Numbers 6-10 can be found here!
The Sword-billed Hummingbird was an immediate addition to my ‘must see’ list in Colombia once the trip was planned. I have known about this hummingbird for a few years now, as its bill is so ubiquitous. One of my day trips in Bogota was dedicated specifically to going to a hummingbird sanctuary to ensure that I was able to get good looks at the Sword-billed Hummingbird. A pair of Sword-billeds sped from tree to feeder to tree to feeder without any concern about their 4-inch beak sticking off their face. I was in awe of the sheer size and speed at which these guys can move around.
It’s interesting since Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds were always a small part of the environment growing up, there was never a real infatuation or awe coming from me for hummingbirds in the States. After almost 3 hours at this sanctuary, I was blown away by the diversity, color, shape, sizes, speed (again, hummingbirds are quick as hell), and sound – when 10+ hummingbirds are doing their thing, it gets very loud.
While it would have made the trip to see a couple of Sword-billed Hummingbirds duel like Inigo Montoya & Westley, the Sword-billed Hummingbird certainly opened up my eyes to the world of hummingbirds that grew over that trip.
In the 3.5 years that I have been birding, I don’t think that I have run into a bird as colorful and (subjectively) beautiful as the Multicolored Tanager. This bird might be one of the most well-known endemic species coming out of Colombia, and it’s totally understandable. The blacks, yellows, greens, and blues are all eye-catching in their own way, clashing with each other along the body. The Multicolored Tanager is certainly a bird inspired by Jackson Pollock.
I only saw the Multicolored Tanager one time during my stint in Colombia, at La Florida – Bosque de Las Aves, which deserves its own deep dive in the sheer number of birds there. At a series of feeders set up to draw the birds in for birders and photographers, the Multicolored Tanagers jumped from tree limb to branch, snacking on bananas and plantains. It’s obvious why this bird is one of the top targets of tourists coming to this area.
The Colombian Chachalaca is an endemic bird restricted to central Colombia. Being an endemic bird, the Colombian Chachalaca was certainly on my list of birds to see on the trip, however not originally in the top 25. My first experience with the Colombian Chachalaca was in Cali, my second day in the city. I saw on eBird that there was a recent sighting of a Colombian Chachalaca about 2 miles down the Rio Cali. So I took a walk along the river through Parque de los Gatos and ended at the Cali Zoo. Right on cue, about 2 miles down the river, I heard an amalgamation of a chicken and a car’s starter clicking and not turning over. Looking up, I saw this 2-foot-tall chicken with a beautiful red throat just yelling and yelling. Eventually, the chachalaca flew off, but not before making an impression on me.
By far my favorite experience with the Colombian Chachalaca was during my weekend trip to Pance, outside of Cali. While the purpose of this excursion was to find the Andean Cock-of-the-rock & White-capped Dipper (and I was barely any form of successful there, crummy 2-second views of the Andean Cock-of-the-rock and then nothing more), the highlight was my encounter with a mother Colombian Chachalaca and her baby on the side of the road on the way back to Cali. I left the finca where I was staying to begin my 2-hour / 6-mile walk back to Cali. About 20 mins into my walk, I realized that I had left the keys to the apartment I was staying in at the finca. 40 minutes later, I am back at the same position that I was before. A few minutes later I see a Colombian Chachalaca poking its head in and out of the overgrowth on the side of the road. I get my camera out to try to get some photos if the chachalaca decides to cross. 20 minutes of waiting later, she finally decides to step out onto the road, and I see a little chick in tow. Over the next 5 or so minutes, the mother and chick make their way across the road, dodging bikes and the occasional car, with pit stops for the mother to feed the chick berries every few steps.
This was one of those moments that I can not believe I was able to experience. I was able to share these moments with the passerbys that stopped to see what I was looking at and decided to stay a while themselves, taking photos and watching the chickens (chachalacas) cross the road.
I had the pleasure of seeing the Colombian Chachalaca at least a dozen times during my 2 weeks in Cali. While chachalacas are not necessarily unique across Central and South America, this was my first experience with this family, and I was blown away by the Colombian Chachalaca’s presence and skulkiness.
During my visit to Reserva Natural El Dorado in Magdalena, Colombia, while walking the trails near the main lodge, a group of about 8 Southern Emerald-Toucanets made their way overhead in the trees, hooting and hollering.
Along with macaws, toucans were at the top of my list of birds that I wanted to see during my trip (and I’m sure most visitors to the neotropics). I was not able to connect with your very well-known toucans of the area during that trip, like Keel-billed Toucan, Choco Toucan, or Yellow-billed Toucan, but these toucanets (along with Crimson-rumped Toucanets) were a pleasure to see. I spent more time with the Crimson-rumpeds a few weeks later on a trip with the Colombian Birdfair.
Toucanets are obviously smaller and a separate genus then their bigger and more well-known traditional toucans, but they do have the same presence and temperament when you are around them. I’m not sure that I would call toucanets grumpy, but they have a certain je ne sais quoi.
While I was only able to connect with the Southern Emerald-Toucanet one during the trip, it certainly did leave its impression. The yelling overhead as they jumped from one tree to another was so exciting. This was the day after the hike to see the Antpitta I mentioned earlier, so being within 100 feet of the lodge to see them was extremely convenient too.
And #1. Chestnut-fronted Macaw
As soon as I planned the trip to Colombia, Macaws were at the top of my target list to get. I have seen Scarlet Macaws before, but I wanted to experience them more in the wild.
In Cali, these Chestnut-fronted Macaws were everywhere in the Barrio Granada part of the city, in particular along the Rio Cali and near the Parque de los Gatos – an extremly cool riverside park full of statues of cats done by local artists.
Being able to see macaws and parrots was what made this trip feel like I was physically in a different place. Obviously, the weather and all the beautiful and colorful Colombian endemic birds helped to feel as if the birding was different, but there is just something about macaws and parrots that gave the trip something exciting and new.
As far as macaws go, these guys are not big by any means, but since they travel in large numbers, their presence does seem that much greater. Beauty-wise – sure, Chestnut-fronted Macaws are not bright red, yellow, and blue like Scarlet Macaws and are certainly a bit more tame in color, but the green along the back and wings with the white face does bring a very handsome look to these macaws.
The story that stands out with the Chestnut-fronted Macaws was near the tail-end of the trip, in which I was walking through Parque de los Gatos around sunset. The Chestnut-fronted Macaws were coming into the area around the park to roost in the palm trees that lined the riverbank. The sound was deafening. Over 15 minutes, I counted 114 macaws making their way to the area around the park. Outside of everything that I was able to see and experience during this trip, the sheer number of macaws flying overhead and yelling their little hearts out was the most special, something that I will be sure to remember.
I am really not sure what it is about macaws, but they give the same energy as Great Blue Herons to me – these big and prehistoric creatures that evoke dinosaurs and something that almost feels as if it doesn’t fit in our daily lives.
