The fauna of Colombia is characterized by a high biodiversity, with the highest rate of species by area unit worldwide.
Colombia has the largest number of mondasendemic species (species that are not found naturally anywhere else) worldwide. About 10% of the species in the world live in Colombia. Some determinant factors In the distribution range of the species are the weather conditions, temperature, humidity and sunlight availability.
Endemics can easily become endangered or extinct due to their restricted habitat and vulnerability to the actions of man, including the introduction of new organisms.
According to the Colombian Ministry of Environment, the following ecoregions have the highest percentage of endemic species:
Cocora valley (Quindío)Serranía de la Macarena (Meta Department)Gorgona, Colombia (island in the Pacific Ocean)Amacayacu National Park (Amazonas Department)Over 1800 species of birds have been described in Colombia, (more than the number of existent bird species in North America and Europe combined). Some of the bird species in Colombia are:
American redstartGroove-billed aniSpotted antbirdWhite-plumed antbirdAntioquia bristle-tyrantNorthern slaty-antshrikeBlackish-grey antshrikeBlack-faced antthrushWhite-flanked antwrenChecker-throated antwrenApical flycatcherApolinar's wrenArgus bare-eyeCinnamon attilaBand-tailed barbthroatPale-tailed barbthroatBaudó oropendolaBeautiful woodpeckerBearded bellbirdBlack-and-gold tanagerBlack-chested buzzard-eagleBlack-mandibled toucanBlackish tapaculoBogotá railEmpress brilliantFawn-breasted brilliantBrown-banded antpittaBuff-breasted mountain-tanagerRed-rumped caciqueScarlet-rumped caciqueRed-capped cardinalGray catbirdLittle chachalacaRufous-vented chachalacaChestnut-bellied flower-piercerChestnut-capped pihaChestnut-mandibled toucanChoco toucanChocó vireoClapper railAndean cock-of-the-rockGuianan cock-of-the-rockCollared trogonFestive coquetteSpangled coquetteBuff-tailed coronetVelvet-purple coronetPompadour cotingaBronzed cowbirdCrested ant-tanagerCundinamarca antpittaGreat curassowDickcisselBlack-capped donacobiusCommon ground doveGrey-fronted doveMourning doveWhite-tipped doveDusky-headed brush-finchAmerican harpy eagleCrested eagleForest elaeniaYellow-crowned elaeniaAndean emeraldBlue-tailed emeraldGlittering-throated emeraldVersicoloured emeraldEuler's flycatcherOrange-bellied euphoniaPurple-crowned fairyLaughing falconFlame-winged parakeetAcadian flycatcherFuscous flycatcherGreat crested flycatcherRuddy-tailed flycatcherSulphur-bellied flycatcherOrange-breasted fruiteaterBlack-faced hawkCommon black hawkBronzy hermitGreat-billed hermitGreen hermitGrey-chinned hermitLong-billed hermitReddish hermitRufous-breasted hermitSooty-capped hermitStripe-throated hermitTawny-bellied hermitWhite-whiskered hermitZigzag heronPurple honeycreeperGiant hummingbirdGreen-bellied hummingbirdIndigo-capped hummingbirdRuby-topaz hummingbirdRufous-tailed hummingbirdSnowy-breasted hummingbirdSpeckled hummingbirdSteely-vented hummingbirdViolet-bellied hummingbirdBuff-necked ibisBrown incaCollared incaBronzy jacamarGreen-tailed jacamarPale-headed jacamarParadise jacamarRufous-tailed jacamarYellow-billed jacamarWhite-necked jacobinGreen jayAmerican pygmy kingfisherGreat kiskadeeLong-wattled umbrellabirdBlue-backed manakinLance-tailed manakinWire-tailed manakinGreen-breasted mangoTyrian metaltailTropical mockingbirdAmazonian motmotAndean motmotWhooping motmotRufous motmotMountain grackleMoustached brush-finchMulticoloured tanagerNiceforo's wrenLesser nighthawkNorthern helmeted curassowBrown nunletRusty-breasted nunletOilbirdBaltimore orioleOrchard orioleSouth American yellow oriolePale-legged warblerParker's antbirdMealy amazonYellow-eared parrotGreen-rumped parrotletWestern wood peweeBlack phoebeBand-tailed pigeonRuddy pigeonShort-billed pigeonCollared puffbirdRusset-throated puffbirdWhite-necked puffbirdColorful pufflegGorgeted pufflegGolden-headed quetzalWhite-tipped quetzalBooted racket-tailRed-bellied grackleRoyal flycatcherRufous-breasted wrenRufous-fronted parakeetRufous-tailed antthrushRusty-headed spinetailSanta Marta antpittaSanta Marta brush-finchSanta Marta bush-tyrantSanta Marta mountain-tanagerSanta Marta parakeetSanta Marta tapaculoSanta Marta warblerSanta Marta wrenBlue-chinned sapphireScarlet macawBlack-necked screamerHorned screamerVariable seedeaterBuff-tailed sicklebillWhite-tipped sicklebillSilvery-throated spinetailRed siskinYellow-bellied siskinSooty ant-tanagerSooty-capped puffbirdOrange-billed sparrowBlue-tufted starthroatLong-billed starthroatBlack storm-petrelLeast storm-petrelStreak-capped spinetailGorgeted sunangelOrange-throated sunangelTree swallowSwallow-wingShort-tailed swiftSick's swiftViolet-tailed sylphBlue-gray tanagerFulvous-crested tanagerOlive tanagerParadise tanagerScarlet tanagerTurquoise tanagerWhite-shouldered tanagerGreen thorntailWire-crested thorntailSpectacled thrushWood thrushBarred tinamouBerlepsch's tinamouBlack tinamouBrown tinamouChoco tinamouCinereous tinamouColombian tinamouGreat tinamouGrey tinamouGrey-legged tinamouHighland tinamouLittle tinamouMagdalena tinamouRed-legged tinamouRusty tinamouTawny-breasted tinamouUndulated tinamouVariegated tinamouWhite-throated tinamouTolima doveChannel-billed toucanKeel-billed toucanWhite-throated toucanEmerald toucanetGroove-billed toucanetSlaty-tailed trogonGrey-winged trumpeterBuffy tuftedcheekStreaked tuftedcheekTurquoise dacnisTurquoise-throated pufflegSouthern beardless tyrannuletUpper Magdalena tapaculoVelvet-fronted euphoniaViolaceous trogonBrown violetearLesser violetearSparkling violetearBlack-and-white warblerBlack-throated green warblerBlackpoll warblerPalm warblerPrairie warblerTownsend's warblerYellow warblerWaved albatrossCedar waxwingWhite-crowned pigeonWhite-lored warblerWhite-mantled barbetPurple-bibbed whitetipAmazonian barred-woodcreeperBlack-banded woodcreeperStraight-billed woodcreeperViolet-crowned woodnymphAcorn woodpeckerRinged woodpeckerYellow-throated woodpeckerPurple-throated woodstarBand-backed wrenStripe-backed wrenYariguies brush-finchYellow-crowned redstartYellow-headed brush-finchYellow-rumped warblerThe Andean condor inhabits the Andes mountain range. Although it is primarily a scavenger, feeding on carrion, this species belongs to the New World vulture family Cathartidae.
The condor is one of the largest birds on earth with a wingspan ranging from 274–310 cm (108–122 in) and weighing up to 11–15 kg (24–33 lb) for males and 7.5–11 kg (16–24 lb) for females, but overall length can range from 117 to 135 cm (46 to 53 inches).
The adult plumage is of a uniform black, with the exception of a frill of white feathers nearly surrounding the base of the neck and, especially in the male, large patches or bands of white on the wings which do not appear until the completion of the first molting.
There are 456 reported species of mammals in Colombia. Of these, about 22% are endangered or critically endangered. Most of the threatened species status are due to human activities, in particular destruction of plant and animal habitats driven by local consumption of organic resources, especially related to tropical forest destruction.
While most of the species that are becoming extinct are not food species, their biomass is converted into human food when their habitat is transformed into pasture and cropland.
Colombia has the largest number of terrestrial mammals species in the world, including among others:
Colombian woolly monkeyColombian black-handed titiCoppery titiLucifer titiBlack titiCollared titiOrnate titiWhite-fronted capuchinOlinguitoGiant anteaterGiant armadilloGreater long-nosed armadilloHoffmann's two-toed slothLinnaeus's two-toed slothMyrmecophagidaeNine-banded armadilloPale-throated three-toed slothPygmy marmosetSilky anteaterSouthern naked-tailed armadilloSouthern tamanduaSpectacled bearTamanduaTwo-toed slothBrown-throated three-toed slothAmazonian manateeWest Indian manateeColombia has the largest number of amphibians in the world (including frogs, toads, salamanders and caecilians) with 208 endangered species, being the zoological group with the highest rate of endangerment. Some causes related with the decline of the amphibians are: chytridiomycosis, habitat destruction, drought, air pollution, water pollution and illegal trade.
There are more than 80 genera of land gastropods in (continental) Colombia.