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NORTHWEST
ECUADOR:
IN SEARCH
OF CHOCÓ ENDEMICS
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Forthcoming Departures:
4 - 17 July 2010
29 October - 11 Nov 2010*
16 - 29 January 2011
4 - 17 November 2011
15 - 28 January 2012
14 days from Quito
2010 price: $2490
Single supplement: $200
2011 price: $2590
Single supplement: $200
2012 price not yet available.
Singles may not be available in Playa de Oro.
*The November 2010 dates have changed slightly from those that were published in our 2010 tour catalog.
Recent
tour reports
August 2009
July 2009
November 2008
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CALL
TOLL FREE FROM THE US AND CANADA:
1-800-348-5941
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 Part
of the Chocó bioregion, northwest Ecuador is one of the most
biodiverse regions of any mainland area, holding over 70 endemics. This
tour covers the whole range of altitudes from the cool temperate
forests of Yanacocha to the humid lowlands of Rio Canandé,
targeting as many of the specialties as possible. With luck, this tour
will feature such thrillers as Toucan Barbet, Plate-billed
Mountain-Toucan, and the astonishingly beautiful Velvet-purple Coronet.
Day 1: Quito. You will be met at the airport and transferred to a hotel in Quito.
Day 2: Yanacocha.
We’ll start in this beautiful reserve in the elfin forest
cloaking the scenic slopes of Pichincha Volcano. Although the
surrounding terrain is steep, walking here is easy and the birds are
amazing. There are mixed flocks of gorgeous tanagers such as
Scarlet-bellied and Black-chested Mountain-Tanagers, and the
hummingbirds rank as some of the most spectacular in the world, with
Great Sapphirewing, Shining Sunbeam, Sapphire-vented Puffleg, and
Sword-billed Hummingbird all regular. The critically endangered
Black-breasted Puffleg can also be seen here occasionally. We continue
on down the Old Nono-Mindo Road to Tandayapa Bird Lodge, where we will
be based for the next four nights. We’ll try to arrive before
dark to get our first view of the incredible hummingbird feeders, which
can attract as many as twenty species in an hour, including
Violet-tailed Sylph, Brown Inca, Purple-bibbed White-tip, Western
Emerald, and Purple-throated Woodstar.
Day 3: Upper Tandayapa Valley.
Today we will concentrate on the upper elevations of the Tandayapa
Valley. The birding can be terrific and the walking is fairly easy. The
most wanted species here are the very rare Tanager Finch, the beautiful
Toucan Barbet, and the spectacular Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan. A host
of other subtropical species also occur such as Gorgeted Sunangel,
Grass-green Tanager, Dusky Bush-Tanager, and Pearled Treerunner.
Day 4: Paz de Aves and the Nono-Mindo Road.
This now-famous antpitta reserve near Mindo will be a highlight of the
tour. Here, a local farmer has started hand-feeding Giant, Moustached,
and Yellow-breasted Antpittas with amazing success. We also have a
chance to see other Chocó specialties, including Velvet-purple
Coronet, Empress Brilliant, and Orange-breasted Fruiteater. A trip
along the Nono-Mindo ecoroute in the afternoon gives us a shot at
Uniform Treehunter and Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager.
Day 5: Lower Tandayapa Valley.
We’ll use our last morning in the Tandayapa area to target any
key birds we haven’t seen yet, which might include Beautiful Jay
or Olivaceous Piha. Afterwards, depending on conditions, we may have a
chance to visit an Oilbird cave, or else head down to Milpe to get a
head start on the foothill birds. We’ll spend two nights at one
of several lodges down in the foothills.
 Day 6: Milpe.
This Mindo Cloudforest Foundation (MCF) reserve is one of the best
birding sites in Ecuador. Over a dozen Chocó endemics have been
recorded at Milpe, though the highlight for many visitors is the lek of
Club-winged Manakins, using their wings to make harmonica-like sounds
to impress females. Other targets here include Choco Trogon, Pacific
Tuftedcheek, and Rufous-throated Tanager.
Day 7: Rio Silanche to Tundaloma.
Silanche is another MCF reserve in the lower foothills. We’ll
spend a few hours here in the morning looking for forest edge species
that might be tough to see at Playa de Oro, such as Scarlet-breasted
Dacnis, Blue-whiskered Tanager, and Gray-and-gold Tanager. Later,
we’ll drive for most of the rest of the day to Tundaloma Lodge in
the far northwest for the night.
Day 8: San Lorenzo to Playa de Oro.
We’ll start the morning birding secondary forest patches, which
can still be quite good for Five-colored Barbet, Black-tipped and Blue
Cotingas, Black-breasted Puffbird, and sometimes even Yellow-eared
Toucanet. Later, we’ll drive a couple of hours to the village of
Selva Alegre, and take a motorized canoe to Playa de Oro Lodge. The
lodge is somewhat basic, but it’s location near pristine
Chocó lowland rainforest makes staying here for three nights
well worthwhile.
 Days 9-10: Playa de Oro.
Most of the best birding here is along narrow forest trails. While it
can be challenging, the rewards are some of rarest of the Chocó
endemics. Shy game birds like Baudó Guan, Tawny-faced Quail, and
Berlepsch’s Tinamou are seen more easily here than anywhere else.
Streak-chested Antpitta is quite common, and even the rare and
beautiful Rufous-crowned Antpitta is seen here occasionally. This is
arguably the best place in Ecuador to see the enigmatic Sapayoa, which
recent research has shown to be a monotypic family very closely related
to the Old World broadbills. We’ll sort through all mixed-species
flocks looking for Slate-throated Gnatcatcher, Scarlet-and-white
Tanager, Orange-fronted Barbet, and more.
Day 11: Playa de Oro to Tundaloma.
After a few hours more of birding, we’ll head back to Tundaloma
Lodge for another two nights. There should be time in the afternoon for
some birding around the lodge, where we might see White-necked Puffbird
or Red-legged Honeycreeper.
Day 12: Lita and Cristal.
We’ll need a very early start today as we head up to the village
of Cristal and walk up a muddy trail into the cloudforest. This tough
trail is worth it for the very good chance to see the outrageous Black
Solitaire and rare Star-chested Treerunner, as well as other key
Chocá birds like Indigo Flowerpiercer, Moss-backed Tanager, and
other species we may have missed at Milpe. Note: This is a tough hike, and those not wishing to do it may optionally stay at the lodge for this day.
Day 13: San Lorenzo to Quito.
While it is a fairly long drive back to Quito, there is plenty to see
along the way. The lower slopes are good for Stub-tailed Antbird and
tanager flocks, sometimes even having the rare Golden-chested Tanager.
Higher up, the habitat dries out and we’ll look for Blue-headed
Sapphire in the scrub. We’ll make a short stop at Laguna San
Pablo to look for Ecuadorian Rail and Subtropical Doradito before
finally arriving in Quito.
Day 14: Quito.
You leave on homeward flights, or join another Ecuador tour to
experience even more of this country’s amazingly rich birdlife.
TOUR
INFO:
CLIMATE: Much of the trip will be at middle elevations where the climate is quite
pleasant, but it can get cold at Yanacocha, and it is hot and humid in the
lowlands. Some rain is likely, though it is often quite dry on the July tours.
DIFFICULTY:
Moderate, with one optional, difficult hike. While much of the tour
will have roadside birding, on several days we will bird on trails that
can sometimes be steep and muddy.
ACCOMMODATION:
Very good to excellent except for the three nights at Playa de Oro. The
lodge here is somewhat basic with no electricity, though it has
cold running water. Some of the rooms have attached bathrooms, while others have shared bathrooms.
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