Ecuador Birding – Where Every Feather Tells a Story

From October 26, 2025 through November 8, 2025 I joined 5 other adventurers and an outstanding photographer and birding guide (Liron Gertsman) with Eagle-Eye Tours to Ecuador. This blog series highlights the animals (mostly birds), people and locations we encountered over the 14 full days in this beautiful land.
*Unless otherwise indicated in the image caption, all photographs (>99%) are mine.
**Best when viewed on full computer screen**

Eucador Birding: Blog Post #4
“Unofficial Sidetrip to Reserva Zuro Loma”

A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain

DAY 1 – Morning

• My Ecuador Species Count up to now: 7 (4 lifers)
• Primary eBird Hotspot: None

As I mentioned previously, I knew that we had the better part of a day to kill before the official start of the Eagle-eye Tour so Alex and I arranged through Mercedes for a sidetrip to Zuro Loma. After loading into the car with our driver and guide Edwin Perez, Alex and I set out for the western slopes of the Andes and it felt like the true beginning of my Ecuador birding adventure.

As we left the city center, our driver and guide, Edwin, threaded us through the outskirts of Quito, past clusters of small shops, roadside fruit stands, and the constant hum of a metropolis of more than three million people.

Eventually the pavement gave way to a dirt road that rose at a surprisingly steep angle, pointing us toward the cloud‑wrapped mountains ahead. As we continued upward, the weather shifted into a pattern that would define much of the day: low clouds, scattered rain showers, and a persistent grayness that softened the landscape. The road, however, was anything but soft. Once we hit the steep hills, the drive became punishing. Edwin’s car seemed to have long ago surrendered its shock absorbers, and every rut or rock sent the backseat—my seat—into a jarring bounce. With each impact, my spine protested a little more. Edwin drove with a confidence that bordered on alarming given the road conditions, and by the time we completed the two‑hour ascent, my back felt like it had been hammered from the inside. I could barely twist enough to climb out of the car. Still, we made a few hopeful stops along the way, scanning the open slopes for one of my early target birds, the Andean Lapwing. The hillsides remained stubbornly empty, but the anticipation kept me alert despite the discomfort.

Reserva Zuro Loma itself has a story that adds weight to every birding moment spent there. Once a patchwork of privately held forest and recovering pastureland, it was gradually protected through the dedication of local conservationists who recognized the biological richness of the Chocó‑Andean transition zone. Over the years, the reserve has become a sanctuary for species that exist nowhere else on Earth, including several hummingbirds whose populations have dwindled to the brink.

For the birding community, Zuro Loma is more than a stop on an itinerary—it’s a symbol of what determined stewardship can preserve. Its feeders, trails, and restored habitat have given countless birders the chance to witness species that might otherwise slip quietly toward extinction. Knowing that history made my visit feel less like tourism and more like a small act of participation in something fragile and ongoing.

When we finally reached the reserve, the first thing that greeted us was a beautifully painted mural on the exterior wall—bright colors, sweeping shapes, and birds rendered with a kind of reverence. At the entrance was a small gift shop with souvenirs and snacks, but we barely slowed down. The hummingbird feeders were calling, and we were too eager to waste even a moment indoors.

Two species were at the top of our list, but for me, the entire trip had been anchored around one dream: seeing the Sword-billed Hummingbird, a bird so improbable it feels like a creature imagined rather than evolved. And then, just days before my departure, I learned that the Black-breasted Puffleg—critically endangered, with fewer than 120 adults left in the wild—had returned to the reserve after nearly three years of absence. The possibility of encountering both species in a single morning felt almost unreal. Standing there, sore and exhausted but buzzing with anticipation, I realized that this was exactly the kind of moment I had hoped for when I first decided to come to Ecuador: a blend of hardship, wonder, and the electric possibility of seeing something rare and extraordinary.

NEXT UP: EB#5 “The Ecuador Species List Grows“

Previous Ecuador Birding Blog Posts:

• 
  EB55 – Leaving Guango Behind: Birds, Volcanoes, and the Long Drive to Tambo Cóndor
  A quiet final morning at Guango Lodge eased us from the familiar rhythm of cloudforest birds into a dramatic high‑Andean crossing, where stark volcanic landscapes and sweeping vistas carried us toward the cliffs of Tambo Cóndor and the promise of a new chapter in the journey. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador.
• 
  EB54 – Life in the Whitewater: Torrent Ducks of the Papallacta River
  A breathless, high‑altitude chase along the river turned into a triumphant, hard‑won encounter with Torrent Ducks, ending the day at Guango Lodge with the exhilaration of finally photographing one of the trip’s most coveted species. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador.
• 
  EB53 – Back to the Cloudforest: A Gentle Afternoon at Guango Lodge
  In October 2025, Jim Gain joined a birding tour in Ecuador, exploring its rich biodiversity and stunning landscapes over 14 days. The blog series chronicles his experiences with birds and nature.
• 
  EB52 – High Hopes in High Places: A Visit to the Andes Páramo
  The climb from Guango Lodge into the fog‑shrouded páramo unfolded as a dramatic journey through wind, altitude, and high‑Andean specialists—culminating in rare encounters, fleeting moments of luck, and a gradual descent back into the familiar embrace of the cloudforest. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador in October 2025
• 
  EB51 – Back to the Feeders: New Colors in the Gardens of Guango Lodge
  The lower gardens at Guango Lodge offered a gentle, intimate finale to the morning, where warblers, tanagers, thrushes, and a trio of hummingbirds created a quiet tapestry of color and motion. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador.

>>Ecuador Birding Blog Home Page Link https://reflectionsofthenaturalworld.com/ecuador-birding/

*This Ecuador Birding blog post was shaped and polished with the assistance of Microsoft Copilot, helping bring clarity and a consistent flow to my field notes and dictated memories.