This itinerary with Willy Perez explores an area close to his heart, places where Willy grew up and worked. He can show you around these lush habitats of northwestern Ecuador, home to a fantastic array of birds and wildlife including a variety of antpittas, up to 30 stunning hummingbirds, and there is even a small chance of seeing a Spectacled Bear. These incredible forests boast not just one but two types of leks, with opportunities to see the extraordinary Long-wattled Umbrellabird and the magnificent Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, both very exciting species to see in full display.

Our first base for birding will be Maquipucuna Lodge, an ecotourism lodge situated in pristine cloud forest only 80 kms west from Quito. This is where Willy started his guiding career many years ago, and so he has an intimate knowledge of the surroundings, the birds, and the wildlife here. We'll spend two days searching for such unusual species as Scaled Fruiteater, Esmeraldas Antbird, Crested Guan, and Lanceolated Monklet, and during this season we can also keep an eye out for the Spectacled Bear (listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species), a mammal that Willy helped reintroduce to the wild.

We'll then head to Guaycapi lodge for two nights at another very strategic location for some unique birds. Guaycapi is located atop the Tandayapa ridge at 2000 meters elevation with stunning views of the cloudforest and great feeders for tanagers and hummingbirds, and it's the best place to look for Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan. We'll conclude our tour at Sachatamia Lodge, our base for three full days. We'll no doubt be mesmerized by the lodge's active tanager and hummingbird feeders that make birding very easy here. Both lodges are perfectly located, serving as gateways to explore some of the top birding sites nearby for a variety of fantastic birds such as Moss-backed and Glistening-green tanagers, Indigo Flowerpiercer, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, and many other birds endemic to the Choco region of northwestern Ecuador. We'll also have beautiful views over the Cloud Forest and the Mindo Valley.

Select the KEY INFO tab or click here for our itinerary plus space requests, status, fees, limits, and guides for any departure.

Client comment
"This was a very good tour, and I am well pleased. Guide Willy Perez is excellent. Lively, enthusiastic, patient, informative, and generally an outgoing person, making the whole experience most enjoyable." K.B., CLOUDFORESTS OF ECUADOR 2019

Combo Tours
If you would like a longer birding holiday, some departures of this tour may be combined with:
GALAPAGOS: An Intimate Look at Darwin's Islands