Field Guides Tour Report Northern Ecuador: Andes & Otavalo Market 2014 Jun 5, 2014 to Jun 15, 2014 Willy Perez For our tour description, itinerary, past triplists, dates, fees, and more, please VISIT OUR TOUR PAGE. Collared Aracari on the west slope of Ecuador's Andes is of the "Pale-mandibled" type. We had a great look! (Photo by participant Michael Turisk) We inaugurated our Northern Ecuador & Otavalo itinerary with this tour. As I expected, almost everything went well, the only small problem being the weather, but that is out of our control, of course! It was definitely wetter than I expected. Otherwise, the birds, the scenery, and the people were fantastic. The lodges were all different but with great food, stunning gardens, and of course many birds. The Otavalo market as usual was fantastic, and next year, based on some of your feedback, we will spend some more time there. El Refugio lodge gave us the chance to meet some of the people who have been working in conservation for many years, and to see how hard the work is but also how, with community involvement, it can work. The food there was prepared by different families every day, and they received the profit from it. There were lots of nice moments to remember on this trip: --the curious Virginia Rail (Ecuadorian) that come out of the reeds to see what was going on during our visit to Lago San Pablo; --the very colorful Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager on the way up to Mojanda lake; --the busy Golden-crowned Tanagers feeding for a while at Neblina reserve; --the Toucan Barbet coming in and out of its nest along the Mashpi road; --the last-minute Moss-backed Tanager feeding during a very heavy rain at Mashpi road; --the Glistening-green Tanager coming to the feeders during our visit to Mashpi road; --a Sunbittern flying along the Nambillo river; --the banana feeders at Sachatamia with the most impressive numbers of Tanagers that I have ever seen; --the Andean Cocks-of-the-rock in full display at Angel's reserve were just incredible. There were plenty of other great moments, but let me leave you to Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 1 read about the others below. My thanks to all of you who joined the tour, and for your suggestions for next year to make it even better. Thanks, too, to our driver, Edgar, did an excellent job, even finding good birds for us. And, finally, thanks to the people in el Refugio who are working hard to protect the forest there. I hope to see you on another adventure some time. Till then, good birding! --Willy KEYS FOR THIS LIST One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant BIRDS Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl) YELLOW-BILLED PINTAIL (SOUTH GEORGIA) (Anas georgica georgica) RUDDY DUCK (ANDEAN) (Oxyura jamaicensis ferruginea) Cracidae (Guans, Chachalacas, and Curassows) ANDEAN GUAN (Penelope montagnii) CRESTED GUAN (Penelope purpurascens) – This rare bird in Ecuador was a good surprise in Mindo area where they occasionally have been seen. WATTLED GUAN (Aburria aburri) – Seen by some people in the garden at Sachatamia lodge. SICKLE-WINGED GUAN (Chamaepetes goudotii) Odontophoridae (New World Quail) DARK-BACKED WOOD-QUAIL (Odontophorus melanonotus) Podicipedidae (Grebes) PIED-BILLED GREBE (Podilymbus podiceps) Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) FASCIATED TIGER-HERON (Tigrisoma fasciatum) GREAT EGRET (Ardea alba) CATTLE EGRET (IBIS) (Bubulcus ibis ibis) Cathartidae (New World Vultures) BLACK VULTURE (Coragyps atratus) TURKEY VULTURE (Cathartes aura) Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) SWALLOW-TAILED KITE (Elanoides forficatus) BLACK-AND-CHESTNUT EAGLE (Spizaetus isidori) – We had views of this magnificent mountain eagle flying the day that we visited Neblina reserve. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (PLAIN-BREASTED) (Accipiter striatus ventralis) BARRED HAWK (Morphnarchus princeps) ROADSIDE HAWK (MAINLAND) (Rupornis magnirostris magnirostris) HARRIS'S HAWK (HARRIS'S) (Parabuteo unicinctus harrisi) VARIABLE HAWK (VARIABLE) (Geranoaetus polyosoma polyosoma) BLACK-CHESTED BUZZARD-EAGLE (Geranoaetus melanoleucus australis) SHORT-TAILED HAWK (Buteo brachyurus brachyurus) Eurypygidae (Sunbittern) SUNBITTERN (Eurypyga helias) – Ebbe's bird of the trip, it was stunning to see it flying along the Nambillo river Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) VIRGINIA RAIL (ECUADORIAN) (Rallus limicola aequatorialis) SLATE-COLORED COOT (Fulica ardesiaca) Charadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings) SOUTHERN LAPWING (Vanellus chilensis) Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers) ANDEAN GULL (Chroicocephalus serranus) Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves) ROCK PIGEON (Columba livia) [I] PALE-VENTED PIGEON (Patagioenas cayennensis andersoni) Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 2 BAND-TAILED PIGEON (WHITE-NECKED) (Patagioenas fasciata albilinea) EARED DOVE (Zenaida auriculata hypoleuca) COMMON GROUND-DOVE (Columbina passerina quitensis) WHITE-TIPPED DOVE (DECOLOR) (Leptotila verreauxi decolor) Cuculidae (Cuckoos) SQUIRREL CUCKOO (NIGRICRISSA) (Piaya cayana nigricrissa) STRIPED CUCKOO (Tapera naevia) SMOOTH-BILLED ANI (Crotophaga ani) Strigidae (Owls) CLOUD-FOREST PYGMY-OWL (Glaucidium nubicola) – This is the Pygmy Owl that lives at lower elevation than the Andean. Linda mentioned that this Owl was her favourite bird of the trip. ANDEAN PYGMY-OWL (Glaucidium jardinii) – We had to do a bit of work to manage to see this cute small owl, thank you to Jan who found it in the end. BLACK-AND-WHITE OWL (Ciccaba nigrolineata) – Lester's favorite bird of the trip, seen and heard several times at Sachatamia's car park. Caprimulgidae (Nightjars and Allies) RUFOUS-BELLIED NIGHTHAWK (Lurocalis rufiventris) – Thanks to Angel we scoped two of these very well camouflaged birds on a roosting place. LYRE-TAILED NIGHTJAR (Uropsalis lyra lyra) Steatornithidae (Oilbird) OILBIRD (Steatornis caripensis) – There were a few roosting in this small canyon at El Chontal. We could see the remains of the fruits that they had eaten on the ground. Apodidae (Swifts) CHESTNUT-COLLARED SWIFT (Streptoprocne rutila brunnitorques) WHITE-COLLARED SWIFT (Streptoprocne zonaris) – During the drive to Sachatamia, we saw a gigantic flock of them. Jan mentioned that it was her best moment of the trip watching them up close. GRAY-RUMPED SWIFT (ASH-RUMPED) (Chaetura cinereiventris occidentalis) Trochilidae (Hummingbirds) WHITE-NECKED JACOBIN (Florisuga mellivora) WHITE-WHISKERED HERMIT (Phaethornis yaruqui) TAWNY-BELLIED HERMIT (Phaethornis syrmatophorus) WEDGE-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD (Schistes geoffroyi albogularis) BROWN VIOLETEAR (Colibri delphinae) GREEN VIOLETEAR (ANDEAN) (Colibri thalassinus cyanotus) SPARKLING VIOLETEAR (Colibri coruscans coruscans) – The most common hummingbird on the tour. [N] PURPLE-CROWNED FAIRY (Heliothryx barroti) GORGETED SUNANGEL (Heliangelus strophianus) GREEN THORNTAIL (Discosura conversii) SPECKLED HUMMINGBIRD (Adelomyia melanogenys) VIOLET-TAILED SYLPH (Aglaiocercus coelestis coelestis) BLACK-TAILED TRAINBEARER (Lesbia victoriae victoriae) GREEN-TAILED TRAINBEARER (Lesbia nuna gracilis) PURPLE-BACKED THORNBILL (Ramphomicron microrhynchum microrhynchum) – A male showed nicely when we were going up to Mojanda lake. TYRIAN METALTAIL (Metallura tyrianthina) SAPPHIRE-VENTED PUFFLEG (SAPPHIRE-VENTED) (Eriocnemis luciani luciani) BROWN INCA (Coeligena wilsoni) COLLARED INCA (Coeligena torquata) BUFF-WINGED STARFRONTLET (Coeligena lutetiae) GREAT SAPPHIREWING (Pterophanes cyanopterus cyanopterus) – The second largest hummingbird in Ecuador that we saw on the way to Mojanda lake. BUFF-TAILED CORONET (Boissonneaua flavescens tinochlora) VELVET-PURPLE CORONET (Boissonneaua jardini) – The most common hummingbird on the feeders at Sachatamia lodge. BOOTED RACKET-TAIL (Ocreatus underwoodii melanantherus) PURPLE-BIBBED WHITETIP (Urosticte benjamini) FAWN-BREASTED BRILLIANT (Heliodoxa rubinoides) GREEN-CROWNED BRILLIANT (Heliodoxa jacula jamesoni) EMPRESS BRILLIANT (Heliodoxa imperatrix) GIANT HUMMINGBIRD (Patagona gigas peruviana) – Seen by some people the first day at the Jerusalem reserve. PURPLE-COLLARED WOODSTAR (Myrtis fanny) Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 3 WHITE-BELLIED WOODSTAR (Chaetocercus mulsant) PURPLE-THROATED WOODSTAR (Calliphlox mitchellii) WESTERN EMERALD (Chlorostilbon melanorhynchus melanorhynchus) CROWNED WOODNYMPH (NORTHERN GREEN-CROWNED) (Thalurania colombica verticeps) ANDEAN EMERALD (Amazilia franciae viridiceps) RUFOUS-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD (RUFOUS-TAILED) (Amazilia tzacatl jucunda) – Mary found the first one of these colorful hummingbirds in the Jerusalem reserve. Trogonidae (Trogons) GOLDEN-HEADED QUETZAL (Pharomachrus auriceps auriceps) COLLARED TROGON (COLLARED) (Trogon collaris virginalis) MASKED TROGON (Trogon personatus assimilis) Momotidae (Motmots) RUFOUS MOTMOT (Baryphthengus martii semirufus) Capitonidae (New World Barbets) ORANGE-FRONTED BARBET (Capito squamatus) – This was a great surprise!. It is a bird that lives at a lower elevation. RED-HEADED BARBET (Eubucco bourcierii aequatorialis) Semnornithidae (Toucan-Barbets) TOUCAN BARBET (Semnornis ramphastinus ramphastinus) – It was great to see this Choco endemic coming in and out of It's nest. [N] Ramphastidae (Toucans) CRIMSON-RUMPED TOUCANET (Aulacorhynchus haematopygus sexnotatus) PLATE-BILLED MOUNTAIN-TOUCAN (Andigena laminirostris) – Another choco endemic that is on the front cover of Birds of Ecuador.