A team of scientists, conservationists and professional bird guides, including Paul Salaman, Nick Athanas, Joe Tobias and Alonso Quevedo, led a three-week trip for American Bird Conservancy donors around newly established ProAves reserves. Trip participants were: Donald & Jackie Dann, Peary & BK Stafford, George Jett, Gwen Brewer, George Ledec, Paul Bristow, Marc Weinberger, Steve Gast, Robert Giles & Josep del Hoyo. Nick Athanas has written a full trip report, and compiled a list of species encountered at each site (almost 600 species).
The aim of the trip was to see at first-hand the contribution these reserves are making to conservation, to see some of the special birds which now receive protection, and to kick-start an ecotourism programme. It was also an opportunity for ProAves staff to explain some of the advances made by this young Colombian conservation group, and to pinpoint the priorities for future funding. If anyone wants to find out more about Colombian bird conservation, or would like to discover options for volunteer work, or wishes to donate money to the vital work undertaken by ProAves and ABC, contact Paul Salaman.
One target was to produce photographic imagery for use in publicity and outreach: a selection of images taken on the trip by Joe Tobias can be viewed here (if anyone needs high-resolution versions for conservation purposes, send an email). The selection includes photos of Bogota Rail, Apolinar's Wren, Sooty Ant-tanager, Black-billed Flycatcher, Black Inca, Turquoise Dacnis-Tanager, Santa Marta Bush-tyrant, Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Tapaculo, White-tailed Starfrontlet, Ochre-breasted Antpitta, Rusty-breasted Antpitta, Slate-crowned Antpitta, Dusky Starfrontlet, Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer, Tanager-Finch and Yellow-eared Parrot. We (Nick Athanas/Joe Tobias) aim to publish an article on the reserves, describing their importance, emphasising their reliance on ecotourism, and publicising the fact that much of Colombia is now a safe place to visit.
 The main sites were as follows:
1. El Paujil Reserve, established for the Blue-billed Curassow and other birds of the highly threatened lowland forests of the middle Magdalena valley.
2. Cerulean Warbler reserve, established to protect wintering populations of Nearctic migrants, including the Cerulean Warbler (Globally Vulnerable), as well as highly threatened resident birds, such as Gorgeted Woodquail and Turquoise Dacnis-Tanager.
3. Ocaña, at the Recurve-billed Bushbird reserve, where a small population of this recently rediscovered species survives.
4. El Dorado, a new lodge and reserve on the San Lorenzo ridge on the fabled Santa Marta massif, and home to the vast majority of Santa Marta endemics.
5. Anori, which supports Chestnut-capped Piha, Red-bellied Grackle and other birds of the Central Andes.
6. Páramo Frontino, which supports Dusky Starfrontlet and Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer, two Critically Endangered species recently rediscovered on these isolated páramos.
7. Jardin, where ProAves are studying and protecting the sensational Yellow-eared Parrot (global population of 600 individuals).
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