Nature Notes

Andean Cock of the Rock

Tandayapa Birding Lodge in Tandayapa Valley, Ecuador , managed by Iain Campbell and his wife Cristina, sets a very high standard. The lodge is very comfortable and the meals are good. They have set up an excellent system of trails and there is access to the trails at higher elevations. They are in the process of trying to regenerate the remaining pasture areas to forest and this venture seems to be proceeding successfully. The many hummingbird feeders on the patio are a great resource. Perhaps the best resource is Iain Campbell who is very enthusiastic about providing guests with a great birding experience.

I was collected at the airport and transported to the lodge, which is about 2 hours drive north of Quito. In the next few days, we traveled the visited the various trails at different elevations. We also made a visit to Los Bancos and a privately managed forest Mindo Lindas, north of the Tandayapa Valley. This was a lower elevation area.

Some specialties and surprises

Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl
Iain had mentioned that there was the first nestsite of the Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl, a new species, on the upper trail of the lodge and we went up to see it. We were thrilled to find a juvenile bird peering from the small hole in an old tree, the first time unfledged young had ever been seen.

Oilbird
One of the lodge’s neighbors had had a few recent sightings of Oilbird, but we were actually looking for Lyre-tailed Nightjar when one flew across the road in front of us.

Hummingbirds
While 19 species were seen in the area, most were seen from the patio of the lodge where the feeders receive a lot of attention. Its rough duty to sit with a beverage and be able to leisurely study the many hummers close up.

Antthrushs and Antpittas
Although only the Rufous-breasted Antthrush and the Ochre-breasted Antpitta were seen, the Moustached and Scaled Antpittas were heard daily from the lodge trails, and the Giant Antpitta was heard at higher elevations.

Andean Cock-of-the-rock
There is a lek in the immediate area but the best view was of a nesting female adjacent to one of the lodge trails. We were able to approach within a couple of meters to get a great view.

Other animals
There had been a recent report of Spectacled Bear in the area. We saw White-fronted Capuchin, and the first sighting of Woolly Monkey for the area.

Turkey Vulture
Hook-billed Kite …Los Bancos
Broad-winged Hawk …Los Bancos
Roadside Hawk
Black-and-chestnut Eagle
Barred Forest-Falcon
Wattled Guan
Sickle-winged Guan
Dark-backed Wood-Quail
Band-tailed Pigeon
Plumbeous Pigeon
White-throated Quail-Dove
Bronze-winged Parrot …Los Bancos
Red-billed Parrot
Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl
Oilbird
Common Potoo
Rufous-bellied Nighthawk
Swallow-tailed Nightjar
Lyre-tailed Nightjar …seen by everyone in the party but me. ARGHH!!
Chestnut-collared Swift
White-collared Swift
White-bearded Hermit
Tawny-bellied Hermit
Green-fronted Lancebill
Brown Violet-ear
Green Violet-ear
Sparkling Violet-ear
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Andean Emerald
White-tailed Hillstar
Buff-tailed Coronet
Brown Inca
Collared Inca
Gorgeted Sunangel
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
Booted Racket-tail
Green-tailed Trainbearer
Violet-tailed Sylph
Wedge-billed Hummingbird
Purple-throated Woodstar
Masked Trogon

Green Honeycreeper, Chlorophanes spiza

Red-headed Barbet
Toucan Barbet ..heard often
Choco Toucan
Crimson-rumped Toucanet
Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan
Golden-olive Woodpecker
Powerful Woodpecker
Pacific (Pale-legged?) Hornero …Los Bancos area
Azara’s Spinetail
Rusty-winged Barbtail
Spotted Barbtail
Uniform Treehunter
Lineated Foliage-gleaner
Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner
Montane Woodcreeper
Brown-billed Scythebill
Uniform Antshrike
Slaty Antwren
Long-tailed Antbird
Immaculate Antbird
Rufous-breasted Antthrush
Giant Antpitta …heard briefly at upper elevations
Scaled Antpitta …Heard daily
Ochre-breasted Antpitta
Moustached Antpitta …Heard daily
Narino Tapaculo
Spillman’s Tapaculo
Ocellated Tapaculo …heard briefly at upper elevations
Red-crested Cotinga
Green-and-black Fruiteater
Scaled Fruiteater
Olivaceous Piha
Andean Cock-of-the-rock
Golden-winged Manakin
Club-winged Manakin …Mindo Lindas
Olive-striped Flycatcher …Mindo Lindas
Bronze-olive Pygmy-Tyrant
Tawny-rumped Tyrannulet
Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant
Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant …an addition to the valley birdlist (Oct 19th)
Ornate Flycatcher …Los Bancos area
Golden-crowned Flycatcher

King Vulture, Sarcoramphus papa

Smoke-coloured Pewee …Mindo Lindas
White-winged Becard
Blue-and-white Swallow
Whiskered Wren …Heard
House Wren
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren
Andean Solitaire
Swainson’s Thrush
Glossy-black Thrush
Tourqoise Jay
Beautiful Jay ..both Jays heard but not seen
Brown-capped Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Black-billed Peppershrike
Tropical Parula
Blackburnian Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Slate-throated Redstart
Spectacled Redstart
Russet-crowned Warbler
Three-striped Warbler
Dusky Bush-Tanager
Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager …Los Bancos area
Summer Tanager
Moss-backed Tanager …Los Bancos area
Glistening-green Tanager …Los Bancos area

Purple Honeycreeper, Cyanerpes caeruleus

Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager
Orange-crowned Euphonia
Orange-bellied Euphonia
Golden Tanager
Silver-throated Tanager
Golden-naped Tanager
Metallic-green Tanager
Beryl-spangled Tanager
Black-and-white Seedeater
Slaty Finch
White-naped Brush-Finch …Los Bancos area
White-winged Brush-Finch
Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Black-winged Saltator

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