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The word ‘Colombia’ sparks imagination and wonder when mentioned in birding circles. It is the mecca for neo-tropical birding, being home to over 1,950 recorded species with more being found all the time as the country’s vast territory is explored during this time of transition and peace.
This startling amount represents close to 20% of the world’s total number of birds. Among this mouth-watering list there are at least 84 ‘country endemics’ found in Colombia’s various isolated geo-regions and ecosystems, the evolutionary results of the complex and extreme Andean topography, its role as the bio-bridge between North, Central and South America and its 1,000-mile Caribbean and Pacific coastlines.
To capture and showcase this astounding avian treasure trove, we are delighted to introduce our latest array of The Colombian Project Birding experiences – the culmination of years of hard work, experience in the birding sector and our dedication to bird observation, conservation and exploration.
BIRDING IN COLOMBIA
Birding in Colombia involves visits to a wide range of private reserves, national and regional parks, farms and private properties. Road connections are very good to excellent between major cities thanks to the construction of new 4G highways, with most secondary and tertiary (unpaved) roads in good condition. Major cities are never too far away from the main birding sites meaning that connections by both road and air are easy to coordinate. Infrastructure is generally excellent in the cities with it understandably lowering in * level the more remote you go. That said, the lodgings we offer are clean and comfortable complete with private bathrooms – thankfully these are abundant and getting better all the time as Colombia’s tourism sector strengthens.


ECOREGION

ECOREGION

ECOREGION

ECOREGION

ECOREGION
COLOMBIA’S DIVERSITY EXPLAINED’
Colombia’s stunning mega-diversity, summed up simply as being second only to Brazil, a country which is 7 times the size, can only be depicted if you understand its geography.
Starting with the mountains, an Andean knot enters the country from Ecuador and after 100km or so splits into 3 Andean chains – Western, Central and Eastern.
The Central Andes, volcanic in its creation and punctuated by glacier-capped volcanoes along its length, is older than the Western, which was created by the Nazca plate subduction below the South American plate, noted for its large plateau or ‘altiplano’ on which the capital Bogota sits, reaching heights of over 5,350masl (17,500ft).
This colossal Andean landscape or region is itself divided by two major rivers, the Cauca and Magdalena that nestle in two massive, fertile, tropical inter-Andean valleys. ‘Las Cordilleras’ essentially split the even vaster Amazon basin with the lowland tropical forest of the Pacific or ‘Choco’ biogeographical region that stretches from the jungles of the Darien down to northern Ecuador. Here it is important to highlight that Colombia has not one but two major rainforests, with the jungles of the Pacific plain (‘Choco region’) being more diverse per KM/sq than its Amazonian counterpart.
Bordering the northern edge of the Amazonian plain the Guaviare River roughly separates the basin to Colombia’s other large, flat expanse. Here the tropical savannas of the ‘Llanos’ (plains) are the result of acidic soil and a climate that leaves it with a harsh, long dry season between November to April. During the wet season large areas of the Llanos are flooded providing the backdrop to the original Colombian cowboys – ‘Los Llaneros’. This immense, flat grassland drains to the Orinoco River and stretches deep into Venezuela.
To the north, along the Caribbean, 1,000 miles or 1,600km of coastline stretch from the Darien to the northernmost tip of South America – La Guajira peninsula and desert on the border of Venezuela.
Most special of all, is the topographical accident that is the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia’s highest mountains that tower at over 5,700masl or 18,700ft. These snow covered peaks lie just 50km from the stunning beaches and jungles of Tayrona national park, as the crow flies. This island of evolution leads us on to our conclusion.
Colombia’s collection of snow-covered mountains and their various climatic zones, its lush valleys, endless plains, impenetrable forests, arid deserts and endless coastlines are all part of a diverse geography formed over millions of years. This unique geography has enabled Colombia to shelter an equally unique diversity of avian fauna, perfectly adapted to its unique surroundings. Colombia is the land of birds, but not by chance. This section, dedicated to the country’s ecoregions – Andean, Pacific, Amazon, Llanos and Caribbean – will explain why.

Black-chested Mountain-Tanager
Photo: Juan Diego Castillo
ANDES ECOREGION
The Andes of Colombia form the country’s hub, with more than 70% of the population living in the various cities located in their valleys and plateaus. The three main ‘Cordilleras’ or mountain ranges of the Andes are the Eastern, Central and Western, themselves separated by two immense inter-Andean valleys formed by the mighty Magdalena and Cauca rivers. The Andes of Colombia, which reach well over 5,300masl (17,388ft) in both the Eastern and Central and over 4,000m (13,123ft) in the Western, are a myriad of altitudes, vegetation types and climates, resulting in a spectacular diversity of birds, all specialists in their respective domain. No less than 50 Colombian endemics are found in the Colombian Andes. Important areas of endemism include the Magdalena and Cauca valleys, isolated for millennia as the Andes grew, the highest reaches of the cordilleras (along all three ranges), the drier Chicamocha region in the department of Santander, and, of course, the montane belt of forest found on the western slope of the Western Andes where the Andean forests meet the tropical biogeographical region of Chocó. Species found here are generally also found in Ecuador, with the higher areas home to a number of Colombia endemics.
BIRDING SITES
2. PNN Chingaza
3. Cerulean Warbler Reserve
4. Tabacal Lake
5. Jardin Encantado
6. Monterredondo
7. Rio Claro
8. El Paujil
9. Victoria
10. Bellavista
11. Rio Blanco
12. Los Nevados
13. Hotel Tinamu
14. SFF Otun-Quimbaya
15. Las Tangaras
17. Jardin
18. Chestnut-capped Piha Reserve
19. La Romera Park
20. Sonso Lake
21. KM18
22. El Queremal – Alto Anchicaya
23. La Cocha
24. Mocoa – Pitalito Road
25. Paramo Bordoncillo
26. Trampolin of Diversity
27. San Agustin
28. PNN Purace

CARIBBEAN ECOREGION

BIRDING SITES
- SFF Los Flamencos
- PNN Tayrona
- Minca
- El Dorado Reserve & San Lorenzo Ridge
- Vial Park Isla de Salamanca (PNN)
- Cartagena Botanical Gardens
Throughout the length of the Caribbean coast of Colombia there is an array of ecosystems, all of which are home to a startling number of range-restricted endemics and near-endemics which can be seen fairly easily during a typical 10-day tour. Starting from the northern-most tip of Colombia, La Guajira desert and peninsula is a dry scrub environment that gradually turns into dry forest the further south you go.
Heading south, you reach possibly the jewel in Colombia’s birding crown. A massif so immense that it creates its own weather pattern with the nearby national park, Tayrona, benefitting from the moist airs that descend over its jungles. Here we find the towering Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, recently voted by the IUCN as the world’s most important concentration of biodiversity and which has the highest concentration of endemic flora and fauna on the continent. Its highest peaks – which are also Colombia’s highest elevations (Pico Cristobal Colon and Pico Simon Bolivar at around 5,770masl or 18,930ft) – lie just 50km as the crow flies from the hot, tropical Caribbean coastline below. This is the highest coastal mountain range on earth and it is home to an astounding 23 endemics and counting.
To the south, a thin range called ‘Perija’ splits from the Eastern Andes and creates the border with Venezuela, hence many of the species found here are shared and classified as near-endemic (see Andes map).
To the south-west lie the mangrove and dry tropical forests of Isla Salamanca, a national park with some interesting seabirds and some rarities hidden in the bush.
AMAZONAS ECOREGION

BIRDING SITES
- Mitu
- Inirida
- San Jose del Guaviare
- Mocagua & Mocagua Island
- Leticia
- Puerto Nariño
- PNN Amacayacu
When thinking of the Amazon, Colombia probably isn’t the first country that comes to mind, unlike Brazil, Peru or Ecuador…but that can be a good thing. Colombia’s portion of the great basin – largely unexplored until the mid-20th century – was protected by the simple fact of its unnavigable rivers that crisscrossed its heart. Largely saved from the rubber boom by this unique characteristic, the Amazon ecoregion of Colombia, which takes up an entire third of the country’s territory, is in largely excellent condition and, consequently, is excellent for birding. Ecosystems here are myriad of terra firme, flooded várzea and abundant white-sand forest, an indicator of the Guiana Shield’s presence via the Araracuara formation, which dates back 1.8 billion years at its most ancient points.
This mixture of ecosystems, and relative easy access from major cities such as Bogota, means that birding in Colombia’s Amazon can be a very richly rewarded experience. Parrots, countless antbirds, cotingas, raptors, manakins, and tanagers all make up what can be a quite fantastic bird list from just one or two sites, such as Mitu – renowned for its variety of habitats; Inirida – known for its sandstone domes and species that only exist in this borderline Orinoco/Amazon juncture, and San Jose del Guaviare which offers excellent terra firme birding and has the advantage of the Serrania de La Lindosa, an Araracuara/Guiana Shield range which is home to all the birds that are associated with the shield. Five days to a week is normally sufficient for a successful birding experience. Leticia, Mocagua and Puerto Nariño cannot be forgotten, on the banks of the Amazon itself and an exciting Amazon experience – riparian species and hungry raptors abound near the famed PNN Amacayacu, which showcases the Colombian Amazon at its best.
PACIFIC ECOREGION

The Pacific coast of Colombia – a 1,000 mile playground for pregnant humpbacks and their eventual offspring and a land of impassable wet forest that is a haven for life in general. The forested lowland plains of this relatively narrow strip of land between the Pacific Ocean and the mountains of the Western Andes runs from the equally impressive and humid jungles of the Darien, down to the northwest coast of Ecuador. This forest is hugely diverse.
Amphibians thrive here as do every other type of animal and insect, especially birds. It is one of the wettest places on earth and it rains an average of 250 to 300 days of the year. This is true ‘wet’ or ‘rainforest’ according to Holdridge as there is a thin belt of land, where the Western Andes begin to rise that records over 8,000mm (8m) of rain a year – astonishing. The Pacific is home to two Colombia endemics as most species are shared with Ecuador.
The vast majority of the Pacific Chocó is in very good to pristine state of conservation and settlements are small. As a result of a scarce population, infrastructure is generally poor and most birding takes place along the coast in beachside lodges, shrouded in jungle but with a sea view. Species here abound in the canopy, a mixture of honeycreepers, parrots and toucans, docile puffbirds and many, many more. Most are range restricted and, if clients haven’t birded in Ecuador, much of what is seen on tour will be new. Three to four days in the Pacific will cover most of this zone’s birding highlights.
BIRDING SITES
- Nuqui
- Bahia Solano / El Valle (PNN Utria)
- Capurgana
LLANOS ECOREGION
The largest tropical savanna north of the Amazon basin is called ‘Los Llanos’ (‘The Plains’) and it is as large as Germany. Spread over the countries of Venezuela and Colombia, it extends as far as the eye can see. This vast, flat land drains to the Orinoco River and floods seasonally with Llanero cowboys wading through saddle-high waters on horseback during the rainy season. The further north you head (and further from the Amazon), to the departments of Casanare and Arauca, the more marked the dry season becomes, which lasts from November to March. There are two Llanos endemics and the birding and general wildlife watching here is excellent.
Open grassy landscapes, unforgettable sunrises and incredible returns to roost for thousands of Scarlet Ibis capture the essence of a typical day in the Llanos. All major and large rivers have belts of gallery forest bordering them which are great for spotting hummingbirds, flycatchers and sizeable icterids. Wetlands in the grassy plains are home to animals from Capybara, Anaconda, Giant Anteater and even wild pigs, along with a plethora of riparian species that include varieties of stork, heron and ibis. In the grasses, thick-knees and nighthawks await, observing the comings and goings of the numerous ranchers going about their daily business, barefoot, of course.
Flights arrive in to Yopal and a 5hr 4×4 ride will get you to the ‘Hato’, or ranch, where all activities take place. There is also good birding along the Eastern Andes foothills which lead into the Llanos, where a humid tropical forest extends along the base of this range from the Amazon.

BIRDING SITES
- Hato La Aurora
- Bosque Bavaria
ITINERARIES - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
We’ve included 10 of our most popular itineraries below. Our tours cover large swathes of the country and showcase relatively new birding areas, such as Inirida and the Southern Andes/Colombian Massif, both of which are quickly becoming havens for birders, full of stunning jewels that are essential ticks on any life list.

Crimson-mantled Woodpecker
Photo: Juan Diego Castillo
A SMALL SELECTION
These itineraries are a small selection of the various birding tours that we offer and it’s worth mentioning that we operate Colombia as a whole –there is no known region or site that we do not visit and we are always searching for more sites so that we are at the forefront of the very best birding experiences in Colombia.

TAILOR MADE
All tours are suitable for groups or independent travelers and can be changed, adapted or modified in line with your specific requirements, such as budget, time, travel style, specific target list etc. There’s nothing we like better than create and mould a tour to your exact needs and wants.

SMALL GROUPS
We don’t do large groups for our birding tours. In fact, we don’t do large groups for any of our tours as it’s not what we’re about. We keep group sizes small to ensure a more personalized experience, with more contact time with the tour leader and of course, much better opportunities for field sightings of the various species.
A QUICK GUIDE TO OUR ITINERARIES
– A brief description of the tour as a whole with some juicy tit-bits of information that you should know.
– A day by day one-line rundown of what the tour has in store.
– The main birding sites that will be visited on the tour so clients can check listings and start to prepare their birding brains.
– Some of the main stars of the show that will be focused on during the tour.
– For those non-birders and couples with shared interests, we’ve put forward a small list of ideas that can be easily included during any given tour.
– Best time of year to do this particular tour, taking into account weather and any other relevant time-related characteristics that may impact on getting the best views.
Upon request. Note that a typical birding itinerary can cost anywhere between $200 to $350 USD/day per person, including all services.
OUR BIRDING EXPERIENCES
KEY PARTNERS & AFFILIATIONS

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