Colombia Wins Cornell Global Birdwatching Competition For 4th Straight Year: 1,440 Species Observed

Colombia took first place in the Global Big Day for the 4^th consecutive year. Global Big Day is a birdwatching event organized by the Cornell University Ornithology Laboratory held worldwide on May 9. With a total of 1,440 species observed, surpassing countries such as Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil, hundreds of birders from all over the country spied the highest number of species in the world; this time from the comfort of their homes, due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic and resultant curfews.

Each year, the international birdwatching event invites experts and amateurs all over the world to register birds on its eBird platform. This year, the contest was held virtually, inviting “birding” from home, and achieving record participation with over 48,000 birdwatchers.

“Colombia’s potential in nature tourism is once again confirmed. Winning this competition for the fourth consecutive year means that Colombia’s biodiversity is invaluable and that we must protect it with responsible tourism and activities such as the Global Big Day that generate conservation awareness. This is another reason to keep in touch with foreign travelers and be ready to receive them once international tourism is reactivated,” said Flavia Santoro, president of investment promotion agency ProColombia.

For the organizers, logging these animal sightings provides important information to help preserve them. All photographs of the birds are uploaded to the eBird platform, which is publicly accessible for the purpose of conducting research for their conservation.

ProColombia and the Colombian Embassy in the United States are fully committed to keep promoting the country as a world class destination for birdwatching even during the pandemic and travel restrictions by developing activities such as webinars and virtual birdwatching experiences.

Above photo: The departments that registered the most birds were Antioquia, with 600 species, Valle del Cauca, with 548 species, Meta, with 532, and Caldas and Cundinamarca with 505 each. (Courtesy ProColombia)