Satellite view of the Magdalena Valley dry forests, Colombia Photograph by USGS   Northern South America: Western Colombia Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests   7,600 square miles (19,600 square kilometers) -- about the size of New Jersey Critical/Endangered

· Dry, Diverse Valley
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Dry, Diverse Valley

This Inter-Andean Valley in Colombia is intersected by the Magdalena River, the largest river in western Colombia. Flowing northward to the Caribbean Sea, the Magdalena crosses several kinds of ecosystems--dry forests in its upper parts, rain forests in its middle course, and swamps and wetlands of the Caribbean lowlands in its lower course. This dry forest ecoregion is home to a variety of endemic species and is a great spot for fossil hunting.

Special Features

The Tatacoa Desert, which forms a portion of this ecoregion and contains thorny vegetation composed mainly of cactuses and small bushes and trees, is located in the middle of the upper course of the Magdalena River. This ecoregion is found in a "dry pocket" of Colombia; in other words, it lies in a rain shadow and receives very little precipitation, even though it is surrounded by moist montane forests. Due to this isolation many endemic species and dry forest specialists occur here. Today, the area is also an important source of ancient fossils.

	The osprey, a bird of prey that feeds mainly on fish, can be found on every continent except Antarctica.

Wild Side

Very little is known about the biodiversity of this region. Some of the endemic species here include the burrowing owl, tropical bobwhite, tropical cottontail rabbit, and Christmas orchid--the national flower of Colombia. Many migratory birds, including the osprey, come to this region from far-off locations for the winter months while others, such as certain species of parrots and hummingbirds, descend from the upper mountains. The rare and highly endangered yellow-eared parrot was rediscovered in this ecoregion after many years of being considered extinct.

Cause for Concern

Today, most of the original forest cover in this ecoregion has been converted for farmland and cattle ranching. Also, oil drilling and extraction cause pollution around the Tatacoa Desert. No reserves or parks currently exist to help protect this ecoregion.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.