Part of the Chocó bioregion, northwest Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse regions of any mainland area, holding over 70 endemics. This tour covers the whole range of altitudes from the cool temperate forests of Yanacocha to the humid lowlands of Rio Silanche, targeting as many of the specialties as possible. With luck, this tour will feature such thrillers as Toucan Barbet, Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, and the astonishingly beautiful Velvet-purple Coronet.

Day 1: Quito. We'll pick you up at the airport and take you to the hotel for the night. Most international flights into Quito arrive in the evening. If you are connecting from another tour, you may have this day free to relax, or you might arrange a day trip with us.

Day 2: Yanacocha. Today we visit Yanacocha, an area of temperate cloudforest on the upper slopes of the Pichincha Volcano.  Although the surrounding terrain is very steep, walking here is easy and the birds are spectacular.  There are mixed flocks of gorgeous tanagers such as Scarlet-bellied and Black-chested Mountain-Tanagers, and the hummingbirds rank as some of the most spectacular in the world, with Great Sapphirewing, Shining Sunbeam, Sapphire-vented Puffleg, and Sword-billed Hummingbird all regular.  The critically endangered Black-breasted Puffleg, an ultra-rare Ecuadorian endemic, can be seen here occasionally. After lunch we’ll slowly drive down the old Nono-Mindo road. The lower sections run alongside a rushing mountain stream where we can look for White-capped Dipper and Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant. The climax of the day will be our search for one of the most glorious of all South American birds, the Andean Cock-of-the-rock. With at least one lek currently active in the pristine forest of the lower Alambi River Valley we stand a very good chance of witnessing the spectacular males in full display. In the evening we arrive at the superb Tandayapa Bird Lodge, which will be our base for the next five nights. We'll try to arrive before dark to get our first view of the incredible hummingbird feeders, perhaps the best anywhere. While at Tandayapa we'll stay in double rooms with private bathrooms and full-time hot water and electricity.  Excellent local soups highlight the meals.

Day 3: Upper Tandayapa Valley. Today we will concentrate on the upper elevations of the Tandayapa Valley, where the birding can be terrific and the walking is fairly easy.  The most wanted species here are the rare Tanager Finch, the gaudy Toucan Barbet, and the superb Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan.  We should see at least two of these, along with a host of other species such as Gorgeted Sunangel, Grass-green Tanager, Dusky Bush-Tanager, and Pearled Treerunner.  Ocellated and Spillman's Tapaculos call from the thick undergrowth but are very difficult to coax into view.  This is also one of our best chances for the impressive Powerful Woodpecker.  Later in the afternoon, we may return to the lodge for easy birding from the deck or perhaps we'll stay out to look for nightbirds like Rufescent Screech-Owl before dinner. 

Day 4: Lower Tandayapa Valley. Beautiful subtropical cloudforest starts almost at the doorstep of the lodge, and the deck allows easy birding for those wishing to relax during some of the sessions.  A forest floor hide provides opportunities to see skulkers like Immaculate Antbird and Spotted Barbtail up close at dawn, and you never know when you'll find a White-throated Quail-Dove or Scaled Antpitta strolling by.  We'll spend the morning on the trails looking for secretive deep-forest birds like Olivaceous Piha, Scaled Fruiteater, and Rufous-breasted Antthrush.  We will also make some time to watch the famous feeders, which can attract as many as twenty species of hummingbirds in an hour, including Violet-tailed Sylph, Brown Inca, Purple-bibbed White-tip, Green-fronted Lancebill, Western Emerald, and Purple-throated Woodstar.  In the afternoon, if there's time, we'll drive back toward Quito to bird the dry scrub near Calacalí, looking for the rare White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant and other arid-country birds like Black-tailed Trainbearer and Golden-rumped Euphonia.  A stop at a local orchid reserve should produce the localized White-tailed Hillstar.  At dusk we can make a try for the spectacular Lyre-tailed Nightjar before returning to the lodge.

Day 5: Refugio Paz de las Aves. This now-famous antpitta reserve near Mindo will be a highlight of the tour. Here, a local farmer has started hand-feeding Giant, Ochre-breasted, Moustached, and Yellow-breasted Antpittas with amazing success. We also have a good chance to see other Chocó specialties like Velvet-purple Coronet, Empress Brilliant, and perhaps even Orange-breasted Fruiteater or Uniform Treehunter.  In the afternoon we'll drive back to the lodge along the old Nono-Mindo road from the opposite direction, looking for Pacific Tuftedcheek, Nariño Tapaculo, and Rusty-winged Barbtail.

Day 6: Oilbirds. Today we'll likely start our birding at dawn near Tandayapa as we search for the endemic Beautiful Jay, and afterwards we'll concentrate on finding any species we have missed on our previous excursions.  By late morning we'll head for a newly discovered Oilbird roost site, about an hour-and-a-half from the lodge.  Here we can see these strange nocturnal frugivores spending the daylight hours resting on the steep walls of a grotto formed by a rushing mountain stream.  We'll return to Tandayapa for one more night.

Day 7: Milpe. The Mindo Cloudforest Foundation reserve at Milpe is one of the best birding sites in Ecuador.  At least a dozen Chocó endemics, including the flashy Glistening-green Tanager, have been recorded at Milpe, and we have a good chance of finding some of them as we explore the area along forest trails and roads.  The highlight for many visitors is the lek of Club-winged Manakins, using their wings to make harmonica-like sounds to impress females. The large and chunky Moss-backed Tanager is can sometimes be seen early in the morning, perching in the open atop small trees.  We'll stay the next three nights in a friendly hotel in Los Bancos. An optional nightbirding excursion could turn up Black-and-white Owl or Chocó Screech-Owl.

Day 8: Río Silanche.  A short drive down the road brings us to the lowland forest patches near Pedro Vicente Maldonado.  The largest and best of these is owned and operated as a reserve by Mindo Cloudforest Foundation, and the canopy tower gives us unprecedented views of the mixed flocks for which this area is famous.  Tanagers are always the brightest birds in the bunch, and amongst the many regulars we hope to find Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, and Emerald, Scarlet-browed, and Rufous-winged Tanagers.  Not to be outdone by the passerines, Chocó Trogon, Orange-fronted Barbet, Pale-mandibled Araçari, Chocó Toucan, and up to six woodpeckers head the cast of other spectacular species here.

Day 9: La Celica. This morning we’ll drive a couple of hours northwest from Pedro Vicente Maldonado, past the village of La Celica, and bird the remnant lowland forest patches. Many rare Chocó endemics such as Black-tipped Cotinga and Rose-faced Parrot persist in this area and species like Scarlet-breasted Dacnis and Slate-throated Gnatcatcher turn up more regularly in the flocks here than at Silanche. Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Tiny Hawk, and the handsome Barred Puffbird are residents of this area as well. In the afternoon we’ll return to our hotel in Los Bancos for a final night, allowing a little time to check the hummer and tanager feeders.

Day 9: Wild Card.  Today our goal will be to pick up whatever endemics we may have missed.  We might return to either Milpe or Río Silanche and make an attempt at some of the trickier species there, or if we've already had excellent luck at both sites, we might visit a different site, such as the small private Four Rivers reserve near Los Bancos. In the afternoon we'll drive to the city of Santo Domingo farther south on the coastal plain, where we'll settle in for a two-note stay at the Hotel Zaracay.  This hotel is on the outskirts of the city on large, shady grounds, where you can see a few interesting birds like Saffron Finch and Pacific Pygmy-Owl. The rooms have the standard amenities, and there is a good restaurant attached. 

Day 10: Río Palenque.  This small reserve and research station an hour's drive from Santo Domingo is in the area where Chocó and Tumbesian endemics meet.  Gray-and-gold Warbler, Ecuadorian Ground-Dove, Ochraceous Attila, and Rufous-headed Chachalacas from the drier southwest can be found next to Chocó species such as Orange-fronted Barbet and Chocó Toucan. Other interesting birds that can be found here include Pacific Royal-Flycatcher, Black-headed Antthrush, and White-whiskered, White-necked, and Pied Puffbirds.

Day 11: Chiriboga Road.  We’ll return to Quito via the old road through Chiriboga.  As we ascend the western slope of the Andes, we'll pass through a variety of habitats from humid low foothill forest all the way up to the temperate cloud forest.  The bridge at the bottom of the road is one of the most reliable spots for Torrent Duck and along the lower reaches we'll be looking for Esmeraldas Antbird, Ashy-throated Bush-Tanager, and Russet Antshrike.  We spend the final night in Quito.

Day 13: Departure. Transfer to the airport after breakfast to catch early morning flights home.

TOUR INFO:

CLIMATE: Much of the trip will be at middle elevations where the climate is quite pleasant, but it can get cold at Yanacocha, and it is hot and humid in the lowlands. Some rain is likely, though it is often quite dry on the July and September tours.

DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate. On most days we’ll be birding from the road, but some of the trails can be muddy and fairly steep.

ACCOMMODATION: Good to excellent, with private bathrooms, hot water, and electricity always available.