Tour Destinations

Yanacocha Biological Preserve
Sitting on the flanks of the impressive Pichincha Volcano, this high-elevation ecosystem is full of unique high-andean species like Sword-billed Hummingbird, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, White-throated Screech-Owl, Golden-breasted Puffleg, and Equatorial Antpitta. We will spend the morning at the bird feeding station and exploring trails seeking out all the birds of this upper cloud-forest habitat.

Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve
This 2000-acre reserve is nestled in right in the cloud-forest zone of the west slope of the Andes, holding a staggering amount of bird species, over 450 and counting! The simple and beautiful lodge is complete with hand-built wood and bamboo rooms, a patio, garden, trails, and lounge, all designed to make the experience of being in the cloud-forest the focus of our stay.
The birds are spectacular, with regular visitors being dozens of tanagers and hummingbirds, Turquoise Jay, Russet-crowned Warbler, and Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia to name a few. The real stars of the show are the range-restricted Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, Tanager Finch, Toucan Barbet, and White-faced Nunbird.

Refugio Paz de las Aves
What started out as a farm field has now bloomed into one of the most famous birding destinations in the world! The relatively small 62-acre preserve now hosts hundreds of birders every year, all who enjoy the dozens of species that attend the feeders. The main attraction, however, are the forest birds, where the owners have trained 6 species of Antpittas to show for visitors! The one that started it all is a Giant Antpitta named Maria, still coming in to get her daily mealworms. The other keynote of the property is an active Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek, where these crow-sized bright orange birds display communally to win over mates. A visit to Paz de las Aves is truly a can’t-miss experience.

Mashpi-Amagusa Reserve
At about 3,700 feet elevation, the Reserva Mashpi-Amagusa area is home to a variety of mid-elevation specialties like Moss-backed Tanager, Rufous-throated Tanager, Rose-faced Parrot, Choco Brushfinch, and Yellow-collared Chlorophonia, and so many more!
We will hunt down harder forest species as well, like Black Solitaire, Golden-headed Quetzal, Maroon-tailed Parakeet, Ornate Flycatcher, and Pacific Tuftedcheek. The area holds over 450 species, so taking our time will grant us the chance at a diverse set of birds throughout the day.

Río Silanche Bird Sanctuary
Even lower in elevation, the Rio Silanche Bird Sanctuary is a private reserve at about 1,000 feet above sea level, and this means we have the opportunity at dozens of new species including some Choco endemics like Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, Blue-whiskered Tanager, Choco Tyrannulet, and Gray-and-Gold Tanager. Spending the day walking trails, we will squeeze the most out of this lowland rainforest destination.

Oilbirds and Umbrellabirds
While not in expansive preserves, we will make two very important birding stops to look for Long-wattled Umbrellabirds and Oilbirds!
Oilbirds nest in caves and caverns, and we will visit a known site where we can walk into a ravine and get incredible looks at these massive and bizarre nocturnal birds.

Visiting an Umbrellabird lek first thing in the morning gives us the best chance at seeing one of these icons of the rainforest. A large, crow-sized member of the Cotinga family, the umbrellabirds are named for a weird set of plumes on their head that expand out to make an umbrella shape when erected. The Long-wattled males have freaky neck wattles covered in black feathers that they extend and contract when displaying!