Birding Tour South Ecuador 9 DAYS 8 NIGHTS

Overview

This Birding route should start in Peru at Jaen a border town in the Cajamarca Region, this is Tropical Dry Forest with Endemic of the Marañon so this tour will put together some of the North specialist of Peru and the South of Ecuador like Tapichala Lodge cloud forest east slope and Buenaventura with Choco cloud forest west slope of the Andes.

This trip can be an extension after visiting the Abra Patricia and the Marvelous Spatuletail hummingbird reserve Huembo.

Day 1, Morning flight from Lima to Jaen so today we visit the Yanahuanca reserve

Overnight: Jaen Hotel

Day 2, We leave toward San Ignacio town then the border with Ecuador so we will be birding toward Tapichalaca Lodge

Overnight: Tapichalaca Lodge / 1800-3400 masl

Day 3, Full day Birding at the trails the visit the Jocotoco Antpitta

Overnight: Tapichalaca Lodge / 1800-3400 masl

Day 4, Early morning explore the trails on the mountain side to look for Ocellated Tapaculo.

Overnight: Tapichalaca Lodge / 1800-3400 masl

Day 5, We leave early in the morning toward Podocarpus National then to Loja town.

Overnight: Hotel Oro Verde Loja / 2060 masl.

Day 6, We continue birding to Buenaventura Lodge by Jocotoco Foundation.

Overnight: Buenaventura Lodge / 400 1450 masl

Day 7, Birding at the trails and the Long-wattled Umbrellabird Lek then we will explore the trails uphill.

Overnight: Buenaventura Lodge

Day 8, Today we have a full day birding for Oro Parakeet near the Lodge

Overnight: Buenaventura Lodge

Day 9, Early in the morning we leave to Santa Rosa airport to take the plane to Quito, Cuenca or Guayaquil city

End of the tour

Itinerary

Day 1

Morning flight from Lima to Jaen so today we visit the Yanahuanca reserve for some of the Marañon specialist so like Little Inca Finch, Marañon Crescent chest, Marañon Spinetail, Slaty Antshrike among others.

We spend the night at Jaen,

Overnight: Jaen Hotel

Day 2

We leave toward San Ignacio town by car close to the border with Ecuador so we will be birding along the road on the way to Zumba town already Ecuador then to Tapichalaca Lodge (about 5 hours) for some special birds like Red-headed Barbet, Red-hooded Tanager, White-capped Tanager, Golden-crowned Tanage, we should hear latein the afternoon the Jocotoco Antpitta, Andean Potoo, Golden-plumed Parakeet flock flying by and Chesnut-naped Antpitta, Ocellated Tapaculo

Overnight: Tapichalaca Lodge / 1800-3400 masl

Bronzy Inca

Note: The Tapichalaca reserve is the first created by the Jocotoco Foundation, thanks to the discovery of one of the rarest birds in the world, the Jocotoco Antpitta. This bird was discovered by the ornithologist Dr. Robert Ridgely, in 1997, in his honour this species is named “Grallaria ridgelyi”.

Day 3

Full day Birding at the trails, After an early breakfast we will hike uphill to the mountainside so this is the best place to find and photograph the Jocotoco Antpitta one of the latest discovered species of birds in Ecuador and Peru, the Bearded Guan, Coppery-chested Jacamar, White-breasted Parakeet and Masked Mountain Tanager also near threatened birds: the Imperial Snipe, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Brown-billed Scythebill, Neblina Metaltail, Orange-Banded Flycatcher and Masked Saltator.

Overnight: Tapichalaca Lodge / 1800-3400 masl

Red-headed Barbet

Day 4

Early morning explore the trails on the mountain side to look for Ocellated Tapaculo, White-throated Quail-Dove, Rufous Wren, Ochre-breasted Antpitta and other birds, this will a full day birding

Overnight: Tapichalaca Lodge / 1800-3400 masl

Day 5

we leave early in the morning toward Podocarpus National Parka protected forest by car near Loja birding on the route so we will look for Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Little Sunangel, Rufous-capped Thornbill, Little Woodstar, Bearded Guan, Speckle-face Parrot,Black-hooded Hemispingus, Turquoise Jay, Golden-plumed Parakeet among others birds.

Overnight:Hotel Oro Verde Loja / 2060 masl.

Day 6

We continue birding and traveling by car 3 hour, early in the morning we leave from Loja toward Buenaventura Lodge run by Jocotoco Funcation so this is a great location for birds at the Choco cloud Forest near the Pacific so we have a healthy population of Green Thorntail Emerald-bellied Woodnymph White-necked Jacobin Green-crowned Brilliant, Purple-throated Woodstar visiting the hummingbird feeders and garden plants.

In the night the Black and white Owl we have a good chance for it

Overnight: Buenaventura Lodge / 400 1450 masl

Day 7

Birding at the trails and the Long-wattled Umbrellabird Lek then we will explore the trails uphill and the artificial nest for the Oro Parakeets In this area there are small populations of the endangered Gray-cheeked Parakeet (Brotogeris pyrrhoptera) and the Pacific Royal Flycatcher (Onychorhynchus occidentalis) among other species the Gray-backed Hawks (Chordeiles acutipennis) Ecuadorian Trogon, Whooping Motmot, Black-cheeked woodpecker, Brownish Twistwing, Chocó Toucan, White-whiskered Puffbird Elegant Crescentchest Pacific Royal Flycatcher.

In the afternoon we should relax enjoy the activity of hummers at the feeders in the lodge.

Overnight: Buenaventura Lodge

Green Thornbill

Day 8

Today we have a full day birding for Oro Parakeet, Oro Tapaculo, Ochraceous Attila, at the lek the Club-winged Manakin, Esmeraldas Antbird, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Glistening-green Tanager,

Black-chinned Mountain Tanager, Flame-rumped Tanager Chestnut-headed Oropendola and Orange-crowned Euphonia in the mixed Flock species of birds among many more birds

Overnight: Buenaventura Lodge

Day 9

Early in the morning we leave to Santa Rosa airport to take the plane to Quito, Cuenca or Guayaquil city

End of the tour

It includes

Included in your trip :

Air tickets for domestic flights.
All the accommodations (hotels,lodges)
Accommodation in double rooms
Water available all the time
All the Transfers services
Private Van transportation
All meals are included.
English speaking guide.
Entrances fee for blinds to see hummingibirds or other birds.

Not Included

International flights and taxes.
Excess baggage charges.
Extra services, transportation.
Extra nights at the different hotels.
Laundry service, room service, tips or gratuity, medical expenses
Personal expenses and tips.
Passengers should bring some cash.
alcoholic drinks, international phone calls

Birding Tour South Ecuador 9 DAYS 8 NIGHTS

Price

USD.00

per person

Michael Potter

2022-10-15

Excellent birding with Peru Wild Birds Jose Luis Avendano M. of Peru Wild Birds was a super guide for a day of birding near Cusco (Pachar, Ensifera Hummingbird Refuge, Laguna Piuray). Jose Luis is attentive to detail and very knowledgeable about the birds of Peru including vocalizations.He also guided me for four days to the Los Amigos Biological Station on the Rio Madre de Dios upstream of Puerto Maldonado (Amazon basin). He was familiar with the area and worked hard in order for me to find target species.In addition, Jose Luis is an accomplished bird photographer who leads bird photography tours. Although I wasn't signed up for a dedicated bird photo package, he kept my interest in getting photos front of mind.To top it off, Jose Luis went the extra mile in being helpful about matters not directly connected with birding (for example enabling me to get a boarding pass in advance of a flight when my phone wasn't connecting to the net).Highly recommended!

Kristin G

2022-09-14

Exceptional birding experience Birding with Jose has a guide was the highlight of trip to Peru. I saw 42 new species within only a few hours and was able to get some excellent photos. I was inspired by Jose’s passion and understanding of birds. This was an excellent company to work with with too. Everyone I needed to work with had excellent English. I birded close to Cusco but they gave me extra tips for what birds to look for during a quick day trip I made on my own to Lima. I was on a very tight schedule and this company accommodated me perfectly. Excellent value. Highly recommend!!!

Terry M

2022-08-18

Peruvian Birding Adventure Peru Wild Birds is the way to go! Sally and I visited Peru for three weeks on a private birding tour with Percy Avendano Medina in 2015 and it was without a doubt one of the best of many birding trips we have been on. The majority of our trip was spent visiting birding lodges at differing elevations on the amazing Manu Road with time also spent at Machu Picchu, other Incan ruins and Lake Sandoval in the Amazon lowlands. It remains the trip with the most species seen at 407! Percy was very helpful regarding tour arrangements and logistics that were very involved visiting multiple locations, using several internal flights, etc. He is extremely knowledgeable, not just regarding birds but with all things Peru including archaeology, culture and history. He is personable, patient and engaging, we thoroughly enjoyed his company and expertise throughout our Peruvian adventure and we have kept in touch with him since. Accommodations and food were excellent and the pacing of the trip perfect for us. This was the second time Percy was my guide, the first, resulting from a recommendation by a student, was during the Neotropical Ornithological Congress in 2011. Sally and I plan to return to Peru at some point for a more northern birding tour and we would not consider using any other company or guide!

lakecanon

2018-02-01

The only way to tour the Sacred Valley We spent 6 days on a private tour with Percy from Peru Wild. I am an avid birder but my husband is not. Percy made the time birding enjoyable for both amd showed us so many amazing birds in many locations. We also toured many Incan sites, quaint villages and dramatic landscapes. His knowledge of Incan history and Peruvian culture is boundless. We had so much fun with him and our very excellent driver and had a safe, interesting, unique adventure.. Our day at Machu Picchu was fantastic with an early morning hike to the Sun Gate and then a 3 hour walking tour of the ruins. We also saw quite a few new birds too!I would highly recommend Peru Wild for any trip to Peru.

Angelika F

2017-05-28

Individualreise mit Peru wild birds Durch unsere erste Naturreise bzw. Birding Tour nach Peru, lernten wir Josè Luis Avendano kennen, er arbeitete zu der Zeit noch für ein anderes Reise- Unternehmen, wo er für uns ( 6 Personen) eine Birding Tour zusamengestellt hatte. Wir wurden auf dieser Reise hervorragend von ihm betreut. Was bei 6 Personen auch nicht immer leicht ist, da jeder so seine individuellen Wünsche hat. Von ihm erfuhren wir, dass dies seine letzte Reise als Tourguide für diese Organisation sei, und er zusammen mit seinem Bruder dann seine eigene Firma hat. Dadurch kamen wir zu Peru wild birds. José stellte dann für Oktober 2016 eine individuelle Birding Tour für den Norden Perus für mich und meinen Mann zusammen. Wiederum, wurde die Reise von ihm bis ins Detail geplant und zusammengestellt. Ebenso beeindruckte er uns von seinem Wissen über die einheimische Vogel- und Tierwelt, obwohl unsere Reise mehr auf Natur und Tierwelt ausgerichtet war, erzählte er uns ebenso viel wissenswertes aus der vergangenen Kultur Perus und der heutigen Kultur Perus. Unsere nächste Vogelreise ist schon in Planung, diesesmal werden wir mit Peru wild birds nach Bolivien reisen. Wir freuen uns jetzt schon auf diese Reise.

Rubens C

2016-09-04

Excelente Contactamos a Jose Luis y Perci para realizar un tour por el Manu y nos ofrecieron un itinerario excelente ... 9 dìas donde visitamos diferentes lugares guiados por Perci . Amabilidad muy buenos alojamientos naturaleza cerca de 400 especies de aves .. solo agradecimiento

unoviajero

2016-07-13

I have made four trips to different parts of Peru, both alone and with my wife, guided by both jose' luis and by percy. I met Jose' Luis and Percy about 5 years ago on my second trip to Peru. Our meeting had been arranged thru a travel agency in Cuzco that my wife and I had used on our first trip. On that second trip Jose' and I spent 2-3 weeks birding and travelling thru Manu together. We truly became friends on that adventure and I have met him or his brother Percy for two other month long sojourns in the last couple of years. My wife has joined us on one of those trips also. Jose' and Percy simply take care of everything...and in an easeful, behind the scenes way that leaves them available to be in relationship with you, and to share their amazing knowledge of birds, natural history and culture. Before long, you are just travelling with a knowledgeable friend through a magical landscape inhabited by an amazing people. The drivers, boatmen, cooks, and other secondary helpers that may be needed depending upon your level of expedition, all turn out to be reliable friends of one or both brothers, and before long there is an easy friendship with many of them too. I couldn't be more pleased the with personal ,hands-on experience of travelling with Jose' and Percy. This is not a big company with many simultaneous customers to deal with , with lots of delegated responsibilities, and intermediaries to deal with. You will be in very good hands with these folks...and they are absolutely honest, and there pricing is very reasonable.

youkerd

2016-06-27

Manu Park Birding Tour Highly recommend Peru Wild Birds! Jose was an expert guide who showed us over 300 species of birds, as we traveled over the puna regions down through the cloud forest to the amazon. He took the time to ensure we had excellent looks at all the birds. He handled all the logistics, so all we had to do was enjoy the birding. Also, the lodging and food were outstanding throughout the entire trip.

Ray R

2016-06-07

Percy is simply the best Birding guide you can hire I've had the pleasure of having Percy as my guide for three trips. He is by far the most knowledgeable, friendly and efficient guide you will ever hire. First time was on an Amazonian Lodge / Manu tour (a great tour company and family owned lodge!) where they had hired him as a freelance guide for a few days. Then I hired him for a three day birding trip to Machu Picchu . Then for my 60th birthday I hired him for a month trip to Northern Peru & Ecuador. There are over 900 species of birds in Peru and he seemed to not only be able to instantly ID each bird, but could also identify the sounds of all the birds. Every morning he was cheerful and excited about the birds we might see today. He organized my trips and flawless transportation, and was just such an overall great experience with him.