Ecuador: Southwestern Andes & Lowlands Apr 03—13, 2009
Posted by Paul Greenfield
Paul Greenfield
Paul Greenfield grew up near New York City and became interested in birds as a child. He received his B.F.A. from Temple University where he was an art major at the Tyler S...Related Trips
This was a first/pioneer adventure for VENT and it surely proved both exciting and challenging as could be expected. The southwestern region of Ecuador is made up of a fascinating combination of contrasting habitats, extreme altitudinal zones, and important centers of unique endemism—quite a "binocular-full" for just nine field days! Our first day's findings seem crazy now in retrospect—Horned Screamers, Snail Kites, and Red-masked and Gray-cheeked parakeets were recorded in the steamy coastal lowlands before lunch, while we enjoyed an afternoon of Andean Condor, Ecuadorian Hillstar, Violet-bellied Metaltail, Andean Tit-Spinetail, Giant Conebill, and Tit-like Dacnis in the cold, high Andean paramo zone to above 12,000 feet. Our second day began with a lucky sighting of Pale-headed Brush-Finch, one of Ecuador's rarest and most threatened bird species—only as many as 100 individuals remain in the wild—now under the protection of Ecuador's Jocotoco Foundation.
As we journeyed farther to the south, we began a deeper incursion into the world's second richest region of species endemism—the Tumbesian Endemic Center. This is a zone of seasonal deciduous forest, woodland, and scrub, which at this time appeared misleadingly green and lush in sharp contrast to its equally dry, leafless, and even barren appearance seen here from late June to December. We quickly found some local specialties, including Loja Hummingbird, Short-tailed Woodstar, Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant, Long-tailed Mockingbird, Fasciated Wren, Tumbes Sparrow, Drab Seedeater, and, of course, Pacific Pygmy-Owl. As we climbed to the higher and wetter Utuana Reserve, we came across two (or three) trip favorites: first, the truly enjoyable Black-crested Tit-Tyrant with its disheveled punk "hair-do," and then we spent some time mesmerized by the most spectacular Rainbow Starfrontlet show (it is truly pointless to even try to pick a hummingbird favorite, but…) though I cannot omit the Purple-throated Sunangels, all in incredible light, glowing the complete gamut of refracted prismatic colors with indescribable intensity—the oohs and aahs could not be contained!
Our travels continued downslope to the Macará region where we enjoyed a full-day visit to Jorupe Reserve and another day in the surrounding area. During a brief stop en route at Sozoranga, we observed a large roost of Chestnut-collared Swallows that covered the church and neighboring buildings. Jorupe was great; we were originally supposed to stay at the brand new lodge that was still unfortunately in its last stages of construction, but we took good advantage of the 99% completed building structure—hanging out at the wonderful veranda, with its commanding view of the forest below, and lunching there (we were even asked to check out and comment on one of the cabins that were being furnished as we birded—we all can't wait to return and stay over). We were engulfed by a large mixed foraging flock right there—Ecuadorian Trogon, Scarlet-backed Woodpecker, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Red-billed Scythebill, Collared Antshrike, Pacific Elaenia, Sooty-crowned Flycatcher, White-tailed Jay, Plumbeous-backed Thrush, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Orange-crowned Euphonia, and White-edged Oriole, among the many species that greeted us. The remainder of the day brought other prizes, including Tumbes Swift, Porculla Hermit, Blue-crowned Motmot, Gray-breasted Flycatcher, Blackish-headed Spinetail, Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner, Speckle-breasted Wren, and Gray-and-gold Warbler.
Our following morning was spent along the main "highway" and a lovely side road just east of the reserve where we secured excellent looks at Barred Hawk, Black-billed Cuckoo, Ecuadorian Piculet, Watkins' Antpitta, Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner (again), Tumbes Pewee, and Superciliated Wren, along with a whole host of others. That afternoon we took an excursion farther south to Zapotillo where we picked up Comb Duck, Baird's Flycatcher, and Saffron Siskin, along with better looks at Peruvian Meadowlark. The following day was spent on the road with an important stop made at El Empalme where we found Tumbes Hummingbird, Black-and-white Tanager (after quite a bit of work!), and White-headed Brush-Finch.
Our final destination before returning to Guayaquil included three nights in cloud forest at Buenaventura Reserve's Umbrellabird Lodge, which turned out to be a favorite for all. Spectacular hummingbird feeders certainly might have been one of the reasons, but the food and general birding conditions were surely noteworthy. We found such specialties as Gray-backed Hawk, Rose-faced Parrot, Bronze-winged Parrot, Baron's Hermit, Emerald-bellied Woodnymph, Violet-bellied Hummingbird, Velvet-purple Coronet, Golden-headed Quetzal, Pale-mandibled Araçari, Chocó Toucan, Guayaquil Woodpecker, Scaled Fruiteater, Loja Tyrannulet, Club-winged Manakin, Thrushlike Schiffornis, Olive-crowned Yellowthroat, Black-and-white Seedeater, and Yellow-bellied Siskin. But the highlight here, and not after a few attempts, was our early morning sighting of two Long-wattled Umbrellabirds at their lek site. They had snuck in silently right above our heads while it was still fairly dark, only giving away their presence by one brief and soft cow-like "moo."
We began our return to Guayaquil the following morning with two stops—at an area of shrimp farms and mangrove where we saw many wetland species, and later a detour to an area of foothills and waterfalls where we found several new species for the trip, including Roseate Spoonbill, White Ibis, Cocoi Heron, Gray-hooded Gull, Bicolored Hawk, Pale-mandibled Araçari, and Chestnut-throated Seedeater. In all this was a trip of distinctive contrasts and local endemics in a tiny country that is truly one of the world's highest biodiversity hot spots.