Summary/History
Colombia has extensive coastline on both the tropical East Pacific and Southern Caribbean with globally important seabird sites located on each and over 50 species of seabird recorded. Key sites include SFF Malpelo, PNN Gorgona, PNN Sanquianga, Cinaga Grande de Santa Marta, Zona estuarina del ro Sin, and Reserva de biosfera Seaflower. These hold a number of species in significant numbers including the regionally endemic Nazca Booby, 4 other species of sulid, the only colony of Swallow-tailed Gull (LC) outside of the Galapagos, Brown Pelican (LC), Maginificent Frigatebird (LC) and Gull-billed Tern (LC). Malpelo marine park is the largest no-fishing zone in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and provides a critical habitat to seabirds and other internationally threatened marine species that occur in large aggregations.
Across the seascape there are a number of common, major threats to the marine ecosystem:
o Over-fishing, especially of sharks
o By-catch of sea turtles, sharks, rays, seabirds, cetaceans etc. in long-line fishing
o Illegal fishing (protected species, fishing out of season, ignoring size restrictions etc)
o Pollution especially in coastal zones (oil spills, noise pollution, land-based pollution of coastal waters, maritime transport and tourism)
o Deforestation of Mangroves
o Petrolium exploration in the Caribbean
o Climate induced changes to marine habitats reducing food avaliability

National priorities
o Development of a NPOA-Seabirds
o Programa de monitoreo a colonias de aves marinas en zonas costeras.
o Aumento de invesigacin cientifica en el Caribe
o Aumento de capacitacin de comunidades y actores locales.
o Evaluacin de riesgo por cambio climtico de zonas de colonias costeras, mayor interaccion ocn las autoridades ambientales
o Determinar movimientos de especies en Gorgona y zonas costeras del Pacifico colombiano.
o Determinar el origen geogrfico de poblaciones migratorias de aves marians que tienen grandes concentraciones en Colombia
o Evaluar los impactos de pesquerias

Government's support/relevant policy
Colombia was part of a 3-year Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape project by UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Conservation International, and with financing from the UN Foundation and Global Conservation Fund, promoting the long-term management and conservation of five marine protected areas. The Governments of the region have taken important steps to promote regional collaboration, especially with the 2004 "San Jos Declaration", signed by representatives of the Costa Rican, Panamanian, Colombian and Ecuadorian governments. The declaration formally establishes the Marine Conservation Corridor of the Eastern Tropical Pacific between the islands of Cocos, Galapagos, Malpelo and Coiba as an effective instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of the Eastern Tropical Pacific region, based on the interests and priorities of the participating countries. Malpelo and Gorgona are being evaluated for World Heritage status with decision expected in July 2006. Please see policy tab for list of agreements that this country is party to.

References
1. Cifuentes-Sarmiento, Y y C. Ruiz-Guerra (eds.). 2009. Planes de accin para nueve especies de aves acuticas (Marinas y playeras) de las costas colombianas. Asociacin Calidris. Cali, Colombia.
2. Estela, F. A., M. Lpez-Victoria, L. F. Castillo y L. G. Naranjo. Estado del conocimiento sobre las aves marinas en Colombia, despus de 110 aos de investigacin. Boletn SAO 20: 2-21.
3. Lpez-Victoria, M. y F. A. Estela. 2007. Una lista anotada de las aves de Malpelo. Ornitologa Colombiana 5: 40-53.
4. Lpez-Victoria, M. y F. A. Estela. 2006. Additions to the breeding seabirds of Malpelo island, Colombia. Marine Ornithology 34: 83-84.
5. Naranjo, L.G., Castillo, L.F., Johnston-Gonzlez, R., Hernndez, C., Ruiz, C. y Estela, F. 2006. Waterbird monitoring and conservation in protected areas of the Colombian Pacific. Pp. 177-180. En: Waterbirds around the world. Eds. G. C. Boere, C. A. Galbraith y D. A. Stroud. The Stationery Office, Edinburgh, UK.

Recommended Citation:
BirdLife International (2013) Country profile: Colombia. Available from: http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/country/colombia. Checked: 2013-05-23