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 #7
“And Still More Hummingbirds”

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

DAY 1 – Mid-Morning

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

The morning continued to unfold with a sense of quiet wonder as we took in the emerald embrace of the cloud forest. Mist clung to the branches, drifting in soft veils across the valley, while the distant silhouette of Pichincha Volcano rose like a sentinel above the horizon. I took a moment to pause, breathing in the damp, earthy air and letting my eyes wander across the vast beauty of this landscape—a living tapestry of moss‑laden trees, tangled vines, and blossoms glowing against the gray light.

And then, as if the forest itself wished to punctuate the moment, a SHINING SUNBEAM burst into view. Our sixth hummingbird of the day, it landed boldly on a perch in full sunlight, its coppery wings igniting with a metallic brilliance that shimmered like fire. For a heartbeat, the bird seemed to hold the entire scene together—the volcano, the mist, the forest, and our own astonishment—reminding us that in places like this, wonder arrives not in grand gestures, but in sudden flashes of color and life.

Its plumage glowed copper and bronze in the muted light, as if lit from within—an ember against the cool green of the forest. It hovered briefly, catching the light in a way that seemed almost supernatural. The name felt perfectly chosen, not just for its radiant colors but for the way it appeared—suddenly, brilliantly, and then vanished like a beam of sunlight slipping through the clouds.

It was immediately chased off by a COLLARED INCA, which swept in like a feathered thunderbolt. The Inca didn’t just arrive—it claimed the perch with the confidence of a bird that knows it rules these high‑Andean feeders. Its inky‑black plumage absorbed the dim light, making the crisp white collar around its neck blaze even brighter, like a ceremonial sash worn by a mountain monarch. With each sharp, decisive movement, it radiated a kind of regal authority, wings flicking with the impatience of a creature unaccustomed to sharing. For a moment, the entire clearing seemed to revolve around it.

After another round of admiring the valley and the distant volcano, we picked up yet another new hummingbird—SPECKLED HUMMINGBIRD—a small, subtly marked species with fine white speckles across its throat and chest, blending beautifully with the dappled light of the forest.

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

Just then, Edwin called out, “GORGETED SUNANGEL! Quick, come photograph it! This is a rarity here—it normally doesn’t come this high.” I happened to be standing in exactly the right place and managed to capture a series of shots.

The bird was dazzling—its throat ablaze with fiery magenta, its compact body shimmering with violet and green. It perched for just a moment, a jewel against the mossy backdrop, before vanishing into the canopy.

And then the call rang out, “Black-breasted Puffleg!“

NEXT UP: EB#8 “The Critically Endangered Black-breasted Puffleg“

Additional Photographs and Video

Previous Ecuador Birding Blog Posts:

• 
  EB9 – A Missed Antpitta, More Sword-billeds and a Scarlet-bellied Success
  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. This post focuses on the Sword-billed Hummingbird, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager and other species at the Zuro Loma Birding Reserve on the Western side of the Andes.
• 
  EB8 – THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED BLACK-BREASTED PUFFLEG
  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. This post focuses on the Critically Endangered Black-breasted Puffleg hummingbird species at the Zuro Loma Birding Reserve on the Western side of the Andes.
• 
  EB7 – AND STILL MORE HUMMINGBIRDS!
  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. This post focuses on more hummingbird and tanager species seen at the Zuro Loma Birding Reserve on the Western side of the Andes.
• 
  EB6 – WHEN ANTPITTAS COME CALLING
  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. This post focuses on two species of antpittas photographed and the first sighting of Sword-billed Hummingbird, the top target bird at the Zuro Loma Birding Reserve on the Western side of the Andes.
• 
  EB5 – THE ECUADOR SPECIES LIST GROWS
  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. This post focuses on the changing landscapes and the first batch of birds at the Zuro Loma Birding Reserve on the Western side of the Andes.
• 
  EB4 – UNOFFICIAL SIDETRIP TO ZURO LOMA
  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. This post focuses on the drive through Quito upwards to the Zuro Loma Birding Reserve on the Western side of the Andes.

>>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.