BOS Photo Albums
Photo albums submitted by BOS members are below. These albums feature BOS field trips, events, and special bird sightings that our members have seen. We hope you enjoy them! (BOS Members: you'll need to LOGIN, then find the link on your member homepage to add your photos.)
BOS birds Ecuador Take 2 - 2024
Back to All Albums
For the second year in a row, BOS members travelled to Quito, Ecuador to embark on a fantastical journey spanning both flanks of the Andes Mountains, Cloudforest, Paramo, Pacific Lowlands and Amazonian Foothills. The tour accumulated an astonishing 575 species of birds during the 12-day tour! Nelson Apolo was our guide and his friend, Orlando, was our bus driver. The number of birds we encountered was in direct correlation to the variety of habitats we visited. Highlights were very many and included Andean Condor, Torrent Duck, Spangled Cotinga, dozens of hummingbirds and tanagers, fruiteaters, antbirds, wood creepers, Toucan Barbet, Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan and so much more. The food in Ecuador is very good and features trout, many tasty root vegetables such as taro, yuca and sweet potato and shrimp.
The Toucan Barbet is an endemic of the Choco Region of Colombia and Ecuador. At Balcon Tumpiki, we had a small group of these stunning birds resting after they came to the feeders to eat ripe plantains.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
The Masked Flowerpiercer is fairly common resident of the Cloudforest realm. These birds are equipped to pierce the base of flowers to drink the nectar and are therefore considered ‘nectar robbers’ as they do not pollinate flowers in the manner of hummingbirds.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
This is the Crimson-mantled Woodpecker - this species will also visit feeders to take advantage of fruit offerings.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Hummingbirds come in all shapes and sizes in and around the Andes Mountains. This beauty is the Violet-tailed Sylph, a fairly common species in foothills and cloudforest and they do attend nectar feeders.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Seaghan and our guide, Nelson, handling a giant millipede we found along the road near the Amagusa-Mashpi reserve.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Checking for Torrent Ducks and ‘only’ finding a Fasciated Tiger-Heron near our lodge at Rio Silanche.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
The famous ‘San Isidro’ Black-banded Owl from the San Isidro Lodge where it comes in to hunt large insects attracted to lights.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
The beautiful and tiny, Peruvian Rackettail. This endearing hummingbird sports that amazing tail as well as little yellowish puffball ‘boots’.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Birding the paramo above tree line in the High Andes where we found the endemic Ecuadorian Hillstar hummingbird.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
The beer selection at Wild Sumaco Lodge.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Ecuador Andes to Amazon Tour 2 group posing for a photo at the Mashpi-Amagusa reserve where we got to hand-feed hummingbirds!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Purple-throated Fruitcrow
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Buff-breasted Coronets arguing over perch space off the deck at San Isidro Lodge.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Andean Condor - we saw several of these birds while birding around Antisana NP above 13,000’ in the Andes.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Ecuador hosts many of ‘our’ Wood Warblers including Cerulean, Blackburnian and this Canada.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
The beautiful Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager. We saw this bird on our first morning at ZuroLoma Preserve. This is a private reserve in the cloudforest zone NW of Quito. They have a fantastic feeder set-up amidst scenic views!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
The owners at ZuroLoma have set up feeders for Antpittas! This Rufous-naped Antpitta took some coaxing to come out of the dense cover that they inhabit to enjoy the worm offering and gave crippling views!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Ecuador features a cacophony of tanagers. This beauty is the Blue-necked Tanager. This species enjoys fruit feeders and is quite common along our route.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Gale VerHague taking in the view at ZuroLoma Preserve…and no, this photo is NOT photoshopped! Gale picked out a White-rumped Hawk flying over us just before this photo was taken.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager enjoying a bit of banana at Balcon Tumpiki.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
One of our target species was this Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan that our guide picked out as we walked down the road from Balcon Tumpiki. These toucans do come to feeders for bananas but we had to work for this one today!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Our hotel for four nights in the town of Mindo, Terrazas de Dana offered very nice rooms and great food, views and birds!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
The rooms at Terrazas de Dana boutique hotel in Mindo.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
The lovely and apt-named Rose-faced Parrot posing for us off the deck at Mashpi Amagusa Reserve. These parrots enjoy green bananas at the feeder.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Dark-backed Wood-Quail, usually extremely shy and rarely seen, come to the feeders at Mashpi-Amagusa. The feeder setup at this location is incredible and one could easily spend several days here enjoying the bird parade which is extensive!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Moss-backed Tanager coming to feeders at Mashpi-Amagusa Reserve.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Rufous-throated Tanager
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Flame-faced Tanager
Contributed by: Alec Humann
This Mountain Coati was an unexpected sighting at Mashpi-Amagusa. Unlike their cousin the White-nosed Coati of Central America which travels in bands, Mountain Coatis are solo creatures.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
One of everyone’s target birds, the fantastical Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. The photo is soft due to the low light levels, but in person, these birds are a feast for the eyes and ears as the males gather in leks to display for the ladies!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
These Rhinocerous Beetles were so cool to see in person! They are attracted to moth lights at night and we saw them at several locations within the cloudforest zone.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Preparing our lunch at Paz de las Aves. The staff here made us a delicious lunch of traditional Ecuadorian cuisine!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Carunculated Caracaras are quite common up in the paramo zone above tree line.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
A view of Antisana Volcano complete with a glacier on its flanks!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Delicious squash bisque with fresh avocado slice and cheese. It is quite cool up in the higher elevations and hot coffee and soup were welcomed prerequisites to lunch!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Our group was extremely fortunate to see this Spectacled Bear with her cub feeding on wild pears.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Andean Ibis
Contributed by: Alec Humann
This Giant Conebill posed for us in the top of a polylepis tree along the roadside.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Getting ready for dinner at Guango Lodge in the cloudforest zone of the Eastern Andes. This lodge offered up delicious food and cozy rooms - even providing hot water bottles to warm your bed linens!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Vicky Rothman celebrated her birthday while on the Ecuador tour. Guango Lodge surprised us with this amazing chocolate cake to celebrate!!!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
A Masked Trogon coming to check out the insect offering at the moth sheet from the deck at San Isidro Lodge.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
The accommodations at San Isidro Lodge.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Who says birding in Ecuador isn’t civilized?! There is plenty of ‘wine time’ to be had while enjoying the feeder setups at most of the lodges we stay!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
The dinosaur-like Hoatzin, the only member of its unique bird family.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Afternoon coffee served out of silver coffee pots by our guide, Nelson.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
This is one of the small antpittas, the Ochre-breasted. This bird came out for worms at WildSumaco Lodge.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
We saw a small group of Black-mantled Tamarins on our walk back from the antpitta feeding station at WildSumaco.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Pre-dawn breakfast at WildSumaco. The birding around this property is incredible! The hummingbird feeders alone offer up views of 15 or so species!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
The Coppery-chested Jacamar occupies a narrow band along the east slope of the Andes. We observed a pair near a nest site at WildSumaco.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Birding from the deck at WildSumaco Lodge.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
The aptly named Turquoise Jay coming to the feeder at BellaVista Lodge.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
A Strong-billed Woodcreeper with a beetle it gleaned from the moth light at BellaVista Lodge.
Contributed by: Alec Humann
We had an exciting moment when a group of 7 Plate-billed Mountain-Toucans landed above us on the trail at BellaVista. The birds called and fed on fruits as we leisurely watched the flock!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
The stunning view from BellaVista Lodge!
Contributed by: Alec Humann
Fawn-breasted Brilliant
Contributed by: Gale Verhague
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Contributed by: Gale Verhague
Female Torrent Duck
Contributed by: Gale Verhague
Andean Emerald
Contributed by: Gale Verhague
Cinnamon Flycatcher
Contributed by: Gale Verhague
Giant Hummingbird
Contributed by: Gale Verhague
Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant
Contributed by: Gale Verhague
Flame-faced Tanager
Contributed by: Gale Verhague
Red-capped Cardinal
Contributed by: Gale Verhague
Brown Violetear
Contributed by: Gale Verhague
Previous
Next