ESTABLISHED DEPARTURES 2013

February 22 to March 04
September 9 to 18
November 07 to 16

This trip offers you the possibility to see around 350 bird species, visiting different ecosystems like the Cloud Forest, the Choco region, the Choco lowlands and the central Andean Paramo of Ecuador.

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival in Quito and transfer to Hotel Café Cultura.

Day 2
Very early in the morning we travel northwest from Quito crossing the western slopes of the Andes range and arrive at Tandayapa. En route we will visit the Yanacocha Reserve, home to the black-breasted puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis), while we continue our trip we will see other species such as the black-collared jay, barred fruiteater, hooded and scarlet-bellied and the Choco endemic black-chested mountain-tanagers.  Box lunch en route surrounded by colorful hummingbirds. In the afternoon visit the famous Tony’s House to see more than 30 hummingbird species like the green-tailed trainbearer, shining sunbeam, tyrian metaltail, sword-billed hummingbird, buff-rumped starfrontlet, buff-tailed coronets, collared inca and white-tailed hillstar. Choco Endemics here may include brown inca, violet-tailed sylph and gorgeted sunangel. Arrival at Fausto and Amparo’s House for dinner and overnight. Optional hike at night to spot nocturnal birds.

Day 3
At 5am hike along a trail close to the lodge to observe some of the amazing birds of this place. After breakfast departure to Maquipucuna reserve where we can find species like the golden-headed quetzal, crimson-rumped toucanet, violet-tailed sylph, and broad-billed motmot. After lunch we can witness and be part of the different conservation projects that this Foundation manages within their 1400 hectares of forest located in the Andean Choco bioregion. Dinner and overnight.

Day 4
After breakfast we will enjoy a hike along one of the trails to learn about the Cloud Forest and its avifauna. Departure to Mindo, a region that has an impressive bird list of 360 species, highlights include the maroon-tailed parakeet, toucan barbet, nariño tapaculo, golden-headed quetzal and golden and flame-faced tanager. Lunch in Sachatamia Lodge and in the afternoon a short hike around this area to see some species such as the giant and scaled antpitta, choco toucan, scaled fruiteater, tanager-finch and club-winged manakin. Target birds here include wattled and sickle-winged guan, bronze-winged parrot, sparkling violet-ear, Andean emerald, booted racket-tail and the long-tailed sylph. Dinner and overnight.

Day 5

Early in the morning, we will travel to the Angel Paz Reserve for a unique and amazing experience, visiting the cock of the rock lek, where, in the breeding season, the males produce a special sound and fly like real acrobats waiting for the female to choose one of them to mate. After this once in a life time experience we can also observe the giant antpitta and the yellow-breasted antpitta. Lunch in Sachatamia Lodge and in the afternoon take time out to watch the hummingbirds in the feeders of this lodge where it is possible to see the rare Choco endemics the empress brilliant and velvet-purple coronet. Dinner and overnight.

Day 6
Early in the morning we will walk in the area looking for more bird species such as the plate-billed mountain-toucan, crested quetzal, masked trogon, Choco toucan, and the powerful woodpecker. Other colourful birds we may see here include the blue-winged mountain-tanager, green and black fruiteater and moss-backed tanager. Later we will visit the Milpe and Silanche reserves, Milpe is considered by BirdLife International as ‘An Important Bird Area’. Here many of the most spectacular Choco endemics occur such as the plumbeous forest-falcon, moss-backed tanager, glistening-green tanager, Choco trogon, club-winged manakin, indigo-crowned quail-dove, double-banded greytail, fulvous-vented euphonia, emerald and scarlet-and-white tanagers, the near-threatened blue-whiskered tanager and long-wattled umbrellabird.

Rio Silanche is a tropical lowland reserve, where it is possible to see an incredible bird diversity including the dusky pigeon, purple-chested hummingbird, little woodstar, stub-tailed antbird, slate-throated gnatcatcher, scarlet-breasted dacnis.  Dinner and overnight at Kaony Lodge.

Day 7
After breakfast we will depart for the Tinalandia Reserve that has been considered one of the favorite birding areas since 1970. Lunch and in the afternoon we will search for the Choco trogon, Choco toucan, white-capped dipper, black phoebe, and lyre-tailed nightjar among many others. Dinner and overnight.

Day 8
Early in the morning we will have the last opportunity to look for some of the Choco endemic species. After lunch we will travel to the highlands, along the route we will see some birds of the area. Arrival at La Carriona Hotel close to Quito, where we have dinner and overnight.

Day 9
On this last day we will observe the most representative bird species of the highlands, in the morning we will travel to Antisana Ecological Reserve, where we will visit the Mica Lake in order to see silvery grebe, Andean teal, Andean duck, yellow-billed pintail, Andean coot, as well as many land birds such as the aplomado falcon, Andean gull, Andean lapwing and the carunculated caracara. Here we have a high probability of observing the majestic Andean Condor and other species like the black-chested buzzard-eagle and variable hawk, bar-winged and stout-billed cinclodes, black-faced ibis, shining sunbeam, red-rumped bush-tyrant, paramo pipit, giant conebill, and spectacled whitestart.  Lunch in Hacienda Antisana and in the late afternoon we will return to Quito for dinner and overnight in Hotel Café Cultura.

Day 10
After we have gotten a long list of birds in this unforgettable expedition in Ecuador we will be transferred to the airport to catch our flight home.

PRICES PER PERSON 2013