ECUADOR: The Best of Ecuador – Podocarpus NP and Mindo Valley.

Dates: TBA

A tour concentrating on some of Ecuador’s most sought-after birds in a variety of habitats from Paramo to cloud-enshrouded montane forests and scrub. Although we’ll search for some really special birds we will encounter many widespread South American species in mixed flocks and these will keep us busy for sure as wave after wave of tanagers, tyrant-flycatchers or foraging antbirds pass by.

The highlight of this tour will be our stay at Tapichalaca however. Apart from the opportunity to see Jocotoco Antpitta, the reserve boasts a fine array of species like Golden-plumed Parakeet, Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Orange-banded Flycatcher and White-capped Tanager (all seen on last year’s tour) and a host of hummingbirds.

Drier habitats will be explored in search of birds characteristic of the “Tumbesian Endemic Centre” like Chapman’s Antshrike and Henna-hooded Foliage-Gleaner before returning to the moist forests of the Podocarpus NP once again to look for Coppery-chested Jacamar, Black-streaked Puffbird, Blue-rumped Manakin and White-breasted Parakeets.

We end our tour in the forests of the Mindo Valley not far from Quito, where we’ll experience some of South America’s rarest birds like Giant Antpitta and regional specialities like Toucan Barbet and Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan.

Group size: Maximum 8 participants.

Price: TBA (Guayaquil / Quito).

Single room supplement: TBA

Includes: Accommodation in hotels and lodges, all transfers and ground transport, meals, services of Toucan Birding Tours leaders and local guides, tips to drivers and local guides.

Not included: International flights, international and domestic airport departure tax, drinks.

ITINERARY.

Day 1. Arrival in Guayaquil and drive to Buenaventura. Once we’ve settled into our lodge we’ll begin our exploration of the Choco forests in search of the regional endemic birds that live here. Overnight Buenaventura.

Days 2 & 3. The forested hills of Buenaventura are now a reserve and protect a mixed avifauna of Choco and Tumbesian birds. The rare El Oro Parakeet, only discovered in 1980 will be one of our major targets (our tour is timed to coincide with the breeding season and we’ll inspect favoured nesting areas), but other avian distractions include the strange Long-wattled Umbrellabird (one of two umbrellabirds possible on this tour), Club-winged Manakin and Grey-backed Hawk. Bay Wrens belt out their explosive song from the undergrowth while passing flocks may include Pacific Tuftedcheek, Silver-throated and Rufous-throated Tanagers or a Chestnut-backed Antbird may slip through the understory almost unnoticed but for its simple but distinctive song. We’ll also spend some time at the local hummingbird feeders where we should see plenty of Green Thorntails and Violet-bellied Hummingbirds. One patch of forest with feeders is particularly good for Emerald-bellied Woodnymph whilst Pale-mandibled Aracaris and Grey-headed Chachalacas often visit the bird tables near the lodge as well. Nights at Buenaventura.

Days 4 & 5. After some final birding near Buenaventura we’ll drive to Jorupe where we’ll spend the next two nights. We’ll concentrate on Tumbesian species such as Scarlet-backed Woodpecker, Ecuadorian Piculet, Henna-hooded and Rufous-necked Foliage-Gleaner, Blackish-headed Spinetail, Watkin’s Antpitta, Grey-breasted Flycatcher, Pacific Elaenia, Grey-and-Gold Warbler, Black-capped Sparrow and White-edged Oriole. The Grey-headed Antbird occurs nearby so we’ll make a special effort to see this rare bird as well as Chapman’s Antshrike, Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant, Jelski’s Chat-Tyrant, Three-banded Warbler, Black-cowled Saltator and Bay-crowned Brush-Finch. Nights in Jorupe.

Day 6. Today we’ll travel from Jorupe to Loja and we may be able to bird the Cajanuma section of the Podacarpus NP if we make good time travelling. Overnight Loja.

Day 7. Early birding in the Cajanuma area this morning within the limits of the Podocarpus National Park. We’ll be in search of some of the birds of humid cloud forests here including Bearded Guan, Rainbow-bearded Starfrontlet, Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant, Red-hooded Tanager, Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager, Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia and Plushcap. Later in the day we’ll travel to Zamora where we’ll spend three nights in easy reach of the Rio Bombuscaro.

Days 8 & 9. Two full days in the Bombuscaro area of the Podocarpus National Park. The mosaic of primary, premontane cloud forest and secondary growth allows a variety of species to be seen (the birdlist for the area boasts around 300 species).  Bombuscaro is noted for two species in particular, the White-breasted Parakeet and Coppery-chested Jacamar. Whilst these birds will be our focus attention (last year we saw the parakeet from the balcony of our lodge!), there will be plenty more to keep us occupied with Lanceolated Monklet, Black-streaked Puffbird, Highland Motmot, Blue-rumped Manakin, Striped Manakin, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Ecuadorian Piedtail and Foothill Antwren all possible.

Days 10 & 11. Today we’ll drive to the Jocotoco Foundation Reserve of Tapichalaca where we’ll spend two nights. Tapichalaca is famous for the recently described Jocotoco Antpitta and our chances of seeing this rare bird have been enhanced with the wardens feeding the antpittas with worms. We were greeted by a Chestnut-naped Antpitta waiting on the path near the feeding station on our last tour! The reserve is home to many desirable species though and time will be spent in search of White-capped Tanager, Orange-banded Flycatcher, Masked Saltator, Streaked Tuftedcheek and Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager. Hummingbirds visiting the feeders may include Flame-throated Sunangel, Rufous-capped Thornbill, Chestnut-breasted Coronet and Long-tailed Sylph.

Day 12. Today we’ll leave Tapichalaca for Loja where we’ll catch our flight to Quito but we should have some time for birding before we leave. Overnight in Quito.

Day 13. We’ll take a trip down to Mindo today and explore the Choco forests at a lower elevation. We’ll spend the morning at a small private cloud forest reserve where we have an outstanding chance to see antpittas at close quarters. The rare Giant Antpitta is a regular visitor to a feeding station and with luck we’ll see Yellow-breasted and Moustached Antpittas too. As if this wasn’t enough, it’s possible we’ll encounter the shy Dark-backed Wood-Quail too. However it’s not just the terrestrial species that we’ll be searching for here. On recent tours we’ve seen Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Golden-headed Quetzal, Scaled and Orange-breasted Fruiteaters, Olivaceous Piha and Crimson-rumped Toucanet here. Before leaving the reserve we’ll spend some time at some feeders where Empress Brilliant is a regular visitor.
We’ll return to our lodge for lunch and spend the rest of the day in the Tandayapa Valley searching for more new birds like Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan and Toucan Barbet. Overnight at our comfortable lodge near Mindo.

Day 14. Today we make our way down to the Milpe Cloud Forest Reserve to explore the lower elevation Choco forests. The reserve is fantastic for feeding flocks and we’ll have to be very alert as the bird ‘wave’ moves through. Possibilities include birds like Pale-mandibled Aracari, Moss-backed Tanager, Rufous-throated Tanager, Ochre-breasted Tanager, Glistening-green Tanager, Grey-and-gold Tanager, Yellow-collared Chlorophonia, Choco Warbler and Rufous-rumped Antwren. We’ll also have a chance of two much sought-after birds here: the Velvet-purple Coronet and the ornate Club-winged Manakin. Both are typical of the wet Choco forests and extremely attractive denizens of this region. Tonight we’ll return to Quito for our last night in Ecuador.

Day 15. The tour ends with a transfer to the airport in Quito for international flights home.

PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE FLIGHTS TO ECUADOR UNTIL DEPARTURE CONFIRMATION IS RECEIVED FROM TOUCAN BIRDING TOURS. Thank you.

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