Check out the Colombia Selling Guide
Picture this: it’s approaching dusk. You’re driving in a 4x4 across vast, open plains, with the lowering sunlight painting the landscape a shade of gold. You’ve been out on a safari all day, catching exciting glimpses of native wildlife wandering the lands and wading in waterholes. But there’s no elephants or giraffes to be found, because you’re not in Africa – you’re in the wild eastern of Colombia.
This experience is one of the most cherished moments of Holly Kennedy, a Latin American travel specialist at Audley Travel for more than 15 years. She describes parking up beside the edge of a watering hole, sundowner in hand, admiring a tree full of roosting ibis. "As the sun set, scarlet ibis flew into the sky and transformed the scene into a picture of pink," Kennedy recalls fondly.
Birdwatching has been something of a phenomenon of late, with more people – and generations – picking up a pair of binoculars than ever before. According to a study by Toluna in 2025, 55% of Brits are keen to include birdwatching as part of their next holiday.
And where better for it than the hugely biodiverse Colombia, often dubbed as the ‘Birdwatching Capital of the World’. “You’re getting around 2,000 species of birds here – that’s around a fifth of the world’s entire bird population!” Kennedy informs me.
The variety of landscapes across six distinct regions allows the country to home this staggering number of avian species. You’ll find condors and thornbills in the treeless, high-altitude national parks near Bogota, hummingbirds, motmots and parrots in the verdant hills of the coffee region, herons, kingfishers and flamingos along the Caribbean coast, and parakeets, helmetcrests and owls in the enchanting cloud forests of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta – the world’s highest coastal mountain range.
“And that’s barely touching the sides... I haven't even mentioned the Amazon yet!” says Kennedy.
"Expert guides really bring it to life for you"
With Colombia being such an enormous country to navigate, it can be difficult to know where to start building an itinerary for your nature-loving clients. But that’s where Audley can step in. The tailor-made holiday experts have templated out the ideal bird-watching itinerary that can be adjusted to match your client’s exact interests.
With Audley, highly specialised local guides can also meet guests at different locations. “I think you absolutely need that expertise, especially when it comes to birds,” says Kennedy. “[The guides] have phenomenal knowledge, and can recognise things such as wingbeats – you can’t get that from a guidebook, or even your Merlin app!”
“They really bring it to life for you,” she continues. “So you can have a morning with a guide, helping you grow in confidence, and then have the afternoon to yourself – perhaps then with your Merlin app.”
Colombia's diverse landscapes make it the perfect home for a myriad of bird species
According to Kennedy, Audley's accommodation options are also something exciting to look forward to. “Hacienda Bambusa in the coffee region is a really special place,” she informs me. “It’s bamboo-constructed accommodation on a traditional, family-run plantation, and they’ve just started growing their own lemons!
“It’s the perfect place for some downtime – simply sitting quietly and admiring parakeets and hummingbirds around the pool.”
Kennedy also picks out El Dorado, “a serious birding lodge” located in the highest coastal mountain range in the world. “You wouldn’t really venture there on your own, as you have to travel a few hours by 4x4 – but once you arrive, you feel like you’re on top of the world above the clouds.”
Audley’s suggested birdwatching itinerary also allows travellers to experience Colombia beyond the birds. From cultural discoveries in Bogota – such as the Gold Museum, to the colourful towns of Salento and Filandia in the coffee region.“Despite the name, the coffee region isn’t all about the drink – there’s so much more to it.”
“What I love about Colombia is that it has it all,” explains Kennedy. "You’ve can get the full nature immersion, if that's what your clients want – much like Costa Rica – but there’s also towns, culture, history and architecture, too, for those who would prefer a more classic or city-focussed itinerary, where they can dip in and out of nature experiences.”
"Tropical birds always capture people's imaginations"
As Kennedy explains, your clients can shape their itinerary in any way they want with Audley. “Whether they want just three hours, three days or three weeks, Audley can manufacture a birding or nature experience pretty much anywhere in Colombia – it’s that kind of place.”
When it comes to the type of clients who would enjoy a wildlife-focussed trip to Colombia, Kennedy says there’s no right or wrong answer. “Because it's so accessible and easy to adapt, we can shape it to suit anyone, even for beginners who just want to see those eye-catching, colourful species,” says Kennedy. “Tropical birds always capture people’s imagination.”
Visitors to Colombia are often excited by its colourful bird species
“That said, those more serious birders who want to do something similar to our birding itinerary should probably be the more adventurous kind, as there can be some bumpy, off-grid driving in a 4x4,” she notes.
Kennedy’s top tips might also determine what kind of traveller would enjoy a birding expedition to Colombia too. “They need to think about clothing – because of the wonderful geography, there’s lots of different climates – so you need layers, layers, layers!” she says.
“They’ll also need to be prepared to get up early,” she continues. “However if they’re heading to Colombia from the UK, the time difference helps with that… and then they can siesta in the afternoon.”
