Despite his small stature, 10-year-old Juan David Camacho has big dreams: Pacing through Colombia’s jungle with binoculars in tow, he aims to spot all the bird species his nation has to offer.
It is a mighty goal. Colombia boasts the greatest number of bird types on the planet — 1,920, or 19 percent of those on the planet — a veritable paradise for birders.
“We leave very early with our cameras, binoculars and tripods and we watch the birds until around noon, in silence,” the boy said as he continued to scan the area.
Photo: AFP
Since his father first took him birdwatching three years ago, his love of searching for feathered friends has come to rival even his passion for soccer.
Once a month he journeys through the tropical forests surrounding Cali, the nation’s third-largest city with about 2.5 million residents.
Nestled in the heart of the southwest’s massive green expanse, the Valle del Cauca counts 562 species of birds, “much more than anywhere in Europe,” expert Carlos Wagner said.
Camacho said he has already seen 491 and photographed 200.
He last month delivered a lecture entitled “Three years of passion for birds” at the International Bird Festival, which brings about 15,000 people to Cali.
Too short to reach the lectern on the stage, he grabbed the microphone to discuss the expeditions he has made with his parents, a computer scientist and a lawyer.
Huge swaths of Colombia’s territory remain to be explored. For decades, they have been deemed too dangerous to travel because of the nation’s drawn-out armed conflict. An ongoing peace process with former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerillas has birders like Wagner hoping access will some day be improved.
The 40-year-old expert, who heads the bird festival, said the variety of ecosystems in the area — ranging from mountainous to tropical — allowed a great diversity of species to evolve.
Wagner grew up in the surrounding countryside near the San Antonio forest, site of the first large-scale ornithological expedition in the area, which New York’s Natural History Museum carried out in 1910.
Threatened by deforestation, this 900-hectare Eden was in 2004 ranked as an “Area of Importance for Bird Conservation” by BirdLife, a major British non-profit.
However, because Colombia did not legally recognize the designation, there was no guarantee it would be respected, Wagner said.
Along with other birders and ecologists, he is working to sensitize residents of the importance of preservation — no small feat.
“We are great romantics, but farmers have needs: They cut down trees to cultivate,” he said.
Although Colombia is a bird kingdom, observation tourism is poorly developed.
However, the government is growing aware of the potential source of income. The Colombian Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism predicts that nearly 15,000 observers might eventually descend on the nation per year to birdwatch, bringing in US$9 million.
In the San Antonio forest, a dozen places and guides already welcome observers for 15,000 to 20,000 pesos (US$5.25 to US$7) per visit.
Olga Gomez, who raises rabbits, has transformed her 1-hectare farm into a bird paradise, complete with flowers to seduce winged visitors.
“We’ve seen up to 25 species, including 18 hummingbirds,” the 66-year-old woman said with a smile.
She says 1,000 visitors per year come to her La Conchita finca, or rural holiday estate.
Further up on the mountain, at the Alejandria finca, clouds of hummingbirds in a dizzying spectrum of colors flutter among red saucers of sweet water, while others feast on bananas placed strategically on bamboo platforms.
A French family from Amiens marvels at the spectacle.
“In our northern plains, trees have disappeared because of intensive farming,” said Marc Bulcourt, 62, a retired nurse. “We see fewer and fewer birds, but here it’s magic!”
Spotting a rare condor is young Camacho’s current quest — the iconic bird of the Andes is dwindling in numbers, making it hard to sight.
Once he has traversed all of Colombia, the boy wants to expand his birding universe to other nations, he said, adding that he aspires, of course, to one day become an ornithologist.
‘IN A DIFFERENT PLACE’: The envoy first visited Shanghai, where he attended a Chinese basketball playoff match, and is to meet top officials in Beijing tomorrow US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday arrived in China on his second visit in a year as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat tomorrow is to meet China’s top brass in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates president-elect William Lai (賴清德), and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices. However, Blinken is also seeking to stabilize ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies easing since his previous visit in June last year. At the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese