 |
 |
|
World BirdingBritish BirdingMiscellany & FunBirdnewsTravelLibraryBird FamiliesOrnithologySight & SoundsEquipment/Supplies |
|
 |
birding...
Equador
As a birding hotspot, Ecuador is coming of age with some of the best and easiest birding in the world. A country only twice the size of England, Ecuador contains over 15 % of the worlds bird species with 1600 bird species recorded to date. But it is not just the numbers and exotic families that make this an undiscovered Mecca; the birding is EASY with a huge range of possibilities close to Quito to make even a short birding trip very productive and hassle free. Previously almost mythological bird families such as Ant-pittas, Ant-thrushes, Tapaculos and Wood-creepers are now easily located with newly created lodges/reserves specifically designed for birdwatchers. In these bird lodges newcomers to the Neo-tropics are introduced to birds such as Tanagers, Toucans, Motmots, Cotingas and Potoos, while being shown around by English speaking guides and staying in luxurious yet affordable accommodation. Typically short-term visitors to Ecuador have three biological main hotspots to choose from and many have a week in each. Longer-term birders could easily spend four months in the country without getting bored with the place. The GALAPAGOS is known throughout the world for endemism and the spectacle of animals so tame you almost need a macro lens to photograph them! With cruises that get birders most the 25 endemic birds as well as amazing looks at Boobies, Frigate birds and Albatross, the Galapagos is as easy as it gets. The northern ANDES/CHOCO region is easily accessible, with superb birding options only 1 1/2 from Quito. This cloud forest area is a magical land of mixed feeding flocks where one flock may contain 25 different species all moving in unison but utilizing different parts of the same trees. This is the best option for novice birders as good views and easy birding is possible immediately surrounding the lodges. The AMAZON lodges offer the possibility of large numbers of species for experienced birders and the adventure of experiencing this forest in luxury. Newcomers to the Neo-tropics may feel overwhelmed by the numbers and the difficulty to observe many of the species on the first day or so, but the professional guides are superb in these lodges and very few people leave the Amazon disappointed. Perhaps the most exciting feature of all with birding in Ecuador is the new Birders Resource Centre in Quito. Here you can find free detailed information on most birding sites in Ecuador as well as help with logistics for your birding trips. For more information email birdingecu@tandayapa.com or head into their office at Juan Leon Mera Y Foch in Quito. For a comprehensive list of places to stay that are suitable for birders see Fatbirder’s commerce section... under "Places to Stay" World pages. |
|||
|
|
|
This page brought to you in association with:
This page brought to you in association with:
|
contributor |
||
Iain Campbell
(Tandayapa Bird Lodge, Ecuador)
iainc@tandayapa.com
http://www.tandayapa.com
numbers |
||
National Bird: Andean Condor Vultur gryphus
numbers |
||
Non-passerines Dark-backed Wood-Quail Odontophorus melanonotus Pale-mandibled Aracari Pteroglossus erythropygius El Oro Parakeet Pyrrhura orcesi White-necked Parakeet Pyrrhura albipectus Ecuadorian Hillstar Oreotrochilus chimborazo Black-breasted Puffleg Eriocnemis nigrivestis Violet-throated Metaltail Metallura baroni Esmeraldas Woodstar Acestrura berlepschi
Passerines Cocha Antshrike Thamnophilus praecox Saffron Siskin Carduelis siemiradzkii Pale-headed Brush-Finch Atlapetes pallidiceps
useful reading |
|
||
A Birders Checklist of the Birds of Ecuador
D Sargeant 32 pages 1993ISBN: 41899
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birding Ecuador - Hummers, Howlers and Hissing Hoatzin DVD
Malcolm Rymer Running Time 120 Mins. Malcolm Rymer 2004ISBN: 151164
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birding Ecuador 1998-99
Bruce C Forrester 109 pages, illus, tabs. 2000ISBN: 110170
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of Ecuador DVD-ROM
Aves de Ecuador: DVD-ROM Niels Krabbe and Jonas Nilsson Bird Songs International BV 2003ISBN: 9075838069
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of Ecuador : A Field Guide
by Robert S. Ridgley March 2001 Cornell University Press HardcoverSee Fatbirder Review
ISBN: 0713661178
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of Ecuador : Status, Distribution and Taxonomy
by Robert S. Ridgley March 2001 Cornell University Press HardcoverISBN: 071366116X
Buy this book from NHBS.com
The Ecotravellers Wildlife Guide to Ecuador & the Galapagos islands
Pearson & Beletsky Academic Press (2000)ISBN: 0120848139
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Where to Watch Birds in South America
Nigel Wheatley Paperback - 336 pages (27 October, 1994) Christopher HelmISBN: 0713639091
Buy this book from NHBS.com
clubs |
||
Aves & Conservacion
http://www.avesconservacion.org/En el marco del Festival Mundial de las Aves 2008, el Ministerio del Ambiente de Ecuador con el apoyo de Aves & Conservación - BirdLife en Ecuador y la Fundación Numashir, y el auspicio de BirdLife International, Conservación Internacional – Ecuador, Neblina Forest, Fundación Arcoiris y Fundación Jatun Sacha, convocaron a la primera reunión para la generación participativa de la Estrategia Nacional de Conservación de las Aves. La Estrategia es un documento fundamental para orientar la gestión de quienes estamos vinculados a este objetivo y por ende su generación debería contar con el aporte de todas las instituciones y personas que han venido trabajando a favor de la avifauna del Ecuador, así como de otros actores vinculados al tema ambiental más amplio...
Birdlife International Quito
http://www.birdlife.org/worldwide/national/ecuador/index.htmlBirdLife`s regional office in Quito, Ecuador is responsible for facilitating and coordinating BirdLife`s activities in the Americas. The regional network of BirdLife partner organizations is working to protect threatened species and their habitats, to identify and protect Important Bird Areas (IBAs); to educate communities and decision-makers about the importance of birds, and to promote long-term sustainable use of irreplaceable ecosystems...
Corporacion Ornitologica Del Ecuador
http://www.birdlife.org/worldwide/national/ecuador/index.htmlLa Corporación Ornitológica del Ecuador, CECIA, es una organización sin fines de lucro fundada en Quito (Ecuador) en 1986, cuya misión se define como: Aportar a la Conservación de las Aves, sus Hábitats y la Biodiversidad del Ecuador, en Beneficio de la Gente y con su Participación Activa.
Fundacion Jatun Sacha
http://www.deh2.co.uk/equafor/Pages/fundac.htmlJatun Sacha is an Ecuadorian non-profit making ecological organization. It was founded in 1985, when the three naturalists (Alejandro Suarez, an orchid grower and botanical illustrator, Michael McColm, an American living in Ecuador, and Dr David Neill, a curator from the Missouri Botanical Gardens on secondment to the National Herbarium in Quito) combined their properties on the Rio Napo in Ecuador`s Amazonian province of Oriente to form a reserve of 200 hectares.
Fundación Jocotoco
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/projects/ecuador.htmFundación Jocotoco is an Ecuadorian organisation established to protect land of critical importance to the conservation of Ecuador`s avifauna and associated biodiveristy. The Fundación achieves this by purchasing lands and managing them as private ecological reserves.
Fundacion Natura
http://www.fnatura.org/Es misión de Fundación Natura la protección del medio ambiente, la preservación de la biodiversidad y el manejo sustentable de los recursos naturales para mejorar la calidad de vida de las presentes y futuras generaciones, mediante la transformación de hábitos y comportamientos, la formación de una conciencia ambiental en la población y el establecimiento de una nueva ética social...
Fundacion Ornitologica del Ecuador
http://www.cecia.org/La Tierra 203 y Av. de los Shyris, Casilla 17-17-906, Quito. +5932 464359; cecia@uio.satnet.net
The Ornithological Foundation of Ecuador - CECIA is a non-profit organization that it was funded in 1986 and it is dedicated to the conservation and investigation of the birds and its habitats, environmental education and natural resources management in Ecuador.
Rainforest Concern
http://www.rainforestconcern.org/projects/ecuador/The Maquipucuna Foundation was established in 1987 and is a non-profit and non-governmental conservation organisation legally constituted and registered in Equador. It is a member of IUCN Rainforest Concern, a registered charity in England (number 1028947); which was established in 1993 with the specific objective of identifying and securing protection for seriously threatened habitats in Latin America. In November 1994, Rainforest Concern formed a formal association with the Maquipucuna Foundation and each organisation is represented on the other`s board of directors. Rainforest Concern is neither a political nor religious organisation...
Rio Pucuno Foundation
http://www.riopucunofoundation.org/The Rio Pucuno Foundation has been approved by the appropriate government agencies and is chartered under the laws of Ecuador. It will work with us to help advance our primary goal of saving rainforest in perpetuity...
museums |
||
Bilsa Biological Station
http://www.jatunsacha.org/texto1.php?id_submenu1=19&id_menu=3&id_submenu2=5The Bilsa Biological Station was established in 1994, it's the leading field research station in Western Ecuador and protects the last remnants of rainforest in the province of Esmeraldas...
Ecuador`s Biological Stations
http://www.jatunsacha.org/sub1sub2_regiones.php?id_menu=3Each station has available lodging facilities and meal service for researchers, natural history groups, community groups and volunteers...
Guandera Biological Station
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guandera_Biological_StationThe volunteer program at Guandera offers a unique oppportunity to live and work in the only extensive primary inter-Andean cloud forest in Ecuador. The forest is awe-inspiringly beautiful. Giant ancient trees, twisted and gnarled, coated with mosses and orchids, extend into a thick green canopy that hangs in the mists overhead. The expansive Andean grasslands above are equally impressive with their panomaric vistas of snow-capped volcanoes and their lush gardens of soft-leaved Frailejon plants.
Tiputini Biodiversity Station
http://www.ceiba.org/tiputini.htmThe location of the Tiputini Biodiversity Station (TBS) adjacent to the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve in equatorial western Amazonia means direct contact with the greatest concentration of species diversity on Earth. This project has been developed by the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in collaboration with Boston University principally for research, education and conservation. The Station with its 650 hectares (1500 acres) is situated about 300km (200 mi) ESE of Quito on the north bank of the Tiputini River (a tributary of the Napo River) in eastern Ecuador. The region has enjoyed exceptional protection due to its history as part of the traditional territory of the Waorani people and total isolation from development. David Pearson, Ph.D. in The New Key to Ecuador and the Galapagos, 2nd Edition unabashedly recommends TBS as the best place in all of Ecuador to see wildlife.
reserves |
||
Antisana Ecological Reserve
http://www.ecuador.washcoll.edu/Antisana/antisana.htmlAbove an altitude of 4800 meters very little vegetation exists, as this area is covered with snow year-round. Between 3600 & 4800 meters, however, we entered a habitat called the paramo, in which the plant and animal life are both highly adapted to the extreme conditions which are the norm here. Due to the high winds that regularly sweep this habitat, nothing taller than the grass and low lying succulents are found in the open...
Cuyabeno Reserve
http://www.thebestofecuador.com/cuyabeno.htmThe bird life is particularly spectacular: over 515 species have been recorded such as the prehistoric-looking hoatzin, umbrella bird, blue-headed parrots, white-eared jacamar, scarlet macaw and the awesome harpy-eagle with its eight-foot wing-span...
Los Cedros Biological Reserve
http://www.ancientforests.org/ecuador.htmThere can be few experiences as wildly enchanting as waking up that first morning in the cloud forest. First the low guttural moan of the howler monkey draws you out of your sleep, the jungle alarm clock! And then your ears and imagination are overwhelmed by the morning crescendo of hundreds of delightfully different and new bird calls...
Machalilla National Park
http://www.planeta.com/planeta/98/0598machalilla.htmlThe Machalilla National Park, is the unique protected area in the country where you can find three ecological zones: Continental zone, Islands and Marine zone. Located south of the Manabí Province, this National Park is one of the best alternatives to know and enjoy these important eco-systems as well as learn about the different cultures dwelling these region...
Podocarpus National Park
http://www.thebestofecuador.com/pnodo.htmEcuador`s southernmost national park is a hidden gem. Large tracts of virgin forest shelter a bewildering array of climates and residents; some of the most spectacular scenery lies within easy access of Loja and Vilcabamba. Even as poaching, illegal colonizing, and especially mining take their toll on Podocarpus, the relative few tourists that visit come away knowing they`ve seen something special - whether it`s the fairy-tale high-altitude forest or one of the flashier of the park`s hundreds of bird species.
Reserva de la Montaña - Río Chuchuví
The last extensive, unbroken lowland and montane rainforest in western Ecuador occurs in the far north of the country, in the provinces of Esmeraldas, Carchi and Imbabura. Recently made more accessible by the completion of the paved road between the highland town of Ibarra and coastal town of San Lorenzo, this area is a mecca for those wanting to see or study wildlife that is rare or non-existent elsewhere in Ecuador...
Reserva Ecológica Séptímo Paraíso
http://www.septimoparaiso.comLa Reserva Ecológica Séptímo Paraíso es un área protegida desde el 2001 con la meta de conservar y preservar el bosque y el ecosistema que le rodea. Está administrado por la Fundación Green Mindo que se encuentra desarrollando proyectos de conservación y estudios dentro de sus 420 hectáreas de bosque nublado primario y secundario maduro. La Reserva tiene una de las mayores cuentas de aves de la región noroccidente de Pichincha, con 322 especies. Además, existen varias especies de mamiferos como puma, oso de anteojos, monos, coati, armadillos, venados de cola blanca, peresozos entre otros. Una variedad increible de especies de reptiles y anfibios. sin contar la tremenda variedad de flora. La altitud varia entre 950 m y 1650m y el aislamiento de la región ha creado uno de los mas delicados, ricos y complejos ecosistemas conocidos en la región de Mindo.
Septimo Paraiso Cloud Forest Reserve is a private protected area born in 2001, with the goal of saving and preserving the forest and diverse ecosystems that are immerse in it. It is managed by the Green Mindo Foundation, which is in charge of the conservation and the study of its 420 hectares of premountain and mountain cloud forest. The Reserve has one of the largest bird counts of the north-western area of Pichincha, with 322 species of birds. Several species of mammals had been found such as puma, spectacled bear, black howler monkey, capuchin monkey Andean coati, armadillos, white tailed and brocket deer, two toed sloth to name some. Also an incredible amount of reptile and amphibian species had been found, plus an overwhelming number of plant species. The drastic altitude changes from 950 mts. to 1650 mts. above the sea level in addition to the isolation of the region that has created one of the most delicate, but rich and complex ecosystems known in the Mindo region...
Reserva Rio Guaycuyacu
http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/guaycuyacu/Resident animals include monkey, ocelot, jaguarundi, kinkajou, tayra, agouti; spiders and snakes, butterflies and beetles. 170 species of birds are on our list of sightings, among them four species of toucans. Characteristic plants include copal, rubber, pambil palm, tree fern, passion flowers and bromeliads.
Sachatamia Rainforest Reserve
http://www.sachatamia.comA private reserve which sports an Umbrellabird lek...
Sangay National Park
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/260/Some 400-500 bird species may be present, although comprehensive inventories have not been compiled. The park contains two Endemic Bird Areas, the Central Andean páramo, home to ten bird species of restricted range, and the Eastern Andes of Ecuador and northern Peru, home to 15 restricted-range species...
Tinalandia Nature Reserve
Tinalandia rests on the Western slope of the the Ecuadorian Andes at the southern end of the Choco Bioregion which stretches from Columbia to Ecuador. The late ornithologist Ted Parker and botanist Al Gentry proclaimed this area to be the most bio-diverse region in the world, and the ideal location of Tinalandia at 2000 feet takes advantage of most of what this region has to offer. Located about 2 hours from Quito, Tinalandia is one of the most accessible wildlife areas from the Ecuadorian capital. Tinalandia is perhaps best known for its exceptional birdwatching opportunities. Over 350 species, have been recorded by some of the world`s most renowned birding experts.
Wild Sumaco
http://www.wildsumaco.com/Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary S.A., a small private company dedicated to conservation, is determined to save what we can of this fine forest and its wildlife before it disappears. Our land is a choice, sustainable and bird-rich piece of rainforest, and as an important part of our conservation plan we are building a comfortable and convenient lodge for 20 guests on land that was previously cleared for farming. Wildsumaco Lodge should be completed and ready for guests in late 2007...
Yanahurco
http://ecuador-yanahurco.com/reservat.htmlYanahurco is a private ecological reserve...
trip reports |
||
Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you can’t find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page… give them a try!
1992 [September]
http://home4.inet.tele.dk/moel/Birdwatching in Ecuador & Galapagos Islands Aug.-Sep. 1992, DOF-tur, Erik Mølgaard, Niels Krabbe, Jesper Meedom & Ulrik Andersen. Birdwatching in Ecuador Jan. - Feb. 1994, Birdlist for a 3 weeks trip, Erik Mølgaard.
1995 [September] - John van der Woude - Northern Ecuador
http://home-1.worldonline.nl/~jvanderw/ecu95/ecurep95.htmlAfter birdwatching trips to Central-America and Venezuela, we now went to Ecuador. We birded three regions, the middle elevations West of Quito, the high Andes East of Quito, and the Oriente, the lowland Amazon basin. We traveled by hired car, and stayed in all sorts of hotels and lodges. The weather was good, we had only a few days with some rain, and not so much wind as in previous trips. We had no problems with health or safety at all.
1998 [September] - John van der Woude - Southern Ecuador
http://home-1.worldonline.nl/~jvanderw/ecu98/ec98rpt.htmlFrom 22 August till 15 September 1998 Nollie and I made a private birding trip to Southern Ecuador, as a follow-up of our trip to Northern Ecuador in 1995. Southern Ecuador has an outstanding diversity of habitats. Cajas and Podocarpus National Parks are famous mountain destinations (photo right is at Cajanuma, Podocarpus N.P.). The humid to dry hills and plains in the Southwest have the Tumbesian endemics and many other species. We visited other sites as well...
1999 [July] - Amazilia - Galapagos
http://www.amazilia.net/images/Travel/Galapagos1999/Galapagos1999.htmThis trip was offered by Field Guides, Inc. and was led by Mitch Lysinger, whom we had birded with in 1996 so we were expecting a fun, and excellent trip. We weren`t disappointed, and the tameness of most of the birds, and their abundance, offset the low number of species seen on the trip...
2000 [July] - Roger Boyd
http://maybank.tripod.com/SouthAmerica/Ecuador/Ecuador-07-2000.htmThe trip was arranged by Roger L. Boyd through Mercedes Revadeneira at Neblina Forest. Mercedes suggested the itinerary that we used, made all the arrangements and provided the transportation, drivers and guides. There was a total of 8 of us from Kansas and one from Colorado in our group. We were very pleased with our experience, accommodations, food, driver, and most of all, our guide Lelis Navarrete. We also had a very knowledgeable local guide at Sacha: Oscar Tapuy. This was, by far, our best trip (out of 5) ever to South America. We highly recommend Neblina Forest to you. We located 568 species of which 66 were only heard. Included in this list were 76 tanagers and allies, 70 flycatcher and 48 hummingbird species. A species list is appended to the end of this trip report.
2000 [March] - Greg Roberts
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/ecuador/ecuador1/Ecuador.htm(With Glen Ingram.) We have previously done numerous trips unguided, but opted for a guide this time. The difficulty was deciding who to go with. We chose Bird Ecuador, which offered a reasonable price for the services rendered. You pay a lot for the better known expatriate guides, but if you`ve done your homework, it may not be worth it. Our Ecuadorian driver/guide, Juan Carlos Calvachi, is on a learning curve, but knows most of the birds and their calls. The trip is divided into three sections. Juan Carlos was with us in southern and northern Ecuador. In Amazonia at Yuturi, we had a sharp-eyed native Indian guide, Jaime Grefa...
2000 [October] - Daan Planting
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/ecuador/ecuador2/ecuador2000.htmFrom 13-10-2000 till 29-10-2000 I made a birding trip to Ecuador. As this was my third time to visit Ecuador, my aim this time was to visit those areas I had not yet visited and to see as many new species as possible.
2000 [September] - Mark and Cindy Lockwood - The Andes and Sacha Lodge
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/ecuador/ecuador3/ecuaror2000.htmThe primary destination of this trip was Sacha Lodge on the Rio Napo, but I thought we could also visit some familiar areas during our stay. Our last trip to Ecuador was to Bellavista Lodge in December 1998. We had the great fortune of meeting Tony Nunnery and Barbara Bolz during our stay there. Having struck up a friendship with Tony and Barbara, we were eager to visit them again. I settled on revisiting the Tandayapa Valley, Pedro Vicente Maldonado, Yanacocha, and the Papallacta Pass area.
2000 [September] - Mark Lockwood
http://maybank.tripod.com/SouthAmerica/Ecuador/Ecuador-10-2000.htmThis was the fourth trip to Ecuador for Cindy and I. The primary destination of this trip was Sacha Lodge on the Rio Napo, but I thought we could also visit some familiar areas during our stay. Our last trip to Ecuador was to Bellavista Lodge in December 1998. We had the great fortune of meeting Tony Nunnery and Barbara Bolz during our stay there. Having struck up a friendship with Tony and Barbara, we were eager to visit them again. I settled on revisiting the Tandayapa Valley, Pedro Vicente Maldonado, Yanacocha, and the Papallacta Pass area.
2001 [August] - Chris & Alison Hall
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/ecuador/ecuador5/ecuador-aug2001.htmWith a four wheel drive hired for four weeks and a 42 page checklist totalling 1583 species, we arrived in Ecuador with the excited anticipation of two kids on Christmas morning. Owing to the wide range of altitude and climates in this Andean country, there are various habitat types, homes for one of the world`s most diverse avifaunas. There are all kinds of parrots, quetzals, trogons, toucans, jacamars, motmots, puffbirds, barbets, antpittas, manakins, cotingas, tapaculos, flowerpiercers, honeycreepers, oropendolas, caciques, saltators and other exotica.
2001 [Autumn] - Ian Stewart
http://maybank.tripod.com/SouthAmerica/Ecuador/Ecuador-Notes-2001.htmHere are some comments of my own, having recently returned from a very enjoyable 2 week holiday in Ecuador. I wasn`t there as a hardcore birder, although I did organise my trip loosely around good bird spots (I had originally intended to use Ecuador as a stopping off point for a more grandiose trip to the Galapagos, but financial circumstances meant that I ended up just travelling around Ecuador, and wasn`t diappointed).
2001 [October] - Ruth & Ian Traynor
http://www.tka.co.uk/birds/ecuador/This is not a website about birdwatching in Ecuador! It is a personal account of two English birdwatcher`s birding trip to this delightful and bird-rich South American country in October 2001. We are Ruth and Ian Traynor, from York in northern England. We are not highly experienced birders - this was only our second neo-tropical birding trip; our first was to Trinidad & Tobago (the Two and Only!) in October 1999...
2002 [January] - David Cooper and Brenda Kay
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/ecuador/ecuador7/ecuador-jan2002.htm...Watched the Hummingbird feeders on the veranda until 11am when walked the Potoo Trail and the start of the Antpitta Trail. It started to rain so returned to the Lodge. On brightening up we went for an evening walk along the short Tanager Trail...
2002 [January] - Dennis Rogers - Podocarpus National Park and the Chongon Hills
http://maybank.tripod.com/SouthAmerica/Ecuador/Ecuador-01-2002.htmWith the opportunity for a necessarily short and cheap trip, southern Ecuador appeared the most reasonable possibility. With only a week on the ground, I settled for three sites: two in Podocarpus NP and one near Guayaquil itself. I was able to bird two days at each, with the first day lost to travel. My total list for the trip was about 250 species, with virtually no waterbirds or other padding...
2002 [January] - Todd Pepper & Geoff Post
http://maybank.tripod.com/SouthAmerica/Ecuador/Ecuador-01-2002-B.htmOur trip to Ecuador was to last 18 days. Our goal was to see 400 species by visiting 4 areas: west slope, east slope, high Andes and Amazonia. Our first day was taken up with travel from Toronto to Quito where we stayed at the centrally located La Casa Sol, a bed and breakfast type establishment which we used as our base in Quito...
2002 [September] - Adrian Royle - Tena, Papallacta & Mindo
http://members.aol.com/adiroyle5/html/2002.htmlI visited Ecuador for the first time in September 2002 for 2 weeks, just to get a feel for the country, its birds, scenery, wildlife, people and food. As usual I travelled alone and independently of any travel agent or guide. Using local transport, buses and taxis I save a lot of money and meet lots of people, both local and other travellers. I RECOMMEND this method to all. I come and go as I please, moving on whenever; making it all up as I go; Winging It.
2002 [September] - Mark Harper - Northern Ecuador
http://www.surfbirds.com/mb/trips/ecuador/ecuador-mh-1202.htmlTo organise this trip we initially made contact with Tropical Birding http://www.tropicalbirding.com via the internet and followed this up when we met with Cristina Cervantes and Iain Campbell at the British Birdwatching Fair 2001. We were expertly guided by Nick Athanas except whilst at Sacha Lodge when the resident guide Oscar Tapuy performed that task. Also accompanying Nick was Jose Illanes a new Tropical Birding guide who was previously employed at La Selva Lodge and was beginning to get to grips with the birds of the highlands. This arrangement was much to our benefit as he had a knack for spotting birds that we couldn`t see until he scoped them for us...
2003 [December] - Steve Arlow
http://www.surfbirds.com/mb/trips/ecuadorarlow03/ecuador-arlow03pt1.htmlI undertook some preliminary investigations but the general thought by the others was to continue with a South American theme so Ecuador was the hot favourite. My initial investigations gave me a potential itinerary to work with and a potential cost. This cost was put to the guys at about £1600 which was basically a do it and drive it yourself trip. However it transpired that the majority were in favour of getting a local guide with vehicle for the entire time we were there to save travelling hassles and optimise the birding time. After further investigation the cost of a 17 day trip had increased to £2300 which was more than I would have liked to have paid but everyone else seemed okay with this so I went ahead and began booking the flights, accommodation, guides etc...
2003 [February] Nick Athanas - Southern Ecuador
http://www.tropicalbirding.com/tripReports/TR_SEcuador.htmlThe trip got off to a tough start when Jim & Hardy arrived in Quito 15 hours late after their flight was diverted to Guayaquil due to bad weather. Fortunately for them, they had decided to arrive a day early, so they still had more than a full day to bird the Tandayapa valley before heading south. We made the most of it and ended up seeing some of the most sought-after birds in the region including Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, Toucan Barbet, Tanager Finch, Velvet-Purple Coronet, and Empress Brilliant...
2003 [July] Vincent van der Spek
http://home.wanadoo.nl/jas-en-vin/tripreports/verslagen/ecuador_03.htmEven though I was already familiar with several species and families due to earlier trips to Central and North America, this was something completely different in a birding point of view...
2003 [March] - Peter Nash - Northern Ecuador
http://www.surfbirds.com/mb/trips/ecuador-pns-0403.html...After meeting Ian Campbell on the Tropical Birding stand at the 2002 British Birdwatching Fair, Glenn Hickson, Roger Stanfield and I decided to arrange a two week birding tour to the the Choco region of Ecuador. The Choco stretches from Colombia in the north to south western Ecuador and comprises of lowland rainforest in the east and Andean cloudforest in the west. The area has an incredible avian diversity and many restricted range species...
2003 [March] Joe Tobias and Nat Seddon
http://www.surfbirds.com/mb/trips/ecuador-jt-1103.htmlAt Yasuní Research Station various trails provide immediate access to the forest. The Laguna trail is very good, providing access to lakeside and seasonally flooded habitats (very muddy after rain) and also to terra firma where it meets with other trails such as Kinkajou, Napo and Cosanga...
2003 [May] - Mark Lockwood
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/ecuador/ecuador14/ecu-may-03.htmPaul Sunby and I recently made a short trip to the west slope of the Andes starting in Quito. We birded at Yanacocha, the Tandayapa Valley, the Mindo area, and two places near Pedro Vicente Maldonado...
2003 [May] Richard Rae
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/ecuador/ecuador15/n-ecu-may-03.htmThis report covers a two week birding trip to Northern Ecuador. The main sites visited were Tandayapa Lodge (which was used as a base for various sites in the Mindo area, as well as Pedro Vicente Maldonado and Los Bancos); Yuturi Lodge, Yarina Lodge and Yanacocha...
2003 [October] - John Leadley - Northern Ecuador
http://www.indybirder.com/ecuadortriprep.htmlBellavista Lodge is a well-known center for birding the upper Tandayapa Valley. We stayed at Bellavista from the night of 13 October 2003 until 17 October, when we returned to Quito...
2004 [December] - Tropical Birding - Northwest Ecuador
http://www.tropicalbirding.com/tripReports/TR_NWEcuador_Dec2004.html...As usual, the Sword-billed Hummingbird caused the greatest stir, but Golden-breasted and Sapphire-vented Pufflegs and Great Sapphirewings were also admired. A couple of mixed flocks contained Bar-bellied Woodpecker, the beautiful Golden-crowned Tanager, Rufous Wren, and Superciliaried Hemispingus. A pair of Crowned Chat-Tyrants was a good find, and we eventually saw a Unicoloured Tapaculo. Because of the late start we arrived at Tandayapa Bird Lodge too late for the hummers, but picked up a White-capped Dipper along the way...
2004 [February] - Jan van der Laan
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/ecuador/ecuador19/ec-feb-2004.htmFirst we went to Yanacocha, a reserve just outside Quito at about 3500 meters at the slopes of the Pichincha volcano. For us it was quite uncomfortable at this height and we would have a headache for the next two days. Birds seen or heard were: Variable Hawk, American Kestrel, Eared Dove, Shining Sunbeam, Mountain Velvetbreast, Great Sapphirewing, Collared Inca, Buff-winged Starfrontlet, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Gorgeted Sunangel, Sapphire-vented Puffleg, Golden-breasted Puffleg, Booted Racket-tail, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Green-tailed Trainbearer, Tyrian Metaltail, Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, Bar-bellied Woodpecker (h), Undulated Antpitta (h), Rufous Antpitta (h), Tawny Antpitta (h), Uncoloured Tapaculo (h), White-crested Elaenia, White-throated Tyrannulet, White-banded Tyrannulet, White-tailed Tyrannulet, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, Barred Fruiteater, Rufous Wren, Slate-throated Whitestart, Spectacled Whitestart, Cinerous Conebill, Blue-backed Conebill, Glossy Flowerpiercer, Black Flowerpiercer, Golden-crowned Tanager, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Black-chested Mountain-Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Superciliared Hemispingus, Plain-coloured Seedeater, Rufous-naped Brush-Finch, Rufous-collared Sparrow (common) and Hooded Siskin...
2004 [March] - Tropical Birding - Northern Ecuador
http://www.tropicalbirding.com/tripReports/TR_NEcuador_Mar2004.html...Several groups of ibises were feeding on the plain, surrounded by Carunculated Caracaras, and on the drive up we encountered Stout-billed and Bar-winged Cinclodes, Páramo Pipit, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, Páramo Ground-Tyrant, and Streak-backed Canastero. Further on, we walked round the lake shore a little to get good views of Silvery Grebe, Andean Lapwing, Yellow-billed Pintail, Andean Teal, and Andean Coot. On the way back down we saw a couple of Condors soaring, and caught up with some stunning male Ecuadorian Hillstars...
2004 [March] - Tropical Birding - Southern Ecuador
http://www.tropicalbirding.com/tripReports/TR_SEcuador_Mar2004.html...This was the most comprehensive Southern Ecuador tour Tropical Birding has ever run, and without a doubt the best! We saw a total of 538 species (a truly staggering number for this area) including nearly all the birds endemic to the Tumbesian region that are possible in Ecuador as well as some truly rare species like Esmeraldas Woodstar, El Oro Tapaculo, and Slaty Becard...
2004 [November] - Tropical Birding - Northern Ecuador
http://www.tropicalbirding.com/tripReports/TR_NEcuador_Oct2004.html...A few mornings of difficult weather were more than made up for by some fantastic birding at other times. Some highlights were Greater Scythebill - a lifer for all including me, multiple condor sightings including a juv. feeding on a dead sheep, the critically endangered Black-breasted Puffleg, stunning views of a male Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, and an 11th hour, totally unobstructed, too-close-to-focus-on Ocellated Tapaculo that will never be forgotten...
2004 [October] - Adrian Royle - Cajanuma, Rio Bombuscaro & Buenaventura
http://members.aol.com/adiroyle5/html/2004.html...Where to go though was my first problem. My ideal spot would be with excellent walking routes, no guides and no expensive lodges for my limited budget.. Eventually I asked on the Neotropical Birding Forum. Every answer was the same; Podocarpus National Park in SE Ecuador. A few trip reports reinforced the message, so Podocarpus it was to be, with the Rio Bombuscaro area being especially attractive...
2005 [December] - Eduard Sangster
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/ecuador/ecuador22/mindo-dec-2005.htmThis is a short note for independent travellers who want to visit excellent Mindo. This note should enable you to see (and not only hear!) at least 3 species of antpitta. At this incredible place it is even possible to make pictures of the usually extremely hard to see Giant Antpitta! This is a place operating only since October 2005. I was here at 28 and 29 December 2005...
2005 [February] - Tropical Birding - Southern Ecuador
http://www.tropicalbirding.com/tripReports/TR_SEcuador_Feb2005.htmlIt wasn't supposed to be an antpitta tour... it was supposed to be a comprehensive tour of Southern Ecuador targetting as many Tumbesian endemics as possible as well as the numerous S Ecuador/N Peru high Andean specialties. And we were reasonably successful at that; we didn't leave much behind. However I will always remember this one as the Antpitta tour...
2005 [January] - Tropical Birding
http://www.tropicalbirding.com/The morning at Yanacocha started with a bird familiar to everyone but scarce in Ecuador, Short-eared Owl, shortly followed by a superb Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle cruising low over the hillside. Just beyond the car park we watched a small flock of Hooded, Black-chested, and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers, and Jason found an Andean Guan. The hummingbird feeders were as usual the main source of entertainment, especially as the Sword-billed Hummingbirds were on good form...
2005 [January] - Tropical Birding - Eastern Ecuador
http://www.tropicalbirding.com/tripReports/TR_EEcuador_Jan2005.html...Clouds billowed around us we arrived but fortunately there were only a few sprinkles of rain and the wind was not blowing a gale. Blue-mantled Thornbills and Viridian Metaltails flitted from bush to bush as we got out of the van and a Red-backed Hawk was kiting in the wind. We started working on some of the páramo specialties like White-chinned Thistletail and Andean Tit-Spinetail before heading down to the Polylepis woodland...
2005 [March] - Dave Klauber
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/ecuador/ecuador20/ecu-mar-05.htm...I had the good fortune to spend 45 days in Ecuador from late January through early March. 30 days were spent as part of a small group with Jonas Nilsson of Andean Birding as our guide...
2005 [March] - Tropical Birding - Southern Ecuador
http://www.tropicalbirding.com/The tour started at Cerro Blanco, and area of dry forest close to Guayaquil. A Collared Forest-Falcon was calling on our arrival, and provided us with a great start as it came in and perched in a dead tree, almost rivalled by the great views of Elegant Crescentchest that came shortly afterwards. Grey-cheeked Parakeet, Crimson-breasted Finch, Collared Antshrike, and Superciliated Wren were our first Tumbesian endemics, and Grey-and-gold Warblers serenaded us from the trails...
2005 [May] - Tropical Birding
http://www.tropicalbirding.com/A quick stop before we reached the reserve itself provided some typical forest edge species and got the tour off to a good start with birds such as White-crested Elaenia, the striking Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant, Variable Hawk, Black-chested Buzzard Eagle and an out-of-place Black-and-Chestnut Eagle cruising right over us was a very welcome surprise. The tour seemed like it might really be hotting up when we were met by one of the local Yanacocha rangers, who greeted us with the news that the Black-breasted Puffleg...
2005 [September] Mary Beth Stowe
http://miriameaglemon.com/Trip%20Reports/Ecuador%202005/Ecuador%202005%20Main%20Page.htmI've done something a little different with these pages, in that I've put the bird photos in their own separate pages along with my personal bird list for the area; to see these pages, go to the desired links below and then click on the "Illustrated Bird List" links...
2006 October] - Sam Woods - Southern Ecuador - Tropical Birding
http://www.tropicalbirding.com/tripReports/TR_SouthernEcuador_Sept2006/tripreport.htmThe tour began with the short flight from Quito to the southern city of Loja. We left the cool Quito climate behind for the hot, dry hills of Loja. With a frustrating delay in our flight leaving we arrived extremely keen to get out there birding. Therefore a short way from the city we found ourselves birding some unattractive looking dry desert scrub in the nearby hills. It may not be the most scenic site but soon after finding a flock of Band-tailed Sierra-finches, in a mixed group with Ash-breasted Sierra-finches we found our first target bird of the tour when several pairs of the highly-localized Tumbes Sparrow were seen perched on some conspicuous dead snags, while noisy and equally conspicuous Fasciated Wrens were found nearby (another of the Tumbesian endemics that were to feature heavily on the tour)...
2006 [December] - David van den SchoorTravelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com/tripreports/reports/ecuador_birding_trip_report_dec2007.pdf2006 [February] - Paul Coopmans & Matt Denton
http://www.birdquest.co.uk/tripreports.cfm?trip=485Few regions of South America have been host to the number of unexpected ornithological discoveries in recent decades as Southern Ecuador. The localities of these now legendary birds also hold an amazing selection of Tumbesian endemics, Chocó endemics and regional specialities that make for a very special tour. Our group saw over one hundred of these regional endemics and specialities and finished the tour with 601 species of birds. Highlights included a spectacular performance by a male Long-wattled Umbrellabird, nearly 60 species of hummingbirds...
2006 [July] - José Illanes - Tropical Birding
http://www.tropicalbirding.com/tripReports/TR_NWEcuador_Jul2006/tripreport_nwecuador_jul2006.htmWe started shortly after sunrise at the Yanacocha reserve, a short drive from Ecuador's capital. The day was bright and clear allowing us our first scenic views of the surrounding Andean mountain peaks. Our birding began by walking up the 'Inca trail' through the reserve, taking in our first hummingbirds of the trip. There are a number of hummingbird feeders dotted alongside the track there allowing great views of these hummingbirds, many of which are specialties of the temperate forest zone, that lies just below the treeline. Here we had our first views of such stunning birds as Shining Sunbeams (as interesting as their name suggests); Buff-winged Starfrontlets were everywhere as usual; the incredible Sword-billed Hummingbird; and both Golden-breasted & Sapphire-vented Pufflegs were also seen a number of times along there. Aside from these more expected species...
2006 [November] - Roger Wolfe
http://www.santacruzbirdclub.org/Trips/roger%20ecuador.htmEverything went smoothly traveling on Thanksgiving, the flight, the airport shuttle to the Four Points Sheraton in Quito. The next morning the breakfast buffet was remarkable with some Ecuadorian specialties in with the standard North American breakfast fare...
2007 [August] - Xavier
http://users.skynet.be/fa558105/ECUADOR2007.pdfThis was my first trip in South America (2nd in the neotropics). I built my 23-day itinerary with the help of online trip reports, the “guide to birdwatching in Ecuador and the Galapagos islands” & the Lonely Planet. I preferred doing it that way, using local guides from times to times, than using the services of birding tour operators (more expensive for 2 weeks than what it cost me for 23 days – a bit less than 2000$). Everything went really well, this was one of my favourite birding trips.
2007 [January] - Scott Olmstead - Tropical Birding
http://www.tropicalbirding.com/tripReports/TR_Introtour_Jan07/TR_Introtour_Jan07.htm...A CURVE-BILLED TINAMOU strolling beside the road and a BLACK-CHESTED BUZZARD-EAGLE playfully enjoying the morning breeze got everyone in a good mood right away. The reserve produced the usual excellent mixed flocks of tanagers like SCARLET-BELLIED MOUNTAIN-TANAGERS and SUPERCILIARIED HEMISPINGUSES and tyrannids like WHITE-THROATED TYRANNULETS. We were treated to nice looks at ANDEAN GUAN and an ANDEAN PYGMY-OWL even posed for a few photos. On the way out of the reserve, we were surprised by a couple SHORT-EARED OWLS, perhaps active during the middle of the afternoon because of the heavy fog. Closer to Tandayapa Bird Lodge, our base for the next five nights, we stopped in the Alambi Valley for SLATY-CAPPED CHAT-TYRANT, MASKED TROGON, and WHITE-CAPPED DIPPER...
2007 [March] - Denise Doekes
http://www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=1187The Hosteria San Jorge was built as a traditional 18th Century Spanish Hosteria. It consists of 200 acres in the Pichincha Foothills. San Jorge is the only reserve within minutes of the Capital of Quito and it offers the incredible Magic Birding Circuit, this consists of 5 nature and bird watching reserves with the possibility of seeing over 800 species of birds; it covers almost all of the altitudes in Ecuador from the Paramo to the Sub tropical Rainforests...
2007 [March] - Gerry & Denise Doekes - The 'Magic' Birding Circuit
http://www.realbirder.com/Ecuador.htmMy husband and I travelled to Ecuador in March 2007. We hiked and bird watched the reserves belonging to Dr George Cruz known as the San Jorge Ecuador Eco Lodges and "The Magic Birding Circuit" which consists of 4 nature and bird watching reserves covering almost all of the altitudes in Ecuador from the Paramo to the Sub tropical Rainforests, where there is the possibility of seeing over 800 species of birds. Staying here offers more than just bird watching; there are Inca historical trails and shaman healers and you can enjoy wild life watching as birds, orchids and flowers abound. During our 3-week visit we transversed almost all of Ecuador's eco-systems and habitats...
2008 [January] - David & Amanda Mason
http://www.realbirder.com/EcuadorReportD.htmlA trip to Ecuador or Costa Rica had been on the horizon for several years and in the end we decided to take the plunge after numerous discussions with tour operators at the Bird Fair over the last two years...
tour operators |
|
||
Amazon Travel
http://www.amazontravel.comThis Home Page has been created to inform you, The Amazon Visitor, of the many alternative ways to spend your time during your visit to Iquitos and enjoy the richness of Flora and Fauna in the Rainforest around it.
Andean Birding
http://www.andeanbirding.com/Andean Birding is a bird tour company providing top bird guides, itineraries and logistics for your visit to the Andes and Amazon. In addition, we support bird conservation and conduct ornithological research. Andean Birding is based in Quito, Ecuador; a spectacular country which has the highest concentration of bird species in the world...
Anytime Tours
http://anytimetours.co.uk/cloudforest.htmFatbirder's very own birding tours...
Avestravel
http://www.avestravel.com/AVESTRAVEL is based in Ecuador and managed by a resident Swedish family. We specialize in customized bird and natural history tours for individuals and small groups and our emphasis is on professionalism, reliability and personal attention. AVESTRAVEL`s program is available throughout the year and is flexible to accommodate your special needs. Whether you are a beginner or an expert birder, we at AVESTRAVEL will do our utmost to provide you with the necessary services to make your holiday a supreme birding/nature experience.
Birding Pal
http://birdingpal.org/Ecuador.htmLocal birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...
Canodros
http://www.canodros.com/Today`s most suitable activity for the Galapagos is ecotourism, maintaining a low impact on the natural environment, where tour use is sustainable over time without altering the resource or negatively affecting the experience. Since 1984, CANODROS S.A. has been a leading ecotourism Operator in the Galapagos. In 1998 we acquired the most comfortable, fastest and newest vessel operating on the Galapagos: the GALAPAGOS EXPLORER II.
Cofan Zabalo Ecotourism
http://www.cofan.org/ecoturismo/ecoturismo.htmlIn Ecuador`s Zabalo Rain Forest Reserve, it is still possible to step where no human has ever gone before. We, the Cofan people, are the original inhabitants of this world. With several centuries of expertise in rain forest ecology, we provide you with an insider`s view of an incredibly complex environment, which is only beginning to be understood by science. True life stories, medicinal plants, unmatched forest skills, and an intimate knowledge of the various animals and insects of the forest are all part of the wealth of information we will share with you as you hike and boat through the forest.
Galapagos Adventure Tours
http://www.selectlatinamerica.co.uk/Small group escorted tours to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, tailor made cruises and jungle lodges. We run quality small group tours, and tailor-made itineraries for the discerning traveller. Of interest to nature lovers, bird watchers and photographers or anyone who enjoys travel to remote places with all the organisation meticulously taken care of.
Middle World Touring
http://www.middleworldtouring.com/[Flash] New company offering birding and eco-tourism...
Mindo Bird Tours
http://www.mindobirds.com.ec/Mindo lies within the Chocó Endemic Bird Area (EBA) and Chocó Biogeographic Region, which is considered one of the world`s richest biogeographic areas. This area supports the largest number of restricted-range birds of any EBA in the Americas, over 50 species being endemic to the area... ...We custom-design tours to the Chocó forests and throughout northern Ecuador. We are very familiar with and have led numerous tours to the lower Chocó forests, Nono Mindo Road, Tandayapa, Bellavista, Tinalandia, Yanacocha, Papallacta, San Isidro, Cordillera de Huacamayos, Jatun Sacha, etc. Contact us for more information...
Neblina Forest
http://www.neblinaforest.com/display.php?code=ec001Neblina Forest is an ECUADORIAN company established in 1994 to promote Ecuador`s avifauna and its wilderness. However, after six years of running nature and birding trips to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, we have decided to expand our range of operations by opening an office in Santa Cruz, Bolivia and by operating cultural tours to PERU. We have the firm CONVICTION that these countries and the set of packages we offer will fullfill the needs of nature lovers in general, and birdwatchers specifically.
Tandayapa Bird Tours
http://www.tandayapa.com/Over 600 bird species occur within a two hour drive of Tandayapa Bird Lodge. Experienced guides will take you to the best sites in Northwest Ecuador and help you find the specialities of the Chocó Endemic Bird Area. Our tours are completely customizable based on the time you have available, the sites you want to visit and your level of experience.
Tropic Ecological Adventures
http://www.tropiceco.comTropic is a unique travel company offering superb nature-based trips with a genuine environmental and social commitment in Ecuador, one of the world`s richest natural destinations. We run programmes to all regions of Ecuador, but specialise in the Amazon and the Galapagos.
Tropical Nature Travel
http://www.tropicalnaturetravel.com/travel/ecuador/magicbirding.shtmlExperience bird watching in four different eco-systems in Ecuador: high barren plains of the paramo, highland rainforest, cloud forest and subtropical rainforest. You’ll begin your birding adventure as soon as you arrive in Ecuador with a stay at San Jorge Eco-Lodge & Botanical Reserve. This is traditional 18th century Spanish hosteria and situated among 200 acres of native flora and fauna, just 17 minutes from Quito airport. San Jorge Botanical Reserve provides the perfect opportunity to combine nature, culture and birding at its best...
places to stay |
||
Aguarico Lodge & Iripari Lodge
http://members.fortunecity.com/ecuador2001/accommodations/amazon/aguarico/aguarico.htmlOur lodges offer you the unique opportunity to visit the most remote area of Amazon wilderness. Each lodge is located in a different ecosystem, within the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve.
Amazon Jungle Resort Village
http://www.selvaeco.org/html/ecotours.htmlIf your fantasy is to visit the Amazon Rainforest, then the Amazon Jungle Resort Village, Ecological Reserve is just around the comer of your imagination. Here we combine two worlds: The exclusive surroundings of our resort within the magical and exotic tropical rainforest.
Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve
http://www.bellavistacloudforest.comVisit Bellavista, a cloud forest lodge and 700 hectare reserve 1 hour 40 minutes northwest of Quito - look for the 330 plus bird species seen within the reserve and in the surrounding Tandayapa Valley. Specialities include Tanager-Finch, Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, White-faced Nunbird, Toucan Barbet, Dark-backed Wood-Quail, Ocellated Tapaculo, Giant Antpitta and many more. Bellavista is right in the middle of the Hummingbird Capital of the World and many visit our feeders daily, including Gorgeted Sunangel, Collared Inca, Brown Inca, Violet-tailed Sylph, Booted Racket-tail, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, and Buff-tailed Coronet. 10km of trails, unique and comfortable lodging in the Geodesic Dome, Bamboo House, Trailhead House or Cabin in the Woods. Camping or hostelling options for the budget-minded - electricity, hot showers, private bath, full bar service, hammocks, and library; Spanish, English, French and German spoken. Specialist bird guide available.
Black Sheep Inn
http://www.blacksheepinn.comThe Black Sheep Inn is an inexpensive ecologically friendly hotel high in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador. Perched on a hillside our rural lodge is a perfect place to discover centuries-old culture and diverse ecosystems. Our comfortable hostel offers affordable accommodation and provides you with a great base...
Cabanas San Isidro
http://www.sanisidrolodge.com/Cabañas San Isidro was first founded as a typical Ecuadorian Hacienda-style cattle ranch over forty years ago by the Bustamante Family of Quito, Ecuador. Always with a deep concern for proper natural resource management as well as for the urgent need to protect the unique flora and fauna of the zone, Simón Bustamante left the majority of his vast property untouched and forested.
Café Cultura
http://www.cafecultura.comCafé Cultura is a delightful mix of English tradition and contemporary trend. We consider ourselves an inner city retreat, with lots of personality and wonderful food. The hotel was actually the former home of one of Quitos older families that lived here sixty years ago and subsequently became the French Cultural Centre. The building has been carefully restored over a period of four years, with special detail given to maintaining the unique characteristics of the original interior. The house, a post colonial two-storey building with whitewashed walls and a traditional terracotta tiled roof, barely seems like a hotel from the outside and certainly does not feel like one from the inside. It is surrounded by a beautiful lush garden, with secluded seating areas for relaxing or watching our resident hummingbirds do their thing.
Casa del Suizo
http://www.casadelsuizo.comLa Casa del Suizo is a tranquil Amazonian refuge located on the shore of Ecuador’s majestic Napo River and a stone’s throw away from the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains. Perched comfortably above the riverbank and the small Quichua Indian village of Ahuano, La Casa del Suizo overlooks vast expanses of the surrounding tropical rainforest.
Casa Mojanda
http://www.casamojanda.com/index.htmlSupports minimal impact ecological tourism and promotes cultural, social, and ecological awareness. In addition to being only minutes from Otavalo and its world renown indigenous market, Casa Mojando also offers great hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, Ecuadorian cooking classes, organic gardening and/or Spanish or Quechua lessons.
Cuyabeno Lodge
http://www.neotropicturis.com/When Cuyabeno Lodge started operating in 1986, Neotropic Turis believed that the rainforest traveler should be hosted in conditions, which would be both in harmony with the surrounding environment and attuned with the needs of the modern visitor. Operating as an ethical eco-lodge, we work with local indigenous guides together with bilingual naturalist guides and have a close relationship with the local community, power our dining hall with solar panels and practice environmentally sensitive tourism in all aspects of our programs.
El Monte Lodge
http://www.ecuadorcloudforest.com/Is an ecotourism operation that consists of three wooden cabins and a central lodge for dining and socializing. We have designed El Monte with sustainability in mind and use Permaculture as a general guideline while organically producing many of our own fruits and vegetables...
El Nido B&B
http://www.elnidoecuador.blogspot.com/El Nido Bed & Breakfast is located in Cumbayá, Urbanización La Católica, calle De Los Cóndores Nº 43 y De Los Cardenales, a short drive from Quito Airport (ask for Carrillo Salvador Family). The spacious Spanish Colonial-style house contains four suites: two furnished with double beds, and two with two single beds. All four units have walk-in closets and private bathrooms. The breakfast, special of the house, complete with fruit and juice, is included in the rates...
Guango Lodge
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294308-d660173-Reviews-Cabanas_San_Isidro_and_Guango_Lodge-Quito.htmlGuango Lodge lies at a higher elevation on the eastern slope on the way to San Isidro, not far from the town of Papallacta, at about 2,700 meters elevation. This area is centered in a zone classified as humid temperate forest, a habitat distinctly different from San Isidro and characterized by its more stunted trees (and thicker canopy); cooler climate, and different bird and plant species...
Guaycuacu Farm Lodge
http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/guaycuyacuBesides the main house there are two cabins, each with living and sleeping space. We have good drinking water from a nearby spring, and 120-volt electricity from our small hydro generator. There is a world-class swimming hole just 3 minutes from the house, see photo. We enjoy good food, mostly vegetarian. Meals feature farm produce, including chocolate, tempeh, and over 300 species of tropical fruits.
Hacienda Manteles
http://www.haciendamanteles.com/Located in the heart of the Ecuadorian Andes rests the luxurious first class Hacienda Manteles. Surrounded by nature, located in the heart of the Ecuadorian Andes rests the luxurious first class Hacienda Manteles. Surrounded by nature, the entire atmosphere is energized with peace and flowers of many kinds including orchids, make of the Hacienda a hummingbird haven.
Hosteria San Jorge
http://www.hostsanjorge.com.ec/Spectacular legendary mountainside ranch in the foothills surrounding Quito, Ecuador. Only 10 minutes away from city center but a natural and comfortable world apart. San Jorge is an ecologycal way to enjoy nature and countryside, still being close to everything you need about the city. View Quito from above, instead of being down in it.
Hotel Bambu
http://hotelbambuecuador.com/This newly-built hostal run by a friendly Dutch- Ecuadorian couple provides the best in seaside R&R, while the surrounding area offers plenty of opportunities to quench your thirst for adventure...
Kapawi Ecolodge
http://www.kapawi.com/Kapawi is a great place for birding. In ten days you can get a list of almost 400 species. The river islands often have Horned Screamers and Orinici Geese. Muscovy Ducks are more prevalent than at any other place and they are even in the Kapawi Lake. Pavonine Quetzals are nesting on the Kapawi-Montalvo trail as the Rofous Potoo, and there are also black necked, red cotingas, pearly antshrikes and pheasant cuckoo.
La Selva Jungle Lodge
http://www.laselvajunglelodge.com/At LA SELVA Jungle Lodge, situated high on Lake Garzacocha, deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon region, we offer you the ultimate in luxury jungle experience. Ours is a very special way to visit the Amazon rainforest, and we hope that this web page will answer many of your questions about how to visit us. We have many exciting excursions that will give you a genuine feeling for this important, beautiful and richly biodiverse region of the world. It is our hope that your stay with us will give you an experience of, and a relationship with our jungle which you will never in your life forget.
Las Palmeras Inn
http://www.laspalmerasinn.comLas Palmeras Inn is located in Quichinche, Ecuador, a short walk to Otavalo and less than two hours north of Quito, the capital of Ecuador. The inn is a beautiful garden oasis in the green valley between towering Imbabura and Cotacachi Volcanoes. Las Palmeras Inn offers a perfect combination of peaceful seclusion, adventurous activities, and an intimate connection with the active small-city life of Otavalo...
Liana Lodge
http://www.lianalodge.ec/index_en.htmlWe would like to offer you unforgettable, restful and interesting holidays, and to share with you some of our enthusiasm for the rainforest. By coming to Liana Lodge, you will be able to explore the rainforest and get to know its habitants very well, without missing on comfort and security. Although the lodge is easily reachable from Quito by car within 6 hours, it lies in the middle of primary rainforest where you can follow jaguar tracks.
Maquipucuna Lodge
http://maqui.myweb.uga.edu/lodge.htmlMaquipucuna Lodge has been carefully designed to fit into the wonderful landscape of the cloud forests that surround it. Entirely made of natural materials with a thatched palm roof, the dining and reception areas are open sided so that it is possible to make the most of the wonderful views and serious bird watching is even possible whilst relaxing in your hammock!
Mindo Garden Lodge
http://web.archive.org/web/20011027152959/http://www.ccasablanca.com/english/mindo.shtmlMindo Garden is a deluxe hotel for the naturalist who wants something extra. Excellent local and international cuisine; only a few steps from the reserve. Our private forest and sub-tropical vegetation includes orchids, bromeliads, anturios, giant ferns, a variety of old trees, hummingbird feeders and much more...
Misahualli Hostería Jungle Lodge
http://www.misahuallijungle.com/The Misahualli Hostería Jungle Lodge sits amidst 145 hectares of pristine, 650-year old primary Ecuadorian rainforest. The hostería is located at the juncture of the Napo river and the Misahuallí river, on a unique parcel of land similar to an island. This special location has helped to conserve this important natural area for generations...
Panacocha Lodge
http://meltingpot.fortunecity.com/clyde/816/amazon3.htmThe Panacocha Lodge is a 50 hectare inholding, an operating eco-tourist resort strategically located within the reserve on the shore of the lagoon. The Lodge features a 40 metre gigantic Ceiba tree tower with spectacular panorama views of the region, 9 thatched cabins, motorboat and canoes. Eco-tourists can embark on exciting jungle walks accompanied by the howls of the howler monkeys.
Quito Apartment
http://www.my-Quito.comShort stay flat located in the village of Guapulo on the edge of Quito. A perfect base to start a birdwatching trip in Ecuador, and perhaps spend a few days acclimatising, and maybe doing an intensive Spanish course before setting of into the cloud forest, jungle or Galapagos. Views out over the Cayambe valley and just a few yards from the well known Mirador de Guapulo bar...
Sacha Lodge
http://www.sachalodge.comImagine yourself drifting down a narrow, winding creek surrounded on all sides by a lush, endless sea of tropical greenery. All that separates you from the deep black Amazon waters is a canoe hand-carved out of a single tree trunk. As you manoeuvre around a bend something unidentified crashes off into the underbrush, and you catch a glimpse of two magnificent, colourful macaws startled into flight. Suddenly, the forest erupts with a roar so loud that all you can imagine is some giant, fierce predator on the prowl. But as you turn to face your destiny, the menace is revealed as a family of furry red howler monkeys huddled together in a treetop. With a sigh of relief you continue onward, deeper into the unknown.
Sachatamia Lodge
http://www.sachatamia.comThe Lodge is located in a private reserve next to the Protected Forest of Mindo-Nambillo...
San Jorge Eco-Lodge
http://www.eco-lodgesanjorge.comSan Jorge Eco-Lodge is a traditional 18th Century Ecuadorian farm with all the comforts of modern life. The virgin forest has abundant native flora that our guests are welcome to discover in San Jorge`s Botanical Reserve. Some of the most difficult to spot species of birds have been seen recently in the areas surrounding the San Jorge Eco-Lodge: (Nono-Mindo Road Area) Toucans: Choco Toucans, Toucan Barbets, Plate-Billed Mountain...
Sani Lodge
http://www.sanilodge.comSani Isla is located between 2 of the most diverse ecological reserves in the world, The Yasuni National Park and the Cuyabeno reserve. Our territory represents a natural corridor for an amazing variety of bird species, so we are proud to say that coming to our lodge is like going to birdwatcher's heaven. In our short history as a lodge, there have been more than 500 species of birds seen on our land and we are constantly finding new species to add to our list...
Septimo Paraiso Resort
http://www.septimoparaiso.comSeptimo Paraiso Resort offers you a way of escaping from every day problems, lose yourself among nature, let the song of a rare bird relax you or take a dip in our warm spring water pool...
Shiripuno Lodge
http://www.shiripunolodge.com/At Shiripuno Amazon Lodge is where birding takes a different dimensions: the core of the Amazonian avifauna in Ecuador is right here. Rare birds, abundance numbers of mixed flock everywhere, typical antbirds, woodcreepers, curassaws, 6 species of manakins in a single trail, our trails are flat in most of the cases...
Tandayapa Bird Lodge
http://www.tandayapa.comOver 300 bird species have been recorded in the Tandayapa Valley. For the new birder to the Neotropics, Tandayapa Bird Lodge is an excellent place to first experience the marvel of the Andean mixed species feeding flocks. From the Lodge Patio you can see Blue-winged Mountain, Golden, Golden-naped, Beryl-spangled, White-winged, Yellow-rumped, Black-capped, and Metallic Green Tanagers, feeding with Fruiteaters, Becards, Whitestarts, Flower-piercers, Saltators and a myriad of flycatchers. When you walk quietly along one of our trails you will enter the realm of the Sub-oscine Passerines with whole new families such as Woodcreepers, Antbirds, Antthrushes, Antpittas, Tapaculos, Manakins and Cotingas. Luckily there will always be staff and guides available to help with identification.
Tinalandia Lodge
http://www.tinalandia.com/Tinalandia, a unique ecolodge in the Cloud Forest of Ecuador, rests on the Western slope of the the Ecuadorian Andes Mountains at the southern end of the Choco Bioregion which stretches from Columbia to Ecuador. The late ornithologist Ted Parker and botanist Al Gentry proclaimed this area to be the most biodiverse region in the world, and at the ideal location of 2,000 feet above sea level, Tinalandia takes advantage of all this region has to offer...
Uruc Puyujunda Cloudforest Lodge - Mindo
http://www.cloudforestecuador.comCloud Forest Lodge in Ecuador, Uruc Puyujunda Cloudforest lodge is located in Mindo, providing an incredible experience with the cloudforest nature....
Wildsumaco Lodge
http://www.wildsumaco.comNew in Ecuador's eastern foothills, Wildsumaco Lodge offers comfortable accommodation in a spectacular setting, near Sumaco National Park. Our 10 double rooms feature private bathrooms with hot water showers. Wildsumaco's still-growing bird list contains nearly 400 species, including Coppery-chested Jacamar, Gray-tailed Piha, Yellow-throated Spadebill, Chestnut-crowned Gnateater and Foothill Elaenia. Many-spotted Hummingbird, Ecuadorian Piedtail and Gould's Jewelfront are among the hummingbirds that frequent our feeders...
Yachana Amazon Lodge
http://www.yachana.com/We offer relaxed, comfortable accommodations and a kaleidoscopic range of activities for the ecology minded traveler. Bird watch, bug watch, and frog watch on more than 20 kilometers (7.5 miles) of rain forest trails. Harvest your own dinner from our organic Permaculture Farm and drink lemonade made from wild forest fruit and crystal clear spring water. After a stimulating day, relax in your deck side hammock and watch as the spectacular sunset fades into an amazing chorus of rain forest sounds.
Yacuma Lodge
http://www.ecuahotel.com/yacuma.htmYacuma Lodge has 2 areas: 1 bigger complex of typical quechua bungalows built with traditional materials. All bungalows accomodate 2 guest each with beds, mattresses and mosquito nets. Kitchen and dining areas and a toilet/shower area are located nearby. A smaller area has 3 bungalows with private facilities (toilet/shower).
Yarina Lodge
http://www.yarinalodge.comYARINA, the enchantment of the forest... Come and enjoy the beautiful world of the Ecuadorian Amazon Jungle at YARINA LODGE, an Ecologial Reserve located one hour aprox. of navigation from Coca and 30 minutes from Limoncocha Biological Reserve. The journey begins with a 45-minute flight from Quito crossing the Andes enjoying the view of the Ecuadorian forest then you will navigate along the Napo River all the way to the confluence with Manduro river.
Yuturi Lodge
http://www.yuturilodge.com/Yuturi a true paradise ... Welcome to the fantastic world of the Ecuadorian Amazon Jungle and the YUTURI LODGE, Biological Reserve, a true paradise located 180 Kms, east of Coca in Ecuador (South America). Your adventure begins with a 45 minute flight from Quito crossing the Andes and flying out over the jungle to Coca. From there you will travel by motor boat along the Napo River, one of the main tributaries of the Amazon River, to the Yuturi River.
mailing lists |
|
||
Zamarrito
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zamarrito/To post to list:zamarrito@yahoogroups.com
List contact:zamarrito-owner@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to list:zamarrito-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Este grupo sirve como una plataforma para el intercambio de información entre ornitólogos, observadores de aves y otras personas con un interés en la ornitología del Ecuador.
other links |
||
Alandaluz
http://www.alandaluz.com/Cantalapiedra se encuentra cerca del extremo surocidental del Parque Nacional Machalilla, constituye una importante zona de amortiguamiento y pertenece políticamente al cantón de Puerto López en la provincia de Manabí...
An Ecuadorian Birding Page
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~mulho005/Welcome to a page devoted to birding in Ecuador & Peru. Lots of trip reports, checklists etc. a great resource for anyone contemplating a birding trip to Ecuador...
Buffon`s Macaw in Ecuador
http://www.funnyfarmexotics.com/IAS/buffons.htmAn October, 1994, field investigation of the situation of Buffon`s macaw Ara ambigua in western Ecuador reveals it to be in a precarious state. Large scale clearance of the lowland wet and dry forests where it occurs in very small numbers continues to be rapid. The opening-up of these forests permits an increase in other detrimental activities, notably direct hunting of the species, robbing of young birds from nests for illegal trade and increased disturbance of areas where nesting attempts are made.
Ecuador a Little Gem - by Jeff Blincow
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/jblincow/triplist/tripecua.htmA month in Ecuador would give any birdwatcher a real flavour of the ornithology of the whole of the Neotropics. The variety of habitats is amazing if you only consider travelling in a straight line from the west coast to the eastern border with Peru. The arid coastal zone soon gives way to lowland tropical forests followed by the huge diversity of the west Andean Slope. Two parallel chains of mountains make up the backbone of the Andes with a high and relatively dry valley in between. Then down the east Andean slope to the Amazon Basin in the Oriente. More than 80% of the families endemic to the Neotropics occur here and nearly 1600 species have been recorded making this a must for all Neotropical birders and an ideal starting country for the new comer...
Ecuador Forest Birds
http://www.geometer.org/ewforest/ewforest.htmlTwo years previously I`d volunteered on the same project, and had thoroughly enjoyed the untangling, but I was a little concerned that I would have to relearn the technique. My fears were groundless and as soon as I touched my first bird, it all came back to me...
Survey of the Birds of the Bilsa Biological Reserve
http://www.deh2.co.uk/equafor/Pages/libr06.htmlA survey of the birds in the Jatun Sacha Bilsa Reserve, situated in the Mache-Chindul hills of northwest Ecuador (0°22N, 79°45W); was undertaken in September 1996 by Karl Berg, Jon Hornbuckle and Andrew Mudd. Although the third such survey of the region, it was the first to be carried out in the dry season and to employ mist-netting. The presence of a number of Andean species and Choco endemics was confirmed, and 35 species added to the Reserve list including the rare Banded Ground-Cuckoo, Saphire Quil-Dove and Tooth-billed Hummingbird. The importance of this reserve cannot be over-estimated.
artists |
||
Photographer - Adrian Hopkins
http://www.wales1.me.uk/ecuador/index.htmlA gallery of images from Ecuador by this Welsh photographer...
Photographer - Peter Al-Sheikhli
http://www.design2d.co.uk/digiscoping/ecuador/one/ecuador.htmThe Ecuador bird photographs have been taken between January and April 2004. After taking a bus from Lima to Quito we travelled to Otavalo then on to Apuela and the Alto Choco Cloud Forest Reserve managed by Fundacion Zoobreviven. We then travelled to San Cristobal in the Galapagos.
Photographer - Peter Jones - Ecuador 2001 Gallery
http://www.btinternet.com/~pdj_photos/ecu01/photos.htmI spent 2 weeks at Tandayapa Bird Lodge on the Western Slope of the Andes in January-February 2001. The holiday was superb with expert guides taking us to a variety of habitats to see a great number of species...
back to the top of this page
PlanetWorks
and Firecast
Feedback/Contact/Advertising Info ::