Ecuador - A Birders Paradise

Cotopaxi National Forest

Straddling the equator from which it takes its name, Ecuador encompasses an area of 285,561 sq. km. (109,415 sq. mi.). UNESCO designated the capital, Quito, as a World Heritage Site in 1978, along with the Galapagos Islands. Sangay National Park was later designate as a WHS in 1981 and the city of Cuenca in 1999.

In spite of its small size, slightly smaller than the country of Italy, it boasts more species of birds than the United States and Europe combined and has over half of the known species of birds on the continent of South America. With over 1600 species registered, they have 22 avian orders with 82 families represented in the country. Ecuador has 42 endemic species and 77 species that are globally threatened.

In 2005 Ecuador became the first country in the Southern Hemisphere to recognize Important Bird Areas (IBAs) as sites of public interest. The first IBA was recognized in 1997, registering the “Mindo and Northwestern Pichincha Volcano” area. Since then, 106 more areas have been identified in the Galapagos, the coast, the Andean highlands and the Amazon basin

Oriente (Amazon Basin)

The Oriente or Amazon Basin can be divided into two distinct regions; the High Amazon, which comprises the foothills of the Andes, and the Amazon Lowlands, which are further east and provide the river drainage to the Amazon River. The more important of these rivers are the Napo, the Pastaza and the Putumayo. The Oriente is the least densely populated of the four main regions. Because of this the 7 Important Bird Areas cover a much larger territory.

Grass Wren (Cistothorus platensis)

Sierra

The Sierra or Andes Mountain Range divides the mainland from north to south. This in turn is divided into two ranges: the Occidental or Western Range, which descends to the coast and the Oriental, or Eastern Range, which gradually descends to the Amazon Basin. Between these two ranges is the Inter-Andean valley or plateau, which can reach altitudes of 3000 meters (10,000 ft.). Throughout this region are numerous volcanoes reaching heights of 6,310 meters (20,800 feet). This is the most diverse area for birding with different species inhabiting various altitude ranges from 1000 meters (3,300 feet) in the coastal and Amazon basin regions to 4000 meters (13,200 feet) in the Andes. There are 59 designated Important Bird Areas throughout the Sierra.

Coast

The coast, or western lowlands, has about 640 km (400 mi.) of coastline as well as several islands. It is comprised of fertile plains, rolling hills and sedimentary basins. Numerous rivers crisscross the region, providing habitat for various species of birds. There are 31 designated Important Bird Areas along the coast that accommodate many endemic species as well as several threatened birds. Isla de la Plata, about 30 km (20 mi) off the coast of Puerto Lopez is referred to as 'Little Galapagos' as it provides refuge for many of the more popular birds found on the archipelago such as the Magnificent Frigate bird, Waved Albatross and the Blue-footed Booby

Nazca Boobies (Sula granti)

Galapagos

The Galapagos Islands, also known as the Archipelago of Colón, is situated about 1000 km (625 miles) off the coast of Ecuador. It is a volcanically formed group consisting of 15 main islands, 3 smaller islands and 107 rocks and islets. In all it encompasses 7,880 sq. km (3040 sq. mi.) spread over an area of 45,000 sq. km. (17,000 sq. mi.) of ocean. The temperatures ranges from 22-25 C (72-77 F) all year round. The entire Archipelago is considered national park and there is a $100 ($6 for nationals) entrance fee to the islands. Altitudes range from sea level to 1,600 meters (5,260 feet).

There are 28 endemic bird species on the islands and BirdLife International has designated 10 areas as Important Bird Areas.

Access and Facilities

Air travel is available into both of Ecuador's major cities: Quito and Guayaquil. Quito is situated in the Andes Mountains and provides access to the northwestern and northeastern regions of the country. Guayaquil is located further south on the coast and provides access to the southwest and southeast. Anyone going to the Galapagos Islands can fly into either city.

Golden-headed Quetzal (Pharomachrus auriceps)

Most birding areas can be reached either by public transportation or private vehicle with the exception of some of the birding areas in the Amazon basin. These will require access by chartered aircraft or by canoe. If traveling by private vehicle it is recommended to have an auto with a high clearance, as some of the access roads can be rough.

Both Quito and Guayaquil are modern cities with all the amenities expected of such. Hotels range from budget to 5 stars. Food also varies with many international restaurants featuring cuisine from numerous countries. However, one is cautioned to eat wisely when visiting some of the cheaper eateries to avoid unwanted side-affects.

When traveling away from the two major cities the accommodations are less formal, and less expensive. There are many hostels and hosterias that provide adequate rooms for a reasonable price. There are also several lodges, which provide all the amenities one could want.

There are numerous travel agencies providing birding tours and packages. They can range from the very expensive to the more frugal. Most major areas have independent bird guides but choose wisely as many do not speak adequate English or may not be as well versed in the avifauna as they claim.

Guango Lodge and Reserve

Guango Lodge and Reserve

We have come into rainy season with several days of all-day rain and every afternoon having heavy downpours. This makes it a little more difficult for birding, and especially photography. But we try to get out as much as we can and take advantage of the few dry times.

I made a quick trip up to Guango Lodge to see what was happening in the area. Agusto, a friend from Quito, accompanied me. This was his first time birding and he was excited about what we were going to do. As most Ecuadorians, he knew very little about the abundance of avifauna in the country and he was eager to learn.

Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera)

To get to Guango Lodge you go east on the Pifo-Papallacta road and cross the apex of the mountain near the Papallacta Pass antennas. From this point you travel down the eastern slope for about another 20 km. (12.5 miles), 10 km (6 miles) past the village of Papallacta. When you cross the Guango River slow down because the lodge is on the right about another 50 m. The gate is normally closed but a quick inquiry will bring someone to open it to allow you to park. It is very easy to travel here by bus since there is a lot of local transportation between Quito and the Oriente (Amazon Basin). The driver will let you out at the gate and there is plenty of bus traffic going to Quito so you can easily flag down a bus for your return trip.

Entrance to the grounds is $5, which includes coffee. The rates at the lodge are very reasonable compared to many of the other lodges in Ecuador so you might consider staying a night or two. There are many hummingbird feeders around the grounds and the activity is furious.

When we arrived at the lodge there was a slight misty rain. We sat down for a cup of coffee and talked about where we would start our birding. There are seven trails on the reserve, traversing various altitudes. We decided to take the trail along the river since we feared that the steeper trails might cause some problems due to the rain.

As we set out on our walk we spotted several Slaty Brush-finch foraging in the trees along the path. We could here a clamor of Turquoise Jay beyond the tree line and closer to the river, so we made our way down to get a closer look. The owners of the lodge constructed steps down the steeper slopes to avoid visitor accidents. On our decent a Masked Trogon alighted on a branch about ten feet above us. He remained there for several minutes while watching us cautiously.

Chestnut-breasted Coronet (Boissonneaua metthewsii)

Further down the path we came across the Turquoise Jays that we had heard in the distance. There was a flock of about 10, squawking and chattering as they noised about, scavenging for the abundant berries in the trees. Along the river we encountered several Black Phoebe darting along the bank in search of insects and other prey.

The rain intensified so we decided to head back to the lodge and see what was happening around the hummingbird feeders. As we sat on the porch of the lodge we had a great vantage point to observe the numerous hummers vying for position at the feeding stations. The more prominent visitors were the Collared Inca, the Chestnut-breasted Coronet and the Sword-billed Hummingbird, each one trying to protect a segment of the territory for their very own. There were a few Masked Flower-piercers joining the fray, hoping their size would ward off the other contenders.

After a while we saw that the rain was not going to let up so we had another cup of coffee and talked about Agusto’s first experience bird watching. He was very excited about what he had seen that day and expressed an overwhelming desire to continue his new interest. He was hooked. It may have been a short day due to the weather but it was a very rewarding adventure for all concerned.

Birds encountered on this day: Black Phoebe, Buff-tailed Coronet, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Collared Inca, Masked Flowerpiercer, Masked Trogon, Pearled Treerunner, Slaty Brush-Finch, Speckled Hummingbird, Spectacled Whitestart, Swordbilled Hummingbird, Tourmaline Sunangel, Turquoise Jay

Photographing the Birds of Ecuador

Black-Chested Buzzard-Eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus)

Straddling the equator from which it takes its name, Ecuador encompasses an area of 285,561 sq. km. (109,415 sp. mi.) UNESCO designated the capital, Quito, as a World Heritage Site in 1978, along with the Galapagos Islands. Sanguay National Park was later designate as a World Heritage Site in 1981 and the city of Cuenca in 1999.

In spite of its compact size, slightly smaller than the country of Italy, it boasts of having more species of birds than the United States and Europe combined and represents over half of the known avian varieties on the continent of South America. With over 1600 species registered, they have 22 avian orders with 82 families represented in the country. Ecuador has 44 endemic species and 77 species that are globally threatened.

Masked Trogon (Trogon personatus)

In 2005, Ecuador became the first country in the Southern Hemisphere to recognize Important Bird Areas (IBA) as sites of public interest. The first IBA was recognized in 1997, registering the “Mindo and Northwestern Pichincha Volcano” area. Since then 106 more locations have been identified throughout the country.

Photographing birds in Ecuador can be challenging due to the terrain and climate. Most of the avian species reside in either the rainforest, which averages 68-78 inches of rain per year, or cloud forest where fog can cover the canopy areas nearly 90% of the time. This results in a low light, unfriendly environment for photographers. Many of these locations are difficult to reach and sufficient planning is essential. Without proper preparation, equipment and protection, bird photography can be a daunting experience.

Before commencing on a journey into the birding areas of Ecuador, it is best to first decide which zone you wish to tackle. The country has four distinct regions; the Amazon basin (Oriente), the sierra or Andes Mountains, the coast and the Galapagos Islands. Each one of these areas represent a variety of avian species and can present different travel challenges.

Black-Tailed Trainbearer (Lesbia victoriae)

Once the region has been chosen, this should be further divided in sectors representing north, central and south. Again, each of these zones can present a great diversity of birds and birding opportunities. The Mindo area alone, located in the northwestern part of the country, can harbor as many as 500 species. There are several guidebooks in print that indicate where different birds can be located.

After the birding region has been determined it is then necessary to prepare the equipment. Although there are areas where you can get extremely close to the quarry, most of the birds are going to be at a greater distance. Therefore it is essential to use long lenses, preferably in the 400mm to 600mm range. Due to the low light situations presented in the rainforest (cloud forest) regions, fast lenses are crucial. Base apertures of f2.8 to f4.0 are recommended. High ISO settings may be necessary in order to attain a sufficiently fast shutter speed to stop motion so a camera that minimizes noise at these setting is paramount.

Bird photography in Ecuador can be a very rewarding exploit. The terrain and weather can make for a formidable experience, but with a little planning and preparation it can be extremely rewarding. Ecuador is a country with vast opportunities for the adventurous photographer who enjoys a challenge