8‑Day Bird Photo Tour of the Western Slope
We organize customized tours specializing in birdwatching and bird photography throughout Ecuador. Ecuador is one of the world’s top biodiversity hotspots, with more than 1,700 recorded bird species despite being only the size of Colorado, and offers an incredible variety of habitats. This tour covers some of the most famous birding sites in the Andes highlands, cloud forests, and upper tropical forests, where hummingbird feeders attract a dazzling variety of shimmering species. The tour is open to bird photographers of all levels, from beginners to seasoned experts.
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1 – Arrival in Quito & Transfer to Cloud Forest
Arrival at Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito. According to your flight schedule, you will be met and transferred privately to Butterfly & Bird Julio Tours Ecolodge in the La Delicia community of Nanegal. Enjoy your first views of the tropical cloud forest of northwestern Ecuador along the way. Travel time to the ecolodge is approximately 2½–3 hours.
Overnight: Butterfly & Bird Julio Tours Ecolodge.
Days 2–3 – Bird Photography at Feeders
Bird Photography at Hummingbird and Tanager Feeders
We will spend our first day at leisure around the ecolodge, observing and photographing the numerous species of hummingbirds, tanagers, and other species at well-placed feeders. Nanegal is respectfully nestled in lush forest, making for a setting that welcomes an astonishing number of species that inhabit the area. Your genial, expert birding guide will be available today to identify all of the birds you see. We will watch for the Green-crowned Woodnymph, White-whiskered Hermit, Green Thorntail, White-necked Jacobin, Green-crowned Brilliant,
White-necked Jacobin, Long-billed Starthroat, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Rufous Motmot, Blue-necked Tanager, Lemon-rumped Tanager, Buff-throated Saltator, Black-winged Saltator, Thick-billed Euphonia, Orange-crowned Euphonia, and Orange-billed Sparrow. On our second day we continued enjoying photography at bird feeders and tanagers in the most remote places of Andean choco birds in the tropical forest of Nanegal-La Delicia restaurant.
Overnight at Buttefly and Bird Julio Tours-Ecolodge
Day 4 – Andean Cock‑of‑the‑Rock & Cloud Forest
Bird Photography Andean Cock-of-the-Rock and Hummingbirds Paradise
Today we will leave very early (4:45 in the morning) to photograph some of the endemic birds of the cloud forest. Today’s target endemic birds will be the Dark-backed Wood-quail, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Giant Antpitta, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Moustached Antpitta, Chestnut-crowned Antpitta, and Ochre-breasted Antpitta. Hummingbirds here include the Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Brown Violetear, Speckled Hummingbird, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, Booted Racked-tail, Buff-tailed Coronet, and Purple-throated Woodstar. Overnight at Butterfly and Brd Julio Tours-Ecolodge.
Day 5 – Amagusa Reserve Bird Paradise & Hummingbird Sightings
Bird Photography at Amagusa Reserve Bird Paradise and Hummingbird Sightings
Enjoy a new day of birding on the other side of the cloud forest to find endemic birds such as Glistening‑green Tanager, Rufous‑throated Tanager, Golden Tanager, Silver‑throated Tanager, Flame‑faced Tanager, Golden‑naped Tanager, Black‑capped Tanager, Black‑chinned Mountain‑Tanager, Palm Tanager, and Toucan Barbet. Hummingbirds here may include Velvet‑purple Coronet, Violet‑tailed Sylph, Brown Inca, Green‑crowned Woodnymph, Green‑crowned Brilliant, White‑necked Jacobin, Green Thorntail, White‑whiskered Hermit, and Empress Brilliant.
Overnight at Butterfly and Bird Julio Tours-Ecolodge
Day 6 – Toucan & Hummingbird Feeders
Bird Photography at Toucan and Hummingbird Feeders
After breakfast, we will drive for 40 minutes to the toucan and hummingbird feeder area. This charming little place offers some extraordinary photographic oportunities. Our targets choco endemic birds are the magnificient Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan and other new bird species including the Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Red-headed Barbet, Green-and-black Fruiteater, Sickle-winged Guan, Blue-capped Tanager, Dusky Chlorospingus, Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager, and Beryl-spangled Tanager. Hummingbird photography at this location offers several new hummingbird species including the Hoary Puffleg, Gorgeted Sunangel, Collared Inca, and Tawny-bellied Hermit.
Overnight at Butterfly and Bird Julio Tours-Ecolodge
Day 7 – Umbrellabird Lek & Tropical Forest Birds
Bird Photography at Umbrellabird Lek
This is a special and favorite location, offering pleasant temperatures and excellent birdwatching in the Andean cloud forest. Here, we will search for one of Ecuador’s most unusual birds, the endemic Chocó Umbrellabird, recognized by its long feathered caruncle and distinctive umbrella-shaped crest.
Early in the morning, we will drive about an hour to photograph this incredible species. From the hide, we can observe the birds displaying at their lek from approximately 165 feet away—and, with a bit of luck, even closer. After photographing this striking bird, we will enjoy a relaxing coffee break.
Continuing our journey, we will look for Gartered Trogon, Golden-headed Quetzal, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Ornate Hawk-Eagle.
Overnight at Butterfly and Bird Julio Tours-Ecolodge
Day 8 – Milpe Area Tropical Forest
Bird Photography at Milpe Area Tropical Forest
After breakfast, we will drive for 35 minutes from our ecolodge to the Milpe area, which is located in the heart of the Chocó Corridor. This part of Ecuador is famous and striking endemic are birds found here. We can encounter the Collared (or-Pale-mandibled) Aracari, Chocó Toucan, Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Red-headed Barbet, Green Honeycreeper, Silver-throated Tanager, Buff-throated Saltator, Black-winged Saltator, Thick-billed Euphonia, Orange-crowned Euphonia, Orange-billed Sparrow, Broad-billed Motmot, Collared Trogon, White-tailed Trogon, Blue-necked Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, and Guayaquil Woodpecker. And we will see even more hummingbirds, such as the Green-crowned Woodnymph, White-whiskered Hermit, Green Thorntail, Green-crowned Brilliant, White-necked Jacobin, and Tooth-billed Hummingbird.
At the end of our 8-day tour, we will depart at 4:00 PM for a private, escorted transfer to Quito International Airport or to your hotel in the Quito area, marking the conclusion of a memorable birding experience.
Participants continuing with our 14 day tour will Overnight at Quito Ecolodge.
Trip Information
Length: 8 days Bird Photo Tour (with optional pre/post extensions)
Starting City: Quito
Ending City: Quito
Physical Difficulty: Moderate
Focus: Birding and Bird Photography
Group Size: All groups are limited to 5 participants.
Driving Distance between Eco‑lodges: ~2 hours.
Specialized English‑speaking bird photography guide
Private transportation
All accommodations
Entrance fees to all reserves and activities
All meals plus water during transfers
International airfare
Alcoholic beverages
Tips
Laundry services
Experienced Bird Guide
All of our guides have over 20 years of experience as birdwatching and bird photography guides in Ecuador.
Your Guide’s Equipment
Binoculars
Spotting scope
Laser pointer
Field guide
All eco-lodges are located in the country’s most important and biologically diverse areas for butterfly and bird watching. They are built with local materials and offer Wi-Fi, hot water, standard double or single rooms, and panoramic views.