"Over 300 species per week is typical on most Northwest Ecuador birding trips!"
Day 1:  Arrival and fly to Quito
Day 2:  Birding to, and in, Mindo
Day 3:  Birding Refugio Paz de Las Aves
Day 4:  Birding AM at Rio Silanche and additional birding
Milpe Area and transfer.
Day 5:  AM birding Milpe Reserve and additional birding
til late afternoon transfer to Tandayapa Valley
Day 6:  Bellavista Reserve and Tandayapa Valley
(great hummingbird feeders in the Valley)
Day 7:  Yanacocha Reserve (or optional rest day in
Quito)
Day 8:  Morning drive from Quito (early birding there),
then Antisana Ecological Reserve and high mountain
grasslands and lakes on both sides of Pappallacta Pass
Quito)
Day 9:  Morning birding in high forest area near Thermas
Pappalachta Hot Springs then hummingbird feeders and
more at Guango Lodge and Reserve
Day 10:   International Flights Home (or consider
extension trip)

Extensions to Consider:  
  • Any trip participant can add 4 to 5 days at Sani
    Lodge in the Amazonian Rainforest.  Why not add
    150 to 200 species to your trip list?
  • Depending upon group interest, we will likely add
    several days at San Isidro, Guacamayos Trail, and
    the Antisana National Park.
  • Galapagos Islands for 5 to 8 days for the classic
    naturalist journey of a life-time.
Brief Itinerary
Trip Description
For More Information or to Register for this Trip, call Charles at 888-203-7464
or direct at 720-320-1974 or by email at info@PIBird.com.
Mindo, Milpe, Rio Silanche, Paz de Las Aves, Bellavista, Tandayapa Valley, Yanacocha and More
Extensions to Galapagos Islands, Sani Lodge and Amazonian Basin, or San Isidro
Photo by John Drummond.
Note:  Banner Photo by Murray Cooper.
Photo by John Drummond
The Best of Northwest Ecuador
Northwest Ecuador
Northwest Ecuador is a great location for persons new to
South American birding.  I know of a number of various
experienced world birders who love to return to Ecuador
as the lodges are a great value and the birding is always
productive with many species seen each day and new life
birds found.
  • For the first time Ecuadorian birder, each day brings
    30 to 80 life birds with travel between major sites
    only 10 to 60 minutes.  
  • Trips to this location range from $1,690 to $2,490
    and provide a great value to those who want to see
    a lot of beautiful and fascinating species within a
    reasonable budget.
  • Birding with a great local guide usually means 10 to
    15 minute drives results in new birding adventures
    with new life birds and terrific (and longer) looks and
    beautiful birds or fantastic behavior.
  • This route is filled with beautiful tanagers (60
    beautiful tanagers and as many as 80 species in
    one week).
  • Hummingbirds and feeders can provide up to twelve
    species at a single set of feeders and up to 40
    species in one week.  
  • Birding in Northwest Ecuador is productive and fun.
  • The lodges provide excellent meals and a base for a
    number of birding routes each day.
  • Ecuador is the home of our main South American
    partner, Neblina Forest Tours.  Our guides include  
    Lelis Navarrete (widely regarded as the best bird
    guide in South America), Alejandro Solano, Willy
    Perez,  Gustavo Canas-Valle, Manuel Sanchez,
    Xavier Munoz and numerous other reliable and
    excellent guides throughout the country.
  • These trips are well planned to focus on bird
    watching.  With excellent guides, we anticipate trip
    participants will see 300 to 350 species each week.  
    The longer trip with San Isidro and then Sani Lodge
    as an extension, can result in seeing nearly 600
    species in two weeks!  


Trip extension include Sani Lodge (with up to 200 species
additional in the Amazonian basin), Galapagos Islands (5
to 8 days for the classic naturalist excursion) and San
Isidro loge (just another 2 or 3 nights for another 60 to 100
species to the east).  

We offer a Northwest Ecuador trip nearly every month of
the year.   A brief itinerary is presented below with more
detail on the next web page.

Please contact us to get trip reports to get a good idea of
the bird species you will see based upon our past
experiences.
Photo by Drummond
Photo by John
Drummond
Photo by John Drummond
Photo by John Drummond
Photo by John Drummond
Photo by Murray Cooper
Photo by Murray Cooper
More Details on This Trip
Current Schedule for
NW Ecuador Routes
Nearly all of our Ecuador trips in 2011 are full or have run
successfully.  

Please consider our 2012 schedule of trips.  

These trips usually sale out within a few months after
posted and most are filled 6 months prior; however, there
are exceptions.  We will also consider opening new trip
dates if there is demand and capable guides available.  
Please contact us for availability and to let us know your
interest in birding in NW Ecuador.  

December 3 to 10, 2011 - Best of Northwest Ecuador with
Xavier Munoz.

January 21 to 30, 2012 - Best of Northwest Ecuador with
Alejandro Solano.

February 4 to 13, 2012 - Northwest Ecuador and East
Slope with Alejandro Solano  

April 7 to 16, 2012 - Northwest Ecuador and East
Slope with Alejandro Solano  

June 23 to July 2, 2012 - Best of Northwest Ecuador with
Xavier Munoz.

October 5 to 14, 2012 - Northwest Ecuador and East
Slope with Lelis Navarrete.   Sponsored by Minneapolis
Audubon (all birders welcome).

October 13 to 22, 2012 - Northwest Ecuador and East
Slope with Lelis Navarrete.  Sponsored by Minneapolis
Audubon (all birders welcome).

November 3 to 12, 2012 - Best of Northwest Ecuador with
Alejandro Solano.
Photo by John Drummond
Photo by John Drummond