The Northern Colombia Bird Trail includes the Santa Marta Mountains, Guajira, and Serrania de Perija.
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In Northern Colombia, the Caribbean coast hosts the tallest coastal mountain range on earth — the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. These isolated mountains have been identified as the planet’s single most important and irreplaceable site for threatened and endemic biodiversity by numerous scientific publications and every major international conservation organization.
And then we have the northernmost spur of the Andes, the Serranía de Perijá, which slides up and nearly nudges up alongside the Sierra Nevada. The threatened dry forests of the region are found between these mountains and in the foothills. The dry forests become shorter and drier towards the northeast, into the Guajira Peninsula. Here proper desert habitats are found, a rarity at this latitude.
The Northern Colombia Birding Trail includes project sites for the USAID-funded venture being executed by National Audubon along with in-country partner Calidris and Colombia’s National Parks Unit. As part of this program, local birding guides have been trained and the area now boasts some of the most qualified birding guides in the country. As these young people become part of the birding economy, they are becoming ambassadors for their local environments, and key people who will convince their communities to conserve habitat rather than degrade it. This is the conservation of birds and habitats through bird-focused tourism.
Best Months to Visit:
Late November to early April and mid-June to late August.