Highlights from the Ecuador Mindo & NW Andes tour

This tour is primarily based around just one lodge, Mindo’s Septimo Paraiso. Mindo is deservedly well known as one of the most diverse birding sites in the world, and the breadth of avian diversity accessible within an hour’s radius is hard to beat anywhere in the world.

Feeder stations are a staple of the tour, including moth sheets which can bring in otherwise scarce insectivores. Higher elevation sites such as Yanacocha bring charismatic hummingbirds such as Sword-billed Hummingbird and Sapphire-vented Puffleg. Just slightly lower, the sheets at Bellavista bring in White-faced Nunbird alongside a suite of warblers and tanagers.

Some of the most impressive fruit feeder attendees anywhere include the truly spectacular Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan alongside a rainbow of Golden Tanager, Flame-faced Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, and Toucan Barbets. Reserva Amagusa added the likes of Moss-backed and Glistening-green Tanagers to the mix, with Orange-breasted and Scaled Fruiteaters further increasing the saturation.

In addition to the outlandish bright colors, we took time to enjoy the subtly colored but endlessly charismatic antpittas at the famous Refugio Paz de las Aves, always a group favorite. An incredible family trio of Long-wattled Umbrellabirds was an appropriate final day send off.