Explosion of Color in the Andean Chocó
Hotspots
Target Species
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Ensifera ensifera
Mountain Velvetbreast
Lafresnaya lafresnayi
Sapphire-vented Puffleg
Eriocnemis luciani
Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager
Anisognathus igniventris
Hooded Mountain Tanager
Buthraupis montana
Chestnut-naped Antpitta
Grallaria nuchalis
Equatorial Antpitta
Grallaria saturata
Shining Sunbeam
Aglaeactis cupripennis
Great Sapphirewing
Pterophanes cyanopterus
Black-chested Mountain Tanager
Cnemathraupis eximia
Choco Toucan
Ramphastos brevis
Yellow-throated Toucan
Ramphastos ambiguus
Gorgeted Sunangel
Heliangelus strophianus
Speckled Hummingbird
Adelomyia melanogenys
Pale-mandibled Aracari
Pteroglossus erythropygius
Golden-olive Woodpecker
Colaptes rubiginosus
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Melanerpes pucherani
Lineated Woodpecker
Dryocopus lineatus
Long-billed Starthroat
Heliomaster longirostris
Black-throated Mango
Anthracothorax nigricollis
Purple-chested Hummingbird
Polyerata rosenbergi
Flame-faced Tanager
Tangara parzudakii
Black-capped Tanager
Stilpnia heinei
Red-headed Barbet
Eubucco bourcierii
Glistening-green Tanager
Chlorochrysa phoenicotis
Moss-backed Tanager
Bangsia edwardsi
Velvet-purple Coronet
Boissonneaua jardini
Empress Brilliant
Heliodoxa imperatrix
Andean Cock-of-the-rock
Rupicola peruvianus
Purple-throated Woodstar
Philodice mitchellii
Buff-tailed Coronet
Boissonneaua flavescens
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
Urosticte benjamini
Violet-tailed Sylph
Aglaiocercus coelestis
White-booted Racket-tail
Ocreatus underwoodii
Andean Emerald
Uranomitra franciae
Toucan Barbet
Semnornis ramphastinus
Rufous Motmot
Baryphthengus martii
Pallid Dove
Leptotila pallida
Crimson-rumped Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus haematopygus
Golden Tanager
Tangara arthus
Golden-naped Tanager
Chalcothraupis ruficervix
Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Zuro Loma & Yanacocha
- This day will explore two different Cold, Wet Temperate Cloud Forest reserves: Zuro Loma and Yanacocha, 90-minutes drive from Quito. After a cooked breakfast with spectacular Andean scenery at Zuyro Loma we’ll exploring their feeding areas, as Sword-billed Hummingbird, Mountain Velvetbreast, and Sapphire-vented Puffleg are regular visitors, while the fruit feeders can attract Hooded and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers. The site is also famous for its antpittas, Chestnut-naped and Equatorial Antpittas both regular attendees to forest feeding stations. We will then visit slightly higher Yanacocha, to take lunch and check their feeders for Shining Sunbeam, Great Sapphirewing, and Black-chested Mountain-Tanager. In mid-afternoon, we will drive to Tandayapa Bird Lodge, a 90 minute-drive away, for an overnight stay.
Day 2: Birdwatcher’s House
- We will start at Birdwatcher’s House Santa Rosa, a higher cloud forest than the lodge and the best place to photograph the spectacular Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan. We will also be on the look-out for Gorgeted Sunangel and Speckled Hummingbird. After lunch at a local restaurant with a view, we will visit Birdwatcher’s House in Milpe, within lower cloud forest in the foothills, where we will be hoping for more toucans, such as Choco or Yellow-throated Toucans, or Pale-mandibled Aracari, along with the chance of two species of motmot, among a horde of foothill birds. We will depart back for the lodge in the late afternoon, being only an hour away.
Day 3: Sendero Frutti Tour & San Tadeo
- Most of the day will be spent in the Pacific Lowlands, at Sendero Frutti tour, 90-minutes downslope from Tandayapa. The excellent feeders often offer up Lineated, Black-cheeked, and Golden-olive Woodpeckers and eclectic hummingbirds, like Long-billed Starthroat, Black-throated Mango, and Purple-chested Hummingbird, along with hordes of tanagers.
- In the afternoon (after lunch in a Los Bancos restaurant), we will visit San Tadeo (near in elevation to Tandayapa), looking for photogenic species like Flame-faced and Black-capped Tanagers, and the striking Red-headed Barbet.
Day 4: Mashpi Amagusa & La Victoriana
- Today, we will venture down from the lodge to the magical Mashpi area, starting out at Amagusa Reserve, where delectable birds like Glistening-green and Moss-backed Tanagers count themselves as regular feeder birds, as do hummingbirds like spectacular Velvet-purple Coronets and Empress Brilliants. After a boxed lunch there, we wil head back in he direction of Tandayapa, stopping off at La Victoriana for what might be the standout memory of the tour, photographing scarlet red male Andean Cock-of-the-rocks during their late afternoon gatherings to display alongside each other.
Day 5: Tandayapa Bird Lodge
- Our focus today will be at the lodge itself, in lower cloud forest than experienced the day before with a totally different suite of birds. This is where hummingbird diversity is at its highest, and it is not uncommon to photograph 13 hummingbird species in a single day. We will spend much time photographing these, and use flash set ups to aid this too, and get those choice “frozen” images that only flash photography can achieve of these hyperactive birds. Among the species we hope to photograph will be Andean Emerald, White-booted Racket-tail, Violet-tailed Sylph, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, Buff-tailed Coronet, and Purple-throated Woodstar. We will also have one eye on the nearby fruit feeders, as they may bring in Toucan Barbet, Rufous Motmot, Pallid Dove, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, and Golden and Golden-naped Tanagers, among others.
- We will depart the lodge at 4:00pm, arriving back in Quito at around 6:00pm.
Bird Northwest Ecuador’s cloud forests, lowlands, Mashpi area, feeders, and rare displays.
-Sites Covered: Zuro Loma, Yanacocha, Tandayapa Bird Lodge, Birdwatcher’s House Santa Rosa, Birdwatcher’s House Milpe, Sendero Frutti Tour, San Tadeo, Mashpi Amagusa, and La Victoriana.
-Altitudes Covered: 1640ft-11,155ft (500m-3400m).
-Habitats Covered: Cold, Wet Temperate Cloud Forest & Cool, Moist Subtropical Cloud Forest, and Warm, Humid Foothill Cloud Forest, Pacific Lowlands.
PICK UP / DROP OFF:
-Pick up Time from Quito (05:30am from a Quito hotel*)
-Drop off Time back in Quito (at the end of day 5): 6:00pm to a Quito hotel*
*NOTE: The Quito hotel nights are NOT included in these packages.
BEFORE YOU GO:
-Binoculars / Camera Small flashlight
-Lightweight clothing, Rain and warm jacket, Hat or cap, Waterproof hiking boots
-Insect Repellent, Sunscreen (SPF 30+ is recommended), A photocopy of your passport.
✓ What's included
Meals from the first day’s breakfast to the final day’s lunch.
Basic drinks like tap water, coffee and tea.
Accommodation for stays of 1 to 6 nights.
Professional bilingual birding or photography guide included.
All transportation is included, with pickup and drop-off in Quito.
All entrance fees specified in the itinerary are included.
Multiflash equipment
✕ Not included
Gratuity Guidelines for Guides and Hotel Staff.
International Flights.
Alcoholic beverages and any soft drinks consumed outside of included meals.
Travel Insurance.
Excursions Not Included in the Itinerary.
Laundry services.
Medical Fees.
Any items or services not expressly included.
Hotel in Quito.