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**

Ecuador Birding: Blog Post #5
“The Ecuador Species List Rapidly Grows“

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

DAY 1 – Morning

• My Ecuador Species Count up to but not including Zuro Loma now: 13 (6 lifers)
• Primary eBird Hotspot: Reserva Zuro Loma

From the entrance gift shop, the view alone felt worth the entire climb. The valley opened beneath us in a sweeping green bowl, its contours softened by mist and shadow, and far across it rose the snow‑capped bulk of Pichincha Volcano, its summit wrapped in drifting clouds like a sleeping giant. It was the kind of vista that made you pause without thinking—the kind that reminded you just how high you’d climbed and how wild these mountains still were.

Below the gift shop, the hillside dropped steeply, and we followed a short zigzagging trail down to the first set of feeding stations. A covered seating area waited there, surrounded by hummingbird feeders, a small water feature, and fruit trays arranged with almost artistic care. Moss‑covered branches had been placed around the clearing—perfect natural perches that photographers dream about, and the birds used them exactly as intended.

The first arrivals were a trio of familiar Andean species. HOODED MOUNTAIN TANAGERS appeared first, bold and beautiful, their deep blue bodies offset by a striking black hood and lemon‑yellow belly. They moved with deliberate grace, hopping from branch to branch like royalty surveying their domain.

Then came the MOUNTAIN VELVETBREASTS, hummingbirds with shimmering emerald backs and rich velvety purple throats, their tails flaring as they hovered near the feeders. In the shadows, a flurry of movement revealed several MASKED FLOWERPIERCERS, their electric blue plumage and jet‑black facial masks giving them a mischievous, bandit‑like charm as they darted in and out of the foliage.

Alex spotted something different—a GLOSSY FLOWERPIERCER, perched boldly on one of the feeders. Its plumage was darker, almost black with a subtle sheen, and its curved-tipped bill gave it a sinister elegance. Moments later, a TYRIAN METALTAIL zipped in, its compact body flashing iridescent green and violet as it hovered briefly before vanishing into the forest like a spark extinguished.

And then it was time to feed the antpittas!

NEXT UP: EB#6 “When Antpittas Come Calling“

Additional Photographs and Video

Previous Ecuador Birding Blog Posts:

• 
  EB50 – Called From the Mist: Gray‑breasted Mountain‑Toucan at Guango
  A steep climb above Guango Lodge led to an unforgettable encounter with Gray‑breasted Mountain‑Toucans and Pale‑naped Brushfinches. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador.
• 
  EB49 – Turquoise Jay: The Andean Jewel of Ecuador
  At Guango Lodge, the Turquoise Jay’s explosive burst of color and the challenge of photographing its shifting blues transformed a rich morning of cloudforest birding into a defining moment that propelled us up the trail in search of the next Andean treasure. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador.
• 
  EB48 – Moth Lights and Mountain Birds: A New Chapter Begins at Guango Lodge
  Arriving at Guango Lodge felt like entering a cooler, quieter Andean world where dawn birds and the forest’s layered rhythms created a timeless, living welcome woven from mist, movement, and the murmur of the Río Papallacta. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador.
• 
  EB47 – Ascending Into Mist and Mountain Air at Río Quijos EcoLodge
  Climbing from El Quetzal toward Río Quijos, the day unfolded as a seamless blend of roadside surprises, river‑edge targets, and cloudforest color, each stop adding new species and renewed momentum as the journey pressed on toward Guango Lodge. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador.
• 
  EB46 – El Quetzal Bosque Protegido: Songbirds of the Afternoon
  An afternoon walk through El Quetzal revealed a calmer, more contemplative side of the forest, where understated songbirds and familiar species offered quiet beauty and character before the journey carried us onward toward new habitats and fresh surprises. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with a birding tour in Ecuador.
• 
  EB45 – Midday Birding Adventures in the El Quetzal Protected Forest
  El Quetzal Bosque Protegido unfolded as a lush, hummingbird‑filled sanctuary where the cloudforest’s color, motion, and quiet magic set the stage for a vibrant midday interlude before the forest shifted toward an entirely new cast of characters. 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.