Spotting the Cock-of-the-rock Birds in Jardin, Colombia

Why Visit La Reserva Natural Jardin de Rocas

✅ Bucket List Birding in Colombia: The primary reason for visiting La Reserva Natural Jardin de Rocas in Jardin is to observe the stunning Andean Cock-of-rock birds in their natural environment.

Called Gallitos de Rocas in Spanish, these birds, with their vibrant orange-red plumage and distinctive fan-shaped crests, create an incredible spectacle!

✅ Courtship Rituals: What makes the reserve special is that it protects a “lek”, a specific area where male birds gather to perform elaborate courtship displays to attract females.

This natural phenomenon allowed us the rare opportunity to witness fascinating mating rituals and behaviors that few get to see in the wild.

📷 For birdwatchers looking to add a lifer and photographers seeking that perfect shot, Jardin de Rocas Reserve offers an experience that is both authentic and accessible.

➡️ For a guided visit of the reserve, book this tour

Our Personal Experience at the Reserve

Since seeing the Andean Cock-of-the-rock has been on our birding bucket list for a while, visiting La Reserva Natural Jardin de Rocas was the first we did among all the things to do in Jardin.

We took a bus from Medellin to Jardin and arrived in the afternoon. Immediately after checking in at our hotel in Jardin, we headed out to go to the reserve, a short walk from our place of stay.

Arrival and Entry

When we arrived, we saw the main gate of the reserve locked from inside and we couldn’t see any reception window either.

There was another couple there, who had arrived almost the same time as us. All of us chose to give it a couple of minutes.

Soon, a lady appeared, opened the gate for us, invited us in, charged us the entry fees in cash and showed us to the observation area.

Show Starter

Once inside the reserve, there are a few observation decks overlooking the lek where the Cock-of-the-rocks gather.

Some are open decks while there was a bigger platform with seats, tables and a TV monitor screen.

Even before we reached the observation area, Indranil who was in front of me, hinted me to move closer to him so that I could see what he was looking at: an Andean Cock-of-the-rock!

But I failed to pay attention to that, because I was already looking at three other Andean Cock-of-the-rocks!

After this dazzling start to our visit of Jardin de Rocas, what followed for the rest of the afternoon was a constant flash of brilliant orange among the green foliage.

The Lek Spectacle

Before long, we were witnessing more than a dozen male Andean Cock-of-the-rocks in full display mode. Their vibrant colors stood in stark contrast to the lush forest backdrop, creating a natural spectacle. But the most fascinating part for us was observing their behaviors.

The male Cock-of-the-rocks performed elaborate displays, puffing up their plumage, bobbing their heads, and making distinctive calls to attract the attention of the more subtly-colored females.

It is a remarkable example of sexual selection in nature, where the females have the final say in choosing their mate.

However, we could not spot in female Cock-of-the-rock. Were they elusive? Or is it a pity on the performers that none of those males got selected by a female partner when we were there?

Other Birds

Jardin is home to more than 200 species of birds. So, even at La Reserva Natural Jardin de Rocas, it is possible to see other birds, not just the Gallitos.

During our visit, saw some other species of hummingbirds and a motmot.

But honestly, there is so much going on with the Cock-of-the-rocks, it is difficult to move focus to even try to find other birds during this afternoon.

The Environment

Other than the sudden bursts of noise made by the Cock-of-the-rocks, the preserved forest patch had a peaceful atmosphere.

I also need to mention that, at the time of our visit, there were many groups of birdwatchers at different observation areas of the reserve. It was impressive how everyone maintained quiet and respected the environment.

On Camera, In Memory

We were there at the reserve until the closing time and all through this time, we were spoilt for choice where to look and which Cock-of-the-rock birds to observe. There were so many of them, all around us, in every direction!

Although the late afternoon light was low, we got plenty of opportunities to photograph the Cock-of-the-rocks.

But sometimes, we chose to keep the camera and the phone aside and were absorbed in simply watching the actions of these magnificent birds.

Short Videos

If you want to see the some moving visuals of the Cock-of-the-rocks, check out our short videos on TikTok here:

• Cock-of-the-rock Video 1
• Cock-of-the-rock Video 2