On May 11, Colombia will participate in the Global Big Day, an event that showcases the country’s vast diversity of bird species, promoting it as a unique birdwatching destination. This year, Colombia aims to affirm its position, for the seventh time, as the country with the most bird species in the world. Observers, ornithologists, and enthusiasts will come together to spot, photograph, and record birds in urban and rural areas across the nation.
The event is facilitated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in the United States, with participation in Colombia led by volunteers, collectives, organizations, foundations, and academic centers, among other stakeholders in bird tourism.
Colombia, often referred to as the country of beauty, hosts the highest number of bird species globally, with 1,968 species, representing 20% of the global total, according to WWF. The goal is to log as many photos as possible on the Merlin and eBird platforms, provided by Cornell University.
Since the inception of this global count in 2015, Colombia has consistently ranked first in the Global Big Day since 2017, with the exception of 2021. The numbers are impressive: in 2017, 1,487 species were recorded, increasing to 1,565 in 2018 and 1,617 in 2019. Although there was a slight drop in 2020, with 1,453 species, Colombia rebounded in 2022 with 1,561 and in 2023 with 1,547 species.
The 2023 event on May 13 saw over 58,700 people participate, an increase of 7,000 from the previous year, with 3.2 million bird observations from 148,000 checklists, setting world records for a single day of bird observation.
Arturo Bravo, Deputy Minister of Tourism, emphasized the significance of this annual event as a platform to demonstrate why Colombia is a leading country in bird species.
“The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism supports regional organizations during this extensive birdwatching event, providing field workshops with specialized guides, scientific recognition activities, binoculars, and more,” the senior official described.
Activities will take place on May 10 and 11, in collaboration with birdwatching communities and students from the Friends of Tourism Schools, in municipalities including Acacías, Leticia, Santa Marta, Santa Rosa, Tierralta, and Villagarzón.
Álvaro Balcázar, General Manager of Fontur, expressed, “We want tourists to enjoy the Global Big Day in Colombia and fall in love with the diversity of birds that perfectly complement the country’s beautiful natural landscapes.”
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism considers bird tourism as one of the essential products of nature tourism, with four routes established in the Colombian Caribbean, Central Andes, Eastern Andes, and Southwestern Andes.
“With an investment of more than $1.4 billion, under the leadership of MinCIT, we are working on developing a new route in the Llanos and Orinoquía regions to enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of tourist corridors, benefiting local communities,” added Balcázar.
Carmen Caballero, President of ProColombia, declared, “The Global Big Day is a celebration of the diversity and beauty of our birds. At ProColombia, we promote our country as a paradise for bird lovers, offering unique and memorable experiences amidst rich biodiversity.”
This year, ProColombia has partnered with USAID’s Natural Destination program to boost bird counting under the slogan “Gossip flies because birds have a lot to tell us,” a synergy aimed at encouraging both experts and enthusiasts to participate on May 11.
Julián Guerrero, director of the Natural Destination program at USAID, noted, “The 2024 edition should be no different, and everyone is invited to come out and see for themselves all the ‘gossip’ our birds have to share.”