Birds of Southern Ecuador

Guayaquil

You are met on the arrival of your chosen international flight and transferred to a 4* hotel in Guayaquil.

Manglares-Churute

A morning’s birdwatching at Manglares-Churute, an important reserve of extensive mangrove forest and large freshwater marsh. Drive to Buenaventura, near Piñas, in the afternoon. Stay 2 nights at Jocotoco Foundation’s Umbrellabird Lodge, Buenaventura.

Buenaventura

Full day’s birdwatching at Buenaventura. This superb and easily accessible area of steep forested slopes combines the southern limit of the Chocó avifaunal region with the Tumbesian region. It was made famous in 1980 by the discovery of a new parakeet, the El Oro Parakeet. The area boasts an impressive list, including 8 threatened and 4 near-threatened species, and a wide range of local wet-forest species. Pacific Royal and Grey-breasted Flycatchers and Ochraceous Attela can be seen along this road. You can get into several impressive tanager flocks, which may have Rufous-throated Tanager, and several joining species like Russet Antshrike. Raptors include Black and Ornate Hawk Eagles and Crested-eagle (rare). A possible find is the Long-Wattled Umbrella Bird.

Further birdwatching this morning at Buenaventura then transfer to the small town of Loja in the afternoon, birding en route. Overnight at La Casa Lojana, for 2 nights.

Podocarpus NP: Cajanuma Sector

A full day of birding in the Cajanuma sector of Podocarpus National Park. With 210 species this wet area has the highest number of bird species of any cloudforest and elfin forest/páramo eco-tone in the world (2,500m–3,200m). It is home to 5 threatened, 9 near-threatened and 9 restricted-range species including Bearded Guan, Red-faced Parrot, Golden-plumed Parakeet, Rainbow Starfrontlet, Purple-throated Sunangel, Orange-banded Flycatcher, Masked Mountain-Tanager and Chestnut-bellied Cotinga which was first seen here. The main entrance has been cited as one of the best spots in the world, in terms of variety and ease of access, for watching Andean birds.

Loja - Vilcabamba - Tapichalaca

Head south today to Vilcabamba, stopping along the way to pick up more Tumbesian specialities: Amazilia Hummingbird, Pacific Hornero, Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant, Tumbes and Southern-beardless Tyrannulets, Fasciated Wren, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Plumbeous-backed Thrush, Grey-and-Gold and Three-banded Warblers, Silver-backed Tanager (if you are lucky!), Scrub Blackbird, Yellow-tailed Oriole, Saffron Finch and Streaked Saltator. More birding around Vilcabamba, most notably for Plumbeous Rail, then continue working the road all the way through arid habitats and up into humid temperate zone forest to Tapichalaca. Arrive at the Jocotoco Foundation’s lodge at Tapichalaca for 2 nights, where you will be thrilled by the action at the hummingbird feeders. Staying at the lodge allows us to visit in the early morning the site where the Jocotoco Antpitta was recently discovered.

Tapichalaca Reserve: Quebrada Honda

A full day’s birdwatching in the Tapichalaca Reserve. In addition to the sometimes elusive Jocotoco Antpitta this area is home to Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Chestnut-naped Antpitta, Dusky Piha, Red-hooded and White-capped Tanagers, White-breasted Parakeet, Scaly-naped Amazon and Red-billed Parrot. The upper part of the Quebrada Honda trail is good for mixed species flocks: look for Tyrannine Woodcreeper, Orange-banded Flycatcher and Masked Saltator.

Morning at Tapichalaca watching for mixed foraging flocks and searching out some of the skulking species of the forest under-storey by the excellent forest trails, along the roadside and even from the porch! You might choose to drive a little further south, to search for some of the Marañón valley endemic species that have worked their way north. Among the possibilities: Tawny-breasted Tinamou, Plain-breasted Hawk, Bearded Guan, Golden-plumed Parakeet, Scaly-naped Amazon, Rufous-banded Owl, Collared Inca, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Amethyst-throated and Flame-throated Sunangels, Glowing Puffleg, Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Chestnut-naped and Jocotoco Antpittas, Ocellated Antpitta, Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant, Smoky Bush-Tyrant, Martañon Thrush, Pale-footed Swallow, Grass-green Tanager and Superciliaried, Black-capped and Black-headed Hemispingus. Bird the road back to Loja in the afternoon, to overnight at La Casa Lojana.

Loja-Zamora Road

Today we travel early to the village of Zamora. This is another fascinating transect and again you will witness great diversity as you descend through temperate, subtropical and foothill zone habitats. Some of the specialities include Maroon-tailed and White-breasted Parakeets, Green Hermit, Blue-fronted Lancebill, Rufous-capped Thornbill, Amethyst Woodstar, Emerald Toucanet, Yellow-vented Woodpecker, Ash-browed Spinetail, Spectacled Prickletail, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Cliff Flycatcher, Rufous-tailed Tyrant, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Inca Jay, Golden-eyed Flowerpiercer, and Orange-eared, Golden-eared, Saffron-crowned, and Flame-faced Tanagers. Stay 2 nights at Copalinga Lodge.

Podocarpus NP: Bombuscaro sector

Visit the Bombuscaro sector of the Podocarpus reserve. This rich area offers opportunities to find many rare and very local species that inhabit these foothill forests. Slowly walk the park´s trails in search of White-breasted Parakeet, Coppery-chested Jacamar, Highland Motmot, Black-streaked Puffbird, Chestnut-tipped Toucanet, Dusky Spinetail, Ecuatorian Greytail, Lined Antshrike, Foothill Antwren, Mottle-backed Elaenia, Olive-chested Flycatcher, Lemon-browed Flycatcher, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Blue-rumped Manakin, Grey-mantled Wren, and a spectacular number of Tangara Tanagers.

Zamora-Loja-Cuenca

A birding drive from Zamora to Loja, then from Loja to Cuenca. Possible species on the way include the endangered Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, White-browed Chat-Tyrant and even Condor at Río León. Stay 2 nights at a 3* hotel in Cuenca.

Cajas NP

Visit Cajas National Park today focusing on its higher altitude habitats. Look for the rare endemic Violet-throated Metaltail as you bird your way to the páramo at the top of the pass. Enjoy a picnic lunch to the tune of Ecuadorian Hillstar and Blue-mantled Thornbill, Tit-like Dacnis and Giant Conebill, Andean Teal and Andean Ruddy Duck, Bar-winged and Stout-billed Cinclodes. Today’s targets also include Carunculated Caracara, Andean Condor, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Andean Gull, Yellow-billed Pintail, Páramo Ground-Tyrant, Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant, Red-crested Cotinga, and Plumbeous Sierra-Finch and many other páramo species that are found here.

Return to the park this morning this time to the lower Llaviuco section, and walk to a small lake to bird shrubbery and woodland. While this is a relatively leisurely day, the results should be very rewarding. Look for several species of hummingbird and for mixed feeding flocks—this will probably be the first chance to see the Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan and an interesting array of montane birds such as Turquoise Jay, Masked Trogon, Spectacled Whitestart, Masked Flowerpiercer and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager. Drive down to Gualaceo to stay 2 nights at Parador Turistico Gualaceo.

Gualaceo-Limón Road

A pre-dawn departure to take advantage of the very rich Gualaceo-Limón Road. The birding begins as the sun comes over the pass in one of the few places in the world where one can easily bird very high temperate elfin forest in search of the mixed flocks and the specialities that forage in them: Mouse-coloured Thistletail, Glossy Flowerpiercer, the very rare Masked Mountain-Tanager, Black-backed Bush-Tanager and Pale-naped Brush-Finch, will be just some of your targets as well as a variety of spe-cial hummingbirds that include Great Sapphirewing, Glowing Puffleg and Rainbow-bearded Thornbills. This transect changes subtly as you drop in altitude and so do the species of birds you will see. The temperate and subtropical zone species to be encountered are many. Some highlights include White-throated and White-rumped Hawk, Viridian Metaltail, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Emerald Toucanet, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Olive-backed and Strong-billed Woodcreepers, Pearled Treerunner, Mon-tane Foliage-gleaner, Black-throated Tody-Tyrant, Barred Becard, Barred Fruiteater, Blue-backed Conebill, Orange-eared, Flame-faced, Golden Tanagers and (if you are lucky) the spectacular White-capped Tanager, Lacrimose, Blue-winged, and Black-chested Mountain Tanagers and the rare White-rimmed Brush-Finch. Return to Gualaceo for the night.

Guayaquil

This morning take a birding drive to Guayaquil. Stop at several locations en route with good chances of species that inhabit the highlands, the subtropics, and the lowlands of Manglares-Churute. Stay for 2 nights in Guayaquil at the same 4* hotel as before.

Depart early for a final morning’s birding in Cerro Blanco, well known for its impressive dry forest bird endemics, plus a great raptor list, making this a great birding trip. The area is most notable for its population of endangered Great-green Macaw. Possible sightings are the rare Rufous-headed Chachalaca, Grey-backed Hawk and Pale-browed Tinamou, and some endemic parrots like Grey-cheeked Parakeet, Red-masked Parakeet and Red-lored Amazon. The Tumbesian endemics are abundant, with good chances of finding Short-tailed Woodstar, Elegant crescent Chest, Collared Antshrike, Black-capped Sparrow, and others. Return to Guayaquil in the afternoon in good time for overnight flights to Europe, or up to Quito for Amazon lodges next day. Alternatively, stay the night in Guayaquil to fly to the Galápagos in the morning.