10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2021

Before I delve into some of these avian treasures let me give you a few non-birding reasons to visit this gem of South America. If your Spanish or Portuguese is at the level of a 2-year-old bonobo like mine is, then you’ll probably be pleased to know that Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America.

Guyana 279

Guyana Otters South America Colombia 279

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2013

Kites generally fly to Cuba and then over the ocean to arrive in the Yucatan Peninsula or areas further south. Then, they keep flying south overland to western Colombia. At some point in western Colombia the kites will fly over the Andes at a point where the Andes are not as high. Photo Credits: Tim Kelly.

Florida 262

Florida Cuba Colombia 2004 262

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2019

How about Steely-vented Hummingbird in Colombia? Split from the Three-striped Warbler of South America, yet another species is added to the list of birds only found in the mountains of Costa Rica and Panama. Once upon a time, it was lumped with the Masked Yellowthroat of South America. So long buddy.

Costa Rica 203

Costa Rica Birds Owls South America 203

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2014

I was a bit sad, too, that we had annoyed the owl enough that it felt it had to strafe us … my normal MO is to avoid stressing out wildlife. Seeing more that 640 species throughout North America, South America, and Asia revealed many special species, but cotingas are often first among equals in discussions like these.

2014 245

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Birds 245

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2011

Approximately 2,300 bird species inhabit Africa, however as impressive as that sounds, much smaller South America boasts nearly 1,000 species more. I cannot but admit that South America is the “bird continent” but as Peter Kaestner, one of the world’s top listers, so eloquently put it, Africa is nevertheless the “birding continent”.

Papua New Guinea 255

Papua New Guinea Madagascar Africa Equatorial Guinea 255