Our new Chocó Specialities birding tour completes our tour coverage of this incredibly diverse country. Long ignored and historically tricky to reach, the lowland Chocó forests of Northwest Ecuador and the coastal littoral now make for a very appealing tour. The Chocó is an eco-region and biodiversity hotspot that holds the largest number of restricted-range birds of any Endemic Bird Area in the Americas, with 62 species being endemic to the area. Habitats are typically characterised by tropical humid lowland forests and wet cloud-forests. Unfortunately, the Chocó region is also one of the most threatened areas in South America. Deforestation rates are accelerating and habitat destruction has been most severe in the lowlands, especially the coastal plains and foothills. Departing Quito we are introduced to the Andean region of the Chocó with a bevy of normally difficult species including Moss-backed Tanager, the Indigo Flowerpiercer, Beautiful Jay, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Chocó Vireo, Pacific Tuftedcheek, Black Solitaire, Star-chested Treerunner, and Purplish-mantled and Glistening-green Tanagers. We also make a chance to see a few enigmatic antpitta species like Giant Antpitta, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Ochre-breasted Antpitta and Moustached Antpitta. As we move into the Chocó lowlands, we target Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Brown Wood-Rail, Banded Ground Cuckoo (if it is showing), Ocellated and Stub-tailed Antbirds, Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, and Scarlet-and-white, Blue-whiskered and Lemon-spectacled Tanagers. Five-colored Barbet, Black-tipped Cotinga, Lita and Chocó Woodpeckers, Yellow-green Bush and Golden-chested Tanagers provide the supporting cast to the drab but monotypic Sapayoa and the exceedingly tricky Rufous-crowned Antpitta.
Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Baudo Guan, Brown Wood Rail, Ecuadorian Rail, Dark-backed Wood Quail, Berlepsch's Tinamou, Pinnated Bittern, Roseate Spoonbill, Red-lored Amazon, Rose-faced Parrot, Chocó Trogon, Five-colored, Orange-fronted & Toucan Barbet, Black-breasted & Barred Puffbird, Plate-billed Mountain-toucan, Black-tipped & Blue Cotinga, Red-capped Manakin, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Guayaquil, Lita & Chocó Woodpecker, Ochraceous Attila, Jet, Spotted, Esmeralda’s, Ocellated & Stub-tailed Antbird, Giant Antpitta, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Moustached Antpitta, Streak-chested Antpitta, Sapayoa, Chocó Poorwill, Chocó Screech-owl, Cloud-forest Pygmy-owl, Beautiful Jay, Chocó Vireo, Short-tailed Woodstar, Humboldt Sapphire, Tooth-billed Hummingbird, Velvet-purple Coronet, Brown Inca, Violet-tailed Sylph, Hoary Puffleg, Empress Brilliant, Pacific Tuftedcheek, Star-chested Treerunner, Black Solitaire, Dagua Thrush, Stripe-throated Wren, Chocó & Nariño Tapaculo, Subtropical Doradito, Pacific Flatbill, Rufous Mourner, Rufous Piha, Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, Moss-backed & Golden-chested Tanager, Yellow-green Bush Tanager, Purplish-mantled, White-winged, Scarlet-and-white, Blue-whiskered, Lemon-spectacled, Glistening-green & Gray-and-gold Tanager, Indigo Flowerpiercer, and chances for Banded Ground Cuckoo & Rufous-crowned Gnatpitta (both very rare)
Brown-headed Spider-monkey, Mantled Howler
Chocó tropical lowland forest, Chocó cloud-forest, Tumbesian dry forest, highland lakes
warm to hot and humid
8 with 1 Rockjumper leader & local birding leader
This Ecuador tour requires a HIGH level of fitness, and participants should be in VERY GOOD physical and general health as most of the birding will be done on foot, and may require walking for several hours at a time, often on muddy and sometimes steep trails. The tour is not suitable for anyone with physical or mobility limitations. Our Mega tours are very fast-paced birding adventures designed for the dedicated lister and serious birder. The focus of the tour is to see as many of the endemics and area specials as possible in our given time. In order to cover the necessary route to maximise the species list we tend to spend a single night at most sites and travel large distances. There is very little down time aside from that spent driving from one site to the next. These tours are not suitable for dedicated or avid photographers; inexperienced or new birders; as well as anyone with serious mobility or health challenges.
basic to comfortable lodges
moderate birding with some tricky species
400+
can be difficult inside humid forest but excellent in other habitats
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 !
Dušan Brinkhuizen is great bird master, very friendly and helpful. The trip was brilliant.
In the Rockjumper tradition, Dušan Brinkhuizen went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure the serious birders in our group found our birds. This included several later night expeditions into the forest for owls and other nocturnal critters. Dušan managed to handle everyone with great patience and skill. A very kind man, dedicated advocate for the environment, a master birder.
Our guides, Dušan Brinkhuizen and Andrés Trujillo, are excellent in their jobs. They are very helpful and kind. All our tour members were very happy with them.
This was the second time I have traveled with Dusan Brinkhuizen (the first time was in Papua New Guinea in 2018). I would go with him anywhere. His expert knowledge of the birds and places, his skill at making sure that everyone gets on the birds, his patience and kindness, and his warm and engaging personality make him a perfect guide. I really hope I have a chance to tour with him again.
01 Oct 2024 - 16 Oct 2024 (16 days)
USD6,495 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Carlos Bocos
Tour price (Per person): USD6,495 * GBP5,146 * EUR6,021 * AUD9,967
Single Supplement: USD720 * GBP570 * EUR667 * AUD1,105
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 - Southern: 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