COLOMBIA BIRDING

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.