22 Feb 2026 - 07 Mar 2026 (14 days)
USD5,995 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Amanda Guercio
Tour price (Per person): USD5,995 * GBP4,739 * EUR5,715 * AUD9,264
Single Supplement: USD720 * GBP569 * EUR686 * AUD1,113
Ecuador is fortuitously situated within the heart of a fantastically diverse habitat array, ranging from the high Andes to excellent lowland rainforest. Ecuador’s small size, good infrastructure, unsurpassable scenery and friendly people make it one of the planet’s most delightful birding destinations. Our dedicated hummingbird tour seeks to enjoy a vast number of these jewels, most to be comfortably found at the numerous feeders that dot the prime birding locations we visit.
This tour is a great introduction to birding the mighty Andes of South America. We begin the tour in the primary birding sites found north-west of the capital city of Quito. This area is part of the Chocó bioregion that hosts a great number of endemics and specialities that are only shared with neighbouring areas of Colombia to the north. We will be based in the Tandayapa and Mindo valleys from where we will set out to bird the various renowned private reserves, affording us an outstanding opportunity to support local conservation projects for long-term habitat protection. A wide array of habitats will be birded, starting with the mystical elfin forest of the temperate zone, followed by bird-rich subtropical cloud forests. We will also explore the vast east-slope for its local specialities and visit a wide array of different habitats and elevations. Travelling from snow-capped volcanoes down to pristine cloud forests will be an incredible experience with superb birding and scenery each day! A great network of birding reserves together with good infrastructure, unsurpassable scenery and friendly people make the eastern Andes of Ecuador one of the world’s key birding destinations.
Ecuadorian, White-tailed & Green-backed Hillstars; Black-tailed Trainbearer; Great Sapphirewing; Purple-backed, Black-mantled, Blue-mantled, Purple-mantled & Rainbow-bearded Thornbills; Shining Sunbeam; Giant, Speckled, Many-spotted, Violet-headed & Sword-billed Hummingbirds; Collared & Bronzy Incas; Long-tailed & Violet-tailed Sylphs; Tourmaline Sunangel; Chestnut-breasted, Velvet-purple & Buff-tailed Coronets; Mountain Avocetbill; Tyrian & Viridian Metaltails; White-bellied, Purple-throated & Gorgeted Woodstars; Glowing, Sapphire-vented, Black-breasted, Hoary & Golden-breasted Pufflegs; Great Sapphirewing; Violet-fronted, Black-throated, Empress, Green-crowned & Fawn-breasted Brilliants; White-booted & Peruvian Racket-tails; Geoffrey’s Wedgebill; Brown Violetear; Bronzy & Brown Incas; Green & Sparkling Violetears; Gould’s Jewelfront; Golden-tailed Sapphire; Napo Sabrewing; Rufous-vented & Purple-bibbed Whitetips; Golden-tailed Sapphire; Blue-fronted Lancebill; Wire-crested & Green Thorntails; Fork-tailed & Crowned Woodnymphs; Green & White-whiskered Hermits; Ecuadorian Piedtail; White-tipped Sicklebill; Buff-winged Starfrontlet; White-necked Jacobin; Andean Emerald.
White-tailed Deer; Andean Fox; Mountain Tapir (rare); Spectacled Bear (rare); Olingito; Tayra; White-fronted Capuchin.
paramo grasslands and highland lakes, temperate tree line forest & polylepis, temperate cloud-forest, upper and lower subtropical cloud-forest, subtropical cloud-forest, tropical foothill forest
chilly at high elevations but pleasant in the subtropics
8 with 1 Rockjumper leader & local birding leader
Our Relaxed series of tours are designed to focus on having an enjoyable holiday with a bird and wildlife focus. Where possible; we have reduced or removed long drives, single night stays and poor/rustic accommodation. We have also sought to reduce or remove difficult hikes, narrow/muddy trails and otherwise oppressive environmental conditions. Early starts and night birding are mostly optional, and we will not spend much time searching for difficult and/or skulking species. These tours are not suitable for hardcore birders and listers, or dedicated photographers.
comfortable lodges
generally easy, most Hummingbirds attend feeders
good to very good at dedicated feeders
We were so fortunate to be able to experience the top notch birding skills of Dušan. He is very professional but also so personable. It is a tricky thing to manage many different personalities and keep everyone happy but Dusan made our trip so enjoyable.
Dušan Brinkhuizen is a fantastic guide! He is incredibly talented as a birder but equally important, he is very patient and he managed our group perfectly. We had a great time together based on his leadership. He is an asset to Rockjumper.
Dusan was an outstanding tour leader. His knowledge of the birds, their habits, and calls was amazing as was his ability to manage the needs and goals of the tour participants. Both tours completely fulfilled my expectations. Thank you for an excellent experience.
Dušan Brinkhuizen is great bird master, very friendly and helpful. The trip was brilliant.
This was our first birding tour and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The support from the tour leader, the ground staff, hotel, boat and lodge staff, local guides and families was exceptional. In particular we'd like to express our appreciation to Tuomas whose local and bird knowledge, combined with people skills made this a really memorable trip.
Ecuador - Northern: Ultimate Amazon I 2024 - April 2024
Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes I 2024 - February 2024
Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest I 2024 - February 2024
Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes II 2023 - November 2023
Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest II 2023 - October 2023
Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes 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 II 2022 - November 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes II 2022 - November 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest II 2022 - November 2022
Ecuador - Rare Bird Club 2022 - October 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Ultimate Amazon I 2022 - April 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes I 2022 - April 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest I 2022 - March 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Ultimate Amazon III 2022 - February 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes III 2022 - February 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest III 2022 - February 2022