a Finite Planet: The Role of Education
Why do we travel? Is tourism really improving the world? Is tourism benefiting the environment or not?
In her conference “Sustainable Tourism on a Finite Planet“, Megan Epler Wood shared her research experiences looking for tools to mitigate the growing global negative impacts of tourism, being community development projects and sustainable ecotourism the best ones worldwide.
Why do we travel? Is tourism really improving the world? Is tourism benefiting the environment or not? Those are the questions that she put on the table. The ability of people to do tourism is growing very rapidly in the world and the effect of this can be very positive for the environment and local communities, but it can also be very destructive.
Given this panorama, Colombia faces the challenge of how to use its great natural heritage in a sustainable way in the face of a tourist demand that is growing by leaps and bounds. The solution for this is education, because by knowing and valuing the natural and cultural heritage of each region of the country, it will be possible to make a good management. In Colombia it is necessary to encourages actions for conservation that can bring benefits for local economic development, which has proven to be a great success in other parts of the world similar to Colombia.
The post-conflict in Colombia
The other scenario for Colombia is the post-conflict. The post-conflict opens up the possibility of carrying out activities that promotes the maintenance of peace in the country, such as the ecotourism. However, it depends on the decision of the post-conflict actors.
The effective progress of sustainable tourism in Colombia needs: (1) planning, (2) to establish the value of resources and, (3) to establish investment values for their protection. By following these three steps, it will be possible to determine the cost of local investment needed to develop use and protection strategies that safeguard Colombia’s natural and cultural capital.
In his talk, David Lindo told us about his mission: to involve the people of the cities with the urban nature that surrounds them, because this can help develop urban conservation initiatives through citizen participation.
His interest in birds came from an early age, he was 7 years old when he found “The guide of Great Britain Birds“, a book he treasured as the Holy Grail. David has revolutionized interest in birds in cities through activities led by himself. His call is to people, through birding in cities, to open their senses and love what is around, and even more, to come to understand that the garden of your window or the neighborhood park may be connected with the Amazon, Antarctica and with the rest of the world, since they are biological corridors for the species. Thus, people become aware that nature is at the door of the house.
David Lindo, The Urban Birder.
For years, David, as an urban birder, learned to see in each source, crack, light pole or abandoned building, the potential and realized niche of many species. He also chose his own birding patch in the city, which he regularly visits to follow the birds that live there.
You can start doing the same: choose your favorite birding spot in your city. Do not forget that the most important thing as an urban birder is to develop passion. And do not forget to look at the sky, always!
Kikinda
As a tourism experience for conservation, David told us about a small town in Serbia called Kikinda. There is park in Kikinda, the size of a block, that houses a huge population of Long-eared owls, which makes it look like a Harry Potter set.
In 10 years of guided visits to this place the local people have learned to value both: the owls and their small habitat. The impact was so big that the government of Serbia declared this small urban park as a nature reserve, one of its kind in the world, establishing penalties for up to 10,000 euros on anyone who disturbs the birds or their habitat.
This also shows that it is not necessary to be in the middle of the jungle to admire the wonders of nature.
The long-eared owl (Asio otus), also known as the northern long-eared owl, is a species of owl which breeds in Europe, Asia, and North America.
A good Example for Sustainable Ecotourism in Colombia
After listening to the wonderful conferences for three days, the Colombia BirdFair 2018 ended with the screening of the film “A Cloudy Destination: The Tropical Andean Forests” made 30 years ago in La Planada Reserve, in Nariño, with the participation of Megan E. Wood.
The documentary tells the story of the reserve and how the local Awá indigenous community remained steadfast in preserving the territory despite the war and social conflict. Few years ago, the reserve was transferred completely to the Awá community for its management, with great success.
This is an example in favor of sustainable development with community development. The documentary shows the natural richness of the region and reinforces the message that biodiversity should be protected. It proposes sustainable development as the best way to guarantee conservation in Colombia, ensuring that people from local communities can benefit financially and also be in harmony within each ecosystem.
La Planada Nature Reserve returns to the Awa indigenous community (SP). Read morhere.
About the author
Sara Colmenares
Current director of Sula. Doctor in Biological Sciences. Her main interests are to explore and understand the organism – environment interactions, taking advantage of emerging knowledge for the management and conservation of species and ecosystem services. She is currently working as a consultant in functional ecology, ecosystem services and conservation projects in Colombia related to ecotourism and birdwatching.
If you’ve heard that Colombia is a hummingbird’s paradise, or that hummingbird heaven is in Colombia, then you weren’t wrong. Colombia is the country with the most species of hummingbirds in the world, above Ecuador, Costa Rica or Peru. Of the 360 species of hummingbirds in the world, in Colombia you can find up to 165 species of hummingbirds. In other words, almost half of the world’s hummingbirds are here in Colombia (45.8%), and we encourage you to come and meet them. And some of them are unique. In this entry we will tell you which species of hummingbirds are endemic to Colombia and where you can find them. This is a list of the unique hummingbirds of Colombia
A molecular phylogenetic study about the diversification of hummingbirds recognize that the Trochilidae family, the hummingbird’s bird family, consists of nine main clades: Topazes, Hermits, Mangoes, Brilliants, Coquettes, Patagona, Mountain Gems, Bees, and Emeralds. In Colombia we have endemic emeralds, coquettes, brilliants and bees hummingbirds.
Hummingbird Groups Adapted from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2014.03.016
Emeralds
This is the group with the most endemic species in Colombia, with 5 genera and 7 species.
Santa Marta Blossomcrown – Anthocephala floriceps
Santa Marta Blossomcrown – Anthocephala floriceps. Picture from https://www.oiseaux.net/
This species is found in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, commonly recorded towards the flanks facing the Caribbean Sea. It is found between 600 and 1700 meters above sea level. It is a species in a vulnerable conservation category according to the the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List category, henceforth IUCN, and the Colombian Red List of Birds.
This species is very easy to observe in the gardens of the El Dorado Bird Reserve, located near Minca and the Cuchilla de San Lorenzo, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
Tolima Blossomcrown – Anthocephala berlepschi
Tolima Blossomcrown – Anthocephala berlepschi at Ukuku Lodge, Tolima
This species is found on the western slope of the eastern mountain range of Colombia and the eastern slope of the central mountain range of Colombia, towards the Magdalena River Valley. Its distribution ranges between 1200 and 2300 meters above sea level- It is classified as vulnerable according to the IUCN and the Red List of Birds of Colombia.
There is a very special place in the department of Tolima, very close to its capital Ibagué, which is the canyon of the Combeima River. There you can visit Anni and Truman, two biologists who are passionate about conservation, bird watching and mountaineering. In their rural lodge Ukuku, the encounter with this small hummingbird is a great experience. They have adapted gardens with native plants and drinkers, specially arranged to attract birds. The Ukuku Rural Lodge is a highly recommended place if you are a bird photographer.
This hummingbird is found in the Colombian Amazon region adjacent to the Guyanese shield in the departments of Caquetá and Guaviare. Its distributions ranges between 300 and 600 meters above sea level.
Despite it is not under any serious threat category, there are very few records of this species in Colombia. It is found in remote places where, for a long time, there was no access because of the war. However, it is not free from threats to its habitat. Today you can visit the department of Caquetá and find this bird in the municipality of Solano, very close to the natural National Park Serranía de Chiribiquete, now recognized by UNESCO as a Natural and Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Santa Marta Sabrewing – Campylopterus phainopeplus
Santa Marta Sabrewing – Campylopterus phainopeplus. “During fieldwork in the Crossing the Caribbean project, in April 2010, the SELVA researcher Laura Cardenas captured a male Santa Marta Sabrewing (Campylopterus phainopeplus). This is an important record of this species for the region.” http://selva.org.co/es/2010/04/capture-of-the-santa-marta-sabrewing/
This hummingbird is found in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, towards the continental flanks facing east, in the department of Valledupar, and distributes between 1000 and 4800 meters above sea level.
It is an endangered species according to the IUCN, and vulnerable according to the Red List of Birds of Colombia. This is really a very difficult species to observe, and very little is known about it. It has only been reported once by the Selva Foundation near the Vista de Nieve sector, the coffee region in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, up from Minca. Watch our video about Birdwatching in Minca.
Chestnut-bellied hummingbird – Amazilia castaneiventris. Palacio, Rubén. 2011. Wiki Aves Colombia. (R. Johnston, Editor). Universidad ICESI. Cali. Colombia. https://www.icesi.edu.co/wiki_aves_colombia/tiki-index.php?page_ref_id=1877
This species is found in the San Lucas mountain range in the department of Bolívar, and on the western flank of the eastern cordillera in the department of Santander. It is known to occur between 200 and 2100 meters above sea level and has been declared as an endangered species according to the IUCN and the Colombian Red List of Birds. This species has the distinction of not presenting a marked sexual dimorphism, that is, the male and the female are similar in their plumage.
Visiting the San Lucas Mountains can be a bit complicated, but visiting Santander is very easy and you can find this hummingbird in the municipalities of San Gil and Piedecuesta, very close to the capital Bucaramanga. You can also find it in the Bird Natural Reserve Cerulean Warbler in San Vicente de Chucuri. Even in the center of the town of San Vicente del Chucurí you can find it!
The municipality of Soatá in Boyacá is another destination to watch this bird, where conservation projects are advanced to protect it.
Indigo-capped hummingbird – Amazilia cyanifrons
Indigo-capped hummingbird – Amazilia cyanifrons. Picture by Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom – CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42656101
This hummingbird is found throughout the western flank of the Colombian Andes and is distributed between 400 and 2600 meters above sea level. It is not under any threat and, like the Chestnut-bellied hummingbird, does not have a remarkable differentiation in plumage between male and female.
This is one of the easiest species of hummingbirds to see in Colombia since only half an hour from Bogotá you can see it in all its splendor in the municipality of San Francisco de Sales, in a place known as El Jardín Encantado. This place belongs to a family that destined the garden of their house to attract different types of birds. They have many native plants with flowers and numbered feeders, which facilitates the observation and photography of birds.
Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird – Lepidopyga liliae
Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird – Lepidopyga liliae. Picture by Elio Rafael Ariza Ramos – CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69162520
This is one of the most controversial hummingbirds in Colombia. It shares its habitat with a species very similar to it, which is even of the same genus, L. coeruleogularis, known as Sapphire-throated Hummingbird. The distribution of these two species is the same, bordering the entire Caribbean coast of Colombia from the Magdalena to the Urabá region.
As if that were not enough, the two species are very similar and the only difference between them is the extension of the blue spot that extends from the neck to the belly in the male, being very complicated to differentiate, especially between young individuals. Most of the time the only way to differentiate them is through their song.
The Sapphire-bellied hummingbird has been consistently observed between the departments of Atlántico and Magdalena, in the Vía Parque Isla de Salamanca. It is declared critically endangered according to the IUCN and in a vulnerable state according to the Red Book of Birds of Colombia.
Coquettes
This group has 2 genera and 4 species.
Black-backed Thornbill – Ramphomicron dorsale
Black-backed Thornbill – Ramphomicron dorsale. Picture by D. Brinkhuizen. 2015. El Dorado Reserve Magdalena, Colombia (Macaulay Library ML 204884671)
This hummingbird species is found in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, between 2000 and 4500 meters above sea level. It is declared as an endangered species according to the IUCN. This species is very easy to observe in the gardens of the El Dorado Natural Bird Reserve, located near Minca and the Cuchilla de San Lorenzo, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
Buffy Helmetcrest – Oxypogon stuebelii
Buffy Helmetcrest – Oxypogon stubelii at Los Nevados National Park, Brisas sector, Caldas, Colombia
This is one of the species with the smallest distribution in the world, which makes it even more unique, not only because of its beauty or its state of conservation. It is found in the central mountain range of the Colombian Andes between 3200 and 4600 meters above sea level. It is a species in a vulnerable state according to the IUCN and in danger according to the Red List of Birds of Colombia.
Despite its small range this species is very easy to observe in Los Nevados National Natural Park a few hours from the city of Manizales in the department of Caldas. This park has installed in its Brisas station an observation platform for this species. You just have to arrive and have the luck of having a dry climate, a clear sky and a low cloudiness. It is also easy to observe in the gardens conditioned for the observation of birds in the hotel Termales del Ruiz.
Blue-bearded Helmetcrest – Oxypogon cyanolaemus
This is a very rare hummingbird, first found over 100 years ago in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, and then disappeared until 2015 when it was first observed after a long time. It is found between 3200 and 4600 meters above sea level and is a species declared Critically Endangered by the IUCN and Endangered by the Red List of Birds of Colombia.
To observe this hummingbird you have to visit the Lagunas de Sevilla, in the municipality of El Placer, on the way up to the Cristóbal Colón peak in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, one of the highest peaks in Colombia. This paramo region is the habitat of this endemic species of the highest zone of the Sierra Nevada. As well as the other species of this genus, you can observe it fluttering around the frailejones of the páramos. To get there you have to book a special tour service, since it is not a common route for tourists.
Green-bearded helmetcrest – Oxypogon guerinii
Green-bearded helmetcrest – Oxypogon guerinii, female – E, Sumapaz
This hummingbird species has the widest range within the genus Oxypogon. In Colombia it extends over much of the northern part of the eastern mountain range of the Andes, on its eastern flank. Like the other two species, it is only possible to observe it after 3000 meters and up to 4400 meters above sea level. Unlike its close relatives, this species is not endangered.
You can observe this bird very easily in two places very close to the city of Bogotá. One is the Chingaza National Natural Park and the other is the Páramo del Sumapaz National Nature Park in the Chisacá Lagoon. The Páramo de Sumapaz is located within the district of the city of Bogotá, so you can go there very early in the morning and return with time to enjoy a wonderful Santafereño lunch in Bogotá.
Brilliants
This group has 2 genera and 5 species.
Gorgeted puffleg – Eriocnemis isabellae
Gorgeted puffleg – Eriocnemis isabellae. Picture by Alex Cortes 2011 Flickr
This is a truly unique and special hummingbird that was recognized by science as a new species for Colombia in 2007. It was recorded in the department of Cauca, and its distribution is apparently as small as that of Buffy helmetcrest. It was first recorded in the cloud forests of the Serranía del Pinche (Department of Cauca), in the West Andes.
This species has been declared critically endangered according to the IUCN and the Colombian Red List of Birds. Unfortunately, this bird has only been registered by scientists and has never been seen by a tourist or an amateur birder, mainly because the Department of Cauca is one of the departments with the most difficult access in Colombia, due to public order and security problems. Its habitat is seriously threatened by the deforestation of the forest to plant coca crops.
This beautiful hummingbird distributes at the western mountain range of the Colombian Andes, between 2100 and 2800 meters above sea level. It is listed as endangered by the IUCN and the Colombian Red List of Birds.
You can get to know this hummingbird at the Munchique National Natural Park in the department of Cauca, at the municipality of El Tambo, 61 km west of Popayán. This park is a hummingbird paradise, as it is home not only to this species, but also to 36 other species of hummingbirds. There are about 500 species of birds in this park, and bird watching is done in the park through a special trail called the Bird and Tanager Trail.
Black Inca – Coeligena prunellei
Black Inca – Coeligena prunellei. Arango, C. 2016. Wiki Aves de Colombia. (C. Arango, Editor). Universidad Icesi. Cali, Colombia. https://www.icesi.edu.co/wiki_aves_colombia/tiki-index.php?page_ref_id=1872
This hummingbird is distributed on the western flank of the eastern mountain range of the Colombian Andes, in the departments of Santander and Boyacá. It is found between 1400 and 2600 meters above sea level and has been declared as vulnerable by the IUCN and as almost threatened in the Red List of Birds of Colombia.
This hummingbird can be easily observed if you visit the Rogitama Civil Society Nature Reserve located in the Corredor Andino de Roble, in Arcabuco, Boyacá, only 3 hours from Bogotá.
White-tailed Starfrontlet – Coeligena phalerata
White-tailed Starfrontlet – Coeligena phalerata. Palacio, Ruben. 2011. Wiki Aves Colombia. (R. Johnston, Editor). Universidad ICESI. Cali. Colombia. https://icesi.edu.co/wiki_aves_colombia/tiki-index.php?page_ref_id=2153
This species is found in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, and is distributed between 1200 and 3300 meters above sea level. It is not under any category of threat. It is very easy to observe in the gardens of the El Dorado Natural Bird Reserve, located near Minca and the Cuchilla de San Lorenzo, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
Dusky Starfrontlet – Coeligena urine
This hummingbird has one of the most beautiful iridescences among hummingbirds, for it shines as if it were made of gold, so much so that in Colombia it is known as the Sun Hummingbird. It is found on the western flank of the western mountain range of the Colombian Andes, in the department of Antioquia. It is a hummingbird that is distributed in highlands, between 3000 and 3500 meters above sea level. It is critically endangered according to the IUCN and as a threatened species according to the Colombian Red List of Birds.
You can observe this hummingbird in the reserve created especially for its conservation, known as Dusky Starfrontlet Bird Reserve de Proaves. It is located in the Vereda El Chuscal, about 17 km north of the municipality of Urrao, Antioquia.
Bees
This group has 1 genus and 1 species.
Santa Marta woodstar – Chaetocercus astreans
This hummingbird inspires a lot of tenderness because of its size and shape. You will not believe how much beauty this tiny creature carries as it flits among the flowers it pollinates and feeds on. This hummingbird is unique to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and is found between 300 and 2800 meters above sea level. Fortunately it is not under any threat category. It is very easy to observe in the gardens of the El Dorado Bird Nature Reserve, located near Minca and the Cuchilla de San Lorenzo, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
Now you know what the rarest and most unique hummingbirds in Colombia are. Do not hesitate to contact us to plan your trip to Colombia and meet these wonderful birds!
About the author
Sara Colmenares
Current director of Sula. Doctor in Biological Sciences. Her main interests are to explore and understand the organism – environment interactions, taking advantage of emerging knowledge for the management and conservation of species and ecosystem services. She is currently working as a consultant in functional ecology, ecosystem services and conservation projects in Colombia related to ecotourism and birdwatching.
Tinamú Birding is a natural reserve 15 km away from the city of Manizales, in the village of San peregrino. More than 40 years ago, in the heart of the coffee region in Colombia, Tinamu Birding was a coffee farm. Over the years, the Londoño Jaramillo family allowed their coffee and banana plantations to become a forest.
The family started supporting the planting of native trees in the region, protecting and reforesting a small part of the sub-Andean forest in the department of Caldas. This resulted in a high density of fauna and flora, concentrated in a land completely surrounded by open coffee and fruit tree plantations, becoming a refuge for local wildlife.
The real story begins just six years ago, in 2014, when Mauricio Londoño, its owner, made the decision to build a bird lodge. Since then, it became a successful and unique project in the country, competing internationally with eco-lodges and bird-lodges in countries like Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Costa Rica, which have a longer trajectory in birding and nature tourism. Since that time, ecotourism has been one of the main sources of self-financing for the reserve. They are specialized in offering a high level of service for birding tourists, who seek comfort and at the same time all the facilities to observe and photograph birds in their natural habitat.
According to Mauricio, a lot of perseverance and discipline was needed, because one of the main challenges was to adapt the facilities around the lodge to attract the birds. As is well known, the installation of bird drinkers and bird feeders requires a daily commitment to maintenance, to ensure the presence of the birds, but most of all, the health of the birds.
Tinamu Birding Visitors
Initially the bird lodge received hardcore birders, and still does, if not all of them have already passed through this place. As time went by, it became specialized in receiving people interested in having contact with nature and, at the same time, having the best possible comfort and attention. Today, Tinamú Birding is oriented to travelers looking for quality and comfort, and does not receive backpackers or outlanders. Just so you know, even camping is forbidden and no buses are accepted that bring more than 10 people.
Bird photographers at Tinamú Birding Nature Reserve
Eventually, Tinamu specialized to hosting bird photographers. Bird photographers are a particular segment of bird watching tourism, who generally carry photographic equipment that can weigh up to 15 kilograms. These people do not walk much, but rather sit and wait for the perfect conditions to photograph the birds.
Facilities for bird photographers and bird watchers at the Tinamú Birding Lodge
Steely-vented Hummingbird at Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve
The facilities offered for bird photographers at the Tinamu are concentrated on attracting the birds with food and water to scenarios well suited for bird photography. These locations are native plant gardens, with feeders and waterers installed around them. There are several natural perches installed there suitable for bird photography.
Around the lodge you can observe around 60 species of birds, among them the Gray-headed Dove, and the Little Tinamou itself, which gives the name to the reserve, has been baited to facilitate its observation. Some sectors even have hides for photographers.
Hide at Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve
Accommodation and staff
Highlights at a glance:
Tinamu offers a high level of service, from food, lodging, cleaning in the lodge and in the forest. All the employees are from rural families who live nearby, and are trained in the love of service and the appreciation and respect for the clients, and so provide a qualified service. There are 9 staff members in charge of providing the best attention in all the services of cooking, lodging, guidance and maintenance of the reserve.
Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve
The lodge has large rooms of between 25 and 30 square meters, with comfortable beds, designed for a senior and family segment, so that people receive good service and feel good. The bathrooms are very spacious, with hot water, and are safe and functional for the senior tourist.
Accommodation capacity in the Tinamu is reduced to guarantee peace in the natural environment, allowing wild animals to come close. For this reason there are no dogs, cats, television or radio that can disturb the tranquility. It is a perfect place to enjoy the sounds of nature.
Accomodation at Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve
Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve
Today, the recovery of the forest has been so successful that, only 3 months ago, Tinamu Birding Lodge was declared as a Civil Society Nature Reserve (CSRR 031-19 before Colombian National Natural Parks NNP according to resolution 056 of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development). Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve is proudly rising as one of the most important private wildlife conservation centers in the region, and becoming a national reference for others who are beginning to understand and follow its example.
Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve, notice it is a refuge in the middle of a highly fragmented landscape.
Today, the reserve guarantees the regeneration and restoration of the ecosystems within its 12.6 hectares. It protects a strategic habitat in the middle of the agricultural zone. This habitat is a refuge for 227 species of resident birds and 33 species of migratory birds. Also, different types of mammals, reptiles, insects, and attractive butterflies and moths, as well as many plants and fungi. Check out the gallery of wildlife you can photograph at Tinamu at the end of this post.
Sustainable Practices at Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve
Their new goal is to increase their environmental education programs focused on children and youth living in the surrounding area, people with disabilities, and the elderly. They are also looking for alliances with institutions, schools and universities, and agreements with ornithological associations in the country, to develop research projects for the conservation and biodiversity of nature.
Children from San Peregrino at Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve.
Among the main activities carried out in the reserve for the protection of the forest are:
The use of native trees for reforestation.
The creation of artificial nests for birds and mammals.
Research of the avifauna by carrying out permanent bird censuses.
Day and night monitoring of species with camera traps, videos, sound recording and photographic records.
Free workshops for children and young people in the San Peregrino area with emphasis on water, nature and bird care.
Workshops for groups of blind and disabled people with a focus on awareness and care of the environment.
Invitation of international experts, through PROCOLOMBIA and other institutions, as advisors for the preservation of the environment.
Within the reserve there are also some relics of the coffee plantations of the past. These trees have been left to grow along with the native species from the reforestation. The banana is also kept, but this time for the maintenance of the birds’ food. The coffee and banana plantations are maintained naturally as they do not receive any agricultural treatment. Birds like the tinamou and some species of grallarias are very attracted by these mixed covers of coffee and forest.
Recently Tinamú created the Café de las Aves, a completely organic coffee, roasted in Chichiná, Caldas which is offered to visitors during their stay, and for sale in general. The production is not industrial, and the profits from the sale of this coffee are destined to the maintenance of the food for the birds. If you want to know more about the relationship between birds and coffee read our entry Did you know birds can be saved by the coffee you drink?
What has been happening at Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve during Covid-19 pandemia?
During the pandemic, Tinamu has taken care of the people and their jobs. The lovely staff have prepared all the necessary biosecurity protocols to receive you with all the care you need. At the moment they only recommend you to #stayhome. If you like to know how to visit the reserve, write to us and we will be happy to design your trip.
Fernando Galvis – Birdwatching Guide at Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve
Verónica Echeverry – Receptionist at Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve.
James Martínez – Gardener Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve.
Dorany García – Housekeeper Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve.
Nancy and Natali -Chefs Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve.
Fauna and flora you can find at Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve (Photo gallery)
Pieridae Butterfly
Scarabeidae
Blue-headed Parrot
Zingiberaceae Plant
Bee pollinating a passion fruit flower.
Water lily.
White-bearded Manakin
Western Emerald
Spectacled Owl
Bamboo mushroom
Earthstar mushroom
Kinkajou
Berthold’s bush anole.
Long-tailed weasel.
Tent-making bat.
Moustached Puffbird.
Gray-headed Dove.
Nine-banded armadillo.
Agouti.
Stump-tailed porcupine.
Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth.
Crab-eating fox.
Western basilisk.
Bay-headed Tanager.
Sula thanks Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve for the visual material shared for the publication of this post. Also for receiving us at the reserve to know first hand everything they have to offer. This allows us to give the best information to our clients about this destination.
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About the author
Sara Colmenares
Current director of Sula. Doctor in Biological Sciences. Her main interests are to explore and understand the organism – environment interactions, taking advantage of emerging knowledge for the management and conservation of species and ecosystem services. She is currently working as a consultant in functional ecology, ecosystem services and conservation projects in Colombia related to ecotourism and birdwatching.
Birds are everywhere, even in the middle of the big cities, the only thing you must do to discover them is to connect with nature, by doing urban birding. Cities are, in fact, real jungles, with specific and unique fauna and flora and ecological networks, like any other environment on Earth. Only this one has a high level of human intervention, and birds are where you least expect them: flying high in the sky, perched on top of buildings or antennas, nesting on your ledge, eating seeds in your neighborhood park, waiting for the leftovers you leave somewhere, in a lake, in the pool and even on lamp posts!
The activity of identifying a bird in the city requires paying attention to what is around, the trees, the houses, the buildings, the sounds and the colors, apart from a good field guide of course. Many birders travel to remote nature destinations to find exotic birds and tick their checklists -Colombia is becoming a top birding destination. However, birding has moved to the cities of the world in recent times and people are discovering the huge birdlife that goes unnoticed in the urban everyday life. Urban birding is now a trend and we will talk about the basics of urban birding and the best urban birding spots in Colombia.
Urban Birding in Colombia according to ‘The Urban Birder’
David Lindo is a wildlife broadcaster, writer, educator, lecturer, and birding tour guide from London, England. Lindo, also known as ‘The Urban Birder‘, is passionate about looking for birds in urban environments as well as sharing his passion with others and promoting conservation for those birds with whom we share our lives in the cities.
He was at the Colombia Bird Fair 2020 to give a speech about urban birds and bird migration within cities. This was his second time in the country and both experiences were mind-blowing. We had the possibility to interview him on birdwatching tourism, bird conservation and urban birding in Colombia.
“Birdwatching tourism is essential when it comes to conservation” – he told us. This is about a cycle where the bird diversity in one region attracts birders and other kinds of tourists, meaning money entering the local economy. When locals see that people are investing in the region because of birds, they realize they need to protect that resource in order to attract more tourists. In a more holistic perspective, the promotion of ecotourism ensures the protection of natural areas because people actually enjoy visiting and discovering the wildlife that inhabit those areas. This is essential for rural and urban birding spots, and citizens must protect the little nature that is left in the concrete jungle.
The Urban Birder thinks that more people should come to Colombia because it has more species of birds than any other country in the world. For example, Cali -speaking of the Colombia Birdfair host city, a city with over 2 million people, has more than 500 bird species, which is incredible for an urban birder. This is something that Colombians should definitely feel proud of.
7 tips for urban birding in Colombia
Feel safe. An unfamiliar city in a Latin country can seem scary. However, Colombian cities are safe, without denying that there are places where it is advisable to be careful. Always go birding in the company of guides or trusted friends who know the area and its neighbours well. In any case “don’t give papaya!“
Bring your local bird guide book, and be amazed at how many birds you can find! Some recommendations here.
Don’t worry if you cannot identify all the birds you see. There are a lot of different species and some are similar, identifying the features of birds is something that comes with time and practice.
When you go out birding, turn off your mind to all the urban sounds and try to tune in to nature’s wave. After a while, you will start hearing and seeing things you never expected.
Once you get the hang of it, try urban birding every day for 10 or 30 minutes. Include birding in your routine, before work or school, and you will feel great!
After you have gotten used to urban birding, it is time to buy a pair of binoculars -go to a store and try ones that suit you- and a birding guide for identification.
Above all else, just look up!
Watch the full interview with David Lindo (LINK)
Urban Birding Spots in Colombia
Colombian cities are characterized by large patches of green areas in municipal parks, monuments, sanctuaries, zoos, and universities. This plant cover, usually composed by native species, is home to many species of birds, as well as mammals and insects. As Colombia has big cities in all the different thermal floors, in all the different mountain ranges and with all the possibilities of ecosystems, it is possible to check a great number of bird species when visiting its main cities. Urban birding is a good opportunity to integrate with the culture and biodiversity of the country, since during and after a day of birding in the city you can get to know the city and also enjoy the local cuisine, historical places, understand the culture, and notice the main attractions of each city that you can also visit during your trip.
Urban Birding Spots in Bogotá
Of course, the capital of Colombia is the first on the list of urban birding spots, as it has plenty of green areas that attract birdlife. Check out our complete guide for Birdwatching in Bogotá, to get detailed information.
The district of Engativá, in the west edge of Bogota, hosts a great park, renowned among the bogotanos and also visited by tourists. This is La Florida Regional Park, an area of 267 hectares of forest and wetland for the enjoyment and relaxation of the community. The complete facilities include basketball, football, volleyball, tennis courts, skating and figure skating rinks, a camping zone, a playground, kiosks, a 2 km walking trail and a natural lake for water sports. The lake zone is where birders can tour in search of endemic and migratory birds. Here you can observe 3 endemic species to Bogota: the Silvery-Throated Spinetail, Apolinar’s Wren and the Bogota Rail, along with other ~300 species.
It is hard not to notice the white church watching the city from any point in Bogota. At 3,152 meters above sea level, Monserrate is one of the most iconic symbols of Bogota. The sanctuary and monastery built in the 17th century is a pilgrimage and tourist site enclosed in lush vegetation. The area has high Andean forests, Eucalyptus and Pine forests that host diverse wildlife, although it has partially disappeared over time. You can climb whether in cable car, funicular or -if you are a fit person, on foot.
During the hike, if you are going on foot, you will hear the song of the Chestnut-crowned Antpitta and find a family of Andean Guans. At the top of the mountain, in the gardens of the sanctuary, you have one of the best views of the city while also having a chance to observe different high-altitude birds. There are at least 58 bird species, including: Silvery-Throated Spinetail, Rufous-Browed Conebill, Pale-bellied Tapaculo, Golden-Fronted Whitestart, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Shining Sunbeam, Glowing Puffleg, Sword-billed Hummingbird, White-bellied Woodstar, Scarlet-Bellied Mountain Tanager, Black Flowerpiercer, Grey-Browed and Pale-Naped Brush Finches, Andean Siskin, among other birds.
Bogota’s botanical garden not only preserves biodiversity amid a concrete jungle but works as a research center and provides cultural and educational activities for citizens. As a proof of the success of its operating model, 50,000 people visit the garden each year. Named after the Spanish priest, who was also a botanist, physician, geographer, mathematician and teacher Jose Celestino Mutis, who was the first naturalist to make a complete research in the territory of the New Kingdom of Granada, in Spanish “Nuevo Reino de Granada”, an area corresponding mainly to modern-day Colombia which lasted from 1538 to 1739, during the “Expedición Botánica” (Royal Botanical Expedition to New Granada). His work inspired a long tradition of studies on the fauna and flora fields of the country.
The Botanical Garden of Bogotá has 20 hectares of land containing 300 plant families, and its highlighted species of birds are the Scrub Tanager, Rufous-browed Conebill, Mountain Elaenia, Rusty and Black Flowerpiercers, Yellow-backed Oriole, Andean Siskin. At the end of the year, you can also see several migratory birds.
Quinta de Bolívar Museum serves as a tribute to the legacy of Simón Bolívar. The entrance of the museum lies in front of Montserrate and boasts several gardens that attract many birds, especially hummingbirds. Inside the museum there are 24 different areas with unique furniture of the XVII and XIX centuries, some of the pieces were from Bolivar himself, since he owned the house for 10 years. This may not be the most common bird watching site, however, here you enjoy spectacular views of some birds of the area and have the chance to learn about one of the most important figures in Colombia history. Among the birds found here are the Lesser Violetear, Sparkling Violetear, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Tyrian Metaltail, White-bellied Woodstar, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, and Black Flowerpiercer. The entrance is free every Sunday.
Javeriana University
~ 35 species
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana is a Catholic university founded in 1623 by the Society of Jesus in the east zone of the city of Bogota, on the foothills of the eastern cordillera. Its campus has 18 hectares, with 202,988 m2 of buildings and abundant vegetation. In fact, the university has carried out a process of ecological restoration for 10 years. A recent infographic guide published by the Ornithology Javeriano Group details 35 of the most common birds in the campus, characterized by a high Andean forest at 2,640 MASL. Among them, Sparkling Violetear, Canada Warbler, Purple Gallinule, Rufous-collared Sparrow and Red-eye Vireo.
It is one of the wetlands with the best water quality and most visited in the city. It has a bird observatory, an auditorium, bathrooms and signs. It is located northwest of Bogota, in the town of Engativá, between carreras 73 and 76. It is made up of 10.86 hectares of which 5.64 form the water mirror. In the wetland you can find birds from the savannah forests of Bogotá, Yellow-backed Oriole, Andean Siskin, or the Lesser Goldfinch, as well as birds from aquatic environments such as Purple Gallinule, American Coot and Common Gallinule among others.
Walking around the city’s zoo you can spot groups of Common Ground Dove looking for food in the ground, Great Kiskadee in the trees and wires singing their name, along with Streaked Saltator, Guira Tanager, Scrub Tanager, Spot-breasted Woodpecker… As for the aquatic birds, the Neotropic Cormorants are seen constantly diving, while the Green Kingfisher perch silently on low shaded branches waiting for the moment to plunge after fish. During the migration season, you will find the Blackburnian Warbler and Tropical Parula, both of which belong the New World warblers group.
Cali River and El Gato del Rio Park
~ 100 species
If you walk along the riverside that flows next to the zoo, you will easily find several species such as Red-crowned Woodpeckers, which commute between the trees and nearby gardens; hummingbirds including the Brown Violetear feeding outside some houses, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Vermillion Flycatcher and Yellow-olive Flycatcher; Black-billed Thrush, Black Phoebe on the rocks near water; as well as the Black-crowned Night Heron and Snowy Egret vigilant to ambush prey.
Downstream the Cali river, 10 minutes on foot from the San Antonio hill, you find El Gato del Rio which is a park area with a big, bronze statue of a cat made by the Colombian artist Hernando Tejada. This is not only a place to hang out with friends but to spot Safron Finch, Common Tody Flycatcher, flocks of Spectacled Parrotlet, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Yellow-headed Caracara in the treetops and Black Vulture overflying the zone.
Lago de las Garzas Eco Park
~ 60 species
To the southwest edge of Cali, Lago de las Garzas – or Heron Lake, is a public eco park consisting of an artificial lake surrounded by about 400 trees, where people go to relax, have a picnic, walk along interpretive trails and observe wildlife. The clumsy Greater Ani can be found here crashing around in the foliage. Other species are Striated Heron, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Bare-faced Ibis, Neotropic Cormorant, Pied-billed Grebe, hidden in the bushes is the Grey-necked Wood Rail. There are also hummingbirds, and species as the Plain-brown Woodcreeper, Rusty-margined Flycatcher and the Common Potoo.
Southwest of “La Sucursal del Cielo”, a local name to refer to Cali city, is this beloved weekend destination for the locals, just 20 minutes by bus from the city. This natural bathing spot is in the municipality of Pance at 1,200 m a.s.l. in average and receives many caleñas families that seek to enjoy nature in the eastern slope of the Western Cordillera, covered by tropical dry forest and premontane wet forest. Along the crystal clear, rocky waters of the river, you can go birding and find the Colombian Chachalaca, Andean Motmot, Green Kingfisher, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Golden-collared Manakin, Green Hermit, the Collared Trogon and Red-Headed Barbet, among other species.
This public university located in southern Cali is the second largest university campus in Colombia, after Universidad Nacional in Bogotá. Nature is a protagonist here, with a dry tropical forest ecosystem, and 20 years ago there were 80 resident species and 13 boreal migrants recorded in 1 km2 of the campus (know more here). The five most abundant species are the Cattle egret, Vermillion Flycatcher, Black-billed Thrush, Tropical Kingbird and the Blue-gray Tanager. Apart from these birds, you can see the Streak-Headed Woodcreeper, Baltimore Oriole, Tropical Parula, Yellow Warbler and the Scrub Tanager, among the other 150 bird species.
This prestigious country club 45 minutes from the center of Cali is the place where caleños go to practice golf, tennis, soccer and other sports with a view of Farallones de Cali, the mountain range that gives the club its name, and if you play on a clear day, it is possible to see the majestic snow-capped volcano of Huila to the south east. Its garden shelter about 170 species of birds, among which are the Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, Purple Gallinule, Colombian Chachalaca and the Grayish Piculet.
Urban Birding Spots in Medellín
These are the best places to go urban birding in Medellín, Antioquia:
Cerro El Volador Regional Metropolitan Natural Park
~ 35 species
Cerro El Volador is a metropolitan regional natural park, the largest in Medellín, located in front of the Medellin headquarter of Universidad Nacional and 15 minutes by car from the Atanasio Girardot football stadium. It has an area of 100 hectares with 9 different types of soil cover and 10 water sources, the perfect home to 106 bird species and 76 species of butterflies. The bird species that stand out in this protected area are the Bar-crested Antshrike, Lineated Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Large-billed Seed Finch, Slate-colored Seedeater, Eared Dove, Blue-necked Tanager, Palm Tanager, Tropical Kingbird, Spectacled Parrotlet, Bananaquit, and Streaked Flycatcher. The park is an important place for environmental education and research.
Arví Park is the only park in Colombia with a Sustainable Tourism certification from the Rainforest Alliance. It is located on the outskirts of Medellin and is easily accessible by cable car. Its diverse trails offer visitors the possibility to do day and night hiking, bird watching, picnics, bike tours, archaeological and cultural tours with abounding flora such as orchids. Here you can see the Golden-olive Woodpecker, the Azara’s Spinetail, the Green Jay, the Chestnut-crowned Antpitta, and the Andean Solitaire.
The municipality of Sabaneta, south of Medellin, has a natural reserve of 235 hectares and is considered a water reserve for the Aburrá Valley. Because of this, it is not allowed to camp, make bonfires or practice extreme sports. Its Andean wet forest ecosystem has native flora that shelters bird species such as the Colombian Chachalaca, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Southern Emerald-Toucanet, Yellow-headed Manakin, the endemic Red-bellied Grackle and Stiles’s Tapaculo, among other 350 bird species.
To the north of the capital of Antioquia, next to Explora Park, the Medellin Botanical Garden is considered as a living museum. It has living collections of vertical gardens, ornamental plants, theme exhibitions and collections of endangered species to promote conservation. Birding is one of the main attractions, as it is a great environment for over 100 native and migratory bird species. Bare-faced Ibis, White-tailed Kite, Andean Motmot, Slate-throated Redstart, Black-capped Tanager and Olivaceous Piculet can be spotted here.
Commune No. 14 El Poblado is one of the 16 communes of Medellín, capital of the Department of Antioquia. It is the most expensive and exclusive sector of the city. It is located in the south-eastern area. It is the largest commune in Medellín and also the least populated in relative terms. Lleras Park is one of the most representative places of El Poblado and a place of almost forced passage for the tourists who come to the city. In the parks and gardens of the neighborhood, which also has two streams, attracts many birds as Black-throated Mango, Roadside Hawk, Southern Lapwing, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Grayish Saltator, American Redstart among others.
Urban Birding Spots in Manizales
Manizales is the capital of Caldas, one of the departments of the Coffee Region, which registers nearly 900 bird species. These are some urban birding spots in Manizales:
Los Alcázares Arenillo Eco Park
~140 species
Right to the west of Manizales, Los Alcázares Eco park becomes a main lung within the city. Below 2000 MASL, this humid premontane forest is the setting for responsible ecotourism activities, such as landscape contemplation, hiking and birdwatching. This park has over 30 hectares inhabited by more than 140 bird species from 34 families, including the Scaled Antpitta, Scrub Tanager, Red-headed Barbet, Bar-crested Antshrike, among others.
Paraíso Verde Manizales
~200 species
Just 3 km north of Manizales there is a lodge true to the Coffee Region culture. Paraíso Verde is a classic-styled house in the middle of a stunning landscape of mountains, great sunsets, trees, bright flowers, birds, butterflies and more. There are several trails to explore the place and enjoy not only bird watching but bird photography! The lodge has ideal feeders for photographers to take their best shots. Among the 200 bird species that inhabit Paraíso Verde, you can see the Squirrel Cuckoo, Southern Emerald-Toucanet, Crimson-rumped toucanet, Steely-vented Hummingbird, Scaled Antpitta. The entrance costs $35,000 COP and the guiding service has an extra cost.
Recinto del Pensamiento is a distinctive natural reserve since it does not only protect natural resources but seeks to raise awareness and educate about common welfare. It is located 10 km southwest of Manizales. Here you can access an ecological trail, a chairlift system, a garden, an orchid forest, a butterfly observatory, and a birdwatching spot. You can also have an authentic coffee experience and even plant a tree! In its 179 ha you can spot around 230 species of birds, among them the Lesser Violetear, White-naped Brushfinch, Metallic-green Tanager, Indigo Flowerpiercer, Collared Inca, and Swainson’s Hawk. You can come with at least one person or up to 6 to do birdwatching, having previously made a reserve and paying a fee of $80,000.
Los Yarumos Ecopark
~200 species
Los Yarumos Ecopark is a protected natural area in the eastern zone of Manizales. Local families and tourists visit this park to spend an adventurous weekend with 5 zip lines of 30 to 70 meters high, a 105-meter long Tibetan bridge, rappel down a waterfall, slides, a climbing wall and a 4-hour tour along an ecological trail in the forest for nature lovers. The curious ones can visit the library, the natural science museum and participate in the cultural activities. Its 53 hectares of cloud forest serve as home to diverse wildlife, including agoutis, opossums, foxes and tigrillos, and flowers such as bromeliads, anthuriums and orchids. But the tree that gives the park its name is the Yarumo or trumpet tree, which attracts -along with the other trees, many unique birds, such as the Green Jay and the Emerald toucanet, among 200 others, including the Golden-plumed Parakeet, White-vented Plumeleteer and the Palm Tanager.
Urban Birding Spots in Armenia
The capital of Quindío in the Coffee Region is also a good destination for urban birding in Colombia.
Parque de la Vida is a breathing space in the middle of the city of 8 hectares, with cascades, a lake and a lot of green. This park was donated to Armenia by the Coffee farmers National Federation. A 2 km trail crosses a guadual and a gorge. The lake is inhabited by different fish, ducks and geese, and people find in the park crafts exhibitions, children games and spaces for exercising and relaxation. At least 220 bird species can be found in here, including the Blue-necked Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Flame-rumped Tanager, Hepatic Tanager, and Turquoise Dacnis.
The Quindío Botanical Garden is outside the city of Armenia, more exactly in Calarcá municipality. It is an NGO that fosters conservation projects, scientific research, and environmental education. As a recognized spot for nature tourism in Colombia, it offers several attractions such as the National Collection of Palms, which bring together most native species of Colombian palms, a renowned butterfly house, an insect zoo, a geology and soil museum, and three spots for bird watching (a house in the forest, a 22-meter tower and the hummingbird ballet. There are 205 bird species recorded in this area, including about 10 migratory species. You can spot the Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Barred Antshrike, Blue-Necked Tanager, the near endemic Western Emerald, and the endemic Grayish Piculet.
Urban Birding Spots in Villavicencio
The department of Meta, in Llanos Orientales, is the third region in Colombia with most bird species, having nearly 1050 reported. In its capital, Villavicencio, you can go urban birding.
Bosque Bavaria
~350 species
Since 2008, the Orange-Breasted Falcon Reserve -also known as Bosque Bavaria, exists to preserve the habitat of the birds endemic to the Orinoco region or Eastern plains. It is located northwest of Villavicencio, just 15 minutes by car. In 30 hectares of reserve you can explore the mountain forest of the Eastern Andes, where there is a variety of bird species. The most notable birds here are the Gray-Chinned Hermit, Blue-Fronted Lancebil, Amazonian Motmot, Yellow-billed Nunbird, White-Chinned Jacamar, Scaled Piculet, White-Chested Puffbird and the Striolated Manakin.
Universidad de Los Llanos
~238 Especies
The Universidad de los Llanos , is the largest public academic institution of higher education in the eastern plains and Amazon region of Colombia. Its headquarters are located in Villavicencio, capital of the department of Meta. More than 200 species of birds have been reported here. It is a unique campus full of native trees and gardens that are the support and biological corridor for many birds in the region. You can find there birds like Rufous-breasted Hermit, White-bearded Hermit, Pale-bellied Hermit, Long-billed Starthroat. Hoatzin, Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, Russet-crowned Crake, Scarlet Ibis, Sharp-tailed Ibis, Green Ibis, Bare-faced Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill among others.
Bioparque Los Ocarros
~172 Species
The Ocarros Biopark is a zoo of fauna of the eastern plains of Colombia, where you can see jaguars, anacondas, armadillos, snakes, crocodiles, among other species, just 5 minutes from the city of Villavicencio (Meta), on the road that leads to the municipality of Restrepo. The place has 5.5 hectares with large areas, which serve as habitat for about 680 animals of 150 species typical of the ecosystem of the region.
This theme park offers specialized tours and events for one or more days, as well as workshops, conferences and seminars. Among the birds in the wild that can be observed here are Speckled Chachalaca, Hoatzin, Oriole Blackbird, Silver-beaked Tanager, Orange-crowned Oriole, Violaceous Jay, Scaled Piculet, Northern Waterthrush, Northern Slaty-Antshrike, many aquatic birds, among others.
Monumento de Cristo Rey
138 species
After years of state neglect, El Redentor Hill, home to the monument to Christ the King, one of Villavicencio’s landmarks, has recently been recovered to attract religious, sports and even bird-watching visitors. Cristo Rey is located on the hills that rise above the center of Villavicencio, which also makes it a unique place as a tourist viewpoint over the city and the whole plain. This work was started in 1949 by Pedro Eliseo Achury Garavito, who was the parish priest of Villavicencio cathedral at the time. The authorship of the monument is due to José Rama Kers and it was inaugurated in 1954.
The ascent to the hill is done by a road surrounded by little intervened forests of the Andean foothills. You can find bird species such as Barred Antshrike, Short-crested Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Russet-backed Oropendola, Scaled Piculet, Great Potoo, Common Potoo, Amazonian Motmot, Black-crowned Tityra, Glittering-throated Emerald, Lettered Aracari among others.
Jardín Botánico de Villavicencio
127 species
Created in 1983 and since then is a center of flora where it promotes the conservation, preservation, and propagation of plant material, as well as research and promotion of environmental and ecological education programs. It has 46.3 hectares and is mostly occupied by forest, pasture areas and the nursery of plant material, plots of heliconia plants, guadua plants and trees of various species. Species such as Speckled Chachalaca, Cobalt-winged Parakeet, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Crested Oropendola, Tropical Screech-Owl, Bat Falcon, Gray-chinned Hermit, Buff-throated Saltator among others can be found.
Urban Birding Spots in Santa Marta
This Caribbean city, the capital of the department of Magdalena and home to the highest coastal mountain in the world -Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, also offers spots for urban birding:
Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino is an important tourist attraction in Santa Marta. This is the house where Simon Bolivar, Colombia’s liberator, lived his last days. This huge country house, founded in 1608, is located just 5 km from the city and boasts amazing gardens with vegetation from the Caribbean tropical dry forests. It actually has a Botanical Garden that collects plants such as a Samanea saman, Ceibas and Tamarinds, along with flowers that attract several birds. Among the 152 registered species, you will likely find the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Orange-Chinned Parakeet, Yellow Warbler, Whooping Motmot, Russet-Throated Puffbird, and the Trinidad Euphonia.
Universidad del Magdalena
~186 species
Universidad del Magdalena is a departmental public university located near Quinta de San Pedro in Santa Marta. It is the second Caribbean public university to get the High Quality Institutional Accreditation from the National Ministry of Education and has one of the greatest campus in the region, with 30 hectares of dry tropical forest ecosystem and an artificial lake. A research published in 2008 reported 186 bird species distributed in 41 families: 38 resident, 77 transitory and 72 migratory. In the university you are likely to see the Great-tailed Grackle, Carib Grackle; some endangered species from the United States such as Stilt and Buff-breasted Sandpipers, and the Willow Flycatcher; other species such as the Cattle Egret, Savanna Hawk, Crested Bobwhite and many more.
Urban Birding Spots in Popayan
Downtown Popayán
~100 species
The department of Cauca is located to the southwest Pacific coast of Colombia and has around 1100 bird species reported in platforms as eBird! Popayan is its capital and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At 1738 m a.s.l., this city of nearly 300,000 inhabitants is a good destination for urban birding, having a strategic reservoir formed by micro-watersheds, wetlands and springs. In the historical downtown, you can see eared doves (Zenaida articulata), house sparrows, flycatchers, swallows and hummingbirds.
Vía Las Tres Cruces Hill
~50 species
Also, around Cerro de Las Tres Cruces, it is possible to spot the White-Naped Brushfinch (Atlapetes albinucha), Crested Oropendola (Psarocolius decumanus), Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager (Anisognathus somptuosus), Golden-olive Woodpecker (Colaptes rubiginosus), Rusty Flowerpiercer (Diglossa sittoides), among others.
Current director of Sula. Doctor in Biological Sciences. Her main interests are to explore and understand the organism – environment interactions, taking advantage of emerging knowledge for the management and conservation of species and ecosystem services. She is currently working as a consultant in functional ecology, ecosystem services and conservation projects in Colombia related to ecotourism and birdwatching.
Ana María Parra
Current content writer for Sula. Modern Languages professional with emphasis on business translation. Interested in cultural adaptation of written and audiovisual content. Passionate about knowing new cultures and languages, tourism and sustainable living.
Precious glaciers, snow-capped peaks and paramo ecosystems are some of the jewels to find at El Cocuy National Natural Park in northeastern Colombia. Mountain climbers and nature lovers will love paying a visit to this huge mountain range that is a water producer and biodiversity haven.
In this post, you will find all the information you need to know to visit El Cocuy National Natural Park in Colombia, such as how to get there, what you can do in the park, where to stay, how much it costs and some recommendations for your trip.
Discovering El Cocuy National Natural Park
Colombia has lost 63% of its glaciers in 50 years, according to IDEAM.This means there will be no glaciers in the country in some years if the trend continues. Meanwhile, the Eastern Andes is the privileged home to the largest glacier mass in Colombia: The Sierra Nevada de Güicán, El Cocuy and Chita.
In an area of 25 km long by 4 km wide, about 25 snow-capped peaksstand out on the top of two mountain ranges! The peaks go from 4,800 m (15,748 ft) to 5,330 m (17,486 ft) above sea level, and the renowned ones are Ritacuba Blanco, Pan de Azúcar, Pulpito del Diablo, Cóncavosand Güicán. The temperatures in the park range between 0 °C (32 °F) and 20 °C (68 °F) with a characteristic cold climate.
El Cocuy National Park preserves ecosystems such as glaciers and paramos, as well as high Andean forests – seen in the valleys among the imposing mountains, and moist forests found in the Araucan foothills. Unfortunately, the climate change, livestock breeding and forest clearance (logging) are putting pressure on the protected area.
This marvelous park is guarded by the U’wa indigenous peoples. These have traditionally inhabited the Eastern Andes range and now fight for the conservation of their sacred territory and culture. Fun fact: U’wa means ‘smart people who know how to talk’.
El Cocuy – with its 306,000 hectares, is one of the National Natural Parksopen for ecotourism in Colombia. All of them offer unique experiences in the world’s second-most biodiverse country!
How to get to El Cocuy NNP
There are three land routes to access the tourist area on the western side of the park:
From Bogotá
440 km – approx. 11 hours following the route Tunja–Duitama – Santa Rosa–Cerinza–Belén – Susacón, until reaching Soatá. From there, you can follow the Tipacoque or the Boavita routes that lead to El Cocuy or Güicán.
From Bucaramanga
8 to 12 hours. Get to the town of Málaga, then to Capitanejo–El Espino–Panqueba and finally El Cocuy or Güicán.
From Llanos Orientales
10 to 12 hours on the routeYopal–Sogamoso–Duitama–Belén–Soatá and from there, El Cocuy or Güicán. Or 8 hours on the route Tame, Sácama, Chita until El Cocuy.
From El Cocuy and Güicán, it takes about 2 hours to get to the main entrances of the park on unpaved roads, in regular condition, suitable only for campers and 4×4 vehicles.You can get by a private car, a shared taxi or public trucks that leave from El Cocuy square every morning. The 3 access points areValle de Lagunillas (on the south), Hacienda la Esperanza (at the center) and Ritakuwas (on the north).
What to do in El Cocuy National Natural Park
Hiking and Trekking
Hiking is the most exciting activityinEl Cocuy Park. You can hike only until the glacier edge along 3 trails: Ritacuba, Laguna Grande de la Sierra and Lagunillas – El Pulpito del Diablo.This activity allows you to admire majestic landscapes with Frailejones, imposing mountains and crystalline water bodies.
Ritacuba Trail goes from the height of 4,000 m (13,123 ft) to the glacier edge of the peak called Ritacuba Blanco. The round trip is about 13.8 km.
Lagunillas – El Pulpito Trail goes from 4,000 m (13,123 ft), starting just above the cabin Sisuma and ends in the glacier edge of the Pulpito del Diablo peak.
Laguna Grande de la Sierra Trail starts in a place known as Cuchumba and ends in the glacier edge of the Cóncavosnow-capped peak. This is the longest and hardest trail (21 km/13 mi).
Expert mountaineers can do rock and snow climbing as well as high mountain trekking.
There used to be multi-day treks in El Cocuy, but negative environmental impacts caused by tourists and concerned indigenous inhabitants resulted in the closing of various hiking trails. Now you can only do one-day hikes.
Lagoons
At different points in the park, you can gaze at 25 stunning lagoons including Laguna de la Plaza – which drains in the shape of a waterfall, and Laguna Grande de los Verdes – which stands out for its flashy color.
Wildlife observation
Along the trails, you may spot white-tailed deer, tapirs, the endemic lizard Stenocercuslache and the double-banded false coral snake (Erythrolamprusbizona). The cougar also inhabits the park but it is quite difficult to find.
Birdwatching
El Cocuy Park is an Important Bird and Biodiversity (IBA) which means it is a key spot for bird conservation. Some of the species that inhabit the area are the Andean condor, the endangered Northern Helmeted Curassow (Pauxipauxi) and the hummingbird Shining sunbeam (Aglaeactiscupripennis).
Where to stay in El CocuyNational Park
Staying in El Cocuy NNP is not allowed. However, you can find cabins managed by locals at the starting points of the hiking trails. They offer accommodation and meals.
Best time to visit El Cocuy National Park
The dry season occurs from December to late January, but this is also a peak season for national tourists so the park or the tourist services may be crowded.
El Cocuy NNP Entrancefees
The entrance fee to El CocuyNational Natural Park varies depending on the nationality and age of the visitors. These are the entrance fees for 2020:
Colombians, resident foreigners and tourists from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru (ages 5 to 25): COP 21,000
Colombians, resident foreigners and tourists from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru (over 25 years old): COP 36,000
Non-resident foreigners (over 5 years old): COP 73,500
Children under 5 years old and Colombians over 65 years old have free entrance presenting their IDs.
What you should consider when you visit El CocuyNational Park
You must purchase an all-risk policyfor entering and staying in the park.
You must make your reservation and payment one month in advance.
You must register and attend the introductory talk at the registration offices in El Cocuy or Güicán before entering the park. Here you can hire your local guide.
The entrance to the park is from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and return is from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. No tourist should be in the park after 6 pm.
Remember that the park is a sacred territory for the U’wa indigenous. Therefore, visiting the eastern side of the park and entering the indigenous reserve is prohibited.
Wear cold weather, waterproof clothes in layers (so you can peel off when necessary). This includes hiking boots or rubber boots since the trails can be muddy.
Use sunscreen! Even if you think you don’t need it because it is cloudy. Also, a pair of sunglasses is advised.
Bring enough water – at least 2 liters per person per day.
Beware of altitude sickness! Apart from hydration, sun protection and proper clothing, you need to take your time and keep your rhythm during the ascent. Regular rests and arriving in a high-altitude town some days before the trek are advised too for acclimatization. If you feel bad, descend immediately.
Due to physical demands and altitude, the hike is not recommended for people with physical disabilities, heart or respiratory problems.
Some prohibitions: Feeding, bothering or hunting animals, throwing any garbage, pets, horses alcoholic drinks and drugs, guns, stepping on, sliding on or touching the snow, the entrance of children under the age of 10, people with physical disabilities, heart or respiratory problems, pregnant women or senior adults.
References
Album Jet Vive la Aventura Colombia – ParquesNacionales Naturales de Colombia, National Geographic, Compañía Nacional de Chocolates
Current content writer for Sula. Modern Languages professional with emphasis on business translation. Interested in cultural adaptation of written and audiovisual content. Passionate about knowing new cultures and languages, tourism and sustainable living.
For me, La Isla Escondida Reserve ranks in the top 5 of any sites I’ve ever birded in the Neotropics!After my first 6 months traveling through parts of Colombia and the Brazilian Amazon in 2018, I finally got some downtime in December. But not for long.
To escape some X-mas blues and treat me with some advanced birthday present, I decided for a getaway from late December until early January to La Isla Escondida Nature Reserve.
I received some firsthand tip from a good friend about a recently established reserve in the foothills of southern Colombia’s East Andean slope. He mentioned it to be remote, rarely visited by birders, but with an excellent reputation and amazing birding. Exactly, what I was looking for.
The talk is about “Reserva Natural La Isla Escondida”. The owner of which is Jürgen Beckers, one of the main authors of “Birdwatching in Colombia”.
La Isla Escondida Reserve – Picture by Jürgen Beckers
La Isla Escondida Nature Reserve
My friend’s suggestions and a quick glance at the reserve’s checklistwas more than enough, to convince me for a 9-day trip.The list hosts some highlysought-after species like Nocturnal, – Salvin’s Curassow,Lined Forest-Falcon,Fulvous Antshrike, Banded-, Hairy-crested Antbird, Fiery-throated Fruiteater & many more.
From a Colombian perspective, many species confined to this particular corner of the country occurBlack Tinamou,Buff-tailed Sicklebill,Pink-throated Brilliant, Napo Sabrewing, Coppery-chested Jacamar,Chestnut-tippedToucanet,Western Striolated Puffbird, White-throated Woodpecker, Blackish Antbird, Buff-rumped Foliage-gleaner, Foothill Elaenia,Ecuadorian Tyrannulet, Spectacled Bristle-Tyrant, Buff-throated Tody-Tyrant, Yellow-shouldered Grosbeak, Spotted Tanager…
Furthermore, as a newly established reserve in such a bird-rich region, many species remain to be added to the list. Possibilities for new discoveries are mesmerizing, including Wing-banded Antbird andShrike-like Cotinga await the lucky and persistent one.
The Department of Putumayo was heavily affected by Guerilla operations not long ago. But the reserve’s isolated location between two deep river valleys (Sucio River & Guamuez River) prevented the Guerilla of penetrating into the area. The immediate area around Isla Escondida is and always has been safe.
How I got to Isla Escondida
I flew into Puerto Asís, took a bus ride to Orito. There I was picked up by a taxi driver who dropped me off at the trailhead, leading to the reserve. Mules were organized to carrymy luggage to the lodge.
As soon as I stepped on to the forest trail, I realized, I was in birder’s heaven. I was surrounded by tall, lush forests. The trail starts at an elevation of about 650 above sea level and leads the lodge at about 800m. asl. So, it’s located in the ecotone between Amazonian lowlands and Andean foothills, one of the most interesting elevation belts for birding.
The trail is well marked and you can follow detailed instructions on thereserve’s webpage.As well, rely on Jürgen’s help about any queries visiting and accessing the reserve.
To give you an idea, it’s a roughly 1 ½ hours hike up a muddy trail, walking slowly without birding. It is hot and humid and you could get rained out, anytime. So be prepared. There’s the possibility to rent a horse to bring you up.
I walked up the trail mid-day in sunny conditions, so it was fairly quiet.Short before the lodge I hit a small mixed flock including Black-and-white Tody-Flycatcher.
The lodge
The lodge is built in a small clearing in the middle of a pristine forest, and really deserves the term Eco-lodge! The rustic but very charming cabins are mainly built by fallen trees, electricity is taken from solar panels, vegetables and fruits for food are mainly taken from the garden, the water waste is equipped with a double biological filtration system.
I was greeted by Estefan, the reserve’s hardworking soul and caretaker of the place. He and his whole family are from the indigenousCofantribe. In fact, it was his father that guided Jürgen on an exploration trip years ago to the present properties of Isla Escondida.
Birding at La Isla Escondida Natural Reserve
After a quick snack, I was off to the first forest trail. I took my not even 25 minutes to located Banded Antbird, a bird I’ve only glimpsed once before, about 20 years ago in Peru! I did some nice sound recording of it (play here).
At some point, the birds walked right past in front of me. A pretty good start. The calls of Fulvous Shrike-Tanager revealed a small mixed flock of about a dozen species, a Rusty-belted Tapaculo singing right next to trail was literally asking to be sound recorded, too.
After some late afternoon birding, I was treated by the first of Estefan’s delicious meals and some crazy story about a guest stepping on a Bushmaster (the largest Pit-Viper), about 80 meters away from the lodge in the middle of the trail! He showed me the picture of thesnake and was telling me it’s size: It was over 2 meters long. Somebody got very, very lucky. I told myself to pay some extra attention to the trails…
Birding around the vicinity of the lodge
The next morning found my birding in the clearing and close vicinity of the lodge. Andean Cock-of-the-Rock and Amazonian Umbrellabird frequent the same flocks. The latter was seen eating fruits of a Cecropia Tree. Lemon-browed-, and Dusky-chested Flycatchers were calling overhead, Golden-winged Tody– and Black-and-white Tody-Flycatchers were found right outside my cabin.
Birding around the trails
Time to hit trails. I immediately run into a large mixed flock containing one of my sought-after species for the trip: Spectacled Bristle-Tyrant, a species I was looking for many times without success in Ecuador. My goal was to get as many sound recordings of this species as possible. But on my first encounter with it, I just enjoyed watching, as the bird wasn’t vocalizing at all.
The understory flock further contained:Tschudi’s-, Rufous-rumped Foliage-gleaner, RussetAntshrike, Foothill Antwren, 4 more Antbird species, several Tyrannids, Wing-barred Piprites and Fulvous Shrike-Tanager. In the afternoon I encountered more mixed flocks and sound recorded Sapphire Quail-Dove – the first sound recording of that species for Colombia on Xeno-Canto.
The followingdays I spent exploring the same trails over and over, as every day revealed something new. I had walk-away views ofNocturnal Curassow,Fulvous Antshrike and Grey-tailed Piha, and I run into at least 2 large mixed flocks each day. I was able to sound record various vocalization types of the very little studied Spectacle Bristle-Tyrant – one of my main goals of the trip. Listen here.
Trail up to Fin del Mundo
Excursions the trail up to Fin del Mundo revealed 2 new species for the reserve’s list: Zimmer’s Flatbill and Deep-blue Flowerpiercer, both of which I was able to document with sound recordings.Zimmer’s Flatbill proved to be fairly common in the area, accompanying almost all larger mixed flocks. Ithas been overlooked, obviously.
The Canopy Platforms
The reserve’s 2 canopy platforms are the only ones in whole Colombia! But you have to be free from giddiness in order to be able to climb them. You only access with a ladder-climbing up a 30 m tall tree, secured by harness, of course.
My time up there proved to be fruitless because the tree was so! The only notable species up there were some Paradise Tanagers and an eye-levelencounter with Ecuadorian Tyrannulet. Should you be up there when the tree has fruits – you shall be very happy.
It’s the place to observe Fiery-throated Fruiteater, many colorful Tanagers and Foothill Elaenia, which accompanies mixed flocks. One platform has sleeping opportunities, and meals are catered to you via cable pull!
On my birthday I was surprised by the whole team with an (especially) delicious meal, wine and birthday cake.
This finally marked the end of my brief visit to this special place. I can’t wait to go back there and explore more remote and unbirded forest.
About the authors
Jérôme Fischer
Professional bird guide, swiss native, with more than 32 years of experience guiding hardcore birders and birdwatching tours. He has been focused on bird identification. He also traveled to many countries, starting in Switzerland and then exploring South America, the most biodiverse continent in the world, becoming specialized in Neotropical birds.
The Perijá mountain range is located in the north of Colombia and is a territory of great biological importance for the country and humanity due to its unique characteristics and the environmental services it provides in the region.
In addition, it has great cultural importance since it has reservations of the Yuko-Yupka and Bari indigenous peoples, almost extinct ethnic groups.
The economy of the region is based on agriculture and mining. In the agricultural part, permanent crops of oil palm, coffee, cocoa, and livestock stand out. On the other hand, mining focuses on the extraction of coal but it pollutes the sources of water, soil, and air.
The rural population, which suffers from high rates of poverty, has been the main affected by the armed conflict in the past. Community-based tourism, rural tourism, and bird watching tourism are economic alternatives for these communities that, until recently, became peace territories.
Perijá Mountain Range (Serranía del Perijá)
The The Perijá Mountain Range (or Serranía del Perijá)is an isolated, northern extension of Colombia’s East Andean Cordillera.It borders Venezuela for the whole of its north-south alignment.
Due to its independent orogeny from the Andes and other close Mountain Ranges, ithosts highly interesting avifauna and some endemism, although not to the same extent as the Santa Marta Mountains.
The area is almost completely lackingornithological coverage and very few expeditions have been undertaken to study the area. This is mainly because of the inaccessibility of the area due to a long and ongoing guerilla presence, enhanced by the Venezuelancrisis and illegal crop plantations.
Efforts of the Colombian military, at least parts of the Colombian side of the mountain range have become accessible to tourists but are still rarely visited by birders.
While forests on the Colombian side of the accessible areas have been partly cleared, the areas on the Venezuelan have declared a National Park. Although, the ProAves Foundation has established the Perija Bird Reserve that protects some of the most interesting areas higher up in the SabanaRubia sector.
Cerro Pintado at Perijá Mountain Range
Cerro Pintado, Perijá Mountain Range, Manaure, Cesar
Cerro Pintado is located in northeastern Colombia, on the western slope of the Perijá mountain range. This area has unique characteristics allowing a vast diversification of different groups of fauna and flora. Its proximity to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and being the transition zone between the Guajira peninsula and the eastern Andes, makes it so special.
The vast majority of the hill is covered by premontane and montane forests which in the higher areas are replaced by paramos. At present, there are strong pressures of colonization, mainly from the lower parts to the higher ones, through the expansion of agriculture and livestock.
This site has been declared an Important Bird Area (IBA), with around 15.000 hectares. It holds significant numbers of globally threatened species, a significant population of range-restricted species, and holds a significant component of the group of species whose distributions are largely or wholly confined to one biome-realm (Know more at Birdlife International Website).
We all were stunned by the beauty of this remote area. The Cerro Pintado delineates the border with Venezuela and stood in the backdrop of the untouched forest below us!
A Famtrip with Ropero Aventuras
In this perspective, it was a big privilege to visit the area on the Sula Fam Trip in December 2018 for a good 3 days. We were accompanied by Jose Luis Ropero from Ropero Aventuras, who knows the area very well.
If visiting the area as an individual, it is absolutely mandatory to hire a local guide!During our trip, we explored the altitude gradient available from the Colombian side from 800m a.s.l. – 3100m m.a.s.l.
Vereda San Antonio
On our first morning, we explored the foothills aroundManaure and found the beautiful Rosy Thrush-Tanager singing, seconds later posing for pictures sitting in a bush. Climbing the road up to Vereda San Antonio, where we stayed for the night, we found little activity.
Rosy Thrush–Tanager – Rhodinocichla rosea, Balcón del Cesar, Cesar
The owner of the Finca has serious plansto convert the place into a hotel. During our stay there, several mountain bikers explored the area, and it was nice to see (again, and again), how many parts of Colombia tourism are taking flight.So many local people put in effort, as they recognize it as a viable and sustainable economy.
Vereda San Antonio still lacks some basic infrastructure but with the often boundless enthusiasm and energy people put into such projects, this could change very soon… And their location would be exquisite as there are very few other options in the area.
During our twoevening and late morning excursions in the close vicinity of the Finca, we birded some small but very productive woodland patches. We saw the regional endemic Perija Tapaculo, Grey-throated Warbler, Perijá Brushfinch and ssp. nigrifrons of Yellow-breasted Brushfinch (a good species under IOC Taxonomy = Black-fronted Brushfinch).
The Paramo Area
One morning, we devoted to the search of the little known Perijá Thistletail, a regional endemic Furnariid of high altitudes. We reached the Paramo-like habitat very early on a chilly but cloudless morning.And most important: almost no wind,and actually quite a rare occasion up here!
Tawny-breasted Tinamou sang in the Valley below. Little trails leading into the forest were very tempting, but we didn’t have time to explore them. The song of Perija Thistletail immediately caught our attention, instead.
With the help of a little playback, we lured the bird completely out into the open. Camilla took an excellent photos of this individual, and I was able to take immaculate sound recordings.
As the morning progressed, the first rays of light warmed us and general bird activity increased. An Andean Pygmy-Owl sat out in the open and was mobbed by Perijá Metaltails, White-throatedTyrannulets, 2 Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonias, Common Chlorospingus, Slaty Brushfinch, Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager (ssp. pallididorsalis) and Blue-backed Conebill! What a flock.
Close by we saw Mountain Wren and heard the very distinct (and different to other populations) song of Rufous Antpitta. Rumor has it, that finally after almost 30 years of research,the split in the Rufous Antpitta complex is neigh! The saltuensis ssp. of the Perija Mountains will surely be elevated to species level. Further down activity dwindled but we saw a beautiful Golden-breasted Fruiteater.
Manaure
Unfortunately, it was time to wrap up things at Vereda San Antonio and head back to Manaure. Here we stayed at the charming Villa Adelaida for the night. Around their garden, we logged a scatter of common species like Red-crowned Woodpeckers, Bicolored Wrens, Crested Oropendolas, Rufous-capped Warblers and Black-headed Tanagers.
But the best bird here was definitely the beautiful Golden-winged Sparrow. This was as well, our last excursion the highly memorable and interesting Fam–Trip with Sula. A difficult call, but for me, maybe the visit to the Perija Mountains ornithologically-wise constituted the highlight of this trip. Always save best for last, right?
We fared well to our guide José Louis Ropero, and the next morning we hit the road back to Bogotá on a long and unexpectedly long journey. But that’s a different story… just watch the video!
References
Serranía del Perijá: Geografía, capital humano, economía y medio ambiente. Author María Aguilera Díaz. Banco de la República (read here)
BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Cerro Pintado (Serranía de Perijá). Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/08/2020.
About the authors
Jérôme Fischer
Professional bird guide, swiss native, with more than 32 years of experience guiding hardcore birders and birdwatching tours. Jérôme has been focused on bird identification. He also traveled to many countries, starting in Switzerland. Then he traveled exploring South America, the most biodiverse continent in the world, becoming specialized in Neotropical birds.
Sara Colmenares
The current director of Sula. Doctor in Biological Sciences. Her main interests are to explore and understand the organism–environment interactions, taking advantage of emerging knowledge for the management and conservation of species and ecosystem services. She is currently working as a consultant in functional ecology, ecosystem services, and conservation projects in Colombia related to ecotourism and birdwatching.
