Birdwatching in Ecuador
First-class, highly personalized birding in Mindo and all of Ecuador. Ecuador has more than 1,600 bird species and over 500 have been recorded around Mindo. We have organized private birding tours from our own lodge since 2015, with licensed English-speaking guides, from a 3-day taste of the cloud forest to 20 days across Ecuador and Colombia.
Which explorer level defines you best?
3 to 7 days
Based at our lodge, two hours from Quito’s airport. The Chocó region holds more than 70 endemic birds; Mindo is its best-known birding hotspot.
3 days
An easy first taste of Mindo’s birds, ideal if you are short of time or new to birding.
From US$1,100 per person
4 days
Our most recommended short tour: the main birding spots of the Mindo area.
From US$1,400 per person
5 days
Mindo and the wider Chocó Andino, with more time at the best reserves.
From US$1,750 per person
6 days
For keen birders: Chocó Andino, Mindo Cloud Forest and the Antisana highlands.
From US$2,100 per person
7 days
Our most complete week in the Chocó Andino, with Antisana and its condors.
From US$2,550 per person
7 to 20 days
Both slopes of the Andes, the Amazon foothills and the endemic-rich south, with nights in Mindo where the route allows.
7 days
The eastern Andes, from páramo grassland to the Amazon foothills.
From US$2,850 per person
12 days
Both slopes of the Andes in one trip, with the best of Mindo.
From US$4,600 per person
16 days
Cloud forest, Andes and Amazon: Ecuador’s main birding regions in one tour.
From US$6,200 per person
18 days
The endemic-rich south, from dry Tumbesian forest to remote cloud forest.
From US$7,250 per person
20 days
Two of the richest birding countries on Earth in one private tour.
From US$9,200 per person
Add a day or two
Not finding what you are looking for? Create your own personalized Ecuador birding tour with our experts.
Day trip
A day in the high Andes from Quito, looking for condors and páramo birds.
From US$180 per person
Amazon extension
A short Amazon extension to one of the most biodiverse reserves in the world.
From US$710 per person
Scheduled group departure 2027 · Max. 6 photographers
Ecuador has one of the highest bird diversities per square kilometer on Earth and some of the best birding infrastructure in South America: short drives, excellent lodges, hummingbird feeders with natural flowers, banana feeders with clean backgrounds for toucans, trogons, tanagers and the Andean Cock-of-the-rock, and hides in private reserves. This small-group tour is designed around them.
US$4,200 per person
Sharing a double room · Single supplement US$840 · Dates: 2027
| Length | 12 days |
|---|---|
| Start / end | Quito |
| Pace | Easy |
| Physical difficulty | Easy |
| Focus | Bird photography |
| Max. group size | 6 photographers |
Target species include: Sword-billed Hummingbird, Andean Condor, Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, Chocó Toucan, Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Glistening-green Tanager, Plain-brown Woodcreeper, Paradise Tanager, Golden-headed Quetzal, Pale-mandibled Aracari, Toucan Barbet, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Green Jay, Gorgeted Woodstar, Booted Racket-tail, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Chestnut-winged Cinclodes, Carunculated Caracara, Flame-faced Tanager, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Red-headed Barbet, Ochre-breasted Antpitta, Brown Violetear, Wire-crested Thorntail, Barred Fruiteater, Sapphire-vented Puffleg, Tawny-bellied Hermit, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Chestnut-naped Antpitta, Fasciated Tiger-Heron, Blue-gray Tanager, Torrent Duck and Yellow-throated Toucan.
We are the owners of Las Terrazas de Dana
Las Terrazas de Dana Boutique Lodge & Spa is one of the top-rated lodges in Mindo on Tripadvisor and Booking.com. Our programs combine the best birding with deluxe accommodation and personal service, and we can also build a custom Mindo Cloud Forest program around your interests. Read our Tripadvisor reviews or learn more about us.
Our unbeatable reservation policy. Pay a 20% deposit to book a birding tour in the Andean Chocó; the remaining 80% is paid on arrival at Las Terrazas de Dana. No need to tie up your money 60 days in advance. Full conditions in our terms.
Hides, feeders and guides who know where the light falls: Chocó Andino and East Slope tours designed for photographers, plus tailored trips for photo groups.
Photographed around Mindo and Ecuador by David Brito
Our birding professional guides
Julia PatiñoBirding guide
Nelson ApoloBirding guide
Natalia EscobarBirding guide
Anthony DíazBirding guide
Antony DuránBirding guide
David LaraBirding guideWhat our clients say about us
“Special thanks to Julia for her phenomenal guiding and viewing of so many incredible species that only a local guide would know.”
cyclegirl · Tripadvisor
We have just returned from a 6 night stay at Las Terrazas de Dana and every accolade that is bestowed on them is so deserved !!! The beautiful immaculate room with incredible views, the balcony that puts you one with nature, the staff – caring, helpful and attentive to the max, delicious food (thank you Alejandro) and of course the superb owners David and Ana who are 'hands on 'in every way. As avid birdwatchers, this is our second trip to the area and we truly vouch for the superiority of this establishment. If you are thinking of coming to Ecuador, do not leave Mindo off your list, book at Las Terrazas de Dana and let David plan your perfect stay! David has the best connections to superb established guides and is up on all the best suggestions for your ideal holiday !!! Also, David is a fantastic communicator, all emails were answered promptly as I worked to put a perfect package together for us. Special thanks to Julia for her phenomenal guiding and viewing of so many incredible species that only a local guide would know and to Franklin for his perfect driving! Being with you both was a highlight and we have had many guides over the years of birding !!! The Mindo area offers an array of activities for many different tastes and you will love your stay at this caring beautiful property and will be planning your return !!!
“We mainly came here to see the birds and enjoy the local sights. Beautiful, surrounded by cloud forests and tons of colorful birds.”
Nisarga M · Tripadvisor
My husband and I stayed here for 2 nights on our travel to Ecuador this summer. We mainly came here to see the birds & enjoy the local sights. From the beginning David was excellent in correspondence and he sent a nice driver to pick us up and drop us back to Quito. We even stopped at Mitad del Mundo on the way back. Coming to the hotel itself: it was unbelievable. Beautiful, surrounded by cloud forests and tons of colorful birds in the vicinity. Anna gave us directions to all the spots we could see and arranged all the tours for us. We did a night walk, chocolate tour, bird walking tour and a waterfall hike and we were quite pleased. We went to the town every day we were there, and we would try to walk but Anna or David would be happy to drop us off if they were on their way. Mindo town is really cute and has good restaurants. We tried an italian & arabian spot, they were really good. Breakfast was included in the package and it was the best. I could eat the granola and fresh strawberry yogurt with fruits all day of my life. Overall I would not think twice before booking this place again. I am already planning my next trip 😉
“It was especially nice that the hotel provides thermoses full of your chosen beverage plus some basic breakfast the night before.”
VRS0101 · Tripadvisor
This family-run hotel is a gem right outside Mindo. The cabins are great — well kept and clean and each room's verandah has a wonderful view. Both David and Ana provided wonderful service and a friendly welcome. David was very helpful over email with helping us make decisions about what to do during our stay in Mindo and booking birding guides that are kid-friendly. Ana was wonderful during our stay — helping with suggestions and even driving us into town when she could. The hotel is a 15-minute walk from the center of town and is an easy walk but we mostly took taxis to/from town since they were cheap and we were only staying for a couple of days. Since we went birding two of the days we were there (which meant getting up very early in the morning), it was especially nice that the hotel provides thermoses full of your chosen beverage plus some basic breakfast the night before to get you going, and then provides a full breakfast when you come back — whether that is at 10am or noon.
“We could watch toucans in the trees from our porch and the hummingbird feeders are constantly filled with amazing birds.”
Christopher G · Tripadvisor
We stayed here as a family of three adult couples so each couple had its own bungalow and this worked out perfectly for us. David and Ana were warm and friendly and extremely easy to deal with before and during our three day stay. The hotel is spotless, the rooms had everything we could possibly need, the food excellent and there is great attention to detail which made our stay effortless. We could watch toucans in the trees from our porch and the hummingbird feeders are constantly filled with amazing birds and Ana arranged for us to have a bird-watching tour as well as zip line experience and in-room massages. They arranged transport for us to and from Quito which I recommend doing. It is a little ways away from the bustle of Mindo center but it was very inexpensive to take a taxi to town. This made our experience even better since it was quiet and rooms have great views of the surrounding nature. We had the best of both worlds there.
“If you want to experience excellent customer service, an exquisite and beautifully natural location, don’t miss this place.”
ljc707 · Tripadvisor
Stayed here for one night only, as a treat at the end of a very fast and busy trip to Ecuador to visit my daughter. I have to say – if you want to experience excellent customer service, an exquisite and beautifully natural location, outstanding food and wonderful relaxation, don’t miss this place. We didn’t have time to do any birding but a hike at the waterfalls (via the tarabita) and some zip lining let us experience enough of Mindo to see that it’s a very special place to visit. Ana, one of the owners, is so charming and hardworking – she clearly knows how to make a place like this work and the attention to detail was fabulous. Nothing was too much bother and all the staff displayed a similar attitude – clearly very well trained. Particular mention must be made about the trout in garlic sauce, grilled shrimps and passion fruit juice. Also the fruit, yoghurt and granola! All were delicious and served on our balcony while we watched the butterflies and humming birds flutter about – what a special experience. (There isn’t a huge menu if you were staying for several nights but I’d much rather have a few dishes done really well than a wide range of average food.) Thank-you Ana for a wonderful stay and for arranging super safe taxis for our onward journey. My guess is that it will be very hard to get…
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Book your Galápagos cruise with us and your nights in Mindo Cloud Forest are complimentary, with meals and private transfers from Quito. Birders love the islands’ endemic finches, mockingbirds and seabirds.
Birding in Ecuador
Ecuador is not only one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, but also one of the most geographically diverse. It spans four major regions, each with its own climate and ecosystems: the Pacific coast, the Andes with their cloud forests, the Amazon basin and the Galápagos. Together they hold more than 1,600 confirmed bird species, around 15% of all the birds on Earth, and more than 130 kinds of hummingbird. The climate is steady all year on the equator, distances are short, the roads are good and there are excellent lodges for birders, so traveling from region to region is safe and enjoyable.
Northwest Ecuador is part of the Chocó bioregion, famous for its diversity and home to more than 70 endemic birds. Mindo, about two hours northwest of Quito, is its hotspot, with over 500 species recorded in one of the best-preserved cloud forests in Ecuador, where the Andes meet the tropical forest. Trails range from easy to challenging. Look for the Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, the Chocó Toucan, the Chocó (Blue-tailed) Trogon, the Toucan Barbet, the Rose-faced Parrot, the Golden-headed Quetzal, the Andean Cock-of-the-rock, many tanagers and the Sword-billed Hummingbird. The Chocó Andino was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2018.
The Mindo valley is one of the best places on Earth to see hummingbirds: the Velvet-purple Coronet, often called the most magnificent hummingbird in Ecuador, the Green Violetear, the Booted Racket-tail and, with luck and the right guide, the critically endangered Black-breasted Puffleg, with only a few hundred birds left.
A picturesque region very rich in birds. The páramo grasslands of the eastern Andes are home to the Andean Ibis, the Carunculated Caracara and the iconic Andean Condor; lower down, the lush forests of the Amazonian foothills are alive with hummingbirds and tanagers. One day can take you from Antisana or Papallacta down to the warm edge of the Amazon.
One of the best birding regions in the world: parrots, parakeets, toucans, tanagers, antbirds and woodpeckers, often seen up close from canopy towers and walkways. Our Limoncocha extension adds Amazon species, and the chance of a Harpy Eagle, to a cloud forest tour.
Dry Tumbesian forests and remote cloud forests hold many birds found nowhere else, such as the Jocotoco Antpitta and the El Oro Parakeet. It is the region for experienced birders chasing endemics.
From Las Terrazas de Dana we organize private birding tours with professional guides, from one day to more than twenty: the Mindo area, the Chocó Andino and Antisana, the East Slope, Limoncocha and the Amazon basin, and southern Ecuador. Beginner or advanced birder, or a photographer with a target list, you can create your own tour with our experts.
Questions
No. The short tours are designed for beginners, and every tour is private, so the guide adapts the pace and the trails to you. Keen birders can send their target species and we plan around them.
Birding is good all year round. Around Mindo, June to December is usually a little drier, while January to May brings more afternoon rain and many birds are singing and breeding. In any season the first hours after dawn are the most active, so most outings start early and rain, when it comes, usually falls in the afternoon.
Our programs are private: just you and your companions with your own guide and vehicle. The scheduled photography departure is limited to 6 photographers.
Binoculars and your camera, a light rain jacket, comfortable shoes that can get muddy, warm layers for the high Andes (Antisana is above 4,000 m), sun protection and insect repellent for the lowlands.
Yes. Tell us your dates, your level and the birds you most want to see, and we will build a private itinerary with our guides. Ask for a custom tour.
Yes, and many of our guests do. Every Galápagos cruise booked with us includes complimentary nights at our lodge in Mindo Cloud Forest. Compare Galápagos cruises.
In Quito. We pick you up at the airport or your hotel, and Mindo is about two hours away by road.
Tell us your dates and target species, and we will send you a private itinerary with our guides.
Or write to us at [email protected]
