Colombia has nearly 2,000 types of birds. Discover some of the species birders flock there to see.
Colombia, with its varied geography, has about 2,000 species of birds — more than any other country in the world.
All those species of birds have become an important part of a growing ecotourism industry. It brings in millions of dollars to Colombia's economy, and bird watchers — birders, as they're known — are flocking to the South American country, hoping to catch even a fleeting glimpse of species you can't find anywhere else on Earth.
The sound of birds fills the humid air in Tatamá National Park, located on the western slopes of the Andes mountains. This is one of the wettest places on Earth, and it is packed with birds, including the Blue-gray tanager, the Cinnamon flycatcher, the Violet-tailed sylph, the Velvet-purple coronet and the Purple-throated woodstar, according to Diego Calderón Franco, one of Colombia's most famous birding guides. Here are some of the birds 60 Minutes learned about during a trip to Colombia.
Munchique wood wren
The Munchique wood wren is a small, stub-tailed species in Colombia's western Andes, according to eBird, a global bird database launched by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The species has a long, white eyebrow.
Empress brilliant
There are more than 160 species of hummingbirds in Colombia, including Empress brilliants, which have a golden sheen on their belly, according to eBird.
"Hummingbirds, you know, they look cute but they're real warriors. They will fight for resources," Calderón Franco said.
Hummingbirds are the only group of birds that can fly not only forward and up, but also down and backward, Calderón Franco said. Their wings beat up to 80 times a second.
"You cannot wrap these ideas on your brain," Calderón Franco said.
Blue-gray tanager
The Blue-gray tanager lives in tropical and subtropical regions, according to eBird. The species has beady, dark eyes and powder blue-gray feathers.
Cinnamon flycatcher
The Cinnamon flycatcher lives in the Andean subtropical zone, according to eBird. Members of the species are usually found in pairs.
Violet-tailed sylph
The Violet-tailed sylph is a type of hummingbird, according to eBird. Males of the species are mostly emerald green with a blue-green throat and a long, iridescent purple and blue tail. The female of the species has an orange belly, a white breast and a shorter tail.
Velvet-purple coronet
The Velvet-purple coronet is another species of hummingbird found in Colombia. The bird has a purple belly and crown, turquoise sides and greenish feathers on part of the wing, according to eBird.
Purple-throated woodstar
The species is a tiny hummingbird that flies "like bumblebees," according to eBird. Male purple-throated woodstars have a glittering purple throat, a white chest band and fairly long forked tails. Females have an orangey belly.
Black vulture
The Black vulture is a large raptor. They soar in flocks, according to eBird. They can be spotted along highways eating roadkill.
Chami antpitta
60 Minutes met birders Garry George and Joseph Brooks. At the time, they'd seen nearly 8,000 of the world's 11,000 bird species. They were in Colombia searching for the elusive Chami antpitta bird, which they had never seen before
60 Minutes filmed their elated expressions when they finally found it, but the Chami antpitta darted away before our cameras could film it.
"It's like finding a jewel, like a prize," Brooks said. "And being in that moment, everything else goes away. You're not worrying about anything else in your life. You're only present in that moment."
The species sticks to the high-elevation cloud forest in the western Andes, according to eBird. The Chami antpitta is a dark chestnut brown, with long legs and a short tail.
Gold-ringed tanager
On 60 Minutes' last day birding in Colombia, the team spotted the Gold-ringed tanager, which only lives in a specific part of the Andes mountains.
"That's the bird of this place," Calderón Franco said. "That's what birders come to see."
The species helps spread seeds for plants around the region.
"They will chew on the berries, they will travel away from the parental plants, and they will defecate, and they plant those seeds," Calderón Franco said.
