Introducing: Birdwatching the highlands and the lowlands of Ecuador

Complete birding tour of Ecuador

With your guide, Sandra, you are going to experience some excellent birding. Sandra knows her birds as well as their habitats. She has an incredible sense for the timing of their appearance and patiently waits. Here she is calling in the ochre-breasted antpitta aka “Shakira” for her incredible shaking moves.

Day One: Birding Western Cloud Forests of Ecuador

Pick up from airport and transfer will be towards Café Cultura. A little shopping can be made or just recover from the long flight. Overnight at Café Cultura.

Day Two: Birding Pinchicha Volcano

Early pick up towards the highlands of Pichincha Volcano. Birding towards the Yanacocha reserve, a locally owned, private reserve. In the past all the animals here were hunted for food but now they are conserved for their and our benefit. Target birds: Cock of the Rock, Blue-winged mountain tanager, Sword-Billed Hummingbird, Black-breasted Puffleg, Tyrian Metal-tail, and Andean Condor. After Yanacocha The Old Nono-Mindo Road is taken birding as we go with the incredible landscapes and changes of habitats, target birds at the road will include Grass-Green Tanager, Toucan Barbet, Orange Breasted Fruit Eater, Beautiful Jay, Plate-Billed Mountain Toucan, Ocellated Tapaculo, Giant Antpitta. Late afternoon arrival to Septimo Paraiso Cloud Forest Reserve, dinner and overnight.

Day Three: Birding Mindo, Ecuador

Early start to enjoy the birds at this impressive location (1580 m. above sea level), Birding in the gardens of the hosteria and trail birding including the observation platform. Lunch at Septimo, afternoon continues with the excellent possibilities that this forest provides, finally stopping at the hummingbird station to enjoy incredible displays by this unique American species. Target birds include Choco Toucan, Pale-Mandibled Aracari, Scaled Antpitta, Ochre breasted Antpitta, Glistening-Green Tanager, Long-Wattled Umbrellabird, Wattled Guan, Black and White Owl, Cloud Forest Pygmy owl, Rufescent Screech Owl, Crested Quetzal, Toucan Barbet and many more. Dinner and Overnight at Septimo Paraiso. Click here to see more photos of Mindo’s birds.

Day Four: Hunting the Andean Cock of the Rock (cotingas)

Optional very early wake up to be led to an Andean cock of the rock lek, some hiking in the dark is expected returning to Septimo for Breakfast. Departure for a Full day Lower Valley of Mindo and Cunuco trip including a visit to the Septimo Paraiso Cloud Forest reserve Biostation and the forest at the Cunuco station. Lunch at the biostation and then afternoon trip to the El Cinto Road, birding on the road which is famous for good surprises. Incredible sights of the Mindo specialties including Sun-Bittern, little Hermit, Velvet-purple Coronet, Torrent Duck, Neo-tropical Cormorant, Golden-Headed Quetzal, Dark-backed Wood-Quail. Return to Septimo Paraiso, Dinner and Overnight.

Day Five: Birding Ecuadors Cloudforest

Early breakfast, Full day trip towards the area of Los Bancos (1050 m. above sea level) birding along the road to Milpe and other options. Visit to the trails of the Mindo Cloud Forest Foundation. Box Lunch on location and late afternoon return to Septimo Paraiso. The target birds here are just amazing with species such as Chestnut-Mandibled Toucan, Moss-Backed Tanager, Chestnut-Throated Antwren, Choco Vireo, Crested Owl. Dinner and overnight at Septimo Paraiso.

Day Six: Birding Trogons and Parrots among the coffee plantations

Early Breakfast, Full day trip towards the lowlands, arriving to the Silanche road (450 m. above sea level) in the Pedro Vicente Maldonado area. Impressive birding at the road traveling through several patches of forest and also palm plantations, the target birds here are Choco Trogon, western white tailed trogon, Buff-Rumped Warbler, Black-Cheeked Wood Pecker, Rose-Faced Parrot, Orange-Fronted Barbet, Scarlet-Thighed Dacnis and many more. Box lunch on the road and late return to Septimo Paraiso. Farewell dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Day Seven: Departure or optional Galápagos Islands extension….

Breakfast and check out based on plane departure time. If flight is in the afternoon, more Birdwatching just to check if we have missed any birds. Transfer to the airport and end of services.

Contact us about pricing for bird watching in Ecuador 2014.

mike@exddtours.com

Interested in birding Ecuador or know someone who is?

Related Articles:

Ecuador:Bird watching in Mindo

Galápagos Islands: Travel to Genovesa Island (Tower Island)

Galápagos Islands: Walking amongst giants with the Galápagos land tortoise

Checklist for travel to the Galápagos Islands

 

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“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover …”

-Mark Twain