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NORTHERN ECUADOR

The Ultimate South American Bird Tour

Wednesday 29th September - Sunday 17th October 2010
(19 days)

La Selva Extension to Saturday 23rd October (6 days)

Leader: János Oláh

Group Size Limit: 9

Tour Category: Easy to Moderate (and two optional fairly short but fairly Demanding trails)

How remarkable that the sought-after Giant Antpitta can now be seen relatively easily in the Mindo area, where they are tempted from the forest interior by a gift of worms! (János Oláh)

(Note: This is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)

Ecuador, bisected from north to south by the mighty Andes mountains and from east to west by the equator (after which the country is named), offers wonderful birding amidst magnificent scenery in one of the smallest countries in South America.

Once part of the Inca empire that stretched from Chile to Colombia and later a Spanish colony before it gained its independence during the 19th century, this small country possesses an extraordinary range of environments. Here in a comparatively limited area one can travel from towering snow-capped volcanoes to oxbow lakes deep in the Amazonian rainforests and from windswept grasslands to temperate cloud forests. It is thus not surprising that Ecuador has the highest bird species diversity for an area its size in South America. Over 1600 bird species have already been recorded from this beautiful country, twice as many as from the whole of Europe, and yet many areas still remain ornithologically unexplored! In addition to having many species that are widely distributed in South America, Ecuador has a fine selection of endemics and other species only shared with neighbouring areas in Colombia or northern Peru.

This wonderful country offers not only the ultimate in Neotropical birding but also one of the richest birding experiences on earth! Ours is the most comprehensive tour to the northern regions of Ecuador available, regularly recording over 800 species in about three weeks in the country, including a huge number of very special birds!

During our travels we shall visit almost all of the main habitats found in the northern half of the country. We will look for seedsnipe high on the Andean slopes, gorgeously-plumaged quetzals and gaudy tanagers amongst the moss and bromeliad-encrusted trees of the cloud forests, toucans and manakins along a tributary of the Amazon, skulking antbirds deep in the rainforest, scintillating hummingbirds breaking all the laws of aerodynamics as they search out blossoms, raucous chachalacas at dawn, confusing woodcreepers and ovenbirds, retiring doves and exotic trogons. Ecuador’s astonishing diversity of birdlife, welcoming people, short travel distances and good accommodations make birding here a real delight.

Starting in Quito, a pleasant colonial city nestled in the central valley of the Andes below the Pichincha volcano, we shall explore verdant cloud forests and paramo grasslands in the surrounding highlands and on the western slope of the Andes around Mindo. This is one of the most exciting areas for birds in Ecuador and amongst a plethora of new birds we will be wanting to see Purple-bibbed Whitetip, Empress and Fawn-breasted Brilliants, Buff-tailed and Velvet-purple Coronets, the gorgeous Golden-headed Quetzal, the splendid Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, the impressive Toucan Barbet, White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant, Streak-capped and Uniform Treehunters, Nariño and Spillmann’s Tapaculos, Club-winged Manakin, Scaled Fruiteater, Olivaceous Piha and Beautiful Jay. A star attraction in the Mindo region are the Giant, Yellow-breasted and Moustached Antpittas that have been habituated to eat provided earthworms by some of the local guides!

Farther west, we will explore some remnant lowland forest for such Chocó specialities as Green Thorntail, the handsome Purple-chested Hummingbird, Chocó Trogon, Pale-mandibled Aracari, Guayaquil Woodpecker, Lanceolated Monklet, the inconspicuous Double-banded Greytail, Rufous-winged Tyrannulet, Slate-throated Gnatcatcher, Stripe-throated Wren, Chocó Warbler (split from Golden-bellied), and the near-endemic Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, the oddly-shaped Moss-backed Tanager, and Grey-and-gold and Scarlet-browed Tanagers.

After returning to Quito we will sample the rich birdlife of the high Andean paramo at Antisana National Park and at the Papallacta Pass, looking for such great birds as Carunculated Caracara, Ecuadorian Rail, Noble Snipe, Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, the endemic Ecuadorian Hillstar, Paramo Tapaculo and Black-backed Bush-Tanager.

After spending some time on the western slope of the Andes and in the western lowlands, our spectacular descent into the upper tropical zone at the base of the eastern slope of the Andes will come as a total ornithological contrast. Here we will visit Archidona, the superb Wild Sumaco and Gareno Lodges. Birdlife is extraordinarily rich here at the edge of Amazonia, and amongst many special birds are Rufous Potoo, the wonderful Pavonine Quetzal, Ecuadorian Piedtail, Yellow-browed and Hairy-crested Antbirds, Reddish-winged Bare-eye, Purple-throated Cotinga, Foothill Elaenia, Olive-chested Flycatcher, Buff-throated and Black-and-white Tody-Tyrants, the pretty Golden-winged and Blue-rumped Manakins, Olivaceous and Rufous-naped Greenlets, and Olivaceous Siskin.

As we make our way back to Quito we will explore progressively higher areas as we ascend the verdant eastern slope of the Andes on a relatively new road which has opened up this exciting area to birdwatchers. There are so many specialities in this fantastic area that it is hard to know which to pick out, but amongst the many good birds here are Rufous-banded Owl, Swallow-tailed Nightjar, Coppery-chested Jacamar, Black-mandibled Toucan, Yellow-vented Woodpecker, White-bellied Antpitta, Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcher, Black-billed Peppershrike and Golden-collared Honeycreeper.

Finally we descend the western slope of the Andes once more. Here, in the lush foothills around Tinalandia and in the lowland rainforest at Rio Palenque, we shall be looking for yet more specialities restricted to this side of the Andes, such as Rufous-headed Chachalaca, Chocó Screech-Owl, Band-tailed Barbthroat, White-whiskered Puffbird, Spot-crowned Antvireo, Checker-throated Antwren, Esmeraldas Antbird, Black-headed Antthrush, Snowy-throated Kingbird, Speckle-breasted Wren and Grey-and-gold Warbler.

During the optional extension we shall spend some time at La Selva, the best lodge in Amazonian Ecuador from a birding standpoint. La Selva is a remote jungle lodge on the majestic Napo River which has earned a reputation as one of the finest places for birding in the whole of Amazonia. On foot and by canoe we will explore the superb rainforests and oxbow lakes of this extraordinarily rich area, enjoying such impressive species as Hoatzin and Blue-and-yellow Macaw, a parrot spectacular at a salt lick, and such specialities as Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet, Purplish Jacamar, Scarlet-crowned Barbet, Orange-fronted Plushcrown, Short-billed Leaftosser, the little-known Cocha Antshrike, Dot-backed Antbird, Wire-tailed Manakin and Chestnut-belted Gnateater. We should also find such river island specialists as Olive-spotted Hummingbird, Lesser Hornero, White-bellied Spinetail, Parker’s Spinetail (split from Rusty-backed), Castelnau’s Antshrike, Black-and-white Antbird and River Tyrannulet.

Birdquest has operated tours to Ecuador since 1989.

Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels/lodges are moistly of normal Birdquest standard. At Gareno Lodge and at La Selva the rooms are rather simple and there is no electricity, but all rooms have private bathrooms. Road transport is by small coach and roads are variable in quality.

Walking: The walking effort is mostly easy to moderate, but there are two optional, fairly short, more strenuous muddy trails.

Climate: Rather variable. At low and middle altitudes many days are warm or hot, dry and sunny, but it is sometimes cool and overcast. At high altitudes conditions range from cool to decidedly cold. It often rains (and it may even snow at high altitudes) and it can be rather humid in the lowlands.

Bird Photography: Opportunities are worthwhile.

Tour Price: £3840, €4531, $6336 London/London (or £3060, €3611, $5049 Quito/Quito). Extension: £1190, €1404, $1964. Price includes all transportation (including all flights), all accommodations, all meals, bottled water, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.

Single Room Supplement: £255, €301, $421. Extension: £180, €212, $297.

Deposit: £390, €460, $644. Extension: £120, €142, $198. If booking more than 12 months before departure, the initial deposit is only £150, €177, $248.

Part-Tour Option: Subject to space being available, it is possible to take any part of this tour (for example, the East slope of the Andes and Tinalandia/Rio Palenque). Please contact us for further information.

Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe haunt the paramo grasslands of the high Andes (János Oláh)