2025 Ecuador | AnneBeltonPhotos

On November 5, 2025 I flew back from the Galapagos to Quito to start an 11 day birding tour in Ecuador. The trip was hosted by Ecuador Birding Journeys. Three of us from Calgary, 1 from BC, 1 from England and 5 from the US.

The weather was not great - lots of rain which made walks muddy and slippery. Temperatures were pleasant if one ignored the damp and wet.

In Quito we stayed at the Zaysant EcoLodge, very comfortable with a large garden where the birding started.

Band-tailed Sierra Finch (f)

Band-tailed Sierra-Finch

Andean Emerald

Brown-capped Vireo

Cinereous Conebill

Buff-tailed Coronet

Crowned Woodnymph

Day 1 - after birding around the lodge we traveled to several locations, some dry scrub forest, Armadillo, Puerta del Sol.

When we crossed the Equator a photo was taken to commemorate birding there.

Black-tailed Trainbearer

American Kestral

ECUADOR 2025

Golden Tanager

Photo: Sarah Dettman

Lesser Violetear

Flame-rumped Tanager, male above, female below

Purple-throated Woodstar, male above female below

Fawn-breasted Brilliant

Golden Grosbeak

Purple-bibbed Whitetip

Thick-billed Euphonia, male 7 female

Silver-throated Tanager

Pale-mandibled Aracari

Shiny Cowbird, male and female

Rufous-tailed Hummingbrd

Scrub Tanager

Saffron Finch

Thick-billed Euphonia (f)

Tawny-bellied Hermit

Tropical Mockingbird

Squirrel Cuckoo

White-booted Racket-tail

Streak-backed Canestero

Sparkling Violetear

White-lined Tanager, male & female

Violet-tailed Sylph

Tufted Tit-Tyrant

White-necked Jacobin

Great Thrush

Yellow-bellied Eleania

White-throated Daggerbill

White-whiskered Hermit

Day 2 - birded the grounds of the Peripe Lodge where we stayed for 2 nights. Then went to Mashpi Amagusa in the morning and Sacha Guatusa for lunch and afternoon birding.

A lot of the birding is done at private "reserves" - where a family with several acres of land has planted bird friendly shrubs/trees and then set out feeders for both Hummingbirds and other birds. Most have very nice viewing porches/patios and chairs. Some offer coffee and snacks as well!!

Black-chinned Tanager

Blue-gray Tanager

Black Vulture

Agouti

Black-cheeked Woodpecker

Ecuadorian Thrush

Choco Bushfinch

Choco Tyrannulet

Crimson Becard

Crimson-rumped Toucanet

Chivi Vireo

Bronze-winged Parrot

Glistening -green Tanager

Golden-collared Honeycreeper, Male to left, female above

Flame-faced Tanager

Emerald Tanager

Empress Brilliant

Green Honeycreeper, male & female

Golden-naped Tanager

Moss-backed Tanager

Gray and Gold Tanager

Green Thorntail, several places had small hand feeders so the hummingbirds fed right from the hand - thrilling!

Orange-breasted Fruiteater, female to left, male above

Entrance to the Oilbird cave - unlike other places we did not have to climb up or down to find the Oilbirds

Palm Tanager

Pale-vented Pigeons

Pacific Parrolet

Pacific Hornero

Masked Water-Tyrant

Red-headed Barbet, male & female

Rufous-throated Tanager

Rusty-margined Flycatcher

Roadside Hawk

Purple-chested Hummingbird

Rose-faced Parrot

Southern House Wren

Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner

Sooty-headed Tyrannulet

Southern Rough-winged Swallow

Velvet Purple Coronet

White-throated Quail Dove

Yellow-throated Toucan

White-shouldered Tanager

Variable Seedeater

Swallow Tanager

Day 3 - this morning we left the hotel early with a box breakfast and drove to the Mindo area. First stop was Las Cotingas Reserve, and then several other reserves, Punto Ornitologica, Via a las Cascadas, and Sendero de las Aves. Two nights at Sisakuna Lodge.

Brown-capped Vireo

Bananaquit

Blue-necked Tanager

Yellow-throated Toucan

Bay-headed Tanager

Black Phoebe

Brown Inca

Buff-tailed Coronet

Dusky Chlorospringus

Club-winged Manakin

Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner

Flavescent Flycatcher - above photo in early morning sun, hence the reddish hue - group below truer colour

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

Golden-bellied Flycatcher

Golden-bellied Flycatcher

Green Thorntail

Lineated Foliage-gleaner

Early morning in the blind

Golden-olive Woodpecker

Velvet Purple Coronet & Brown Inca

Ornate Flycatcher

Montane Woodcreeper

Ochre-breasted Tanager

Metallic-green Tanager

Pale-mandibled Aracari

Powerful Woodpecker

Strong-billed Woodcreeper

Spotted Sandpiper

Southern Lapwing

Smoke-colored Pewee

Slaty-capped Flycatcher

Red-faced Spinetail

Slate-throated Redstart

Sunbittern

Three-striped Warbler

White-booted Racket-tail - love the boots on this guy!!

Swallow Tanagers and a Palm Tanager - not sure what the issue was but there was quite a discussion going on between the Swallow Tanagers.

Another face-off - Velvet Purple Coronets

Violet-tailed Sylph

Tropical Kingbird

White-capped Dipper

Yellow-throated Chlorospringus

In the evening of Day 3 we went out looking for Owls and Potoo - didn't find any Owls but did find this cute Potoo!

Day 4 - drove to a place where it was possible to see Umbrellabird. Waited for 4 hours in the drizzle, had a boxed breakfast standing or sitting on a log . Eventually I went back to the bus - after I left someone spotted an Umbrellabird at a huge distance - only 1 camera was able to get a very faint photo. Definitely too long to wait for 1 bird!!

We went to Frutti Tour Reserve for lunch and hummingbirds and eventually back to the hotel.

Breakfast waiting for the Umbrellabird

A long wait!

The wait was not without rewards - a Cloud -Forest Pygmy Owl was close by.

Blue-gray Tanager

Common Tody-flycatcher

Black-cheeked Woodpecker

Golden-headed Quetzal

Blue-headed Parrot

Lineated Woodpecker

Guayaquil Woodpecker

Rufous-tailed Jacamar

Maroon-tailed Parakeet

Orange-billed Sparrow

Yellow-rumped Cacique

Bronzy Hermit

Andean Emerald

Crowned Woodnymph

Green Thorntail

Crimson-breasted Finch

Long-billed Starthroat

Long-tailed Sylph

White-whiskered Hermit

Violet-bellied Hummingbird

White-bearded Mannikin

Day 5 - First was to Paz de las Aves Reserve where there were Antpittas... we made a long trek through the jungle, but the 1st one didn't show up! Got back in the bus to drive to another spot, stopped and right beside the road was a lovely Yellow-breasted Antpitta. Antpittas are extremely shy birds who scurry around on the ground, but they seem to know when the locals will be putting out some grubs for them.

Yellow-breasted Antpitta

Another trek to see a Great Antpitta sitting on a nest

Photo: Cheryl Lippert

Smiles after that successful trek!

Photo: Cheryl Lippert

Andean Guan

Brown Inca

Collared Inca

Fawn-breasted Brilliant

Blue-capped Tanager

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Red-crested Cotinga

Speckled Hummingbird

Gray-browed Bushfinch

Sparkling Violetear

Speckled Hummingbird

White-bellied Woodstar

In the afternoon drove to Maraksacha Reserve for lunch and birding - and the along the Nono Road to our B&B Villa Doris

Sword-billed Hummingbird

White-sided Flowerpiercer - hanging by his toes to get at that flower!

White-sided Flowerpiercer - male & female

Yellow-bellied Siskin

White-winged Bushfinch

White-tipped Dove

Day 6 - Breakfast at the Villa Doris and drove to the Zuro Loma Reserve and then Yanacocha Reserve.

Photo: Sarah Dettman

Buff-winged Starfrontlet

Buff-winged Starfrontlet

Ecuadorial Antpitta

Gorgeted Sunangel

Glossy Flowerpiercer

Hooded Mountain Tanager

Chestnut-naped Antpitta

Spectacled Redstart

Mountain Velvetbreast

White-throated Screech-Owl

Sapphire-vented Puffleg

Tyrian Metaltail

Shining Sunbeam

Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager

Sword-billed Hummingbird

As we left the restaurant after lunch the owner said she would take us to her house where there was a Spectacled bear. This is the only bear in South America, fairly common but usually high in the hills.

As we left her property we quickly stopped as an Andean Condor was flying right over the bus!

A brief stop at a water way where there had been a Black-collared Swallow reported - 1st time ever in Ecuador... we saw it but I was unable to get a photo.

We then had a long drive to the next hotel in Borja, Rio Quijos Eco Lodge.

Andean Teal

Cliff Swallow - possibly

Andean Condor

Spectacled Bear

Yellow-breasted Bushfinch

Pearled Treerunner

Plain-colored Seedeater

Antisana - 4th largest volcano in Ecuador

Day 7 - birded around the hotel before breakfast. After breakfast we drove to Concierto de las Aves Reserve for the morning. In the after noon birded the Rio Quijos Valley

We didn't see as many butterflies/ moths as I had expected, but on this day there were several. So pretty!

Andean Motmot

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock

Great Potoo

Blackburnian Warbler

Black-capped Tanager

Ash-browed Spinetail

Blue-necked Tanager - oops I missed his head!

Black-throated Mango

Eastern Wood pewee

Chestnut-bellied Seedeater, male above female below

Chestnut-bellied Thrush

Canada Warbler

Bronze-green Euphonia

Golden-tailed Sapphire

Gorgeted Woodstar - male & female

Glittering-throated Emerald

Fulvous-breasted Flatbill - unfortunately my only photo

Green-backed Hillstar

Interested onlookers

Green Jay

Peruvian Racket-tail

Montane Woodcreeper

Long-tailed Sylph

Summer Tanager

Swainson's Thrush

Lemon-browed Flycatcher

Tawny-bellied Hermit

Torrent Tyrannulet

Russet-backed Oropendula

Yellow-browed Sparrow

Wire-crested Thorntail

Wire-crested Thorntail

Day 8 - Guacamayos Pass - high altitude - rainy and cold but lots of birds! After birding on the Loreto road we drove steadily downhill stopping several times before arriving at our hotel Rio Napo Lodge in Misahualli

Black-fronted Nunbird

Black Phoebe

Band-bellied Owl

American Redstart

Amazonian Umbrellabird in the rain, the trek up was very muddy, considered sliding back down - seemed safer! But the guide "guided" me and I made it on 2 feet.

Common Chlorospringus

Great Potoo - can you find his eye and beak?

Grass-green Tanager

Cliff Flycatcher

Lineated Woodpecker

Hoatzin

Greater Ani

Many-spotted Hummingbird

Magpie Tanager

White-eared Jacamar

Giant Hummingbird

Photo: Sarah Dettman

Striated Heron

Smoky Bush-Tyrant

Smoke-colored Pewee

Purple Gallinule

Day 9 - Boat ride this morning with a box breakfast. Napo river and then Arajuno River. After lunch at the lodge birded the surrounding areas.

Black-capped Donacobius

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Amazon Kingfisher

Bat Falcon

Chestnut-eared Aracari & Yellow-headed Caracara

Drab Water Tyrant

Chestnut-eared Aracari

Chestnut-fronted Macaw

Eastern Kingbird

Dusky-headed Parakeet

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

Gray-headed Kite

Red-capped Cardinal

Pied Plover

Yellow-headed Caracara

Olive-faced Flatbill

Short-crested Flycatcher

Sand-colored Nighthawk

Southern Lapwing

Yellow-tufted Woodpecker

Streaked Flycatcher

White-banded Swallow

Late afternoon we went to a small pond where a specific Hummingbird was known to come in at 5pm. The Fiery Topaz is know to be one of the most spectacular of the hummers.

Fiery Topaz male and female below

Long-billed Starthroat

Day 10 - Birded around the lodge before breakfast then headed back to Quito stopping at Aguayacu Reserve in the morning and Guango Lodge in the afternoon. Arrived back at the Zatsant Lodge in Quito.