Southern Ecuador

Land Tour
Highlights

Highlights

  • High concentration of small-range Endemics
  • Visit the innovative conservation reserves that were established by the Jocotoco Foundation
  • Spectacular bird, animal and plant species

Tour Overview

Join us on a birding and conservation tour of southern Ecuador. Famous for the Galapagos, mainland Ecuador can lay claim to one of the highest concentrations of biodiversity in the world including well over 1600 species of birds in an area a third the size of Ontario.

Many of Ecuador’s species, especially those found west of the Andes and in the dry Tumbesian regions of the south, are rare, small-range endemics, found nowhere else in the world. Our tour will focus on visiting these beautiful regions of the country to see these specialized endemics. Along the way, we will see many other spectacular bird, animal and plant species.

While our trip will be focused on seeing as many birds as we can, our aim will be to provide an enjoyable introduction to tropical ecology and the efforts being taken by Jocotoco and others to protect the incredible biodiversity in Ecuador. We will also seek out migrant birds to highlight the ecological connections between North America and Ecuador. This trip will highlight and support the conservation work of the Jocotoco Foundation.

 

More about the Jocotoco Foundation
Our tour will focus on visiting the innovative conservation reserves in Southern Ecuador that were established by the Jocotoco Foundation to protect critically endangered species not otherwise protected within Ecuador’s extensive national system of protected areas (about 26% of the country).

The foundation was formed in 1998 to buy the last remaining habitats of the newly discovered Jocotoco Antpitta a spectacular bird that lives in highly specialized bamboo habitats around Cerro Tapichalaca. Since its founding, Jocotoco has established 12 reserves comprised of close to 20,000 ha of land purchased for conservation. Of these reserves five (Buenaventura, Tapichalaca, Jorupe, Utuana, and Copalinga) are located in the southern part of Ecuador. Each reserve protects a unique biodiversity “hot spot” where there are concentrations of small range endemic species. As there is very little tourism infrastructure in southern Ecuador, Jocotoco built lodges in the reserves to encourage and facilitate tourism in the south. The lodges are built inside the reserves so that visitors can see most of the wildlife or access trails simply by stepping out of the door of their cabins!

What's Included

Tour Price Includes

  • All accommodations
  • All meals
  • EET guide plus a local guide with 4 - 8 pax
  • Ground transportation
  • Includes two in-country flights
  • Park entry/ tour fees
  • Gratuities to local guides and drivers

Tour Price Does Not Include

  • Flights to and from Quito
  • Travel Insurance
  • Items of a personal nature

What to Expect

Overview

The Southern Ecuador birding and conservation tour is a fast paced birding tour. We usually start the day with an early morning, before-breakfast walk, as it is best to begin birding at daybreak in the tropics, when bird activity and song are at their peaks. At the Equator, first light is around 6 am so usually we will muster then. On some occasions, we will get up extra early (to see the Umbrellabird lek and to visit the high altitude zone of Antisana. After lunch, we may have time for a siesta or enjoy watching hummingbirds at feeders at the lodges. In the late afternoon, we venture again to the forest, before returning to the lodge for dinner. We may schedule optional night walks for nocturnal species, spotlighting in the forest at night.

Food

We enjoy excellent meals provided by the various lodges’ dining facilities. Some lunches will be a lunch box in a nice setting, or occasional at a local eatery. Most dinners will be taken at the accommodation or a nearby restaurant. After dinner we compile the day’s checklist, review the day’s activities, birds, mammals and other observations, and plan the next day’s activities.

Accommodation

Accommodations vary from basic to modern, and all will be comfortable.

Walking

On most days we travel short distances with most time being spent outdoors. Birding will be mainly along quiet roads, and we enter forest areas on relatively wide and easy-to-follow trails. We will be walking along forest tracks and trails and also along roadsides. Most of the Jocotoco trails have been designed without steep inclines, but remember we are visiting a very mountainous part of the world. Trails could be muddy and rocky.

Driving

Most days have a small to moderate amount of driving. There will be two longer drives, but we make several stops along the way.

Climate

Our tour takes mainly in the west slope forests at various elevation, which are renowned for their diversity. The weather will be variable. At low elevations it can be very warm during the day. At mid-elevations it can be cool in the evenings and in cloud, or fairly warm in sun. At high elevations it can be surprisingly cold or hot (if there is full sun and no wind). At higher elevation Altitude sickness is a possibility not a trivial matter; those with heart or respiratory conditions should consult their physician. Weather varies greatly throughout the day and with elevation, and we should be prepared for a range of temperatures from chilliest forties to hottest eighties. Layers that you can pack in a small knapsack are ideal. A windbreaker is useful at high elevations. Drizzle and rain are likely. Mosquitoes and other biting insects should not be a problem.

Featured Wildlife

While we cannot guarantee sightings of the birds or mammals listed below, we believe that encountering these species is quite likely during this tour.

  • Hummingbirds (many species)
  • Tanagers (many species)
  • Andean Condor
  • Jocotoco Antpitta
  • Gray Tinamou
  • Rainbow Starfrontlet
  • Flame-throated Sunangel
  • Andean Hillstar
  • El Oro Parakeet
  • Ecuadorian Tapaculo
  • Long-wattled Umbrellabird
  • Mountain Tapir
  • Andean Bear

Past Tour Checklists

View the list of birds and other wildlife we encountered on our past tours.

Tour Reviews