Southern Ecuador - February, 2026
In late February of 2026, Bill Sharkey and I took our fifth trip to Ecuador. We once again enjoyed a marvelous trip planned and led by Nelson Apolo Jaramillo. We asked our good friend, Nelson to cover new areas in the south while focusing on specialty birds and photo opportunities. Despite this being our fifth trip to a rather small country, we still enjoyed many new birds (lifers) and we pushed my Ecuador list to over 1,000 species.
Silvery Grebe
Yellow-billed Pintail
Andean Duck
Black Caracara (immature)
Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe
Slate-colored Coot
Andean Lapwing
Andean Gull
White-necked Parakeet
Red-faced Parrot
Gray-rumped Swift
Pale-tailed Barbthroat
Blue-fronted Lancebill
Spangled Coquette (adult male)
Spangled Coquette (immature male)
Wire-crested Thorntail
Black-bellied Thorntail
Gorgeted Woodstar (male)
Little Woodstar
White-necked Jacobin
Fiery Topaz
Glittering-throated Emerald
Fork-tailed Woodnymph
Ecuadorian Hillstar (male)
Ecuadorian Hillstar (female)
Green-backed Hillstar
Long-tailed Sylph
Blue-mantled Thornbill
Rainbow-bearded Thornbill
Amethyst-throated Sunangel
Tourmaline Sunangel
Purple-throated Sunangel
Green-backed Trogon
Collared Trogon
Turquoise Jay
Purplish Jacamar
Lanceolated Monklet
Black-billed Mountain-toucan
Lafresnaye's Piculet
Spot-breasted Woodpecker
Many-striped Canastero
Golden-faced Tyrannulet
Rufous-crowned Tody-flycatcher
Rufous-headed Pygmy-tyrant
Smoky Bush-tyrant
Brown-backed Chat-tyrant
Rufous-breasted Chat-tyrant
Yellow-bellied Chat-tyrant
Green-backed Becard
Chestnut-bellied Cotinga
Andean Cock-of-the-rock
Chiguanco Thrush
Purple Honeycreeper
Yellow-bellied Dacnis
Orange-bellied Euphonia
Paradise Tanager
Green-and-gold Tanager
Turquoise Tanager
Blue-browed Tanager
Beryl-spangled Tanager
Yellow-throated Tanager
Golden-crowned Tanager
Scarlet-bellied Mountain-tanager
Lacrimose Mountain-tanager
Hooded Mountain-tanager
Grass-green Tanager
Blue-black Grassquit
Chestnut-bellied Seedeater
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