Ecuador — A Paradise for Birdwatching

To mention all bird species that can be seen in Ecuador would be a very difficult task. But as a reference, over 1,600 species of birds — including more than 125 species of hummingbird — have been recorded by ornithologists.

With Quito as a starting point, birders can easily travel into the nearby Andes looking for higher altitude birds. Snowcapped volcanoes like Antisana or Cotopaxi pose excellent challenges as you hike at an altitude of almost 12,000 feet looking for ground and waterbirds, birds of prey and the magnificent Andean condor.

The variety of bird species increase dramatically as you travel down through the humid cloud forest with its iridescent hummingbirds, multi-hued tanagers and trogons, or the brightly colored Cock of the Rock to name just a few.

Eventually you reach the lush tropical vegetation of the Amazon Basin or the dry marine forests along Ecuador’s Pacific coast with its population of resident mainland and sea birds. Even for the amateur twitcher, visiting a neo-tropical rainforest can be the thrilling adventure, an explosion of colors and shapes matched by very few other areas in the world.

Galapagos with its unique endemic species and migratory bird life completes the scene. To spot some of the different Darwin’s finches especially adapted to their environment and habitat is a unique challenge.

Have no doubt; a quest for Ecuador birds will be a unique experience… a journey through time to pristine exotic environments that will be treasured and remembered by all nature lovers who, like us, can enjoy the natural wonders that this world has yet to offer.
Check out Enchanted Expeditions’ birdwatching trips here.