Visiting an Andean Cock-of-the-rock lek in Jardin, Colombia
A male Andean Cock-of-the-rock in Jardin, Colombia
If you want to see an Andean Cock-of-the-rock, then there’s no better place than the lekking site in the small Colombian town of Jardin. With up to a dozen of these surreal, beautiful birds perched just meters from you, it’s one of South America’s most unmissable birding experiences.
Colombia is home to a staggering wealth of bird species. But no species are as strange, colorful, and unusual as the Andean Cock-of-the-rock. And there’s one town in the Andes, a few hours south of Medellin, where you can enjoy point-blank views of these bright red birds engaged in one of the avian world’s oddest behaviors: lekking.
So what is lekking? It’s defined as a grouping of male animals gathering to engage in courtship rituals and competitive displays aimed at enticing visiting females. Lekking is practiced mainly by birds, although there are examples of lekking behaviors in a wide range of other vertebrates.
Andean Cock-of-the-rock lekking behavior consists of the bright scarlet males gathering to perform elaborate display rituals, including bowing, jumping, and flapping gestures, along with bill snapping and loud squawking calls. All of this is designed to attract a mate: the males are polygamous, and most of their reproductive energy goes into lekking - they have absolutely nothing to do with nesting once they’ve mated.
Since the males are relatively easily disturbed at lekking sites, it’s often a challenging behavior to observe. However, over the years, several active and accessible leks have been discovered throughout the species’ Andean cloud forest range. Now, visiting a cock-of-the-rock lek is a common activity on birding and ecotourism trips in South America. Colombia has several accessible Andean Cock-of-the-rock leks, but by far, the most famous and easy-to-access is located on the edge of the pretty Heritage Town of Jardin in Antioquia department.
I recently spent a week in Jardin with my parents. As well as being a popular tourist town due to its gorgeous landscapes and traditional local architecture, Jardin is one of Colombia’s best birding towns. There are excellent hotspots like the Ventanas Road and Doña Lucia’s antpitta feeding stations within a few hours, while endemic species like Red-bellied Grackle, Colombian Chachalaca, Parker’s Antbird, and Crested Ant-Tanager can be spotted just around town. However, the star birding attraction of the town is the cock-of-the-rock lek.
The endemic Red-bellied Grackle
The lekking site is located along the edge of a steep river canyon just a few hundred meters from the main square in Jardin. It’s easy to find, and any hotel or hostel in town can point you in the right direction. A short walk down a fairly steep, paved side road takes you to a large wooden gate. The opening hours are short - between 3 and 5 pm every day - but coincide with a period of intense lekking activity. While the number of birds at the lek can fluctuate throughout the year, the bird’s presence is highly reliable.
There’s no need to book your visit; turn up at the gate, and Olga, one of the owners, will let you in. She charges a very reasonable 12.000 COP (US$2.50) per person to enter, with no time limit for your stay. There’s a lovely little cafe on site where you can buy drinks and homemade cakes and pastries.
Olga and her biologist husband own the land where the lekking takes place. It’s been open for years, but they’ve developed the site admirably over the years. It now has well-maintained paths and viewing platforms, allowing visitors to enjoy close-up views of the birds from different angles. The garden is bursting with native plants and flowers. There are even feeders where you can spot other interesting species, including Red-bellied Grackle, Golden Tanager, Scrub Tanager, and sometimes Crested Ant-Tanager.
The star birds are easy enough to photograph with patience and careful observation - they seem to have favored perches. Sometimes, the best tactic is to identify a clear perch and wait for the bird to return to it eventually. Rushing around trying to get a shot as the birds move might be a frustrating tactic. If you’re not a photographer, sit back and enjoy remarkable views of one of South America’s most surreal, strange, and beautiful birds. At some point, it’s worth just closing your eyes and taking in the raucous cacophony of strange sounds the birds make.
Such weird-looking birds!
The Jardin Andean Cock-of-the-rock lek is probably one of the most accessible and easy-to-visit such leks in South America. I would go as far as to call it one of Colombia’s “must-see” birding attractions.
