Tropical Birding Tours

Tropical Birding Tours Tropical Birding is a bird, natural history and photography tour company, whose guides are fanatical. WWW.TROPICALBIRDING.COM

A "Triumph of Tanagers" in Northwest Ecuador in January 2025 (while staying at Tandayapa Bird Lodge) - Sam
11/01/2025

A "Triumph of Tanagers" in Northwest Ecuador in January 2025 (while staying at Tandayapa Bird Lodge) - Sam

Nothing like opening up the New Year with a fine set of woodpeckers. We managed to track down 7 different species on the...
08/01/2025

Nothing like opening up the New Year with a fine set of woodpeckers. We managed to track down 7 different species on the first day of 2025, including these 3 species at some feeders in the lowlands of Northwest Ecuador (done as a day trip from Tandyapa Bird Lodge) - Lineated, Golden-olive and Black-cheeked Woodpeckers. On top of that we racked up more than 130 bird species to start the year, with species like Barred Puffbird, Scarlet-browed Tanager, Black-tipped Cotinga, Rufous-winged Tanager, Black-faced and Scarlet-thighed Dacnis all featuring in addition to Long-billed Starthroat and Violet-bellied and Purple-throated Hummingbirds. It was a helluva a start to 2025! Long may this :"bird rush" continue!

February 11th is a BIG DAY for Tropical Birding as two books with our guides authoring will be published on the same day...
07/01/2025

February 11th is a BIG DAY for Tropical Birding as two books with our guides authoring will be published on the same day. "HABITATS OF AFRICA" & "HABITATS OF NORTH AMERICA". Anyone who has already got/read
"Habitats of the World" will be desperate for these complimentary books in the series! Available for pre-order NOW:

https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691245065/habitats-of-north-america?srsltid=AfmBOoqErxpGL36bflKtE9tOeagdMFqtxHDzBO45VB210mcjazxHC9Ae

https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691244761/habitats-of-africa?srsltid=AfmBOopJfVIwzAqk3fktkZLB3TTGHUl5Qx4hN6cs6RXLJPNJfqQoPa6G

After years of peering into the canopy of tall rainforest trees to see one, I finally had eye level views of Orange-fron...
07/01/2025

After years of peering into the canopy of tall rainforest trees to see one, I finally had eye level views of Orange-fronted Barbet at some new feeders in Northwest Ecuador. I had put off going there, thinking that a tour would take me there, but I could not take it any longer, so I snapped and went over Christmas. Completely worth it, as these hunky barbets competed with Emerald, Bay-headed, Rufous-throated and Gray-and-gold Tanagers, Crimson-rumped Toucanets and Collared Aracaris for a place at the trough. This site has already become a must stop venue on all of future TROPICAL BIRDING "Birding with a Camera" and "Photo" Tours - Sam

Want an idea for a fabulous TROPICAL destination? Then, ECUADOR is very, very hard to beat, with a series of reserves an...
07/01/2025

Want an idea for a fabulous TROPICAL destination? Then, ECUADOR is very, very hard to beat, with a series of reserves and good cloudforest lodges in Northwest Ecuador in particular making this region a gold mine for visiting birders, who often return time and again. Tropical Birding have run the very popular Andes Introtour (https://www.tropicalbirding.com/southamericaecuadorandesintrotour) for 20 years (with many small tweaks to it along the way). It remains our single most popular tour, probably because it is short (the main tour is just 8 days), it visits a spectacularly good birding area with a series of magical feeders loaded with tanagers, toucans and hummingbirds, and you get to stay at basically one good lodge for most of the tour (Tandayapa Bird Lodge), meaning you only have to unpack a few times through the trip. The delicious food at the lodge has garnered quite the reputation amongst the guides and visitors alike. There are also no drives over 2 hours on the tour, making it quite easy for many people, with no difficult hikes at all. On top of that, TROPICAL BIRDING will run this tour with only 3 people if needed, so it often runs with a small group number. Why am I telling you all of this? Because we have some spaces remaining on our August 2025 departure (16-23 main tour; 23-25 High Andes Extension). If you want to join this tour, please book soon to avoid disappointment. If the photos below do not convince you of the extraordinarily good birding on offer in this part of Ecuador, nothing will!

(ALL OF THE PHOTOS BELOW WERE TAKEN ON A SINGLE 4-NIGHT STAY AT TANDAYAPA BIRD LODGE ON 31 DEC 24-3 JAN 25).

IF YOU WISH TO JOIN THIS TOUR, PLEASE EMAIL US AT [email protected]

BIRDS OF ECUADOR 7: The Emerald Tanager is a scarce and local tanager species that can be photographed at one easily acc...
06/01/2025

BIRDS OF ECUADOR 7: The Emerald Tanager is a scarce and local tanager species that can be photographed at one easily accessible location in Northwest Ecuador, where they visit feeders with other "heartstoppers" like Gray-and-gold, Flame-faced and Bay-headed Tanagers, and Orange-fronted Barbets! This can be done while staying at Tandayapa Bird Lodge as a very convenient base for doing so. Sam

Photograph Emerald Tanager on this Ecuador Birding with a Camera tour: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/southamericaecuadornorthernbirdingwithcamera

HAWAII (Feb-Mar 2025) https://www.tropicalbirding.com/northamericahawaii: There are limited spaces remaining on this tou...
06/01/2025

HAWAII (Feb-Mar 2025) https://www.tropicalbirding.com/northamericahawaii: There are limited spaces remaining on this tour that walks into amazing volcanic landscapes in search of a discrete set of endemic and exotic birds, all of which are countable on your North American list! If you would like to travel to this idyllic and unique destination, please let us know SOON via email to [email protected] to avoid disappointment.

2024 was a busy and exciting birding year for me. I birded in 10 countries and got 116 lifers of a total of 1815 species...
31/12/2024

2024 was a busy and exciting birding year for me. I birded in 10 countries and got 116 lifers of a total of 1815 species recorded (according to ebird) while guiding tours. In Suriname and Colombia is where I got the highest number of new species. Highlights of these lifers included some amazing birds like Capuchinbird, Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, White-winged Potoo, Crimson Fruitcrow, Dusky Purpletuft, and tons fo iconic Guianan Shield Endemics in Suriname, Black-legged Seriema, Olive-crowned Crescentchest, and Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper in Argentina, Gray Silky-Flycatcher, Bushtit, and Guatemalan Flicker in Guatemala, Buffy Helmetcrest, Baudu Oropendola, Gold-ringed Tanager, Red-bellied Grackle, Crested Ant-Tanager, and Multicolored Tanager in Colombia, Alta Floresta Antpitta and a horrible dashing-shape view of Scaled Ground-Cuckoo in Brazil. Apart from those new birds, it is worth mentioning other non-lifers that are always a pleasure to see like King Penguin, Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, Ocellated Turkey, Horned Sungem, Hyacinth Macaw, Harpy Eagle, Pompadour Cotinga, Tody Motmot, Giant Antpitta, Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, and Black Solitaire to name a few.

Here illustrated are a few of these mentioned 2024 highlights. I hope you enjoy them.

Andres Vasquez

As the year is drawing to a close, I tried to sneak in a few final birds on my weekend off. Tanagers were the order of t...
30/12/2024

As the year is drawing to a close, I tried to sneak in a few final birds on my weekend off. Tanagers were the order of the day yesterday around Mashpi, where my bird of the day was this Gray-and-gold Tanager. I have 1 more day of birding to do around Tandayapa Bird Lodge to take me through to 2025- Sam

TOUR UPDATE: We still have limited spaces remaining on our South FLORIDA: Birding Residents, Rarities & Exotics Tour (Ap...
27/12/2024

TOUR UPDATE: We still have limited spaces remaining on our South FLORIDA: Birding Residents, Rarities & Exotics Tour (April 2025- https://www.tropicalbirding.com/northamericafloridabirding ). Come see specialities like Red-cockaded Woodpecker, exotic parrots, and even pelagic birds on the Dry Tortugas. It is a magnificent tour with plenty on offer and that trademark Floridian thing where many of the birds are large and photogenic too!

BIRDS OF ECUADOR 5: ANDEAN COCK-OF-THE-ROCK, is an "icon of the Andes", and one of the must see birds in all of South Am...
27/12/2024

BIRDS OF ECUADOR 5: ANDEAN COCK-OF-THE-ROCK, is an "icon of the Andes", and one of the must see birds in all of South America. The males look like they are dressed up for Christmas, with their bright scarlet clothing. These vivid vermilion males can be tough to see while casually walking through the cloud forest due to their shy nature, which is needed when you are daubed in such a bright coat and makes them vulnerable to keen-eyed predators if they behaved differently. However, during late afternoons and early mornings they dance with gay abandon, and so this is the best way to see them, by visiting a known display area or "lek". Ecuador is graced with several good lek sites, particularly in the Northwest region, where birders come regularly to see and hear their twilight displays from purpose built blinds that overlook the leks. At such times the males seem to lose their usually timid demeanor and embrace the dancing in the hope that a female comes by and chooses them to mate with. It is quite the Andean show! Of course, once the males have mated with the female, they take no further part in nest building or rearing the young, leaving this to the much duller, well camouflaged female to complete. Sam

Whilst spending a quiet Sunday morning birding above the pass at Papallacta (I reached about 4300m), in Ecuador, I came ...
27/12/2024

Whilst spending a quiet Sunday morning birding above the pass at Papallacta (I reached about 4300m), in Ecuador, I came upon this gripping Jameson's (Andean) Snipe foraging in the paramo. I am a shameless shorebird fan, and there is something altogether wonderful about seeing one at such lofty heights, walking in amongst the amazing scenery and vegetation of the high Andean paramo. One day I hope to find baby snipelets with this beauty too but for now I was more than happy with this encounter in the middle of the day while I had the vast, scenic paramo of Cayambe-Coca National Park all to myself.

HOOKED ON HOOK-BILLED KITE. If you have struggled to see one of these handsome raptors in Texas, they are a lot easier i...
26/12/2024

HOOKED ON HOOK-BILLED KITE. If you have struggled to see one of these handsome raptors in Texas, they are a lot easier in other parts of the World! During my recent stay in the Amazon of Ecuador this male put on quite the show! Sam

Check out TROPICAL BIRDING'S new Greater Southern Africa tours in Zambia (https://www.tropicalbirding.com/africazambia) ...
26/12/2024

Check out TROPICAL BIRDING'S new Greater Southern Africa tours in Zambia (https://www.tropicalbirding.com/africazambia) and Malawi (https://www.tropicalbirding.com/africamalawi) (these can also be taken together). These are running on 2026, and are places that offer a lot but are often overlooked as fantastic birding destinations. Some real killer birds in play there https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691263267/birds-of-greater-southern-africa?srsltid=AfmBOorJ1CPDmggxefSIyVYfPUJOllesIwmcliTgTXYabPy_EYUO06KZerback/9780691263267/birds-of-greater-southern-africa?srsltid=AfmBOorJ1CPDmggxefSIyVYfPUJOllesIwmcliTgTXYabPy_EYUO06KZerback/9780691263267/birds-of-greater-southern-africa?srsltid=AfmBOorJ1CPDmggxefSIyVYfPUJOllesIwmcliTgTXYabPy_EYUO06KZ

Please let us know soon if you wish to join, to avoid disappointment, bookings have already come in!

BIRDS OF ECUADOR 4: The VELVET-PURPLE CORONET is one of the striking hummingbirds in Ecuador, being just one of OVER 130...
26/12/2024

BIRDS OF ECUADOR 4: The VELVET-PURPLE CORONET is one of the striking hummingbirds in Ecuador, being just one of OVER 130 HUMMINGBIRD SPECIES IN ECUADOR. The coronet is a scarce and local species, found only in Northwest Ecuador. Happily, this is also one of the best areas of the Andes to visit, and is close to the capital Quito. This species is a Choco speciality, which is restricted to that region of Northwest Ecuador (and Southern Colombia). In spite of its local occurrence and scarcity, it is actually very easy to see at several reserves in the northwest, where you can even have them perch on you! It is arguably the most beautiful of all the Northwest Ecuador hummingbirds (and there are a LOT there!) - Sam

See/Photograph Velvet-purple Coronet on these Ecuador Tours:

RELAXED TANDAYAPA: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/southamericaecuadorrelaxedtandayapa

THE ANDES INTROTOUR: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/southamericaecuadorandesintrotour

HUMMINGBIRD EXTRAVAGANZA: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/ecuadorhummingbirdtour

NORTHERN ECUADOR PHOTO TOUR:
https://www.tropicalbirding.com/southamericaecuadornorthernphototour

NORTHERN ECUADOR BIRDING WITH A CAMERA TOUR:
https://www.tropicalbirding.com/southamericaecuadornorthernbirdingwithcamera

Coming across a swarm of army ants in the Amazon rainforest is a moment full of excitement, frustration, tension and joy...
26/12/2024

Coming across a swarm of army ants in the Amazon rainforest is a moment full of excitement, frustration, tension and joy. Seeing army ants is often not a given, as they roam the forest widely and some of the species of birds that follow them are obligate ant followers that are rarely seen away from ants. They do not actually forage on the ants but the other insects fleeing the predatory, marauding ants. On a recent trip to the Ecuadorian Amazon (Yachana Lodge), we went looking for, and found, army ants. We first noticed them on hearing the calls of White-cheeked and White-plumed Antbirds, notable obligate ant followers. So, we followed the sounds of these excitable antbirds as they continued to call, off trail. Therefore, some off trail work was needed to first locate the phalanx of ants, and then the birds feeding near the front edge of the swarm. This led us to some wonderful encounters with White-plumed Antbird and the rare Reddish-winged Bare-eye, which were the undoubted showstopers at the swarm. Other birds like Rufous Motmot, Sooty Antbird, Plain-brown and Amazonian Barred Woodcreeoers were also in attendance, making for a thrilling enounter. Sadly, the marquee birds were only fleetingly present in positions for photos and they managed to evade my camera rather skillfully. Therefore here's another antbird we saw there too, Common Scale-backed Antbird - Sam

Dirección

Quito

Horario de Apertura

Lunes 09:00 - 18:00
Martes 09:00 - 18:00
Miércoles 09:00 - 18:00
Jueves 09:00 - 18:00
Viernes 09:00 - 18:00

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Videos

Plains-wanderer was the undisputed bird of the trip on my recent Eastern Australia custom tour. Click on the link below to watch my 30 minute video trip report. https://youtu.be/gAJhfz_opXw Charley

Ayuwat just sent us this update from the Borneo BwC (Birding with a camera) trip and check out what's at the lodge dining room. Barred Eagle-Owl....boom!

Keith discovers just how tough it can be to see a quokka on an Enigmatic Wildlife tour in Australia.

We had some wonderful mammal sightings on my recent Borneo birding tour, including several orangutans. We enjoyed watching this young one clambering about in the top of a tree. Charley Hesse

One of the highlights from our recent Borneo birding tour wasn't even a bird but a mammal. This Sunda Leopard Cat put on quite a show. Charley

a Guide's birthday present away from home
a Guide's birthday present away from home

It is simply “cold” to spend a birthday working without being able to share it with family and loved ones, but if it should be like this every year, I would like it to be like it was today with two incredible gifts from nature that came to me at dawn and dusk respectively. I woke up early in search of a Giant Anteater that made me walk long distances and almost get stuck with the car in open termite fields. The afternoon ended with the meeting of a family of Jaguars (mother and two cubs) that were calm and playful along the sandy islands and banks of the Pixaim River. I advise you to watch this video I made today on a big screen!!! Enjoy!!! Andres Vasquez

Macaw Trunk in Ecuador
Macaw Trunk in Ecuador

This is one of the spectacles you can have during our AMAZING AMAZON TOUR to be ran in December this year. I am for now pencilled to run this great week of pristine Amazon birding at the end of the year!!! Join me to have a great time exploring one of the most diverse ecosystems of the entire planet where you will be at some point literally surrounded by hundreds of macaws!!! Take advantage of the ongoing discounts on this tour. Link in the first comment Andres Vasquez

In order to visit the lowland Choco rainforest in San Cipriano, Colombia, we need to use the nicely designed Brujita, an improvised transportation mechanism that runs with an adapted motorbike pushing through the semi-abandoned train tracks this wooden platform that holds chairs for the passengers. The birds on the video are Bicolored Antbird, White-flanked Abtwren, Black-breasted Puffbird, Tooth-billed Hummingbird, all of which we saw during our visit there during our Colombia Introtour. See more about this tour in the comments Andres Vasquez

Pale-billed Woodpecker slow-mo hitting tree
Pale-billed Woodpecker slow-mo hitting tree

A slow-mo video of a Pale-billed Woodpeccker hitting a branch with such strength that you can see the debris flying all over the place. I personally stress about a piece of it entering the eyes of the woodpecker!!! Video shot during our Belize Birding With a Camera tour that I just finished guiding. See link to it in comments Andres Vasquez

Another Slow-mo video, this time of the exquisite Velvet-purple Coronet from the famed Tandayapa Bird Lodge where the species not not always present but when it is around, it brings up those turquoise, blues, cyans, and deep blacks contrasting with the bright white tail. It was taken during a Custom Birding With a Camera tour in Ecuador (https://www.tropicalbirding.com/southamericaecuadornorthernbirdingwithcamera) just last month. Andres Vasquez

This is a short video with awesome SLOW MO action of various Northern Andes bird species captured during my last couple tours in Ecuador and Colombia. Hope you enjoy it. Andres Vasquez N

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Tropical Birding History and Ethos

In 2001 three delusional young birders (Iain Campbell, Keith Barnes and Nick Athanas) downed tools at their various job (Geochemistry, Ornithology & Geophysics respectively) and decided to start an international bird tour company. Well, growing from Tandayapa Bird Lodge in Ecuador, and a small operation in South Africa, they were soon busy enough to start hiring guides. Now, nearly 20 years later, Tropical Birding runs hundreds of tours a year to all seven continents. It has a photography department, but also still specialises in birding-only tours, and does particularly well at supplying custom tours for clients with specific niche requirements. From photographing Snow Leopards, creating the ultimate birds and mammals safaris, chasing bird families, to seeing loads of bird species and just plain having fun, Tropical Birding does it all!

Our main objective is to ensure that customers are happy, and that they return for more trips. We like to make sure that we recommend the right kind of trips for people who have different interests and needs. So if you want something special, or have any questions, please drop us an email at [email protected] or speak with us toll free (from North America) at 800-348-5941.