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 #6
“When Antpittas Come Calling“

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

DAY 1 – Morning

• My Ecuador Species Count including Zuro Loma jumps up to: 38 (30 lifers)
• Primary eBird Hotspot: Reserva Zuro Loma

At a designated time, one of the workers announced he would be placing worms at the antpitta feeding spot. We followed him to a small clearing at the side of the shelter where he scattered live worms and played the call of our first target antpitta: the EQUATORIAL ANTPITTA. It took no more than twenty seconds for a bird to answer, and within moments we were staring at one just a few feet away—round, alert, and impossibly charismatic. Its cinnamon‑brown plumage blended perfectly with the leaf litter, but its large, expressive eyes and upright posture gave it a presence that was almost theatrical.

As we admired it, a sudden movement to our left caught my eye: our first glimpse of the legendary SWORD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD. True to its reputation, it appeared only briefly, hovering for a heartbeat with its impossibly long bill—longer than its entire body—pointing straight ahead like a rapier. Then, just as quickly, it vanished back into the forest, leaving us stunned.

The groundskeeper who had placed the worms earlier, told us he would try calling in another species—the CHESTNUT-NAPED ANTPITTA. While he prepared, we were treated to spectacular views of a BUFF-WINGED STARFRONTLET, its glittering green body and golden wing patches catching the light as it hovered near the feeders.

A female GREEN-TAILED TRAINBEARER followed, its slender, iridescent tail streaming behind it like a ribbon as it perched delicately on a mossy branch.

The groundskeeper whispered that the CHESTNUT-NAPED ANTPITTA was getting closer, and soon enough it hopped into view. Its rich chestnut nape and olive‑brown body gave it a warm, earthy look, and it paused just long enough for us to admire its portrait‑perfect pose before slipping back into the undergrowth.

It was a morning of magic—of rare birds, fleeting glimpses, and the quiet thrill of being exactly where you were meant to be.

NEXT UP: EB#7 “And Still More Hummingbirds“

Additional Photographs and Video

Previous Ecuador Birding Blog Posts:

• 
  EB100 – Epilogue – Full of Wonder and Gratitude
  This epilogue looks beyond the individual bird highlights to the deeper meaning of the journey, capturing the wonder, gratitude, and renewed perspective that Ecuador left within me. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature.
• 
  EB99 – Ecuador – Favorite Images from the West Andes
  This epilogue looks beyond the individual bird highlights to the deeper meaning of the journey, capturing the wonder, gratitude, and renewed perspective that Ecuador left within me. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature.
• 
  EB98 – Ecuador – Favorite Images from the High Andes Páramo
  A visual tribute to the páramo, where the Andes reveal their rawest beauty and every moment feels carved from wind and light. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature.
• 
  EB97 – Ecuador – Favorite Images from the Eastern Andes
  A visual journey through the cool, moss‑laden slopes of the eastern Andes and the birds that define them. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature.
• 
  EB96 – Ecuador – Favorite Images from the Amazon Lowlands
  A collection of my favorite images from the Amazon Basin, where water, light, and life intertwine in one of the world’s most vibrant ecosystems. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature.
• 
  EB95 – Reserva Yanacocha: Ending Ecuador Birding on a 3500m High Note
  A late morning at Reserva Yanacocha revealed a powerful blend of conservation triumphs and high‑Andean species, highlighted by a final lifer that brought the journey full circle. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature.

>>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.