Migratory raptors face a challenging journey year after year. Most of these birds nest in the continent’s north and begin their migration before winter, spending that time in warmer places in Central and South America. Colombia is part of this natural phenomenon as a migration route, a strategic stopover and resting place for raptors, and […]
Tag: colombia
Can an animal be a person? Yes – if they are Pablo Escobar’s cocaine hippos
In the US, a federal court has recognised the hippos as “interested persons” with legal rights. But the case to really watch out for is that of Happy the elephant For all those who keep up with Pablo Escobar’s “cocaine hippos”, some happy news: a federal US court has recognised them as “interested persons” with […]
Recently rediscovered hummingbird faces extinction
The blue-bearded helmetcrest (Oxypogon cyanolaemus) is a spectacular hummingbird. It is aptly named for the blue streak of feathers on its chin and a pointed crest on its head resembling a knight’s helmet. Equally spectacular to the species’ physical appearance is its physical disappearance and reappearance. No one had seen a single living blue-bearded helmetcrest […]
A revealing new look at the secretive black tinamou
After decades in ornithological obscurity, one of the world’s least-known birds is finally coming to light thanks to the persistence of a small group of researchers. Pablo Negret, Oscar Garzón, Pablo Stevenson, and Oscar Laverde-R. of the Universidad de los Andes have just published the results of their year-long study of the Black Tinamou (Tinamus […]
Blue-Bearded Helmetcrest Rediscovered in Colombia, Photographed for First Time
Long thought to be extinct, the blue-bearded helmetcrest (Oxypogon cyanolaemus) – one of the world’s rarest hummingbirds – has been caught on camera for the first time. Discovered in 1880, the blue-bearded helmetcrest is a medium-sized hummingbird endemic to the mountains of the Santa Marta region of northeast Colombia. The bird is about 12 cm […]
Rare bird paradise protected in war-torn Colombian mountain range (photos)
A coalition of conservation groups have established a new protected area in one of Latin America’s most neglected ecosystems: the Colombian-side of the Serranía de Perijá mountain range. Following decades of bloody conflict and rampant deforestation, experts say only five percent of rainforest is left on the Colombian side of this embattled mountain range, which […]
Study Provides Insights into Courtship Display of Golden-Collared Manakin (Videos)
The acrobatic courtship displays of male Golden-collared manakins (Manacus vitellinus) are less energetically costly than they appear, says a group of ornithologists headed by Dr Julia Barske of the University of California. The Golden-collared manakin is a small passerine bird (Pipridae family) found exclusively found in western Colombia and Panama. Male Golden-collared manakins dance and […]
Colombia’s endangered felines
We normally associate felines with large African or Asian cats such as lions, tigers, leopards or cheetahs, but little is known about felines from other parts of the world and, in particular, the Americas. A recent study by Instituto von Humbolt and Fundación Panthera bring into light information on the six species of felines that […]