This tour offers an incredible diversity of birds across different ecosystems, from high-altitude specialists to colorful tanagers and rare hummingbirds covering multiple ecosystems, making it a must-visit for birdwatchers near Quito.

Location & Overview:

• Highlights: High-altitude ecosystems, rare birds and conservation highlights
• Habitats: Highland Humid Forest, High-altitude Grassland/Páramo, High-altitude lagoon and Temperate Humid Forest
• Location: Northeast Andes (~1.5 hours from Quito). Elevation ranges from 9,512 to 14,500 feet above sea level.
• Biodiversity: ~ 350 bird species

KEY BIRDING SPOTS:

1. Papallacta Quishuar Forest and Polylepis woodlands.

• Target birds: Viridian Metaltail, Great-horned Owl, Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, Giant Conebill, Andean Tit-Spinetail and many others.

2. Papallacta radio-antennas (Cayambe-Coca National Park).

• Target birds: Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, White-chinned Thistletail, Tawny Antpitta, Blue-mantled Thornbill, Many-striped Canastero, Plumbeos Sierra-Finch, etc.

3. Highland Forest -Papallacta Lagoon and Cayambe-Coca National Park general area.

• Target birds: Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Bar-bellied Woodpecker, Equatorial Antpitta, Northern Slaty Brushfinch, Andean and Yellow-billed Pintail, Southern Lapwing, Masked Mountain Tanager, Golden-crowned Tanager, Black-backed Bush-Tanager, Buff-winged Starfrontlet, Agile Tit-Tyrant, etc.

4. Guango lodge

• Target birds: Gray-breasted Mountain Toucan, Torrent Duck, Green (Inca) Jay, Tourmaline Sunangel, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Long-tailed Sylph, Hooded and Lacrimose Mountain Tanager Gray-hooded Bush Tanager, Mountain Cacique, Black-capped Hemispingus, etc.