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 4 – Morning
- My Ecuador Species Count including the entire day at Sani Lodge and Canopy Tower jumps up to: 162 (114 lifers)
- Primary eBird Public Hotspots: Sani Lodge
We were up early once again, gathering for a pre‑dawn breakfast while the forest slowly woke around us. The soft, rhythmic calls of Common Pauraques drifted across the lagoon, joined by the tremulous notes of Tropical Screech‑Owls, creating a haunting chorus that felt like the Amazon’s own morning hymn. With the sky just beginning to lighten, we pushed off from the lodge and began gliding across the still blackwater. Almost immediately, a CINNAMON ATTILA appeared on a low branch overhanging the channel, its warm rufous plumage glowing softly in the dim light as it sat long enough for us to admire and photograph it.
A pair of CHESTNUT-FRONTED MACAWS swept overhead, their raucous calls echoing through the canopy as their chestnut foreheads and emerald wings flashed against the pale dawn sky. A few moments later, another pair of Chestnut-fronted Macaws clattered down onto the crown of a tall palm, landing with all the grace of feathery brawlers. They immediately began squabbling with each other—sidestepping, nipping, and flaring their tails in a noisy, comical dispute that played out high above the ground.
Just beyond the bend, a tiny YELLOW‑CROWNED TYRANULET flitted into view, its lemon‑washed crown catching the first hints of morning light as it delivered a rapid series of high, squeaky notes from the mid‑canopy. As we drifted silently beneath it, the bird hopped along a thin branch with quick, purposeful movements, seeming almost curious about our passing canoe.
A LADDER‑TAILED NIGHTJAR lifted ghostlike from a shaded sandbar ahead, skimming low over the water before melting back into the dim understory. A sudden flash of crimson betrayed a MASKED CRIMSON TANAGER moving restlessly through the treetops, while a PALE‑VENTED PIGEON paused to perch briefly on a slender twig, watching us for a heartbeat before lifting off again with slow, deliberate wingbeats that carried it deeper into the canopy. As the forest continued to brighten around us, the soft hush of our paddles blended with the rising chorus of dawn, setting the stage for the next burst of color overhead.
Not far ahead, a BOAT‑BILLED FLYCATCHER stood sentinel on an exposed snag, its oversized bill and bright yellow belly unmistakable even from the canoe. We drifted past it with barely a ripple, and as the snag slipped behind us, a soft shimmer of movement along the shaded bank caught our attention—another surprise waiting in the wings.
Moments later, we were treated to exceptional views of a pair of WHITE‑CHINNED JACAMARS—the male shimmering with deep metallic green and a crisp white throat patch, while the female showed warmer, earthier tones and a subtler facial pattern. They sat calmly on adjacent branches, giving us a perfect side‑by‑side comparison before disappearing back into the foliage.
After this remarkable series of sightings, we stepped ashore for a quiet walk through the rainforest, where the silhouette of the Sani Isla Canopy Tower soon emerged through the trees.
Rising above the emerald expanse like a patient guardian, the tower is one of the most remarkable vantage points in eastern Ecuador. Built by the Sani Isla Kichwa community as part of their commitment to protect their ancestral forest while sharing its wonders with visitors, the structure blends traditional knowledge with modern engineering. Its placement is deliberate—reaching into the upper canopy, a hidden world where so much of the rainforest’s life unfolds beyond the reach of the forest floor.
NEXT UP: EB#24 “Climbing into the Clouds at the Sani Canopy Tower“
Additional Photographs and Video
Previous Ecuador Birding blog posts will be linked below.
- 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. - 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.
>>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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