Paz de las Aves - Jewel of the Cloud Forest

Crimson-rumped Toucanet
(Aulacorhynchus haematopygus)

Paz de las Aves is a small private reserve located well off the beaten path but one of the most popular in northwest Ecuador. I would just like to add some personal comments to the article that I wrote for HubPages, which you can read here.

The small farm of Angel Paz is not an easy location to find and the 5:30 AM arrive time requirement can be rather daunting, but the ability to observe species that are endangered or seldom spotted is well worth the effort. Giant, Yellow-breasted and Mustached Antpitta, among other obscure birds of the cloud forest understory, make a visit to this simple farmland a twitcher’s dream.

My first visit to Paz de las Aves was with a friend several years ago. Our primary interest was the Cock-of-the-Rock lek where we were told a view of these exotic birds was almost guaranteed. It was a little difficult driving my sedan along the 4 km. stretch of dirt road to get to the reserve but we arrived without mishap. There was another group of birders at the entrance preparing for the trek through the forest so they could arrive at the hide before dawn.

Maria: Giant Antpitta
(Grallaria gigantea)

When we arrived at the desired location we were in for a disappointment. Not a squawk or grunt could be heard from the amorous males. We had come on one of the few days out of the year that they all appeared to have secured a date with a mate. Our disenchantment was short lived, however, when this bulbous, brick colored bird came hopping down the trail to meet us. Angel introduced us to Maria, a Giant Antpitta that he had trained to come out in the open for morsels of worm. She would come quite close, within 4 to 5 meters, and pose for photos. The sight of this endangered species helped us forget about our previous quarry, instead concentrating on admiring this beauty of nature. We saw several other rarities during our morning adventure and spent a wonderful time conversing with the other travelers over breakfast. It was a good day with new ticks added to our lists and friends appended to our email register.

My most recent visit to Paz de las Aves brought some new revelations. The Cock-of-the-Rock were very active that morning, much to the delight of the young lady I was guiding. Maria had not been seen in several months but there was another Giant Antpitta that came for the spoils. Angel had built a new fruit feeder, the original being abandoned because the Sickle-winged Guans had taken it over. The road into the property was a little easier to drive, although it will probably never be paved. (I much prefer it that way)

On this visit I was able to spend a considerable amount of time with Angel and his brother Rodrigo who is now helping with the groups. Neither of them speaks English so I interpreted for my companion. Angel had just secured a loan with the bank so that he could build a lodge on the property to accommodate visitors. He sounded a little apprehensive about this endeavor but I understand that this is a big step for a former farmer/new conservationist. I am sure that with the encouragement of his family and friends that this will be a success.

Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager
(Anisognathus notabilis)

The best part of my visit with the brothers Paz was when we talked about the birds on the reserve. Angel’s demeanor changed from that of an apprentice businessman to the gentle manner of a father. When he talked about the Antpittas it was as though he was bragging on his children. There is such a close connection between him and his wards that one can almost hear a tear in his voice. I saw this also when we were out on the trails; the way he protected his charges from too close encroachment from the less sensitive visitors. It is this empathy that he has with his environment that draws me back.

I recommend a visit to Paz de las Aves for any birder who wishes to observe nature at its finest. But I also advocate watching Angel and his brother as they lead you around the reserve. You may not understand the words that he speaks, but you can definitely feel his heart as he expounds on the virtues of his children. 

Yellow House Trails - Hacienda San Vicente

I have been very busy lately and haven’t had much time for writing so I have gotten behind on my blog updates. I hope to remedy that over the next few weeks.

I just completed an article on Yellow House Trails (Hacienda San Vicente) in Mindo Ecuador. In that article I concentrated on describing how to reach the area and the birding trails available. I try not to promote any particular lodge in my articles as they are more for general information, but here I can express my personal opinion.

Yellow House has become my place to stay when in the Mindo area. The rooms are very spacious and inexpensive and you cannot beat the Garzon family for hospitality and friendliness. I recommend it to everyone who asks me for a place to stay in the area and I have never heard a complaint about the accommodations or the birding opportunities.  I know of no other place that can be beaten for price and comfort.

Social Flycatcher (Myiozetetes similis)

The few articles that I have seen concerning the Yellow House trails state that they see more birds on the walk up to the main primary forest than they do once entering. To some extent I can agree with them but I have to explain why I believe this to be the case. You can, on average, see over 50 species of birds around the lodge itself on a daily basis. There are several Squirrel Cuckoos that visit the trees in the early morning and there are also Rufous Motmot on a regular basis. Many people spend time observing these beautiful species before setting out on the 20-minute walk up to the forest.

The problem is that the hike up the hill has such an abundance of birds that the 20 minutes turns into an hour or more. By the time most visitors get to the main trail it has become late morning and the activity has slowed down considerably. You also have the fact that more species are observed at the forest borders than in the dense foliage. However, if you take the time to search the understory you can be rewarded with some great discoveries.

There is a Cock-of-the-Rock lek on the reserve but this requires an early morning start time and a walk through the darkness to get there at the proper moment. If you have to have breakfast before starting your day then this is easily remedied. If you mention this to Maria Elena the night before she will prepare you a bag breakfast to take with you and will set it out on the porch for you to carry along.

Be prepared for biting insects, whether at Yellow House or any other area of Mindo. The mosquitoes are not as much of a pest as the no-see-ums. The itch from their bite can last a week or more. I suggest long pants (no shorts) and long sleeve shirts in addition to some form of insect repellent.

Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua jardini)

The charge for taking the trails is minimal if you do not stay at the lodge, and access to the reserve is included in the price of lodging if you do spend the night. I find that this is a great place to set up a base when birding the Mindo-Nambillo Protected Forest. When I return to my room at night I still have the opportunity to see various species from the porch or go out in the evenings in search of owls or the Common Potoo that frequents the area around the main house.

If you can speak a little Spanish I recommend spending a little time talking with Maria Elena, her sister Inez and her mother Carlotta. They are wonderful people and will make you feel like one of the family. Even if you don’t speak Spanish you will still enjoy sitting with them and smiling. They serve breakfast in their home and this is a great way to start your day. They grow fruit on the property and they serve fresh fruit juice any time of the day. Sit down, savor the sweet nectar and enjoy a wonderful time in the rainforest. 

Birding Quito Ecuador

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)

The city of Quito Ecuador is a sprawling mass of people, buildings and traffic. It is a starting point for many vacations and birding adventures but never the focus. However, most travelers have at least one free day before starting their primary objective and are not sure what to do during this time. I have been asked on many occasions if there are parks or reserves that can easily be reached for a quick day of birding. For this purpose I am writing this article.

When we live in an area for several years we have a tendency to become oblivious to the wonderful avifauna surrounding us. However, we fail to realize that for those who are visiting for the first time, these birds that we consider commonplace are a boon to the uninitiated.

When walking the streets of Quito there are a number of species that you are guaranteed to encounter. Rufous-collared Sparrows, Great Thrush, and Eared Doves are everywhere. There are, nonetheless, some birds that are a little less commonplace in their appearance yet easily observed while touring the city. Sparkling Violetear and Black-tailed Trainbearer are frequently encountered in the downtown areas and are not extremely shy when foraging for food.

Sparkling Violetear
(Colibri coruscans)

There are a couple of parks that are easily reached by taxi and offer a greater abundance of opportunities to observe many species. The Botanical Gardens that is located in the center of the city at Carolina Park is a haven for many birds and some migrants as well. The Tennessee Warbler makes a regular visit during its migration period. Other birds that may be encountered are Southern-yellow Grosbeak, Cinerious Conebill and American Kestrel.

Metropolitan Park is along the eastern ridge of the city and harbors many species in its vast wooded area. Rusty Flowerpiercer, Tufted Tit-tyrant, Hooded Siskin, Yellow-bellied Seedeater and Crimson-mantled Woodpeckers frequent the area and provide for an enjoyable day of birding.

When touring the city or outlying areas be on the lookout for some unusual birds that may be passing through. I once observed a Great Egret perched high in a tree next to one of the large malls in Valley de los Chillos. There are a couple of reservoirs in the city and it may have been stopping there on its way to more productive habitat. I saw it the following day as well flying across the valley.

Quito has much to offer in the areas of architecture, culture and entertainment but do not rule out the abundance of avifauna that are available for the viewer. With a little patience and observation you can start your birding adventure early and record some new lifers.

Visiting Rio Silanche Bird Sanctuary

Masked Tityra (Tityra semifasciata)

Over the past month I have made a couple of trips to Rio Silanche Bird Sanctuary. (Follow link for specific details on the reserve.) It is not a place I normally try to tackle on a day trip from Quito but it can be done. One of its strong points is its canopy tower allowing for a more comfortable view of birds that inhabit the canopy and understory. Due to the deforestation of the surrounding area the reserve encounters many flocks and wanderers looking for a place to rest.

Aside from the viewing advantage of the tower, it is a great place to meet people who share the same interest. On my first visit to Rio Silanche this past month I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Jean Paul Perret, founder of Neotropical Birding Tours based in Peru. He was spending some time in Ecuador, scouting the various birding areas. We had several hours to photograph and discuss the various bird species visiting the trees surrounding the tower that morning.

Bronze-winged Parrot
(Pionus chalcopterus)

It was a great morning for birding as there were several flocks passing through during our stay. Chocó Toucans were quite prevalent and the eye level vantage point made for some great photos. Of course, where there are Chocós, you will also find the Pale-mandibled Aracari. (Also called the Collared or Stripe-billed Aracari). A small group of Bronze-winged Parrots perched near the tower and a male White-tailed Trogon paid us a visit and stuck around for a few pics.

One of the highlights of the morning was an extended visit by a White-necked Puffbird. It perched in a nearly bare tree a short distance from the tower. It was an impressive sight as it sat proudly on the limb perusing the countryside. We could hear some White-bearded Manakins clacking away in the forest below but they never showed themselves. All in all it was productive morning and especially so because I met a new friend in Jean Paul.

My second visit to the tower was with Pearl Jordan, the young lady who came on a mission of seeing 8,000 birds by her 80^th birthday. (You can read the full account of her trip here.) We arrived early in hopes of seeing some new lifers for her. Along with the species that I had encountered on my previous visit we were able to see the Masked Tityra and the Rufous-winged Tanager. (I saw the Bay-headed Tanager, which is more common, on the first trip.) Unfortunately we had to cut our time in the tower short because it was a clear day and the intense heat of the sun was making our stay unbearable.

We took the main trail around the property in search of the Brown Wood-Rail. We heard one clamoring in the forest near the creek but were unable to get it to show itself. We did, however, encounter the Purple-chested Hummingbird, a Chocó endemic and not very common. Since this was one of Pearl’s target birds it made for a productive day.

Rio Silanche Bird Sanctuary, a property of the Mindo Cloud Forest foundation, is a great place for the visiting bird fancier. It canopy tower lends itself to wonderful views of many species and a great place to meet new friends. I would recommend adding it to any northwest Ecuador birding adventure.

Days 9 and 10 of the NW Ecuador Birding Adventure

Plain Xenops

We had left some flexibility in our schedule so that we might be able to backtrack a little to pick up some of the birds we had missed. With this in mind we returned to Milpe Bird Sanctuary before our journey to Quito. The Yellow-collared Chlorophonia had been spotted there 2 weeks earlier and we were hoping we would have a second chance at seeing it.

Plumbeous Sierra-Finch

Furnariids were quite active that morning with Woodcreepers, Foliage-gleaners and Xenops in abundance. Motmots and Quetzals were calling from various trees filling the morning with squawks and grunts. We were disappointed by the Chlorophonia but did locate a couple of other species on Pearl’s list. Since the sun was warming the day the bird activity was dropping off and we decided to head to Quito.

While making the return trip to the capital city we discussed our tactics for the last day. There were a few high-altitude birds left on the list so we thought that Cotopaxi might be a good bet for their discovery.

Early Friday morning we headed for the park with high hopes of finding a couple more targets. It was an overcast morning but at the time there was no rain so we hoped for the best. Upon approaching Lake Limpiopungo we encounter several Carunculated Caracara foraging for food along the paramo tundra. Recent rains had caused the lake to flood and the parking area was inundated with water. We were able to secure a dry location to park with access to the trail.

Carunculated Caracara

Andean Gulls, Coots and Lapwing were in abundance as usual but other than that the bird activity was lower than expected. Not even the Tawny Antpitta could be heard amongst the paramo grasses. This may have been due to the excessive rains that the sierra had been experiences. Undaunted we walked the lake trail in search of our quarry. We had glimpses of the Ecuadorian Hillstar as it fed on some of the high-altitude flora. Brown-backed Chat-tyrant, Plumbeous Sierra-Finch and Plain-colored Seedeaters all showed their presence. We were able to see the Tawny-rumped Tyrannulet for a brief moment, which added to Pearl’s target list. Around 11:00 AM a light misty rain began and we returned to the car to call it a day.

In summary we had a good ten days of birding. Of the 46 species on Pearl’s list we were able to encounter 22 birds. Since we were concentrating on her targets rather than on bird count we did not spend time at feeders in the various reserves. We were also rather lax at recording species other than those that were our quarry. However, at the end of each day we would write down the birds that we recalled encountering. That list included over 175 species in all, some of them rare or uncommon. Pearl was happy with our accomplishments for the trip and we are in the process of planning her next excursion to the Amazon basin in search of other difficult birds. Meanwhile she will be taking her next trip on a Russian ship to Spitzbergen. We wish her luck in her adventures and know that we will see her again soon. 

Day 7 and 8

Black-throated Trogon

We continued our search of the northwest by visiting Mangaloma Reserve. This is a 200 ha (500 ac) forest located 7 km off the main highway north of Pedro Vicente Maldanado. Reservations are required prior to entry but it is worth the effort. Making a right hand turn a little south of Km 104 (there is a sign designating the reserve) you travel along dirt roads until you get to the main gate. After ringing a bell for entry the caretaker will come out to open the gate.

Mangaloma is a great place to find some difficult species such as the Orange-fronted Barbet, Rufous-crowned Antpitta, Long-wattled Umbrellabird, and the Banded-ground Cuckoo. Only one of these birds was on Pearl’s list but in addition to the Orange-fronted Barbet we encountered the Plumbeous Forest-Falcon. Another great sighting was the Black-throated Trogon.

If making a trip to Mangaloma Reserve, good boots are a must. Trails are quite muddy but passable. There are two side trails in addition to the main path. They recently opened a new route leading to additional areas of the property.

On the 8^th day we went to Rio Silanche, about 20 km further west. This reserve is part of the Mindo Cloudforest Foundation and a 3 day pass can be acquired at any of their four bird sanctuaries, which includes Milpe Bird Sanctuary, Milpe Gardens, Rio Silanche and their newest reserve near the Bellavista lodge. This pass provides entry to any and all of these locations.

Rufous-winged Tanager

There is a canopy tower a short distance from the entrance at Rio Silanche that provides a great place to view birds at their level. White-tailed Trogon, Lineated Woodpeckers and Choco Toucans were abundant this day. However, the Rufous-winged Tanager was probably the highlight of the morning. Although “The Birds of Ecuador” by Ridgely and Greenfield indicate that the Rufous-winged and the Bay-headed Tanagers have never been found together in Ecuador, I now have photographic proof that they do, as I was able to capture them both with a camera at Rio Silanche.

After spending most of the morning in the tower, we decided to walk the property to see what else may be present. We heard a Brown Wood-rail when we approached the creek but were unable to coax it into the open for a good look. We did run across a flock of Bronze-winged Parrots feeding about 2 meters above the ground in some small trees but they were too embedded in the growth to get any decent photos. The sun came out with a vengeance and the heat was overwhelming for us and the birds, as activity dropped off quickly. By the end of the day we had brought Pearls hit-list to 18 species. The next two days would be spent searching for some of the more illusive birds on the list. 

Day 5 and 6

Collared Trogo

There was no Internet available the last few days so I have to cover a lot of ground.

On day 5 we went on up to Bellavista Lodge to see if we could add anything to Pearl’s list. After talking to several people at the reserve we weren’t given much encouragement but we led to believe that there was a possibility of seeing the White-faced Nunbird along the Research Station road. Not to be discouraged we parked along the road and began walking. After playing some birdsong we began to get a response. 

Although the Nunbird continued to answer it would never show itself. After about an hour of unrewarding communication we decided that our efforts were futile and returned to the car. Pearl was a distance behind me and I decided to call on more time. A Nunbird answered directly in front of her and she waited patiently to see what might transpire. She was rewarded when the White-faced Nunbird appeared briefly and then slipped quietly back into cover.

Club-winged Manakin

After this small victory we decided to head down past Tandayapa and see what birds we might encounter. Along the route we saw several species including a Barred Hawk. Collared Trogon, Rufus Motmot and Red-billed Parrot were some of the other finds for the day. The afternoon rains came in and we spent the afternoon recounting our day’s work.

Day 6 was spent at Milpe Bird Sanctuary. The Club-winged Manakins were very active as usual, as were the Rufous Motmot. This was another damp morning with misty rain creating a slippery environment. We were particularly interested in the Yellow-collared Clorophonia that had been observed there within the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately they did not show as we spent the day observing Toucan Barbets, Crimson-rumped Toucanets and Masked Trogon. By the end of the day Pearl’s total target birds were at 11 and we had several days left to search. I will continue tomorrow, filling in the gaps and the rare finds at Mangaloma and Rio Silanche.