10 Jan 2027 - 28 Jan 2027 (19 days)
USD7,495 1 SPACE AVAILABLE
Tour Leader: Dušan Brinkhuizen
Tour Price (Per person): USD7,495 (GBP5,720 * EUR6,590 * AUD10,693)
Single Supplement: USD930 (GBP710 * EUR818 * AUD1,327)
10 Jan 2028 - 28 Jan 2028 (19 days)
USD7,900 SPACES AVAILABLE
Tour Leader: Adam Walleyn
Tour Price (Per person): USD7,900 (GBP6,030 * EUR6,946 * AUD11,271)
This tour pairs with: Ecuador - Kapawi Amazon Extension 2028
Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated, and dates may change*
11 Jan 2029 - 29 Jan 2029 (19 days)
USD8,300 SPACES AVAILABLE
Tour Leader: Dušan Brinkhuizen
Tour Price (Per person): USD8,300 (GBP6,335 * EUR7,297 * AUD11,842)
This tour pairs with: Ecuador - Kapawi Amazon Extension 2029
Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated, and dates may change*
Our South Ecuador endemics birding tour takes us to one of the most diverse range of habitats in the world to look for a whole host of special and endemic birds. Within 200 miles of the Pacific Coast, one can travel from the arid xerophytic habitat, through semideciduous tropical forest, over the continental divide’s treeless paramos and down to lush, wet, foothill forests of the eastern Andes and Amazon basin. Within these varied, pristine habitats, the evolution of many fine endemic species has occurred; and on our new South Ecuador Endemics tour, we will sample seven distinct habitats in search of these endemics and other Ecuador bird specialties. Targets include Blue-throated Hillstar, El Oro and White-breasted Parakeet, El Oro (Ecuadorian) Tapaculo, Watkins’s and the fantastic Jocotoco Antpitta, White-headed Brushfinch, Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner, the fabulous Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Rainbow Starfrontlet and the vociferous, colorful and extremely localized Orange-throated Tanager.
Blue-throated Hillstar, Grey Tinamou, Horned Screamer, Bearded Guan, El Oro, White-breasted (White-necked) & Grey-cheeked Parakeet, Watkins’s, Chestnut-naped & Jocotoco Antpitta, Pale-headed, White-headed & Bay-crowned Brushfinches, Bamboo, Henna-hooded & Rufous-necked Foliage-gleaner, Elegant Crescentchest, Long-wattled & Amazonian Umbrellabird, Ochraceous Attila, Orange-throated Tanager, Band-bellied Owl, Pacific (Peruvian) Pygmy Owl, Blackish & Anthony’s (Scrub) Nightjar, Ecuadorian Trogon, Golden-headed Quetzal, Grey-breasted Mountain Toucan, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Yellow-cheeked Becard, Coppery-chested & Purplish Jacamar, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Blue-rumped & Club-winged Manakin, El Oro (Ecuadorian), Chusquea & Northern White-crowned Tapaculo, Barred & Black-streaked Puffbird, Equatorial Greytail, Great & Chapman’s Antshrike, Esmeraldas, Jet & Grey-headed Antbird, Foothill Antwren, Grey-mantled Wren, Foothill Elaenia, Fiery-throated, Scarlet-breasted & Scaled Fruiteater, Golden-winged Tody-Flycatcher, Necklaced & Line-cheeked Spinetail, Jelski’s Chat-Tyrant, Short-tailed Field Tyrant, Black-crested Tit-Tyrant, Red-billed Scythebill, Orange-banded & Pacific Royal Flycatcher, Grey-and-gold & Three-banded Warbler, Violet-throated & Neblina Metaltail, Rainbow Starfrontlet, Black-cowled Saltator, Chestnut-collared Swallow
Coatimundi, Kinkajou, Spectacled Bear (rare)
xerophytic scrub, deciduous, dry scrub, semideciduous tropical forest, pacific deciduous forest, moist foothill forest, treeless paramo, lagoons, estuaries, freshwater wetlands
chilly at higher elevations to hot and humid at lower elevations
8 with 1 Rockjumper leader
fairly brisk pace, mostly undemanding walks
comfortable lodges
moderate birding with some tricky species
+-550
excellent, especially at feeders
Bobby Wilcox is an excellent guide. He is a skilled birder and clearly worked hard to prepare for the trip. It is a different experience being in a group of 8 with a guide (+ local guide) compared to just the two of us with a dedicated guide (on our custom tour), and it took us a little while to adapt to that, but we really enjoyed the trip. Most members of our group of 8 clients had extensive worldwide birding experience, whilst our expertise was much more limited. Bobby did a good job of supporting us and making sure that everyone got to see as many birds as possible and enjoyed the trip. We would be very happy to go on another tour with Bobby in the future. As mentioned previously in our "Northern Ecuador" feedback - we were very happy with the support that we received from Rockjumper. Thanks very much - we had a wonderful time!
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”.
What a tour! We ended up with nearly 700 species seen and heard, and I ended up with almost twice as many lifers than I had anticipated. Dusan was excellent: Attentive to those having difficulties, enthusiastic, energetic, indefatigable, and a complete whiz at the birds. He was as excited about each new sighting as was the rest of the group, right through to the last day. We saw many very special birds, birds that I have missed over three previous trips to Ecuador as well as quite rare birds that, although specialties for this tour, require great effort and skill to unveil (think Buff-fronted Owl). Climate change affected the tour to a certain extent, but Dusan always had a clever plan or an alternative site to try for the bird again. The tour was a bit more strenuous than the itinerary led me to believe, but all at the participants willingly went the extra mile with Dusan every time. We were fortunate to have a pretty good group, a great driver, and good luck with the weather.
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.
Dusan Brinkhuizen our guide was exceptional. He knew all the birds, their calls and where to find them. Dusan had so much patience and went to great lenths to make sure we saw the brids. Allen and I would highly recommend Dusan as a guide to Ecuador.
Ecuador - Northern: Ultimate Amazon I 2026 - April 2026
Ecuador - Hummingbirds Adventure (Relaxed) 2026 - February 2026
Ecuador - Northern: Ultimate Amazon II 2025 - November 2025
Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes II 2025 - November 2025
Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest II 2025 - October 2025
Ecuador - Northern: Ultimate Amazon I 2025 - April 2025
Ecuador - Lester & Lloyd & friends 2025 - February 2025
Ecuador - Southern Endemics 2025 - January 2025
Ecuador - Northern: Ultimate Amazon II 2024 - November 2024
Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes II 2024 - November 2024
Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest II 2024 - October 2024
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