Our classic Choco Cloud Forest tour covers all the important 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 venture deeper into tropical foothill forests to reach the mega-diverse lowlands. Iconic species that we will be searching for include Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Giant Antpitta, Plate-billed Mountain and Chocó Toucans, Toucan Barbet, Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Club-winged Manakin, Glistening-green Tanager, Orange-breasted and Scaled Fruiteaters and Velvet-purple Coronet, to mention but a few. In case rarities such as Banded Ground Cuckoo or Rufous-crowned Antpitta show up in the area, we will do our very best to fit in a twitch. A great network of birding reserves together with excellent infrastructure, unsurpassable scenery and friendly people make the Northwest of Ecuador one of the planet’s most delightful birding destinations.
Dark-backed Wood Quail; Indigo-crowned Quail-Dove; Pacific Parrotlet; Rose-faced Parrot; Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl; Sword-billed & Purple-chested Hummingbird; Golden-breasted Puffleg; Purple-bibbed Whitetip; Empress Brilliant; Brown Inca; Velvet-purple Coronet; White-booted Racket-tail; Violet-tailed Sylph; Golden-headed Quetzal; Chocó Trogon; Barred Puffbird; White-whiskered Puffbird; White-faced Nunbird; Orange-fronted & Toucan Barbets; Pale-mandibled Aracari; Plate-billed Mountain & Chocó Toucans; Olivaceous Piculet; Cinnamon & Guayaquil Woodpeckers; Pacific Tuftedcheek; Black-crowned Antshrike; Checker-throated & Pacific Antwrens; Chestnut-backed Antbird; Black-headed & Rufous-breasted Antthrushes; Giant, Moustached, Yellow-breasted & Ochre-breasted Antpittas; Nariño & Ocellated Tapaculos; Chocó Tyrannulet; Black-capped Pygmy Tyrant; Andean Cock-of-the-rock; Orange-breasted & Scaled Fruiteaters; Golden-winged, White-bearded & Club-winged Manakins; Beautiful Jay; Black Solitaire; White-capped Dipper; Chocó Warbler; Yellow-tufted, Scarlet-thighed & Scarlet-breasted Dacnises; Indigo Flowerpiercer; Yellow-collared Chlorophonia; Glistening-green, Moss-backed, Grey-and-gold, Rufous-throated, Blue-whiskered, Black-chinned Mountain, Scarlet-browed & Ochre-breasted Tanagers.
Olingito; Tayra; White-fronted Capuchin; Spectacled Bear (rare)
temperate tree line forest, subtropical cloud-forest, tropical foothill forest and tropical lowland forest all in the Chocó bioregion
chilly to hot and humid (very pleasant temperatures on most days)
8 with 1 Rockjumper leader & local birding leader
easy/moderate pace
comfortable lodges
easy birding with some tricky skulkers
300 - 350
excellent at sites with feeders
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.
Dušan is a very knowledgeable, passionate, dedicated and high-energy leader. He is also very cognizant of his charges and tries to ensure that each of us sees the target birds. At one point, it was to his detriment not being able to photograph a very rare bird so I could catch up to him as it flew away. Dušan’s easy-going personality and humorous life and birding stories not only had us in awe of his experiences but also helped create a dynamic rapport within our group which enhanced our interpersonal interactions and travels that much more. Dusan was not immune to some gentle (or not so gentle) ribbing either. All was in good fun and tolerated admirably. We however will remember fondly the “Dušan mile”.
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.
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 is the best guide we can ask for this trip ! His expertise is top notch and enthusiasm contagious !!! Even though he's been birding in Ecuador for years and has seen over 1,600 species of birds there, he showed us how he appreciated every single species we discovered, especially those hard-to-get ones ! We'd love to have him as our guide again in the future !
30 Oct 2024 - 06 Nov 2024 (8 days)
USD3,195 - 4 Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Robert Wilcox
Tour price (Per person): USD3,195 * GBP2,543 * EUR2,957 * AUD4,825
Single Supplement: USD340 * GBP271 * EUR315 * AUD513
Can be linked with: Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes: Paramo & Cloud Forest II 2024
09 Feb 2025 - 16 Feb 2025 (8 days)
USD3,295 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: James Wade Lee
Tour price (Per person): USD3,295 * GBP2,622 * EUR3,050 * AUD4,976
Single Supplement: USD390 * GBP310 * EUR361 * AUD589
Can be linked with: Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes: Paramo & Cloud Forest I 2025
29 Oct 2025 - 05 Nov 2025 (8 days)
USD3,295 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Adam Walleyn
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
Ecuador - Southern Endemics 2022 - January 2022
Ecuador - Northern: Ultimate Amazon: Sumaco Foothills & Rio Napo II 2021 - November 2021