Birding In The East And West Slopes Of The Andes With Wild Sumaco Tour

BIRDING IN THE EAST AND WEST SLOPES OF THE ANDES WITH WILD SUMACO

14 DAYS / 13 NIGHTS

During this tour, we can expect to see around 550 bird species visiting the Cloud Forest of the east and west ranges of the Andes including the Choco region, the headwaters of the Amazon basin, and the central Andean Paramo of Ecuador.

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN QUITO, ECUADOR

On your arrival in Ecuador, our guide will be waiting for you to meet and transfer you to your hotel overnight.

DAY 2: THE LAND OF HUMMINGBIRDS: QUITO – MAQUIPUCUNA

Very early in the morning, you will travel northwest of Quito crossing the western slopes of the Andes range heading towards tandayapa valley, and arriving at Tandayapa. On route you will visit Yanacocha Reserve, home to the black-breasted puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis), sword billed hummingbird, great saphirewing, purple backed thornbill, rufous antpitta, barred fruiteater, while you continue your trip you will see other species such as bar bellied woodpecker, masked flowerpiercer, glossy flowerpiercer, shining sunbeam, hooded and scarlet-bellied mountain-tanagers, giant conebill, pearled tree runner etc. Box lunch on a route surrounded by colorful hummingbirds. Late afternoon you will depart to Maquipucuna Reserve where you will dinner and overnight.

(B.BL.D)

DAY 3: MAQUIPUCUNA RESERVE

Early in the morning, at 5 am hike along a trail close to the lodge to observe some of the amazing birds of this place, where you can find species like the green fronted lancebill, torrent tyrannulet, golden-headed quetzal, crimson-rumped toucanet, violet-tailed sylph, broad-billed motmot, etc. After lunch, you can be a witness and be part of the different conservation projects that this Foundation manages within their 6000 hectares, 1400 hectares of forest located in the Andean Choco bioregion.

Some of these projects are the production of the traditional Sugarcane alcohol, the invitro orchid production, the organic farm, the organic fair-trade coffee production, the recycling of paper, and others. Possible nocturnal walk, dinner, and overnight.

(B.L.D)

DAY 4: THE MAGIC CLOUD FOREST, MAQUIPUCUNA – MINDO

After breakfast, you will depart to Mindo, a very well taken care of primary to second place with immense biodiversity that includes one of the greatest concentrations of bird species anywhere in the world. This region has an impressive bird list of 360 species, highlights including Maroon-tailed Parakeet, Toucan Barbet, Nariño Tapaculo, Golden-headed Quetzal, and Golden and Flame-faced Tanager. , beryl spangled, golden naped.

First, you will visit Milpe Bird Sanctuary, a reserve that is considered by Birdlife International as ‘An Important Bird Area’, it has 62 hectares (155 acres) that cover an altitudinal range from 1020-1150 m (3350-3770 ft) and includes two small rivers that converge at the bottom of a steep, forested valley. It is located along an all-weather road that many local birders consider to be one of the finest sites in all of Ecuador.

Here 247 species were found including many of the most spectacular Choco endemic species, such as Plumbeous Forest-Falcon, Moss-backed Tanager, Glistening-green Tanager, Chocó Trogon, choco toucan, 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.

You will enjoy a delicious box lunch on route and late afternoon your guide will drive you to Sachatamia Lodge where you will dinner and overnight.

(B.BL.D)

DAY 5: SILANCHE RESERVE

After an early breakfast, your guide will drive you to Rio Silanche a tropical lowland reserve that covers 70 hectares (175 acres) where it is possible to see incredible species diversity, especially from its 15 meters high observation tower that puts you eye-to-eye with awesome mixed foraging flocks.

This important site, situated in low foothills between 300-350m, is located along an all-weather road, and it is one of the last remaining accessible forest remnants found in this key area, home to many important Choco and Tumbesian endemic bird species, including Dusky Pigeon, Purple-chested Hummingbird, Little Woodstar, Choco Trogon, Double-banded Graytail, Stub-tailed Antbird, Slate-throated Gnatcatcher, Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, Scarlet-and-white Tanager, Blue-whiskered Tanager, gray and gold tanager, rose face parrot, blue-headed parrot, marron tailed parakeet, white-bearded manakin, scarlet thighed dacnis, chestnut mandible toucan, black-headed tody flycatcher, slaty capped shriketyrant, among many others.

You will enjoy a box lunch surrounded by amazing nature and in the afternoon you will return to Sachatamia Lodge where if you want you can have a short hike around this place to see some species like the Giant and Scaled Antpitta, Choco Toucan, Scaled Fruiteater, Tanager-Finch, and Club-winged Manakin.

Target birds here include, golden-headed quetzal, toucan barbet, masked trogon, golden naped tanager, beryl spangled tanager, strong billed woodcreeper, black and white owl, Wattled and Sickle-winged Guan, Bronze-winged Parrot, Sparkling Violet-ear, Andean Emerald, Booted Racket-tail, and Long-tailed Sylph violet tailed sylph. Dinner and overnight.

(B.BL.D)

DAY 6: THE AMAZING COCK OF THE ROCK

Early in the morning, after a cup of hot coffee, you will visit the famous Paz de las Aves Refuge where you will have the opportunity to have one of the most amazing experiences, visiting the cock of the rock lek, where, during 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. Besides here it is possible to see four species of Antpittas, the Giant Antpitta, the Moustached Antpitta, Ochre bellied, and the Yellow Breasted Antpitta.

Then you will visit the feeding station to see black chinned and blue-winged mountain tanagers, toucan barbet, dusky piha, sickle winged guan, crimson rumped toucanet, etc. Return to the main house of this reserve to enjoy a typical breakfast of this region and keep birding to find an ocellated tapaculo being fed with worms, yellow vented woodpecker, powerful woodpecker, crimson mantled woodpecker, orange-breasted fruiteater, etc... Then you will return to Sachatamia Lodge where you will take your lunch and in the afternoon you will return to Quito, overnight.

(B.L)

DAY 7: ANTISANA ECOLOGICAL RESERVE

After breakfast, you will travel to Antisana Ecological Reserve, where you will visit the Mica Lake in order to see Silvery Grebe, Andean Teal, Andean ruddy Duck, Yellow-billed Pintail, Andean Coot, and as well as many land birds such as Aplomado Falcon, Andean Gull, Andean Lapwing, and Carunculated Caracara.

Here you have a high probability to be in contact with the majestic Andean Condor and other species like Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle and Variable Hawk, black-faced ibis, paramo ground tyrant, paramo pipit, sedge wren, Baird's sandpiper, cinereous harrier, Bar-winged and Stout-billed Cinclodes, Black-faced Ibis, Shining Sunbeam, Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant, Paramo Pipit, Giant Conebill, and Spectacled Whitestart.

You will enjoy a delicious box lunch on route and then you will depart to Guango Lodge through the Papallacta region. This area has well-conserved patches of Polylepis forest and it is an excellent place to observe high mountain bird species. The 4000-meter high paramo holds a fascinating group of high-altitude species like the Variable Hawk, Many-striped Canastero, Tawny Antpitta, and Andean Condor. Other species expected in this area are the Sword-billed Hummingbird, Great Sapphire-wing, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Torrent Duck, Torrent Tyrannulet, and the superb White-capped Dipper. Dinner and overnight in Guango Lodge.

(B.BL.D)

DAY 8: PAPALLACTA – SAN ISIDRO LODGE

Early in the morning, you will hike through the trails of this lodge looking for more bird species like Andean guan, plush cap, slaty finch, gray breasted mountain toucan, pale naped brush finch, gray hooded bush tanager, hooded mountain tanager, pearl tree runner, mountain avocetbill, tourmaline sunangel, torrent duck, White-capped dipper, etc.

After breakfast, you will continue with your trip to San Isidro Lodge where you will seek out specialties such as Black-chested Fruiteater, Long-tailed Antbird, White-belied Antpitta, San Isidro’s owl, Chestnut Breasted Coronet, long-tailed sylph, Barred Antthrush, and the little-known Peruvian Antpitta. Box lunch on route and in the afternoon you will walk close to the lodge discovering more bird species. After dinner we will have a nocturnal walk looking for nightjars and owls; overnight.

(B.BL.D)

DAY 9: SAN ISIDRO LODGE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS

After breakfast, you will travel to the Cordillera de Los Huacamayos where you will walk through one of the specialized birdwatching trails. Here it is possible to see many different species and you will look for the black-billed mountain-toucan, white-bellied antpitta, spillmans tapaculo, bicolored antvireo, greater scythebill, and the very local white-rimmed brush-finch among others. Return to San Isidro Lodge, dinner, and overnight.

(B.L.D)

DAY 10: SAN ISIDRO – SAN ISIDRO – WILDSUMACO LODGE

After breakfast, your guide will drive you to Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary located on a ridge in the Andes' Eastern Foothills close to Sumaco National Park and Napo Galeras National Park. This lodge is located at about 1400m (4600 feet), and the reserve ranges from 1200 to 1500 m (3900 to 4900 feet) with an incredible panoramic view of the Rio Pucuno Valley and to the Andes beyond.

Considering the strategic location of this place between the Andean Foothills and the Amazon, the Sumaco area holds one of the richest avifauna in the world. A wonderful mix of cloud forest species, foothill specialties, and typically Amazonian birds share Wildsumaco's lush subtropical rainforest with a myriad of other animals. Many of the birds here are rare, endangered, or very difficult to see elsewhere. In the afternoon you will have time to walk through the trails of this lodge looking for some bird species and good shots, dinner, and overnight.

(B.L.D)

DAY 11 & 12: WILDSUMACO WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

During this day it will be possible to walk through the trails of this Sanctuary where it is possible to see Gray-tailed Piha, Blue-rumped Manakin, coppery chested jacamar, military macaw, buff breasted tody, blackish rail, tropical screech owl, black-banded crake, and Chestnut-crowned Gnateater.

Short-tailed Antthrush and Wing-banded Wren often sing, while more uncommon species like Gray-throated Leaftosser and Plain-backed Antpitta are seen occasionally. The very rare Yellow-throated Spadebill has territory along the Piha Trail and at any time the endangered Military Macaw or rare Spot-winged Parrotlet might fly by, or Black Hawk-Eagle soars overhead.

DAY 13: WILDSUMACO – QUITO

During this day you will return to Quito, 4 hours by car, possible stop on the way to search for Orange Breasted falcon and cliff flycatcher. Late afternoon you will arrive in Quito at your hotel where you will overnight.

(B.L)

DAY 14: HOME FLIGHT.

After you have gotten a long list of birds in this unforgettable expedition in Ecuador you will be transferred to the airport to catch your national or international flight.

(B)

END OF THE SERVICES

A NOTE ON THE ORDER OF THE ITINERARY:

Itinerary subject to change based on local conditions. It could be flexible according to the client’s interests.

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B- Breakfast; L-Lunch; BL- Box Lunch; D-Dinner

PRICE INCLUDE:

Private transportation, bilingual naturalist guide (specialized on birdwatching), accommodation based on the double room in all the hotels detailed in the itinerary (single supplement under request); meals as described on the itinerary, entrance fee to Yanacocha reserve, Maquipucuna Reserve, Milpe Reserve, Silanche Reserve, Paz de las Aves, Antisana Ecological reserve, Cayambe Coca reserve (Papallacta area), Huacamayos reserve.

NOT INCLUDE:

Meals not specified, alcoholic drinks, tips, and personal expenses.