Article by Jonathan Manley, Friends of Bosque del Apache Board President
Mindo cloud forest in Ecuador | Photo courtesy of Holbrook Travel, Inc.
Forget the Galápagos for a moment. On mainland Ecuador – so named because of its position on the equator – bird-watching is an extraordinary journey through one of the most geographically varied countries on Earth. Despite its relatively small footprint – the same size as Nevada – Ecuador supports more than 1,600 bird species, thanks largely to the dramatic Andes, which divide the country into distinct eastern and western ecosystems. Given these facts, it’s hardly surprising that Ecuador has the world’s highest density of avian species per square mile.
What makes Ecuador particularly remarkable is the sheer variety of habitats that can be reached within a relatively short distance. In the west, the Chocó-Andean cloud forests around Mindo, Tandayapa and Mashpi are among the country’s most celebrated birding destinations. Misty forests alive with hummingbirds, toucans, tanagers and antpittas provide opportunities to see species found nowhere else.
The hummingbirds are a particular attraction. Ecuador offers extraordinary variety, from tiny, jewel-like species hovering around flowering plants to the spectacular Sword-billed Hummingbird, whose bill is longer than its body.
Sword-billed Hummingbird | Photo by Reinier Munguia; courtesy of Holbrook Travel, Inc.
Up in the Andes, you can search the páramo for the imposing Andean Condor, while the cloud forests shelter spectacular species such as the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, famous for its vivid plumage and dramatic communal courtship displays.
Andean Cock-of-the-rock | Photo by Ian Segebarth; courtesy of Holbrook Travel, Inc.
Perhaps Ecuador’s greatest advantage is its concentration of biodiversity. A birder can move from Pacific lowlands to cloud forest, high-altitude páramo and Amazonian rainforest within a single trip, encountering entirely different bird communities at each elevation. The Andes are not simply mountains here; they are engines of evolution, separating ecosystems and helping create the extraordinary diversity for which Ecuador is renowned.
For anyone passionate about birds, mainland Ecuador offers something rare: an astonishing number of species, remarkable endemism and a succession of habitats packed into a remarkably compact country. It is less a single birding destination than a collection of worlds—each one waiting to be explored.
If you like the sound of this, here’s some good news for you. Holbrook Travel, in partnership with the Friends of Bosque del Apache, has organized a tour of the Choco-Andes region next April and there are a few spots remaining. For each fully paid guest, Holbrook will make a donation to Friends of Bosque del Apache, so you can combine good deeds with world-class birding!
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About this trip:
An extraordinary abundance of bird life inhabits the forests of northwestern Ecuador. Amid cloud forest, rainforest, páramo, and the eastern and western slopes of the Andes Mountains, you’ll seek out as many of the country’s 1,640-plus species as possible with assistance from your expert guide on this 10-day adventure. In particular, much of the avifauna you’ll encounter is endemic to the Chocó region, while other species are more easily found here than any place else.
Highlights:
- Explore the Chocó ecoregion across a variety of protected areas, including Alambi Cloud Forest Reserve, Milpe Bird Sanctuary, Antisana Ecological Reserve, Rio Silanche, and others.
- Visit the famed Refugio Paz de las Aves, known as a haven for antpittas and Andean Cocks-of-the-rock.
- Take in Yanacocha Biological Reserve, a protected area established to safeguard the critically endangered and endemic Black-breasted Puffleg, the official emblematic bird of Quito.
- Bird the Mashpi-Amagusa Reserve for target species like the Rose-faced Parrot, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Chocó Vireo, Moss-backed Tanager, and Indigo Flowerpiercer.