4 - 13 August 1996

by Mark Welford

The following is an extended summary of an Ecuadorian birding trip that I just completed (I apologize for any typos). I saw a total of 348 species of which 320 were life birds for me.

Itinerary:

  August 4:   Statesboro, GA to Quito via Miami
  August 5:   Quito to Santo Domingo on Highway 30
  August 6:   Rio Palenque Research Station
  August 7:   Private Property adjacent to Rio Palenque
  August 8:   Santo Domingo to Finca Bellavista via Pedro Vicente Maldonado, S. Miguel de los Bancos and old Nono Road
  August 9:   Finca Bellavista to Bancos and Mindo
  August 10:   Finca Bellavista and TRail #3
  August 11:   Finca Bellavista to Quito via old Mindo-Nono Road
  August 12:   Quito to Papallacta Pass
  August 13:   Quito to San Jose, CA via Guayaquil and Miami

This was my first trip Ecuador and the first to South America.

In the report below:

H = heard,
M = male,
F = female,
I = immature.

August 5:

Birding around the grounds of the Mansion Samzara Hosteleria, in Sangolqui south of Quito early in the morning yielded my first life birds for the trip:
 

Eared Dove	2 Blue & White Swallows
Great Thrush	Hooded Siskin
4 Sparkling Violet-ear	1 Black-tailed Trainbearer
6 Rufous-collared Sparrow	-

We then departed first south on Highway 35 then west on highway 30 for Santo Domingo at about 7:30am and birded en-route. Birds seen along the route before our first stop included:
 

White-collared Swift	H Chestnut-crowned Antpitta
Southern Yellow Grosbeak	-

At the western most end of the town Manuel Cornejo Astorga (Tandapi) we turned acutely left onto a dirt logging road. We birded the first mile or so of this dirt track for 2-3 hours until lunch finding the following within the first 100 yards:
 

Southern-beardless Tyrannulet	2 Blue-tailed Emerald
2 Swallow-Tanager	H Masked Trogon
Ornate Flycatcher	1 Barred Hawk
Dusky-capped Flycatcher	Green Violet-ear
Golden-headed Quetzal	Crimson-rumped Toucanet

My first tropical flock yielded:
 

1 Smoke-colored Pewee	Rusty-margined Flycatcher
1 Tricolored Brush-Finch	Yellow-bellied Seedeater
Olive-striped Flycatcher	Buff-throated Saltator
Lemon-rumped Tanager	H Tropical Parula
Montane Woodcreeper	2 Golden-rumped Euphonia
Golden-naped Tanager	-

Other smaller flocks and birding yielded:
 

2 Golden Tanager	3 Slate-throated Redstart
Purple-throated Woodstar	Squirrel Cuckoo
Dull-colored Grassquit	Blue-gray Tanager
Metallic Green Tanager	Red-headed Barbet
Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager	H Slaty Spinetail
Rufous-winged Hummingbird	Andean Emerald
Short-tailed Hawk	Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture	2 Red-faced Spinetail

Following lunch we continued on toward Santo Domingo but turned on to a bridge over the Toachi River where we found:
 

2 White-capped Dipper	2 Torrent Duck
Torrent Tyrannulet	-

Just before reaching Hotel Tinalandia we turned acutely left onto a dirt road adjacent to the lodge's grounds and birded this road for 2 hours. Birds seen included:
 

Boat-billed Flycatcher	Roadside Hawk
Bay Wren	Palm Tanager
Marble Faced Bristle-Tyrant	Orange-bellied Euphonia
Cinnamon Becard	2 Orange-billed Sparrow
Tropical Gnatcatcher	1 Ochraceous Attila
Slaty-capped Flycatcher	White-shouldered Tanager
White-winged Becard	Ashy-throated Bush-Tanager
H Little Tinamou	H Southern Nightingale-Thrush
H Pacific Fire-eye	4 Bronze-winged Parrot
Pale-mandibled Aracari	Cattle Egret
2 Buff-rumped Warbler	2 Crimson-rumped Toucanet
2 Yellow-tufted Dacnis	-

We then returned to Highway 30 and continued to Santo Domingo where we stayed at the Hotel Zaracay. On the grounds of the hotel we saw:
 

Scrub Blackbird	Pacific Hornero
Gray-breasted Martin	-

August 6:

Early on Tuesday we drove the 48 km to Rio Palenque Research Centre on Highway 25. The centre is now run by Richard Dotson and a small fee is requested. Once on the property we drove through quite disturbed farm habitat that yielded many more lifers:
 

H Rufous-browed Peppershrike	Shiny Cowbird
H Thick-billed Seed-Finch	Gray-lined Hawk
Southern Rough-winged Swallow	Golden-olive Woodpecker
Gray-capped Flycatcher	2 Masked Yellowthroat
Streaked AntWren	Crimson Finch-Tanager
Yellow-bellied Elaenia	H Pervian Pygmy-Owl
Streak-headed Woodcreeper	Black-winged Saltator
Variable Seedeater	Great Antshrike
Blue-black Grassquit	Smooth-billed Ani
Ecuadorian Ground-Dove	-

On reaching the native, uncut lowland forest we took the right-hand road and walked along the forest edge. This yielded:
 

Violet-bellied Hmmingbird	Common Tody-flycatcher
Whiskered Wren	White-thighed Swallow
F Guayaquil Woodpecker	Bananaquit
2 Laughing Falcon	F Rufous-tailed Jacamar
Harris Hawk	H Yellow Tyrannulet
Pale-vented Dove	1 Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
Gray-rumped Swift	H Pacific Parrotlet
Barred Puffbird	Snowy-throated Kingbird
White-tailed Trogon	One-colored Becard

Following the forest edge we arrived at the entrance to Dotson's house. This is a dirt road cut through the forest. We birded and ate lunch at this spot. Birds seen included:
 

H Black-headed AntThrush	Red-rumped Woodpecker
2 Chestnut-mandibled Toucan	White-bearded Manakin
H Pallid Dove	5 Dusk-faced Tanager
Olivaceous Piculet	Golden-faced Tyrannulet

After lunch we birded (with permission) around Dotson's house finding:
 

Rufous Motmot	Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Band-backed Wren	Blue-necked Tanager
2 Orange-fronted Barbet	2 Masked Water-Tyrant (Seen Across Valley)
Striated Heron (Seen on River)	Pied-billed Grebe (Seen on River)
F Blue-chested Hummingbird	Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet
M Green Honeycreeper	Linneated Woodpecker
H Chestnut-backed Antbird	Pacific Cacique
M Dot-winged AntWren	Blue-headed Parrot
Black-tailed Trogon	F Plain Ant-Vireo
Plain-brown Woodcreeper	Slaty-winged Foliage-gleaner
2 Purple-throated Friutcrow	I Hook-billed Kite
Checker-throated AntWren	2 (Violet) Crowned Woodnymph

At the house a series of trails radiate across the property, all are worth exploring, due to a lack of time we only birded trail #3 which yielded:
 

3 Choco Toucan	F Blue-black Grosbeak
Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant	Pallid Dove
Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher	H Brown Wood-Rail
5 Little Hermit (At Lek)	Southern Nightingale-Wren
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher	H Dusky Antbird
Lesser Greenlet	Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
White-whiskered Puffbird	Pied Puffbird
Little Cuckoo	H Western Slaty Antshrike
White-necked Jacobin	2 Bay-headed Tanager

August 7:

We drove back to the vicinity of Rio Palenque and birded private farm property on either side of Highway 25. Much of what we explored was grazed to second growth forest, some palm-oil plantation and some riparian areas.

West side of highway yielded:
 

Chestnut-throated Seedeater	Olive-crowned Yellowthroat
Scaled Pigeon	Wattled Jacana
Ringed Kingfisher	Pacific Parrotlet
Streak-headed Woodcreeper	Yellow-tailed Oriole
Laughing Falcon	10+ Smooth-billed Ani
Peruvian MeadOwlark	2 Elegent Cresent-chest
Purple Gallinule	3h Whtie-throated Crake
Sooty-headed Tyrannulet	Tumbes Tyrannulet
Peruvian Pygmy-Owl	Blue-necked Tanager
2 White-whiskered Hermit	Band-backed Wren
Ruddy Pigeon	Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner
M Green Honeycreeper	F Violaceous Trogon
Sooty-crowned Flycatcher	M Great Antshrike
H Rufous-headed Chachalaca	Streaked AntWren
4 Striped Cuckoo	Green Kingfisher
Gray-rumped Swift	Black-cheeked Woodpecker

East side of highway in addition yielded:
 

Red-billed Scythebill	2 One-colored Becard
M Ecuadorian Mango	Neotropic Cormorant
2 Yellow-tufted Dacnis	2 Guira Tanager
Scarlet-backed Woodpecker	Pacific Elaenia
M Thick-billed Euphonia	-

August 8:

Left Santo Domingo and drove to Finca Bellavista via Pedro Vicente Maldonado, S. Miguel de los Bancos and the old Nono Road. Our first stop was along a dirt road just west of Vicente, turning left off the main highway that runs toward Mindo. We drove to a "T" junction and took the right-hand road and began birding where the road stopped at a barb-wire fence. This is highly disturbed Choco forest habitat.

Birds observed within 200yds of the end of the dirt road included:
 

3 Black-tipped Cotinga	M Long-tailed Tyrant
5+ Maroon-tailed Parakeet	Rufous Motmot
2 Golden-hooded Tanager	1 Emerald Tanager
Bay-headed Tanager	Palm Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager	Social Flycatcher
Thick-billed Euphonia	Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant
Streak Flycatcher	Masked Tityra
M Purple Honeycreeper	Slaty-capped Shrike-Vireo

Birds seen on drive back towards highway:
 

M Green Thorntail	Black and White Becard
Violet-bellied Hummingbird	White-necked Jacobin
Black-striped Sparrow	Purple-crowned Fairy
Gray-backed Hawk	2 Swallow-tailed Kite

One small flock in the same tree yielded:
 

Blue-whiskered Tanager	Scarlet-browed Tanager
Yellow-bellied Siskin	Orange-crowned Euphonia
M White-bearded Manakin	Slate-throated Gnatcatcher

We rejoined the Old Nono-Mindo road and drove up to Bellavista birding en-route:
 

Violet-tailed Sylph	Masked Trogon
Spotted Nightingale-Thrush	White-rumped Hawk
2 Plate-billed Mountain Toucan	H Tanager-Finch

At Bellavista before a splendid vegetarian dinner we had the following birds:
 

Blue-capped Tanager	Collared Inca
Speckled Hummingbird	Buff-tailed Coronet
H Narino Tapaculo	Cinnamon Flycatcher
H Andean Solitaire	Southern Yellow Grosbeak
Fawn-breasted Brilliant	Brown-capped Vireo
Band-tailed Pigeon	2 Russett-backed Oropendula

August 9:

In the early morning with rain threatening at Bellavista we drove back to Las Bancos and after finding a local property owner birded some disturbed forest to the north of Las Bancos. We found the following:
 

Black-billed Peppershrike	3 Golden-bellied Warbler
5+ Club-winged Manakin (Displaying, Calling at Lek)
Tawny-breasted Flycatcher	Golden-naped Tanager
H Spotted Nightingale-Thrush	Moss-backed Tanager
Spotted Woodcreeper	Uniform Treehunter
White-eyed Trogon	Thrush-like Manakin
Silver-throated Tanager	Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
2 Glistening-green Tanager	Russet Antshrike
Rufous-rumped AntWren	Plain Xenops
2 Crimson-bellied Woodpecker	Groove-billed Ani
White-whiskered Hermit	-

Returning to the Mindo-Nono road we found:
 

Violet-tailed Sylph	2 Black-crowned Tityra
Golden-headed Quetzal	Gray-headed Kite
Smoky-brown Woodpecker	Mountain Wren
H White-tipped Dove	2 Plate-billed Mountain Toucan
2 Scaly-naped Parrot	Speckled-faced Parrot
Chestnut-crowned Antpitta	-

August 10:

Staying close to Bellavista we birded trail# 3 in the morning -- Richard Parsons maintains a number of trails on his property and all are worth exploring (todate 154 species of birds have been observed from the lodeg or on the trails on his property):
 

Striped Treehunter	Strong-billed Woodcreeper
Black-crested Warbler	2 White-sided Flower-piercer
Rufous-naped Brush-Finch	3+ Blue-fronted Parrotlet
White-faced (Nunbird) Puffbird	H White-throated Quail-Dove
Beryl-spangled Tanager	Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant
Blue-black Tanager	Long-tailed Antbird
Smoke-colored Pewee	Rufous Spinetail
Masked Flowerpiercer	White-tailed Tyrannulet
Glossy-black Thrush	H Powerful Woodpecker
Russet-crowned Warbler	White-banded Tyrannulet
Grass-green Tanager	Streak-necked Flycatcher
Spectacled Redstart	Streaked Tuftedcheek
Tawny-breasted Hermit	Black Flowerpiercer
Plush-capped Finch	Flammulated Treehunter

This same trail has yielded GIANT ANTPITTA, roosting MOTTLED OWL and COMMON POTOO. In addition, in the very early morning LYRE-TAILED NIGHTJAR has been observed in and around Bellavista.

In the afternoon we birded down the Mindo Rd. which is still being widened. We saw the following:
 

Gorgeted Sunangel	4 Turquoise Jay
Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager	H Crested Quetzal
White-rumped Hawk	Flavescent Flycatcher
Rufous Wren	Bluish Flowerpiercer
Crimson-mantled Woodpecker	3 Hooded Mountain-Tanager
Grass-green Tanager	Pearled Treerunner

August 11:

We had a terrible day -- the sun shone mercilessly down. Not a cloud in sight as we drove and birded up the Mindo-Nono Rd. back to Quito.
 

Three-striped Warbler	Golden-crowned Flycatcher
Yellow-faced Grassquit	Chestnut-collared Swift
Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant	2 Rusty-winged Barbtail
Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager	Red-backed Hawk
Great Thrush	H Toucan Barbet
Hooded Siskin	Peregrine Falcon

August 12:

We birded up and over the Papallacta Pass. On the first drive up to the summit we found:
 

Shining Sunbeam	2 Puna Hawk
Many-striped Canastero	10's Plumbeous Sierra-Finch
Brown-bellied Swallow	Sedge Wren
Tawny Antpitta	-

Over the pass and just before the reservior we stopped for a flock:
 

Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager	7+ Black-backed Bush-Tanager
White-throated Tyrannulet	White-banded Tyrannulet
2 Cinereous Conebill	Blue-backed Conebill
3 Black-headed Hemispingus	Superciliaried Hemispingus
Pale-naped Brush-Finch	Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager
Agile Tit-Tyrant	-

Driving back to the summit we found:
 

Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle

Glossy Flowerpiercer

Descending back toward Quito on our left is the beginning of the ravine that proceeds down off the mountain. At the first dirt track (the old pass road) we found (we had lunch here in a windy, driving rainsquall):
 

2 Carunculated Caracara	Red-crested Cotinga
Shining Sunbeam	-

Descending further you proceed pass a small village, Cuchauco. We drove through this village using the old highway - now a dirt road, this road parallels the now deep ravine and had the following:
 

2 Andean Gull	Band-tailed Seedeater
Tufted Tit-Tyrant	Rusty Flowerpiercer
H Giant Hummingbird	-

In the late afternoon we drove back to the summit and up to the mirco-wave tower, this yielded my last lifers for the trip:
 

Plain-capped Ground-Tyrant	M Ecuadorian Hillstar
Andean Tit-spinetail	Stout-billed Cinclodes

Sadly all good things must end. I will return to Ecuador, and I recommend to all of you visit Bellavista -- cloud forest is something that needs to be experienced at least once in a lifetime.

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Mark R. Welford, Ph.D                              "Life is short: enjoy it,
Assistant Professor                                       travel widely, and you
Dept. of Geol. & Geog.                                will have no regrets".
Georgia Southern University PHONE: (912) 871-1154
Stateboro, GA 30460-8149 FAX: (912) 681-0668
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