The Birds and Natural History of Northern Ecuador

The high Andes and the east and west slopes

September 15 - 27, 2026

With roughly 1600 species of birds, over 16,000 known plants, and almost 400 species of mammals, Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. Considering its relatively small size, it may harbor more species per square mile than any other country. Ocean currents, an equatorial latitude, and the rugged Andes combine to create climate variations that support great biogeographic diversity as well as high regional endemism. Coastal beaches and mangroves, lowland tropical rainforest, tropical deciduous forest, the Amazon, Andean cloud forest, high elevation paramo, and peaks over 20,000 feet all contribute to the beauty and richness of the country.

We’ll begin our trip at the Jocotoco Foundation's Yanacocha Reserve where we usually see scarlet-bellied and black-chested mountain-tanagers, great sapphirewing, sword-billed hummingbird, shining sunbeam, equatorial antpitta and many other high elevation species. We then continue to northwestern montane and cloud forests where we’ll spend five days enjoying the lodges of Septimo Paraiso and Tandayapa. In addition to birding at the lodges, we’ll also visit several private "feeding stations" which are always an eye-candy highlight in Ecuador - Alambi Reserve, Reserva Paz de Las Aves and the Amagusa Reserve. In this region, we’ll find a great variety of species, including several regional endemics. Possibilities include bronze-winged and red-billed parrots, Choco warbler, Choco and yellow-throated toucans, many species of tanagers (beryl-spangled, blue-necked, golden-naped, bay-headed, rufous-throated, and more), red-faced spinetail, toucan barbet, plate-billed mountain toucan, club-winged manakin, Zeledon's antbird, possibly four species of antpitta, scaled and orange-breasted fruiteaters, moss-backed and glistening-green tanagers, dark-backed wood-quail, and perhaps two dozen species of hummingbirds. Along the way we'll also learn about the general ecology of Andean montane and cloud forests.

We then make a memorable day trip to the high elevation paramo of the Antisana Reserve. In this wild area of shrubs, vast grasslands, cushion plants, and a high altitude lake, Laguna Mica, we’ll have good chances to see many species that we won’t find elsewhere. In the lower sections, we'll look for northern giant hummingbird, black-tailed trainbearer, red-crested cotinga, tufted tit-tyrant, yellow-breasted brushfinch, blue-and-yellow tanager, cinereous conebill, and black flowerpiercer. Higher up, in addition to spectacular scenery, we’ll have chances to see cinereous harrier, carunculated caracara, paramo pipit, plain-crowned ground-tyrant, black-winged ground-dove, plumbeous sierra-finch, silvery grebe, yellow-billed pintail, Andean condor, many-striped canastero, and more.

We then travel to the eastern slope of the Andes and the temperate forests of Guango Lodge. At almost 9000 ft., Guango is a great spot for torrent duck, white-capped dipper, various mountain-tanagers (hooded, lacrimose, scarlet-bellied), gray-breasted mountain-toucan, powerful woodpecker, dusky piha, turquoise jay, mountain cacique, several species of chat-tyrants and brushfinches, and many hummers, including the improbable sword-billed. From Guango we'll make a trip to nearby Papallacta Pass where we’ll look for several high Andean specialists such as Ecuadorian hillstar, black-chested buzzard eagle, variable hawk, tawny antpitta, stout-billed and chestnut-winged cinclodes, Andean tit-spinetail, many-striped canastero, white-chinned thistletail, and the local prize, rufous-bellied seedsnipe.

We’ll next visit Cabanas San Isidro, which, at about 6800 feet, is the transition zone between temperate and subtropical habitats. From the comfortable lodge, which has beautiful rooms and very good food, we’ll search for species that occur only on the eastern slope as well as more widespread species. These include speckle-faced (white-capped) parrot, rufous-crowned tody-flycatcher, pale-edged flycatcher, green-and-black fruiteater, inca jay, black-billed peppershrike, barred becard, Andean solitaire, bluish flowerpiercer, sulphur-bellied tyrannulet, saffron-crowned and many other tanagers, crested and golden-headed quetzals, white-bellied antpittas and much more.

Between superb lodges, excellent food, good forest and a great diversity of habitats and species, Northern Ecuador has it all, and I can't wait to return.