VENT. Ecuador: Avian Jewels of the Northwest Andes 11/9/2025-11/18/2025

Giant Antpitta at nest © Paul Greenfield

The Andean slopes of northwestern Ecuador are incredible no matter how you slice them, and our 8-day adventure in this region confirmed this in a big way! It is truly amazing how a mere small stitch in time can produce such awe-inspiring experiences. From the high-elevation temperate zone forest at Yanacocha Reserve downslope to our two ‘home-bases’ at Séptimo Paraíso in the Mindo Valley and Kapari Lodge in Valle Hermosa, both located in the Andean foothills—from where we explored subtropical, foothill, and lowland habitats—we witnessed a phenomenal array of nature’s finest. Highlights were many!

Buff-winged Starfrontlet © Warren Cooke

Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager © Warren Cooke

Yanacocha Reserve, located to the northwest of the capital city of Quito at about 3,330 meters above sea level, was first on the itinerary. A Red-crested Cotinga, Carunculated Caracaras, and a Grass Wren showed as we wound our way to the reserve’s entrance and parking area. Rain cut our visit short, but not before we reveled in some avian delights worth mentioning: Andean Guans, Tyrian Metaltails, Sapphire-vented and Golden-breasted pufflegs, Shining Sunbeams, Buff-winged Starfrontlets, the amazing Sword-billed Hummingbird, Great Sapphirewings (the world’s second largest hummer), Black-chested and Scarlet-bellied mountain-tanagers, and Glossy and Masked flowerpiercers. A Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, and White-capped Dipper led the way to our second stop—Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge—where Gorgeted Sunangel was among the highlights. Before reaching our day’s destination, we came across one of western Ecuador’s ‘mega’ species—Plate-billed Mountain-Toucans (three heard and finally one seen).

White-capped Dipper © Warren Cooke

Séptimo Paraíso became our first base of operations, and for the following three-and-a-half days we visited several relatively nearby locations and hotspots—Milpe Bird Sanctuary, San Tadeo Birding, Refugio Paz de las Aves, The Séptimo Paraíso grounds, the town of Mindo, The Paseo del Quinde EcoRoute, Guaycapi Lodge, Milpe Gardens, and finally Mashpi-Amagusa Reserve. Highlights were too many to name all of them here, but a few of the favorites included White-throated Quail-Dove; White-throated Daggerbill; Green Thorntails; Violet-tailed Sylphs; Velvet-purple Coronets; White-booted Racket-tails; Purple-bibbed Whitetips; Empress Brilliants; Crowned Woodnymphs; Hook-billed Kite; Stygian Owl; Golden-headed Quetzal; Toucan Barbets; Pale-mandibled Araçaris; Chocó Toucans; Rose-faced Parrots; Zeledon’s Antbirds; Strong-billed Woodcreepers; Spotted Barbtails; Golden-winged and Club-winged manakins; Orange-breasted Fruiteater; Andean Cocks-of-the-rock; Slaty Becard; Black-billed Peppershrike; Golden-rumped Euphonias; Chestnut-capped and White-winged brushfinches; Cerulean Warbler; Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager; Moss-backed, Glistening-green, Rufous-throated, Black-capped, Blue-necked, Beryl-spangled, Silver-throated, and Swallow tanagers; Golden-collared Honeycreeper; and Indigo Flowerpiercer. Not bad for a ‘short-list’!

Empress Brilliant © Warren Cooke

We then moved on to our second base of operations—Kapari Lodge—located not far away but at a lower elevation from where, for two-and-a-half days, we birded the lodge grounds and visited another set of key nearby hotspots—Río Silanche Bird Sanctuary, Frutti Tour, and 23 de Junio. Rufous-fronted Wood-Quail; Striped, Little, and Squirrel cuckoos; Bronzy Hermit; Purple-crowned Fairy; Black-throated Mangos; Long-billed Starthroat; Little Woodstar; Purple-chested and Violet-bellied hummingbirds; White-throated Crake; Gray-lined Hawk; White-tailed Trogon; Broad-billed Motmot; Barred Puffbirds; Red-headed and Orange-fronted barbets; Black-cheeked, Guayaquil, Lineated, and Golden-olive woodpeckers; Laughing and Bat falcons; more Rose-faced Parrots; Maroon-tailed (Chocó) Parakeets; Rufous-rumped Antwren; Great and Uniform antshrikes; Giant (nesting) and Yellow-breasted antpittas; Black-striped Woodcreeper; Long-wattled Umbrellabird; White-capped Dipper; Buff-rumped and Chocó warblers; Tawny-crested, Fawn-breasted, Golden-hooded, Bay-headed, and Flame-faced tanagers; along with Blue and Scarlet-breasted dacnises were among the highlights from this key site.

Toucan Barbet © Warren Cooke

Long-wattled Umbrellabird © Remi Grefa

Our final day came too quickly, but we took full advantage of the time remaining with a morning of birding along the Río Pachijal Road and Milpe Bird Sanctuary before our post-lunch departure from Kapari Lodge. Crested Guans, Golden-headed Quetzals, and Red-faced Spinetail were among the notable species we recorded in the morning. We packed up and headed east and upslope towards Quito, making two brief planned stops, at Alambi Cloud Forest Reserve and MartakSacha, where Andean Guans, White-tipped Doves, White-bellied Woodstars, Red-crested Cotinga, a dozen Golden Grosbeaks, a first-year male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Gray-browed Brushfinch, Rufous-chested and Blue-capped tanagers, and Hooded Mountain-Tanagers were among the species that completed our trip list. And so our adventure came to a close, with 38 species of hummingbirds; 42 members of the tanager family; nice ‘collections’ of toucans, trogons, furnariids, manakins, cotingas (including Andean Cock-of-the-rock and Long-wattled Umbrellabird); and the list goes on. Most important, we procured superb looks at so many spectacular species!

Golden-headed Quetzal © Paul Greenfield

Guayaquil Woodpecker © P. Greenfield

We would like to give a special thank you to Warren Cooke for sharing some of his wonderful photographs with us for this report.

Moss-backed Tanager © Warren Cooke

A complete list of the birds recorded on our tour can be found at: https://ebird.org/tripreport/426731

Description for the next departure of this tour.

Paul Greenfield's upcoming tour schedule.

Remigio Grefa's upcoming tour schedule.

ITINERARY:

Day 1: November 9, 2025—Arrival at Hotel Quito (Overnight: Hotel Quito)

Day 2: November 10, 2025—Hotel Quito: Drive to Yanacocha Reserve; Then, continue along the Paseo del Quinde EcoRoute to Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge; Finally, continue driving along the EcoRoute to Séptimo Paraíso (Overnight: Séptimo Paraíso)

Day 3: November 11, 2025—Pre-breakfast birding around the lodge grounds; Post-breakfast drive to and birding at Milpe Bird Sanctuary; Return to Spetimo Paraíso for lunch and R&R/leisure birding; Afternoon at San Tadeo Birding (Overnight: Séptimo Paraíso)

Day 4: November 12, 2025—Morning at Refugio Paz de las Aves; Afternoon at the town of Mindo (Overnight: Séptimo Paraíso)

Day 5: November 13, 2025—Morning stop at the Mindo turnoff; Birding along the Paseo del Quinde Ecoroute to Guaycapi Lodge; Afternoon at Mindo Gardens (Overnight: Séptimo Paraíso)

Day 6: November 14, 2025—Morning at Mashpi-Amagusa Reserve; Afternoon transfer to Kapari Lodge, birding at feeders (Overnight: Kapari Lodge)

Day 7: November 15, 2025—Morning along the entrance road to Río Silanche; Birding at Río Silanche Bird Sanctuary; Return birding along the Río Silanche-La Celíca Road; Afternoon at Frutti Tour (Overnight: Kapari Lodge)

Day 8: November 16, 2025—Morning… Group 1: Kapari Lodge grounds/Group 2: 23 de Junio; Afternoon birding at Kapari, to the Río Blanco (Overnight: Kapari Lodge)

Day 9: November 17, 2025—Morning along the Río Pachijal Road and then to Milpe Bird Sanctuary; After lunch departure from Kapari Lodge to Quito, with birding stops at Alambi Cloud Forest Reserve and MarakSacha (Overnight at Hotel Quito)

Day 10: November 18, 2025—Departure