Mindo Cloud Forest · Private birding tour · 6 days / 5 nights
Six days of private birding from the Chocó lowlands of Silanche to Paz de las Aves, Amagusa and Mindo Cloud Forest, ending with the Andean Condor at Antisana, with your own English-speaking guide and five nights at our lodge.
Your tour at a glance
A private birding tour of the Chocó Andino, based at our own lodge in Mindo Cloud Forest. Over 500 bird species have been recorded around Mindo, and every day of this program visits a different habitat, from the high Andes to the Chocó lowlands, so each day brings new birds. Your English-speaking guide adapts the pace to you, whether this is your first birding trip or you come with a target list.
| Travel style | Luxury |
|---|---|
| Highlights | Hummingbirds, Chocó endemics, Andean Condor |
| Fitness level | Fair condition |
| Group | Private: just you and your companions |
| Starts and ends | Your hotel in Quito or the airport area |
| Price | From US$2,100 per person |
Day by day
Day 1
Morning. Your private birding guide and driver pick you up at 6:00 am at your hotel in Quito or the airport area, with a breakfast box for the road. First stop: Zuro Loma, a small private reserve high in the Andes on the way from Quito to Mindo, whose hummingbird feeders are a classic place to see the Sword-billed Hummingbird, the only bird with a bill longer than its body.
Afternoon. Lunch at a restaurant on the way down to Mindo Cloud Forest. If there is time, your guide stops at more feeders on the road before you check in at Las Terrazas de Dana Boutique Lodge & Spa.
Key species: Sword-billed Hummingbird, Shining Sunbeam, Golden-breasted Puffleg, Andean Guan, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager.
Day 2
Morning. An early start with a breakfast box, down to the Fruit Tour feeder in the Silanche area: the warm Chocó lowlands, the lowest point of the trip, with birds you will not find higher up, such as trogons, jacamars and puffbirds.
Afternoon. Lunch, then the Milpe Bird Sanctuary of the Mindo Cloudforest Foundation (1,020–1,150 m), a reserve in the Chocó-Andean foothills inside the Los Bancos–Milpe Important Bird Area defined by BirdLife International. It is known for the Club-winged Manakin, a bird that sings with its wings.
Key species: Chocó Trogon, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, White-whiskered Puffbird, Black-crowned Antshrike, Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, Club-winged Manakin, Green Thorntail, White-whiskered Hermit, Green-crowned Brilliant, Green-crowned Woodnymph.
Day 3
Morning. An early start with a breakfast box to Refugio Paz de las Aves (around 1,600 m / 5,250 ft), the family reserve of the brothers Ángel and Rodrigo Paz. It began with an Andean Cock-of-the-rock lek, where the males display at first light, and became famous among birders when the Paz brothers taught the shy antpittas to come out of the forest when called.
Afternoon. Lunch, then La Victoriana, for the best possible views of the Andean Cock-of-the-rock.
Key species: Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Giant Antpitta, Moustached Antpitta, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Chestnut-crowned Antpitta, Ochre-breasted Antpitta, Toucan Barbet.
Day 4
Morning. The Mashpi Road and the Amagusa Reserve, from 1,700 down to 750 m, with a breakfast box at the Amagusa feeders. Amagusa is a privately owned reserve of recovering forest inside the Mashpi–Pachijal Important Bird Area, where the foothill forest connects with the lower western forests of Ecuador: one of the best places for Chocó endemics.
Afternoon. Lunch, then more birding in this outstanding area. Optional: a visit to Sacha Guatusa in the afternoon.
Key species: Indigo Flowerpiercer, Golden-collared Honeycreeper, Black Solitaire, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Lyre-tailed Nightjar, White-tipped Sicklebill, Chocó Vireo, Chocó Parakeet, Glistening-green Tanager, Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager, Black-striped Sparrow, Flame-faced Tanager, Velvet-purple Coronet, Violet-tailed Sylph, Booted Racket-tail, Toucan Barbet.
Day 5
Morning. Birdwatchers House, a private reserve in the Santa Rosa sector of Mindo where almost 120 bird species have been recorded, among them 36 hummingbirds and five antpittas. At its feeders, look for the Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, the Blue-capped Tanager and the Hoary Puffleg.
Afternoon. Lunch at the lodge, then Punto Ornitológico or the Hermit Trail in Mindo village (about 1,200 m / 3,900 ft), for the Sunbittern, the Ringed Kingfisher, the White-throated Crake and the Rose-faced Parrot.
Key species: Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, Blue-capped Tanager, Hoary Puffleg, Crested Guan, Rose-faced Parrot, Bat Falcon, Sunbittern, White-throated Crake, Red-headed Barbet, Ringed Kingfisher, Black-faced Dacnis, Green Thorntail, Crowned Woodnymph.
Day 6
Morning. Check out of Las Terrazas de Dana and head to Antisana National Park, southeast of Quito: high-Andean grasslands rising above 4,000 m under the snow-capped Antisana volcano, and one of the best places in Ecuador to see the Andean Condor.
Afternoon. Lunch at the Tambo Cóndor restaurant, which has hummingbird feeders, then private transfer to your hotel in Quito or the airport area. Antisana is also a day tour from Quito.
Key species: Andean Condor, Giant Hummingbird, Ecuadorian Hillstar.
The itinerary may change with the weather, the birds and the opening of each reserve; your guide always looks for the best option of the day.
Birding with us
Where you go birding
Northwest Ecuador is part of the Chocó bioregion, famous for its endemic birds. In 2018 UNESCO declared the Chocó Andino de Pichincha, around 286,000 hectares northwest of Quito, a Biosphere Reserve. Mindo is its best-known birding hotspot: more than 500 species have been recorded around the town, and its Christmas Bird Count topped the world list for several years in a row, with more than 400 species counted in a day.
On this tour you go birding from the high Andes down to the Chocó lowlands.
Where you stay
We built and run Las Terrazas de Dana, a boutique lodge and spa in Mindo Cloud Forest, two hours from Quito, rated among the best in Mindo on Tripadvisor and Booking.com.
After a day in the field, come back to a quiet room over the forest, a swim or a massage, and dinner at our restaurant. On early days, a breakfast box is ready before you leave.
Our birding professional guides
Julia PatiñoBirding guide
Nelson ApoloBirding guide
Natalia EscobarBirding guide
Anthony DíazBirding guide
Antony DuránBirding guide
David LaraBirding guide“Special thanks to Julia for her phenomenal guiding and viewing of so many incredible species that only a local guide would know.” — cyclegirl, on Tripadvisor
Compare
| Tour | Route | Highlights | Price per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days2 nights at our lodge | Zuro Loma · Silanche and Milpe · Birdwatchers House | Hummingbirds, Chocó lowland birds, Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan | From US$1,100 |
| 4 days3 nights at our lodge | Zuro Loma · Silanche and Milpe · Paz de las Aves · Birdwatchers House | Hummingbirds, Andean Cock-of-the-rock, antpittas at Paz de las Aves | From US$1,400 |
| 5 days4 nights at our lodge | Zuro Loma · Paz de las Aves · Amagusa and Mashpi Road · Birdwatchers House · Sachatamia | Hummingbirds, Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Chocó endemics | From US$1,750 |
| 6 days · you are here5 nights at our lodge | Zuro Loma · Silanche and Milpe · Paz de las Aves · Amagusa and Mashpi Road · Birdwatchers House · Antisana | Hummingbirds, Chocó endemics, Andean Condor | From US$2,100 |
| 7 days6 nights at our lodge | Zuro Loma · Silanche and Milpe · Paz de las Aves · Amagusa and Mashpi Road · Birdwatchers House · Sachatamia and Balcón Tumpiki · Antisana | Hummingbirds, toucans, Andean Condor | From US$2,550 |
| 12 days6 nights at our lodge + 5 on the East Slope | Zuro Loma · Silanche and Milpe · Paz de las Aves · Amagusa and Mashpi Road · Birdwatchers House · Sachatamia and Balcón Tumpiki · Antisana · Guango · San Isidro · Wayra · Wildsumaco | Hummingbirds, Chocó endemics, Andean Condor, East Slope specialties | From US$4,600 |
Longer tours across Ecuador: the 16-day Complete Birding Tour and the 18-day Southern Ecuador tour. Only have a morning? Try our half-day birding tour in Mindo (about 4 hours). See all our birdwatching tours.
Price
| 6 days / 5 nights | From US$2,100 per person |
|---|
The price per person depends on the size of your group and your dates: larger groups get a lower price per person. Private transport from Quito or the airport area is included. We send you the exact quote within 24 hours.
Our reservation policy. Pay a 20% deposit to book; the remaining 80% is paid on arrival at Las Terrazas de Dana. Full conditions in our terms.
More into photography? See the 6-day bird photography tour.
Questions
About two hours by road. Your guide and driver pick you up at 6:00 am at your hotel in Quito or the airport area on day 1 and take you back on the last day.
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, and rain, when it comes, usually falls in the afternoon.
No. 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.
Binoculars and your camera, a light rain jacket, comfortable shoes that can get muddy, warm layers for the early mornings in the Andes and Antisana, above 4,000 m, sun protection and insect repellent for the lowlands.
Fair condition is enough: most of the birding is at feeders, on forest trails and along quiet roads, at an easy pace.
Yes, it is our favorite combination. Every Galápagos cruise booked with us includes complimentary nights at our lodge in Mindo Cloud Forest.
Yes: tell us your dates, your group and your target species, and we adapt the days or create a custom program, from a half-day birding tour to our Mindo all-inclusive programs.
That’s why you choose Dana Tours
Tell us your dates and how many people are traveling. We confirm the guide and the lodge and send you the final price within 24 hours.
Or write to us at [email protected]
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