Native Birds Of Colombia

Colombia host 1871 bird species, which is equivalent to 20% of the world’s bird diversity and more species are yet to be discovered in the country. Colombia has the highest avian diversity in the world with 71 species endemic to the country that are not found anywhere else in the world. Colombia’s biodiversity is rich thanks to the wide range of the ecosystems that vary from cloud forest to the Amazon Rainforests and more than 1800 lakes

Native Birds Of Colombia

Chestnut-Winged Chachalaca (Ortlis garrula)

It has a long neck and tail. The wings are short and rounded muscular legs and a red gutter around the neck. The tail is dark gray and has a broad tip. When stretched, the wings display a dark chestnut color. They inhabit dry forests, tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests and dense thickets and bushes. They live in small flocks of between six and twelve birds and travel in a single line. They mostly spend time on trees and shrubs, rarely perching on the ground. When flying upward, they take a series of flights perching from one branch to another. They spread their wings and slowly glide down when descending. They feed mostly on leaves and fruits. They peck on pieces of leaves and eat fruits that are still hanging on their branches rather than those that have fallen. Their population is found in vast ranges and is thought to be stable hence currently listed under least or lower risk concern for extinction.

Flame-Winged Parakeet (Pyrrhura calliptera)

Its alternative common name is the 'brown-breasted parakeet.' It is green on most of its body, with a red and brown crown, neck, and tail. Feathers around its ears are also red. They inhabit tropical rain forests and edges of forests nearing cleared fields and the agricultural lands mostly with maize plants in East Andes and only a few places on the eastern slopes. They move in flocks of around six to fourteen birds. They feed on leaves and fruits, and sometimes on cultivated maize. The bird is in danger of extinction since humans encroach into its habitats. Conservation plans are underway, and some of them are conserved in protected areas such as national parks and animal reserves.

Choco Woodpecker (Veniliornis chocoensis)

The Choco Woodpecker is a very rare bird. Their heads are colored olive, and their upper wings are green, and the undersides of the wings are brown. The males have a red crown as the females have an olive crown. This species inhabits very wet and humid forests and sometimes found in the lowlands in western Colombia. They love traveling in pairs, and at times they join other birds with mixed colors. The birds are marked as near threatened mostly due to the loss of its habitats. This species preservation is in ecological reserves in El Pangan Reserve and cotocachi-Cayapass reserves. More actions have been proposed to manage and protect areas that the bird lives.

Santa Marta Wren (Troglodytes monticola)

The Santa Marta Wren is another very rare bird species. The wren is small and has a buffy supercilium. The tail, the flanks, and wings have a black barring they are restricted to shrubs and scrub areas and montane forests in northern Colombia. The bird is critically endangered, and it is suspected that it might become extinct within the next three generations. Species conservation is in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta national park. Surveys and research on the population size of the birds are urgently proposed.

Endemism and Threats

Colombia has a total of seventy-four endemic birds. Among the birds that are exclusively in Colombia are the Indigo-capped Hummingbird, Gorgeted Puffleg, Cundinamarca Antpitta, Brown-rumped Tapaculo, Gold-Ringed Tanager, and Velvet-fronted Euphonia. Already two species of birds no longer exist in Colombia. The Colombian government together with the International Union For Conservation of Nature is making significant efforts to protect these rare birds from extinction. There are conservation efforts to build natural reserves and national parks to accommodate some of the endangered species and protecting their natural habitats from destruction by human activities.