Ecuador Birding: Amazon & Cloudforest

Ecuador is a haven for bird-lovers from around the world due to its sheer diversity of habitats, incredible number of recorded bird species, and excellent year-round spotting opportunities. This tour combines two distinct ecosystems – the Amazon rainforest and the Andean Choco cloudforest. Birdwatchers rejoice!

• Tandayapa is a specialist lodge built and run by birdwatchers on the western slope of the Andes, with access to many trails through the pristine Choco cloudforest. The area is particularly renowned for hummingbirds with over 30 species having been recorded at the many feeders located at the lodge.
• Sacha Lodge is set in a 5000 acre private rainforest reserve, offering the very best specialist birding guides available in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Their spectacular 290m long canopy walkway / 43m high panoramic observation deck gives you unparalleled views high in the forest canopy, and potential to see up to 500 bird species that have been recorded in the reserve.

Short Itinerary:

• DAY 1 : Quito arrival- Private pickup at the airport, transfer to your hotel. Free time to relax and acclimatize to your new surroundings.
• DAY 2 : Transfer out + Flight to Coca + canoe to Sacha Lodge.
• DAY 3 : Bird watching activities in Sacha Lodge.
• DAY 4 : Bird watching activities in Sacha Lodge.
• DAY 5 : Flight back Quito + Private transfer to your hotel.
• DAY 6 : Transfer to the Cloudforest, arrive at Tandayapa Lodge for afternoon and night activities.
• DAY 7 : Full day bird watching activities at different sites around the reserve.
• DAY 8 : Morning birding activities + Private transfer back your hotel in Quito.
• DAY 9 : Private transfer to airport. End tour.

Some of the recorded species in Sacha and Tandayapa are:

SACHA: zigzag heron, white hawk, ornate hawk-eagle, black-banded owl, hoatzin, fiery topaz, yellow-billed jacamar, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Spot-breasted woodpecker, ornate Antwren, lunulate antbird, white-plumed antbird, Ochre-striped Antpitta, white-crowned manakin, Rusty-belted tapaculo, Amazonian Umbrellabird, paradise tanager.

TANDAYAPA: streak capped tree-hunter, tricolored and white-winged brush-finches, white-winged becard, Dusky-capped flycatcher, thre-striped warbler, blue-winged mountain / golden / metallic green / Golden-naped tanager, red-headed barbets, Crimson-rumped toucanets, black and chestnut eagle, golden-headed quetzal, Andean cock of the rock, Sickle-winged Guan, Rufous-breasted antthrush, Plate-billed mountain toucan, toucan barbet, golden-winged manakin, Russet-crowned Warbler, white-capped dipper, western emerald / rufous-tailed / Andean emerald / Purple-bibbed white-tip / fawn-breasted / buff-tailed coronet / booted-racketail / violet-tailed sylph / purple-throated woodstar hummingbirds.