February 22-March 6, 2025 with Willy Perez
The Southwestern Ecuador Specialties 2025 tour was truly great. Visiting the Jocotoco Foundation Reserves, with great accommodations and breathtaking forests at various altitudes, gave us the chance to witness some of Ecuador's richest avifauna hotspots. We were able to see several endemic species, including some rare ones, and we also saw some of the most sought-after birds in the birding world.
Our journey began in Guayaquil, where we drove down to Buenaventura, making strategic stops along the coastal marshes. The numbers of wetland birds were incredible, with herons, egrets, kites, and flycatchers everywhere. For many, the highlight was the unique Horned Screamer, which put on an unforgettable show. This was just the beginning of what awaited us.
We spent three nights at Umbrellabird Lodge in Buenaventura, and it felt like entering a different world for birding. Hummingbirds were abundant, including White-necked Jacobin, Violet-bellied Hummingbird, Green-crowned Brilliant, and many Green Thorntails, to name a few. As the tour was designed for specialty species, we focused on finding the endemic El Oro Parakeet, which we successfully located. We also dedicated some time to searching for Choco endemics, such as the Long-wattled Umbrellabird and the Club-winged Manakin, both of which we saw displaying.
The next four nights were spent at the Jorupe Reserve in the dry forest of southwest Ecuador, very close to the Peruvian border. Being the rainy season there, the forest was lush and green, and the birds were incredibly active calling everywhere. The fruit feeders at the lodge attracted a variety of species, including White-tailed Jays, Blue-ground Doves, Yellow-tailed Orioles, and the elusive Pale-browed Tinamou. The nearby trails were easy to explore, and we had a great time tracking down Tumbesian endemics such as the Blackish-headed Spinetail, Henna-hooded Foliage-Gleaner, and even the Peruvian Screech-Owl.
We also visited Zapotillo for one morning, which was fantastic for spotting more Tumbesian species like the Parrot-billed Seedeater, Crimson-breasted Finch, Tumbes Sparrow, and Tumbes Hummingbird. Black-and-white Tanagers, Gray-capped Cuckoos were also around. On another day, we set off for Utuana, and although we couldn’t reach the reserve due to weather, we still saw some exciting birds at higher altitudes. The highlights included the Black-cowled Saltator, Bay-crowned Brushfinch, and some lucky participants even saw the elusive Gray-headed Antbird and Watkin’s Antpitta.
After a long drive from Jorupe, we concluded our trip at Tapichalaca, the home of the famous Jocotoco Antpitta. Our three-night stay here allowed us plenty of time to explore the stunning montane forest on the eastern side of the Andes. On the first morning, we went in search of the Jocotoco Antpitta. Despite the steep track, we managed to reach the right spot, and after some patience, we were rewarded with great views of this incredible bird. With that pressure off, we spent the next two days birding along the road and nearby trails, enjoying sightings of Bearded Guans, Golden-plumed Parakeets, and a variety of beautiful tanagers, including the White-capped. The lowlands near Valladolid also proved fruitful, with sightings of Maranon Thrush, Silvery Tanager, Mottled-backed Elaenia, and more.
We even had the chance to visit Fredy’s superb orchid garden and his beautiful home, which was a real treat.
Overall, the adventure to the Jocotoco reserves was unforgettable. Our driver, Edgar, was exceptional, skillfully navigating the bus through challenging terrain and avoiding landslides along the way—thank you for that, Edgar! I also want to extend my gratitude to the fantastic group of birders who went with the flow and showed great patience when needed. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and hope to see you again on another birding adventure.
Additional wildlife sightings included: Mantled Howler Monkeys, Mountain Coati, and Red-tailed Squirrel at Buenaventura, Guayaquil Squirrel at Jorupe. Also, Blue Morphos, stunning Anthony’s Poison Dart Frog in Buenaventura.
You can see my complete trip report on eBird at this link: https://ebird.org/tripreport/347427
You can download a combined PDF of this page and the eBird report at this link: https://fieldguides.com/triplists/esw25TRIPLIST.pdf
- - Abrazos and keep birding, Willy