Cueva de los Guácharos National Natural Park, National natural park in Huila Department, Colombia.
The Cueva de los Guácharos National Natural Park sits in the mountainous south of Colombia, spanning parts of Huila, Caquetá, and Cauca. The area features steep slopes with dense forest growth, rocky formations, and an underground cave system where waterfalls flow through dark passages.
As Colombia's first protected area of its kind, the park was created in 1960 to conserve bird populations and primary forest landscapes in the eastern Andes. The designation followed growing concern about the decline of oilbird numbers and the clearing of mountain forests in the region.
The park takes its name from the oilbirds, native nocturnal birds that have nested in the limestone caves for centuries and are regarded by hikers as living symbols of wilderness. Visitors can hear their distinctive calls in the early morning or at dusk when they fly out of the caves or return.
Hikes lead through wet forest sections with uneven ground, so sturdy footwear and weatherproof clothing are recommended. The cave passages can be slippery and require extra caution, especially in wet conditions or during the rainy season.
The birds feed only on fruit during their nightly excursions and use clicking sounds to navigate in complete darkness, much like bats. Their nests are made from a mix of saliva and plant material that sticks to cave walls and is used for years.
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