Santa Marta is the oldest city in Colombia. You won't want to leave.7 reasons why you should visit Santa Marta – Colombia. There are various tanagers and a plethora of hummingbirds, as well as the eye catching Blue-naped Chlorophonias that come to feeders at the reserve. Some gorgeous and striking birds such as the White-tipped Quetzal, Band-tailed and Sickle-winged Guans, Rosy Thrush-Tanager and the stunning Golden-breasted Fruiteater are not rare. There is a lot to see here and endemics are but a part of it. For now, one can actually go and see a bird without a name! This bird has been here quietly waiting for birders to finally give it a name, something that is rumored to be happening in the near future. This owl was noted back in the 1920s in a publication of the birds of Santa Marta by pioneering ornithologists Todd and Carriker. One of the most intriguing of the endemic birds is an unnamed screech owl which can be seen right at the lodge. the Santa Marta Wren is not found in the Cuchilla San Lorenzo, and the Santa Marta Sabrewing is almost mythical in its rarity. Some endemics are troublesome but visible with some luck - such as the Black-backed Thornbill, Santa Marta Woodstar and the Santa Marta Blossomcrown, an endemic hummingbird that looks to have a pollen stained forehead. Many of the endemics are found primarily at higher elevations above the lodge, including Santa Marta Parakeet, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Santa Marta Antpitta, Brown-rumped Tapaculo, Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant, Santa Marta Mountain Tanager, Yellow-crowned Whitestart and Santa Marta Warbler. Mountain birds stratify depending on elevation, so sampling a varied set of elevations provides the best chances for finding the most endemic birds. A dizzying array of hummingbirds visit the multitude of hummingbird feeders, including White-tailed Starfrontlet, Green Violetear, Brown Violetear, Sparkling Violetear, Violet-crowned Woodnymph, Tyrian Metaltail, Long-billed Hermit, Lazuline Sabrewing, and the Santa Marta Woodstar.įrom the lodge, one can venture higher up to the highlands of the cuchilla, or venture down slope as well. Black-fronted Wood-Quail often come to visit feeders at the lodge in the late afternoon. Endemic Santa Marta Brush-Finches are easily seen in the garden.
Named after the legendary city of gold, the 2,175 acre El Dorado Reserve extends from 900-2,600 m elevation, protecting subtropical and montane rain forest.
Most birders stay at the comfortable and well run birding lodge at El Dorado Reserve, which is run by the local NGO ProAves. The Cuchilla de San Lorenzo are the most accessible spur off the main Santa Marta Range. Currently 19 endemic species are found here, although taxonomic changes are likely to see this number increase in the coming years. For the birder the intense attraction of the Santa Marta Mountains is that they are incredibly rich in endemic birds, species you cannot see anywhere else on earth. They are the world's highest coastal mountain range, and in fact the highest point in Colombia! Recent geological findings show that the Santa Marta Mountains were created in northern Peru and have been shifting and traveling northwards during the last 170 million years. They are not a northern offshoot of the Andes, but a separate and isolated range. The Santa Marta Mountains ( Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta) are unique. The range is home to over 600 bird species, including 19 endemics. The Santa Marta 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.
Photo: Chris Fischer Photography Santa Marta Mountains
0 kommentar(er)
