Erica and I recently got back from our first trip to South America, specifically, Ecuador's east slope of the Andes (
here's a map I made showing the places we stayed in yellow). It was an amazing ten day trip that was just a little overwhelming when it came to all of the birds, most of which were new. The birds weren't all that was exciting as we had spectacular scenery, habitats, culture, food, and lots of awesome insects, herps and a few mammals thrown in too! Below is our account of our ten days (it's a long report!!). If you are lazy and just want to see some photos, check out the
compilation video.
Ecuador is a great country to visit if you like birds or wildlife because it is arguably the most bio-diverse place on earth - even though the country is relatively small (it's only about 1/4 the size of Ontario) it has one of the biggest bird lists, at over 1600, of any country only behind a few countries with much bigger areas. We took a relatively laid back pace, only getting about 200 km by road away from the airport outside of Quito. Ecuador has a very developed ecotourism (especially for birds) industry and there are lots of lodges to choose from. The most popular areas for birding seems to be in the NW part of the country (near Mindo) where there are dozens of lodges, but we decided to save that area for another trip. Instead, we traveled east over Papallacta Pass, spent 3 nights at
Cabanas San Isidro, then 2 nights at
Itamandi Lodge, 3 nights at
Wildsumaco Lodge, and a final night at
Termas Papallacta Hot Springs.
Because we were only travelling every few days it was actually easier and cheaper to arrange a private driver with the lodges we stayed at rather than renting a car and driving on our own. That probably took away from a few places we might have stopped but it was quite relaxing to get to stare out the window each time we were driving through the mountains from one place to the next and not have to worry about getting lost or any other road issues.
A major reason why the bird species richness is so high in Ecuador is the Andes - a small change in elevation results in almost a complete turnover in birds and many species are only found on one side of the Andes. The Andes also result in a huge variation in climate from place to place. We packed everything from shorts and sandals to winter hats and fleeces, but all of the places we stayed were quite comfortable. The one constant with the weather was the humidity and rain - it rained every day except for our last day and drying clothes is almost impossible. If you're going to go birding in Ecuador you will definitely come to appreciate birding with an umbrella!
Anyways, on to the details of the trip. Species list is at the bottom if that's what you're here for.
Day 1 - Toronto to Quito - February 7
Our flight was a bit late leaving Toronto because of some snow and the resulting de-icing process, but it wasn't long before we were in the air aboard a Copa Airlines 737. I was a bit disappointed to not see any Snowy Owls at Pearson this year, but I got over it. We made up the time in the air and landed at Panama's Tocumen International Airport right on time. On our way down we had a 7 hour layover and by the time we were out of the plane we thought about leaving the airport for a few hours but decided we didn't want the stress of going through customs twice and potentially missing our connection to Quito, so we spent the afternoon racking up a whopping 13 species from within the airport - 9 of which we wouldn't see in Ecuador. The most exciting bird was probably the Bat Falcon hunting the exact same place (behind a United gate) as we saw one a year ago.
Without any problems we were on our way to Quito and touched down right on schedule just after 11pm. We had booked a room for that night at
Quito Airport Suites and they arranged a driver to pick us up and take us the 10 minutes once we cleared customs. The international airport is relatively new in Quito (actually outside of the city proper now) and there still aren't many options for hotels close by - I'd highly recommend the airport suites, it was exactly what we needed.
Day 2 - Quito to Cabanas San Isidro - February 8
I was up and outside by 6 but it was still too dark to see any birds. I could hear my first Great Thrushes and Rufous-collared Sparrows and got nice looks at both species and lots of Eared Doves as it got light.
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| Great Thrush was common in the central valley |
While enjoying breakfast at Quito Airport Suites Erica spotted a stunning male Vermilion Flycatcher but it flew off before I could get a photo. For our first day we splurged and hired a bilingual guide to take us over the Andes and to our first lodge of the trip. This turned out to be a great move as we ended up having a great day exploring our way up the mountains. So just as we finished breakfast our guide,
Norby Lopez, arrived and we were heading up the mountains!
It wasn't long before we left the city behind and bits of remnant natural forest began appearing that we made our
first stop - an old road running through some of this natural shrubby forest. The elevation was already affecting our breathing (we were at 3225 m) and even walking a short distance up a small incline was resulting in a bit of shortness of breath. That was OK because we only walked a couple of hundred metres but enjoyed some nice birds including our only Mountain Velvetbreast, Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant, Blue-and-yellow Tanagers, Band-tailed Seedeater, Gray-browed Brush-finch, and Yellow-breasted Brush-finches of the trip. Because we were still on the inside of the central valley we'd lose many of those species as we climbed over the pass.
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| Norby and I on high alert |
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| The only shot I got at the beautiful Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager |
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| Red-crested Cotingas |
My favourite bird at this spot had to be the Black-tailed Trainbearers which were pretty common and noisy. They have a really cool display where the males fly out and make some noises with their amazing tails.
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| Black-tailed Trainbearer |
After enjoying the birds of this elevation we headed further up the road and quickly turned off the highway to take the
Old Papallacta Road the rest of the way to Papallacta Pass. Even though the road was only about 5 km, we took about 3 hours to drive it, stopping frequently to search for birds and to enjoy the amazing scenery. The habitat gradually changed from small farms interspersed with native shrubby forest, to larger patches of
Polylepis woodland (ancient, gnarled trees in the rose family that are found only in the Andes) and eventually giving way to Paramo.
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| A Polylepis tree |
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| Paramo |
As we continued ascending we picked up a few high elevation specialties, including a Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, a flyby Yellow-billed Pintail, several Carunculated Caracaras, an elusive Tufted Tit-Tyrant, and a couple quick glimpses of Tawny Antpitta whose calls were our constant background music. By noon we were in Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve enjoying stunning vistas of the high elevation Paramo. This habitat really reminded Erica and I of kind of a combination between a grassland and the tundra or giant bogs back in Canada. The ground was very wet and was covered in a lush carpet of grasses, mosses and all sorts of small flowering plants. The asters were especially diverse being represented by specimens ranging from small plants to larger shrubs.
After registering at a guard house to continue
further up into the reserve, we made a quick roadside stop to eat lunch and then continued up to the top of the road that services an array of antennas. We spotted a couple of Stout-billed Cinclodes along the road and our only Blue-mantled Thornbill of the trip (a tiny, specialized hummingbird of high elevation). A little further on we had brief looks at a female Ecuadorian Hillstar - another prize of the high elevation. We kept ascending (now over 4000 m) and had our first Ecuadorian mammals....White-tailed Deer!
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| Stout-billed Cinclodes |
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| White-tailed Deer (yes the same species!) |
It wasn't long until we reached the end of the road, at almost 4500 metres above sea level. By this point we couldn't walk more than a few steps without feeling winded and our hearts pounding but we had a hundred more meters or so to go to look for the Rufous-bellied Seedsnipes that call this amazing high elevation habitat home:
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| The view from the top |
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| Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe habitat |
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| Close-up of the amazing vegetation |
Erica and I struggled to keep up with Norby at this point but we were all smiles in the end as we turned up FIVE Rufous-bellied Seedsnipes minding their business in the low vegetation. These birds are shorebirds that, through convergent evolution, have filled a similar niche as grouse and ptarmigan in more northern locales. The feather pattern on these birds was incredibly intricate and they really did look more like ptarmigan than shorebirds walking around!
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| Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe |
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| seedsnipe number two |
After seedsnipe-success we started the descent but stopped to check out some relatively fresh Puma scat on the road and then a couple of minutes later we had amazing looks at an Andean Fox (missed the photo op unfortunately).
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| Getting a close-up look at Puma scat |
Papallacta is the pass over the eastern chain of the Andes, so it was literally down-hill from here. It didn't take long to leave the paramo behind and start encountering the lush, Alder-dominated forest of the upper cloud forest. We stopped at
Guango Lodge to check out the hummingbird feeders (Sword-billed is supposed to be regular)....we didn't get Sword-billed but we did have
ten other species, plus a short walk along the river here produced our only Torrent Tyrannulet, Mountain Caciques and Turqoise Jays of the trip.
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| The "white-winged" Black Phoebe of South America |
After Guango, we continued down the mountain, stopping at a couple spots to try (unsuccessfully) for Torrent Duck, before arriving about an hour later at
Cabanas San Isidro and saying goodbye to Norby who made the day amazing, despite the poor weather. By the end of the day we had driven just about 100 km but had crossed the eastern chain of the Andes and were in completely different habitat with a whole new set of birds to look forward to seeing....
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| Our vertical trip profile from day 1 |
Day 3 - Cabanas San Isidro - February 9
We settled in the previous night to a delicious dinner and met the other guests staying at the lodge. Turned out we already knew two of them - Jock and Sam McKay, who I grew up with as members of the KWFN!
I was very excited and so didn't sleep very deeply and was rewarded with a Rufous-banded Owl calling outside my room just after 3 am. I fell back to sleep and was up and ready to go at first light where I knew a special treat was awaiting me. The short access road to the lodge has about 5 street lights that are left on all night - these attract all sorts of insects which in turn attract lots of birds to come dine on the breakfast buffet each morning. The first birds to arrive were Russet-backed Oropendolas, Scarlet-rumped Caciques, and Green (Inca) Jays, but these were quickly replaced by a whole host of flycatchers, tanagers, and lots of Blackburnian and Canada Warblers and a few Swainson's Thrushes (always nice to see some familiar faces!).
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| Green Jay |
After enjoying the bird buffet we headed on to another bird feeding show - antpittas! The lodge's staff have "trained" a White-bellied Antpitta to come in for worms once a day. Sure enough, at least one adult came right in and collected a beakful of fresh worms. Nearby in the underbrush we had a quick look at a young bird that looked like it was fairly freshly out of the nest. It was too wary to come in, but I'm sure it got some of those worms!
Finally, it was our turn so Erica and I enjoyed our breakfast while keeping an eye on the hummingbird feeders. We spent the day just exploring around the lodge, enjoying nice looks at a couple of Black Agoutis and several Red-tailed Squirrels before walking along the main road in each direction.
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| Beryl-spangled Tanager |
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| Crimson-mantled Woodpecker |
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| Long-tailed Sylph |
The road gives good access to the canopy, allowing you to see birds that would be tough to see when walking some of the excellent trails at the lodge, and we picked up a couple nice birds including a Sickle-winged Guan and a pair of Emerald Toucanets.
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| Sickle-winged Guan |
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| Emerald Toucanet |
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| Erica on the road |
The scenery at the lodge was much different from the higher elevation vistas of the day before but still spectacular. The main dining area and the cabins are surrounded by lush cloud forest.
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| View from our cabin's deck |
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| Heading in to the dining area |
The meals were all excellent at the lodge and after our
first full day there we had already seen lots of interesting things. Before dinner, we waited on the deck of the dining area and just before dark a couple of Rufous-bellied Nighthawks started hunting right on queue.
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| One of many excellent meals at Cabanas San Isidro |
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| Chocolate birthday cake in Ecuador...sweet! |
After another delicious meal and my very own birthday cake (!!), it was time to check the street light buffet for the night shift, and sure enough two of the famous "San Isidro Owls" were enjoying the offerings.
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| "San Isidro" Owl |
The San Isidro Owl is an interesting bird - it is intermediate in plumage between the Black-and-white Owl of the western lowlands and the Black-banded Owl of the Amazon. However, neither of those species occurs at such high elevation. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere before the trip that there had been a genetic sample obtained and the results placed it closer to Black-banded Owl (which, based on range would be expected) but it is still not clear whether the San Isidro Owl is "just" a hybrid, a new subspecies or even a whole new species awaiting description. Regardless, this was a beautiful bird and very confiding!
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| Night hike |
With our owl luck we headed out for a walk on the road, hoping for Andean Potoo, but were happy to "settle" for great looks at a couple of Night-monkeys feeding on cecropia fruits.
Day 4 - Cabanas San Isidro - February 10
Our
second full day at San Isidro had us checking the lights for birds first thing again. This turned up a few new species, including the rare for the area Tennessee Warbler that had been found a month or two earlier. One of my favourite birds during our stay here were the incredibly tiny Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatchers:
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| The amazingly small Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcher |
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| Canada Warblers were also enjoying their southern vacation |
After getting our fill of road birding the day before, we hit the trails today, getting nicely into thick, lush, cloud forest and finding new birds including some canopy flocks which had Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager, Saffron-crowned, Beryl-spangled, Fawn-breasted, and best of all, Flame-faced Tanagers mixed in. We also lucked out and found a male Golden-headed Quetzal sitting perfectly still in the canopy.
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| Great use of old tires! |
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| Golden-headed Quetzal |
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| What's better than trail cake!!? |
After lunch the sun came out for a bit and several butterflies responded, including a couple species with mostly clear wings.
That night we had great looks again at San Isidro Owl and even better looks at a night-monkey, this time very close to the dining area. We also took some time at the lights of the lodge to photograph some of the nocturnal insects
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| a Rove beetle? |
Day 5 - Cabanas San Isidro to Itamandi Lodge - February 11
Our
last morning at San Isidro, so after the morning bird buffet at the lights we walked the Waterfall and Quetzal trails. We picked up a few new species (a pair of Masked Trogons and a few singing Streak-headed Antbirds) and then packed up and waited for our 11 am pick-up by our driver from
Itamandi Lodge.
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| The Waterfall Trail's namesake |
From San Isidro we continued our descent, leaving the ~2000 m cloud forest behind and getting into thicker jungles and hotter temperatures. By about 1 pm we had reached the city of Tena, at about 500 m, where it was hot and sticky. It wasn't much further until we got to Puerto Napo on the upper reaches of the Napo River, a major tributary of the Amazon. From here we paralleled the river to the a bridge at Misahualli where we crossed over and eventually reached a smaller bridge over the Rio Arajuno, a tributary of the Napo. Here we loaded our things into a long canoe for the ~20 minutes ride upstream to Itamandi Lodge, our home for the next two nights.
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| Itamandi Lodge from the boat |
We arrived just after 2 pm and got settled into our room. With the greatly increased heat and humidity we took full advantage of the lodge's swimming pool and enjoyed
a few birds flitting around in the clearing created by the lodge. White-banded Swallows were very common and a pair of Great Kiskadees had a nest on the bank of the river, which offered a chance to watch the male displaying and exposing his brightly-coloured crown patch. I also had great looks at a Yellow-billed Nunbird that flew out and perched in the open beside the pool and was thrilled to see a small group of Masked Crimson Tanagers nearby too. I also had my only Blackpoll Warbler of the trip while lounging this afternoon.
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| The pool at Itamandi |
Itamandi included a bunch of small excursions with the booking, so the first thing up was a night hike before dinner. Just as it got dark we joined a large group of other people that had just arrived (all part of two organized tour groups) for a short walk through the woods. We didn't see any birds or mammals, which wasn't surprising given the large group, but we saw lots of spiders and insects, including a few Whip Scorpions and Bullet Ants. We also heard a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl calling close-by, which I would track down the next night. Dinner here was delicious so we were off to a great start!
Day 6 - Itamandi Lodge - February 12
We were up a little after 5 am to get ready for the next outing of our stay - a morning boat trip to a parrot clay lick. As we got ready, the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl started calling close by but stopped by about 6 am as we headed for the dock to catch the boat. It was the same big group as the night before and some people weren't ready on time so we didn't depart until almost 6:40. The boat trip was fun as we flushed Spotted Sandpipers and Amazon, Green, and Ringed Kingfishers from the banks. We arrived at the clay lick at about 7 and hiked the short trail up to a set of small blinds. Unfortunately, the birds never got closer than a hundred metres or so, so we settled for distant looks at Blue-headed Parrot, White-eyed Parakeet, and Dusky-headed Parakeets. While waiting we also heard our first Thrush-like Antpitta calling. On the way back, we had a quick look at a Speckled Chachalacha from the boat and a pair of Black Caracaras on a small island:
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| Black Caracaras |
That was it for my camera in the humidity of the Amazon...it wouldn't turn on until we moved back up in elevation a couple days later so that was it for my bird photos...We got back and enjoyed breakfast and then lounged for a bit before it was time for our next outing. This time we were doing a longer hike on a trail behind the lodge with one of the lodge staff. The bigger groups had different activities planned so it was just Erica and I and our guide, Franklin. Franklin explained a lot about the different trees and plants of the forest and some of the traditional uses that the local Kichua community has for them. Birding was tough (mostly be ear) but we picked up a
bunch of species including a Black-throated Hermit.
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| Brocket deer tracks |
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| That's Jatun Sacha Biological Reserve behind us |
We had another delicious meal at lunch, complete with a corn and heart of palm salad that I was quite interested in.
After lunch it was time for another outing - this time to Santa Barbara, the local community up the river. We hopped back in the boat (picking up Greater Ani and Magpie Tanagers) for another private tour where the local kids practiced their dance routine and we tried a few local foods, including some fresh Cocoa beans, tea, boiled peanuts and more.
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| Fresh cocoa beans |
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| tea |
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| Boiled peanuts |
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| Smoked cocoa beans |
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| Catch of the day |
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| GIANT tree |
As you can tell, it was a very full day but we saw lots of the local area using the river as our highway. Just as dinner was being served the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl started calling near our room and after some effort I was able to locate it calling in my spot light. We had a short view of it before it flew off. A little later on, while we were getting ready for bed, a Tropical Screech-Owl started calling - I tried unsuccessfully to find it but despite my best effort it went unseen.
Day 7 - Itamandi to Wildsumaco - February 13
We decided to get up early again to give the clay lick another try, so we were up just after five again. Once again, the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl was calling away but this time something else was also calling. Erica asked what it was and I soon realized it was a Great Potoo! I got up and from our balcony was able to get it in my spotlight (across the river) just before it flew off! To top it off, a Tropical Screech-Owl started calling shortly after...three night birds from the room wasn't too bad!
Our trip to the clay lick left on schedule this morning and it was just us, two other birders (who we had met at San Isidro already!) and the guides so things were looking good. We got in place at the blinds and just as the sound of chainsaw announced the start of the work day the birds started to descend
It was pretty much all Dusky-headed Parakeets that came in, but a few Blue-headed Parrots also partook of the sweet, sweet clay. As has been explained to me, the parrots gain some essential nutrition from the clay but the clay also works as an anti-toxin to counter the effects of all of the toxins that the fruits and nuts which the birds eat contain.
After a successful clay lick trip and the sun coming out, we spent the rest of the morning around the pool (plus I did a small hike on the trail). We added a few more species including a small flock of brilliantly-coloured Turquoise Tanagers that were pretty sweet and I managed to get a sun burn in the short period of sun we had. After lunch we headed back down the river and met Carlos, our driver from Wildsumaco Lodge.
From the Arujuno bridge we retraced our route back up out of the Amazon lowlands and into the foothills above Tena, before turning onto the Loreto Road and heading east. We were winding our way through the mountain when Carlos pulled over and said something in Spanish that I didn't understand. I did understand "Blackish Nightjar" though so got out and sure enough there was a roosting Blackish Nightjar sitting on a small rock in a clearing! Unfortunately, my camera still wasn't working so I didn't get a photo. We arrived at
Wildsumaco Lodge (elevation 1400 m) just after 4:30 pm and were greeted by Christina, our host, and very active hummingbird feeders. Within a couple of minutes I was happy to have seen Booted Racket-tail, Wire-crested Thorntail, and Gould's Jewelfront, three species of hummingbirds I was hoping to see here! We got settled in our room, enjoyed the awesome deck for a bit, then walked out to to main road.
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| The glorious deck at Wildsumaco |
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| Sumaco Volcano from the deck |
The birds here were completely different again, being a mix of lowland and cloud forest species and of course all sorts of foothill specialties. Besides the hummingbirds, we encountered our first Macaws (Chestnut-fronted), the common but beautiful Blue-necked Tanager, and a rare for the area Green-backed Trogon among
many other species. As dark fell and we sat down for dinner a Sickle-winged Guan flew up into one of the trees off the deck offering great looks in the spot light. Perhaps the best news was that after ascending to a more comfortable humidity level, my camera once again turned on!
Day 8 - Wildsumaco Lodge - February 14
We were up for first light and walked some of the road before having breakfast. It was exciting sorting through a whole new set of birds including four species of toucans, and our only Crimson-crested Woodpecker and Masked Tityras of the trip and my first good look at Scaled Pigeon. We also found a freshly road-killed Giant Earthworm (although this individual was far from maximum size).
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| a small Giant Earthworm |
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| Scaled Pigeon |
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| Crimson-crested Woodpecker |
After breakfast we headed for the FACE trail, and it didn't disappoint - we got great looks at a Plain-winged Antwren and after some searching we found a pair of roosting Band-bellied Owls that the lodge staff told us to look for, plus we got a good (but short) look at an Ochre-breasted Antpitta and all sorts of other stuff.
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| Entrance to the FACE trail |
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| The trails at Wildsumaco were excellent |
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| Yellow-browed Sparrow |
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| Clear-winged butterfly sp. |
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| Black-mantled (Napo) Tamarin |
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| Band-bellied Owl at day roost |
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| Magpie Tanager carrying nesting material |
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| Pair of Ornate Flycatchers |
After lunch (another delicious meal!) we took a break with some heavy rain coming down and then spent some time watching twelve species of hummingbirds at the feeders. Without a doubt, my favourite was the Wire-crested Thorntails (although Booted Racket-tailed was a close second), which were surprisingly common. These guys were super small and didn't fly like regular hummingbirds but more like a large insect.
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| Booted Racket-tail |
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| Fork-tailed Woodnymph |
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| Wire-crested Thorntail, Golden-tailed Sapphire, Sparkling Violetear |
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| Black-throated Brilliant |
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| Rufous-vented Whitetip |
After lunch we hiked the Coopman's and Antpitta trails. It was pretty quiet but we had one canopy flock move through. It was frustratingly hard to get a glimpse at them in the tops of the huge trees but I did pick up my first Orange-eared, Golden, and Golden-eared Tanagers along with Golden-collared Honeycreepers. Further along we were excited to find a pair of Crested Quetzals, not far from the Wildsumaco Biological Station. All in all, it was an exciting day, with
80 species without going more than a kilometre or so from the lodge!
Day 9 - Wildsumaco Lodge - February 15
For our last full day we arranged through the lodge to visit an Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek. This meant we had to get up early again so we could be in place at dawn. We were joined by
three American Expats. The drive to the nearby Pacto Sumaco was only a few minutes where we met our local guide whose property we were visiting. We were dropped off and fumbling our way along the wooden path in the dark short after 5:15. In the dark we heard a pygmy-owl, which I assume was Ferruginous based on our location, and I had a brief look at a Common Pauraque. It was soon light enough to walk without a headlamp lighting the way and we made our way off the main trail onto a smaller path. Soon enough, we could hear the noisy calls of the lek up ahead!
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| The main trail into the lek |
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| A male cock-of-the-rock |
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| Amazingly bizarre-looking birds! |
As you can see, we weren't disappointed! The walk in was pretty tough (even the drive was as Christina got the van stuck twice!), but definitely worth the prize. On top of the Cock-of-the-Rocks, we had
a few other birds in the area including a couple of calling White-throated Quail-Doves.
After the walk back to the lodge, we had a late breakfast so decided to lounge on the deck. This was a good move as not long after a Swallow-tailed Kite came right in and grabbed something (a lizard?) out of the top of a tree not 50 feet in front of us! The action continued as a small canopy flock moved through at eye level that included great looks at a Black-faced Dacnis and a few Paradise Tanagers, one of my most wanted species of the trip! After the birds cleared we were delighted to see a Dwarf Squirrel up in the trees.
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| Swallow-tailed Kite |
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| Paradise Tanager |
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| Golden-tailed Sapphire |
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| Dwarf Squirrel |
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| Black-faced Dacnis |
We had lunch then hiked a kilometre and a half down the road to the lower hummingbird feeders to see if we could find something different; no luck with new hummingbirds but we were perfectly positioned as another tanager flock came through the canopy crossing the road. Amongst the 7+ species were a few Golden, Green-and-Gold, Golden-eared and the only Blue-browed Tanager of the trip. This flock was great because many stopped and fed on the fruit of a cecropia tree right beside the road allowing good, extended views of them as they paused. After the flock passed we walked the Piha Trail and then came up the Waterfall trail, which was quite a work-out. We were rewarded though with excellent looks at a Chestnut-crowned Gnateater and a Golden-collared Toucanet that landed long enough for a photo.
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| Birding the main road |
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| Golden-collared Toucanet |
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| Erica catching her breath on the (long) way up the Waterfall Trail |
Even though we spent the morning hiking in to see the Cock-of-the-Rocks we still had a
very good day back at the lodge. After dinner we were out again, this time for a night outing to look for all sorts of critters. We were successful in finding a few frogs and lots of interesting insects. The real highlight though was hearing Rufescent and Tropical Screech-Owls at the same time, then getting interrupted by 2-3 Olingos in the canopy of the FACE trail - a very successful night hike!
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| This Swainson's Thrush was a surprise night-time find! |
Day 10 - Wildsumaco to Papallacta - February 16
Our last morning at Wildsumaco, so I got up early to catch the antpitta feeding. Erica was feeling a little under the weather, so she slept in and missed out. Byron, the guide who did the antpitta feeding was an excellent birder and he pointed out a bunch of calls I had missed so I added a bunch of birds on the short walk down the Coopman's Trail including Common Scale-backed Antbird, White-necked Thrush, and Olivaceous Greenlet. The antpitta feeding was successful, with a White-crowned Tapaculo coming in almost instantly. We had to wait a bit longer for the Plain-backed Antpitta to come in, and it never fully emerged from the shadows, but an Ochre-breasted Antpitta was more cooperative:
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| Ochre-breasted Antpitta |
After getting back and having breakfast, Erica and I walked the road for an hour or so, adding a
couple new species including great looks at a female Cerulean Warbler. Back at the lodge a small troop of Black-mantled Tamarins came in to eat some bananas set out by the staff, allowing great views, including a short bout of grooming that was very cool to witness.
And with that, we packed up, spent a few last minutes savoring the deck and headed out after lunch, but not before a few more hummingbird photos.
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| Violet-headed Hummingbird |
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| Wire-crested Thorntail |
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| Sparkling Violetear |
From there, it was back up the mountain to Papallacta but Carlos had one more trick up his sleeve - a roadside stop for Cliff Flycatcher that perched obediently on a telephone wire. We arrived at our last hotel,
Termas Papallacta, just before 5 pm and quickly changed into our bathing suites to enjoy the hotsprings. As if to prepare us for heading back to Canada, Antisana peaked out of the clouds to show off its snow-capped peak.
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| Enjoying the hotspring with Antisana in the background |
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| Antisana's snowy peak |
While enjoying the water, hummingbird species #34 for the trip, a Shining Sunbeam, showed up on queue.
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| Shining Sunbeam |
Day 11 - Papallacta to Quito airport - February 17
Our last day in Ecuador, I was up early and hiked up the valley for a couple of kilometres until it was light enough to bird my way down. It was cool but clear and there were lots of birds singing. I didn't come up with any mountain tanagers, as I had hoped, but I added three more hummingbirds (Sword-billed Hummingbird, Great Sapphirewing, and Viridian Metaltail) and a
few more other species, including great looks at a White-browed Spinetail, before I met Erica back at the hotel for breakfast.
 |
| Brown-backed Chat-tyrant |
 |
| Looking down the valley towards Antisana |
After breakfast we packed up, jumped in a taxi and headed back over the pass and the hour or so drive to the airport. I managed one last species, a Variable Hawk, just as we went through the highest part of the pass but that was it for our first trip to Ecuador and South America!
Bird species list
The following lists the bird species found on the trip, along with the frequency of checklists (from eBird) that we reported them:
Taxonomic order, species name, frequency
| 1 |
Little Tinamou |
1.96% |
| 2 |
Yellow-billed Pintail |
1.96% |
| 3 |
Speckled Chachalaca |
7.84% |
| 4 |
Sickle-winged Guan |
3.92% |
| 5 |
Rufous-breasted Wood-Quail |
3.92% |
| 6 |
Snowy Egret |
1.96% |
| 7 |
Cattle Egret |
1.96% |
| 8 |
Black Vulture |
23.53% |
| 9 |
Turkey Vulture |
21.57% |
| 10 |
Greater Yellow-headed Vulture |
7.84% |
| 11 |
Swallow-tailed Kite |
11.76% |
| 12 |
Plumbeous Kite |
1.96% |
| 13 |
Roadside Hawk |
19.61% |
| 14 |
Variable Hawk |
1.96% |
| 15 |
Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle |
1.96% |
| 16 |
White Hawk |
1.96% |
| 17 |
Broad-winged Hawk |
5.88% |
| 18 |
Short-tailed Hawk |
1.96% |
| 19 |
Southern Lapwing |
1.96% |
| 20 |
Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe |
1.96% |
| 21 |
Spotted Sandpiper |
11.76% |
| 22 |
Andean Gull |
1.96% |
| 23 |
Rock Pigeon |
5.88% |
| 24 |
Pale-vented Pigeon |
1.96% |
| 25 |
Scaled Pigeon |
7.84% |
| 26 |
Band-tailed Pigeon |
3.92% |
| 27 |
Plumbeous Pigeon |
5.88% |
| 28 |
Ruddy Pigeon |
3.92% |
| 29 |
Ruddy Ground-Dove |
1.96% |
| 30 |
White-throated Quail-Dove |
1.96% |
| 31 |
Eared Dove |
3.92% |
| 32 |
Squirrel Cuckoo |
7.84% |
| 33 |
Greater Ani |
1.96% |
| 34 |
Smooth-billed Ani |
9.80% |
| 35 |
Tropical Screech-Owl |
5.88% |
| 36 |
Rufescent Screech-Owl |
1.96% |
| 37 |
Band-bellied Owl |
1.96% |
| 38 |
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl |
11.76% |
| 39 |
San Isidro Owl |
3.92% |
| 40 |
Rufous-banded Owl |
3.92% |
| 41 |
Rufous-bellied Nighthawk |
1.96% |
| 42 |
Blackish Nightjar |
1.96% |
| 43 |
Common Pauraque |
1.96% |
| 44 |
Great Potoo |
1.96% |
| 45 |
White-collared Swift |
19.61% |
| 46 |
Short-tailed Swift |
1.96% |
| 47 |
Gray-rumped Swift |
7.84% |
| 48 |
Fork-tailed Palm-Swift |
9.80% |
| 49 |
White-necked Jacobin |
1.96% |
| 50 |
Green Hermit |
5.88% |
| 51 |
Black-throated Hermit |
1.96% |
| 52 |
Green-fronted Lancebill |
1.96% |
| 53 |
Green Violetear |
1.96% |
| 54 |
Sparkling Violetear |
15.69% |
| 55 |
Tourmaline Sunangel |
5.88% |
| 56 |
Wire-crested Thorntail |
7.84% |
| 57 |
Speckled Hummingbird |
7.84% |
| 58 |
Long-tailed Sylph |
7.84% |
| 59 |
Ecuadorian Hillstar |
1.96% |
| 60 |
Black-tailed Trainbearer |
5.88% |
| 61 |
Blue-mantled Thornbill |
1.96% |
| 62 |
Tyrian Metaltail |
3.92% |
| 63 |
Viridian Metaltail |
1.96% |
| 64 |
Glowing Puffleg |
1.96% |
| 65 |
Shining Sunbeam |
3.92% |
| 66 |
Bronzy Inca |
1.96% |
| 67 |
Collared Inca |
5.88% |
| 68 |
Buff-winged Starfrontlet |
3.92% |
| 69 |
Mountain Velvetbreast |
1.96% |
| 70 |
Sword-billed Hummingbird |
1.96% |
| 71 |
Great Sapphirewing |
1.96% |
| 72 |
Buff-tailed Coronet |
1.96% |
| 73 |
Chestnut-breasted Coronet |
7.84% |
| 74 |
Booted Racket-tail |
7.84% |
| 75 |
Rufous-vented Whitetip |
3.92% |
| 76 |
Black-throated Brilliant |
5.88% |
| 77 |
Gould's Jewelfront |
1.96% |
| 78 |
Fawn-breasted Brilliant |
5.88% |
| 79 |
Violet-fronted Brilliant |
5.88% |
| 80 |
White-bellied Woodstar |
1.96% |
| 81 |
Violet-headed Hummingbird |
7.84% |
| 82 |
Napo Sabrewing |
3.92% |
| 83 |
Fork-tailed Woodnymph |
7.84% |
| 84 |
Many-spotted Hummingbird |
7.84% |
| 85 |
Golden-tailed Sapphire |
7.84% |
| 86 |
Golden-headed Quetzal |
1.96% |
| 87 |
Crested Quetzal |
5.88% |
| 88 |
Green-backed Trogon |
5.88% |
| 89 |
Collared Trogon |
1.96% |
| 90 |
Masked Trogon |
1.96% |
| 91 |
Amazonian Motmot |
1.96% |
| 92 |
Andean Motmot |
1.96% |
| 93 |
Rufous Motmot |
1.96% |
| 94 |
Ringed Kingfisher |
1.96% |
| 95 |
Amazon Kingfisher |
7.84% |
| 96 |
Green Kingfisher |
3.92% |
| 97 |
Yellow-billed Nunbird |
3.92% |
| 98 |
Gilded Barbet |
9.80% |
| 99 |
Red-headed Barbet |
5.88% |
| 100 |
Emerald Toucanet |
1.96% |
| 101 |
Chestnut-eared Aracari |
1.96% |
| 102 |
Many-banded Aracari |
7.84% |
| 103 |
Golden-collared Toucanet |
1.96% |
| 104 |
Black-mandibled Toucan |
7.84% |
| 105 |
White-throated Toucan |
3.92% |
| 106 |
Channel-billed Toucan |
9.80% |
| 107 |
Lafresnaye's Piculet |
3.92% |
| 108 |
Yellow-tufted Woodpecker |
3.92% |
| 109 |
Little Woodpecker |
1.96% |
| 110 |
Golden-olive Woodpecker |
1.96% |
| 111 |
Crimson-mantled Woodpecker |
1.96% |
| 112 |
Crimson-crested Woodpecker |
1.96% |
| 113 |
Black Caracara |
5.88% |
| 114 |
Carunculated Caracara |
1.96% |
| 115 |
American Kestrel |
5.88% |
| 116 |
Bat Falcon |
3.92% |
| 117 |
Cobalt-winged Parakeet |
3.92% |
| 118 |
Red-billed Parrot |
1.96% |
| 119 |
Speckle-faced Parrot |
5.88% |
| 120 |
Blue-headed Parrot |
3.92% |
| 121 |
Black-headed Parrot |
1.96% |
| 122 |
Maroon-tailed Parakeet |
1.96% |
| 123 |
Dusky-headed Parakeet |
7.84% |
| 124 |
Military Macaw |
3.92% |
| 125 |
Chestnut-fronted Macaw |
11.76% |
| 126 |
White-eyed Parakeet |
1.96% |
| 127 |
Fasciated Antshrike |
1.96% |
| 128 |
Lined Antshrike |
7.84% |
| 129 |
Plain Antvireo |
1.96% |
| 130 |
Plain-winged Antwren |
1.96% |
| 131 |
Streak-headed Antbird |
1.96% |
| 132 |
Blackish Antbird |
1.96% |
| 133 |
Common Scale-backed Antbird |
1.96% |
| 134 |
Chestnut-crowned Gnateater |
1.96% |
| 135 |
Plain-backed Antpitta |
1.96% |
| 136 |
White-bellied Antpitta |
5.88% |
| 137 |
Tawny Antpitta |
9.80% |
| 138 |
Thrush-like Antpitta |
5.88% |
| 139 |
Ochre-breasted Antpitta |
3.92% |
| 140 |
Blackish Tapaculo |
1.96% |
| 141 |
Long-tailed Tapaculo |
1.96% |
| 142 |
White-crowned Tapaculo |
1.96% |
| 143 |
Short-tailed Antthrush |
3.92% |
| 144 |
Olivaceous Woodcreeper |
5.88% |
| 145 |
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper |
1.96% |
| 146 |
Strong-billed Woodcreeper |
3.92% |
| 147 |
Olive-backed Woodcreeper |
3.92% |
| 148 |
Montane Woodcreeper |
5.88% |
| 149 |
Stout-billed Cinclodes |
3.92% |
| 150 |
Montane Foliage-gleaner |
1.96% |
| 151 |
Lineated Foliage-gleaner |
1.96% |
| 152 |
Black-billed Treehunter |
1.96% |
| 153 |
Pearled Treerunner |
5.88% |
| 154 |
White-browed Spinetail |
1.96% |
| 155 |
White-chinned Thistletail |
1.96% |
| 156 |
Azara's Spinetail |
5.88% |
| 157 |
Dark-breasted Spinetail |
5.88% |
| 158 |
White-tailed Tyrannulet |
3.92% |
| 159 |
White-throated Tyrannulet |
1.96% |
| 160 |
Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet |
1.96% |
| 161 |
Tufted Tit-Tyrant |
1.96% |
| 162 |
Agile Tit-Tyrant |
1.96% |
| 163 |
Mouse-colored Tyrannulet |
1.96% |
| 164 |
Yellow Tyrannulet |
1.96% |
| 165 |
Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet |
1.96% |
| 166 |
Foothill Elaenia |
1.96% |
| 167 |
White-crested Elaenia |
5.88% |
| 168 |
Sierran Elaenia |
1.96% |
| 169 |
Torrent Tyrannulet |
1.96% |
| 170 |
Streak-necked Flycatcher |
3.92% |
| 171 |
Rufous-breasted Flycatcher |
3.92% |
| 172 |
Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant |
1.96% |
| 173 |
Spectacled Bristle-Tyrant |
1.96% |
| 174 |
Ecuadorian Tyrannulet |
1.96% |
| 175 |
Ashy-headed Tyrannulet |
1.96% |
| 176 |
Tawny-rumped Tyrannulet |
1.96% |
| 177 |
Golden-faced Tyrannulet |
3.92% |
| 178 |
Ornate Flycatcher |
3.92% |
| 179 |
Double-banded Pygmy-Tyrant |
1.96% |
| 180 |
Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcher |
3.92% |
| 181 |
Common Tody-Flycatcher |
5.88% |
| 182 |
Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher |
1.96% |
| 183 |
Cinnamon Flycatcher |
5.88% |
| 184 |
Cliff Flycatcher |
1.96% |
| 185 |
Handsome Flycatcher |
1.96% |
| 186 |
Flavescent Flycatcher |
1.96% |
| 187 |
Olive-sided Flycatcher |
3.92% |
| 188 |
Smoke-colored Pewee |
3.92% |
| 189 |
Western Wood-Pewee |
11.76% |
| 190 |
Black Phoebe |
5.88% |
| 191 |
Vermilion Flycatcher |
1.96% |
| 192 |
Plain-capped Ground-Tyrant |
1.96% |
| 193 |
Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant |
1.96% |
| 194 |
Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant |
3.92% |
| 195 |
Bright-rumped Attila |
1.96% |
| 196 |
Pale-edged Flycatcher |
5.88% |
| 197 |
Great Kiskadee |
15.69% |
| 198 |
Boat-billed Flycatcher |
9.80% |
| 199 |
Social Flycatcher |
11.76% |
| 200 |
Gray-capped Flycatcher |
1.96% |
| 201 |
Golden-crowned Flycatcher |
3.92% |
| 202 |
Tropical Kingbird |
37.25% |
| 203 |
Red-crested Cotinga |
3.92% |
| 204 |
Andean Cock-of-the-rock |
1.96% |
| 205 |
Golden-winged Manakin |
1.96% |
| 206 |
Blue-rumped Manakin |
1.96% |
| 207 |
White-bearded Manakin |
1.96% |
| 208 |
White-crowned Manakin |
1.96% |
| 209 |
Masked Tityra |
1.96% |
| 210 |
White-winged Becard |
1.96% |
| 211 |
Brown-capped Vireo |
5.88% |
| 212 |
Yellow-green Vireo |
5.88% |
| 213 |
Olivaceous Greenlet |
1.96% |
| 214 |
Black-billed Peppershrike |
5.88% |
| 215 |
Turquoise Jay |
1.96% |
| 216 |
Green Jay |
9.80% |
| 217 |
Violaceous Jay |
13.73% |
| 218 |
Blue-and-white Swallow |
21.57% |
| 219 |
Brown-bellied Swallow |
3.92% |
| 220 |
White-thighed Swallow |
1.96% |
| 221 |
White-banded Swallow |
15.69% |
| 222 |
Southern Rough-winged Swallow |
3.92% |
| 223 |
White-winged Swallow |
1.96% |
| 224 |
House Wren |
15.69% |
| 225 |
Mountain Wren |
7.84% |
| 226 |
Sedge Wren |
1.96% |
| 227 |
Plain-tailed Wren |
1.96% |
| 228 |
White-breasted Wood-Wren |
1.96% |
| 229 |
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren |
5.88% |
| 230 |
Andean Solitaire |
3.92% |
| 231 |
Spotted Nightingale-Thrush |
3.92% |
| 232 |
Swainson's Thrush |
15.69% |
| 233 |
Black-billed Thrush |
7.84% |
| 234 |
Great Thrush |
13.73% |
| 235 |
Glossy-black Thrush |
5.88% |
| 236 |
White-necked Thrush |
1.96% |
| 237 |
Black-and-white Warbler |
1.96% |
| 238 |
Tennessee Warbler |
1.96% |
| 239 |
American Redstart |
3.92% |
| 240 |
Cerulean Warbler |
1.96% |
| 241 |
Tropical Parula |
7.84% |
| 242 |
Blackburnian Warbler |
13.73% |
| 243 |
Blackpoll Warbler |
1.96% |
| 244 |
Three-striped Warbler |
1.96% |
| 245 |
Black-crested Warbler |
1.96% |
| 246 |
Russet-crowned Warbler |
3.92% |
| 247 |
Canada Warbler |
9.80% |
| 248 |
Slate-throated Redstart |
3.92% |
| 249 |
Spectacled Redstart |
9.80% |
| 250 |
Magpie Tanager |
15.69% |
| 251 |
Black-eared Hemispingus |
5.88% |
| 252 |
White-lined Tanager |
1.96% |
| 253 |
Masked Crimson Tanager |
5.88% |
| 254 |
Silver-beaked Tanager |
7.84% |
| 255 |
Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager |
1.96% |
| 256 |
Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager |
3.92% |
| 257 |
Fawn-breasted Tanager |
3.92% |
| 258 |
Blue-and-yellow Tanager |
1.96% |
| 259 |
Orange-eared Tanager |
1.96% |
| 260 |
Blue-gray Tanager |
23.53% |
| 261 |
Palm Tanager |
7.84% |
| 262 |
Golden-naped Tanager |
3.92% |
| 263 |
Blue-necked Tanager |
9.80% |
| 264 |
Spotted Tanager |
1.96% |
| 265 |
Beryl-spangled Tanager |
3.92% |
| 266 |
Blue-browed Tanager |
1.96% |
| 267 |
Turquoise Tanager |
1.96% |
| 268 |
Paradise Tanager |
3.92% |
| 269 |
Bay-headed Tanager |
1.96% |
| 270 |
Golden-eared Tanager |
1.96% |
| 271 |
Saffron-crowned Tanager |
5.88% |
| 272 |
Flame-faced Tanager |
3.92% |
| 273 |
Green-and-gold Tanager |
1.96% |
| 274 |
Golden Tanager |
3.92% |
| 275 |
Black-faced Dacnis |
1.96% |
| 276 |
Golden-collared Honeycreeper |
3.92% |
| 277 |
Cinereous Conebill |
11.76% |
| 278 |
Capped Conebill |
1.96% |
| 279 |
Black Flowerpiercer |
3.92% |
| 280 |
White-sided Flowerpiercer |
5.88% |
| 281 |
Bluish Flowerpiercer |
3.92% |
| 282 |
Masked Flowerpiercer |
5.88% |
| 283 |
Plumbeous Sierra-Finch |
1.96% |
| 284 |
Blue-black Grassquit |
1.96% |
| 285 |
Chestnut-bellied Seedeater |
7.84% |
| 286 |
Chestnut-bellied Seed-Finch |
1.96% |
| 287 |
Band-tailed Seedeater |
1.96% |
| 288 |
Plain-colored Seedeater |
1.96% |
| 289 |
Bananaquit |
7.84% |
| 290 |
Buff-throated Saltator |
1.96% |
| 291 |
Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch |
3.92% |
| 292 |
Gray-browed Brush-Finch |
1.96% |
| 293 |
Pale-naped Brush-Finch |
1.96% |
| 294 |
Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch |
1.96% |
| 295 |
Yellow-browed Sparrow |
5.88% |
| 296 |
Rufous-collared Sparrow |
21.57% |
| 297 |
Common Chlorospingus |
3.92% |
| 298 |
Yellow-throated Chlorospingus |
3.92% |
| 299 |
Ashy-throated Chlorospingus |
1.96% |
| 300 |
Summer Tanager |
11.76% |
| 301 |
Scarlet Tanager |
5.88% |
| 302 |
Rose-breasted Grosbeak |
1.96% |
| 303 |
Scarlet-rumped Cacique |
5.88% |
| 304 |
Yellow-rumped Cacique |
1.96% |
| 305 |
Mountain Cacique |
1.96% |
| 306 |
Russet-backed Oropendola |
21.57% |
| 307 |
Crested Oropendola |
5.88% |
| 308 |
Golden-bellied Euphonia |
1.96% |
| 309 |
Bronze-green Euphonia |
3.92% |
| 310 |
White-vented Euphonia |
1.96% |
| 311 |
Orange-bellied Euphonia |
3.92% |
| 312 |
Blue-naped Chlorophonia |
3.92% |
| 313 |
Olivaceous Siskin |
7.84% |
Plus our Panama trip additions:
| 314 |
Wood Stork |
| 315 |
Neotropic Cormorant |
| 316 |
Great Egret |
| 317 |
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture |
| 318 |
Crested Caracara |
| 319 |
Yellow-headed Caracara |
| 320 |
Peregrine Falcon |
| 321 |
Tropical Mockingbird |
| 322 |
Great-tailed Grackle |
Mammal list:
1. Black Agouti
2. White-tailed Deer
3. Andean Fox
4. Red-tailed Squirrel
5. Gray-bellied Night-monkey (I think this is the species)
6. Black-mantled Tamarin (Napo Tamarin)
7. Dwarf Squirrel
8.
Eastern Lowland Olingo
9. Forest Rabbit
10. Amazonian Brocket Deer (tracks only)
11. Puma (scat only)
12. Armadillo sp. (burrows)
