Birding Trip Report Southern Ecuador December 2022

This was a nice trip combinig North and southern Ecuador visiting private reserves: Antisana Reserve; Mindo Area: Silanche, Milpe, Angel Paz, Mashpi. Podocarpus National Park and Jocotoco Reserves. Laguna la Tembladera. There were more than 500 species registered in southern Ecuador.

This trip was made starting on december 4th in Antisana Reserve, then continuing to the south Ecuador staying in the Jocotoco Reserves for 8 days and then flying back to Quito to continue the trip in Mindo Area finishing on dec 17th. Our participant for this trip was Elizabeth Ferber a very entusiastic woman which together with Pablo Andrade worked extremely almost without stopping looking for birds observed and heard. As a result Elizabeth ended up observing more than 500 species in Ecuador, and  she has a record of 1,658 species in 12 countries, which put her at #56 on the Top 100 World eBirders in 2022. She is also at the top 10 of women birders according to the list as well.

A little summary of remarkable and emblematic birds for this trip: Although the list is large we mention just some of them: Andean  Condor, Horned Screamer, Broad-winged Hawk, Sabana Hawk, Harri´s Haw, White-tailed Kite, Gray-backed Hawk, White-throated Screech-Owl, Band-bellied Owl, Black-and-white Owl, Pacific-pygmy Owl, Blackish Nightjar, Lyre-tailed Nightjar, Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Choco Toucan, Pale-mandibled Aracari, White-necked Parakeet , Golden-plumed Parakeet, El Oro Parakeet, Crimson-bellied Woodpecker, Golden-headed Quetzal, Lafresnaye´s Piculet, Olivaceous Piculet, Ecuadorian Piculet, Spangled Coquette, Little Sunangel, Velvet-purple Coronet, Amazonian Umbrellabird,  Tawny antpitta, Giant Antpitta, Jocotoco Antpitta, Watkin´s Antpitta, Chusquea Tapaculo, Ash-colored Tapaculo, Elegant-crescent Chest, Toucan Barbet, Black-billed Mountain Toucan, Thrush-like Schiifornis,  Striped Manakin, Club-winged Manakin, White-bearded Manakin, Wing-barred Piprites, Pacific Royal Flycatcher, , Lanceolated Monklet, Coppery-chested Jacamar, Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Chapman´s Antshrike, Tumbesian Tyrannulet, Black Solitaire, Moss-backed Tanager, Glistening-green Tanager, Paradise Tanager, Orange-eared Tanager, Flame-faced Tanager,