Birdwatching guide to visit Colombia for the first time
Birdwatching in Colombia is a top experience for any person interested in birds of South America. Colombia’s bird list is the number one in the world.
Moreover, the country offers one of the best balance between tons of great birds to watch, it’s an economic destination and its located near to North America and good connections to Europe.
Colombia’s bird list has more than 1.951 species including hundreds of truly stunning birds and 76 species that can only be found here. Many of these remarkable species come to feeders, hides, gardens where birdwatchers can easily get close views and take amazing photos!!! Colombia has great weather conditions and spots to learn and gain self-confidence exploring the Neotropic Avifauna.
Perfect for Birding
Colombia is also one of the most beautiful countries on the Earth, perfect for birding and ecotourism trips. There’s a diverse variety of landscapes and habitats, and the people are very friendly. During your trip you´ll feel that you are visiting several countries in one, and the birding destinations are amongst the most untouched and authentic in the country.
Security issues are still regarded by many potential visitors as an issue of concern when visiting Colombia. In reality, however, if you stay out of the few remaining spots of conflict, you will be safer in Colombia than in most other Latin American countries (Panama, Ecuador, Peru, etc.)
Emerging economy
Colombia is a country with an emerging economy, clean and tidy, modern and with a lots of lovely people. You will be surprised by the kind people who will take good care of you. Ecotourism is still very new, but with recent huge investments from government and private sectors to improve infrastructure like airports (some of the best in South America), roads, cables, tourists spots and routes, now there are numerous reserves, national parks and birding lodges that offer safe, adequate facilities, easy access and of course, amazing birding tourism plans!!!
In just a few days of Birdwatching Colombia you could watch more than 50 of the 164 species of hummingbirds recorded here, besides more than 85 tanagers species, 9 Antpittas or mythical parrots like Yellow-eared Parrot or three species of Macaw together in locations like Mitú or Inirida on to the Amazon river basin.
Birds Everywhere
Some people think Colombia is only for fanatic and adventurous birdwatchers. Some areas are like this, but a big surprise is to find a modern, clean, tide country with a visible growing economy. A pleasant surprise of Birdwatching in Colombia is that just drive 45 min drive from Bogota to La Calera drive and then watch amazing species like Sword-billed Hummingbird, Blue-throated Starfrontlet or Coppery Emerald attending a busy feeder in the lovely https://www.observatoriodecolibries.com/
Books about birdwatching in Colombia and trips
There are several excellent birding guide books to study and to identify the birds ID’s before your trip to Colombia during and after.
The book Birds of Colombia, by Stven Hilty (2020). It´s just the best of the best.
Another good book it written by Miles Mc Mullan and ProAves (2018). It’s also a good and compact book that includes many key notes and updates about distribution of the species that will help a lot to identify the ID of the birds.
In 2013 Jurgen Beckers and I, Pablo Flórez (Director of Multicolor Birding) published the book Birdwatching in Colombia. The book presents 127 locations where to go to look for birds. This guide tells you a lot of specific details from where, how to get to the places, the key birds to watch there, accommodation, local birding guides, budgets and maps. It’s a very good book to study before and during any trip to Colombia. This book will be really useful to plan your trip to Colombia and to help you to decide where is worth to visit. Birdwatching in Colombia, the book www.nhbs.com/birdwatching-in-colombia-book.
Birdwatching trips in Colombia, could be run in many areas of the country. For the first trip to Colombia I really recommend the Western and Central Andes birding tourist plan (12 days) and the trip to Bogotá, Santa Marta mountains and the Caribbean area (7 days). Around 20-21 days you will see about 600-650 colorful birds, you will travel from jungle and arid scrub at sea level to humid mountain forest and paramos at 4000 m.
There are many superb birding guides who speak English and really know about birds, logistics, etc. Multicolor Birding Colombia is a company run by Birders for Birders keeping cost reasonable and providing a unique experience. Besides employing lots of local people, a 10 % of your money goes directly to our conservation projects like our Reserve Multicolor Tanager (Antioquia-cloud forest), also to support the Corporacion Salvamontes, sterilizing cats programs, among others projects. If you are on a tight budget we can offer to arrange a trip with a top driver and set the logistic for the trip so you will not have to worry about directions or where the key birds are.
Birding apps
Lately there are some excellent birding apps that can help you to get to know more details about the birds of Colombia. For instance the free app Merlin is becoming a very important source of updated information. You get text, photos, distribution and the sounds of the birds on this app online. It allows you download the specific pack of current birds in the country or area that you are planning to visit. So, you can study and compare the calls easily even without internet connection! And Of course, Ebird become an amazing tool to carry with you. You can keep records of your records, study fresh or historical list of the areas to visit, search specific info about where are your targets and by the way you can contribute to know more about the birds in that specific area. An impressive global project.
What should I take for birding in Colombia :
For Birding in the Neotropics we recommend to bring light binoculars like 8 x 42, 8 x 50 or 10 x 50. In the Colombian fields most of the birds will be quite close to you. You will need to spot the birds as soon as possible because many species move fast and these kind of binoculars for birdwatching have a wide angle that will help you to localize the birds in the quick dense foliage. Binoculars with waterproof and fogproof resistance are best to travel to the Neotropics. Also, this Kind of equipment has a longer life than cheaper ones without this technology. The scope is useful in the Amazonia to spot birds like hummers, flycatcher, parrots or cotingas on high trees. Also to enjoy shore birds in areas like the Colombian Caribbean. Otherwise it will not be very essential.
Comfortable trekking shoes are essentials for most of our birding spots. Rubber boots are only necessary for Choco and Amazonia jungles.
Malaria and other tropical diseases are rare in Colombia. You will be in areas with few mosquitoes and other biting bugs. But, Insect repellent will be helpful in some lowland spots. In a tour around the Andes and foothills there is no risk to get any tropical disease.
Lightweight comfortable clothing is recommended i.e. standard field pants and shirts, for the entire trip. In the same trip you will experience a wide range of weather conditions, you will need a fleece or other light jacket – NOT a heavy winter type coat/jacket. This is necessary to wear in the paramo ( If you are a person that gets cold easily – perhaps is recommended to wear clothing, like a warm hat or light-weight gloves ), Sunblock and hat or cap, compact umbrella to protect you from rain or sun.
If you are not going to travel with a professional guide (who usually has a play –back stuff and most of the bird calls) is a good idea to bring the key bird calls on your phone and a small Bluetooth speaker. You can bring a compact recording machine or just use an app on your phone like RegForce. So you need to record the bird voice and try to get the ID of the bird later. Don’t forget a small flashlight for owling!!
The main birds:
The country is rich in some groups of most charismatic birds like Colombian parrots, hummingbirds, tanagers or toucans. Colombia is definitely a country to watch a lot of Antbirds, Manakins and Puffbirds.
If you are planning a birding trip to Colombia, this is a great place for parrots lovers. Colombia has 54 species if parrots, 3 of them endemics birds from the Andes region.
Are there toucans in Colombia?
Yes, 20 species. You may think toucans only habits lowland jungle but in the mountains we have true gems like Black-billed, Grey-breasted and Plate -billed Mountain Toucans also 3 species of Emerald Toucans.
Where can I watch condors in Colombia?
The easiest place to watch condors in Colombia is Nevados National park (above Manizales city) and Perijá Mountains Proaves Lodge. Dorado lodge (Santa Marta Mountains) is also an option. During the last years Chingaza National Park above Bogotá is also a place. Of course, Condors are easier to watch in Patagonia or the Colca Canyon (Peru).
If you would like to know more about a great trip for birdwatching in Colombia come and join us. See a previous trip that we ran for Massachusetts Audubon Society. https://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/travel-tours/trip-reports/colombia-2015. Come to have a superb Birdwatching Tour with us!!! Wonderful nature and lovely people are waiting for you!!! multicolorbirdingcolombia.com