Iconic bird of Colombia

Common Birds of Colombia

Colombia has more bird species than any other country on Earth — over 1,950 recorded species, including exceptional endemics found nowhere else.

1,950+
Total species
90+
Endemics
120+
Threatened
Dec–Mar, Jul–Aug
Best months
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1. Andean Cock-of-the-RockLeast Concern
Rupicola peruvianus

Brilliant orange males perform frenzied communal leks at forest clearings — the Pro-Aves reserves in the Colombian Andes have made this spectacular bird accessible to visiting birders.

📍 Cloud forest, Manizales area, Pro-Aves reserves🗓 Dec–Feb
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2. Yellow-eared ParrotEndangered
Ognorhynchus icterotis

Pulled back from the brink of extinction by Fundación ProAves — the recovered population now nests in clusters of wax palms near Roncesvalles in the Central Andes.

📍 Central Andes, Roncesvalles🗓 Dec–Feb
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3. Multicolored TanagerEndangered
Chlorochrysa nitidissima

One of the most stunning birds in the world — a Colombian endemic with a kaleidoscopic pattern of blue, green, gold, and black found only in mid-elevation Western Andes forest.

📍 Western Andes cloud forest🗓 Dec–Mar
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4. Blue-billed CurassowCritically Endangered
Crax alberti

One of the world's most endangered birds — restricted to a tiny area of the Magdalena Valley in northern Colombia, now protected at the El Paujil Bird Reserve.

📍 Magdalena Valley forests🗓 Dec–Mar
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5. Harpy EagleVulnerable
Harpia harpyja

Colombia's Amazon and Llanos forests harbor important Harpy Eagle populations — active nests with fledging eaglets can occasionally be visited with specialist guides.

📍 Serranía de la Macarena, Urabá🗓 Dec–Mar
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6. Toucan BarbetNear Threatened
Semnornis ramphastinus

A chunky, vibrantly colored barbet resembling a miniature toucan — one of the signature species of Ecuador-Colombia border cloud forests, best found near feeders at lodges.

📍 Western Andes, Mindo area🗓 Dec–Mar
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7. Black-and-gold TanagerEndangered
Bangsia melanochlamys

A stunning Colombian endemic with deep black and golden yellow plumage — restricted to a narrow elevation band in the humid western Andes and increasingly hard to find.

📍 Western Andes above 1,400m🗓 Dec–Feb
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8. Santa Marta ParakeetEndangered
Pyrrhura viridicata

Endemic to the isolated Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta massif — a small, fast-flying parakeet found in flocks in cloud forest above 1,400 m elevation.

📍 Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta🗓 Dec–Mar

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