Synopsis: A long‑awaited encounter in the dim understory finally delivered the Rufous Motmot in perfect light, letting me capture the photographs that had eluded me for years and turning a quiet morning at Tandayapa into one of the trip’s most satisfying moments
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.
A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain
**Due to the high resolution and quality of the images in this blog series it is highly recommended
that readers view posts in Landscape Mode on a desktop PC from the actual blogsite at Ecuador Birding**
DAY 12 – Morning
Tandayapa Lodge: The Forest Lowers Its Voice
Even after the vivid brilliance of the Toucan Barbet—a bird that seems to announce itself with both color and sound—the forest eased into a quieter, deeper register. As we moved away from the ridge and followed the trail into denser understory, the light softened and the air grew still, as if the cloudforest were preparing to reveal something more secretive. It was in this hush, with the echoes of the barbet’s resonant call still fading behind us, that a familiar silhouette materialized on a shaded perch. The Rufous Motmot had returned to my story, just as it had in Mexico and Central America, but this time with a twist: despite many sightings over the years, I had never managed a truly successful photograph. That history made the moment feel charged—an old challenge resurfacing in a new landscape.
The Rufous Motmot is a study in warm earth tones and elegant form. Its rich chestnut head and throat glow like burnished copper in the dim forest light, blending seamlessly into deep green wings and a velvety black mask that gives the bird a quietly regal presence. The long tail—ending in the distinctive racket tips that sway gently with each movement—adds a sense of balance and grace, as though the bird were designed to be both ornament and shadow. Its bill is stout and slightly hooked, perfectly suited for its omnivorous diet of fruit, insects, and the occasional small vertebrate. Even at rest, the motmot carries an air of calm authority, a bird that never seems rushed by the world around it.
Behaviorally, the Rufous Motmot is deliberate and measured, moving with a slow confidence that contrasts sharply with the frenetic pace of many tropical species. It often sits motionless for long stretches, tail pendulum‑swinging in a gentle arc—a behavior as iconic as its plumage. When it does move, it does so with purpose: a short glide to a new perch, a swift strike at an insect, or a quiet hop to pluck a berry from a low branch. Its call is a deep, resonant “hoo‑hoo,” a sound that seems to rise from the forest floor itself. And on this morning, for reasons known only to the bird and the forest, it lingered just long enough—still, steady, perfectly lit—for me to finally capture the photographs I had hoped for across years and countries. I was ecstatic, almost disbelieving, as the images appeared sharp and luminous on the back of my camera.
Encountering the Rufous Motmot again—this time with the gift of a long‑awaited, successful photo session—felt like closing a loop in my birding journey. But the morning at Tandayapa was far from finished. As the motmot slipped back into the shadows, new movement stirred in the understory: a pair of Uniform Antshrikes materializing from the tangle with their quiet, methodical presence, followed soon after by the bright, buoyant arrival of a Golden‑bellied Flycatcher. The next post will turn to these three species, each offering its own rhythm, personality, and photographic challenge in the deep green of the cloudforest.
NEXT UP: EB#75 “Behind the Scenes: Gear, Settings, and Lessons from the Cloudforest“
Additional Photographs
Previous Ecuador Birding Blog Posts:
- EB75 – Behind the Scenes: Gear, Settings, and Lessons from the Cloudforest
A field photographer’s look at gear, extenders, and ever‑shifting cloudforest light, distilled into the lessons that shaped every image I made in Ecuador. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature. - EB74 – When Color Rules the Canopy: Encounters with Rufous Motmot
A long‑awaited encounter in the dim understory finally delivered the Rufous Motmot in perfect light, letting me capture the photographs that had eluded me for years and turning a quiet morning at Tandayapa into one of the trip’s most satisfying moments This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature. - EB73 – Colors in the Canopy: Meeting the Toucan Barbet at Tandayapa
A single, resonant call drew us from the moth‑light quiet into the vivid presence of the Toucan Barbet, a cloudforest icon whose bold colors and commanding voice anchored the entire morning in unforgettable brilliance. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature.
Through my lens and prose I hope to instill a greater sense of awe, compassion and inspiration as I discover new creatures, explore interesting habitats, and gain wisdom about the natural world that’s all around us. It is my hope that readers are motivated to learn more about our environment and its inhabitants, and become passionate advocates for conservation.
>>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 (>99.9%) are mine.
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