{"id":3654,"date":"2012-04-30T10:35:47","date_gmt":"2012-04-30T15:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/?p=3654"},"modified":"2016-05-17T14:48:23","modified_gmt":"2016-05-17T19:48:23","slug":"bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Bird Watching in Colombia: the best in the world?!"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

Colombia is home to many incredible things: jaw-dropping scenery, gorgeous colonial architecture<\/a>, some of the world\u2019s best secluded beaches, but perhaps the greatest draw Colombia has is its unique flora and fauna. It is one of the world\u2019s most bio diverse countries.<\/p>\n

However, it is Colombia\u2019s remarkable birdlife which is the focus of this post. Put simply, it is one of the best countries on earth to watch birds. Colombia has the largest bird list (the number of different species which have been recorded in the country, not including any extinct species) of any country in the world, at 1,871, and the list continues to grow. In fact, as we mentioned in a previous post<\/a>, Colombia is set to become to the first country in history to reach 1,900 species, which it is expected to do in the next two years. Colombia is a bird-lovers paradise: thousands of exciting, exotic species spread out over some of the most diverse habitats imaginable, from high Andean p\u00e1ramo to wet coastal jungle. El Dorado<\/a> may have been the name the Spanish gave to the lost city of gold, but Colombia\u2019s riches are of a different nature.<\/p>\n

\"From<\/a>
From the beaches to the mountains, Tayrona National Park is a Colombian bird watching highlight<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Perhaps the best part about all of this is that Colombia also counts 74 endemic species amongst its bird list. In other words, there are over 70 types of bird in this country which are found nowhere else on earth! You have to come to Colombia in order to see them. Among these endemic species are the rather wonderfully named Blue-knobbed Curassow, Chestnut-winged Chachalaca, and the Santa Marta Sabrewing. It makes \u2018woodpigeon\u2019 sound pretty boring, doesn\u2019t it?!<\/p>\n

Among the best regions to observe some of Colombia\u2019s most stunning species are the wet, lowland forests of El Choc\u00f3, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (enjoy the beaches of Tayrona, but if you want really great bird sightings, head inland and uphill) the high p\u00e1ramos of El Cocuy<\/a> and Los Nevados<\/a>, and, naturally, the Amazon basin in the very south of the country. A trip to any of these areas, with a good pair of binoculars (go with a 10×45 for the best results, as viewing birds in jungle conditions requires as much light as possible), and an extreme amount of patience will yield sightings of once-in-a-lifetime species.<\/p>\n

\"Choco<\/a>
Choco Toucan in…El Choco (photo: Patty McGann)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s not all hacking through virgin jungle with a vicious looking machete either: there is a wealth of exciting birdlife in the big cities for those who care enough to search for it. Both Bogot\u00e1\u2019s Parque Simon Bolivar and the Botanical Gardens in Medell\u00edn are great spots for the incredibly popular modern pastime of \u2018Urban Birding\u2019. A walk around either of these parks will yield sightings of exquisite hummingbirds, vermillion flycatchers and many other species which would take too long to list here.<\/p>\n

All of this isn\u2019t just for the serious birdwatcher either \u2013 there is plenty to enjoy for those who just like to observe beautiful spectacles. The Flamingos Flora and Fauna Sanctuary, on the road to La Guajira, offers sightings of over 1,000 flamingos in season, Tayrona National Park<\/a> and the surrounding mountains are teeming with toucans, parrots and the rare and beautiful quetzal, whilst any trip to the Amazon is incomplete without the sight of a flock of Scarlet Macaws arrowing overhead, screeching exotically. That is the beauty of birdwatching in Colombia: unlike in some countries the most rare and striking species have chosen to live in stunning places instead of, say, a sewage works or a nuclear plant. I\u2019m looking at you, Dungeness!<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Scarlet<\/a>
Scarlet Macaw – a highlight of any birding trip to Colombia (photo: Geoff Gallice)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tailor-made birding trips to Colombia are becoming more and more common as the world wakes up the fact that not only is Colombia getting safer and safer for travel, it is also probably the best country in South America for birdwatching. Maybe even the best in the world…<\/p>\n

Chris<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Colombia is home to many incredible things: jaw-dropping scenery, gorgeous colonial architecture, some of the world\u2019s best secluded beaches, but perhaps the greatest draw Colombia has is its unique flora and fauna. It is one of the world\u2019s most bio diverse countries. However, it is Colombia\u2019s remarkable birdlife which is the focus of this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":23172,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[71,905,35,904,3,115,116,128,624,625,626,4,70,112,75,12,107,767,114,57,56,67],"tags":[2890,223,2875,2777],"yoast_head":"\nBird Watching in Colombia: the best in the world?! - Colombia Travel Blog by See Colombia Travel<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bird Watching in Colombia: the best in the world?!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"  Colombia is home to many incredible things: jaw-dropping scenery, gorgeous colonial architecture, some of the world\u2019s best secluded beaches, but perhaps the greatest draw Colombia has is its unique flora and fauna. It is one of the world\u2019s most bio diverse countries. However, it is Colombia\u2019s remarkable birdlife which is the focus of this […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Colombia Travel Blog by See Colombia Travel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-04-30T15:35:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-05-17T19:48:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/362-1024x768.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Chris\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Colombia Travel Blog by See Colombia Travel\",\"description\":\"Colombia Travel Blog: An international perspective on travelling in Colombia by world travellers.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/362.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/362.jpg\",\"width\":3648,\"height\":2736,\"caption\":\"flamingos la guajira colombia\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/\",\"name\":\"Bird Watching in Colombia: the best in the world?! - Colombia Travel Blog by See Colombia Travel\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2012-04-30T15:35:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-05-17T19:48:23+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/06325007b1e564f887bb4e43855a53dc\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Bird Watching in Colombia: the best in the world?!\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/06325007b1e564f887bb4e43855a53dc\",\"name\":\"Chris\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25ee1ba433dbef5f2ed1e6d6275605e9?s=96&d=retro&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25ee1ba433dbef5f2ed1e6d6275605e9?s=96&d=retro&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Chris\"},\"description\":\"I'm Chris and I'm the Colombia Travel Blog's resident Colombia travel expert and our editor. In nearly 4 years in the country, I have visited 31 of Colombia's 32 departments, and that last 1 is on the way! Colombia has been my home for years and I'm still not bored of exploring its diversity and magic, and getting to know its wonderful people. You can follow more of my adventures on Facebook @ChrisBellTravel and Instagram @ChrisBellColombia\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/author\/chris\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Bird Watching in Colombia: the best in the world?! - Colombia Travel Blog by See Colombia Travel","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Bird Watching in Colombia: the best in the world?!","og_description":"  Colombia is home to many incredible things: jaw-dropping scenery, gorgeous colonial architecture, some of the world\u2019s best secluded beaches, but perhaps the greatest draw Colombia has is its unique flora and fauna. It is one of the world\u2019s most bio diverse countries. However, it is Colombia\u2019s remarkable birdlife which is the focus of this […]","og_url":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/","og_site_name":"Colombia Travel Blog by See Colombia Travel","article_published_time":"2012-04-30T15:35:47+00:00","article_modified_time":"2016-05-17T19:48:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":768,"url":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/362-1024x768.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Chris","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/","name":"Colombia Travel Blog by See Colombia Travel","description":"Colombia Travel Blog: An international perspective on travelling in Colombia by world travellers.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/362.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/362.jpg","width":3648,"height":2736,"caption":"flamingos la guajira colombia"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/","name":"Bird Watching in Colombia: the best in the world?! - Colombia Travel Blog by See Colombia Travel","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2012-04-30T15:35:47+00:00","dateModified":"2016-05-17T19:48:23+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/06325007b1e564f887bb4e43855a53dc"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/04\/bird-watching-in-colombia-the-best-in-the-world\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Bird Watching in Colombia: the best in the world?!"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/06325007b1e564f887bb4e43855a53dc","name":"Chris","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25ee1ba433dbef5f2ed1e6d6275605e9?s=96&d=retro&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25ee1ba433dbef5f2ed1e6d6275605e9?s=96&d=retro&r=g","caption":"Chris"},"description":"I'm Chris and I'm the Colombia Travel Blog's resident Colombia travel expert and our editor. In nearly 4 years in the country, I have visited 31 of Colombia's 32 departments, and that last 1 is on the way! Colombia has been my home for years and I'm still not bored of exploring its diversity and magic, and getting to know its wonderful people. You can follow more of my adventures on Facebook @ChrisBellTravel and Instagram @ChrisBellColombia","url":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/author\/chris\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3654"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3654"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23174,"href":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3654\/revisions\/23174"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}