Ecuador

Birdwatching in Ecuador: Tanager Loop

Guayaquil, Cuenca & Loja-Southern Andes

15 days/14 nights

A complete birding experience covering south western Lowlands, Mangroves, Tropical Dry Forest, inter-Andean valleys, and Highlands: Cerro Blanco, Salinas, Manglares-Churute, Machala, Loja, Vilcabamba, Zamora, Podocarpus National Park, Cuenca, El Cajas and the valley of Gualaceo.

Prices on request.

Itinerary

Day 1
Depart early from Guayaquil to Cerro Blanco. In spite of the fact that the area contains fewer species than other more humid forests, it is well known for its impressive Dry Forest bird endemics, plus a great raptor list, making the trip a great birding expedition. Some of the possible sightings are the rare Rufous-headed Chachalaca, Gray-backed Hawk and Pale-browed Tinamou. The list also includes some endemic parrots, such as the Gray-cheeked Parakeet, Red-masked Parakeet and Red-lored Amazon. The Tumbesian endemics are abundant and there are good chances of finding Short-tailed Woodstar, Elegant crescent Chest, Collared Antshrike, Black-capped Sparrow, and several others. Box lunch is included. En route to Salinas, stops will be made along the way. Overnight at Salinas.

Cerro Blanco: A newly established and easily accessible private reserve in the Chongon Hills west of Guayaquil, Guayas, it is located at the easternmost end of the coastal Cordillera de Colonche. Cerro Blanco contains extensive Decidious Forest and is most notable for its remnant population of the endangered Great-green Macaw (Ara ambigua), the last such in southwestern Ecuador, is now under active protection and management by a local group, ProBosque. A good range of southwestern endemics occur; including Blackish-headed Spinetail (Synallaxis- tithys), Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner (Hylocryptus erythrocephalus) and Saffron Siskin (Carduelis siemiradzkii).

Day 2
Early this morning, depart for Ecuasal pools. Stop of an early lunch at Salinas. In the afternoon drive down to Manglares Churute. Enjoy birding along the tropical road. Late afternoon arrival and overnight at Machala.

Salinas: Salt evaporation ponds along the south shore of the Santa Elena Peninsula west of the Punta Carnero in extreme western Guayas. These privately owned lagoons provide habitat for large numbers and a wide variety of waterbirds, and they seem to be notable magnets for rarities. Numerous other water and coastal birds are resident and breeding, notably Gray-hooded Gull, Kelp Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Snowy Plover, and usually some Chilean Flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis) are present. Surrounding terrain (some of it heavily inhabited) is almost desert-like and supports few birds; some Peruvian Thick - knees (Burhinus superciliaris) persist.

Manglares Churute Mangrove Reserve: An important reserve in the Lowlands of southeastern Guayas. Manglares-Churute encompasses an extensive Mangrove Forest, a large freshwater marsh harboring western Ecuador's only remaining Horned Screamer (Anhima cornuta) population, and (especially on the Churute Hills) fairly undistributed Decidious and Semihumid Forest, and Woodland. Parts of the latter are controlled by the Guayaquil-based Fundación Andrade and have recently been explored biologically by groups of British students. Much terrain continues to suffer from human impacts: cattle grazing continues in many areas, and numerous people live within the official reserve boundaries.

Day 3
Take an early birding drive to Buenaventura - Piñas. A box lunch is ncluded. Continue birding as you head up to Loja. Overnight in Loja.

Buenaventura – Piñas: A superb and easily accessible area of steep forested slopes combines the southernmost limit of the Chocó avifaunal region with the Tumbesian region. It was made famous by the discovery if a new parakeet species in 1980, the El Oro Parakeet. The area boasts an impressive list, including eight threatened and four near-threatened species, and a wide range of local Wet-Forest species. Along this road possible species are: Pacific Royal flycatcher, Gray-breasted Flycatcher and Ochraceous Attela. You can get into several impressive Tanager flocks, which may have rufous throated Tanager, and several others joining species like Russet Antshrike. Among some of the raptors that may be found here are: Black and Ornate Hawk Eagles and Crested-eagle (rare). Another possible find is the Long-Wattled Umbrella bird.

Loja: A bustling, pleasant city situated in an arid valley (6,560 feet/2,000 meters) of northeastern Loja province. Now Loja is a major distribution center and a hub for roads going out in various directions.

Day 4
Depart early from Loja. Enjoy birding at Cajanuma (Podocarpus National Park). Overnight at Vilcabamba.

Cajanuma: An important guard station in Podocarpus National Park situated on a ridge (8,200-10,168 feet/2,500-3,100 meters) just west of the Continental Divide in extreme eastern Loja. Little-disturbed Montane Forest and Paramo are extensive here, and the area supports an extremely rich avifauna. Of particular importance is the essentially undisturbed eco-zone between Paramo, Upper Montane forest and lakes. At no other site is the Imperial Snipe so likely to be seen on the ground. Among some of the several species that you can see are the Golden-plumed Parakeet and Red–faced Parrot, including some raptors, like the Black and Chestnut Eagle. In the area you also have the chances of looking at many Tanager species as well as: Barred-fruit Eater, Black-chested, and Buff-breasted Montain-Tanagers, Red-hooded Tanager, Black-headed Hemispingus among many others. In the bamboo thickets and other secondary areas you can see some specialists such as the Ocellated Tapaculo, Plushcap and Slaty Finch.

Vilcabamba: A small and attractive town on the west slope of the Eastern Andes (5,248 feet/1,600 metres) in the southeastern Loja. The Vilcabamba area has several attractive hotels, and it makes an excellent base from which to explore various parts of nearby Podocarpus National Park. Ecuador's first Plumbeous Rail (Pardirsllus sanguinolentus) were found here in the early 1990's.

Day 5
Today, head south for a short drive to Vilcabamba. Stop along the way to pick up more of the Tumbesian specialties that inhabit this area: Amazilia Hummingbird, Pacific Hornero, Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant, Tumbes and Southern-beardless Tyrannulets, Fasciated Wren, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Plumbeous-backed Thrush, Gray-and-Gold and Three-banded Warblers, Silver-backed Tanager (if you are lucky!), Scrub Blackbird, Yellow-tailed Oriole, Saffron Finch and Streaked Saltator. Arrive at your destination early in the afternoon and spend the rest of the day birding around the hotel grounds. Overnight in Vilcabamba.

Day 6
After breakfast, head north en route to the southern section of the Podocarpus National Park and to the Tapichalaca Reserve. Work the roadside habitats all the way through arid habitats and up into Humid Temperate zone Forest for very diverse bird species. Arrive by mid-day for lunch at the reserve where you will be thrilled by the action at the hummingbird feeders! The superb accommodations at Tapichalaca Reserve set up by the Jocotoco Foundation were recently built to allow visitors the rare chance to visit the site where a new species of antpitta was recently discovered just a few years ago.

Tapichalaca Biological Reserve: A private reserve owned and managed by Fundacion Jocotoco and situated on the east slope of the Andes (6,560-10,168 feet/2,000 -3,100 meters) north of Valladolid in southwestern Zamora-Chinchipe. As of 2000 the Tapichalaca Reserve comprised some 2,200 hectares of (mainly) Montane Forest, and hopefully it will be expanded further in the years to come, perhaps sufficiently to connect it to nearby Podocarpus National Park. The impetus for the reserve's establishment came from the discovery along the Quebrada Honda trail of the Jocotoco Antpitta; most of the world's known population of that species occurs on the reserve. Numerous other Montane birds, of course, also occur here.

Day 7
Spend the next few days in this wonderfully rich area, watching for mixed foraging flocks and searching out some of the skulking species of the forest understory along the excellent forest trails, along the roadside and even from the porch!! Drive a little further south, if there is time, to search for some of the Marañón valley endemic species that have worked their way northward. Among the possibilities: Tawny-breasted Tinamou, Plain-breasted Hawk, Bearded Guan, Golden-plumed Parakeet, Scaly-naped Amazon, Rufous-banded Owl, Collared Inca, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Amethyst-throated and Flame-throated Sunangels, Glowing Puffleg, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Chestnut-naped and Jocotoco Antpittas, Ocellated Antpitta, Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant, Smoky Bush-Tyrant, Martañon Thrush, Pale-footed Swallow, Grass-green Tanager and Superciliaried, Black-capped and Black-headed Hemispingus. Overnight at Tapichalaca Station.

Podocarpus National Park: A large and internationally important park on the east slope of the Andes in western Zamora-Chinchipe province and adjacent eastern Loja. The park protects a superb cross-section of Montane habitats, from the foothills at 2,952 to 3,280 feet (900 to 1,000 meters) up into Wet Paramo and treeline vegetation at 10,168 to 10,824 feet (3,100 to 3,300 meters). Stands of the Podocarpus trees for which the park is named, and which elsewhere in Ecuador have usually been cut for timber, can be seen around Romerillos. Most of Podocarpus National Park is remote, with its two primary access points being at Río Bombuscaro and Cajanuma.

Habitats: The park ranges from 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) in the river valleys to 11,808 feet (3,600 meters) in the higher reaches of the Nudo de Sabanilla mountain range, part of the larger Cordillera Real. Stretching unbroken from the high Andes to low-altitude Rain Forest, Podocarpus' 360,000 dripping hectares encompass countless microclimates, many found nowhere else in Ecuador. Most of the park lies between 6,560 and 9,840 feet (2,000 and 3,000 meters), consisting of hillsides covered with moist Cloud Forest. Four separate watersheds, including that of Loja, depend on Podocarpus for their moisture. Over 100 small Andean lakes left in glacial depressions dot the landscape, fed and drained by waterfalls and rushing streams.

Flora and Fauna: Over 40% of the park's 3,000-4,000 plant species are endemic. Podocarpus takes its name from having the country's largest contingent of the Podocarpus or Romerillo tree, the only conifer native to Ecuador. Though many of them have been cut down for their high-quality wood, some old 103 foot (40-meter) giants can still be appreciated in remote tracts of Cloud Forest. Once the world's only source of quinine to fight malaria, the Cascarilla tree (Chinchona succirubra) is common on the western slopes. Other common plants include orchids, bromeliads, palms and tree ferns.

Podocarpus is by far the most important animal sanctuary in Ecuador's southern Andes. Along with attractive, but seldom seen mammals, species such as the Spectacled Bear, Mountain Tapir, Ocelot, Puma and several species of deer, the park is home to an avian variety to make a birder drool: 600 species recorded so far and many more on the way.

The main entrance at Cajanuma has been called one of the best spots in the world, in terms of variety and easy access, for viewing Andean birds. The park's list goes on and on: 61 species of hummers, 81 different tanagers, the Andean cock-of-the-rock, and the endangered Bearded Guan, are only the beginning.

Visiting the Park: For most of the park, October through December are the driest months overall, with February-April seeing the most rain. Temperatures vary from a 54° F/12° C average in the high Andes to 64° F/18° C in the Rain Forest.

Day 8
Today start early and travel towards the east to the village of Zamora. This is another fascinating transect and again you will witness great diversity as you descend through Temperate, Subtropical and Foothill zone habitats and the species possibilities are many. Some of the specialties you will be looking for include: Maroon-tailed and White-breasted Parakeets, Green Hermit, Blue-fronted Lancebill, Rufous-capped Thornbill, Amethyst Woodstar, Emerald Toucanet, Yellow-vented Woodpecker, Ash-browed Spinetail, Spectacled Prickletail, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Cliff Flycatcher, Rufous-tailed Tyrant, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Inca Jay, Golden-eyed Flowerpiercer, and Orange-eared, Golden-eared, Saffron-crowned, and Flame-faced Tanagers. Overnight in Zamora.

Loja-Zamora Road: A traditional birding road that descends the east slope of the Andes from the pass (8,856 feet/2,700 meters) above Loja to the town of Zamora (about 3,280 feet/ 1,000 meters). Although the region was investigated by collectors in the early 20th century and even earlier, modern ornithological work started around mid-1965. Since then bird observations have been carried out by various individuals and groups. A new paved road recently replaced the old one; certain sections of the latter remain open to traffic (now light), however, and these stretches provide favorable opportunities for birding. The two best extend down from the pass before dead-ending at washouts at about 7,872 feet/2,400 meters, and upward from Zamora to where the old road rejoins the new at about 4,920 feet/1,500 meters.

Day 9
Visit the Bombuscaro section of Podocarpus National Park today. This rich area offers opportunities to find many rare and very local species that inhabit these foothill forests. Slowly walk along the park's trails in search of: White-breasted Parakeet, Coppery-chested Jacamar, Highland Motmot, Black-streaked Puffbird, Chestnut-tipped Toucanet, Dusky Spinetail, Ecuatorian Graytail, Lined Antshrike, Foothill Antwren, Mottle-backed Elaenia, Olive-chested Flycatcher, Lemon-browed Flycatcher, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Blue-rumped Manakin, Gray-mantled Wren, and a spectacular number of Tangara Tanagers. Overnight in Zamora.

Zamora: A small town at the base of the east slope of the Andes (3,280 feet/1,000 meters.) in western Zamora-Chichipe province. Zamora is an important agriculture and transportation center, and much surrounding terrain has been deforested, though patches of forest and woodland remain, especially on the steeper slopes. Collectors visited as early as a century ago, and the town continues to be a convenient base for birders wishing to sample the rich avifauna still found in its vicinity. The Río Bombuscaro sector of Podocarpus National Park is nearby. Endemic species such as the Neblina Metaltail and the White-breasted Parakeet are important attractions.

Bombuscaro: The Río Bombuscaro area supports lower Montane Cloud Forest especially rich in mixed-species flocks, containing up to 15 tanager species. The birdlist for the area stands at almost 300 species, including several threatened and near-threatened species, such as the superb White-breasted Parakeet and Coppery-chested Jacamar.

Day 10
Enjoy a birding drive from Zamora to Cuenca, then from Loja to Cuenca. Villages found along the way are Saraguro, San Felipe de Oña, Susudel and Cumbo. Overnight in Cuenca, a charming colonial city recently declared as an UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

Day 11
Drive up to the Llaviuco section of El Cajas Recreation Area where you will walk to a small lake and bird the shrubbery and woodland for the rest of the day. While this is leisure day, the results should be rewarding. You will be looking for several species of hummingbirds and for mixed feeding flocks - this will probably be the first chance to see the Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan and an interesting array of Montane birds such as Turquoise Jay, Masked Trogon, Spectacled Whitestart, Masked Flowerpiercer and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager. Drive down to Gualaceo. Overnight in Gualaceo.

El Cajas National Recreation Area: An attractive area of relatively moist Paramo and Polylepis groves situated on a high plateau (11,480-13,120 feet/3,500-4,000 meters) west of Cuenca in western Azuay. El Cajas is important as the heart of the very small range of the endemic Violet-throated Metaltail; the very local Tit-like Dacnis is much more numerous here than elsewhere in Ecuador.

Day 12
This morning visit El Cajas, but this time your focus will be on the higher altitude habitats, to look for the rare, endemic hummingbird - the Violet-throated Metaltail - in the shrubbery as we bird our way up to the Paramo zone at the top of the pass. Enjoy your box lunches to the tune of Ecuadorian Hillstar and Blue-mantled Thornbill, Tit-like Dacnis and Giant Conebill, Andean Teal and Andean Ruddy Duck, Bar-winged and Stout-billed Cinclodes. Today's targets will include Carunculated Caracara, Andean Condor, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Andean Gull, Yellow-billed Pintail, Paramo Ground-Tyrant, Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant, Red-crested Cotinga, and Plumbeous Sierra-Finch and many other Paramo species that are found here. Drive from El Cajas to Gualaceo. Overnight in Gualaceo.

Day 13
Make a pre-dawn departure this morning in order to take good advantage of the very rich Gualaceo-Limón Road. Your birding begins as the sun comes up over the pass in one of the very few places in the world where one can easily bird this very high Temperate, Elfin-zone Forest in search of the mixed flocks and the specialties that forage in them: Mouse-colored Thistletail, Glossy Flowerpiercer, the very rare Masked Mountain-Tanager, Black-backed Bush-Tanager and Pale-naped Brush-Finch, will be just some of your targets as well as a variety of special hummingbirds. They include Great Sapphirewing, Glowing Puffleg and Rainbow beraded Thornbills. This transects changes subtly as you drop in altitude and so do the species of birds you will see. The temperate and Subtropical zone species to be encountered are many and it seems that every visit brings a different set of birds. Some highlights of past trips include: White-throated and White-rumped Hawk, Viridian Metaltail, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Emerald Toucanet, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Olive-backed and Strong-billed Woodcreepers, Pearled Treerunner, Montane Fliage-gleaner, Black-throated Tody-Tyrant, Barred Becard, Barred Fruiteater, Blue-backed Conebill, Orange-eared, Flame-faced, Golden Tanagers and (if you are lucky) the spectacular White-capped Tanager, Lacrimose, Blue-winged, and Black-chested Mountain Tanagers and the rare White-rimmed Brush-Finch. Return to Gualaceo and overnight.

Day 14
This morning take a road birding drive from Gualaceo-Cuenca to Guayaquil. En route to tropical Guayaquil, stop at several locations where good chances to spot species that inhabit the Highlands, the Subtropics, and the Lowlands of the Manglares-Churute will be the greatest way to end a complete avian adventure in Ecuador. Arrival in Guayaquil for overnight. Enjoy a Farewell Dinner with your group of birders.

Day 15
Guayaquil - transfer to the airport for your International flight.