SOUTHERN ECUADOR INTRO

The bird-rich country of Ecuador has always had a lot to offer the travelling birder and our tour to Southern Ecuador will fill in many gaps in your lifelist with numerous rare, exciting and seldom-seen species. Our tour is designed to find some of the very special birds of this region including the Tumbesian endemics, with many localised species not seen on other regular birding routes in Ecuador. With the skills of our knowledgable local guide, Juan Carlos Calvachi, we will be looking for incredible birds such as El Oro Parakeet, Jocotoco Antpitta, Fiery-throated Fruiteater, Chestnut-bellied Cotinga, Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Orange-throated and Black-and-white Tanagers and so many others amongst a host of other highly localised and sought-after species. We will begin in Guayaquil and make our way across hidden Andean valleys, Amazonian lowlands, moss-encrusted and epiphyte-laden cloud forests and even explore the arid regions in the south of this amazing country. Starting at the Santa Elena Peninsula will give us a great insight into birds of the coastal regions, before visiting the awesome Buenaventura Reserve for species such as the rare El Oro Parakeet and Long-wattled Umbrellabird. An exciting morning from here will see us head up to over 3000m to see Blue-throated Hillstar - only recently discovered in 2017. Jorupe Reserve is next with Ecuadorian Piculet, Watkin's Antpitta, Tumbes Pewee, and the incredible Rainbow Starfrontlet amongst many others. Utuana and Taipichalaca Reserves are next and we should encounter the incomparable Jocotoco Antpitta here. Continuing to Loja and Yankuam Lodge we will search for Orange-throated Tanager before visiting Copalinga Lodge & Podocarpus National Park where Chestnut-bellied Cotinga is a big target for us amongst a huge list of incredibly rare and localised species. We will also make a diversion for the endemic Pale-headed Brush-Finch before ending this superb tour amidst the paramo of El Cajas National Park where species such as Ecuadorian Rail, Violet-throated Metaltail and Ecuadorian Hillstar reside. By staying in many of the Jocotoco Foundations lodges we will help support vital conservation projects in the region and do our small part in encouraging these local initiatives.