A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain
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.
DAY 3 – Early Morning
- My Ecuador Species Count up to and including our exploration of El Retiro jumps up to: 110 (75 lifers)
- Primary eBird Public Hotspots: Sani Lodge
The accommodations at Sani Lodge were nothing short of extraordinary—comfortable, thoughtfully designed, and seamlessly woven into the surrounding rainforest. Before dawn had even begun to lighten the sky, we gathered for an early breakfast and then pushed away from the landing platform, our canoes gliding silently across the still blackwaters of the Challuacocha Lagoon. The forest around us rose in dense, towering walls of vegetation dominated by evergreen, flood‑adapted trees like Eschweilera and Macrolobium, their roots gripping the waterlogged soil, while palms such as Astrocaryum and Mauritia arched overhead like cathedral pillars.
As we paddled toward the Mama Lucy, a larger powered river boat waiting to take us deeper into the Amazon, a LESSER KISKADEE burst into view along the water’s edge. Its bright lemon‑yellow belly glowed against the dark tangle of branches, while its crisp black‑and‑white facial mask gave it a sharp, alert expression. It flitted low over the reeds with quick, buoyant wingbeats, calling out in short, energetic notes that matched its lively presence. Not far away, the GREAT KISKADEES made their size and confidence known—larger, bolder, and louder than their smaller cousins, their voices carrying easily across the lagoon as if to remind us who truly ruled the riverside perches.
At the far end of the lagoon, we transferred from the canoes back onto the speedy Mama Lucy and began heading upstream along the broad Napo River, with several birding stops planned along the way. Our first destination was the small Sani community of El Retiro. Just as we approached the landing, movement on a sandbar caught our attention. A pair of YELLOW-HEADED CARACARAS stood alert at the water’s edge, their pale golden heads and streaked bodies giving them a sharp, inquisitive look as they scanned the shoreline for prey. Nearby, a stately COCOI HERON waited in elegant stillness, its tall, slate‑gray form and striking black crown reflected perfectly in the shallow water. It was a serene Amazonian tableau—predators and waders sharing the morning calm as we eased toward the dock.
The “community” of El Retiro turned out to be little more than a pair of modest houses tucked along a narrow footpath—the same path local children used each day to reach their school. Yet despite its simplicity, the area felt distinct from the river’s edge. Because it sat on slightly higher ground, the vegetation shifted noticeably: palms rose in scattered clusters, and the understory held a different mix of shrubs and vines than the floodplain below.
As we explored, a LINEATED WOODPECKER hammered loudly on a trunk, its bold red crest and zebra‑striped face giving it a fierce, almost prehistoric presence. Overhead, flocks of RED-BELLIED MACAWS swept past in tight formation, their green bodies and chestnut bellies flashing as they cut across the sky with sharp, purposeful wingbeats. High in the emerald hush of the canopy, a pair of ORANGE-WINGED AMAZONS flashed into view, their jade-green bodies ignited by sudden bursts of tangerine as they flew, revealing colors meant only for motion. They perched briefly together, exchanging soft, intimate calls before lifting off in perfect synchrony, their voices and wingbeats echoing through the rainforest.
After some determined searching, we finally located a GREATER ANI, its glossy blue‑black plumage and long, keel‑shaped bill making it look both elegant and slightly mischievous as it posed obligingly for us.
We climbed back aboard the Mama Lucy and continued upstream, crossing the river toward Yasuní National Park.
NEXT UP: EB#20 “Yasuni’s Colorful Chaos at the Parrot Licks“
Additional Photographs and Video
Previous Ecuador Birding Blog Posts:
- EB19 – Day Three Opens with a Riverbound Trip to El Retiro
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. - EB18 – First Encounters in the Amazon: A Bird‑Filled Afternoon
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. - EB17 – Feathers from the Past: The Remarkable Hoatzin of Ecuador
In October 2025, Jim Gain joined a birding tour in Ecuador, exploring its rich biodiversity and stunning landscapes over 14 days. This post focuses on his encounter with the Hoatzin. - EB16 – The Mama Lucy and Canoe Transit to Sani Birding Lodge
In his blog series, Jim Gain shares his Ecuador birding adventure from October 26 to November 8, 2025, with guide Liron Gertsman and fellow enthusiasts. During their journey, Gain’s species count reached 76, including 52 lifers. Captivated by the Amazon’s beauty, they encountered striking birds like Pied Plovers and Red-capped Cardinals, capturing the essence and vibrant colors of this incredible ecosystem. Their experience at the Sani Lodge connected them deeply with nature. - EB15 – Puembo Garden Surprises Before Taking Off for Coca
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 yet another new set of species at Puembo Birding Gardens, a trip to the Mariscal Sucre International Airport and a flight down to Coca in the Ecuadorian Amazon lowlands. - EB14 – The Official Launch of the Eagle-eye Tour
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 official start of the Eagle-eye Tour and getting to know the other participants.
>>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.
**Unless otherwise indicated in the image caption, all photographs (>99%) are mine.
Reflections of the Natural World 
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