350 Species and Counting: A Birdwatcher's Journey at Equilibrium
BIRDWATCHING · JERICÓ, ANTIOQUIA
It started with a pair of binoculars and the best advice I’ve ever gotten about this place: you have to learn to listen before you can learn to look. That came from Alejandro and Luzbe Alzate at Finca Alejandría, the couple who first introduced me to birdwatching here in Jericó. Every early morning session ended the same way — Luzbe calling us in from the cold patio to sit down to eggs, arepas, fresh fruit, and coffee grown right there on the farm. I came for the birds. I stayed for the breakfast.
Alejandro has spent years putting Jericó on the birdwatching map. His work is most visible through the Festival de las Aves, a celebration that just wrapped its third year and has turned this small mountain town into one of Colombia's most exciting birding destinations. The region records around 350 bird species. Colombia as a whole records over 1,960 — more than 20% of every bird species on the planet. It's the most bird-rich country on Earth, and Jericó sits right in the heart of it.
More than a quarter of those 350 regional species have been recorded right here, on the grounds of Equilibrium.
The moment it clicked for me was a Squirrel Cuckoo — spotted on an evening walk, moving through the upper canopy like it owned the place. It wasn't the fluttery hop of a small bird. It was something large and chestnut-red, bounding branch to branch with a long dramatic tail trailing behind. A lime-green bill caught the fading light for a second before it disappeared into the leaves. I pulled out my phone, opened the Merlin bird ID app, and confirmed it. The wave of excitement that followed was completely out of proportion for a grown adult standing in their own backyard — but that's exactly what birds do once they have you. The world gets a new layer.
Then there was Nucita.
Our first feeding station was not a triumph of planning. Acting on Alejandro's advice, I laid some bananas on the nearest available surface — the top of a wooden fencepost at the edge of the property. Several Blue-gray Tanagers showed up almost immediately, flashing grey and electric blue along the fence rail. Promising. I raised the binoculars.
Then our llama arrived.
Nucita is constitutionally shy, quietly curious, and very talented at approaching things she finds interesting while maintaining the appearance of someone who is merely passing by. She waited until she was sure no one was watching. Then she stretched that remarkable camel neck over the rail and helped herself. The moment I turned to look, she froze completely — neck still extended, eyes wide, caught in the act. Then, very slowly, she began loading her throat in the way llamas do when deeply uncomfortable.
She did not spit. She retreated with what dignity remained. She has regarded the feeding station with a mixture of longing and wariness ever since.
The station moved to a better location. The tanagers came back. Lesson learned.
Today, there are always birds at Equilibrium. Not sometimes, not on good days — always. The feeders go out every morning. Native trees and fruit-bearing shrubs are planted continuously across the property. The species list keeps growing.
Whether you've been birdwatching your whole life or you've never knowingly identified a bird before, Equilibrium is a good place to start. We'll tell you where to stand at dawn. We'll lay out the fruit. And we'll pass on the only instruction that really matters:
Listen first.
Planning a visit? Explore both cabins and check availability at equilibriumresorts.org
Tags: Birdwatching Colombia · Jericó Antioquia · Ecohotel Colombia · Eco Travel · Colombia Biodiversity · First Time Birdwatching
