For a full colour version of this report with photos and detailed species-list go to MINDO BIRD TOURS
Introduction
Southern Ecuador is a must for any birder with lots of regional endemics and a wide range of different habitats and species. The many diverse regions that we travelled include high Andes, inter-Andean valleys, east-slope cloud-forest, Amazonian foothills and lowlands, Tumbes, Marañon drainage and Chocó. Our route was designed to pick up all the southern Ecuador specialties and we did extremely well. Our extension to the Cordillera del Condor was a great success with the finding of a new species for Ecuador! To give you an idea of our success here just a few of our highlights: Andean Tinamou (seen!), Jocotoco Antpitta, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Bearded Guan, Golden-plumed Parakeet, White-throated Screech-owl (seen!), Highland Elaenia, Red-hooded Tanager, Marañon Thrush, Yellow-cheeked Becard, Blackish-headed Spinetail, Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner, Pale-browed Tinamou (seen!), White-headed Brush-finch, Tumbes Tyrant (second record for Ecuador!), Slaty Becard, Ecuadorian Piculet, Watkins’s Antpitta, Ochre-bellied Dove (seen!), Jelski’s Chat-tyrant, Black-crested Tit-tyrant, Black-cowled Saltator, Lanceolated Monklet, Foothill Elaenia, Coppery-chested Jacamar, Black-billed Seed-finch, Blue-browed Tanager, White-breasted Parakeet, Black-streaked Puffbird, Chestnut-tipped Toucanet, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Club-winged Manakin, Gray-backed Hawk, El Oro Parakeet, El Oro Tapaculo (seen!), White-tipped Sicklebill, Pale-headed Brush-finch, Andean Slaty-thrush, Violet-throated Metal-tail, Tit-like Dacnis, Red-rumped Bush-tyrant, Orange-throated Tanager, Blackish Pewee, Military Macaw, Striolated Puffbird, Wing-barred Piprites, Hairy-crested Antbird, Blackish Rail (seen!) and White-bellied Pygmy-tyrant (new to Ecuador!). We recorded 550 species this trip.
Tour itinerary
30 Nov - Quito → Catamayo → Tapichalaca Reserve
01 Dec - Tapichalaca Reserve
02 Dec - Tapichalaca Reserve and Valladolid area
03 Dec - Tapichalaca Reserve → Catamayo → Urracca Lodge
04 Dec – Jorupe Reserve, Urracca Lodge
05 Dec - Jorupe Reserve, Urracca Lodge and Zapotillo area
06 Dec - Utuana → Copalinga
07 Dec - Copalinga and Rio Bombuscaro, Podocarpus N.P.
08 Dec - Rio Bombuscaro, Podocarpus N.P. → Buenaventura
09 Dec - Buenaventura, Umbrellabird Lodge
10 Dec - Buenaventura, Umbrellabird Lodge → Cuenca
11 Dec - Yunguilla Reserve
12 Dec - El Cajas, Podocarpus N.P. → Zamora
13 Dec - Zamora → Cabañas Yankuam and Shaime
14 Dec - Cabañas Yankuam and Shaime
15 Dec - Cabañas Yankuam and Shaime → Catamayo
Day-by-day reports
30 Nov - Quito → Catamayo → Tapichalaca Reserve
The Tapichalaca Reserve is located on the east slope of the Andes in the province of Zamora-Chinchipe in far south-east Ecuador. The site has become well known for the Jocotoco Antpitta, a recently described species of antpitta that was found here first in 1997 by Dr. Ridgely et al. The reserve is owned and managed by the Jocotoco Foundation and protects large areas of pristine temperate cloud-forest. Apart from the Endangered Jocotoco Antpitta many other rare and range-restricted species can be found in the reserve. Our first day of the trip was mainly a transfer day to the reserve. The reserve’s lodge named Casa Simpson is a comfortable place to stay. We did make a few stops along the way and managed to pick up some interesting species of birds. Our first stop was at a short trail going through scrubby habitat just outside of Catamayo. Our main target was the Tumbes Sparrow, a species that we found within a few minutes (photo). Other birds that we got here included Tropical Gnatcatcher, Eared Dove and Long-tailed Mockingbird. We had lunch in Vilcabamba and our next stop was just out of town. The reason we stopped was because we had just heard an Andean Tinamou! The call was so loud that we actually heard it while we where driving. After playback of the call we got to see the bird twice, a well camouflaged boldly patterned little chicken. Elegant Crescentchests were calling all over and soon we got a splendid male into view. A pair of Fasciated Wrens showed up and a Loja Hummingbird perched nicely in front of us. Tawny-crowned Pygmy-tyrant and Southern Beardless Tyrannulet were also seen at that spot. Higher up at Podocarpus National Park we stopped for a mixed-species flock. Birds in the flock included Black-capped Hemispingus, Lacrimose Mountain-tanager, Pale-naped Brush-finch, Rufous-naped Brush-finch, Blue-backed Conebill, Glossy Flowerpiercer, Masked Flowerpiercer and a nice pair of Golden-crowned Tanagers. We arrived at the lodge in the afternoon and after settling in we watched the hummingbird feeders. We watched nine species of hummingbirds namely Collared Inca, Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Flame-throated Sunangel, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Speckled Hummingbird, Buff-winged Starfrontlet, White-bellied Woodstar, Chestnut-breasted Coronet and Long-tailed Sylph. One of the sunangels showed an interesting leucistic plumage. White-banded Tyrannulet and Citrine Warbler showed well as a small flock came through.
1 Dec - Tapichalaca Reserve
Our main target for the morning was, of course, the Jocotoco Antpitta. The best place to see the species is the “feeding station” halfway the Jocotoco trail. The easiest way to get there is to drive up to the Quebrada Honda trail and then continue on by foot. The Jocotoco trail is relatively flat and within 45 min. we usually arrive at the spot (timing often depends on the bird activity along the way, but make sure you get there before 9:00 am.). At the start of the Quebrada Honda trail there is small pasture down the valley. Here we watched a few noisy Golden-plumed Parakeets that were perched close to their nest boxes. A nice species to begin with! At the same spot a few Scaly-naped Amazons flew over. First we heard and soon we saw both Plain-tailed Wren and Rufous Wren in the bamboo. A Black-throated Tody-tyrant was heard calling at the start of the Jocotoco trail. Once inside the forest activity was rather slow. White-browed Spinetail was heard and soon one came in to playback. White-throated Quail-doves were seen well at a feeder that was put out for them. At a certain point an adult Chestnut-naped Antpitta jumped out on the trail right in front of us! It was foraging on the trail and we watched it for about 5 minutes how it collected some worms. It wasn't really paying attention to us and we got some stunning views of the bird. Once at the feeding station it started to rain. We waited for almost half an hour and there was no sign of the Jocotoco Antpitta (photo). We all started to get a bit nervous but suddenly there it was! An adult bird was standing right in the open on the trail starring at us. Diego threw some worms in front of our feet and soon the antpitta came to collect them (photo). We got some outstanding views. A Chestnut-naped Antpitta tried to get some of the worms as well but got chased away by the Jocotoco! After the antpitta spectacle we walked to the viewpoint. Here we watched a flock of Pale-footed Swallows, two Turquoise Jays and a Smokey Bush-tyrant. On our way back we run into a small flock with Orange-banded Flycatcher and surprisingly also a pair of Dusky-capped Flycatcher. A Crowned Chat-tyrant showed itself shortly. Back at the Quebrada Honda a flock of 30+ Golden-plumed Parakeets flew by and some of them perched right in front of us. Back at the car we started with some roadside birding and the first bird we stopped for turned out to be a Chestnut-crested Cotinga! The bird was perched in a treetop but with back light. It was hard to get the colors on the bird but the shape of the head was very distinctive. It flew off and disappeared behind a forested ridge. We tried to relocate it from another spot but without success. We did hear a Slate-crowned Antpitta and we approached it. After playback it came right in and we got full views of this tiny colorful antpitta. After lunch we went back to try for the cotinga. No sign of the cotinga but a Gray-breasted Mountain-toucan was perched at close range in perfect light (photo). What a stunning colors on this bird! Lower down we run into a flock and a Red-hooded Tanager was very cooperative. It sat in a treetop at eyelevel and sang for quite a while. It was difficult to watch other birds in the flock as this beautiful rare tanager stole the show. Other species that we did manage to pick out included Rufous-chested Tanager, Hooded Mountain-tanager, Capped Conebill, Blue-backed Conebill, Gray-hooded Bush-tanager, Pearled Treerunner and Montane Woodcreeper. A little further down we got a few Bearded Guans and it took a while before all of us got to see the species. Closer to Valladolid we had a small flock of Yellow-whiskered Bush-tanagers and a few Saffron-crowned Tanagers. An Andean Solitaire showed well while singing. A nice sighting was a flock of about 20 White-breasted Parakeets that flew by at close range. The birds landed somewhere down in the valley but out of view. On our way back we picked up a Sickle-winged Guan. At dusk we tried for Swallow-tailed Nightjar but this time without luck.
2 Dec - Tapichalaca Reserve and Valladolid area
The road between Casa Simpson and the village of Valladolid provides excellent road side birding. From ca. 2500 m it goes down steadily to 1600 m and a wide range of different species can be expected. Just before and beyond Valladolid the habitat is heavily fragmented but still some interesting birds can be found. It is part of the upper Rio Marañon drainage and species like Marañon Thrush occur here. Lower down at Palanda it is about 1200 m in elevation and typical lowland species start to appear. We did “car birding” along the road with regular stops and short walks at different elevations. Our birding strategy worked out as we recorded no less then 132 species this day. Early morning below Casa Simpson we scanned the trees for the cotinga but apart from a singing Barred Antthrush there was not much activity. A Slaty-backed Chat-tyrant was calling near a little stream and showed well. We had good views of a pair of Emerald Toucanets that were feeding on small “melastoma” fruits. At about 1800 m we found a pair of Highland Elaenias that was calling from the scrub and responded to playback. This large, round-headed elaenia is rare in Ecuador and we were happy to get good looks. At the same spot we run into a flock that produced good birds including Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet, Black-capped Tyrannulet, White-tailed Tyrannulet, Lafresnaye's Piculet, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Pearled Treerunners, Metallic-green Tanager and Silver-backed Tanager. Lower down Loja Tyrannulets were vocal and we saw at least three of them. In the same bush we watched a few Olivacious Siskins. At 1700 m we had another mixed-species flock with new species like Ash-browed Spinetail, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Black-faced Tanager and Streaked Xenops. In the same forest patch we saw a Speckled Chacalaca, a lowland species that usually does not come up that high. A Lafresnaye's Piculet showed itself well. Past Valladolid we watched a Cecropia tree with both Marañon Thrush and Black-billed Thrush feeding on the fruits. Yellow-bellied Elaenias started to get abundant. We heard the Rufous-fronted Thornbirds and we went to look for them. We entered a small forest patch along the road that gave us some refreshment (it was already hot and sunny). Apart from the shade it was a nice spot with some fruiting trees and good bird activity. The thornbirds came right in after playback and were seen well. A Common Tody-flycatcher was wiggling its tail as we were probably close to its nest. A fruiting tree attracted some nice colorful tanagers like Golden-eared Tanager, Silver-backed Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager and Blue-necked Tanager. At eye-level we watched a singing Yellow-olive Flatbill (just a few ascending chip notes). A Long-billed Start-throat perched right in front of us and started preening. Birding near Palanda was not that successful due to road constructions but we did get Red-pileated Finch and Lined Antshrike. On our way back we got good looks of a male Yellow-cheeked Becard and a Purple-throated Euphonia was heard calling. Late afternoon we walked the Quebrada Honda trail. Our first new bird was a Streak-throated Bush-tyrant that we watched through the scope. A small flock of Golden-plumed Parakeets was seen entering their nest boxes. A Chusqea Tapaculo was heard next to the trail and we played the tape in the hope to get a glimpse. To our surprise the bird came out in the open and showed itself nicely. A small mixed-flock was dominated by Orange-banded Flycatcher of which we saw at least six individuals. A pair of Black-throated Tody-tyrant showed itself at close range. After watching a few Northern Mountain Caciques we called it a day. At dusk we tried again for Swallow-tailed Nightjar but no luck. We did hear White-throated Screech-owl. We played the tape softly and the owl came in closer and closer. After a few minutes of careful playback we got rewarded with great looks of a bird at close range.
3 Dec - Tapichalaca Reserve → Catamayo → Urracca Lodge
In the morning we went to look for the Rufous Antpitta behind Casa Simpson. Don Vicente has been feeding earthworms to a Rufous Antpitta recently and he was happy to bring us to his spot. After about 30 minutes we got to see the bird but only very shortly. The antpitta was very shy and clearly the bird was still in the process of being “tamed”. We left early towards Catamayo as it was going to be a long drive. We stopped a few times along the road in the higher part of Podocarpus N.P. but did not add new species. One mixed-species flock was moving next to the road and species that were seen well included Russet-crowned Warbler, Blue-backed Conebill, Mountain Wren, Cinnamon Flycatcher and White-banded Tyrannulet. Golden-crowned Tanager and Pale-naped Brush-finch were seen a little further up. Our first new bird was a Red-crested Cotinga that showed well in perfect light. Four Golden-plumed Parakeets flew by and landed right in front of us. Again we got lucky getting great looks of these stunning parakeets. We had a small stop in the dry valley of Catamayo and looked for Drab Seedeater. We could not find this species but did find a few Ash-breasted Sierra-finches. A Collared Antshrike was singing but seemed not very interested in our tape playback. Our best bird at the spot was a Pacific Pygmy-owl that showed well in a treetop. We made a short stop at the old road to Pinas to look for some specialties like Bay-crowned Brush-finch and Black-cowled Saltator. Unfortunately there was a wind and a strong sun making bird activity drop to zero. The only bird we got to see was a Rufous-naped Brush-finch. Back on the highway we did get close looks of two Black-chested Buzzard-eagles playing in the wind. Our stop at the Celica turnoff was more successful and we ticked in some of our first Tumbesian endemics. Two White-headed Brush-finches showed nicely and were the best birds of the day. Scarlet-backed Woodpecker, Baird’s Flycatcher and Red-masked Parakeets were other highlights of the stop. We arrived at the Urracca Lodge at dusk and Pale-browed Tinamou, Watkin’s Antpitta, Harris’s Hawk and Plumbeous-backed Thrush were all busy calling.
4 Dec - Jorupe Reserve, Urracca Lodge
In the morning the bird activity at the lodge was amazing. Within a few minutes we ticked in several Tumbesian endemics and all of them were seen fantastically. The banana feeders in front of the dining room attracted the following species: Plumbeous-backed Thrush, Ecuadorian Thrush, Blue-crowned Motmot, Yellow-tailed Oriole and White-edged Oriole (photo). The spectacular White-tailed Jays and the Black-capped Sparrows were mainly feeding on the corn. The large Guayaquil Squirrels had to be chased away once in a while as they were stuffing themselves full with both fruits and corn. The lights had attracted insects at night and some birds were feeding on them at close range. The Watkin’s Antpitta showed up right in the open as if it was annoying our presence (photo). Also the Blue-crowned Motmots were foraging within a couple of meters distance. We heard a Slaty Becard and after playing the tape a male came in straight away. In the same trees we watched a couple of Gray-cheeked Parakeets. Pale-browed Tinamou and Rufous-headed Chacalaca were heard only. After watching the feeding frenzy at the lodge we walked down the main track to search for more targets species. Olivaceous Woodcreeper and Scarlet-backed Woodpecker showed up and soon we got a nice pair of Collared Antshrike in view. We heard several target species including Rufous-necked Foliage-gleaner and Ochre-bellied Dove but the Gray-and-gold Warbler was the one nearby that we got to see. We heard an Ecuadorian Trogon calling and soon Jane spotted this pretty bird. We watched the male through the scope and all the details like white iris and red eye-ring were seen. A Blackish-headed Spinetail came in to playback but was only seen by some of us. We tried over and over but the bird seemed to have lost his interest. In general the birds did not seem to be very keen to respond to playback this time of year. Both Ecuadorian Piculet and Speckle-breasted Wren were new species that showed well at the same spot. Tawny-crowned Pygmy-tyrant and Plain Antvireo were foraging nearly at touching distance. We heard the Rufous-necked Foliage-gleaner again but the bird did not come in after song playback. On the way down we saw several Ecuadorian Piculets and also added a few new flycatchers to the list including Pacific Elaenia, One-colored Becard, Sooty-crowned Flycatcher, Boat-billed Flycatcher and Tumbes Pewee. The Yellow-olive Flatbill was abundant during our stay and we also got the Bran-colored Flycatcher a few times. Nestor was waiting for us down the road and brought us back to the lodge for lunch. A single hummingbird feeder at the lodge attracted Amazilia Hummingbird and Long-billed Star-throat. In the afternoon we walked the track going up. A pair of Great Antshrike showed themselves well in the understory. Leo pointed out a nest of a Blackish-headed Spinetail that was thought to be active. Soon we glimpsed a Blackish-headed Spinetail but better views were still desired. Tumbes Swifts, Chesnut-collared Swifts and Lesser Swallow-tailed Swifts were flying overhead. Our main target for the late afternoon was the Pale-browed Tinamou. At around 18.00 the tinamous started to call and we watched carefully from the dining hall. One bird came closer and closer in response to song playback. Suddenly, there it was, right in the open on the trail, splendid views! After dinner we tried for the West-Peruvian Screech-owl around the cabins. After half an hour we got response close to cabin nr. 3. We had to walk a little uphill to a spot from where the bird sounded very close. We got it in the spotlight for a short moment, it was a grey morph.
5 Dec - Jorupe Reserve, Urracca Lodge and Zapotillo area
The Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner was an important target species that we still needed to see. We had searched for it at known territories and trolled for it several times but without any luck. The species seems to migrate seasonally up and down in the reserve and during the wetter months (Jan-Feb) is usually the best time to see them. We took the trail going up and to our surprise we heard a Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner calling from above. We played the tape and the bird came in silently. Clide spotted the bird first and soon it started to call. We “battled” with the bird for a while but in the end we all got to see this large and spectacular foliage-gleaner. We scoped a Red-masked Parakeet that was perched in a treetop and a Watkin’s Antpitta was hipping on the trail right in front of us. A few “bat-like” Tumbes Swifts that flew by were a nice catch-up for Clide. Other species that we saw on the walk back included several Ecuadorian Piculets, Scarlet-backed Woodpecker, Pacific Elaenia, Olive-sided Flycatcher and a few Yellow-olive Flatbills. Leo spotted a Pale-browed Tinamou that was skulking in the forest undergrowth that we got to see well. Near the lodge we were lucky to watch a Blackish-headed Spinetail that was foraging on the forest floor. We all got fantastic views of this bird and it was a nice catch-up for Elaine. A female Collared Antshrike was also foraging in the vicinity but we could not find out what had attracted the birds to forage at that particular spot. After a successful morning “cleanup” there was not much else to get at Uracca Lodge. Therefore we drove to the town of Zapotillo to bird at a lower elevation in the hope to find new species. Crested Caracara and Savanna Hawk were seen on the rise paddies and a Pearl Kite was perched on a wire along the road. At Zapotillo we birded the road to “Relleno Sanitario”, which is the garbage dump of the town. The hill has some good scrub habitat and a few interesting Tumbes specialties can be found here. A Tumbes Tyrant was photographed at this site by Nick Athanas in 2008. We were hoping to find this bird but with only a single record of this species in Ecuador we thought our chances of finding it would be very small. At some good looking scrub we played the tape of Tumbes Tyrant and it was a huge surprise when we got immediate response! First we recorded the call of the bird and later we played it back. Very soon the Tumbes Tyrant came in and showed itself fantastically (photo). After documenting this second record for Ecuador we continued birding the track up the hill. Other specialties that we found in the area include Supercillaried Wren, West-peruvian Dove, Tumbes Sparrow and Tumbes Hummingbird. We heard a second Tumbes Tyrant further down the road and possibly a third one suggesting that there might be a small resident population at Zapotillo.
6 Dec - Utuana → Copalinga
Our first stop was at the village of Sozoranga. In the center of Sozoranga a colony of Chestnut-collared Swallows can be found. The church and the coliseum are usually the best places to look for their nests. We had a small group at the coliseum. Ash-breasted Sierra-finch, Pacific Parrotlet, Vermillion Flycatcher, Hooded Siskin and Gray-breasted Martin were other birds we saw during this short stop. At a few curves just before reaching Utuana there is some good “roadside birding” along the main paved road. The rare Gray-headed Antbird was seen here before but this time we did not get lucky. There was some activity and one of the first birds we got to see was a Jelski’s Chat-tyrant. A pair of Line-cheeked Spinetails was seen well in the treetops below us. White-crested Elaenia and Loja Tyrannulet were vocal and we also heard a Black-cowled Saltator, one of our prime target species. We walked towards the saltator and tried to locate it. It sang from nearby but below us out of view. With a short bout of song playback we got the bird moving and soon the beauty hopped out right in front of us. A little higher up the road we got good looks of our first Three-banded Warblers and a Chapman’s Antshrike was seen well by some of us. The antshrike was skulking in the fine tangle and popped out in the open only a few times. Bird activity at the reserve itself was quite low. We trawled for the antbird at a bamboo site where Leo had seen one recently. Finding the antbird at Utuana is usually very hard and with most of the bamboo in the reserve being dry (died out) our chances in finding it seemed small. In the scrubby area along the track we heard the Black-crested Tit-tyrant, another target. This bird was cooperative and showed itself very well after a little playback (photo). Although we had seen both of the target hummers along the road we went to the feeders to get some better looks of them. The Rainbow Star-frontlet is a spectacular hummer with a panel of rainbow glittering on its fore crown (photo). The Purple-throated Sunangel is also nice, especially with good light on it. Speckled Hummingbirds were also present at the feeders. Two Red-crested Cotingas were seen on the walk back and we checked some more “dry” bamboo patches on the other side of the reserve. Here we all got to see the Chapman’s Antshrike well, two males and a female. We had lunch at Leo’s site for the antbird but no luck. We did get some good looks of a Blackish Tapaculo which was singing from the understory. We went back for some birding along the highway and picked up a flock with Silver-backed Tanagers. The best bird was an Ochre-bellied Dove that we flushed. We got a short but satisfied look of this rarely seen bird. It was a long drive to Copalinga and we had a short stop along the “old Loja-Zamora” road. The best birds seen late afternoon were Faciated Tiger-herons and Lemon-browed Flycatchers.
7 Dec - Copalinga and Rio Bombuscaro, Podocarpus N.P.
The Rio Bombuscaro reserve is a top birding location near the town of Zamora. The elevation at the first stretch is around 1000m and a good mix of east-slope foothill and Amazonian lowland species can be found here. White-breasted Parakeet, Coppery-chested Jacamar, Foothill Elaenia and Amazonian Umbrellabird are goodies that are regularly seen here. Copalinga, just 5 minutes away from the reserve, is the perfect base to spent the night in the area. The lodge has great feeders and birding around the Cabañas is rewarding. We had an early start inside the reserve in the hope to get some dawn activity. Catherine had told us that the last few weeks had been very quiet because of drought and that the birding had been below average. We were prepared for low activity and indeed the birding turned out to be “hard” as we had to work hard to pull out the targets. After a 30 minute walk the high pitched calls of Black-streaked Puffbird draw our attention. The bird came in nicely after tape playback; our first good bird. An unfamiliar call from the understory was recorded and after playback a nice White-throated Spadebill came in. A little further we had a Black-billed Treehunter that was also lured in. At the “administrative center” we waited for mixed flocks to show up. A pair of Foothill Elaenias is usually around and this relatively recently described species was one of our important targets. We heard the species calling in the distance but unfortunately the flock seemed to move away from us. A male Striped Manakin was calling from inside the forest and it took us at least 20 minutes before we got the bird into view. Most of us got to see the manakin well, but unfortunately it was not very cooperative. Further along the main trail we had an interesting flock and the best birds that we picked out included Flame-crested Tanager, Gray-mantled Wren, Russet Antshrike, Ash-throated Bush-tanager, Lafresnaye's Piculet, Orange-eared Tanager and Montane Foliage-gleaner. As always the Yellow-throated Bush-tanagers were abundant and we had to “filter” them out. On the way back we got lucky with a stunning male Coppery-chested Jacamar that showed itself nicely while foraging from an open perch. A pair of Foothill Elaenias were heard and after playback they showed themselves well. Another goodie was a Chestnut-tipped Toucanet that we watched at close range (photo). The bird was not moving at all for at least 10 minutes and we joked about it being a “stuffed and staged” bird. Three scarce hummers were seen on the walk back namely Green-fronted Lancebill, Black-throated Mango and Rufous-vented White-tip. Just before leaving the reserve Betty spotted a Yellow-breasted Antwren that we got to see well. Another bird flew in at the same spot and it turned out to be a Lanceolated Monklet! This rare species was certainly the icing on the cake for the morning! At lunch we spotted a male Red-pileated Finch at the banana feeders and Catherine was all excited as it was the first record for Copalinga. In Ecuador this species is principally found in the Maranon drainage (below Valladolid) and the few records from the Zamora airplane-strip are very recent. After a short “siesta” we birded the upper part of the old Loja-Zamora road. On the way we had a short stop in Zamora where we “twitched” the Black-billed Seed-finch. Catherine had a reliable spot for this rare species just out of town. Within 10 minutes we found an adult male singing from a bush. At the old road we run into a flock “perfecto”. The mixed-species flock was moving by slowly at eye-height and we were able to pick out most, if not all, flock participants. Majority of the flock were tanagers and we got fantastic views of the scarce and local Blue-browed Tanager. A male Golden-collared Honeycreeper was another goodie in the flock. Flame-faced Tanager, Orange-eared Tanager, Golden-eared Tanager, Paradise Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Golden Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager and Spotted Tanager were all seen well. Rufous-winged Tyrannulet and Ecuadorian Tyrannulet were new species to us and Ash-browed Spinetail, Gray-mantled Wren and a pair of Red-headed Barbets were also joining the flock. Back at the lodge Betty and Elaine had seen and photographed a Blackish Nightjar on a day-roost. At dusk two Gray Tinamous started calling loudly from the “quebrada” next to the dining hall. An immature Band-bellied Owl called all night long.
8 Dec - Rio Bombuscaro, Podocarpus N.P. → Buenaventura
At dawn just after breakfast we heard Barred Forest-falcon and Rufous-breasted Wood-quail calling. We went straight to Rio Bombuscaro in the hope to pick up some new species along the trail. No less then three Lanceolated Monklets and two Striped Manakins were heard during the walk to the administrative center. The Black-streaked Puffbird was seen well at the same spot as the day before. We got lucky with a singing Foothill Elaenia as soon as we arrived at the camp ground. It was a nice and important catch-up for Clide. An Amazonian Umbrellabird flew by and Jane was lucky to see the bird perched at close range further back the trail. A Green-fronted Lancebill was again seen on the way back. At the Copalinga car park we had Violet-headed Hummingbird and Glittering-throated Emerald at the flowers. Unfortunately, the Coquette did not show up. We had a short stop to look for Blackish Rail but the bird did not respond to the tape. We did add Mottle-backed Elaenia and White-banded Swallow to the list. It was a long drive to Buenaventura and we had a short stop on the way to look for the Bay-crowned Brush-finch. Again we failed to find the species and only got a Rufous-naped Brush-finch and a Purple-throated Sunangel at the spot. We arrived at dusk at the Umbrellabird Lodge.
9 Dec – Buenaventura, Umbrellabird Lodge
Buenaventura is another Jocotoco Reserve that can’t be missed when birding Southern Ecuador. The reserve is located in the province of El Oro close to the town of Piñas. The birds are an interesting mix of Tumbesian and Chocóan species and for the latter its about their southernmost range. Two rare and localized endemics can be found within the reserve namely El Oro Parakeet and El Oro Tapaculo. The lodge is named after the Long-wattled Umbrellabird, a spectacular Chocó endemic that has a lek near the lodge. We started walking at 5:00 am in order to be on time at the umbrellabird lek. At 5:45 sharp the first males started to give their characteristic “mist horn” calls. It was still a little dark but soon we got a splendid male in siluette. Another male flew in a few feet above us and started to call. It was a fantastic experience as we could even hear how the bird was sucking up air before the “big blow”. On a regular basis loud “wing claps” were given as well. No less then five males were doing their display and when a female showed up it was clear to us why they were going crazy. The whole spectacle took place for about 30 minutes and after that we walked back up for breakfast. We taped in both Chestnut-backed Antbird and Song Wren that we saw well along the way. Back up at the main track we heard a few Club-winged Manakins lekking. It took us a little time but soon we got a nice displaying male in view. At breakfast the Rufous-headed Chacalacas were flying through the dining hall (photo). After breakfast we drove straight up the higher parts of the reserve to target the two El Oro endemics. Both are found at higher elevations than the lodge and they are usually hard to get. We went for a stake out at a few parakeet nest-boxes but we did not know if they were occupied. We waited for more than two hours at the spot but there was no sign of the El Oro Parakeets. A pair of Red-masked Parakeets was perched right in front of us that were preening themselves. It was a good morning for raptors and we saw no less than eight species that morning. Barred Hawks were seen among the Black Vultures later followed by the scarce Gray-backed Hawk that we saw very well. Other raptors included Road-side Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Swallow-tailed Kite, Crested Caracara and Bat Falcon. We heard the El Oro Parakeet from somewhere nearby but we were not able to find them. We left the nest-boxes and went to the main road to continue our search for the parakeets. We had a large flock of Rose-faced Parrots at a distance and Bronze-winged Parrots were seen well. After lunch we got lucky as we heard some parakeets calling from inside a forest patch. After playback of tape a flock of six El Oro Parakeets flew by nicely and we all got to see this rare endemic species. We drove back along the “eco-ruta” to the lodge and stopped for birding as soon as we spotted activity. Our first stop was for the El Oro Tapaculo. One responded to tape playback but after 30 minutes of waiting the bird was still singing from far inside the forest. This species of tapaculo is extremely hard to see and individuals normally do not respond as well as some other tapaculo species do. An adult Black Hawk-eagle flew low over and gave some short but great views. Lower down the road we run into a nice mixed flock with species including Slaty Antwren, Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner, Spotted Woodcreeper, Lineated Foliage-gleaner, Guira Tanager, Common Bush-tanager (west-slope locality), White-shouldered Tanager, Silver-throated Tanager, Gray-and-gold Warbler, Streaked Xenops and Western Slaty-Antshrike. Back at the lodge we watched the spectacular hummingbird feeders (photo). The feeders at Buenaventura are probably one of the busiest in de world with large numbers of species and individuals coming in at a steady flow. The species we saw include Green Thorntail, Violet-bellied Hummingbird, White-necked Jacobin, Emerald-bellied Wood-nymph, Baron’s Hermit, Green-crowned Brilliant, Brown Violetear, Andean Emerald and Rufous-tailed Hummingbird. Green Honeycreepers visit the feeders with large numbers and a “Yellow Honeycreeper”, a leucistic all-yellow individual, came in a few times (photo). Large birds that we got to see well in the afternoon include Chocó Toucan and Pale-mandibled Araracri.
10 Dec - Buenaventura, Umbrellabird Lodge → Cuenca
In the morning we drove back up to the El Oro Tapaculo site to try again for this hard-to-get endemic. After a bout of playback the bird responded within seconds from only a few feet away. The song playback of the day before might have helped getting him down to the road and this was a unique chance for us to try to see it! We all stood still at an open window in the forest and tape was played softly. Clide was the first to spot the bird as it was skulking only a few feet away from us. The bird literally behaved as a small mouse and occasionally it popped out of the understory. Seeing the bird was kind of a lottery but after about 30 minutes we all had seen the bird well. After properly ticking off this second endemic we birded our way down the road. An Ochraceous Attila was singing from the valley below us but unfortunately it did not come in to playback. A singing Chesnut-mandibled Toucan did show itself well at that spot. A Western Woodhaunter was lured in successfully as well as a nice male Immaculate Antbird. A Thrush-like Schiffornis was glimpsed-only a few times. We had a few mixed-flocks along the road and new species that we picked up include Ochre-breasted Tanager, Chocó (Tricolored) Brush-finch, Bronze-olive Pygmy-tyrant, Yellow Tyrannulet and a nice female Northern Violaceous Trogon. A White-whiskered Puffbird was heard and after playing the tape it showed itself nicely. Two White-tipped Sicklebills feeding on the Heliconia flowers were another highlight of the morning. During lunch a Bay-headed Tanager showed itself well from the balcony. It turned out to be a long drive to Cuenca as there was road construction going on. We did see a few water birds and raptors on the way.
11 Dec - Yunguilla Reserve
The Jocotoco reserve Yunguilla, which is about an hour drive south of Cuenca, was established to protect the Critically Endangered Pale-headed Brush-finch. The species was listed as possibly extinct until the re-discovery of a very small population at Yunguilla in 1998. The brush-finch is only found in a few small valleys and although the area is protected, natural occurring fires and cowbird parasitism put the species at high risk of extinction. Seeing this ultra rare bird was our main priority and picking up any other new species would be a bonus. At dawn we started walking the trail and the first bird we got to see was a Slaty-backed Nightingale-thrush. Our second bird was the jackpot, a Pale-headed Brush-finch crossing the trail and showing extremely well. Clide only glimpsed the bird but luckily 15 minutes later a second one was found that showed well (photo). We saw the brush-finches a few times and other new species that were recorded during the walk include Striped Cuckoo, Highland Hepatic Tanager and Stripe-headed Brush-finch. A Chestnut-crowned Antpitta was also seen. A nice bonus on the way back was a male Andean Slaty-thrush. We had lunch in Cuenca and the afternoon was an open program (relaxing and/or sightseeing the old colonial center of Cuenca).
12 Dec - El Cajas, Podocarpus N.P. → Zamora
El Cajas, just 30 minutes from Cuenca, is a great and easy accessible reserve for high altitude birding. The paramo landscape is stunning with small lagoons, patches of Polylepis forest, rocky peaks and sloping grasslands. Bird wise the Polylepis patches are most interesting as they can hold some specialists like Giant Conebill and Tit-like Dacnis. We started with the localized endemic Violet-throated Metaltail that we saw well. Other species that we picked up on the way include Black-billed Shrike-tyrant, Plain-colored Seedeater, Brown-backed Chat-tyrant, Black Flowerpiercer and Plain-breasted Hawk. On the lagoon we saw some waterfowl including Andean Ruddy Duck, Andean Teal and Andean Coot. Bar-winged Cinclodes, Stout-billed Cinclodes and Plumbeous Sierra-finch were foraging on the grassy lakeshore. The rare Red-rumped Bush-tyrant showed itself fantastically (photo). Giant Conebill was high on our list so we searched the Polylepis forest patches intensively for mixed-species flocks. We found the perfect flock in the forest patch but the conebill was just not in it. Tit-like Dacnis, Pearled Treerunners, White-throated Tyrannulets and Hooded Siskins were the flock members. Tawny Antpittas were calling from all directions but it took us some time before we actually saw the bird. One individual came out hopping right in the open next to the forest patch. Ecuadorian Hillstar and Blue-mantled Thornbill were two high-altitude hummers that we added new to the list. We searched hard for the conebill but the pair just seem to be absent from the patch where we had seen it before. We did flush a Great Horned Owl that was roosting inside the Polylepis forest (photo). We dropped Betty and Elaine off at the airport in Cuenca around lunchtime and continued our trip to Zamora.
13-15 Dec - Zamora → Cabañas Yankuam and Shaime → Catamayo
Birding the Cordillera del Condor in remote Southeast Ecuador is fantastic. Vast areas of pristine forest are still little explored and the birding is exciting. The birds are mainly Amazonian foothill and lowland species but the ”Tepui” ridges hold some interesting ridge-top specialties. Cabañas Yankuam is a good base for birding the area. We did not have the time to bird the Tepui-like ridges (it involves a 5 hour strenuous hike one-way) so species like Royal Sunangel, Cinnamon-breasted Tody-tyrant and Bar-winged Wood-wren were not seen. We birded the new road to Shaime three times (afternoon, full day and morning) that proved to be very successful. The much sought-after Orange-throated Tanager was discovered recently at Shaime and it was the prime target bird of the area (photo). The tanager turned out to be fairly common along the new road and we saw it on all three consecutive days. It was actually one of the first birds we got to see! If you know the call, they are easy to find, and we had about 15 individuals in total at several different spots along the road. They are usually high up in the canopy but we saw a few of them nicely at mid-level. Apart from this spectacular tanager the area had much more to offer! In the morning we had a flock of no less than 13 Military Macaws flying right over our heads! In the afternoon over 25 individuals came back to roost in the same stretch of forest. Seeing these noisy macaws flying overhead was fantastic and the large numbers indicate that the habitat in the area is extensive. Another quality bird that we saw was an adult Orange-breasted Falcon. The mixed-species flocks in the area were good, however, the tall primary forest made it often difficult to identify the birds in the canopy. Species that we saw in flocks include Masked Tanager, Opal-rumped Tanager, Yellow-bellied Tanager, Dusky-capped Greenlet, Grayish Mourner, White-throated Woodpecker, Gray-crowned Flatbill, Ecuadorian Tyrannulet, White-lored Tyrannulet, Lemon-browed Flycatcher, Rufous-rumped Foliage-gleaner, Lafresnaye's Piculet, Slaty-capped Shrike-vireo, Gilded Barbet and Rufous-winged Antwren. Birds that we got to see in the understory and vine tangles include Black Antbird, Gray Antbird, White-eyed Tody-tyrant, Golden-winged Tody-flycatcher, Faciated Antshrike and Coraya Wren. Another top bird that we saw was Blackish Pewee (photo). An adult and a juvenile of this rare species showed fantastically well, sometimes at only a few feet distance away. Good birds that we heard several times but failed to see include Black-and-white Tody-flycatcher and Gray-tailed Piha. Male Spangled Cotingas turned out to be regular and other goodies that we saw in the canopy include Striolated Puffbird, Wing-barred Piprites and Blue-crowned Trogon. Antbirds were well represented in the area and we were lucky to run into a small antswarm that was attended by Hairy-crested Antbird, White-plumed Antbird, Bicolored Antbird and Spot-backed Antbird. Our “MEGA” of the trip was the discovery of a new species to Ecuador! We were watching a small canopy flock when Dušan suddenly said: “Sorry guys, I think I hear a new species to Ecuador, a call that I know from Peru, we have to go there!”. We did a 50m sprint and Dušan started to make the first recordings. “You are sure it’s not an insect?” Soon we could confirm that the insect-like calls were indeed coming from a tiny tyrant-flycatcher. After playback the birds came in at mid-level and we could confirm the ID as White-bellied Pygmy-tyrant! Documentation was important and within 20 minutes we were lucky to get decent photos and sound recordings of these little buggers (photo). It was a family group of three birds, indicating that they were resident in the area. The White-bellied Pygmy-tyrant is uncommon and local within its range and it is mainly found along east Andean ridges. Our record is a significant northward range extension (>300km) for the species and the first for Ecuador. The birding along the road to Shaime was a success. Pristine habitat is found along the road and makes the birding easy. Sadly, human settlement along the road seems to be increasing rapidly and we think conservation in the area is of great importance. Hopefully more birders and tours will visit the area in the future to stimulate local eco-tourism and conservation. Back at Cabañas Yankuam the Gray-breasted Sabrewing was seen regularly at the hummingbird feeders. On our drive back to Catamayo we got great looks of Blackish Rail and a flock of White-breasted Parakeets flew by.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the following people for making our trip a success: the staff at Casa Simpson, the staff at Urraca Lodge, especially Leo who is always happy to show us the good birds, Catherine for the excellent service at Copalinga and for her info on where to find species etc, the well organized staff at Buenaventura, Enrique the “guarda parque” at Yunguilla, the staff at Cabañas Yankuam and last but not least Nestor for his safe and professional driving during the entire trip.