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Ecuador - Western: Chocó Specialities

© Banded Ground Cuckoo by Jonathan Rossouw
Ecuador - Western: Chocó Specialities 2026

10 Oct 2026 - 25 Oct 2026 (16 days)

USD6,295 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Lisle Gwynn

Tour price (Per person): USD6,295 * GBP5,008 * EUR6,035 * AUD10,070

Single Supplement: USD770 * GBP613 * EUR738 * AUD1,232

Our new Chocó Specialities birding tour completes our tour coverage of this incredibly diverse country. Long ignored and historically tricky to reach, the lowland Chocó forests of Northwest Ecuador and the coastal littoral now make for a very appealing tour. The Chocó is an eco-region and biodiversity hotspot that holds the largest number of restricted-range birds of any Endemic Bird Area in the Americas, with 62 species being endemic to the area. Habitats are typically characterised by tropical humid lowland forests and wet cloud-forests. Unfortunately, the Chocó region is also one of the most threatened areas in South America. Deforestation rates are accelerating and habitat destruction has been most severe in the lowlands, especially the coastal plains and foothills. Departing Quito we are introduced to the Andean region of the Chocó with a bevy of normally difficult species including Moss-backed Tanager, the Indigo Flowerpiercer, Beautiful Jay, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Chocó Vireo, Pacific Tuftedcheek, Black Solitaire, Star-chested Treerunner, and Purplish-mantled and Glistening-green Tanagers. We also make a chance to see a few enigmatic antpitta species like Giant Antpitta, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Ochre-breasted Antpitta and Moustached Antpitta. As we move into the Chocó lowlands, we target Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Brown Wood-Rail, Banded Ground Cuckoo (if it is showing), Ocellated and Stub-tailed Antbirds, Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, and Scarlet-and-white, Blue-whiskered and Lemon-spectacled Tanagers. Five-colored Barbet, Black-tipped Cotinga, Lita and Chocó Woodpeckers, Yellow-green Bush and Golden-chested Tanagers provide the supporting cast to the drab but monotypic Sapayoa and the exceedingly tricky Rufous-crowned Antpitta.

Top Birds

Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Baudo Guan, Brown Wood Rail, Ecuadorian Rail, Dark-backed Wood Quail, Berlepsch's Tinamou, Pinnated Bittern, Roseate Spoonbill, Red-lored Amazon, Rose-faced Parrot, Chocó Trogon, Five-colored, Orange-fronted & Toucan Barbet, Black-breasted & Barred Puffbird, Plate-billed Mountain-toucan, Black-tipped & Blue Cotinga, Red-capped Manakin, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Guayaquil, Lita & Chocó Woodpecker, Ochraceous Attila, Jet, Spotted, Esmeralda’s, Ocellated & Stub-tailed Antbird, Giant Antpitta, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Moustached Antpitta, Streak-chested Antpitta, Sapayoa, Chocó Poorwill, Chocó Screech-owl, Cloud-forest Pygmy-owl, Beautiful Jay, Chocó Vireo, Short-tailed Woodstar, Humboldt Sapphire, Tooth-billed Hummingbird, Velvet-purple Coronet, Brown Inca, Violet-tailed Sylph, Hoary Puffleg, Empress Brilliant, Pacific Tuftedcheek, Star-chested Treerunner, Black Solitaire, Dagua Thrush, Stripe-throated Wren, Chocó & Nariño Tapaculo, Subtropical Doradito, Pacific Flatbill, Rufous Mourner, Rufous Piha, Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, Moss-backed & Golden-chested Tanager, Yellow-green Bush Tanager, Purplish-mantled, White-winged, Scarlet-and-white, Blue-whiskered, Lemon-spectacled, Glistening-green & Gray-and-gold Tanager, Indigo Flowerpiercer and chances for Banded Ground Cuckoo & Rufous-crowned Gnatpitta (both very rare)

Top Mammals

Brown-headed Spider-monkey, Mantled Howler

Habitats Covered

Chocó tropical lowland forest, Chocó cloud-forest, Tumbesian dry forest, highland lakes

Expected Climate

warm to hot and humid

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader & local birding leader

Tour Pace & Walking

Our Mega tours are very fast-paced birding adventures designed for the dedicated lister and serious birder. The focus of the tour is to see as many of the endemics and area specials as possible in our given time. In order to cover the necessary route to maximise the species list we tend to spend a single night at most sites and travel large distances. There is very little down time aside from that spent driving from one site to the next. These tours are not suitable for dedicated or avid photographers; inexperienced or new birders; as well as anyone with serious mobility or health challenges.

Accommodation

basic to comfortable lodges

Ease of Birding

moderate birding with some tricky species

Number of Species Expected

400+

Photographic Opportunities

can be difficult inside humid forest but excellent in other habitats

What our clients say about us

Dušan Brinkhuizen
RC, Ecuador 2018

Dušan Brinkhuizen is an excellent birder and leader with an excellent temperament to handle diverse personalities. I look forward to birding with him again.

Dušan Brinkhuizen
RW & KW - Ecuador 2022

The birding was the point and our guide Dusan Brinkhuizen was and is one of the best birds guides we have ever met. Dusan has really amazing people and leadership skills. We had three very sick people on the tour and Dusan managed this and the tour very well. I personally lost a day and a half to illness and Dusan kept me appraised and part of the team as we went.

Dušan Brinkhuizen
JR, Ecuador

Dušan is an excellent field ornithologist with an encyclopaedic knowledge of bird song, taxonomy, and field identification marks. Ornithology is Dušan’s passion. He is also excellent with the clients – friendly, courteous, patient, and anxious that everyone sees all the birds and enjoys the tour. It was a great tour!

Dušan Brinkhuizen
DS, Ecuador 2018

It was a well-oiled machine. Dušan Brinkhuizen is an excellent guide. It goes without saying he knows his birds and he kept the whole adventure moving smoothly. I would hope Dušan would be the guide on my next Rockjumper tour.

Dušan Brinkhuizen
RK, Ecuador 2022

Another amazing Rockjumper tour with Dusan Brinkhuizen. What a great guide and nice person. The tour was a little more rugged than the description on Rockjumper's website. It is NOT for beginners and this should be discretely mentioned. Nice Eco-lodges, food and friendly staff. Beautiful birds. Would recommend adding one additional night at San Isidro. Only one night doesn't seem fair to see the many birds at that altitude other than requiring birders to take the tour preceding the one I was on. Loved the Amazon Basin.

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