Colombia

Illustrated Tally Sheets for Colombia

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has collaborated with several Colombian organizations, which have requested printable materials for their activities in their communities. We have co-created illustrated tally sheets focused on 16 common bird species for their regions. These sheets are easy to print because they are letter-sized. They have additional activities on their back page for recording additional species and more. They are helpful materials for beginners and/or children. To download some of these tally sheets click on the links below.


Educational Curricula and Activity Guides


Books and Booklets

Ornitho-guide, An Approach to Wetland Birds (Ornitologuía, Una Aproximación a las Aves de Humedal)

In this piece the reader begins their flight inside the world of birds! The first section is a review of the important bird characteristics from beak to feathers. The second part of the book dives into detailed descriptions of the 40 species of birds residing in the Bogotano wetland, including their taxonomic identifications, habits and ecological importance. This text is a great tool for everyone from beginning birders to those that have observed birds for their entire lives!

Authors: Esperanza Sepúlveda RojasJuan Carlos Mendoza Mendoza, and Andrés Camilo Pérez Rodríguez

Organizations: Licenciatura en Educación Básica con Énfasis en Ciencias Naturales y Educación Ambiental de UNIMINUTO Virtual y a Distancia, Grupo de Investigación CAYTES – Ciencia, Ambiente y Turismo Ecologico Sustentable, Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios – UNIMINUTO


Vaupés — Through Feathers, Sounds, and Colors. The birds that tell their traditional stories, 1st edition (Vaupés – Entre Plumajes, Sonidos y Colores. Las Aves cuentan sus historias tradicionales)

This book emphasizes the great cultural collection of different bird species that the ethnic groups of Vaupés have from their origin stories. These groups want to strengthen their knowledge and cultural identity by investigating the origin stories.  This book gives the reader an inside  view into the important social and cultural values found in the mystic world of nature. The interest of the groups is to generate productive alternatives based on the traditional knowledge that their grandparents, uncles and parents have about birds. This book is the result of nine months of investigation by the local research seedbed of SENNOVA called Etno-Ornithology Amazonian Motmot. 

Editors and editorial coordinators: Gloria Amparo Rivera Velasco
Compilers of traditional stories: Florencio Castaño Rodríguez, Walter Gabriel Estrada Ramírez, Manuel Claudio Fernández, Agripino González, Fernando López Pereira, Carlos Augusto Ramírez González, Gloria Amparo Rivera Velasco, Zaiza Danova Rodríguez Rivera
Art, design and ilustration: Steven Camilo Ibarra Pinchao.
Photography: Gloria Amparo Rivera Velasco y Luis Urueña.
Organizations: Amazonian Motmot-Semillero de investigación en Etno-Ornitología, Coordinación Misional y SENA Regional Vaupés


Raptors found in organizally grown rice paddies in the Cauca River Valley (Aves Rapaces en arrozales del valle geográfico del Río Cauca)

Authors: Y.Cifuentes Sarmiento, L.A. Neira, L.F. Castillo, and J. Suarez Valbuena
Contact Information: Asociación Calidris
Organizations: Asociación Calidris (Calidris Asociation) and Arrocera la Esmeralda S.A.

(Photo © Y. Cifuentes Sarmiento, L.A. Neira, L.F. Castillo y J. Suarez Valbuena)


The Birds of My City (Las Aves de Mi Ciudad)

This guide was created to showcase the richness of the flora and fauna in Cali, Colombia. It promotes community participation in bird conservation and examines the creation of green spaces in urban areas! To Download Click Here!

Authors: Luis Fernando Castillo, Patricia Falk-Fernandez, Felipe Estela, and Karolina
Contact: Asociación Calidris
Organizations: Asociación Calidris and the Alcaldia de Santiago de Cali, Departamento Administrativo de Gestion del Medio Ambiete – DAGMA


The Monitor Migratory Birds Manual (Manual para el Monitoreo de Aves Migratorias)

This manual was published as part of an agreement of cooperation between the Asociación Red Colombiana de Reservas Naturales de la Sociedad Civil (Colombian Network Association of Natural Reserves of Civil Society) and the Asociación para el Estudio y la Conservación de las Aves Acuáticas enColombia – Calidris (Association for the Study and Conservation of Waterfowl in Colombia – Calidris). Its goal is to strengthen the conservation of neotropical migratory birds in the Network of Natural Reserves of Civil Society. 

Authors: Isadora Angarita Martínez, Daniel Arbeláez Alvarado, Luis Germán Naranjo

Editors: Karina Galeano M., Julio Mario Fernández, Carmen Ana Dereix, Oscar Alzate A., Luis Germán Naranjo, Luis Felipe Ordóñez

Organizations: Asociación Red Colombiana de Reservas Naturales de la Sociedad CivilAsociación para el Estudio y la Conservación de las Aves Acuáticas en Colombia – Calidris, and WWF Colombia


Bosque Seco Especial: Guía de Especies (The Dry Forest: Species Guide)

This book documents the current state of the Colombian dry forest. It  focuses on the main fauna and flora species of the dry forest in three different regions of the country, found in six departments in the country: La Guajira, Bolívar, César, Tolima, Valle de Cauca and Huila. The species monitoring emphasizes the value of the identified species in the conservation of biodiversity and its importance for the well-being of local communities under historic contexts of transformation and territory use. The Dry Forest Expeditions resulted from an alliance between the United Nations Development Program (PNUD) and the Humboldt Institute within the Global Environment Facility (GEF) project for dry ecosystems. 

Authors: Alma Hernández, Rafael Achury, José Aguilar, Luisa Ardila, Paula Caycedo-Rosales, Angélica Díaz Pulido, Marcia Muñoz, Susana Rodríguez-Buritíca, Roy González

Organizations: Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt


Focal Bird Species of Cundinamarca: Strategies for Conservation (Especies de Aves Focales de Cundinamarca: Estrategias para la conservación)

In the publication, we can find detailed information about focal bird species that are found in Cundinamarca. This publication contains detailed information about the focal birds of Cundinamarca.  These species were selected because they are good indicators of how well their ecosystems are doing. The detailed information about each species includes taxonomic description, physical attributes, diet and habitat as well as ecological information, including the level of threat that each species is under. There are also chapters about recommendations for the conservation of the species and their habitats, the selection of the focal species, the birds’ anatomy, and a chapter about the observation of birds in the field. This publication is presented by The Autonomous Regional Corporation of Cundinamarca (CAR), with the support of Bogota Association of Ornithology (ABO) and the Bird Observers Network. This publication supports the efforts for the region’s ecosystem conservation and hopes to increase bird observation among the public and incentivize concrete actions toward avifauna conservation in the region. 

Authors: Ana María Franco, Juan David Amaya-Espinel, Ana María Umaña Villaveces, Maria Piedad Baptiste E., Oswaldo Cortés

Organizations: Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt


The Magic of the Birds of Chingaza (La Magia de la Aves de Chingaza)

This book presents 156 species of  birds found in the Chingaza Natural National Park’s, forests and paramos. This park is less than two hours from the metropolitan area of Bogota. It extends over the eastern mountain range of the Andes and it is home to approximately 400 bird species. The publication includes various sections including, a general description of the park and its dominant ecosystems, technical information about the bird species and recommendations to on how to develop responsible Avi-tourism projects.

Authors: Luis Guillermo Linares-Romero, F. Gary Stiles, Loreta Rosselli, Pedro Camargo M, Jonathan Candil, Robinson Galindo Tarazona, Fredy Enrique Avellaneda y Ángel Ramiro Pulido

Organizations: Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia