The Coffee Cultural Landscape, consisting of the departments of Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda, and Valle del Cauca, has been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a World Heritage Site since 2011. There, you will find a vast space where you can do activities such as Bird Watching in the Coffee Cultural Landscape.
This landscape is unique in the eyes of the world because it intertwines the challenging geographical conditions of the mountain ranges, the hard work of our people in coffee production, and the rich biological biodiversity due to its relief, climate, and location.
Ideal Ecosystems for Bird Watching in the Coffee Cultural Landscape
The native forests, dry, sub-Andean, páramos, snow-capped mountains, and nature reserves we can visit are essential for the conservation of this biodiversity. You will be in a cultural landscape that not only allows the world to enjoy one of the best coffees but also allows you to observe with hope and wonder the tenacity of a culture that preserves its roots and wants to protect its wealth to inherit it to the eyes of all humanity.
Within this protected treasure, there is another wealth that shines, although it hides among the most varied trees of the region. We are talking about the mountain avifauna. Our birds have a unique mission within the ecosystems they inhabit, as they not only seduce and enchant us with their plumage and songs, but they are also responsible for pest control, pollination, and seed dispersal throughout the territory.
Colombia has more than nineteen hundred species of birds, of which about a thousand reside in this geographical area. Fifty of them are endemic, meaning they are unique to this area and have romantic names such as the “Cacique Candela”, the “Yellow-eared Parrot”, the “Periquito de los Nevados” and the “Spotted Piculet”.
If you want to do bird watching in the Coffee Cultural Landscape, you can visit fourteen areas of special interest for bird conservation. You can choose according to the availability of time and itinerary of your trip between bird watching in the cities or exploring the wilder habitats. You will encounter birds of different sizes, from very small species such as the one hundred sixty different species of hummingbirds, to birds with wingspans of more than three meters, such as the majestic “Andean Condor.”
Main Destinations for Bird Watching in the Coffee Cultural Landscape
Manizales, called by the poet Pablo Neruda as the “Factory of Sunsets,” has about eighty species of birds that you can spot in the urban area.
The Cerro Montezuma - Tatamá Natural Park - located just over three hours from the city of Armenia - is a destination considered one of the best in the world for ornithologists. Due to its geographical location, it is a refuge for various animal and plant species, boasting twelve endemic bird species and thirty-five that we share with the sister Republic of Ecuador. This untouched páramo is a protected area and a refuge for the famous tanagers.
The Río Blanco Natural Reserve is located thirty minutes from Manizales. With an altitude ranging from two thousand two hundred meters to three thousand eight hundred meters - full of forests - it has four hundred species of birds. The peculiarity of this place is that it is a paradise for hummingbirds, with numerous bird feeders where you can easily see and photograph them.
The Los Nevados National Natural Park is the preferred habitat of our Andean Condor. Home to parakeets and ducks, it also hosts numerous species of hummingbirds. You can choose the destination and trail you prefer. This destination is demanding, so you must be in optimal health conditions to undertake the hikes.
The Quindío Botanical Garden is located in Calarcá. One hundred seventy bird species from thirty-four families have been documented that you can observe from three points within the Garden: a house in the middle of the forest, a twenty-two-meter-high tower, and the rock garden. It has the most important national collection of Colombian palms, numerous types of ferns, beautiful heliconias, and the most beautiful butterfly house in the world. With a wild forest landscape, the Botanical Garden is at an altitude of one thousand four hundred ninety meters above sea level. Its climate is humid, and you can tour it in two or three hours. The bird watching program is a six-hour tour, and you need to book this tour two days in advance.
The Barbas-Bremen Reserve Zone has ten thousand hectares of Andean forest with species of pine and cypress. It is home to numerous bird species such as the Cauca Guan, the Mountain Grackle, the Multicolored Tanager, the Paramo Parakeet, and the Emerald Toucanet, among other species. You will be in the heart of the central mountain range and can delight in the wonderful landscape offered by the reserve.
To visit this region, you must arrive at the cities of Armenia, Pereira, or Manizales and take ground transportation to reach each destination. It is very important to hire expert eco-guides to accompany you on the trails, making Bird Watching in the Coffee Cultural Landscape a unique activity.
