Synopsis: A long‑tailed, charismatic cuckoo returned to the scene with its unmistakable bounding flight and playful personality.

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

Long before we saw it, the forest betrayed its presence with a soft, rolling chuckle—a sound that always feels like a private joke shared among the trees. Moments later, the Common Squirrel‑Cuckoo glided into view, its long rufous tail streaming behind it in a graceful arc. Few birds move with such buoyant, bounding energy; it seemed to float from branch to branch, each glide punctuated by a sudden upward hop that gave it an almost playful rhythm.

Up close, the bird’s beauty becomes even more apparent. Its warm chestnut plumage glows richly in the filtered light, while the contrasting gray throat and bold white tail tips add a touch of elegance to its otherwise earthy palette. The cuckoo’s large, expressive eyes give it a curious, almost mischievous look—fitting for a species that always seems to be slipping in and out of view, half‑seen and half‑heard as it navigates the mid‑story with effortless agility.

Natural history only deepens the appreciation. Unlike many cuckoos, this species is not a brood parasite; instead, it builds its own nest and raises its own young, a refreshing exception to the family’s reputation. Its diet is equally distinctive—large insects, katydids, and even the occasional small lizard, all snapped up with quick, decisive strikes. I’ve encountered this bird in so many corners of the Neotropics that seeing it again felt like greeting an old traveling companion, one whose presence always brings a sense of familiarity and joy. Its final glide into the canopy felt like a wave goodbye, a reminder that some birds become part of the story no matter where the journey leads.

With the cuckoo’s laughter fading into the distance, we gathered our gear and stepped back onto the trail, ready for the next chapter of the journey—one that would carry us to the welcoming forests and warm hospitality of The Bird Watchers House, Santa Rosa.

NEXT UP: EB#87 “From Muted Plumages to Brilliant Hues: Birds Painted by Nature’s Own Palette at the Birdwatcher’s House”

Previous Ecuador Birding Blog Posts:

• 
  EB86 – When an Old Friend Appears: A Special Moment with a Common Squirrel‑Cuckoo
  by Jim Gain
  July 4, 2026
  A long‑tailed, charismatic cuckoo returned to the scene with its unmistakable bounding flight and playful personality. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature.
• 
  EB85 – A Return Encounter with a Pair of Red-headed Barbets
  by Jim Gain
  July 3, 2026
  A pair of Red‑headed Barbets at Sendero Frutti Tour offered a vivid second encounter, feeding on red bananas and tending a nearby nest cavity while representing a species whose range stretches from the Andean foothills of Ecuador through northwestern South America and into the highland forests of Central America. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature.
• 
  EB84 – Crimson on the Bark — A Moment with the Scarlet‑backed Woodpecker
  by Jim Gain
  July 2, 2026
  A brilliantly patterned woodpecker lit up the forest edge with its fiery back and bold, rhythmic foraging. 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.