El Dorado Bird Reserve - Colombia Travel

Prologue
The preparation of this guide to some of Colombia’s wild places for
uide
birding
to some
is
of
a remarkable
Colombia’s wild
achievement.
places for
It is something that no one
achievement.
would have
It is
dreamed
something
possible
that no
a few
one
decades ago. It is, in fact, a
ossible
testament
a few decades
to just how
ago.
much
It is, in
things
fact, a
have changed in a relatively
uch
short
things
span
have
of time.
changed
In 1971
in a relatively
I arrived in Colombia eager to study
1971
Colombia’s
I arrived in
birds
Colombia
but quickly
eager
discovered
to study
that I was unprepared for
ickly
the
discovered
overwhelming
that I was
diversity
unprepared
of birdlife
for
in the country. I also
ersity
discovered
of birdlife
that,
in
outside
the country.
of a few
I
scientists
also
at universities, there was
of a
almost
few scientists
no one
at
I could
universities,
turn to
there
for help.
was
Birding as a hobby didn’t exist
rn to
and
for help.
voices
Birding
in defense
as a hobby
of the
didn’t
natural
exist
environment were scarcely to
f the
be
natural
heard.
environment
Arguments in
were
favor
scarcely
of forest
to
preservation were framed in
favor
terms
of forest
of water
preservation
resources,
were
rarely
framed
in terms
in
of biodiversity. Books with
, rarely
illustrations
in terms
of
of
birds
biodiversity.
were almost
Books
nonexistent
with
and naturalists seeking
almost
beautiful
nonexistent
natural
and
areas
naturalists
to visit
seeking
had almost nowhere to turn for
to visit
information.
had almost nowhere to turn for
Eventually, with the help of several Colombians, I found a lovely site
of several
where
Colombians,
I could carry
I found
out basic
a lovely
research
site
on a bird community. The
basic
study
research
spanned
on a
a
bird
year
community.
and a half. From
The
this remote location high on
d a half.
a beautiful
From this
ridge
remote
overlooking
location
the
high
Anchicayá
on
Valley I could look down
king
and
the Anchicayá
see the distant
Valley I
lights
could look
of Buenaventura
down
on clear nights. That
ts of
misty
Buenaventura
forest was
on
filled
clear
with
nights.
exciting
That
and mysterious birds, but the
ith exciting
facilities
and
were
mysterious
little more
birds,
than
but
a rudimentary
the
tin-roofed building,
e than
and
a
it
rudimentary
took hours by
tin-roofed
mule on a
building,
steep, often muddy trail, to reach that
on a
site.
steep,
I could
often muddy
never have
trail, to
managed
reach that
without the help of many
e managed
generous
without
Colombians
the
who
help
may
of
have
many
not understood why I wanted
ho may
to study
have
birds
not understood
but were unfailingly
why I wanted
supportive.
nfailingly supportive.
After that study, I returned
often to Colombia and, for a
ten-year period from the
mid-1970s to the
mid-1980s, I guided birders
and naturalists Henicorhina negreti on
(Munchique Wood Wren)
organized tours to many
places in the country. We
were, in a sense, some of
After that study, I returned
often to Colombia and, for a
ten-year period from the
mid-1970s to the
mid-1980s, I guided birders
and naturalists on
organized tours to many
places in the country. We
were, in a sense, some of
the first “eco-tourists,” a term the first “eco-tourists,” a term
that would not appear that in would not appear in
the lexicon of travel until the lexicon of travel until
later. At that time there were later. At that time there were
few facilities and little few facilities and little
ecotourism infrastructure, ecotourism infrastructure,
but we came anyway, but we came anyway,
visited natural parks and visited natural parks and
Leptotila conoveri
explored forests and lakes, explored (Tolima Dove) forests and lakes,
mostly accessible by roads, mostly accessible by roads,
to observe birds. During to observe birds. During
those years I traveled widely those years I traveled widely
from the Caribbean to the from Chocó the and Caribbean the Amazon to the and Chocó later, and with the a Ama
colleague, produced a book colleague, on the birds produced of this a marvelous book on the country. birds of this
It was a book that I wished It I was could a book have that had I when wished I first I could arrived have but, had wh
by the time it was published, by the security time it issues was published, brought Colombia’s security issues
fledgling ecotourism industry fledgling to an ecotourism abrupt halt. industry I left Colombia, to an abrupt h
worked elsewhere for nearly worked twenty elsewhere years, and for was nearly never twenty able to years, use and w
that book in the country for that which book it in was the intended. country for which it was intend
Then, like a time-traveler, Then, I was offered like a time-traveler, an opportunity I was to offered return in an opp
2004, to participate in Colombia’s 2004, to participate first Congreso in Colombia’s de Ornitología first Cong
Colombiana, and I discovered Colombiana, a very different and I discovered country. Shedding a very different the co
chains of political chains upheaval, of Colombia political had upheaval, become Colomb
forward-looking, determined forward-looking, to be at peace determined with itself to and be to at do peace w
business with the world. Even business more with surprising, the world. hundreds Even more of young surprising,
Colombians were eagerly Colombians taking to the were field, eagerly learning taking about to the field,
birds and wildlife of their birds country and and wildlife seeking of their places country to conduct and seeking
studies. Encouraged by a new studies. generation Encouraged of professors by a new and generation mentors of pro
an impressive and expanding an impressive army of and knowledgeable expanding army young of kno
students were ranging far and students wide, were observing, ranging conducting far and wide, research observing, c
and making their voices heard. and making Somehow, their copies voices of heard. our bird Somehow, book, cop
the one I never got to use, the had one found I never their got way to use, into had the hands found of their wa
many of these students and many they of were these already students pushing and they beyond were its already
limits. Rumors of ecotourism limits. also Rumors were circulating of ecotourism and organizations
also were circulatin
dedicated to the preservation dedicated of natural to the areas preservation had been of recently natural areas
established. Natural areas established. were being Natural purchased areas and were plans being were purcha
laid for on-site ecotourism laid facilities. for on-site A few ecotourism entrepreneurial facilities. start-up A few entr
companies were preparing companies to offer guided were preparing birding tours. to offer Dozens guided of bird