The Birders Show
The Birders Show is a YouTube series for anyone passionate about birds, nature, travel, and adventure. Our mission is to make birding more accessible and engaging for people around the world. We’re also the first team from Colombia ever to take part in Champions of the Flyway, and we can’t wait to represent the world’s most bird-diverse country at #COTF2023 and help raise funds to protect the Red-breasted Goose.
Please help us by donating any amount you can spare to save the Red-breasted Goose.
Meet the Team:
Chris Bell
This long-distance British migrant has been established in Colombia for the past ten years and is now accepted by most rarity committees as a Colombian native species. A highly-caffeinated and restless individual, he has been known to bird for many hours at a time at the expense of food, rest, and shelter, making him an essential addition to The Birders Show team at Champions of the Flyway. Best identified by his distinctive red beard and curious Colombian-English accent, he has also been known to engage in a curious lekking dance upon spotting lifers (he’s hoping to get a lot on his first-ever visit to Israel!).
Santiago Ospina
Native to the Andean cloud forests of La Calera above Bogotá, Santiago brings the zen-like calm to The Birders Show team. A deceptively skinny individual, Santiago is actually a voracious eater and is best located in the area immediately surrounding any buffet. As a skilled videographer, he can generally be spotted trailing Diego and Chris in the field, trying (often without any luck) to get them to stop looking at birds and engage with the camera! Although best identified by his long black hair and beard, identification can sometimes be tricky, as he has been known to sport a rather fetching mustache. Who knows which plumage we’ll get to see in Israel?
Julian Manrique
An energetic and highly-vocal individual best identified by his tall crest and curious call (most often compared to an off-tune Andean Pygmy-Owl). He is known to engage in seasonal long-distance migrations of many thousands of kilometers on his gravel bike: it’s possible to spot him in downtown Bogotá and high in the Colombian páramo on the same. He once traveled 3,600 km by bike in just ten days. While Julian is best located by his loud calls, he is often extremely quiet and unobtrusive – much like a puffbird – as he films incredible bird footage for The Birders Show.
Diego Calderón-Franco
Best identified by his distinctive salt-and-pepper plumage, Diego is endemic to Colombia’s Antioquia region, evident from his insistent “parce, ome, pues, pues pues,” call, typically delivered in a strong paisa accent. As the founder of COLOMBIA Birding, the oldest domestic birdwatching company in the country, he can be found across all regions of Colombia and has even been recorded in far-flung destinations like Madagascar, Guyana, and Bolivia. A somewhat sluggish individual, he’s most easily spotted asleep in the van. Still, he can normally be roused by the prospect of discovering new species for Colombia, finding lifers in Israel, or co-hosting The Birders Show.
