From Chocó to Yasuni

Upon arrival at Quito International Airport (2800 masl), your guide will welcome you and brief you about the upcoming trip.

Immediate transfer to your hotel close to the airport and check-in. Depending on the arrival time, we can stroll around the hotel and make our first observations of typical species of the inter-Andean valley.

Early departure from our hotel to the Chocó mountain region. The descent by jeep along the western foothills of the Andes will immerse us in the Andean forest ecosystem. Arrival at the entrance of the Tandayapa Valley, where we will visit the small Alambi River bird reserve (1550 meters). This first stop will allow for easy birding and photography around the many hummingbird feeders. We’ll eat lunch in front of the hummingbird feeders, and in the afternoon, head towards our lodge located a little higher up in the Tandayapa Valley (2200 meters) in an area of cloud forest. After settling into our rooms, we will have the opportunity to see new species of hummingbirds around the feeders.

This primary forest in the middle of the Chocó mountain range will allow us to explore the biogeographic altitudinal stage of the subtropical rainforest, otherwise known as the "cloud forest.” Here, at an altitude of 2100 masl, we are in the midst of one of the richest ecosystems on the planet. We will spend the day walking on the reserve's trails for understorey species. The wider track edges will also allow us to observe more easily and try to understand the phenomenon of mixed flocks. Finally, the hummingbird feeders will give us time to relax while continuing our observations in this comfortable lodge. If we are lucky, we will have the opportunity to observe some of the endemic birds of the mythical Chocó mountain area. Then, we will descend to the lower Tandayapa Valley to our next accommodation.

Early breakfast, then descent to the Paz de las Aves reserve. We walk down to the Cock-of-the-Rock  (Rupicola peruviana sanguinolenta) arena, where we can photograph the courtship of this unusual Cotinga. Angel, the owner of the reserve, will accompany us along the trails to look for three species of antpitta: the Giant, the Yellow-breasted, and the Moustached. These extremely shy undergrowth birds can be approached here without difficulty. Lunch and departure to Milpe, our next reserve. Here, we will take advantage of the various trails that crisscross this magnificent forest, where you can visit several leks of different species of manakins and witness the abundant mixed flocks near the various hummingbird feeders and fruit feeders around midday.

Today, we will reach one of the latest popular sites in Ecuadorian birding. The Mashpi Mixed Protection Area (MPA) is a collection of conservation initiatives isolated from the main roads and still covered with original vegetation. This site is, therefore, simply incredible for ornithology as it has surprising climatic characteristics for the region, with a humidity level reminiscent of the lowland forests of Chocó. At the same time, the area is around 1400 meters above sea level. Located at the crossroads of the biogeographical influences of the lowland Chocó and the mountainous Chocó, the reserve is home to several species of different altitudes. During the day, we will go birding with the owner of Amagusa Reserve to try to find most of the key species in the area.

In the early morning, we will head to the two hides built near the lodge to wait patiently for the arrival of some shy understorey species. After breakfast, we leave mid-morning for Santa Rosa. Located at 1850 meters above sea level, this small reserve, run by a bird photographer, offers great opportunities to photograph many normally rare species in complete tranquillity. There is no shortage of activity here, from hummingbird feeders to tanagers and toucans. In the late afternoon, we continue our journey to the inter-Andean valley, which we will cross to reach the Antisana reserve, where we will spend the night.

After an early breakfast, we will take the short road to the Antisana Ecological Reserve. From a platform, we will scan the nesting walls of the Condor, one of the most important populations in the country, with a telescope. We will then explore the grasslands and scrub vegetation of the highlands, looking for hummingbirds and high-Andean passerines, and then climb to the expanses of the Andean steppe called the páramo. Diversity at this altitude (almost 4000 masl) is low, but the species visible here are all adapted to this particular ecosystem. A short walk along La Mica lagoon will allow us to observe some aquatic birds. In the early afternoon, we'll return to the lower areas to have lunch around hummingbird feeders and to try to observe one of the rarest mammals of this ecosystem: the Spectacled Bear. Arrive in Papallacta before evening, where you can relax in the hot thermal spa.

This morning, we will have the choice between enjoying the Papallacta thermal spa and exploring the super humid Páramo areas of the Cayambe Coca reserve. From the Papallacta Pass at an altitude of over 4000 meters, we will search for Ecuador's main highland species in a mosaic of ecosystems: temperate forest, super humid páramo, lagoons, elfin scrub and Polylepis woodland. If the weather is good, we will climb up to the antennas at an altitude of more than 4300 meters in search of the most specialized species. We descend to the small reserve of Guango for lunch. In the late afternoon, we continue our descent along the eastern foothills. We will cross a wide altitudinal gradient between elfin, high-Andean, and cloud forests to reach our next lodge, where we will spend two nights.

These high-altitude tropical forests are called Cloud Forests because of the magical fog that covers them for part of the day. This almost constant humidity allows the development of vegetation rich in epiphytes, mosses, orchids, bromeliads, cacti, etc. But also frogs, birds, and small mammals. In the afternoon, we will visit the scientific station of Yanayacu, where scientists have developed several research projects on the reproductive biology of Ecuadorian birds and a project to study the parasites of several particularly attractive species of caterpillars. One of the station’s scientists will present all these projects in more detail. After dinner, we will try to observe an owl (Choliba sp.) which might be a new species for science.

At first light, we will go to the lowland lodge to observe and photograph some additional species. We will stay there most of the morning before taking a moment around the hummingbird feeders. Then, it is time to take our long drive to the eastern foothills of the Cordillera to the eastern part of the Antisana Reserve, along the Ara Cordillera, where we make a short stop. The trail that runs along the heights of the Guacamayo mountain range takes advantage of the ridge effect, winding its way between subtropical and foothill forests on the eastern side of the Andes. We will explore its dense and humid vegetation for a while before descending to the upper Amazon foothills to our next lodge in the buffer zone of Sumaco National Park, in the middle of the subtropical Amazonian forest (1500 meters).

WildSumaco is one of those isolated reserves, which, although little known to the general public, is extremely rich in birdlife. The conservation and research projects there have documented many species that are normally rare and difficult to observe. Its accommodation infrastructure and numerous trails let us access an ecosystem that has long been isolated, as it is wedged between the Amazon foothills and the high Andes. Therefore, we will explore these two very different habitats over the next two days. We will explore roadsides, subtropical rainforest trails, and forest creeks and also spend some time around the feeder areas and on the viewing platforms in front of the Lodge.

It will be time to continue our descent into the lower parts of the Ecuadorian Amazon basin to the town of Coca (Francisco de Orellana), located on the Napo River (350 masl)  in Napo province. From the docks on the Napo River, Ecuador's largest tributary of the Amazon, we will board our motorized dugout canoe for a descent of about three hours, our first immersion into the lowland Amazon. After arriving at the edge of Yasuni National Park in the territory of the Sani community, we will transfer to smaller dugout canoes and then row along the black water canals to the lagoon where the lodge sits (250 masl). After settling into our spacious cabins, our guide will give us a presentation of the site and a briefing on the upcoming trip. This day is essentially a travel day, but along the Napo River (riparian and "white water" ecosystem), along the narrow “black water” channels, and around the lagoon, we will have the opportunity to observe our first Amazonian species.

After an early and hearty breakfast, we will go by rowing boat and then by motorboat to the banks of the Napo River. From there, we will visit two "clay licks": clay cliffs covered with minerals visited by several parrot species to facilitate their digestion (diet composed almost exclusively of acidic fruits and vegetables). The first clay lick is located directly on an open bank of the Napo River; the second is inside the forest and is more like a cave. It attracts very different species from the first. After this incredible sight, we will take a trail in Terra Firme close to the second clay lick in search of the characteristic species of this flooded ecosystem. After lunch, we will take a motorboat ride along the Napo River to look for some interesting "white water" riparian species (named after the light brown color of the great Amazonian rivers that carry silt and material from the high Andes where they originate). At the end of the day, we will return to our lodge via the "black water" canals, so called because of their dark tea color (due to the tannins in the decomposing leaves washed by the Amazonian rains and accumulating in the rivers and lagoons).

Note: The activities of these two days will vary according to the climate.

After crossing the lagoon, a 20-minute walk will take us to the observation tower. Built on the sides of a Kapok tree, this 35-meter-high observation tower will allow us to have an unobstructed view of the Amazonian forest canopy. The canopy birds, often much higher than 30 meters, are among the most difficult to observe in the Amazon. The construction of such towers makes our task much easier. In the middle of the morning, we descend to the ground level for a long observational walk in the forest of a seasonally flooded ecosystem: the Varzea. This is home to a significantly different avifauna than the Terra Firme and promises us some new species. After a well-deserved rest at the lodge, we set off again at the end of the afternoon on another trail. This one winds between Varzea and Terra Firme and will allow us to observe many species. After dinner, we will go on a torchlight trip in a rowing boat, searching for many nocturnal species and the rare black caiman.

Note: The activities on these two days will vary according to the weather.

This morning, we will visit one of the Amazon’s most specialized and interesting ecosystems. The islands on the large Amazonian rivers represent small independent ecosystems that have evolved entirely autonomously. Depending on their age, height, and stage of vegetation, these islands are home to a contingent of very different and specialized species. This morning, we will travel along the Napo River to several islands of various ages, structures, and vegetation cover in search of all these specialist species. After that, we will return to the lodge during the heat of the day. In the afternoon, we will coordinate our final outing with our guide depending on what we want to rediscover: observations at the end of the day from the canopy tower, the Terra Firme trail, the Varzea trail, a canoe ride along the lagoon's shores and the "black water" channels. After dinner, we will take a final walk along one of the trails in search of nocturnal birdlife.

Early in the morning, we take our rowing boats back to the canals, leading us to the Napo River. At the border of the National Park, our motorized dugout will be waiting for us to go up the Napo River, where we can enjoy our last observations. We arrive in the city of Coca around noon for our flight to Quito airport.

End of our services.