South America: The Introtour

11 - 16 January 2005

Tour leader: Mark Gurney

11 January

The morning at Yanacocha started with a bird familiar to everyone but scarce in Ecuador, Short-eared Owl, shortly followed by a superb Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle cruising low over the hillside. Just beyond the car park we watched a small flock of Hooded, Black-chested, and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers, and Jason found an Andean Guan. The hummingbird feeders were as usual the main source of entertainment, especially as the Sword-billed Hummingbirds were on good form.

Driving back down the old Nono–Mindo road we stopped to look at the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek but got distracted by Plate-billed Mountain-Toucans and a White-capped Dipper. When we arrived at Tandayapa, the hummingbirds were busy, and we added another thirteen species to our day list before dark.

12 January

We were in the hide at Tandayapa Bird Lodge before first light, and did not have to wait long for the Immaculate Antbirds to come in to the light. They were joined by Russet-crowned Warblers, Plain Antvireo and a Uniform Antshrike and ouitside we caught up with a Long-tailed Antbird as it made its way through a small stand of bamboo. The trails were rather quiet, but a Dark-backed Wood-Quail was a major bonus, especially as most people were able to see it as it crossed the trail a couple of times. A Golden-headed Quetzal was less obliging, soon disappearing, but everyone was able to admire the beautiful male Crested Quetzal perched near some fruiting trees and the pair of Masked Trogons by the lodge.

After lunch with the hummingbirds, we headed back up the Nono road for better views of the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. At least four males were present, and whilst we watched them a Sickle-winged Guan, a Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, a pair of White-winged Tanagers, and two Plate-billed Mountain-Toucans passed through. A good end to a day of some spectacularly colourful birds.

13 January

The Mindo Cloudforest Foundation reserve at Milpe is one of the best birding sites in Ecuador, and we were not disappointed by our visit. It began with Bronze-winged Parrots and Chocó Toucans sitting out on the tops of trees, joined by Yellow-tufted Dacnis, Flame-faced Tanagers, Swallow Tanagers, and Yellow-bellied Siskins amongst others. Down a small track we found our first mixed flock and our introduction to South American birding had really begun as warblers, flycatchers, tanagers, and antbirds appeared in the trees. A Broad-billed Motmot finished it off, and we knew we were really in the neotropics. Along another forest trail we watched Club-winged Manakins displaying from all angles, a sight that was later to earn them the accolade of Bird of the Trip (shared with the Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan).

After lunch at the hummer feeders, we headed off back towards Mindo, but did not get far along the main road when a black bird flew across and I thought we should check to see if it was a Scrub Blackbird. It wasn’t, but a Swallow-tailed Kite glided gracefully over, and then birds started appearing in a small group of trees and just did not seem to stop! A mixture of tanagers and flycatchers, including a Yellow-collared Chlorophonia, kept us occupied for another twenty minutes, and by the time we left we were well on our way to our haul of 29 tanagers for the day.

At Mindo Loma the main attraction was the Velvet-purple Coronet at the feeders, but a Golden-headed Quetzal, this time enjoyed by all as it sat outside the kitchen window, was another star bird. The huge and impressive Strong-billed Woodcreeper ended the day, calling loudly from a trunk.

14 January

Our day in the upper Tandayapa Valley started near Mindo where the birds were taking advantage of the moths at the lights. Masked Trogon, Strong-billed Woodpcreeper, Sepia-brown Wren, Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager, and Squirrel Cuckoo were among the early diners, but it was the Toucan Barbets that really stole the show. The road past San Tadeo is a traditional spot for Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager and four were with a small mixed flock which also contained a pair of Fawn-breasted Tanagers and a Mountain Wren. The clouds were low in the upper valley, and many birds were lost in the fog, but managed to see Tyrannine Woodcreeper, Capped Conebill, Green-and-black Fruiteater, Gorgeted Sunangel and Collared Inca.

On our way back down to Tandayapa we stopped to admire the view, but cameras were soon swapped for binoculars when a White-rumped Hawk flew over. In the afternoon a flock of tanagers was hanging around the new lower deck at the lodge, and it was good to see Metallic-green, Black-capped, Beryl-spangled, and Golden-naped Tanagers at eye level, and a superb male Andean Cock-of-the-Rock flew past at very close range.

15 January

The forest patches at Pedro Vicente Maldonado are the most easily accessible place for lowland Chocó birds, but this really is one of those sites where you cannot be sure that the trees will still be there when you arrive. Watching birds here is therefore always tainted by the thought that this may be the last time they are seen. Striped Cuckoo and Pacific Antwren were good birds for the group, but species that are not sensitive to forest clearance. We found a few mixed flocks during the day, and amongst the ever-present Lemon-rumped Tanagers were Slate-throated Gnatcatcher, Blue Dacnis, Orange-fronted Barbet, Grey-and-gold and Scarlet-browed Tanagers, and six species of woodpecker, including the very smart Cinnamon, which at one point shared a trunk with a Black-striped Woodcreeper. However, two of the best birds were not flock species: a couple of Rose-faced Parrots and a Chocó Trogon. The hummingbirds are not so easy when there are no feeders, but a Purple-chested Hummingbird posed nicely, and a Green Thorntail was sitting on a nest. The raptors did not disappoint either, with two Grey-headed Kites, a Plumbeous Kite, and three Bat Falcons.

A quick visit to Milpe again to find Pale-mandibled Araçaris also gave us good views of Moss-backed Tanager, and we arrived at Tandayapa just before dusk to find a female Lyre-tailed Nightjar on a cliff face, and a spectacular male swooping about after her.

16 January

For our last morning we returned to the upper valley, this time with better weather and were rewarded with some of the species we had missed or seen only as grey shapes in the fog before. Four Plate-billed Mountain-Toucans were one of the highlights of the trip, as were the two Tanager Finches that fed in the roadside vegetation. Other goodies were Rufous Spinetail, Striped Treehunter, Grass-green Tanager, Cinnamon Flycatcher, and Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant.

We left for Quito with enough time to stop at Calacalí where the brief flowering season was underway, attracting Purple-collared Woodstars and Rusty Flowerpiercers, but our main target was the White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant which we eventually saw perched up on the low bushes. A beautiful male Golden-rumped Euphonia rounded off the trip, but it was still not over for five of the participants who were off the next day to Sacha Lodge and the prospect of seeing even more of more of Ecuador’s fantastic birdlife.

Species List

We saw 281 species, including 22 Restricted-range Species (in bold – 20 Chocó endemics, and 2 Tumbesian endemics), and three globally threatened species (in red). This list does not include birds that were only heard, or those seen only by the leader.

Great Egret	Ardea alba
Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis
Black Vulture	Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura
Gray-headed Kite	Leptodon cayanensis
Swallow-tailed Kite	Elanoides forficatus
Plumbeous Kite	Ictinia plumbea
Barred Hawk	Leucopternis princeps
Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle	Geranoaetus melanoleucus
Roadside Hawk	Buteo magnirostris
White-rumped Hawk	Buteo leucorrhous
Broad-winged Hawk	Buteo platypterus
American Kestrel	Falco sparverius
Bat Falcon	Falco rufigularis
Andean Guan	Penelope montagnii
Sickle-winged Guan	Chamaepetes goudotii
Dark-backed Wood-Quail	*Odontophorus melanonotus*
Band-tailed Pigeon	Columba fasciata
Ruddy Pigeon	Columba subvinacea
Plumbeous Pigeon	Columba plumbea
Eared Dove	Zenaida auriculata
Common Ground-Dove	Columbina passerina
Maroon-tailed Parakeet	Pyrrhura melanura
Pacific Parrotlet	*Forpus coelestis*
Rose-faced Parrot	*Pionopsitta pulchra*
Blue-headed Parrot	Pionus menstruus
Red-billed Parrot	Pionus sordidus
Bronze-winged Parrot	Pionus chalcopterus
Mealy Amazon	Amazona farinosa
Squirrel Cuckoo	Piaya cayana
Little Cuckoo	Piaya minuta
Smooth-billed Ani	Crotophaga ani
Striped Cuckoo	Tapera naevia
Short-eared Owl	Asio flammeus
Lyre-tailed Nightjar	Uropsalis lyra
White-collared Swift	Streptoprocne zonaris
Gray-rumped Swift	Chaetura cinereiventris
Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift	Panyptila cayennensis
White-whiskered Hermit	Phaethornis yaruqui
Tawny-bellied Hermit	Phaethornis syrmatophorus
Green-fronted Lancebill	Doryfera ludovicae
Brown Violet-ear	Colibri delphinae
Sparkling Violet-ear	Colibri coruscans
Green Thorntail	Popelairia conversii
Western Emerald	Chlorostilbon melanorhynchus
Green-crowned Woodnymph	Thalurania fannyi
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird	Amazilia tzacatl
Andean Emerald	Amazilia franciae
Purple-chested Hummingbird	*Amazilia rosenbergi*
Speckled Hummingbird	Adelomyia melanogenys
Purple-bibbed Whitetip	*Urosticte benjamini*
Empress Brilliant	*Heliodoxa imperatrix*
Green-crowned Brilliant	Heliodoxa jacula
Fawn-breasted Brilliant	Heliodoxa rubinoides
Great Sapphirewing	Pterophanes cyanopterus
Brown Inca	*Coeligena wilsoni*
Collared Inca	Coeligena torquata
Buff-winged Starfrontlet	Coeligena lutetiae
Sword-billed Hummingbird	Ensifera ensifera
Buff-tailed Coronet	Boissonneaua flavescens
Velvet-purple Coronet	*Boissonneaua jardini*
Gorgeted Sunangel	*Heliangelus strophianus*
Sapphire-vented Puffleg	Eriocnemis luciani
Golden-breasted Puffleg	Eriocnemis mosquera
Booted Racket-tail	Ocreatus underwoodii
Black-tailed Trainbearer	Lesbia victoriae
Tyrian Metaltail	Metallura tyrianthina
Rainbow-bearded Thornbill	Chalcostigma herrani
Violet-tailed Sylph	*Aglaiocercus coelestis*
Wedge-billed Hummingbird	Schistes geoffroyi
Purple-crowned Fairy	Heliothryx barroti
Purple-throated Woodstar	Calliphlox mitchellii
Purple-collared Woodstar	Myrtis fanny
Crested Quetzal	Pharomachrus antisianus
Golden-headed Quetzal	Pharomachrus auriceps
Chocó Trogon	*Trogon comptus*
Masked Trogon	Trogon personatus
Broad-billed Motmot	Electron platyrhynchum
Rufous Motmot	Baryphthengus martii
Rufous-tailed Jacamar	Galbula ruficauda
Orange-fronted Barbet	*Capito squamatus*
Red-headed Barbet	Eubucco bourcierii
Toucan Barbet	*Semnornis ramphastinus*
Crimson-rumped Toucanet	Aulacorhynchus haematopygus
Pale-mandibled Araçari	Pteroglossus erythropygius
Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan	*Andigena laminirostris*
Chocó Toucan	*Ramphastos brevis*
Crimson-mantled Woodpecker	Piculus rivolii
Golden-olive Woodpecker	Piculus rubiginosus
Cinnamon Woodpecker	Celeus loricatus
Lineated Woodpecker	Dryocopus lineatus
Black-cheeked Woodpecker	Melanerpes pucherani
Smoky-brown Woodpecker	Veniliornis fumigatus
Red-rumped Woodpecker	Veniliornis kirkii
Bar-bellied Woodpecker	Veniliornis nigriceps
Scarlet-backed Woodpecker	Veniliornis callonotus
Pacific Hornero	Furnarius cinnamomeus
Azara's Spinetail	Synallaxis azarae
Slaty Spinetail	Synallaxis brachyura
Rufous Spinetail	Synallaxis unirufa
White-browed Spinetail	Hellmayrea gularis
Red-faced Spinetail	Cranioleuca erythrops
Streaked Tuftedcheek	Pseudocolaptes boissonneautii
Pearled Treerunner	Margarornis squamiger
Lineated Foliage-gleaner	Syndactyla subalaris
Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner	Anabacerthia variegaticeps
Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner	Philydor rufus
Striped Treehunter	Thripadectes holostictus
Streak-capped Treehunter	Thripadectes virgaticeps
Streaked Xenops	Xenops rutilans
Plain Xenops	Xenops minutus
Tyrannine Woodcreeper	Dendrocincla tyrannina
Plain-brown Woodcreeper	Dendrocincla fuliginosa
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper	Glyphorynchus spirurus
Strong-billed Woodcreeper	Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus
Black-striped Woodcreeper	Xiphorhynchus lachrymosus
Spotted Woodcreeper	Xiphorhynchus erythropygius
Streak-headed Woodcreeper	Lepidocolaptes souleyetii
Montane Woodcreeper	Lepidocolaptes lacrymiger
Uniform Antshrike	Thamnophilus unicolor
Russet Antshrike	Thamnistes anabatinus
Pacific Antwren	Myrmotherula pacifica
Slaty Antwren	Myrmotherula schisticolor
Dot-winged Antwren	Microrhopias quixensis
Long-tailed Antbird	Drymophila caudata
Immaculate Antbird	Myrmeciza immaculata
Sooty-headed Tyrannulet	Phyllomyias griseiceps
Golden-faced Tyrannulet	Zimmerius chrysops
Brown-capped Tyrannulet	Ornithion brunneicapillum
Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet	Camptostoma obsoletum
Yellow-bellied Elaenia	Elaenia flavogaster
White-crested Elaenia	Elaenia albiceps
White-throated Tyrannulet	Mecocerculus leucophrys
White-banded Tyrannulet	Mecocerculus stictopterus
White-tailed Tyrannulet	Mecocerculus poecilocercus
Rufous-winged Tyrannulet	Mecocerculus calopterus
Tufted Tit-Tyrant	Anairetes parulus
Streak-necked Flycatcher	Mionectes striaticollis
Olive-striped Flycatcher	Mionectes olivaceus
Slaty-capped Flycatcher	Leptopogon superciliaris
Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant	Lophotriccus pileatus
Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher	Todirostrum nigriceps
Common Tody-Flycatcher	Todirostrum cinereum
Yellow-margined Flatbill	Tolmomyias flavotectus
Tawny-breasted Flycatcher	Myiobius villosus
Flavescent Flycatcher	Myiophobus flavicans
Bran-colored Flycatcher	Myiophobus fasciatus
Cinnamon Flycatcher	Pyrrhomyias cinnamomea
Western Wood-Pewee	Contopus sordidulus
Smoke-colored Pewee	Contopus fumigatus
Olive-sided Flycatcher	Contopus cooperi
Acadian Flycatcher	Empidonax virescens
Black Phoebe	Sayornis nigricans
Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant	Ochthoeca fumicolor
Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant	Silvicultrix diadema
Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant	Myiotheretes striaticollis
White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant	Agriornis andicola
Long-tailed Tyrant	Colonia colonus
Masked Water-Tyrant	Fluvicola nengeta
Dusky-capped Flycatcher	Myiarchus tuberculifer
Boat-billed Flycatcher	Megarynchus pitangua
Rusty-margined Flycatcher	Myiozetetes cayanensis
Golden-crowned Flycatcher	Myiodynastes chrysocephalus
Tropical Kingbird	Tyrannus melancholicus
Cinnamon Becard	Pachyramphus cinnamomeus
White-winged Becard	Pachyramphus polychopterus
Black-and-white Becard	Pachyramphus albogriseus
One-colored Becard	Pachyramphus homochrous
Masked Tityra	Tityra semifasciata
Red-crested Cotinga	Ampelion rubrocristata
Barred Fruiteater	Pipreola arcuata
Green-and-black Fruiteater	Pipreola riefferii
Olivaceous Piha	Lathria cryptolophus
Andean Cock-of-the-rock	Rupicola peruviana
White-bearded Manakin	Manacus manacus
Club-winged Manakin	*Machaeropterus deliciosus*
Turquoise Jay	Cyanolyca turcosa
Red-eyed Vireo	Vireo olivaceus
Brown-capped Vireo	Vireo leucophrys
Lesser Greenlet	Hylophilus decurtatus
Andean Solitaire	Myadestes ralloides
Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush	Catharus fuscater
Swainson's Thrush	Catharus ustulatus
Great Thrush	Turdus fuscater
Ecuadorian Thrush	*Turdus maculirostris*
White-capped Dipper	Cinclus leucocephalus
Gray-breasted Martin	Progne chalybea
Blue-and-white Swallow	Notiochelidon cyanoleuca
White-thighed Swallow	Neochelidon tibialis
Southern Rough-winged Swallow	Stelgidopteryx ruficollis
Rufous Wren	Cinnycerthia unirufa
Sepia-brown Wren	Cinnycerthia olivascens
Grass Wren	Cistothorus platensis
House Wren	Troglodytes aedon
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren	Henicorhina leucophrys
Tropical Gnatcatcher	Polioptila plumbea
Slate-throated Gnatcatcher	Polioptila schistaceigula
Tropical Parula	Parula pitiayumi