This tour gives you the possibility to see the endemic birds of the Tumbesian region and also some of the Choco, the combination of these two ecosystems will increase your bird list with some of the most exotic birds in the world. If you have already visited the north of Ecuador, this is an excellent alternative for you!
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR
Upon your arrival to Guayaquil, your guide will be waiting for you to meet and transfer you to your hotel, overnight.
DAY 2: MANGLARES CHURUTE AN EXTENSIVE MANGROVE FOREST - BUENAVENTURA
Early departure to Manglares Churute Reserve where you can find the only known population of Horned Screamer in western Ecuador. This National Reserve has 49.984 hectares distributed from 0 to 700 mm. It is formed by an extensive network of channels and islands that combined with a dense mangrove forest and vestiges of the tropical dry forest is the house of considerable biodiversity.
Here it is possible to find 270 bird species such as Pacific Royal Flycatcher, Ecuadorian Ground-dove, Red-masked Parakeet, Pacific Parrotlet, and others. Besides if you are lucky you can see some mammals like the white-fronted capuchin and mantled howler monkeys, along with the occasional agouti, tigrillo, and armadillo.
Box Lunch en route and then you will continue your trip to Piñas stopping in some strategic points to observe some of the shore birds and also some specialists of the area such as Baron´s Hermit, Ecuadorian Trogon, Jet Antbird, Superciliated Wren, Orange-Crowned Euphonia, Peruvian Meadowlark. Arrive at Buenaventura reserve place where you will have dinner and overnight.
Umbrella Bird Lodge is an excellent and easily accessible lodge that is settled in the lower portion of Buenaventura Reserve, at 500 m altitudes. It has five pleasing cabins with private bathrooms, ideal for housing up to 14 people, along with an open restaurant where you will enjoy watching hummingbirds zooming in and out of feeders, and chachalacas and tanagers feeding at fruit while sipping a coffee, or simply relax reading some of our reference books while coatis roam around the area. (B.BL.D)
DAY 3: BUENAVENTURA RESERVE
Buenaventura Reserve is part of the Jocotoco Foundation, it is located near Piñas and Zaruma in El Oro province. It protects a narrow zone of cloud forest habitat on the otherwise seasonally dry west slope of the Andes in Southern Ecuador. The target size for this reserve is 5,000 ha (12,000 acres) with an altitude range from 450m to 1100m. Here large mammals like Puma, Ocelot, Howler Monkey, and Two and Three-toed Sloth are present.
This reserve supports an extremely diverse birdlife (46 species registered) including many endemics like El Oro Parakeet, Emerald-billed Woodnymph, Pacific Tuftedcheeck, Club-Winged Manakin, Long Wattled Umbrellabird and El Oro Tapaculo. This day you will spend most of the time walking along the reserve looking for these species and other great birds such as the Andean Tinamou, Rose Face parrot, and line-cheeked spinetail. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight. (B.L.D)
DAY 4: BUENAVENTURA – MACARÁ
After breakfast, we will have the last opportunity to look for El Oro Parakeets and then we will continue our trip to Jorupe, another Jocotoco Foundation Reserve located close to Macará. On route we will stop in some strategic points like Velacruz - Catacocha to look for the species of the area.
Jorupe reserve supports many endemic and rare species of plants and animals, including populations of numerous globally threatened birds (40 species) like the Henna-Hooded foliage-Gleaner, Blackish Headed spinetail, Slaty Becard, Line Cheeked Spinetail, Loja Tyrannulet.
This reserve is a two-square-mile area of high-quality deciduous forest in the Tumbesian region of southwest Ecuador, a few km northeast of the town of Macara which is near the Ecuador and Peru border. (B.BL.D)
DAY 5: THE BIRDS OF THE TUMBESIAN REGION
During this day you will be in the middle of the Tumbesian forest which is a dry habitat ecosystem that extends from southwest Ecuador into northern Peru, it is dominated by statuesque Ceiba trees. It is a conservation priority because much of it is already cleared or badly degraded. (B.L.D)
DAY 6: MACARÁ: UTUANA RESERVE – VILCABAMBA
Early in the morning after a cup of hot coffee, you will travel to Utuana (Jocotoco Reserve) where you can find a Montane Scrub and woodland, a great place to search for Black-Crested Tit-Tyrants, Piura Hemispungus, Gray Headed Antbird, Chapman Antshrike, Rainbow Starfrontlet, and others.
Box lunch on route and in the afternoon you will depart to Loja stopping in some strategic points and in Catamayo airport to look for some of the Tumbesian species and others like the Tumbes Sparrow, Band-tailed Sierra Finch, Drab Seedeater. Arrival at Vilcabamba valley where you will dinner and overnight. (B.BL.D)
DAY 7: LOJA: CAJANUMA (PODOCARPUS NATIONAL PARK) – TAPICHALACA RESERVE
Early in the morning you will visit Cajanuma, part of Podocarpus National Park where you will look for some spectacular birds like Red-Hooded Tanager, Bearded Guan, Gray Breasted Mountain Toucan, Plumbeus Rail, Golden-plumed parakeet, White-Browed Spinetail, Elegant Crescent-Chest, Chusquea Tapaculo, Three Banded Warbler, Barred Fruiteater, Golden Crown Tanager and others.
Podocarpus National Park is located in the South of Ecuador near the Peruvian border and spans 360,000 acres, Podocarpus National Park includes cloud forests, high-altitude grasslands, and a series of small Andean lakes.
The Podocarpus National Park area has one of the largest concentrations of bird species in Ecuador, with more than 500 registered species, although some experts believe that number could be as high as 800. Some of the most threatened birds in Ecuador have healthy populations in and around the park, such as coppery-chested jacamar, bearded guan, Equatorial gray tail, and Peruvian antpitta.
More than 40 mammal species occur in the area, including the jaguar, wooly tapir, Andean bear, pudú (the smallest deer in the world), giant armadillo, and Neotropical otter. Besides, Podocarpus is a paradise for plants, with around 3,000 different species of vascular plants, many of which are endemic.
Box Lunch en route and depart to Tapichalaca, this is the first reserve created by Jocotoco Foundation. At our arrival, we will have time to enjoy the hummingbirds that fly around the feeders of this lodge-like Flame Throated Sunangel, Ocellated Tapaculo, Rufous-Capped thornbill, Chesnut Breasted Coronet, and Long Tail Sylph. Dinner and overnight.
Casa Simpson, the reserve, which includes Cerro Tapichalaca, encompasses approximately 2,000 ha, ranging from an elevation of 2000 m to 3400 m. It is adjacent to the southern part of Podocarpus National Park, which increases its conservation value. The target size for the Tapichalaca Reserve is approximately 5,000 ha (12,000 acres). The lodge is an ideal location to see many marvelous animals and plants. (B.BL.D)
DAYS 8 & 9: TAPICHALACA AND THE JOCOTOCO ANTPITTA
Full days to enjoy Tapichalaca reserve and its surroundings to try to find most of the species of this place and its surroundings. Jocotoco Foundation bought the land of this reserve in order to protect the habitat of the Jocotoco Antpitta, a specie that was found in this area for the first time and also known that most of the world’s population of this specie occurs in this reserve.
The major highlight of this area is Dusky Headed Parakeet, White Capped Parrot, Swallow tail nightjar, Gray Breasted Mountain Toucan, Ash-Browed Spinetail, Chesnut-naped Antpitta, Rufous tail Tyrant, Yellow Cheeked Becard, Black-faced Tanager, White Capped Tanager. Dinner and overnight in Tapichalaca Lodge.
Large mammals like the Mountain Tapir (globally Endangered) and Spectacled Bear (Vulnerable) are present in the reserve. About 140 endemic plants have been recorded, of which 1 is Critically Endangered, 25 are considered endangered and 95 are vulnerable. Over 30 species of orchid are known only from the area of the reserve. (B.L.D)
DAY 10: TAPICHALACA – ZAMORA: COPALINA LODGE
After breakfast, you will continue your expedition to Zamora Province, on the route you can find great places to search for spectacular species such as Crimson Bellied Woodpecker, Tumbesian Tyrannulet, Tawny Crowned Pygmy-Tyrant, White Capped Dipper. Arrive at Copalinga Lodge located next to the southeast entrance of Podocarpus National Park, where you will have the opportunity to walk through the trails of this cozy lodge. Dinner and overnight. (B.BL.D)
DAYS 11 & 12: COPALINGA LODGE & ITS SURROUNDINGS - PODOCARPUS NATIONAL PARK (BOMBUSCARO)
During these two days, you will enjoy Copalinga lodge and its surroundings, where according to the last register in 2013 in Copalinga and its surroundings has been recorded 223 bird species have: Coppery-crested jacamar Ecuadorian Piedtail, White Breasted Parakeet, Chesnut Crowned Gnateater, Green Hermit, Spangled Coquette, Black Streaked Puffbird, Chesnut Tipped Toucanet, Blue Rumped Manakin.
The hummingbird feeders attract interesting and colored hummingbirds like Green Hermit, Great-billed Hermit, Gray-chinned Hermit, Booted Racket-tail, Green Violetear, Sparkling Violetear, Violet-fronted Brilliant, Black-throated Brilliant, Many-spotted Hummingbird, Glittering-throated Emerald, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Long-tailed Sylph, Chestnut-breasted Coronet. On the Verbena flowers, it is possible to see: Violet-headed Hummingbird, Spangled Coquette, White-bellied Woodstar, the spectacular Wire-crested Thorntail, and others. (B.L.D)
DAY 13: ZAMORA – LOJA – QUITO
After breakfast, you will have the last opportunity to explore the trails of Coalinga, the banana feeder where it is possible to see different species of tanagers and hummingbird feeders. After lunch, you will depart to Loja city in order to catch your flight back to Quito. At the exit of the airport, our local driver will be waiting for you in order to transfer you to your hotel located close to Quito airport. Dinner and overnight. (B.L)
DAY 14: QUITO – INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT HOME
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 international flight home. (B)
A NOTE ON THE ORDER OF THE ITINERARY:
The Itinerary is 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 INCLUDES:
Private transportation, bilingual naturalist guide (specialized in birdwatching), accommodation based on the double room in all the hotels detailed in the itinerary (s.supp. under request); meals as described on the itinerary, local flights: Loja – Quito; entrance fee to Manglares Churute, Buenaventura Reserve, Jorupe Reserve, Utuana Reserve, Podocarpus National Park.
NOT INCLUDED:
Travel insurance, meals not specified, soft and alcoholic drinks, tips, and personal expenses.
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