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Ecuador is world renowned for its biological diversity. From the Galapagos Islands, to the Amazon jungle, to the Andean plateau, Ecuador is rich with diverse species-insects, amphibians, orchids and, of course, birds. Because of its small size, many of these diverse areas are within easy reach of the average adventurer.
For this reason, Ecuador truly a paradise for birdwatchers and we will provide you the best services, naturalist guides, transportation and information about the 1500 species of birds that can be found in Ecuador.
Mindo and the Northwestern Cloud Forest:
The cloud forest and subtropical rainforest of Ecuador are micro-habitats of extreme biological importance. The most accessible of these forests are those found in the Mindo-Nambillo ecological Reserve. The reserve is just a two hour car ride from Quito.
The area boasts the greatest concentration of bird species anywhere in the world. Two years ago, Mindo won a world wide contest for its avian biodiversity. Amongst the bird species found in the cloud forests of Mindo is the fabulous Andean Cock of the Rock.
Observación de pájaros
Pasochoa Wildlife Refuge:
Pasochoa Wildlife refuge is located in the South East of the Quito city, the extension of this refuge is 500 hectares, with different vegetation zones.
Another special attraction in Pasochoa is the avian diversity. There are 24 families and 127 species of birds, 14 belong to the hummingbird family. The most common hummingbird species is the sword-peaked hummingbird, long-tailed hummingbirds and the little soldier). The huirac-churos's (a snail-eating bird) song is an ever-present sound in the refuge. With a little luck, you will be able to observe semilleros (Catamania sp.), turtledoves, ring-doves, wild mountain turkeys (which are in danger of extinction in the Andean forests because of over-hunting). On a clear day, you may have the privilege of seeing the majestic condor, another bird which is threatened by extinction.
Podocarpus National Park:
Podocarpus National Park encompasses typical Andean cloud forest and varies in altitude from 900 to 3600 meters. The park extends across 146,280 hectares overlapping from the province of Loja into the Amazonian province of Zamora. There are three main entrances to the park-which can be accessed from Cajanuma (where we were), Vilcabamba or Zamora. The park's name comes from the scientific name of the only conifer native to Ecuador, whose common name is Romerillo. The park is world renowned for its floral biodiversity. Over 3000 botanical species can be found here of which at least 360 have been identified as different species of orchids.
With over 600 known species of birds, the park is also a heaven for bird watching. Birds include over 60 species of hummingbirds, plus toucans, tanagers, the Andean cock-of-the-rock and red-faced parrots, broad-winged hawks, chimney swifts etc.
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