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The amazonian basin is a very important area for Ecuador since it produces 500,000 barrels of oil per day which is the main source of income for our economy.  Unfortunately only 63% of this oil is produced by state owned companies, and the 37% left is still fattening the profits of other companies that are [...]

Let me proudly introduce a new exotic bird that has been trained by the ambassador of hand feeding the most difficult skulking birds in Ecuador: the Ocellated Tapaculo. For those of you that have tried and failed to see this bird now you have a reason to visit Refugio Paz de las Aves where Angel [...]

It is a very small antpitta that lives in Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela and Bolivia. This antpitta is found in southern Ecuador (near Peru) and curiously also inside the Puluahua Crater which is my residence near Quito in northern Ecuador. There has been no studies that explain why this bird only resides inside our homey [...]

Last week I was doing a birding tour of the east and west slopes of Ecuador and encountered some warblers that have already made it to Ecuador.  It is really amazing how far and how fast they can fly to improve the living conditions that assure their millenarian survival.  Here are a couple of pictures [...]

The south of Ecuador presents some very interesting opportunities for birdwatchers that have already visited the north-east and north-west slopes near Quito. On a recent tour we were pleasantly surprised by the high degree of endemism and the beauty of the birds that make the south such a special place. Here is my “Top Twenty [...]

I photographed this amazing bird yesterday at Utuana Reserve in the South of Ecuador. Too busy to write more..  enjoy!

Isla Corazon was formed by sediment deposition of the Rio Chone on its way out to the ocean to the central coast of Ecuador.  The estuary of this river had been populated by mangroves for centuries but most of it has been destroyed to give way to shrimp farming, luckily the local community of Puerto [...]

Birding the High Andes is no joke. If, like me, you have trouble breathing at sea level, consider bringing an oxygen tank. Florida, where I currently live, is many things. But high is not one of them unless you’re referring to a large percentage of the population. So, having been to Ecuador before, I knew [...]

Bird watching Recinto 23 de Junio is always a great experience.  On my latest visit we encounter the Moss-backed Tanager and the Gray Hawk next to the road that leads to the community.  Also we had some great views of a female Long-wattled Umbrellabird near the town itself, and finally we drove to higher elevation [...]

Birdwatching and visiting the Enchanted Islands is a dream that can be materialized by many more people than one would guess. The fact is that the entire tourism industry benefiting from Darwin’s discoveries want you to believe that you must spend a small fortune to be able to realize your dream. In fact this is [...]

What’s the deal with manakins? Are they for real? These are just a few of the questions that come to mind when watching these bizarre little birds. On a recent filming trip with Tropical Birding in Ecuador I had the awesome experience of getting up close and personal with two bizarre manakin species. Most manakins [...]

On our lowland birdwatching trip we visited Rio Canande Reserve, Botrosa Road and then we also visited the nearby reserve of Mache Chindul; specifically we went to Bilsa Research Station of Jatunsacha Fundation.  Jatunsacha purchased the land it currently protects in 1994 and the government declared it an Ecological Reserve in 1996 due to it [...]

Continued from Birdwatching Rio Canande Reserve.. On our final day of bird watching this northern Esmeraldas Choco Endemics site, we decided to do roadside birding on the renowned Botrosa Road .  This road was constructed by Botrosa Logging Company to harvest the luscious forest which they started purchasing more than thirty years ago.  As we [...]

We scheduled a visit to Rio Canande Reserve of the Jocotoco Foundation which has access to this forest and provides very good accommodations with excellent trails.  Our visit had two main purposes, one was to experience the exotic biodiversity of the lowland Choco forest and its birds, and the other was to gauge the state [...]

Bird Photography in Ecuador is fun. There are so many beautiful birds that every time I go birding a new exilarating photo is captured. Here are some of the most beautiful pictures I have taken: Toucan Barbet at Refugio Paz de las Aves Oilbird at Cueva de los Tayos Flame-faced Tanager at Recinto 23 de [...]

This last week I had to take someone to Otavalo, so I took advantage of the trip and drove to a little secluded and out-of-the-way town called Oyacachi.   I had never been there before, but I heard that they have some nice hot springs for relaxation and that the place is very small and special.  [...]

I got very exited two weeks ago when I finally met face-to-beak with a rare bird that I have been wanting to see,  the Tit-like Dacnis.   This bird is very difficult to find except for one place in Ecuador where you are almost guaranteed to see it:   The Cajas National Park.   Here are two amazing [...]

Most birdwatchers that visit Ecuador for the first time concentrate in the north-east and west slopes near the capital Quito.   The diversity in these slopes plus the high altitude land give a unique taste of the Tropical Andes hotspot which is considered the highest biodiversity place on earth. On a recent scouting trip to [...]

I enjoy fishing almost as much as I enjoy birding. This is not a surprise as both pastimes tap into my primeval desire to hunt. I would argue that most Homo Sapiens males – and many females – have this desire in them. Although for some, it is buried deeper than others. In many cases, [...]

Few living things are created perfect. But I think hummingbirds are as close to evolutionary perfection as one can get. These enchanting nectar feeders have truly mastered the art of flight like no other bird. A high metabolism and the ability to rotate their wings through 180 degrees enables these little gems to fly forward, [...]