After spending 21 days outdoors in Ecuador, we tallied 513 species of birds, and have photographs of 272. 

So, how birdy is Ecuador? To provide perspective for my non-birder friends, I suggest one can spend 2-3 years actively looking for birds throughout North America and see just over 600 species. Alternately, one can live in, and bird in, Costa Rica for 5 years before seeing 600 species.

Bottom line: If one does not join organized birding tours, seeing an average of 24 new birds/day for each of 21 days is phenomenal!

The species listed in the bird section of this website were well-seen and identified by Rick and/or Peter. Birds heard, but not seen, are not included. North American migrants, with several exceptions, were not present during our trip. 

At Sacha Lodge, we skipped the trip to the 2 parrot licks. A second trip to Shipaty Creek and along the Providencia Trail would record numerous species we missed. A second morning on the metal, canopy walkway and a morning birding from the wooden tower surrounding the kapok tree would have made our phenomenal tour even
more stellar. Thus, 2 or 3 additional days at Sacha would have raised the number of species seen well over 600.

One morning, a constant rain washed out any attempt to see birds at Guacamayos Ridge. Otherwise, rain was not a problem, nor were the heat and humidity in the Amazon rain forest. We just got used to sweating and feeling sticky, and took a shower or two every day. Fortunately, mosquitoes were (almost) absent. 

Birds were seen and identified in the mist and light rains at Papallacta Pass and Papallacta Lake, and bird activity noticeably increased after these rains. At no location did we experience a loud, dawn chorus. The noisiest birding was in the mornings at Cabañas San Isidro. In 3 weeks of birding we encountered very few large flocks. 
The "flockiest" locations were along the road that passes the Cabañas San Isidro Lodge road and and along the Bellavista Research Road.

We watched 5 species of monkeys, a 7-foot anaconda that mesmerized our Sacha guides, a 2-toed sloth that would not move, several bats, hundreds of insects, nightly moths and daily butterflies, 2 turtles, one very large snail, and assorted fungi. The welcoming smiles and waves of the local children was always appreciated.

Our itinerary for this trip follows.

July 31: Quito to Yanacocha Reserve, then along the old Nono-Mindo Road to the Tandayapa Bird Lodge (TBL). We sat there dazzled as 75-100 hummers crowded seven feeders in an ongoing, feeding frenzy

August 1: Visited TBL's hide at 0600, walked trails around TBL, watched hummers feeding, then hiked up to Bellavista Lodge.

August 2: At 0500 left for Bellavista and onwards to, and along, the Bellavista Research Station road, then more TBL hummers.

August 3: TBL's hide at 0600, off to Refugio Paz de las Antpittas, Mindo Loma, and Reserva Alambi in Nanegalito.

August 4: Abandoned police station at turn-off to Mindo, Rio Silanche until 1100, then Hostal/Restaurante Irador Rio Blanco in Los Bancos.

August 5: Hired a driver to take us past Bellavista Lodge to bird the Bellavista Research Station road, walk back to TBL.

August 6: Milpe Bird Sanctuary, San Jorge/Milpe Lodge, entrance to Yellow House property in Mindo.

August 7: Four Rivers (Quattro Rios) -- we only visited 3 of them, Milpe Bird Sanctuary, road to San Jorge/Milpe.

August 8: Yellow House trails at Mindo, San Jorge/Milpe, road toward Milpe Bird Sanctuary.

August 9: Milpe Bird Sanctuary, road to San Jorge/Milpe Lodge, Milpe Bird Sanctuary.

August 10: Calicali, Quito Botanical Gardens, San Jorge/Quito Lodge grounds.

August 11: San Jorge/Quito Lodge grounds, Coca airstrip, 50-mile motorized canoe down Rio Napo on way to Sacha Lodge, Sacha boardwalk, cocha, lodge area, circling the cocha, and up Orquidea Creek, lodge trails (1800-1915).

August 12: Deciduous area at Sacha boat landing, Shipaty Creek, Providencia Trail, deciduous area, boardwalk, cocha.

August 13: Canopy metal walkway, Orquidea Creek.

August 14: Two islands in the Rio Napo 50 minutes down river, anaconda on the way up river, boardwalk, cocha, lodge trails, canopy metal walkway.

August 15: Cocha, boardwalk, up Rio Napo to Coca.

August 16: Stops along old road up to Papallacta Pass, antennas at top of pass, Papallacta Lake, Guango Lodge area.

August 17: Guango Lodge area, Papallacta Lake, Guango Lodge area, Cabañas San Isidro (CSI) Antvireo Trail.

August 18: 3 km along road to CSI, CSI's Cock-of the-Rock Trail, CSI grounds.

August 19: CSI grounds, 3 km along road to CSI, CSI's Macucoloma Trail, 2 km along road to CSI.

August 20: Guacamayos Ridge (no birds, but lots of rain & fog), along road from CSI for 15-20 km, lake north of Papallacta Lake, antenna area at top of the pass, new road to Quito.