Synopsis: A late morning at Reserva Yanacocha revealed a powerful blend of conservation triumphs and high‑Andean species, highlighted by a final lifer that brought the journey full circle.
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 13 – Late Morning
Reserva Yanacocha: A Sanctuary in the Sky
After thirteen days in the field and our sixty‑fourth birding checklist, we finally reached the last stop of our Ecuador adventure—Reserva Yanacocha, a place that felt both like a destination and a culmination at 12,000′ (3500m). High on the northwestern flank of Volcán Pichincha, Yanacocha rises like a promise kept—one of Ecuador’s great conservation triumphs, reclaimed from the edge of disappearance. Once threatened by logging and agricultural expansion, this high‑elevation cloudforest was saved through the determination of the Jocotoco Foundation, whose fight to protect the critically endangered Black‑breasted Puffleg sparked the reserve’s creation. In the years since, Yanacocha has grown into a sanctuary of polylepis groves, moss‑draped branches, and windswept ridges where rare hummingbirds, tanagers, and mountain specialists endure against the odds. Walking its trails feels less like entering a reserve and more like stepping into a living testament to what hope, persistence, and community can restore—a forest reborn, resilient, and humming with life at 11,000 feet. Arriving here at the end of our journey, we felt the weight of that story, and the quiet gratitude of being able to witness it.
Glossy Flowerpiercer
A dark, iridescent shape darted into view, its plumage catching sudden flashes of blue as it worked the blooms with quick precision…
The Glossy Flowerpiercer zipped through the canopy with sharp, darting movements, its glossy blue‑black plumage reflecting hints of cobalt in the sun. Its fine, hooked bill worked with surgical precision as it pierced flowers to steal nectar, a tiny outlaw among the pollinators. It perched only briefly, flicking its tail before launching into another rapid burst of motion. Even in shadow, its plumage carried a subtle metallic sheen.
Andean Guan
A heavy rustle in the branches announced its presence first, and then the guan emerged—steady, prehistoric, and utterly at home in the high forest…
The Andean Guan emerged from the shadows with a prehistoric presence, its large, heavy body cloaked in rich chestnut and charcoal tones. A subtle iridescence shimmered across its feathers when the light hit just right, revealing hints of green and bronze beneath the surface. It moved with deliberate, almost cautious steps along the branches, pausing often to scan the forest with dark, thoughtful eyes. When it called, the deep, resonant notes rolled through the valley like a distant drumbeat.
Shining Sunbeam
A warm copper glow drifted through the mist, the bird’s wings igniting like burnished metal each time it turned toward the light…
The Shining Sunbeam lived up to its name the moment it turned into the light—its coppery plumage igniting in a blaze of metallic fire. In shade it appeared modest, but a single shift of angle transformed it into a living ember, glowing with golds, bronzes, and rose‑hued flashes. It fed with calm, steady wingbeats, hovering at flowers with a quiet confidence. Each pass felt like watching sunlight itself take flight.
Yellow‑breasted Brushfinch
A bright flare of gold hopped along the trail’s edge, bold and inquisitive as it surveyed the morning from its mossy perch…
The Yellow‑breasted Brushfinch brought a warm burst of color to the high‑elevation understory, its golden chest glowing beneath a slate‑gray hood. It hopped with bold, purposeful movements, often pausing to deliver sharp chip notes that echoed crisply through the thin mountain air. Its expressive facial pattern gave it a lively, inquisitive look, especially when it tilted its head to inspect the trail edges. Even brief encounters felt bright and animated.
Great Sapphirewing
A broad, powerful silhouette swept past in near silence, the deep sapphire of its wings flashing like a fragment of twilight carried on the wind…
The Great Sapphirewing swept into view with the presence of a small raptor, its massive wings flashing deep, iridescent blues that seemed almost unreal. It hovered with surprising delicacy for such a large hummingbird, dipping into flowers with slow, powerful wingbeats that stirred the air around it. When it perched, its emerald body and sapphire wings glowed against the muted tones of the polylepis trees. The bird carried an unmistakable majesty—quiet, commanding, and unforgettable.
Black‑chested Mountain Tanager — Lifer #1332
And then, as if saving the moment for last, a burst of black, gold, and mountain blue stepped into view—my final lifer, radiant and unforgettable…
The Black‑chested Mountain Tanager, my final lifer of the trip, appeared like a perfectly timed gift from the Andes. Its lemon‑yellow belly and bold black chest band contrasted beautifully with the cool blues and greens of its wings and back. It moved with confident, deliberate hops, pausing just long enough for the light to ignite its colors in full brilliance. Watching lifer #1332 perch in perfect view felt like the culmination of the entire journey—a final flourish of color at the roof of the cloudforest.
Toward the Epilogue
With Yanacocha’s windswept ridges behind us and the last lifer secured, the journey’s arc finally comes into full view. Ahead lies the closing reflection—“My Trip of a Lifetime to Ecuador”—a chance to gather the moments, the birds, and the emotions into one final chapter.
NEXT UP: EB#96 “Ecuador – Favorite Images from the Amazon Lowlands”
Additional Photographs and Videos
Previous Ecuador Birding Blog Posts:
- The Velvet‑purple Coronet and the Science of Color: A Field Photographer’s Reflection
A quiet Gray Fox along the Stanislaus River offered a moment of Zen‑like stillness, blending natural history, resilience, and the calm grace of wildness moving at its own pace. - EB100 – Epilogue – Full of Wonder and Gratitude
This epilogue looks beyond the individual bird highlights to the deeper meaning of the journey, capturing the wonder, gratitude, and renewed perspective that Ecuador left within me. This blog series chronicles Jim Gain’s experiences with birds and nature. - EB99 – Ecuador – Favorite Images from the West Andes
This epilogue looks beyond the individual bird highlights to the deeper meaning of the journey, capturing the wonder, gratitude, and renewed perspective that Ecuador left within me. 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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