Latest news with #GlobalBigDay
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Colombia Breaks Tourism Records and Tops Global Bird Count, again!
With over 1,500 bird species recorded, the Country of Beauty continues to showcase its singular, awe-inspiring biodiversity. MIAMI, May 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Colombia has once again soared to the top of the world's largest bird count. Recording an astonishing 1,563 bird species during the recent edition of Global Big Day 2025, the country reaffirms its title as the most biodiverse nation on Earth for birds and a rising global leader in nature tourism. This achievement comes amid a landmark moment for Colombian tourism. In 2024, the country welcomed over 6.9 million international visitors — a historic record — with the United States leading the way. Today, Colombia is the number one South American destination for U.S. travelers. The Global Big Day, coordinated by the scientific platform eBird, is held in over 200 countries each year and unites birders, scientists, and local communities to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day. In this latest edition, Colombia once again topped the leaderboard, outpacing Peru (1,404 species) and Brazil (1,245). Regions such as Amazon Orinoco and the Pacific were major contributors to the bird count, offering birders access to lush rainforests, mountains, and savannas, all in one destination. "This achievement affirms our extraordinary natural wealth and our commitment to sustainability," said Carmen Caballero, president of ProColombia, the country's promotion agency. "Birdwatching is more than a niche activity; it's a growing driver of sustainable development across our regions and a vital way we share Colombia's beauty with the world." Explore the Wild Heart of Colombia's Natural Treasures Colombia's leadership in the Global Big Day reflects more than just its biodiversity. With over 1,900 bird species, including 79 endemics, and a strategic location along major migratory routes, the country is uniquely positioned to offer one-of-a-kind birding experiences. The Colombian tourism sector has embraced this potential, developing infrastructure tailored to birdwatchers, from specialized guides to eco-lodges and scenic trails. Through ProColombia, the country has launched birding routes, attended fairs like the Global Bird Fair, and hosted familiarization trips with U.S. and U.K. tour operators — Colombia's two main international tourism markets. This focused investment is paying off. Birdwatching has become not only a conservation tool but also a vital source of income for local communities, connecting travelers with Colombia's incredible landscapes, wildlife, and culture. Don't miss The Country of Beauty's wild side at the Colombia Nature Travel Mart this September. Register here. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE PROCOLOMBIA Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Chicago Tribune
29-01-2025
- Science
- Chicago Tribune
New bird-watching record marks Cook County as prime hot spot for bird-watching
On his way to setting the Cook County record for spotting the most bird species in a year, one bird in particular eluded Tarik Shahzad. Every morning and every afternoon for a month last summer, he staked out a spot at the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary in Chicago, searching for the marbled godwit. Every night, he went home empty-handed. Finally, in August, after heading to the remote Deadstick Pond near Calumet Harbor, he spotted it. 'That's the hardest I've ever worked for a bird, or maybe anything,' he said. Shahzad, who works for the Nature Conservancy, said he spent almost every free moment last year looking for birds. The 27-year-old ended up logging 294 birds, a new record for Cook County, which is a hot spot for bird-watching in the Midwest. Located along a longtime migratory path on Lake Michigan, Cook County attracts a wide variety of birds to the lakefront, as well as forest preserves, wetlands and prairies. As if to emphasize that point, Shahzad set the record with his sighting of a short-tailed shearwater, a seabird whose natural habitat is the Pacific Ocean from New Zealand to Alaska, and which has only been sighted a couple of times in the Great Lakes. Along with the variety of birds, bird-watchers are becoming more diverse, Shahzad said. 'We have a really robust bird-watching community,' he said. 'I couldn't have seen a fraction of my birds without the inclusive, growing Chicago birding community.' Where birding often used to be more of a solitary pursuit, now people are connected through apps like the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology's Through ebird, Shahzad was alerted to a location whenever a birder spotted a bird he was looking for, and he would drive out immediately from his apartment in Evanston to find it. Every spring, ebird holds a Global Big Day for birders to report their bird sightings. The event attracted nearly 67,000 birders last year, who reported almost 8,000 species worldwide. The lab also offers tips for helping birds, like putting markers on windows to avoid bird strikes, keeping cats indoors, avoiding pesticides and providing more natural habitat. In Chicago this June, the Newberry Library will mark growing interest in the field with an exhibit called ' Winging It: A Brief History of Humanity's History with Birds.' The exhibit will draw from the library's collection, which includes woodblock carvings of birds from the 1800s by Thomas Bewick, and hand-colored lithographs from the 1700s in the South and the Caribbean by Mark Catesby, long before the more famous bird documentarian John Audubon. Bob Dolgan, an avid birder who is working on the Newberry exhibit and has made documentaries about piping plovers in Chicago, said the local birding community is thriving. Prime hot spots for viewing include North Park Village, Garfield Park and Washington Park in Chicago, Gillson Park in Wilmette, the Morton Arboretum in Lisle and the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center in Willow Springs. All new birders need is a pair of binoculars and an app, book or friend who can help identify birds. 'We have a concentration of good birders here and a lot of potential birds because we have such diversity of habitat,' he said. 'So we have a plethora of locations where people can find birds.'
