Itinerary

In our Southern Birding Tour in Ecuador we will explore several different habitats and ecosystems, ranging from the Coastal Marshes, to the Tumbesian and Choco Forests, Lowlands, Cloud Forests, Amazon Basin and the Southern Andean Paramo. In addition to our Northern Birding Circuits, this tour emphasizes in several endemic species, as well as other species from Northern Peru, that are close to our birding reserves. In average we can add around +/- 400 New Bird Species in this tour, in addition to our Northern Circuits.

Birding Photos: Western Striped Manakin, Birding Group and Ecuadorian Trogon by Ecuador Birds Tours.

Index 

We start from Guayaquil City, birding in Lagartera Marshes along the way towards Buenaventura Reserve in El Oro Province. Our main targets include El Oro Parakeet, Club-winged Manakin, Long-wattled Umbrellabird, El Oro Tapaculo, Ecuadorian Trogon, Emeral-bellied Woodnymph, Grey-breasted Flycatcher, Rufous-throated Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager and others. 

Continue birding in the Dry-deciduous and Humid Evergreen Forests, bordering with Peru and Macara at Jorupe Reserve. Some of our Targets include Grey-cheeked Parakeet, West Peruvian Screetch Owl, Watkins Antpitta, Whooping Motmot, Peruvian Pygmy Owl, Scarlet-backed Woodpecker, Black and white Tanager and others.

The foothills of Ecuador’s far southeast are still among some of the least explored areas of the country, partly because of its remote location and terrain. We will focus in two major areas: the deep Southeast, along the western slope of the Cordillera del Condor right along the Peruvian border near Yankuam Reserve, and then the Lower eastern slopes of the famous Podocarpus National Park, and areas nearby like Copalinga and Tapichalaca Reserves, including the excellent old Loja-Zamora Birding Road. 

In Tapichalaca Reserve our Targets include Peruvian Anpitta, Masked Mountain Tanager, Undulated Antpitta, Neblina Metaltail, Bearded Guan, Jocotoco Antpitta, Flame-throated Sunangel, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Green and Black Fruiteater and others. While in Copalinga Reserve Grey Tinamou, Little Tinamou, Amazonian Umbrellabird, White-capped Tanager, Golden-eared Tanager, and others.

We continue the drive towards Coordillera del Condor to Cabanas Yankuam for the specialty of Orange-throated Tanager. At the reserve and surroundings of Maycu Trail other targets include Lemon throated Barbet, Swallow Tanager, Yellow bellied Dacnis, Purplish Jacamar, Green backed Trogon, Tropical Screetch Owl, Paradise Tanager, White-eyed Parakeet, Golden-winged Tody-Flycatcher, Flame-crested Tanager and others. 

Morning birding in Yatzaza Road and continue to Loja. Afterwards explore Cerro de Arcos and Cerro Acanama for specialties like Blue-throated Hillstar, Crescent-faced Antpitta, Grey-breasted Mountain Toucan, Red-faced Parrot and others.  Late arrival to Saraguro, a town between Loja and Cuenca. We will continue to explore Yunguilla Birding Road for targets including Amazilia Hummingbird, Chiguanco Thrush, Pallid Dove, Hepatic Tanager and others. The next days we will explore Cajas National Park located near Cuenca City.  In the Paramo the targets include Giant Conebill, Andean Condor, Violet-throated Metailtail, Variable Hawk, Tufted-tit-Tyrant, Tit-like Dacnis, Mountain Caracara, Blue-mantled Thornbill and others.  Last day transfer to Guayaquil City, drop off at the Airport or at the hotel depending in your departure flight back home.

**Depending in your travel dates, we can tailor-made this itinerary to any length of days in the Southern Ecuador Region and also if needed extensions to Galapagos Islands**