WORLD HERITAGE BIRDING

CENTRAL ANDES BIRDING

CLIMATE:

Much of the trip will be in mid elevations where the climate is quite pleasant, but it can get cold at Atillos Lake , and it is hot and humid in the lowlands. Some rain is likely, though it is often dry during the period of July through September.

DIFFICULTY:

Easy to moderate. On most days we will be birding from the road, but some of the trails can be muddy and fairly steep.

ACCOMMODATION:

Good to excellent, with private bathrooms, hot water, and electricity always available

Itinerary

Day 1

Transfer and arrival to hotel, Sebastian Hotel or Similar

Day 2

Quito - Pasochoa, Yambo and Patate, overnight at Local Hotel , Hacienda Manteles

Day 3

Patate area, LLanganates National Park full day , drive to Banos, Hotel Santa Clara

Day 4

Sunac Forest full day , later return to Banos, Hostal Santa Clara

Day 5

Drive to Cock of the Rock lek , bird around the area and late arrival to Puyo, Altos del Pastaza Lodge

Day 6

Pitirisha and Huamoya area : late drive to Macas , Hosteira Orillas del Rio

Day 7

Sangay National Park , Guamote Road, full day birding Return to Macas, Hosteria del Rio

Day 8

Sangay National Park , Guamote Road full day birding , Return to Macas Hosteria del Rio

Day 9

flight to Quito, and transfer to Hotel Sebastian

Day by Day

Day 1

Arrival to Quito , a city declared Cultural Heritage in 1978 and the second highest capital in South America. A lovely city full of contrast between the modern and Spanish-Inca colonial.

After meeting your guide upon your arrival to Quito, you will be transferred to your hotel located only minutes from the airport. Overnight at the Sebastian Hotel a comfortable hotel.

Day 2

Early in the morning ( 06:00 am ) pcik up from the hotel and drive south of the city to bird the Pasochoa Reserve. A birding spot located 48 km south from Quito. Some of the birds to be found are Rufous -naped Brush finch, Scarlet bellied Mountain Tanager, Shining Sunbeam, Sparkling Violetear, Black-Crested Warbler, Citrine Warbler, Crimson -mantled Woodpecker among many others. Pasochoa Reserve is a montane forest at 9,500 feet above sea level.

Continue to the Cotopaxi National park to bird the Limpiopungo Lake. Andean Gul, Ecuadorian Hillstar, Bar -winger Cinclodes, Paramo Ground - Tyrant, Grass Wren, Black -chested Buzzard Eagle are some of the birds we will see. At noon we find a good spot to enjoy our box lunch. In the afternoon we take the Panamerican Highway heading south reaching Patate and the LlAnganates National Park by late afternoon. Dinner and overnight Hosteria Manteles

Day 3

Early departure to visit the buffer zone of the Llanganates National Park ,Perhaps no other place on Earth is less explored than the high eastern peaks of Llanganates National Park. The myths associated with this mysterious place and its almost unsurpassed level of biodiversity, make Llanganates one of the most intriguing natural places on the planet.

The 290,707 rugged hectares of Llanganates National Park, much of which remains unmapped and unchartered, has land in the provinces of Tungurahua, Pastaza, Cotopaxi, and Napo. The Park's topography is varied with altitudes ranging from 1,200 meters above sea level to 4,571 meters above sea level.

here we work with local communties in order to show them the importance of ecotourism as a feasible alternative for conservation and alternate income. Birds we will be looking for will be such as Chesnit - bellied Cotinga, Gray -breasted Mountain- Toucan , Rufous- headed Brush - Finch, Inca Jay, Torrent Duck, Plain - breasted Hawk, Russet - crowned and Black - crested Warblers,White -capped Parrot, Spillmans Tapaculo, Hooded Mountain Tanager, Grass- green Tanager, Golden -crowned Tanager,among many others, All these are Communitary Forest te area to b e visited will be in the range of 2,600 mts ( 7,800 ft) to 3,200mts ( 9.000 ft) a unique forest of 15,000 hectares that local community is trying to protect , Box lunch on the way and and late afternoon drive to Banos. A touristic city considered the entrance to the central Oriente ( Lowland Rainforest ) Overnight at Hostal Santa Clara

Day 4

Very early in the morning (05 :00) we will start our driving to Rio Verde, a small town from where we can reach Sunac protected area.

This area includes the Rio Suñac watershed, on the western slopes of the Cordillera Abitagua, and the very rich low-elevation cloud forest near the town of Mera (Rio Anzu canyon) on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Abitagua. This area was declared a "Gift to the Earth" by World Wildlife Fund and contains over 100 species of plants not found anywhere else in the world .

It also contains Spectacled Bears, Mountain Tapirs, and an enormous bird diversity. The birds to be seen here are an incredible flocks of tanagers like Golden -eared Tanager, Orange -eared Tanager, Safron - crowned Tanager, Golden Tanager,among many others, Olivaceous Greenlet, Cock of the Rock, Torrent Duck , White -capped Dipper, Torrent Tyranulet,Spectacled Bristle- Tyrant,Scale - crested Pygmy -Tyrant,Fulvous- breasted Flatbill, among many other birs, the forest here is so unique that you can actually feel the sense of visiting a very primitive and real forest.

A box lunch will be served inside the trail , then on our way back to the entrance we will walk the trail searching and still browsing for some other birds like Yellow -eyed Flowerpiercer, Olive finch, Inca Jay etc, late return to our hotel in Banos, ovenright at Santa Clara Hotel or similar.

Day 5

Early in the morning we will visit a Cock of the Rock lek located in a very close property to Rio Verde. On our way to the spot we will enjoy some of the birds in the area like: Sickle -winged Guan, Northern Mt Cacique, Tropical Parula, Vermilion Tanager, Inca Jay, Silver-beaked Tanager, Common -bush Tanager, Southern yellow -Grosbeak, Black and White Seedeater.

During the morning we will be dedicated to visiting and exploring this area. Lunch will be served in a local small but clean restaurant and late afternoon we will visit some other areas near Mera at lower elevation.

Around this area we will see Yellow-browed Sparrow, Olivaceous Siskin, Orange - backed Troupial, Yellow -rumper Cacique, Orange -bellied Euphonia, Black - faced Dacnis, Swallow - tailed Kite, Band -tailed Pigeon, Gray - rumped Swift, Tawny - bellied Hermit, etc. Flocks may surprise us on our way to Puyo, town which will be our next stop for the night.

Day 6

The colonization and urban development have been dramatic in all these areas specially on the connectivity road among Banos- Puyo.

This being the highway to Macas which will provide us a wonderful chance to enjoy some of the avian beauties which are found at 3, 000 feet on subtropical forest of the East. Biodiversity and lushness are notorious in this habitat.

Birds here are, Chesnut -bellied Seedeater, Grey- breasted Sabrewing, Sparkling Violetear, Cream -colored Woodpecker, Plum -throated Cotinga, Solitary Cacique, Swallow Tanager, White -banded Swallow, Buff -rumped Warbler, Piratic Flycatcher, Lesser Kiskadee, Dusky- capped Flycatcher, White- Crowned Tapaculo, Fiery -throated Fruiteater, Ecuadorean Tyrannulet,Purplish Jacamar, Paradise Tanager, Bay -headed Tanager and many others. Box lunch on the way.

Afternoon birding and arrival to Macas where we will overnight in a local Hotel Orillas del Rio.

Day 7 and 8th

From Macas, a clean and quiet city located at 1,000mts ( 3,300 feet ) high, we will start early in the morning to bird around the famous road to Guamote. These patches of forest are still in good shape and are in the buffer zone of the Sangay National Park , the third biggest park in Ecuador.

The dramatic changes of altitudinal ranges here produce chances to see some interesting birds that are hard in other regions of the country because of traffic. Finally we will be alone on the road with no trucks or other cars to scare our birds. Rivers are cristal clear and scenic.

This area produces interesting surprises such us Golden - eyed Flowerpiercer, Chesnut - tipped Toucanet, Red - headed Barbet, Orange - eared Tanager, Ecuadorean Gray tail, Bronze - green Euphonia, Golden Tanager, Blue - necked Tanager, Bay headed Tanager, Spotted Sandpiper, Grayish Saltator, Yellow - browed Sparrow, Lesser Seedfinch, Yellow -Throated bush -Tanager, Summer Tanager, Sepia -brown Wren, Black-faced Dacnis, Purple Honeycreeper, Golden -winged Manakin, Inca Jay, Plumbeous -crowned Tyrannulet, Marble - faced Bristle -Tyrant, Zimmers Flatbill, Olive -backed Woodcreeper, Lineated Woodcreeper . Both days we will focus on different elevations from 3,000 feet high to the highest point at 10,000feet in the montane forest. We will work for Gray - breasted Mountain Toucan, Grass -Green Tanager. Hooded Mountain Tanager, Black - headed Hemmispingus, Gray - hooded bush -Tanager, Superciliared Hemminspingus, Citrine Warbler, Spectacled Whitestart,Blue - backed Conebill, among many others>

The lake of Atillos will also be in the highest point and give us chances to see , Ecuadorian Rail, Andean Teal, Andean Coots, White- cheeked Pintail, also Shining Sunbeam , Black - chested Mountain Tanager, Box lunches will be taken both days, since the area is isolated. Birds we will look for are rare and unique. These two days will be intense but full of nice moments and wonderful landscapes.

Day 9

Early in the morning we will do some short birding around Macas before heading to the airport to catch our flight back to Quito.

Flight leaves at 11 : 30am reason why we will enjoy the birds of first light before heading to the airport. Such birds could easily be White banded, White winged, Barn, Southern rough and blue and white Swallows.

Green Kingfisher,Yellow bellied Seedeater, Yellow -tufted Woodpecker, Silver - beaked Tanager, Once in Quito, we will be transferred to the hotel in Quito, run our bird list and enjoy the memories of the birds seen. In the afteroon a short visit to old town can be arranged. Farewell dinner and overnight.

Day 10

Transfer out to International flight , End of Services

Prices

Price from Quito :

BIRD GUIDE, PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION , ACCOMMODATION AND MEALS , PARK FEE INTERNAL AIRK TKTS

NOT INCLUDED : DRINKS, PERSONAL EXPENSES, DINNER WHILE IN QUITO