Birdwatching Ecuador Tour

Birding in Ecuador Tour

Our 2-day Birdwatching Ecuador Tour is moderately-paced available on request and as well as exploring Bellavista´s 460 hectares (1150 acre) Private Protected Area, we visit highlights of different elevations nearby: Zuroloma or Yanacocha high elevation reserves, hummingbird gardens, and a place famous for Antpittas and the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. Expect to see around 318 species of birds on this trip.

In this Birdwatching Ecuador Tour, all in the heart of the UNESCO Choco Andino Biosphere Reserve. Birds are special to each elevation. What a wonderful way to get to understand some of the diverse environment of a cloud forest and its myriad birds!

The northwest is the easiest place to find great numbers of Ecuador´s over 1600 birds...no other country has such a concentration of species for its size! And we are really close to Quito – only one hour 50 minutes away!

Endemics include: Mammals may include the Olinguito, the Kinkajoo, and even elusive species of wild cats.

In this Birdwatching Ecuador Tour you will be in our 4 star Lodge that offers a unique stay in paradise, above the forest canopy, with views to Pichincha Volcano! All surrounded by glittering hummingbirds! Comfortable rooms await you. You will enjoy our generous servings of gourmet food, the dense forests and majestic mountains, and our extensive network of safe, well-marked trails. At the reserves we visit beyond Bellavista, access is moderate on well-maintained trails.

Important Point: This tour offers a full time exclusive private guide service.

If you want to know about our guides info, please click here.

If you’d like to try an alternative tour, look at what this Bellavista Birdwatching in Ecuador Tour has to offer.

Alternative Tour Name: 2 Days High Birding In Short Time

Day 1

Day1 - Starts In Quito

Early morning (05.30 a.m.) departure from Quito for high elevation reserves: the usual choice is the new Zuroloma Reserve.. those who want to hike and explore further might choose Yanacocha Reserve instead. Many high elevation hummingbird species to look for, including the unbelievable Sword-billed Hummingbird, as well as Buff-winged Starfrontlet, Sapphire-vented Puffleg, and highland species of tanagers, such as the Black-chested Mountain-Tanager, and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-tanager. Antpittas include the Tawny Antpitta. (The endangered Black-breasted Puffleg finds refuge at this elevation .. rather elusive, but always hopeful!) As we drop down the highly scenic Nono Road, Torrent Duck and White-capped Dipper, Black Phoebe and more are attracted by the rushing stream.

Lunch at Bellavista Lodge, where the hummingbirds at incredibly close range may make you forget about lunch for a time! Purple-throated Woodstar, Violet-tallied Sylph, Buff-tailed Coronet, Collared Inca, and the target hummingbird: Gorgeted Sunangel. Other birds in the immediate vicinity include Blue-. winged Mountain-Tanager, Masked Flowerpiercer and much more.

Mid-afternoon, we leave to see an active lek of the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. A short hike takes us down to the lek, and as the day gradually dawns, the remarkable brightly coloured males squawk, preen and prance! If a female shows up !!!????!!

Dinner

Evening: mammal opportunities right near the Lodge: the delightful Olinguito, the first new species of mammal to be discovered in the Americas in the past 35 years, as of 2103 , might come in, as well as Kinkajoo and more!

Exclusive private transport and exclusive private birding guide. Meals: B(reakfast),L,D

Day 2

Day 2 - The Last Day

6.15: Early morning birding. Chances for Strong-billed Woodcreeper, White-tailed Tyrannulet, Turquoise Jay, Chestnut-crowned Antpitta, White-sided and Masked Flowerpiercer, Masked Trogon, and many more, all around the lodge. You hardly need to walk any distance to see a great variety of birds!

Some mornings the elusive Tayra (giant weasel) comes in to a feeding station right at the Lodge!

8:00h. Breakfast

9.30h. Birding morning to get to know Bellavista´s best: Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, Toucan Barbet, Green and Black Fruiteater and tanagers like the Grass-green Tanager and the Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager- a favourite at this elevation. You will go to see the specific area where the range-restricted Tanager-Finch is found .. a true target bird!

13.00h. Lunch

After lunch, a short time available to find a few more Bellavista beauties, then we start back for Quito. We stop at the bottom of the Tandayapa at a hummingbird and tanager garden at lower elevation A true hummingbird spectacle, including White-necked Jacobin, White-bellied Woodstar, and Green-crowned Woodnymph. Then Tanagers, Euphonias, Red-headed Barbet, often Crested Quetzal, and more.

Arrival time back in Quito at 17.00 – 17.30 p.m.

Exclusive private birding guide till afternoon departure from the hummingbird garden low in the Valley. Meals: B, L

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Why book with Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve?

26 of Experienced running birding and nature tours in North Western Ecuador.

What to bring?

T-shirts or comfortable blouses/shirts, Sweater or fleece for Yanacocha / Zuroloma ,Sunhat and sunscreen, Rain poncho , Camera, Binoculars , Water bottle for hikes, Small daypack for hikes, Plastic bags to protect camera, etc

About our guide

Your guide has many years of experience leading birders in our region and elsewhere in the country. He/she has an official guide license (Ministry of Tourism) and speaks fluent English (and native Spanish). Guides in other languages, or a translator, are available on prior request. Our guides are passionate about birds, and love looking for elusive wildlife.. mammals and amphibians! Should you be a photographer, we will choose a guide who deeply shares your interest during this Birdwatching Ecuador Tour.