Ecuador's Western Slope
Hummingbirds, Tanagers & Antpittas
Leaders: Bill Murphy and Charlie Vogt
Hummingbirds, Tanagers & Antpittas
Leaders: Bill Murphy and Charlie Vogt
View of Western Slope
Andean Cock-of-the-Rock Sanctuary
A Perfect Introduction to Birding Ecuador’s West Slope
March 6–15, 2010
Ecuador is only half the size of Texas, but over 1,500 species of birds have been recorded in the country. On this tour we'll travel throughout the Western slope of the Andes, seeing a dazzling display of tanagers, flycatchers, and hummingbirds; through Chocó forest, where we hope to find such regional endemics as Toucan Barbet, Pale-mandibled Aracari, and Chocó Toucan; over high, windswept peaks and montane forest for Rufous Antpitta, Black-chested, Hooded and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers and perhaps the highly endangered Black-breasted Puffleg. We then spend time in the beautiful Tandayapa Valley for a bevy of different hummingbirds, tanagers, Andean Guan, and Andean Cock-of-the-Rock as well as Moustached, Giant, and Yellow-breasted Antpittas.
With the recent publication of The Birds of Ecuador, there is no better time to visit this small yet wonderfully diverse Andean nation. Our accommodation will be comfortable and convenient to the best birding spots. The food is excellent, and the people are very friendly. If you have never been to South America before, this trip to Ecuador will open your eyes to the beauty and diversity that is South America.
Feel free to email Simon for any details not covered below.
Length: 10 days including the flight to and from Quito
Cost: $1,885 double occupancy (excluding international airfare). Single-room supplement $175. Price includes all transportation throughout (with driver), all accommodation and meals, entrance fees, gratuities to local guides (when applicable), trip information, packet & bird checklist, and guide/leader service throughout. Not included is round-trip airfare from the U.S. to Ecuador, airport departure tax, alcoholic beverages, gratuities for leader/driver, any meals specified in the itinerary, laundry, and other items of a personal nature.
Maximum group size: 10 (12 with unanimous consent from the first 10 participants)
------------- Tour details -------------
You may wish to arrive in Quito the day before the tour to explore the city or to rest before the tour begins. We will arrive in Quito the evening of Saturday, March 6, after our international flight. Dinner (included) and overnight at Hotel Sebastian, Quito.
Day 1 (Sunday, March 7) Yanacocha
An early morning start should find us on Yanacocha ("Inca Ditch"), a side-vent of Pichincha volcano. The scenery here is outstanding, as is the birdlife. We hope to see Andean Guan, Great Sapphirewing, and Undulated Antpitta. After breakfast we will walk along the trail to the tunnel (a very level and gentle hike of about 2 miles at 12,000 ft) looking for Golden-crowned Tanager; Black-chested, Hooded, and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers; Rufous Wren; Ocellated Tapaculo; Tyrian Metaltail; Purple-backed and Rainbow-bearded Thornbills, the critically endangered and endemic Black-breasted Puffleg; Sapphire-vented Puffleg; Barred Fruiteater; and Bar-bellied Woodpecker. We will make a quick stop at the Equator at Calacali on the way. Dinner and overnight at Bellavista Lodge. [BLD]Day 2 (Monday, March 8) Tandayapa Valley
Bellavista Lodge is perfectly situated to bird the very rich Tandayapa Valley, where we will spend the rest of the day. Along the first km of the Nanegalito Road we will look and listen for a resident mixed-species flock. A Plushcap seems to follow this flock, whose core members include Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Pearled Treerunner, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Montane Woodcreeper, both White-sided and Masked Flower-piercers, and several tanager species. A resident pair of Powerful Woodpeckers is also in this area. Other non-flock species we might encounter include Flammulated Treehunter, Long-tailed Antbird, Spillman's Tapaculo, Barred Becard, Crested Quetzal, Beautiful Jay, and Plain-tailed Wren. The roadside verge here is also one of the best places in Ecuador to find the rare and elusive Tanager Finch. The road is also a good place to see Toucan Barbet, Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, and Guans. Flocks of tanagers are frequently encountered in the valley. Common and easy to see are Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager and Golden, Blue-and-black, Flame-faced, Blue-capped, and Beryl-spangled Tanagers. Dinner and overnight at Bellavista. [BLD]Day 3 (Tuesday, March 9) Mindo Loma and Septimo Paraiso
We will hit some of the incredible hummingbird feeders in the valley before moving towards Mindo. The hummingbird feeders in the Tandayapa Valley arguably have the highest diversity in the world and have attracted over 40 species to date. While we won't see them all, we could see Brown Violetear, Collared and Brown Inca, Booted Racket-tail, Empress Brilliant, Wedge-billed Hummingbird, Violet-tailed Sylph, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, and Gorgeted Sunangel. Resident species include Plain-breasted Hawk, Barred Forest-Falcon, Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Black-and-white and Yellow-bellied Seedeaters, and White-winged Brush-Finch. In the late morning, especially if a few clouds are present, we could see Black-and-chestnut Eagle, Hook-billed Kite, Barred Hawk, White-rumped Hawk, and White-throated Hawk soaring above the ridge. Overnight at Hosteria Septimo Paraiso. [BLD]Day 4 (Wednesday, March 10) Paz de las Aves, Oilbird Cave, and Septimo Paraiso
There are some very special places in this area of Ecuador and one of these is "Paz de las Aves." This patch of forest is home to Giant, Moustached and Yellow-breasted Antpittas. We will leave the hotel early (before breakfast) to visit this forest, where our first birds will probably be Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks at their lek. Others may include Dark-backed Wood-Quail, Crimson-rumped Toucanet and the antpittas mentioned above. Should the weather cooperate while we are at Septimo Paraiso, we could go owling for Black-and-white Owl, Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl, and Rufous-bellied Nighthawk. Overnight at Hosteria Septimo Paraiso. [BLD]Day 5 (Thursday, March 11) Milpe Road and Septimo Paraiso
The Milpe Bird Reserve is another excellent patch of preserved lowland forest that has also just been established by the Mindo Cloud Forest Foundation. Some of the open pastures have been reforested, and native vegetation is already returning to cleared areas. On the forest trails we can expect to locate some of the following species: Toucan and Red-headed Barbets, Plumbeous Forest-Falcon, Rose-faced Parrot, Chocó Trogon, Chocó Warbler, Pale-mandibled Aracari, Pacific Tuftedcheek, Club-winged Manakin, Moss-backed Tanager, and Yellow-collared Chlorophonia. After our picnic lunch we will climb higher in elevation to the town of Mindo. Pacific Hornero is easy to see in the town park. We will spend the afternoon looking for dry scrub species that we may have missed, such as Scarlet-backed Woodpecker, Smoke-colored Pewee, Striped Cuckoo, and Ecuadorian Thrush. Overnight at Hosteria Septimo Paraiso. [BLD]Day 6 (Friday, March 12) Silanche and Septimo Paraiso
An early breakfast will find us much lower in elevation in the humid tropics at the Rio Silanche Bird Sanctuary, part of the newly formed Mindo Cloud Forest Foundation. This 175-acre tropical lowland reserve has high species diversity, level trails, and a 15-meter-high observation tower that puts you eye-to-eye with mixed-species flocks. This is one of the last remaining accessible forest remnants in this area and is home to many Chocó and Tumbesian endemic bird species, including Dusky Pigeon, Purple-chested Hummingbird, Little Woodstar, Double-banded Graytail, Stub-tailed Antbird, Slate-throated Gnatcatcher, Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, and Scarlet-and-white and Blue-whiskered Tanagers. After lunch we will head back up to our hotel to either walk the access road or some of the many trails, which are also excellent. Overnight at Hosteria Septimo Paraiso. [BLD]Day 7 (Saturday, March 13) Waterfall Road and Septimo Paraiso
We will have an early start to bird the waterfall trail road above Mindo for Red-headed Barbet, Bay Wren, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, and Yellow-faced Grassquit, as well as a chance for Orange-crowned Euphonia. A late morning coffee break is always appreciated as we watch the hummingbird feeders at Los Colibries [= 'the hummingbirds'] Restaurant. We will spend the afternoon exploring more of Septimo's trails or birding other areas we have missed during our time here. Overnight at Hosteria Septimo Paraiso. [BLD]Day 8 (Sunday, March 14) Septimo trails and return to Quito
We will spend the morning at Septimo Paraiso, walking the trails, watching the hummingbird feeders, or just relaxing. Birding on the grounds is excellent and could include Sickle-winged Guan, Bat Falcon, Bronze-winged Parrot, Golden-headed Quetzal, and Broad-billed Motmot. The hummingbird feeders are frequented by many of the resident regional species as well as Booted Racket-Tail, Brown Violetear, and Empress Brilliant. We will head back to Quito after lunch, maybe stopping at a Giant Hummingbird site on the way. Dinner and overnight at Sebastian Hotel. [BLD]Day 9 (Monday, March 15) Return Home
After breakfast we will transfer to the airport for our international flights back home. [B]Due to weather and other conditions, this itinerary is subject to change.
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