Ecuador Hummingbirds and Antpittas

8 days

Price :

6 participants $ 1,600 per person
4 participants $ 1,850 per person
2 participants $ 2,100 per person

Northwest Ecuador: Most trips find over 300 species in one week with well-planned itineraries and top Ecuadorian guides. 30 to 40 hummingbird species and 70 to 80 tanagers species on most trips. High value lodges make for great trip prices from $1,690. Great guides available who will assure good communication and productive birding. Trips offered each month with additional custom options.

Available all 2011

Trip description

Northwest Ecuador is a great location for persons new to South American birding. I know of a number of various experienced world birders who love to return to Ecuador as the lodges are a great value and the birding is always productive with many species seen each day and new life birds found.

* For the first time Ecuadorian birder, each day brings 30 to 80 life birds with travel between major sites only 10 to 60 minutes.
* Trips to this location range from $1,690 to $2,490 and provide a great value to those who want to see a lot of beautiful and fascinating species within a reasonable budget.


* Birding with a great local guide usually means 10 to 15 minute drives results in new birding adventures with new life birds and terrific (and longer) looks and beautiful birds or fantastic behavior.
* This route is filled with beautiful tanagers (60 beautiful tanagers and as many as 80 species in one week).
* Hummingbirds and feeders can provide up to twelve species at a single set of feeders and up to 40 species in one week.
* Birding in Northwest Ecuador is productive and fun.
* The lodges provide excellent meals and a base for a number of birding routes each day.
* Ecuador is the home of our main South American partner, Neblina Forest Tours. Our guides include Lelis Navarrete (widely regarded as the best bird guide in South America), Alejandro Solano, Willy Perez, Gustavo Canas-Valle, Manuel Sanchez, Xavier Munoz and numerous other reliable and excellent guides throughout the country.
* These trips are well planned to focus on bird watching. With excellent guides, we anticipate trip participants will see 300 to 350 species each week.

Tour description

Day 1: Arrival and fly to Quito

Day 2: Birding to, and in, Mindo

Day 3: Birding Refugio Paz de Las Aves

Day 4: Birding AM at Rio Silanche and additional birding Milpe Area and transfer.

Day 5: AM birding Milpe Reserve and additional birding til late afternoon transfer to Tandayapa Valley

Day 6: Bellavista Reserve and Tandayapa Valley (great hummingbird feeders in the Valley)

Day 7: Yanacocha Reserve (or optional rest day in Quito)

Day 8: Morning drive from Quito (early birding there), then Antisana Ecological Reserve and high mountain grasslands and lakes on both sides of Pappallacta Pass Quito)

Day 9: Morning birding in high forest area near Thermas Pappalachta Hot Springs then hummingbird feeders and more at Guango Lodge and Reserve

Day 10: International Flights Home (or consider extension trip)