Black-capped Tanager, one of 12 species of Tangara possible at Cabañas San Isidro. Photo: Gary Rosenberg
The scenic Andes of eastern Ecuador are incredibly rich in birds, combining high páramo habitats that are home to Andean Condors and Rufous-bellied Seedsnipes with lush temperate and subtropical forests alive with spectacular tanagers and fancy hummingbirds. This short tour is designed to sample the rich and exciting diversity of birds at multiple elevations in the eastern Andes, from the high páramo to the Amazonian foothills, all from the comfort of some of the region’s best and birdiest ecolodges.
This tour can be taken in conjunction with our tour Ecuador: A Week in Paradise.
Day 1: The tour begins this evening in Quito. Night in Quito.
Day 2: We’ll leave early this morning for the high páramo habitats at the recently opened Antisana Ecological Reserve and at Papallacta Pass, about an hour’s drive from Quito. On clear day, the scenery is nothing short of stunning, with often excellent views of the high volcanoes that surround Quito, including Cotopaxi and Antisana. The birding at the pass is equally thrilling, with good chances of Andean Condor and Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe. Other high-elevation specialties possible here include Silvery Grebe, Black-faced Ibis, Carunculated Caracara, Blue-mantled Thornbill, Giant Hummingbird, Andean Tit-Spinetail, Many-striped Canastero, Bar-winged and Stout-billed Cinclodes, Tawny Antpitta, Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant, Red-crested Cotinga, Giant Conebill, and Plumbeous Sierra-Finch. We’ll bird the high temperate forest east of the pass in search of mixed-species flocks of tanagers and work our way to Guango Lodge for the night. The birding at the lodge can be superb as well, but without a doubt the main attraction is the array of hummingbird feeders, where such fabulous hummers as the implausibly proportioned Sword-billed Hummingbird visit frequently. Tourmaline Sunangel, Mountain Velvetbreast, and Buff-winged Starfrontlet are also possible. Night at Guango Lodge.
Day 3: We’ll bird the early morning around Guango Lodge, hoping for a large mixed-species flock to pass through the grounds. Such flocks often hold Rufous-breasted Flycatcher, Dusky Piha, Blue-winged and Lacrimose Mountain-Tanagers, Blue-and-black Tanager, and Pale-naped Brush-Finch among many others. If we haven’t yet seen Viridian Metaltail, Glowing Puffleg, Masked Mountain-Tanager, or Black-headed Hemispingus, we might return to the temperate forest above the town of Papallacta to search for them. Then we’ll continue our journey to San Isidro, only an hour and a half away, with stops to look for Torrent Duck and White-capped Dipper, both common along the river that parallels the highway. We’ll arrive at Cabañas San Isidro in time for dinner. Night at Cabañas San Isidro.
Days 4-5: We’ll have the better part of two days to explore the many fine birding areas around San Isidro and Guacamayo Ridge. We’ll be walking on relatively level, little-traveled roads and occasionally on trails through the beautiful subtropical forest. San Isidro is simply one of a kind for Andean birding, with mixed-species flocks of tanagers, including several representatives of the genus Tangara such as Saffron-crowned, Black-capped, Beryl-spangled, Flame-faced, and Golden-naped. Other incredible tanagers might include the gaudy Grass-green, the gregarious White-capped, or the local Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia. Roadside birding right at the lodge is excellent for fancy birds such as both Golden-headed and Crested Quetzals, Wattled Guan, Pale-eyed and Glossy-black Thrushes, and the diminutive Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcher.
The trails at San Isidro provide access to the interior of the subtropical forest, where we’ll search for Andean Cocks-of-the-rock, which have a lek nearby, as well as specialties such as Black-chested Fruiteater, Bicolored Antvireo, Long-tailed Antbird, Barred Antthrush, and possibly the little-known Peruvian Antpitta, a nest of which was discovered right on the property. The trail on nearby Guacamayo Ridge can be equally exciting. We’ll walk over the cobblestones of this ancient Inca relay route to look for Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, White-bellied Antpitta, and the very local White-rimmed Brush-Finch, among others. The sound of hundreds of White-collared and Chestnut-collared Swifts whooshing over in the evening only adds to an utterly amazing experience.
Day 6: We’ll depart San Isidro in the morning to drive an hour and a half to Tena, on the edge of the Amazonian lowlands. Tena’s Parque Amazona offers an exciting and readily accessible taste of the wonders of the Amazon basin. Among the lowland specialties we can hope to encounter here are Rufous-breasted Hermit, Cobalt-winged Parakeet, Mottle-backed Elaenia, Yellow-bellied Dacnis, and Turquoise Tanager. Our ascent of the canopy tower puts us at eye level with Fork-tailed Palm-Swifts and rapidly moving canopy flocks. We’ll spend a few hours in Tena, then drive along the Loreto Road, with a stop for the unusual and striking Cliff Flycatcher; we’ll also search for a long-established pair of Orange-breasted Falcons, one of the rarest raptors in the Americas. We’ll settle in at Wildsumaco Lodge in the late afternoon. Night at Wildsumaco.
Days 7-8: Situated in the lower foothills at an elevation of about 5,000 feet, the grounds of Wildsumaco Lodge are a mix of temperate, foothill, and lowland habitats, all accessible on a rarely traveled dirt road and a system of well-maintained forest trails. We’ll spend both days within walking distance of the lodge, getting to know such resident species as Ecuadorian Piedtail, Napo Sabrewing, Wire-crested Thorntail, Short-tailed Antthrush, Gray-tailed Piha, Blue-rumped Manakin, and Chestnut-crowned Gnateater. There are some notable rarities among the lowland and foothill species here, too, and we’ll be keeping a careful eye (and ear) out for such birds as Buckley’s Forest-Falcon, Red-billed Tyrranulet, and Yellow-throated Spadebill. The nighttime hours will likely be enlivened by Great Potoo, Foothill and Rufescent Screech-Owls, and Band-bellied Owl. Nights at Wildsumaco.
Day 9: The birding potential at Wildsumaco is nearly inexhaustible, and we’ll spend the early morning on the grounds before setting off on the five-hour drive back to Quito. Weather permitting, we’ll make several stops along the way to take in the scenery and to look for birds we may have missed. Our late-afternoon arrival in Quito will leave us time for some last-minute shopping, followed by a farewell dinner with the group. Night in Quito.
Day 10: The tour concludes this morning in Quito.
Updated: 29 June 2010
Prices
- 2012 Tour Price : $3,150*
- Single Occupancy Supplement : $460
Notes
Single occupancy may not be available at Guango Lodge or at Wildsumaco. Maximum group size eight with one leader.
* Tour invoices paid by check carry a modest discount. Details here.