Having enjoyed several previous birding trips in Central America, we decided to head for Colombia, South America this year.

We chose Colombia for many reasons. . . . .

Colombia boasts the greatest diversity of birds in the world (over 1900 species!), nearly 20% of the total global species (Audubon.org)!! Among the beauties we saw were the stunning Bay-headed Tanager and Blue-naped Chlorophonia above.

On our first day our driver picked us up well before dawn and we met our guide in Minca as we continued up into the magnificent Sierra Nevada Mountains.

We stopped for morning coffee and birdwatching at this welcoming spot nestled in the dense vegetation of coffee and banana trees.

We continued climbing by off-road vehicle through higher and more forested elevations, arriving in time for lunch at Mountain House of Minca where we were surrounded by hummingbirds of all types, including some endemic to the region.

Colombia is the world’s premier hummingbird hotspot, home to more than 163 species, over 45% of all hummingbird species (Birds of Colombia)!!

There are 365 species of Hummingbirds globally, and they are found only in the Americas. “Hummingbirds occur in a wide variety of habitats across the New World, from arid deserts, to dense tropical rainforests, to high Andean scrub near glaciers and snowfields.” (Birds of the World)

Breathtaking views in all directions ☀️

Tayrona National Park proved to be yet another excellent birding destination! Moments after we entered the park our guide pointed out an awesome rare sighting of the critically endangered Blue-billed Curassow!

A terribly fuzzy image with my phone (!), but a great thrill to see.

Among other special finds in Tayrona Park were the Summer Tanager, Tropical Kingbird, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, and Crested Guan

I am a really big fan of Manakins, and watching the dancing antics of this Lance-tailed Manakin was one of the highlights of the trip! He was too quick for me to photograph, but my wonderful guide sent me this little clip of the bird popping out to say hello. ☺️