ECUADOR - AMAZONIAN ADVENTURE

This unique shorter tour is aimed at experiencing the vast range of awesome birds residing in the Amazonian lowlands of eastern Ecuador from two of the most secluded lodges currently available. We have to fly over the Andes and then drive a couple of hours before taking a motorized canoe for a thrilling 4 hour journey along the Shiripuno River to an incredibly secluded lodge that has been seldom visited by birders. With an excellent network of trails taking us deep into the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve that is the ancestral home to the indiginous Waorani People, we will see an incredible array of amazing birds. Here we will look for star birds such as Salvin's Curassow, Rufous Potoo, Fiery Topaz, White-plumed Antbird and many, many others. Moving on to Sani Lodge via a two and a half hour boat ride along the Napo River, this comfortable lodge is owned by the indigenous Kichwa community and is located beside a secluded oxbow lake in the heart of the Amazon rainforest and has earned a reputation as one of the finest places for birding in the whole of Amazonia. Nearly 600 species of birds are known from this single locality, including five species of macaw, 10 puffbirds, seven toucans and more than 40 species of antbirds! This is an amazing place to get an insight into the vast array of birdlife present by visiting the canopy tower which affords eye-level views of species such as Lemon-throated Barbet, Golden-collared Toucanet, Purple-throated Cotinga and a wide variety of other species. The oxbow lake has the bizarre Hoatzin and the elusive Zigzag Heron, there are parrot-licks with Mealy and Yellow-crowned Amazons, Blue-headed and Orange-cheeked Parrots visiting for their daily mineral fix, and a great network of trails. This is going to be an action-packed tour where we will get to see some of the rarest and localised species on the planet all set amidst the awesome Amazon rainforest.