Quick Facts:

Total Area: 1,141,748 sq km (~Texas+California combined)

Population: 46,000,000 (second largest Spanish-speaking country)

History: indigenous people included the Muisca, Quimbaya, and Tairona, Spanish settlement began 1525 at Santa Marta, Viceroyalty of New Granada 1717, Gran Colombia 1819. Venezuela seceded 1829, Ecuador 1830, Panama 1903

Languages: Spanish, with <1% speaking 72 native languages, and some English on Caribbean Islands

Ethnicity: mestizo, mulatto, or zambo (mixed white, Amerindian, and/or black) 75%, white 20%, black 4%, Amerindian 1%

Human Development Index: 0.710 (87th of 187 countries, about the same as Brazil and Ecuador)

Export partners: US 32.5%, Venezuela 17.2%, Netherlands 4.2%

Import partners: US 28%, China 11%, Mexico 7%, Brazil 6.5%

Currency: Colombian peso Electricity: same as in U.S.

Bogota: capital city of 7.3 million is due south of New York City. Near equator, but 8600' high, so chilly - average low in July: 46F, high: 65F, frost possible 9 months of the year, record high 77F

Colombia Birding and AdventuresJuly 16 - August 5, 2009

John Dole, Derb Carter, Will Cook

Birds:Total species in Colombia: 1878, #1 in the worldEndemic Birds: 85Species seen on Trip: 516Lifers on Trip: 192 (Will)

Plants:Total species: rough estimate 55,000-130,000 (highest in world per unit area)

Butterflies:Total species: ~4000 (NC: 173)

National hat: sombrero vueltiao

Why Colombia?Quite simply: it's the #1 country in the world for birds

Asia: 3533 species, South America: 3418, Africa: 2581, North America: 2165, Oceania: 1953, Europe: 931 Colombia: 1878 species, 85 endemics

Brazil: 1788 species, 240 endemicsPeru: 1744 species, 103 endemicsIndonesia: 1647 species, 421 endemicsEcuador: 1606 species, 38 endemicsBolivia: 1383 species, 19 endemicsVenezuela: 1381 species, 54 endemicsChina: 1353 species, 56 endemics

United States: 1090 species, 68 endemics (mostly in Hawaii)US Endemics in NC: Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Fish Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Bachman's Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow, Boat-tailed Grackle

Source: http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org

Santa Marta

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

- isolated mountain range next to the Caribbean Sea (world's highest coastal range)

- highest mountains in Colombia (5700 m, 18700')

- older than the Andes

Isolation from other mountain ranges led to many endemic bird species...

Santa Marta Endemics√ Santa Marta Parakeet

Santa Marta Sabrewing√ White-tailed Starfrontlet Black-backed Thornbill Santa Marta Woodstar√ Santa Marta Bush-tyrant√ Santa Marta Antpitta√ Rusty-headed Spinetail√ Streak-capped Spinetail√ Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner√ Santa Marta Tapaculo Santa Marta Wren√ Yellow-crowned Whitestart√ Santa Marta Warbler√ White-lored Warbler√ Santa Marta Brush-finch√ Santa Marta Mountain-tanager

Vermilion Cardinal (Cardinalis phoeniceus)

Sunrise at the Piha Reserve, Antioquia, Colombia 8/1/2009