10-Day Birding Tour Northern Ecuador

NORTHERN ECUADOR BIRDING TOUR

Chocó Andino de Pichincha Reserve & Mindo

10 days

Best season from September to March

DATES

Contact us to arrange your preferred travel dates.

OVERVIEW

Northern Ecuador is one of the world’s best birding destinations. It offers an extensive network of natural reserves with many interesting bird species, comfortable lodges, stunning scenery, friendly people, and delicious food.

The UNESCO Chocó Andino de Pichincha Biosphere Reserve, located in northern Ecuador, is a paradise for birders. This biodiversity hotspot is home to a wide variety of mammals, reptiles, and at least 500 bird species, including several species endemic to the Chocó region, such as Choco Toucan, Choco Warbler, and Choco Woodpecker.

This unique birding tour covers a wide range of altitudes, from the cool temperate forests of Yanacocha to the humid lowlands, where we will search for a variety of fantastic birds, including Moss-backed Tanager, Toucan Barbet, Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, Blue-tailed Trogon, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Glistening-green Tanager, and many beautiful hummingbirds such as Velvet-purple Coronet and Violet-tailed Sylph.

During the tour, we will spend several days in Mindo, a mountainous watershed on the western slopes of the Andes, where two of the world’s most biologically diverse ecoregions meet: the Chocó lowlands and the Tropical Andes. This area is especially attractive due to the many feeders, offering excellent chances to see antpittas, toucans, tanagers, wood-quails, and woodcreepers.

Despite its small size, Ecuador offers an incredible diversity of birds and habitats, making it one of the most rewarding birding destinations in the world. This tour is a perfect way to experience its extraordinary birdlife.

ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrival at Quito International Airport, where we will welcome you and transfer you to the hotel. Overnight at a hotel in Quito.

Day 2: Transfer to the Zuro Loma Reserve for morning birding in the area. In the afternoon, transfer to the Tandayapa Valley. Overnight at Piripe Lodge.

Day 3: Full day birding in the Piripe area. Overnight at Piripe Lodge.

Day 4: Transfer to the Mashpi Road and visit the Amagusa feeders, a great birding site. Overnight at Cielo Verde Lodge.

Day 5: Full day birding in the mid and lower sections of the Mashpi Road. Overnight at Cielo Verde Lodge.

Day 6: Birding along the Mashpi River in search of Chocó bird species. Overnight at Kapari Lodge.

Day 7: We will start ascending the valley in search of the Long-wattled Umbrellabird, followed by a transfer in the afternoon to the lower part of Sachatamia. Overnight at Sachatamia Lodge.

Day 8: Full day birding in the lower Chocó region, along the Silanche Road and in the forest reserve. Overnight at Sachatamia Lodge.

Day 9: The best way to finish this unique birding tour is by visiting the famous Refugio Paz de las Aves in Mindo, known for its feeding stations for antpittas. In the afternoon, transfer to Quito. Overnight at a hotel in Quito.

Day 10: Transfer to Quito International Airport for your flight home, marking the end of the tour.

KEY SPECIES

Choco endemic species: Choco Elaenia, Choco Manakin, Choco Poorwill, Choco Sirystes, Choco Black-throated Trogon, Choco Toucan, Choco Tyrannulet, Choco Warbler, Choco Woodpecker, Club-winged Manakin, Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, Giant Antpitta, Banded Ground-Cuckoo, Baudo Guan, Yellow-collared Chlorophonia, Purple-chested Hummingbird, Velvet-purple Coronet, Empress Brilliant, Moss-backed Tanager, Rufous-throated Tanager.

Other species: Indigo Flowerpiercer, White-capped Dipper, Golden-collared Honeycreeper, Rose-faced Parrot, Collared Aracari, Pale-mandibled Aracari, Chestnut-tipped Toucan, Blue-tailed Trogon, Purple Quail-Dove, Dusky Pigeon, Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Yellow-tufted Dacnis, Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Black-crowned Antshrike, Orange-fronted Barbet, Toucan Barbet, Golden-headed Quetzal, Scaled Fruiteater, Black-tipped Cotinga, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Pacific Tuftedcheek, Esmeraldas Antbird, Black Solitaire, Ecuadorian Thrush, Black-striped Woodcreeper, Spotted Woodcreeper, Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl, Chestnut-naped Antpitta, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Moustached Antpitta.

Brown Inca, Green-crowned Brilliant, Geoffroy’s Daggerbill, Tawny-bellied Hermit, White-whiskered Hermit, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Tooth-billed Hummingbird, Green Thorntail, Purple-throated Woodstar, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, Violet-tailed Sylph.

Beryl-spangled Tanager, Yellow-green Tanager, Scarlet-browed Tanager, Blue-whiskered Tanager, Rufous-winged Tanager, Glistening-green Tanager, Golden-hooded Tanager, Golden-chested Tanager, Purplish-mantled Tanager, Gray-and-Gold Tanager, Metallic-green Tanager.

TOUR DETAILS

Group Size: Maximum 8 participants + tour guide

Physical Difficulty: Easy to moderate. We will cover some high parts during this tour, where we will keep the walking to a minimum.

Accommodation: 3-star hotels and comfortable lodges in beautiful locations

Transportation: Private vehicle with driver (car or minivan)

Habitats Covered: Andean mountains and valleys, paramo, elfin forest, cloud forest, Chocó lowlands

Climate: During this tour we will be going through many different habitats and landscapes, from the warm lowlands of the Chocó region to the cold paramos close to Quito.

Altitude: 700 – 4400 meters / 2,297 – 14,436 feet above sea level

Possible extensions:
– Amazon of Ecuador