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Ecuador - Southern Endemics

© Blue-throated Hillstar by Dusan Brinkhuizen
Ecuador - Southern Endemics 2027

10 Jan 2027 - 28 Jan 2027 (19 days)

USD7,495 1 SPACE AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Dušan Brinkhuizen

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Tour Price (Per person): USD7,495 (GBP5,694 * EUR6,506 * AUD10,789)

Single Supplement: USD930 (GBP707 * EUR807 * AUD1,339)

This tour pairs with: Ecuador - Kapawi Amazon Extension 2027

Ecuador - Southern Endemics 2028

10 Jan 2028 - 28 Jan 2028 (19 days)

USD7,900 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Adam Walleyn

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Tour Price (Per person): USD7,900 (GBP6,002 * EUR6,857 * AUD11,372)

This tour pairs with: Ecuador - Kapawi Amazon Extension 2028

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated, and dates may change*

Ecuador - Southern Endemics 2029

11 Jan 2029 - 29 Jan 2029 (19 days)

USD8,300 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Dušan Brinkhuizen

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Tour Price (Per person): USD8,300 (GBP6,306 * EUR7,204 * AUD11,948)

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.

Top Birds

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

Top Mammals

Coatimundi, Kinkajou, Spectacled Bear (rare)

Habitats Covered

xerophytic scrub, deciduous, dry scrub, semideciduous tropical forest, pacific deciduous forest, moist foothill forest, treeless paramo, lagoons, estuaries, freshwater wetlands

Expected Climate

chilly at higher elevations to hot and humid at lower elevations

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader

Tour Pace & Walking

fairly brisk pace, mostly undemanding walks

Accommodation

comfortable lodges

Ease of Birding

moderate birding with some tricky species

Number of Species Expected

+-550

Photographic Opportunities

excellent, especially at feeders

What our clients say about us

Dušan Brinkhuizen
SW - Ecuador 2024

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”.

Dušan Brinkhuizen
DD, Ecuador 2018

[To Dušan Brinkhuizen] Truly, it was the very best birding trip I have ever been on, including several other Rockjumper trips which have all been great. As I think back on it, I can only marvel at your amazing ability to hear and identify the "chips" and "tsits" of birds calling or singing from deep in the understorey or high in the canopy of mature cloud forest while walking with a noisy group of folks or, even more unbelievable, from a moving vehicle.  And if this wasn't amazing enough, you would then expertly call the desired individual bird into view and, with incredible calm and patience, succeed in making sure that everyone of us on the tour got a crippling look (and maybe even a spectacular photo) of the target bird -- that as often as not -- was not only beautiful but also both rare and furtive.  And to further blow our minds, you often would pull out your vegetation clippers and create a setting and stage on which the bird would perform for us -- even sometimes, like some magician, telling us on which perch it would sit!!  As a measure of your expertise as a trip leader, let me tell you that on the two back-to-back trips with you I "got" 110 life birds (101 seen and 9 heard) and only missed 1 species that would have been a life bird for me (Blue-mantled Thornbill).  Never on any trip before in my life had I experienced such a high rate of success!! But above and beyond all of the uncanny skill and expertise that you exhibited, was the kindness, friendship, and humanity that you showed to each us.  For this I am so very grateful. Thank you!!!  Moreover, I'm sure everyone on the trip felt this way and I'm sure it created a safe and happy feeling among all of us that made the trip even more enjoyable.  I truly hope that I can go with you on another trip sometime. And finally thank you also for the wonderfully detailed and beautifully illustrated trip report you sent.  I remain amazed at how you could remember so clearly all the details of the trip.

Lev Frid
SL, Ecuador 2024

Fantastic tour and very diverse bird life. Lev and the local guides were fantastic! Could not recommend the trip or the guides more.

Dušan Brinkhuizen
BK - Ecuador 2022

"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."

Adam Walleyn
2, Ecuador - Northern: Ultimate Amazon II 2025

Adam was an incredible leader! He was patient, clear with the schedule/expectations, and was always on time. Our group had some challenging members and he managed a variety of personalties with such grace. I am not a birder myself and attended this trip to support my sister in this hobby. Adam made this trip fun for me and really went out of his way to make sure I was seeing everything and was having a good time. I would absolutely go on another tour with Adam!

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