Birds and Mammals seen
on our Venture to
Western Ecuador
March 9 - 21, 2009
A brief synopsis:
Western Ecuador is hardly on the regular birding trail; actually not even on the regular tourist trail, but despite that fact, this was a fascinating trip to a fairly remote part of the country- well to start with anyway. Driving out of Quito into the lowlands involves driving past so many good birds and great birding locations – but that’s another trip and another time. But we have to stop and at least see a few of the highland and mid-elevation species that we won’t see again on trip. Even such common birds as Rufous-collared Sparrow, Great Thrush and Sparkling Violet-ear would be missed. As we left town we did indeed stop for the aforementioned species, as well as Brown-bellied Swallow, Band-tailed Seedeater and a miscellany of other fairly common roadside species. We had to stop at the Mindo Loma for hummer feeders where the selection including some wonderful ones, such as Empress Brilliant, Purple-throated Woodstar and the incredible Velvet-Purple Coronet. The feeders at Los Bancos had a different gang of occupants including Green-crowned Brilliant as well as some fruit feeders with a handful of tanagers coming in to feed. Rio Canande Lodge is not often visited but I am sure will soon have its place on the birding circuit. There are some wonderful birds there, although some are very difficult to track down, such as Banded Ground Cuckoo. Needless to say we did not see it, but some or all of us saw Black-tipped Cotinga, Lita Woodpecker, Scarlet-and-white Tanager and Esmeraldas Antbird as well as other localized Choco endemics. The trails were steep and muddy, especially the l-o-n-g hike up to the mirador. In other words the potential is excellent for future birding, despite the length of time it takes to get there and the dreadful roads. Our drive to Rio Palenque was long through lots of rain, but the scenery in many parts of the lowlands is pretty monotonous with endless fields of agriculture. The research station is set in one of the few remaining patches of rich forest in this part of the country, and the birding was superb. Like all “islands”, the larger birds, such as Tinamous and raptors tend to disappear first due to space constraints and this has been happening here too. We managed 2 walks around the trails with some good results; some of the best birds being Red-billed Scythebill, Orange-fronted Barbet, and Collared Trogon. Our drive to Mantaraya Lodge the next day was long, actually very long, but a stop at the Ramsar wetlands at La Segua produced some birds we would not have seen otherwise. As well as a selection of ducks and wading birds, the best was a Fork-tailed Flycatcher which may have been the first record for the province of Manabi. Dinner was on the road with a beer, some tasty pastries and potato chips to break the late arrival at our hotel.
One word can describe Isla de la Plata – HOT! The birding
was pretty good with close views of both Red-footed and Blue-footed Boobies,
Magnificent Frigatebird and a limited selection of landbirds. Shade was
important as was drinking as much as possible to stay hydrated as we kept up
with our guide. The day got more interesting when one of our outboard motors
ceased working on our way back to the mainland. Thankfully we made it!! The
western coastline of Ecuador is arid with dry thickets and coastal forests with
a very distinct avifauna and our visit to Machalilla NP was very birdy-
especially early in the morning when the activity did not seem to slow down.
King Vultures and Swallow-tailed Kites flew overhead, and we found Ecuadorian
Trogon, Blue-crowned Motmot, Scarlet-backed Woodpecker, Necklaced Spinetail,
Collared Antshrike and the very uncommon Saffron Siskin. After a visit to Rio
Ayampe in the late afternoon and the combined dry heat of the day, some of us
enjoyed the pool back at the hotel that evening. Rio Ayampe is one of the sites
for the endangered Esmeraldas Woodstar which alas we did not see. Also the
Watkins’ Antpitta stayed hidden in the tickets (what’s new?) but most of us did
get views of the White-backed (Pacific) Fire-eye.
The Santa Elena
Peninsula sticks out into the Pacific Ocean and is even drier than Machalilla.
Vast salt pans line the coast making a haven for migratory and wintering
shorebirds. Our local guide, Ben Haase, was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about
ECUASAL and its importance for migratory shorebirds; his marine mammal museum
was most informative as well. Then it was off to Guayaquil, with stops along the
way for Snowy-throated Kingbird and White-tailed Jay. Cerro Blanco is a private
preserve just outside Guayaquil, protecting excellent dry and semi-moist forest.
It’s always very bird-rich place and today was no exception. Gray-cheeked
Parakeets were easy to see and this seems to be one of the best places to see
Gray-and-gold Warbler. Its high pitched song is a common sound of the forest,
but the bird can be very elusive. Thankfully we tracked one down that posed and
preened for us- wonderful! Another highlight had to be the tightly coiled
Fer-de-Lance that we all walked past!
Another surprise was the attractiveness of the Malecon along the waterfront in Guayaquil. It made for a very pleasant, if hot, walk. It was here that we got the only Great-tailed Grackles of the trip, quite a surprise. Plus the colony of Yellow-crowned Night-Herons seemed to be tolerated by the park department and indeed they were cleaning up the debris with high powered water hoses while we were there. Our last stop of the trip was Buenaventura, the fairly new Jocotoco Foundation reserve a few hours south of Guayaquil. Despite the rain, often torrential at times, the wealth of birdlife in the roadside wetlands is always quite a show. As well as the normal blizzard of waterbirds, there were large numbers of Snail Kites, a few Savanna Hawks as well as several Horned Screamers at Manglares Preserve. Because of the traffic, it’s always very difficult to stop and enjoy these rare birds and we have to be satisfied with slowing down and craning our necks over the grasses. Buenaventura is a beautiful place with a somewhat limited trail system, but it’s almost as pleasant just sitting on the porch watching the hummer feeders- a great show. The trails were very muddy but despite that fact, we all managed pretty good views of our target bird, the Long-wattled Umbrellabird. Thankfully we could then stick to the roads rather than head back down the steep muddy trails and birding the roads was fairly profitable. Highlights included both White-bearded and Club-winged Manakins, Rufous-throated Tanager and the rare Gray-backed Hawk. Overall, nothing could compete with the hummer show and the outstanding food- easily the best anywhere on our tour. It was back to Guayaquil in yet more rain- with flooded roads on our way into the city – very impressive but it scuppered our chances of looking for Chestnut-collared Swallows under the bridge- another time. We finished the tour with about 382 species- quite impressive for a new birding area
Itinerary
March 9
Arrived in
March 10
March
March 12
March 13
Trails at
March 14
Day trip to Isla de la Plata
March 15
Machalilla National Park (
March 16
Rio Ayampe; Salinas; ECUASAL and Puntas Brava and Chocolatiera, Buenos
Aires walk
March 17
Guayaquil- Cerro Blanco hike and Puerto Hondo
March 18
March 19
March 20
March 21
March 22
Head home or more birding!
| Great Tinamou (H) | White-whiskered Hermit | Olive-sided Flycatcher |
| Little Tinamou (H) | Stripe-throated Hermit | Acadian Flycatcher |
| Pale-browed Tinamou (H) | Western Long-tailed (Baron’s) Hermit | Black Phoebe |
| Great Grebe | White-tipped Sicklebill | Vermilion Flycatcher |
| Least Grebe | White-necked Jacobin | Masked Water-Tyrant |
| Pied-billed Grebe | Brown Violet-ear | Long-tailed Tyrant |
| Brown Pelican | Sparkling Violet-ear | Rufous Mourner |
| Peruvian Pelican | Black-throated Mango | Dusky-capped Flycatcher (H) |
| Blue-footed Booby | Green Thorntail | Sooty-crowned Flycatcher |
| Red-footed Booby | Green-crowned Woodnymph | Boat-billed Flycatcher |
| Nazca Booby | Emerald-bellied Woodnymph | Rusty-margined Flycatcher |
| Neotropic Cormorant | Violet-bellied Hummingbird | Gray-capped Flycatcher |
| Anhinga | Purple-chested Hummingbird | Streaked Flycatcher |
| Horned Screamer | Andean Emerald | Baird's Flycatcher |
| Fulvous Whistling-Duck | Amazilia Hummingbird | Piratic Flycatcher |
| White-cheeked Pintail | Rufous-tailed Hummingbird | Fork-tailed Flycatcher |
| Chilean Flamingo | Purple-bibbed Whitetip | Tropical Kingbird |
| Magnificent Frigatebird | Empress Brilliant | Snowy-throated Kingbird |
| Red-billed Tropicbird | Fawn-breasted Brilliant | Slaty Becard |
| Cocoi Heron | Green-crowned Brilliant | Cinnamon Becard |
| Snowy Egret | Brown Inca | Black-and-white Becard |
| Great Egret | Buff-tailed Coronet | One-colored Becard |
| Little Blue Heron | Velvet-purple Coronet | Masked Tityra |
| Cattle Egret | Violet-tailed Sylph | Black-crowned Tityra |
| Striated Heron | Wedge-billed Hummingbird | White-tailed Jay |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | Purple-crowned Fairy | Rufous-browed Peppershrike |
| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Long-billed Starthroat | Slaty-capped Shrike-Vireo (H) Red-eyed Vireo |
| White Ibis | Purple-throated Woodstar | Brown-capped Vireo |
| Glossy Ibis | Short-tailed Woodstar | Lesser Greenlet |
| Black Vulture | Little Woodstar | Andean Solitaire |
| Turkey Vulture | Choco Trogon | Swainson's Thrush |
| King Vulture | Ecuadorian Trogon | Great Thrush |
| Osprey | (Western) White-tailed Trogon | Plumbeous-backed Thrush |
| Gray-headed Kite | Collared Trogon | Ecuadorian Thrush |
| Hook-billed Kite | Black-throated Trogon | White-throated (Dagua) Thrush (H) |
| Swallow-tailed Kite | (Western) Violaceous Trogon | Long-tailed Mockingbird |
| Pearl Kite | Ringed Kingfisher | Band-backed Wren |
| White-tailed Kite | Green Kingfisher | Fasciated Wren |
| Snail Kite | Broad-billed Motmot | Speckle-breasted Wren |
| Double-toothed Kite | Rufous Motmot | Bay Wren |
| Plumbeous Kite | Blue-crowned Motmot | House Wren |
| Barred Hawk | Rufous-tailed Jacamar | White-breasted Wood-Wren (H) |
| Gray-backed Hawk | Great Jacamar | Gray-breasted Wood-Wren |
| Savanna Hawk | Pied Puffbird | Southern Nightingale-Wren (H) |
| Harris's Hawk | Barred Puffbird | Tawny-faced Gnatwren |
| Roadside Hawk | White-whiskered Puffbird | Long-billed Gnatwren (H) |
| Gray Hawk | Lanceolated Monklet | Tropical Gnatcatcher |
| Broad-winged Hawk | Orange-fronted Barbet | Slate-throated Gnatcatcher |
| Short-tailed Hawk | Red-headed Barbet | Gray-breasted Martin |
| Variable Hawk | Collared (Pale-mandibled) Aracari | Brown-bellied Swallow |
| Black Hawk-Eagle | Choco Toucan (H) | Blue-and-white Swallow |
| Crested Caracara | Black-mandibled Toucan | White-thighed Swallow |
| Laughing Falcon | Olivaceous Piculet | Southern Rough-winged Swallow |
| Barred Forest-Falcon | Ecuadorian Piculet | Barn Swallow |
| American Kestrel | Golden-olive Woodpecker | Bank Swallow |
| Bat Falcon | Lita Woodpecker | House Sparrow |
| Peregrine Falcon | Cinnamon Woodpecker (H) | Saffron Siskin |
| Rufous-headed Chachalaca | Lineated Woodpecker | Hooded Siskin |
| Rufous-fronted Wood-Quail (H) | Black-cheeked Woodpecker | Yellow-bellied Siskin |
| Limpkin | Smoky-brown Woodpecker | Orange-bellied Euphonia |
| White-throated Crake | Red-rumped Woodpecker | Orange-crowned Euphonia |
| Purple Gallinule | Scarlet-backed Woodpecker | Thick-billed Euphonia |
| Common Moorhen | Guayaquil Woodpecker | Tropical Parula |
| Wattled Jaçana | Plain-brown Woodcreeper | Olive-crowned Yellowthroat |
| American Oystercatcher | Wedge-billed Woodcreeper | Slate-throated Redstart |
| Black-necked Stilt | Black-striped Woodcreeper (H) | Choco Warbler |
| Black-bellied Plover | Spotted Woodcreeper | Gray-and-gold Warbler |
| Semipalmated Plover | Streak-headed Woodcreeper | Buff-rumped Warbler |
| Snowy Plover | Red-billed Scythebill | Yellow Warbler |
| Whimbrel | Pale-legged (Pacific) Hornero | Crimson-breasted Finch |
| Spotted Sandpiper | Slaty Spinetail | Blue-black Grassquit |
| Willet | Necklaced Spinetail | Variable Seedeater |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | Red-faced Spinetail | Yellow-bellied Seedeater |
| Ruddy Turnstone | Western Woodhaunter | Chestnut-throated Seedeater Lesser Seed-Finch |
| Sanderling | Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner | Band-tailed Seedeater |
| Least Sandpiper | Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner | Saffron Finch |
| Stilt Sandpiper | Ruddy Foliage-gleaner | Collared Warbling-Finch |
| Surfbird | Streaked Xenops | Orange-billed Sparrow |
| Wandering Tattler | Plain Xenops | Black-capped Sparrow |
| Red-necked Phalarope | Great Antshrike | Black-striped Sparrow |
| Wilson's Phalarope | Collared Antshrike | Rufous-collared Sparrow |
| Gray-headed Gull | Western Slaty-Antshrike | Bananaquit |
| Laughing Gull | Plain Antvireo | Masked Flowerpiercer |
| Franklin's Gull | Griscom’s Antwren | Green Honeycreeper |
| Gull-billed Tern | White-flanked Antwren | Purple Honeycreeper |
| Royal Tern | Slaty Antwren | Blue Dacnis |
| Elegant Tern | Dot-winged Antwren | Yellow-tufted Dacnis |
| Sandwich Tern | Pacific Antwren | Blue-whiskered Tanager |
| Common Tern | White-backed Fire-Eye | Rufous-throated Tanager |
| Rock Pigeon | Chestnut-backed Antbird | Golden Tanager |
| Pale-vented Pigeon | Esmeraldas Antbird | Emerald Tanager |
| Ruddy Pigeon | Black-headed Antthrush | Silvery-throated Tanager |
| Dusky Pigeon | Watkins’ Antpitta (H) | Blue-necked Tanager |
| Eared Dove | Choco Tapuculo (H) | Golden-hooded Tanager |
| Ecuadorian Ground-Dove | Rufous Piha | Golden-naped Tanager |
| Croaking Ground-Dove | Black-tipped Cotinga | Gray-and-gold Tanager |
| Blue Ground-Dove (H) | Purple-throated Fruitcrow | Bay-headed Tanager |
| White-tipped Dove | Long-wattled Umbrellabird | Swallow-Tanager |
| Pallid Dove (H) | Red-capped Manakin | Blue-gray Tanager |
| Red-masked Parakeet | White-bearded Manakin | Palm Tanager |
| Maroon-tailed Parakeet (H) | Club-winged Manakin | Lemon-rumped Tanager |
| Pacific Parrotlet | Thrush-like Schiffornis | Summer Tanager |
| Gray-cheeked Parakeet | Broad-billed Sapayoa | Ochre-breasted Tanager |
| Rose-faced Parrot | Sooty-headed Tyrannulet | White-lined Tanager |
| Blue-headed Parrot | Golden-faced Tyrannulet | White-shouldered Tanager |
| Bronze-winged Parrot | Brown-capped Tyrannulet | Tawny-crested Tanager |
| Red-lored Parrot | Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet | Scarlet-browed Tanager |
| Mealy Parrot | Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet | Dusky-faced Tanager |
| Gray-capped Cuckoo (H) | Pacific Elaenia | Guira Tanager |
| Squirrel Cuckoo | Greenish Elaenia | Scarlet-and-white Tanager |
| Smooth-billed Ani | Yellow-bellied Elaenia | Ashy-throated Bush-Tanager |
| Groove-billed Ani | White-tailed Tyrannulet | Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager |
| Striped Cuckoo | Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant | Buff-throated Saltator |
| Spectacled Owl (H) | Olive-striped Flycatcher | Black-winged Saltator |
| Peruvian Pygmy-Owl | Ochre-bellied Flycatcher | Streaked Saltator |
| Burrowing Owl | Slaty-capped Flycatcher | Slate-colored Grosbeak |
| Lesser Nighthawk | Yellow Tyrannulet | Southern Yellow Grosbeak |
| Pauraque (H) | Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant | Blue-black Grosbeak |
| Chestnut-collared Swift | Common Tody-Flycatcher | Shiny Cowbird |
| White-collared Swift | Yellow-olive Flycatcher | Yellow-rumped Cacique |
| Gray-rumped Swift | White-throated Spadebill | Scarlet-rumped Cacique |
| Tumbes Swift | Ornate Flycatcher | Scrub Blackbird |
| Band-rumped Swift | Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher | Great-tailed Grackle |
| Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift | Bran-colored Flycatcher | Yellow-tailed Oriole |
| Bronzy Hermit | Western Wood-Pewee | Peruvian Meadowlark |
| Band-tailed Barbthroat | Tumbes Pewee | |
| Other Critters | ||
| Long-nosed Bat | Poison Dart Frog sp | Land (Forest) Crab sp |
| Guayaquil Squirrel | Cane Toad | Walking Stick sp |
| Western Red Squirrel | Green Iguana | Blue Morpho |
| Western Dwarf Squirrel | Fer-de-Lance | Owl Butterfly |
| Mantled Howler Monkey | Tegu Lizard sp | “88” Butterfly |
| Brown-headed Spider Monkey | Lined Ameiva | Helicopter Damselfly (violet-spotted) |
| Neotropical River Otter | (Ameiva edracantha) | Click Beetle (luminous) |
| South American Coati | Western Curly-tailed Lizard (Microlophus occipitalis) | “White-legged” Millipede |
| Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth | Peru Pacific Lizard | Armoured Millipede |
| South American Sealion | (Microlophus peruvianus) | “Colonial Jellies” –Tunicate sp |
| Tayra (John and Susie) | Turtle sp |