Yes, we have been watching you. We want you to come and make a birding trip in Colombia, and that’s why we are interested in knowing what kind of bird watcher you are.
Since we can’t give you a direct diagnosis, here I will tell you what the most common types of birders are, according to recent studies. This will help you identify with one of them.
If you know what kind of bird watcher you are, it will be easier for you, and for us, to plan the birding trip of your dreams in Colombia.
We will give you some of our suggestions on what you could do and where you could go if you come to Colombia to watch birds. To start, I recommend you visit our entry The Complete Colombia Birdwatching Guide: Tourism & Conservation.
Without further ado, here are the most common bird watchers’ types: Hard Core Birders, Enthusiastic Birders, and Casual Birders (Ecotourists). Each segment differs in objectives and means to achieve satisfaction.
Hard Birding
Hard birding corresponds to extremely specialized tours to find difficult bird species targets.
The Hard Core Birders
You are the difficult to influence birdwatcher. If your interest is to identify the greatest number of birds from a given location, and increase your life list, you can consider yourself as a hardcore birder.
In general, hardcore birdwatching is associated with competitions among birders, whether it be on a lifetime/region basis, or during a specified period. Examples of this are the Global Big Day, the Big Year, or to get into the top ten world listers.
If you are a lister, Colombia is a must to visit since we have more than 70 endemic bird species in our country. There is no way to avoid your visit.
References
- Market Anlysis of Bird-Based Tourism by ResponsibleTravel.Org
- World Bird Species Life List by Surfbirds.com
Colombia’s Birding Community
Colombia’s birding community has grown exponentially over the past decade, transforming from a niche interest into a national movement. Local birding clubs operate in every major city, citizen science platforms like eBird show Colombia consistently among the top-contributing countries, and annual events like the Global Big Day see Colombian teams regularly competing for the world record in species counted in 24 hours.
The community includes professional ornithologists conducting fieldwork in previously unexplored regions, dedicated amateur birders maintaining meticulous life lists across Colombia’s diverse habitats, and a growing generation of local guides who have turned their knowledge of birds into sustainable livelihoods. Bird fairs held across the country bring these groups together with international visitors.
Local Guides — The Heart of Colombian Birding
The most remarkable aspect of Colombia’s birding transformation is the guide community. Many of today’s top birding guides grew up in rural communities where birds were background noise — or worse, targets. Through birding tourism, they discovered that their deep knowledge of local forests and wildlife had international value. Former hunters became conservationists. Farmers became naturalist guides commanding respect from visiting ornithologists.
These local guides typically outperform any visiting expert in their home territories. They know individual bird territories, calling times, and feeding stations developed through years of daily observation. Supporting these guides through community-based ecotourism is one of the most direct ways that birding contributes to conservation in Colombia.
Joining the Community
International birders visiting Colombia can connect with the local community through birding lodges where guides share their passion, through regional bird fairs, and through eBird where Colombian birders actively share sightings and site information. Even beginners find the community welcoming and eager to share their extraordinary country.
Sara Colmenares holds a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in Ecology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a Master’s degree in Botany from the same institution. Her doctoral research focused on palm ecology in the Atlantic Forest, supported by the Rufford Foundation conservation grant.
A published researcher in the Brazilian Journal of Plant Physiology and a member of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC), Sara has presented her work at international conferences across Latin America and beyond. She was awarded the COLCIENCIAS “Virginia Gutiérrez de Pineda” fellowship, one of Colombia’s most competitive academic distinctions for young researchers.
Sara founded the Sula nature tourism brand in 2018, applying her scientific expertise to develop birding and wildlife experiences across Colombia’s six natural regions. Her fieldwork took her from the cloud forests of the Andes to the Amazon basin, the Pacific coast, and the plains of the Orinoquía. She combined deep ecological knowledge with firsthand experience to create content that is both scientifically accurate and practically useful for nature travelers.
She holds a B.Sc. in Biology from the National University of Colombia, where she also taught plant ecophysiology. She speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and English.