Mindo: specialties of Northwestern Ecuador

After an early breakfast we will make our way to the Yanacocha Reserve, which protects a large swath of high elevation cloud forest west of Quito. Here we will look for highland specialists like: Sword-billed Hummingbird, Tyrian Metaltail, Golden-breasted Puffleg, Shining Sunbeam and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager. One of the specialties of the reserve is the Black-breasted Puffleg, a minute and critically endangered hummingbird. Among the lush understory or crossing the trails we can find comical-looking Tawny and Rufous Antpittas.

After a light lunch we will start our gradual descent down the western slope of the Andes, by way of the famous Nono-Mindo road. Along the way stops will be made to look for White-capped Dippers and mixed flocks of tanagers. During the afternoon we will arrive at our accommodation Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge. After enjoying a lovely dinner, with those who are up for a nocturnal jaunt, we will head out to look for owls and potoos. Dinner and night at Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge.

During the morning we will walk the lodge’s excellent trail circuit. First up will be some of their hides, that are great spots for hard-to-find species like Dark-backed Wood-Quail and White-throated Quail-Dove. The grounds of the lodge are also a good area for the Chocó specialties, Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, Toucan Barbet and White-faced Nunbird.

After lunch at the lodge we will spend some time relaxing by the hummingbird feeders. A great time to get to know the numerous species at this altitude and get some photos of: Andean Emerald, Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Brown Inca, Collared Inca, Gorgeted Sunangel, Violet-tailed Sylph and Booted Racket-tail. During the afternoon we will continue exploring the lodge’s extensive circuit of trails in search of mixed flocks of tanagers and Furnarids. The ground of the lodge are a great place to look for the sought-after Ocellated Tapaculo. Dinner and night at Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge.

Today we head to the famous Refugio Paz de las Aves at dawn to experience the incredible displays of the Andean Cock-of-the-rock. Dozens of males display in a small group of trees trying get the attention of a female, showing off their brilliant reddish-orange plumage of the males that are bursts of color in the dusky forest. The loud raucous calls saturate the dawn environment, making it a truly mesmerizing experience.

After this spectacle we will have breakfast at the refugio, surrounded by hummingbird and tanager feeders. But now is when the real show will begin. The owner of this property, Angel Paz, has become somewhat of a legend as the foremost ‘Antpitta-whisperer’. At different spots on his property he has ‘trained’ various Antpitta species to approach when called by their name for a worm breakfast. This is a rare opportunity to get great looks at the skulking Giant, Yellow-bellied, Moustached and Ochre-breasted Antpittas. Truly incredible!

Then, as we enjoy our lunch, we will once again be surrounded by tanager and hummingbird feeders, where we can enjoy the views of Toucan Barbets, Crimson-rumped Toucanets, and numerous tanagers and euphonias. Then we will make the short drive to our accommodation, the picturesque Sachatamia Lodge. The afternoon will be spent exploring the trails of the lodge in search of mixed flocks. Dinner and night at Sachatamia Lodge.

This morning we will make our way west, to lower elevation, at the Río Silanche Reserve. This area protects a large portion of humid lowland rainforest – one of the few remaining of this size in the area. Many Chocó specialties are found here, such as Rose-faced Parrot, Lita and Chocó Woodpeckers, Chocó Toucan, Chocó Trogon, and the stunning Scarlet-breasted Dacnis. One of the main attractions of the reserve is its canopy observation tower, giving us eye-level views of species that would be hard to glimpse from below, such as Blue-whiskered, Tawny-crested, Golden-hooded, Palm, Blue-necked, Bay-headed and White-shouldered Tanagers. The trails of the reserve are also fantastic for large mixed flocks. With some luck we may glimpse a Little Tinamou or spot a silent Lanceolated Monklet (what a great name!).

We will also make stops along the more open areas of the access road in search of species like Striped Cuckoo and Hooked-billed Kite. Dinner and night at Sachatamia Lodge.

One of the most charismatic species of the Mindo area is the Long-wattled Umbrellabird, a large cotinga, all sating black, with some very particular features. This bird looks like it has an umbrella over its head and a long ‘rope’ of feathers hanging from its throat (almost as long as its body!). Today we will have an early start to the day and head to the 23 de Junio reserve, where a community conservation project is working to protect with fascinating species. The land they are protecting has a lek, and males arrive at dawn to perform their peculiar display.

At midday we will make our way to the Milpe Bird Sanctuary for more Chocó specialties and have lunch surrounded by hummingbird and tanager feeders (you make have detected a theme here). Among the frequent hummer visitors we can see, there are Green Thorntails, White-necked Jacobins, Purple-bibbed Whitetips, Green-crowned Brilliants, Crowned Woodnymphs, Andean Emeralds and Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds. At the fruit feeders, it is common to see Collared Araçari, Golden, White-shouldered and Silver-throated Tanagers, and Yellow-throated and Choco Toucans. Possibly the most exciting species at the reserve are two species of Manakin, the Club-winged and White-bearded Manakins. As we walk the trails, we will be listening for their mechanical sounding ‘snaps’ they make during a display and hopefully get a glimpse of this spectacle. Dinner and night at Sachatamia Lodge.

Today we visit the Mashpi/Amagusa Reserve, protecting mid-elevation subtropical forest. This relatively new protected area has a new suite of Chocó specialties for our trip that are hard to find anywhere else. Here we will be searching for the Chocó Vireo (only recently discovered in Ecuador), Indigo Flowerpiercer, Black Solitaire and Orange-breasted Fruiteater. Additionally, the fruit feeders here attract some of the most colorful tanagers of them all, such as the Glistening-green, Moss-backed, Golden-naped, Golden y Flame-faced Tanagers.

The owners of this reserve are a local family. We will spend the day with them learning from their knowledge of the specialties of the place. Dinner and night at Sachatamia Lodge.

As we near the end of the trip, this morning will be flexible and be used to search for any species we may have missed thus far. With this in mind, we will have a relaxed morning walking the trails of the lodge or visiting nearby reserves to this end.

After lunch at the lodge we will start heading back to Quito, this time by a different route, to search for some high elevation Paramo species like the Red-crested Cotinga and Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant. To mark the closing of this incredible trip we will have a farewell dinner and share the highlights of the trip. Night at Puembo Bird Garden and end of trip.