Green-backed Hillstar
CHOCÓ CLOUD FOREST PHOTO TOUR
Northern Ecuador
13 Days
Best season from September to March
DATES
Coming soon.
OVERVIEW
A great network of natural reserves with a great number of bird species, together with excellent lodges, and fantastic sceneries, makes northwest Ecuador one of the planet’s most delightful birding destinations.
This photo tour takes us to the Chocó Andino de Pichincha Biosphere Reserve. This reserve is located in northern Ecuador, in the Pichincha Province, northwest of the capital city Quito. The reserve is considered a biodiversity hotspot, thanks to the rich Chocó biodiversity with many endemic and near-endemic bird species. Chocó has a variety of landscapes and the altitude of the area ranges from 360 m to 4480 meters above sea level.
During the tour, we will spend a few days in the east part of the Andes Mountains as well, visiting the upper part of the Cloud Forest, Puna and Páramo.
ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival at the airport in Quito and transfer to the Zaysant Ecolodge with feeders for tanagers. / Night at Zaysant Ecolodge, Puembo Quito.
Day 2: Transfer to the Zuro Loma Reserve with photo opportunities for different antpittas and highland hummingbirds. In the afternoon we will visit the Maraksacha Reserve, a good place for tanagers and hummingbirds. / Night at the Sachatamia Lodge, Mindo.
Day 3: Full day in Cloud Forest of the Sachatamia Reserve in the Mindo Valley with hides for Masked Trogon, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, among others, fruit feeders with chances for Red-headed Barbet, Flame-rumped Tanager, and feeders for different species of hummingbirds like Booted Racket-tail. / Night at the Sachatamia Lodge.
Day 4: In the morning a visit to Paz de Aves Refuge with our main target the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock and chances to photograph five different species of antpittas. In the afternoon we will visit the Milpe Bird Sanctuary for Club-winged Manakin, Choco Toucan, and hummingbirds. / Night at the Sachatamia Lodge, Mindo.
DAY 5: A visit to Santa Rosa, the best place to photograph the beautiful Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan. / Night at the Sachatamia Lodge, Mindo.
DAY 6: Balcón Tumpiki and Tutifruti reserve to photograph bird species such as Ocellated Tapaculo, Orange-fronted Barbet, and different species of tanagers and woodpeckers. / Night at the Sachatamia Lodge, Mindo.
DAY 7: Today we will visit the Cloud Forest of the Amagusa Reserve in the Chocó-Andino Biosphere, where we can photograph species that are only found in this environment like Glistening-green Tanager and Toucan Barbet. / Night at Zaysant Ecolodge, Puembo Quito.
DAY 8: Visit to the Chakana Reserve and Antisana Ecological Reserve in the highlands, where we can photograph Ecuador’s National Bird the Andean Condor as well as Carunculated Caracara, Ecuadorian Hillstar, Black-tailed Trainbearer and many more. / Night at Zaysant Ecolodge, Puembo Quito.
DAY 9: A full day at Guango Lodge to take photos of Sword-billed Hummingbird, Tourmaline Sunangel, Long-tailed Sylph, among others. We will also look for Torrent Duck, Turquoise Jay, Hooded Mountain-Tanager and others around the lodge. / Night at the Guango Lodge, Papallacta.
DAY 10: A visit to the Papallacta Pass with chances to photograph Paramo birds such as Rufous Bellied Seedsnipe, Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, Giant Conebill. Around our lodge we can photograph Mountain Cacique, Saffron-crowned Tanager, and Montane Woodcreeper, among others. / Night at Río Quijos EcoLodge, El Chaco.
DAY 11: We will visit the La Brisa feeders in the morning for Green-backed Hillstar, Gorgeted Woodstar, Green Jay, among many other birds. In the afternoon we will return to Quito. End of the tour.
KEY SPECIES
Chestnut-napped Antpitta, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Giant Antpitta, Moustached Antpitta,
Glistening-green Tanager, Moss-backed Tanager, Blue-whiskered Tanager, Gray-and-Gold Tanager, Scarlet-browed Tanager, Flame-faced Tanager, Silver-throated Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, Rufous-throated Tanager, Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager.
Empress Brilliant, Velvet-purple Coronet, Violet-tailed Sylph, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, Purple chested Hummingbird, Booted Racket-tail, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Shining Sunbeam,
Black-tipped Cotinga, White-capped Dipper, Golden-collared Honeycreeper, Rose-faced Parrot, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Choco Trogon, Club-winged Manakin, Dusky Pigeon, Collared Aracari, Toucan Barbet, Golden-headed Quetzal, Scaled Fruiteater, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Torrent Duck, Carunculated Caracara, Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, Choco Toucan, Ornate Flycatcher.
TOUR DETAILS
Group Size: Max 6 + photography guide.
Accommodation: Basic to comfortable.
Transportation: Private car/van.
Habitats Covered: Andean Mountains and Valleys, Puna, Elfin Forest, Cloud Forest, Choco lowlands.
Climate: During this tour, we will be going through many different habitats and landscapes. From the cold high Andes to the warm lowlands of the Chocó.
Altitude: 700 – 4300 meters above sea level.
Possible extensions:
– Ecuador Amazon Photo Tour.
– Galapagos Islands.
Suggested Equipment:
– Digital SLR or Mirrorless camera.
– At least a 300 mm lens.
– Wide angle lens.
– Macro lens if you are interested in macro photography.
– Tripod or monopod.
– Flash
For the detailed itinerary, prices, or if you have questions, please get in touch with us.
PHOTO IMPRESSIONS
Kuntur Nature and Adventure EIRL
Company Address: Av. Industrial Conj. Hab. FOVIPOL. Nr 104 – Santiago – Cusco – Peru
By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies. We use cookies to give you the most relevant experience and to help our website run effectively.