After being crowned at the beginning of the year as the world leader with the greatest diversity of birds on the planet, Peru now seeks to once again obtain leadership in bird registration and observation at Global Big Day 2024, the largest bird watching event in the world that will take place on May 11.
With its 1879 registered bird species, our country seeks to regain first place in this important international competition, a place it obtained during the 2015, 2016 and 2021 editions; while in the rest of the years it remained on the main podium with second place, with a minimal difference in results with neighboring countries such as Colombia.
For the 2024 edition, our country is ready to shine more than ever and to do so it has its greatest natural treasures such as the 77 protected natural areas managed by the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (Sernanp)an organization attached to the Ministry of the Environment.
These nature spaces become the main settings for this exciting event where organized groups and park rangers will be able to record a wide variety of bird species such as flamingos, Andean condor, herons, among others. Of these, protected natural areas stand out such as:
Alto Mayo Protection Forest: located between the regions of San Martín, Loreto and Amazonas, and where 500 species are recorded such as the spatula-tailed hummingbird, the mustachioed owl and the toucan.
Tingo María National Park: located in Huánuco and where 291 species of birds are recorded such as the guacharo, the cock-of-the-rock and the black-bellied tanager.
Pómac Forest Historical Sanctuary: located in the Lambayeque region and with 106 species of birds recorded such as the Peruvian branch cutter, rufous tufted tumbes and tumbes swallow.
Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve: in the Loreto region, habitat of 498 species of birds, such as the Iquitos Gnatcatcher.
Los Manglares de Tumbes National Sanctuary: where more than 140 species of birds are recorded such as the mangrove huaco, the mangrove hen and the mangrove chiroca.
Lagunas de Mejía National Sanctuary: located in Arequipa, where 212 species of birds are recorded such as parihuanas, Franklin’s gull and blue heron.
Ampay National Sanctuary: located in Apurímac and where 200 species of birds are recorded such as the Apurímac thorntail, the Apurímac scrub and more than 20 species of hummingbirds.
In this way, we seek to position our country in the world not only for the great natural wealth it has but also as a privileged destination among national and foreign visitors for bird watching, an activity that allows us to raise awareness about the high ecotourism potential of the region. Peru for the great diversity of birds it has.
Peru with the greatest diversity of birds
It is worth remembering that, at the beginning of this year, the Union of Ornithologists of Peru accredited Peru as the country with the largest number of bird species in the world, according to the criteria of the South American Classification Committee (SACC).
To do this, the records of hypothetical species were evidenced, which had proven evidence and that needed the formalization of the registry. This evidence was worked on, with the leadership of Sernanp and the support of various researchers from the Peruvian Bird Records Committee and the academy.
