Ecuador

Birdwatching in Ecuador

Why are there so many types of bird in Ecuador?

What makes Ecuador a perfect spot for birding is its biodiversity. But, why is Ecuador so diverse? Why does Ecuador have so many species of birds? One key factor is the geophysical influence of the Andes, and its gradients of altitude and climate conditions. Another factor is that Ecuador's territory includes the most westerly portion of the Amazon basin. The Pacific coast gets bathed by the cool waters of the Humboldt Current, which directly affects the ecosystems and diversity of wildlife of the coastal lowlands and mountains, and also attracts a great number of sea birds. At the same time, the northern Pacific coastline does not receive much of this influence (particularly the province of Esmeraldas) and it has a much lush environment, thus supporting very different species.

The Andean chain, which runs along the entire length of the country, is truly the spinal cord of Ecuador's biodiversity. Species change as one descends through its many zones: from snow-covered mountain peaks through valleys and paramo and down along the temperate and subtropical forests of the Andean slopes. Finally, the Galapagos Islands, an archipelago about 600 miles (1,000 km) west of Ecuador, are an astonishing bird world of its own.To make this setup more interesting and unique, there is much diversity of habitats and microhabitats within each of these same regions. The primary result of this factor is the existence of ‘islands’ or centres of endemism that hold a tremendously high and unique speciation.

Ecuador, in fact, is a country about the size of the United Kingdom or about that of the state of Colorado in the U.S., and yet, within its reduced boundaries an incredible variety of bird species are found. This ranges from the impressive Long-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus kingi) to the colorful Paradise Tanager (Tangara chilensis) - from the giant Andean Condor (Vultur gryfus) to the tiny Purple-throated Woodstar (Calliphlox mitchellii), - from the uniqueness of the Swallow-tailed Gull (Creagrus furcatus) to the fascinating group of Darwin's Finches (13 species) of the Galapagos Islands, – and from the recently discovered Jocotoco Antpitta (grallaria ridgelyi) to the range-restricted Black-breasted Puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis). This quickly illustrates the amazing range of diversity of Ecuador's birdlife. It is all here for you to discover.

Migratory behavior has been studied for a long time. Being at the Equator, one can expect to spot northern (boreal) migrants heading southward, and southern (austral) migrants heading to the north. Of the boreal migrants, about 120 bird species have been recorded in Ecuador. In contrast, only 21 species of the austral migrants have been recorded. Interestingly enough is that virtually none of the austral migrants occur west of the Andes. More pelagic observations at sea are needed which will surely increase that number.

A number of migrants occur within the tropics. These are the intratropical migrants that breed in one tropical area and migrate to another tropical area for their non-breeding season. For the interested birder, species such as the Snowy-throated Kingbird, Black-and-white Tanager or the Andean Slaty-Thrush can really complete the list of interesting migrating patterns.

The open ocean that surrounds the Galapagos Archipelago and stretches westward from Ecuador's Pacific coast attracts many pelagic migrants and visitors, but numbers and records of pelagics are quite difficult to document. This is an area in need of some serious ornithological work. If you happen to be visiting the Galapagos Islands or the Pacific coast, don't be surprised if you encounter representatives from both the north and the south, like Least-storm Petrels (N) or Pink-footed Shearwaters (S), or even a previously unrecorded species.