The tour will focus on finding as many species and local specialities as possible by visiting multiple micro-habitats within the Upper Amazonian biome. Although the list of possible birds is immense, some of the more interesting species that we have good chances of seeing include: Harpy Eagle, Hoatzin, Zigzag and Agami Herons, Grey-winged Trumpeter, Sungrebe, Scarlet, Blue-and-yellow, Chestnut-fronted and Red-bellied Macaws, Gould’s Jewelfront, Wire-crested Thorntail, Great and Long-tailed Potoos, White-throated, Black-mandibled and Channel-billed Toucans, Many-banded and Ivory-billed Aracaris, American Pygmy and Green-and-rufous Kingfishers, Gilded and Scarlet-crowned Barbets, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Coppery-chested Jacamar, Rusty-belted Tapaculo, Long-billed Woodcreeper, Cinnamon Attila, Grey-tailed Piha, Screaming Piha, Golden-headed and Orange-crowned Manakins, Fiery-throated Fruiteater, Bare-necked Fruitcrow, Plum-throated & Spangled Cotingas and dozens of antbird species!
Cinereous, Undulated & Variegated Tinamous; Blue-throated Piping Guan; Speckled Chachalaca; Marbled Wood Quail; Agami, Boat-billed & Zigzag Heron; Greater Yellow-headed & King Vultures; Slate-colored & White Hawks; Harpy & Crested Eagles (both very rare); Black & Ornate Hawk-Eagles; Red-throated; Black & Yellow-headed Caracaras; Grey-winged Trumpeter; Chestnut-headed, Black-banded & Grey-breasted Crakes; Sungrebe; Blue-and-yellow, Scarlet, Chestnut-fronted & Red-bellied Macaws; Dusky-headed & Cobalt-winged Parakeets; Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet; Black-headed, Orange-cheeked & Blue-headed Parrots; Yellow-crowned, Orange-winged & Southern Mealy Amazons; Hoatzin; Black-bellied Cuckoo; Tawny-bellied Screech Owl; Black-banded Owl; Ferruginous Pygmy Owl; Great & Long-tailed Potoos; Fiery Topaz (rare); Ecuadorian Piedtail; Peruvian Racket-tail; White-tailed Hillstar; Black-throated Brilliant; Gould's Jewelfront; Gorgeted Woodstar; Olive-spotted Hummingbird; Black-tailed; Green-backed & Amazonian Trogons; White-eared, Yellow-billed, White-chinned, Coppery-chested & Great Jacamars; White-necked, Chestnut-capped & Collared Puffbirds; Lanceolated Monklet; Brown Nunlet; Black-fronted, White-fronted & Yellow-billed Nunbirds; Scarlet-crowned; Gilded & Lemon-throated Barbets; Black-mandibled, White-throated & Channel-billed Toucans; Golden-collared Toucanet; Lettered, Chestnut-eared, Many-banded & Ivory-billed Aracaris; White-throated, Golden-green, Spot-breasted, Scale-breasted, Chestnut, Cream-colored, Rufous-headed, Ringed & Crimson-crested Woodpeckers; Barred, Lined, Mouse-colored, Castelnau's, Russet, Dusky-throated & Cinereous Antshrikes; Yasuni, Ornate, Rufous-tailed, Pygmy, Moustached, Plain-throated, Dugand's & Yellow-breasted Antwrens; White-backed Fire-eye; White-browed, Black-faced, Black-and-white, Silvered, Plumbeous, Sooty, White-plumed, Lunulated, Spot-backed, Dot-backed & Scale-backed Antbirds; Black-spotted & Reddish-winged Bare-eyes; Ash-throated & Chestnut-crowned Gnateaters; Plain-backed; Ochre-striped & Thrush-like Antpittas; Rusty-belted & White-crowned Tapaculos; Rufous-capped, Short-tailed & Striated Antthrushes; Black-tailed Leaftosser; Lesser Hornero; White-bellied & Parker's Spinetails; Orange-fronted Plushcrown; Point-tailed Palmcreeper; Chestnut-winged Hookbill; Cinnamon-rumped Foliage-gleaner; Long-billed, Cinnamon-throated, Amazonian Barred & Black-banded Woodcreepers; Ringed Antpipit; Lesser Wagtail-Tyrant; Slender-footed & Ecuadorian Tyrannulets; Double-banded Pygmy Tyrant; White-eyed Tody-Tyrant; Golden-winged Tody-Flycatcher; Brownish Twistwing; Orange-eyed Flycatcher; Drab Water Tyrant; Citron-bellied Attila; Amazonian Umbrellabird; Plum-throated & Spangled Cotingas; Screaming Piha; Bare-necked Fruitcrow; Dwarf Tyrant-Manakin; Blue-rumped, White-bearded, Blue-backed, Wire-tailed & Golden-headed Manakins; Wing-barred Piprites; Violaceous Jay; Coraya Wren; Black-capped Donacobius; Red-capped Cardinal; Flame-crested, Yellow-bellied, Paradise, Opal-rumped & Opal-crowned Tanagers; Golden-collared Honeycreeper; Olive Oropendola.
Brown Woolley Monkey; Common Squirrel Monkey; White-fronted Capuchin; Golden-mantled & Napo Tamarins; Pygmy Marmoset; Dusky Titi; Red Howler; Monk Saki; White-bellied Spider Monkey; Black Agouti
subtropical cloud-forest, tropical foothill forest, Rio Napo river-edge forest, Rio Napo river islands, Amazon terrafirme forest, Amazon varzea forest, Amazon riparian habitat and blackwater lagoons
pleasant in the subtropics and foothills, warmer and more humid in the Amazon lowlands
10 with 1 Rockjumper Tour Leader
easy to moderate pace
top notch lodges
In general easy birding with tricky species in primary forest
400+
great!
I had a great time on the two Ecuador tours. I have been wanting to bird with Lev Frid since I viewed his webinar on Mexico, and he was every bit as fun and as good a guide as I thought that he would be. Lev's cheerful energy and care for his tour members were always evident, and his bird finding and identifying skills were superb. He worked hard to make sure that everyone was able to see the birds whenever possible, and he dealt with the varying experience levels of the various tour members very well. The list of tour members changed from tour to tour, with a wide range of ages, birding agendas, and personalities. Lev took it all in stride and provided what I considered to be an excellent experience for all. He worked particularly well with the local guides, with whom he shared friendship and respect, and his ability in speaking Spanish was an excellent asset. The local guides were all excellent, and worked hard to give us the best birding experience possible. Our driver kept us safe on the road and got us where we needed to go. The lodges were all great, with comfortable accommodations and excellent food. I picked up several birds that I had missed on an earlier tour through the area, and got a good look at a Mountain Tapir, as a rare bonus mammal. All in all, it was an excellent trip, and I look forward to future trips with Rockjumper.
Our tour of the Choco cloud forest and the Eastern Andes paramo and cloud forest was superb. Our guide Dušan Brinkhuizen was amazing in his ability to find birds; he clearly has supernatural hearing and eyesight! He also was superb at making sure that everyone saw the birds. He truly worried about his clients and listened to their requests as to birds, landscapes and need for sleep. We saw spectacular landscapes far off the beaten path and got very good looks at birds in all habitats. An additional plus was our driver Dario who kept us safe on marginal roads. We look forward to our next Rockjumper trip.
"Really very positive indeed. I really liked Dusan, and there was no question he was an astonishing birder. I'd love to do another tour with him."
A wonderfully tailored tour. This is not something easily done solo. If it was for Dusan, I would not have seen half of the bird species that I saw. Thanks again man, and hope to join you on another tour soon.
I have just finished a very successful snipe day with Dusan. I got all three species I was after, which was a result of some excellent guiding by Dušan Brinkhuizen. I cannot commend him highly enough. He can fill you in on the detail but looking for an Andean Snipe in the rain and cold wind at 4300m takes some effort! I will certainly need my rest day tomorrow.
22 Nov 2024 - 26 Nov 2024 (5 days)
USD2,950 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Dušan Brinkhuizen
Tour price (Per person): EUR2,713 * AUD4,404 * GBP2,322 * ZAR53,580
Single Supplement: EUR529 * AUD858 * GBP453 * ZAR10,444
Flight costs: EUR279 * AUD452 * GBP239 * ZAR5,503
Can be linked with: Ecuador - North-western specialities - ZEISS joint-partnership tour 2024
Ecuador - Northern: Ultimate Amazon: Sumaco Foothills & Rio Napo I 2024 - April 2024
Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes: Paramo & Cloud Forest I 2024 - February 2024
Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest I 2024 - February 2024
Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes: Paramo & Cloud Forest II 2023 - November 2023
Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest II 2023 - October 2023
Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes: Paramo & Cloud Forest I 2023 - February 2023
Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest I 2023 - February 2023
Ecuador - Southern Endemics 2023 - January 2023
Ecuador - Pacific Coast Extension 2023 - January 2023
Ecuador - Northern: Ultimate Amazon: Sumaco Foothills & Rio Napo II 2022 - November 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes: Paramo & Cloud Forest II 2022 - November 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest II 2022 - November 2022
Ecuador - Rare Bird Club 2022 - October 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Ultimate Amazon: Sumaco Foothills & Rio Napo I 2022 - April 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes: Paramo & Cloud Forest I 2022 - April 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest I 2022 - March 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Ultimate Amazon: Sumaco Foothills & Rio Napo III 2022 - February 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes: Paramo & Cloud Forest III 2022 - February 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest III 2022 - February 2022