Quick Facts: Total Area: 1,141,748 sq km (~Texas+California combined)‏ Population: 46,000,000 (second largest Spanish-speaking country)‏ History: indigenous people included the Muisca, Quimbaya, and Tairona, Spanish settlement began 1525 at Santa Marta, Viceroyalty of New Granada 1717, Gran Colombia Venezuela seceded 1829, Ecuador 1830, Panama 1903 Languages: Spanish, with <1% speaking 72 native languages, and some English on Caribbean Islands Ethnicity: mestizo, mulatto, or zambo (mixed white, Amerindian, and/or black) 75%, white 20%, black 4%, Amerindian 1% Human Development Index: (87th of 187 countries, about the same as Brazil and Ecuador)‏ Export partners: US 32.5%, Venezuela 17.2%, Netherlands 4.2% Import partners: US 28%, China 11%, Mexico 7%, Brazil 6.5% Currency: Colombian peso Electricity: same as in U.S. Bogota: capital city of 7.3 million is due south of New York City. Near equator, but 8600' high, so chilly - average low in July: 46F, high: 65F, frost possible 9 months of the year, record high 77F Colombia Birding and Adventures July 16 - August 5, 2009 John Dole, Derb Carter, Will Cook Birds: Total species in Colombia: 1878, #1 in the world Endemic Birds: 85 Species seen on Trip: 516 Lifers on Trip: 192 (Will) Plants: Total species: rough estimate 55, ,000 (highest in world per unit area) Butterflies: Total species: ~4000 (NC: 173)‏ National hat: sombrero vueltiao

Why Colombia? Quite simply: it's the #1 country in the world for birds Asia: 3533 species, South America: 3418, Africa: 2581, North America: 2165, Oceania: 1953, Europe: 931 Colombia: 1878 species, 85 endemics Brazil: 1788 species, 240 endemics Peru: 1744 species, 103 endemics Indonesia: 1647 species, 421 endemics Ecuador: 1606 species, 38 endemics Bolivia: 1383 species, 19 endemics Venezuela: 1381 species, 54 endemics China: 1353 species, 56 endemics United States: 1090 species, 68 endemics (mostly in Hawaii) US Endemics in NC: Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Fish Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Bachman's Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow, Boat-tailed Grackle Source:

Santa Marta Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta - isolated mountain range next to the Caribbean Sea (world's highest coastal range) - highest mountains in Colombia (5700 m, 18700') - older than the Andes Isolation from other mountain ranges led to many endemic bird species...

Santa Marta Endemics √Santa Marta Parakeet Santa Marta Sabrewing √ White-tailed Starfrontlet Black-backed Thornbill Santa Marta Woodstar √ Santa Marta Bush-tyrant √ Santa Marta Antpitta √ Rusty-headed Spinetail √ Streak-capped Spinetail √ Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner √ Santa Marta Tapaculo Santa Marta Wren √ Yellow-crowned Whitestart √ Santa Marta Warbler √ White-lored Warbler √ Santa Marta Brush-finch √ Santa Marta Mountain-tanager

Vermilion Cardinal (Cardinalis phoeniceus)

Sunrise at the Piha Reserve, Antioquia, Colombia 8/1/2009