Ecuador Birds 2015

Birding in the jungle is quite a challenge and although we studied for 1½ years, trying to remember 800 different birds that we haven't seen before is impossible. Fortunately we had a couple exceptional local guides for different phases of the trip, Luis Alcivar and Julio Ayala. Of our 302 new bird species, we had good looks at many of them and quick looks at others. All in all, a wonderfully intense birding trip. As with seeing the birds, I was able to get good photos of several and fuzzy shots of others. I've put the useable ones (about 140 species) below as proof that we saw them. And besides the birds, the country is like a giant terrarium. Plants that we buy in stores growing wild all over. And with different colored butterflies everywhere. Maybe next time we can extend further into the Amazon and make a pass through the coastal areas.
Here's the trip, more or less in line...



Trip via American Airlines - Sacramento to LA (1.3hrs) to Miami (4.8) to Quito (4.5)		Birding trip covered Northern Ecuador in the Andes and on both sides



Coming in to Quito Airport - Northern Quito

Quito Airport

San Jorge Quito entrance & patio (both pictures compliments of Matthew & Patty)

View from San Jorge Quito room		Great Thrush - the first thing we hear in the AM, before the rooster & dogs.

Sword-billed Hummingbird

Sparkling Violetear (the one on the right seems to have albinated wings)

Azara's Spinetail		Flame-rumped Tanager (Lemon-rumped) without a tail

Streak-throated Bush Tyrant		White-throated Tyrannulet

Rufous-collared Sparrow		Supercillaried Hemispingus

Golden-bellied Grosbeak (Southern Yellow Grosbeak)		Crimson-mantled Woodpecker

Road to Yanacocha

Red-crested Cotinga		Black-chested Buzzard Eagle

Mountain Velvetbreast		Speckled Hummingbird

Someone's "weekend home" - invited us to see their Hummer feeders. Very nice people, very nice place.

Fawn-breasted Brilliant (notice that the hummingbirds aren't always called "Hummingbirds")		Purple-chinned Whitetip

Eared Dove		Bromeliad Tree

Hooded Mountain Tanager		Cinerous Conebill

Black-tailed Trainbearer (f)		Black-chinned Mountain Tanager

Rusty Flowerpiercer (pierces base of flowers to get nectar)		Red-billed Parrot

White-backed Dipper (hunts insects under water)		Tropical Mockingbird (had typical Mockingbird behavior)

Spotted Woodcreeper		Squirrel Cuckoo

Smooth-billed Ani

Oirbird (visited cave with about 15 roosting for the day - these are nocturnal)		Black Vulture (Zopilote)

Swallow-tailed Kite

Andean Emerald		Common Tody Flycatcher

Cock-of-the Rock lek (gathering to compete for the hidden female)		Plate-billed Mountain Toucan

Black-capped Tanager		Streak-capped Treehunter

Booted Rackettail		Booted Rackettail (f)

White-necked Jacobin		White-winged Brush Finch

Golden-naped Tanager		Blue-grey Tanager

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Golden-rumped Euphonia		Yellow-breasted Brush Finch

Purple-collared Woodstar		Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Booted Rackettail, White-necked Jacobin

Golden Tanager		White-throated Quail Dove

White-winged Tanager		Luis Alcivar - Flickr & Facebook

Tandayapa restaurant - breakfast is ready

Hummer feeders & Tanager feeders in the nearby trees Could spend a week here		Tandayapa Restaurant & feeders (Judy, Luis, Monique, Dale, Bruce) Judy and Bruce are married with Bruce celebrating his 83rd B-day while at Milpe Dale is Bruce's son and a sharp birder / photographer

Squirrel (!) in Tandayapa

Purple-bibbed Whitetip		Roadside Hawk

Blue-winged Mountain Tanager		Thick-billed Euphonia

Rufous Motmot		Immaculate Antbird

Tandayapa Lodge

Tandayapa room

Deck in front of room		Porch

Tandayapa valley

Slate-throated Whitestart		Slate-throated Whitestart

Crested Quetzal		Green-and-black Fruiteater

Bromeliads everywhere

Blue-winged Mountain Tanager		Beryl-spangled Tanager (in the above tree)


On the road in Mindo area

House under construction with fabulous feeders (friend of Luis)

Velvet-purple Coronet		Crimson-mantled Woodpecker

Western Emerald		Buff-tailed Coronet

Crowned Woodnymph		Smoky Bush-Tyrant

Green-crowned Brilliant		Green-crowned Brilliant (f)

Milpe jungle hike (Alejandro & Luis)		Green-crowned Brilliant

Milpe jungle hike

Milpe jungle hike - we crossed about 10 streams and climbed some steep hills - through the dense jungle. I loved it !!

Jen, Monique, Ryan and Dale in background (Ryan & Jen are from Rhode Island and very sharp birders)		It rained about 4" the previous night


Milpe jungle hike - at the upper Station

White-whiskered Hermit (imm)

Green Thorntail		Purple-bibbed Whitetip

Orange-billed Sparrow		Rufous-bellied Wood Quail

Intermission


Milpe entrance

Room at Milpe

Milpe Restaurant		Milpe Tower

Agouti (large rodent) at Milpe

Green Thorntail		Golden-winged Manakin

Collared Trogon (f)		Collared Trogon (m)

Tayra - weasel family. Ran into a small den.

Smoke-colored Pewee		Eastern Wood Pewee

Barred Hawk		Yellow-bellied Seedeater

White-sided Flowerpiercer		Squirrel Cuckoo

Golden-crowned Flycatcher		Sooty-headed Tyrannulet

Blackburnian Warbler

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (before 7 AM displaying for a hiden female) Got up at 3:30 AM and traveled 1.5 hrs to get this close to a lek		Angel Paz house. Served us breakfast in their outside restaurant.

Refugio la Paz (Angel Paz calling out the Antpitta below. He feeds it worms when it comes out)

Ochre-breasted Antpitta (along the bank of the above stream)

Chestnut-crowned Antpitta (higher in the mountains - called out the same way by Angel's son)

Milpe Tower		Woolly opossum at Milpe

Lineated Woodpecker		Ringed Kingfisher

Yellow-tailed Oriole		Masked Tityra

Violet-bellied Hummingbird		Wedge-billed Woodcreeper

Squirrel Cuckoo		Blue-necked Tanagers

Variable Seedeater		Golden-olive Woodpecker

Boat-billed Flycatcher		Blue-black Grassquit

Hook-billed Kite

Black-cheeked Woodpecker and baby in hole		Ruddy Pigeon

Scarlet-rumped Cacique		Purple-throated Fruitcrow

Striped Cuckoo		Grey-browed Brush Finch (Stripe-headed)

Tyrian Metaltail		Blue and Yellow Tanager

Shining Sunbeam		Fuzzy, but showing iridescences on back

Quito to Antisana

Giant Hummingbird - Body length and wingspan about 8.5" - see the sparrow ->		Rufous-collared Sparrow (ruffled up) --> This sparrow is about 7" in length; same size as our White-crown Sparrows

Andean Hillstar

Plumbeous Sierra Finch		Paramo Ground Tyrant

Stout-billed Cinclodes		Chestnut-winged Cinclodes

Andean Lapwing		Andean Gull

Andean Ibis

Carunculated Caracara

Andean Condor	Birding at 12,000' (pic from M&P)

Antisana Paramo - and La Mica Lake

Return trip to Quito

Return trip to Quito

Intermission


Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe at 13,600 ft above Papallacta pass (in the clouds - cold, windy and damp, but not below freezing)

Papallacta area (below the clouds)

Pale-napped Brush Finch		Brown-backed Chat Tyrant

Viridian Metaltail		Spectacled Whitestart

Matthew, Patty & Mo at the Masked Trogon bridge (Matthew and Patty are from Sonoma on a 30 day tour of Ecuador)


Masked Trogon (f)		Masked Trogon (m)

Hiking Papallacta area

Torrent Ducks (male on left, female on right)	Matthew & Patty at the duck bridge



Emerald Toucanet		Many-banded Aracari

Amazonian Umbrellabird (imm)

Hollin restaurant stop - very birdie (pic from T&P)		We struck out with the Cerulean, but the sign was encouraging

Dusky-headed Parakeet		Flowers everywhere !

Golden-tailed Sapphire

98 Butterfly		Many-spotted Hummingbird

Waterfalls in Sumaco area

Long-tailed Tyrant		Swallow Tanager

Magpie Tanager		Mountain Cacique

Russet-backed Oropendolas		Oropendola nests

Paradise Tanager

Streaked Xenops		Green-and-yellow Tanager

Yellow-tufted Woodpecker		Silver-beaked Tanager (f)

Blue-headed Trogon		Fresh Bananas

Sumaco area (Amazon jungle)

Sumaco area

On the way back to Borja		Julio Ayala

On the way back to Borja

Borja at night		Happy Mo - our biggest day birding (38 new ones)

Palm Tanager		Roadside Hawk

Cinnamon Flycatcher		Flame-faced Tanager

Bed & Breakfast in Baeza - $25 a night with killer views

Masked Flowerpiercer		Yellow-browed Sparrow

Cosanga area

Southern Lapwing

Inca Jay (not a Green Jay!)

Band-tailed Pigeons (different species from US Band-tails)		Work horse

Tourmaline Sunangel		Tourmaline Sunangel (f)

Collared Inca

Chestnut-breasted Coronet

Buff-tailed Coronet		Tiny Orchids

The two birds on the left - Long-tailed Sylph & White-bellied Woodstar - are sharing the same feeder hole because the Woodstar's beak is too short to reach the sugar water. She's feeding from the splash of the other bird.

Masked Flowerpiercer stealing sugar water		Spectacled Whitestart

Chestnut-breasted Coronet again - because it's so pretty!

Guango Lodge area - there were Hummer feeders all over. This was a good shelter from the rain, which didn't slow down the action.


New highway over the Papallacta pass . Much of the road is still two lane or turns into dirt, but soon it will be like I-80 over the Sierra - only this pass is 13,100'

Back to the Airport at 5 AM - and then...		take off.

The cloud layer from the ground was thick, but it cleared to the north.

		Adios, Ecuador! Ha sido un placer.
		Since this was our 40th anniversary trip, we went first class. And on the return from Quito, the first class seats of this 757 were deluxe(!). The best flight we ever had. You can see the casing that surrounds the back of each seat so the people behind don't get disturbed. The movie screen is interactive, including a 3-D map of the flight position. But there's more! The seat has adjustment buttons. Leg rest; back and seat all adjusted. But there's more! A preset button for sleep mode... we never slept so well on a flight.


Panama (southern) Parque Nacional Cerra Hoya


Cuba (southern) Parque Nacional Cienaga de Zapata

Cuba (northern) -the town of Matanzas

Key West

Florida Everglades

A one road town in the Everglades		The effect of the canal - split the Everglades causing one side to dry up.

Miami in sight		Key Biscayne

Metropolitan Miami and Miami Beach

Compared to Ecuador, very flat... and no clouds!

Back in the land of the Hilton - although there are birds here we've never seen...!
But for now, remember Ecuador with hopes of returning.






timlig@pacbell.net

EC	Life	Common Name
1	505	Eared Dove
2	506	Great Thrush
3	507	Sparkling Violetear
4	508	Tyrian Metaltail
5	509	Sword-billed Hummingbird
6	510	Purple-collared Woodstar
7	511	White-bellied Woodstar
8	512	Pearled Treerunner
9	513	Tufted Tit Tyrant
10	514	Red-crested Cotinga
11	515	Blackburnian Warbler
12	516	Eyebrowed Hemispingus
13	517	Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager
14	518	Cinereous Conebill
15	519	Black Flowerpiercer
16	520	Streaked Saltator
17	521	Gray-browed Brush Finch
18	522	Black-striped Sparrow
19	523	Rufous-collared Sparrow
20	524	Golden Grosbeak
21	525	Broad-winged Hawk
22	526	Black-tailed Trainbearer
23	527	Shining Sunbeam
24	528	Andean Emerald
25	529	Crimson-mantled Woodpecker
26	530	Tawny Antpitta
27	531	Blackish Tapaculo
28	532	White-crested Elaenia
29	533	Sedge Wren
30	534	Scrub Tanager
31	535	Plain Seedeater
32	536	Hooded Siskin
33	537	Black-chested Buzzard Eagle
34	538	Sapphire-vented Puffleg
35	539	Great Sapphirewing
36	540	Western Emerald
37	541	Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
38	542	White-throated Tyrannulet
39	543	Smoke-colored Pewee
40	544	Smoky Bush Tyrant
41	545	Brown-backed Chat Tyrant
42	546	Blue-and-white Swallow
43	547	Black-chested Mountain Tanager
44	548	Blue-winged Mountain Tanager
45	549	Buff-winged Starfrontlet
46	550	Black-and-white Seedeater
47	551	Squirrel Cuckoo
48	552	Chestnut-collared Swift
49	553	White-collared Swift
50	554	Speckled Hummingbird
51	555	Collared Inca
52	556	Mountain Velvetbreast
53	557	Green-crowned Brilliant
54	558	Masked Trogon
55	559	Red-billed Parrot
56	560	Montane Woodcreeper
57	561	Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner
58	562	Golden-crowned Flycatcher
59	563	Brown-bellied Swallow
60	564	White-capped Dipper
61	565	Tropical Mockingbird
62	566	Flame-rumped Tanager
63	567	Hooded Mountain Tanager
64	568	Blue-and-yellow Tanager
65	569	Golden-naped Tanager
66	570	Metallic-green Tanager
67	571	Golden Tanager
68	572	White-sided Flowerpiercer
69	573	Rusty Flowerpiercer
70	574	Masked Flowerpiercer
71	575	Black-winged Saltator
72	576	Chestnut-capped Brush Finch
73	577	Orange-crowned Euphonia
74	578	Violet-tailed Sylph
75	579	Buff-tailed Coronet
76	580	Booted Racket-tail
77	581	Purple-bibbed Whitetip
78	582	Fawn-breasted Brilliant
79	583	Purple-throated Woodstar
80	584	Azara's Spinetail
81	585	White-lined Tanager
82	586	Blue-gray Tanager
83	587	Swallow-tailed Kite
84	588	Smooth-billed Ani
85	589	Choco Toucan
86	590	Pale-legged Hornero
87	591	Slaty Spinetail
88	592	Common Tody Flycatcher
89	593	Thick-billed Seed Finch
90	594	Scrub Blackbird
91	595	Short-tailed Hawk
92	596	Oilbird
93	597	Southern Rough-winged Swallow
94	598	Golden-olive Woodpecker
95	599	Social Flycatcher
96	600	Purple-crowned Fairy
97	601	Yellow-bellied Seedeater
98	602	Striped Cuckoo
99	603	Golden-headed Quetzal
100	604	Plate-billed Mountain Toucan
101	605	Andean Cock-of-the-rock
102	606	Beautiful Jay
103	607	Blue-necked Tanager
104	608	Bay-headed Tanager
105	609	Barred Hawk
106	610	Roadside Hawk
107	611	White-throated Quail Dove
108	612	Gray-rumped Swift
109	613	White-necked Jacobin
110	614	Tawny-bellied Hermit
111	615	Wedge-billed Hummingbird
112	616	Velvet-purple Coronet
113	617	Crowned Woodnymph
114	618	Rufous Motmot
115	619	Red-headed Barbet
116	620	Crimson-rumped Toucanet
117	621	Zeledon's Antbird
118	622	Scaled Antpitta
119	623	Ochre-breasted Antpitta
120	624	Rufous-breasted Ant-thrush
121	625	Streak-capped Treehunter
122	626	Scaled Fruiteater
123	627	Masked Tityra
124	628	Gray-breasted Wood Wren
125	629	Three-striped Warbler
126	630	Russet-crowned Warbler
127	631	Canada Warbler
128	632	Slaty-throated Whitestart
129	633	Palm Tanager
130	634	Blue-capped Tanager
131	635	Black-capped Tanager
132	636	Tricolored Brush Finch
133	637	White-winged Brush Finch
134	638	White-winged Tanager
135	639	Thick-billed Euphonia
136	640	Golden-rumped Euphonia
137	641	Orange-bellied Euphonia
138	642	Rufous-fronted Wood Quail
139	643	Ruddy Pigeon
140	644	White-whiskered Hermit
141	645	Brown Violetear
142	646	Gorgeted Sunangel
143	647	Capped Conebill
144	648	Brown Inca
145	649	Empress Brilliant
146	650	Collared Trogon
147	651	White-whiskered Puffbird
148	652	Toucan Barbet
149	653	Bronze-winged Parrot
150	654	Cinnamon Flycatcher
151	655	Plain-breasted Hawk
152	656	Green-and-black Fruiteater
153	657	Golden-winged Manakin
154	658	Scaly-breasted Wren
155	659	Mountain Wren
156	660	Bay Wren
157	661	Ecuadorean Thrush
158	662	Glossy-black Thrush
159	663	Beryl-spangled Tanager
160	664	Flame-faced Tanager
161	665	Green Thorntail
162	666	Orange-billed Sparrow
163	667	Gray-headed Kite
164	668	Plumbeous Hawk
165	669	Black-mandibled Toucan
166	670	Rose-faced Parrot
167	671	Maroon-tailed Parakeet
168	672	Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
169	673	Spotted Woodcreeper
170	674	Plain Xenops
171	675	Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner
172	676	Red-faced Spinetail
173	677	Ornate Flycatcher
174	678	Tawny-breasted Flycatcher
175	679	Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher
176	680	White-thighed Swallow
177	681	Pale-vented Thrush
178	682	Olive-crowned Yellowthroat
179	683	Tropical Parula
180	684	Golden-bellied Warbler
181	685	Rufous-throated Tanager
182	686	Silver-throated Tanager
183	687	Purple Honeycreeper
184	688	Green Honeycreeper
185	689	Guira Tanager
186	690	Variable Seedeater
187	691	Bananaquit
188	692	Yellow-throated Tanager Finch
189	693	Ochre-breasted Tanager
190	694	Rufous-bellied Nighthawk
191	695	Chestnut-crowned Antpitta
192	696	Brown-capped Vireo
193	697	Sooty-headed Tyrannulet
194	698	Golden-hooded Tanager
195	699	Pale-vented Pigeon
196	700	Hook-billed Kite
197	701	Collared Aracari
198	702	Violet-bellied Hummingbird
199	703	Black-cheeked Woodpecker
200	704	Smoky-brown Woodpecker
201	705	Lineated Woodpecker
202	706	Streaked Xenops
203	707	Choco Tyrannulet
204	708	Scale-crested Pygmy Tyrant
205	709	Masked Water Tyrant
206	710	Boat-billed Flycatcher
207	711	Purple-throated Fruitcrow
208	712	Bearded Manakin
209	713	Black-crowned Tityra
210	714	Stripe-throated Wren
211	715	White-shouldered Tanager
212	716	Tawny-crested Tanager
213	717	Blue-black Grassquit
214	718	Buff-throated Saltator
215	719	Yellow-tailed Oriole
216	720	Scarlet-rumped Cacique
217	721	Yellow-billed Pintail
218	722	Andean Ruddy Duck
219	723	Andean Teal
220	724	Silvery Grebe
221	725	Black-faced Ibis
222	726	Andean Condor
223	727	Variable Hawk
224	728	Slate-colored Coot
225	729	Andean Lapwing
226	730	Andean Gull
227	731	Black-winged Ground Dove
228	732	Ecuadorian Hillstar
229	733	Giant Hummingbird
230	734	Carunculated Caracara
231	735	Chestnut-winged Cinclodes
232	736	Stout-billed Cinclodes
233	737	Many-striped Canastero
234	738	Plain-capped Ground Tyrant
235	739	Paramo Pipit
236	740	Plumbeous Sierra Finch
237	741	Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe
238	742	Viridian Metaltail
239	743	White-chinned Thistletail
240	744	Buff-breasted Mountain Tanager
241	745	Golden-crowned Tanager
242	746	Blue-backed Conebill
243	747	Glossy Flowerpiercer
244	748	Pale-naped Brush Finch
245	749	Long-tailed Sylph
246	750	Emerald Toucanet
247	751	Inca Jay
248	752	Turquoise Jay
249	753	Mountain Cacique
250	754	Torrent Duck
251	755	Plumbeous Pigeon
252	756	Red-breasted Blackbird
253	757	White-tailed Hillstar
254	758	Golden-tailed Sapphire
255	759	Many-banded Aracari
256	760	Channel-billed Toucan
257	761	Dusky-headed Parakeet
258	762	Lineated Woodcreeper
259	763	Lemon-browed Flycatcher
260	764	Amazonian Umbrellabird
261	765	Black-billed Thrush
262	766	Silver-beaked Tanager
263	767	Swallow Tanager
264	768	Blue Dacnis
265	769	Yellow-rumped Cacique
266	770	Russet-backed Oropendola
267	771	Speckled Chachalaca
268	772	Little Cuckoo
269	773	Many-spotted Hummingbird
270	774	Blue-crowned Trogon
271	775	Lemon-throated Barbet
272	776	Golden-collared Toucanet
273	777	Yellow-tufted Woodpecker
274	778	Black Caracara
275	779	Blue-headed Parrot
276	780	Lined Antshrike
277	781	Rufous-tailed Foliage-gleaner
278	782	Eastern Wood Pewee
279	783	Long-tailed Tyrant
280	784	Yellow-green Vireo
281	785	Violaceous Jay
282	786	Magpie Tanager
283	787	Vermilion Tanager
284	788	Paradise Tanager
285	789	Green-and-gold Tanager
286	790	Yellow-browed Sparrow
287	791	Violet-fronted Brilliant
288	792	Ashy-throated Tanager Finch
289	793	White-rumped Hawk
290	794	Bran-colored Flycatcher
291	795	Streak-headed Antbird
292	796	White-bellied Antpitta
293	797	White-tailed Tyrannulet
294	798	Black-capped Hemispingus
295	799	Citrine Warbler
296	800	Speckle-faced Parrot
297	801	Saffron-crowned Tanager
298	802	Southern Lapwing
299	803	Torrent Tyrannulet
300	804	Tourmaline Sunangel
301	805	Gorgeted Woodstar
302	806	Chestnut-breasted Coronet