Lebrija River is a river of northern Colombia. It originates in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes in Piedecuesta and flows through the northern part of the department of Santander into the Magdalena River in Puerto Wilches.

Etymology The Lebrija River is named after Antonio de Lebrija, the conquistador who discovered the river in 1529.

Description

The Lebrija River originates at an altitude of in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes to the northeast of Piedecuesta, Santander. The Lebrija River, a confluence of the Suratá River and the Río de Oro,GIDROT, 2011, p.144CIAT, s.a., p.21 flows northward through the municipalities Girón, capital of Santander Bucaramanga, Lebrija and Sabana de Torres to flow into the Magdalena River near the Loma de Corredor, Puerto Wilches,CDIM, s.a., p.5 Santander at an altitude of .Google Maps Elevation Finder In the lower course of the river, it forms the natural boundary between Santander and Cesar, close to the border with Bolívar. About of the river, with a total basin size of , is navegable.GIDROT, 2011, p.128

Geology The type locality of the Girón Formation was identified along the Lebrija River in 1954.GIDROT, 2011, p.44 At this type section, a total thickness of of the formation was registered in 1968.GIDROT, 2011, p.45 The type locality of the thick La Paz Formation is also located near the river.GIDROT, 2011, p.59

Climate The heavy rains over the capital district of Santander, the metropolitan area of Bucaramanga, have caused mortality of fish in the Lebrija River. El Río Lebrija pierde sus peces - El Espectador The Lebrija River transports an average of of water per year.GIDROT, 2011, p.117 The maximum discharge at the San Rafael station has been registered in December with and the minimum in January with .GIDROT, 2011, p.118GIDROT, 2011, p.119 The higher basin of Lebrija Alto has between of precipitation per year in a bimodal pattern. The rainy seasons are March to May and September to November with drier periods from December to February and June to August. The temperature ranges from , the relative humidity reached 81% and the hours of sunshine vary between 1472 and 1913.CDMB, s.a., p.4

Flora and fauna

Many species of flora and fauna have been registered in the Lebrija River basin. A total number of 761 species of which 172 birds, 77 insects, 124 mammals, 104 fish and 284 plant species have been noted at Rionegro, Santander. Fauna y flora de la cuenca media del Río Lebrija en Rionegro, Santander - Humboldt Institute The Cerulean Warbler Bird Reserve is close to the Lebrija River in Bucaramanga.Cerulean Warbler Bird Reserve - ProAves

Flora The following species and genera are noted in the upper part of the Lebrija River: Ocotea sp., Miconia sp., Guarea grandifolia, Hedyosmum bomplandianum, Guateria sp., Protium sp., Ochroma sp., Piper sp., Trema micrantha, Vismia baccifera, Urera caracasana, Cecropia sp. and Croton leptostachis.CDMB, s.a., p.9

Fauna Mammals The following mammals have been registered in the upper and central Lebrija River basins:CDMB, s.a., p.10

Name Species Image Venezuelan red howler Alouatta seniculus gray-handed night monkey Aotus griseimembra white-fronted capuchin Cebus albifrons oncilla Leopardus pardalis southern tamandua Tamandua tetradactyla northern tamandua Tamandua mexicana silky anteater Cyclopes didactylus Brazilian porcupine Coendou prehensilis crab-eating fox Cerdocyon thous crab-eating raccoon Procyon cancrivorus collared peccary Pecari tajacu red brocket Mazama americana red-tailed squirrel Sciurus granatensis brown-throated sloth Bradypus variegatus Linnaeus's two-toed sloth Choloepus didactylus Hoffmann's two-toed sloth Choloepus hoffmanni tapeti Sylvilagus brasiliensis eastern cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus common opossum Didelphis marsupialis brown four-eyed opossum Metachirus nudicaudatus sepia short-tailed opossum Monodelphis adusta mountain paca Agouti paca lowland paca Cuniculus paca black agouti Dasyprocta fuliginosa Central American agouti Dasyprocta punctata kinkajou Potos flavus tayra Eira barbara long-tailed weasel Mustela frenata striped hog-nosed skunk Conepatus semistriatus neotropical otter Lontra longicaudis nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus northern naked-tailed armadillo Cabassous centralis dusky rice rat Melanomys caliginosus Jamaican fruit bat Artibeus jamaicensis pygmy fruit-eating bat Artibeus phaeotis silky short-tailed bat Carollia brevicauda Seba's short-tailed bat Carollia perspicillata common vampire bat Desmodus rotundus common big-eared bat Micronycteris microtis Heller's broad-nosed bat Platyrrhinus helleri greater sac-winged bat Saccopteryx bilineata little yellow-shouldered bat Sturnira lilium great fruit-eating bat Artibeus lituratus chestnut short-tailed bat Carollia castanea Thomas's shaggy bat Centronycteris centralis Godman's long-tailed bat Choeroniscus godmani northern ghost bat Diclidurus albus black myotis Myotis nigricans

Amphibians and reptiles The following species have been registered in the central Lebrija River basin:

Name Species Image palm rocket frog Rheobates palmatus robber frog Craugastor raniformis emerald-eyed tree frog Hypsiboas crepitans yellow treefrog Dendropsophus microcephalus Fleischmann's glass frog Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni yellow-striped poison frog Dendrobates truncatus South American common toad Rhinella margaritifera Dendropsophus subocularis Pristimantis miyatai Rulyrana adiazeta Allobates niputidea fer-de-lance Bothrops asper blunthead tree snake Imantodes cenchoa red-nape snake Ninia atrata yellow-bellied snake Coniophanes fissidens Micrurus dumerilii turnip-tailed gecko Thecadactylus rapicauda Polychrus marmoratus Anolis frenatus Anolis sulcifrons Lepidoblepharis xanthostigma Sphaerodactylus heliconiae

Birds

The following species have been registered in the central Lebrija River basin:

Name Species Image rufous-tailed hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl orange-billed sparrow Arremon aurantiirostris bright-rumped attila Attila spadiceus rufous-capped warbler Basileuterus rufifrons orange-chinned parakeet Brotogeris jugularis cattle egret Bubulcus ibis great black hawk Buteogallus urubitinga Muscovy duck Cairina moschata bicolored wren Campylorhynchus griseus turkey vulture Cathartes aura grey-cheeked thrush Catharus minimus golden-headed manakin Ceratopipra erythrocephala dusky antbird Cercomacra tyrannina green kingfisher Chloroceryle americana green honeycreeper Chlorophanes spiza blue-tailed emerald Chlorostilbon mellisugus bananaquit Coereba flaveola spot-breasted woodpecker Colaptes punctigula crested bobwhite Colinus cristatus ruddy ground dove Columbina talpacoti black vulture Coragyps atratus white-bibbed manakin Corapipo leucorrhoa smooth-billed ani Crotophaga ani little tinamou Crypturellus soui green jay Cyanocorax yncas rufous-browed peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis black-faced dacnis Dacnis lineata violet-bellied hummingbird Damophila julie plain-brown woodcreeper Dendrocincla fuliginosa straight-billed woodcreeper Dendroplex picus yellow-bellied elaenia Elaenia flavogaster mountain elaenia Elaenia frantzii white-tailed kite Elanus leucurus checker-throated stipplethroat Epinecrophylla fulviventris thick-billed euphonia Euphonia laniirostris white-necked jacobin Florisuga mellivora spectacled parrotlet Forpus conspicillatus white-tailed hawk Geranoaetus albicaudatus wedge-billed woodcreeper Glyphorynchus spirurus white-breasted wood wren Henicorhina leucosticta scrub greenlet Hylophilus flavipes yellow-backed oriole Icterus chrysater Euler's flycatcher Lathrotriccus euleri white-tipped dove Leptotila verreauxi striped manakin Machaeropterus regulus white-bearded manakin Manacus manacus boat-billed flycatcher Megarhynchus pitangua tropical screech owl Megascops choliba red-crowned woodpecker Melanerpes rubricapillus southern nightingale-wren Microcerculus marginatus yellow-headed caracara Milvago chimachima tropical mockingbird Mimus gilvus ochre-bellied flycatcher Mionectes oleagineus buff-rumped warbler Myiothlypis fulvicauda rusty-margined flycatcher Myiozetetes cayanensis pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis Colombian chachalaca Ortalis columbiana chestnut-bellied seed finch Oryzoborus angolensis cinereous becard Pachyramphus rufus band-tailed pigeon Patagioenas fasciata pale-bellied hermit Phaethornis anthophilus green hermit Phaethornis guy stripe-throated hermit Phaethornis striigularis olivaceous piculet Picumnus olivaceus great kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus slaty-headed tody-flycatcher Poecilotriccus sylvia spectacled owl Pulsatrix perspicillata blue-and-white swallow Pygochelidon cyanoleuca vermilion flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus flame-rumped tanager Ramphocelus flammigerus crimson-backed tanager Ramphocelus dimidiatus roadside hawk Rupornis magnirostris olive-grey saltator Saltator olivascens buff-throated saltator Saltator maximus streaked saltator Saltator striatipectus black phoebe Sayornis nigricans saffron finch Sicalis flaveola Lesson's seedeater Sporophila bouvronides plumbeous seedeater Sporophila plumbea ruddy-breasted seedeater Sporophila minuta yellow-bellied seedeater Sporophila nigricollis southern rough-winged swallow Stelgidopteryx ruficollis chestnut-collared swift Streptoprocne rutila white-winged swallow Tachycineta albiventer white-shouldered tanager Tachyphonus luctuosus blue-necked tanager Tangara cyanicollis bay-headed tanager Tangara gyrola black-capped tanager Tangara heinei scrub tanager Tangara vitriolina barred antshrike Thamnophilus doliatus blue-grey tanager Thraupis episcopus palm tanager Thraupis palmarum band-tailed barbthroat Threnetes ruckeri sooty grassquit Tiaris fuliginosus fasciated tiger heron Tigrisoma fasciatum common tody-flycatcher Todirostrum cinereum house wren Troglodytes aedon black-billed thrush Turdus ignobilis pale-breasted thrush Turdus leucomelas tropical kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus red-eyed vireo Vireo olivaceus blue-black grassquit Volatinia jacarina plain xenops Xenops minutus eared dove Zenaida auriculata jet antbird Cercomacra nigricans sooty ant tanager Habia gutturalis sooty-headed wren Pheugopedius spadix brown-winged schiffornis Schiffornis turdina northern slaty antshrike Thamnophilus punctatus

Fish

The following species have been registered in the central Lebrija River basin:

Name Species Image guppy Poecilia reticulata redhump eartheater Geophagus steindachneri wolf fish Hoplias malabaricus Prochilodus magdalenae Sturisomatichthys leightoni Cauca molly Poecilia caucana Astroblepus homodon Leporinus muyscorum Ancistrus caucanus Astynax magdalenae Brycon henni Chaetostoma fischeri Chaetostoma milesi Gephyrocharax melanocheir Hemibrycon dentatus Hypostomus hondae Ichthyoelephas longirostris Parodon magdalenensis Pimelodus blochii Pimelodus grosskopfii Rhamdia quelen Roeboides dayii Salminus affinis

Trivia In 1898, Princess Theresa of Bavaria made the first reported finding of an egg of the Magdalena River turtle (Podocnemis lewyana) near the Lebrija RiverCastaño Mora, 1986, p.666

See also

List of rivers of Colombia Suárez River Chicamocha River, Sogamoso River

References

Bibliography

Further reading