13 Apr 2025 - 21 Apr 2025 (9 days)
USD4,395 - No Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Dušan Brinkhuizen
11 Nov 2025 - 19 Nov 2025 (9 days)
USD4,395 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Adam Walleyn
Tour price (Per person): USD4,395 * GBP3,512 * EUR4,227 * AUD6,769
Single Supplement: USD670 * GBP535 * EUR644 * AUD1,032
Flight costs: USD200 * GBP160 * EUR192 * AUD308
Can be linked with: Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes II 2025
12 Apr 2026 - 20 Apr 2026 (9 days)
USD4,595 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Robert Wilcox
Tour price (Per person): USD4,595 * GBP3,671 * EUR4,419 * AUD7,077
Single Supplement: USD760 * GBP607 * EUR731 * AUD1,171
Flight costs: USD200 * GBP160 * EUR192 * AUD308
Can be linked with: Ecuador - Galapagos Archipelago by land I 2026
10 Nov 2026 - 18 Nov 2026 (9 days)
USD4,595 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Stephan Lorenz
Tour price (Per person): USD4,595 * GBP3,671 * EUR4,419 * AUD7,077
Single Supplement: USD760 * GBP607 * EUR731 * AUD1,171
Flight costs: USD200 * GBP160 * EUR192 * AUD308
Can be linked with: Ecuador - Galapagos Archipelago by land II 2026
The tropical foothills of the eastern Andes, taken together with the lowlands of the Amazon basin, boast an incredibly high biodiversity and are arguably the most species-rich regions of the world. The Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary bird list alone surpasses 500 species, while the number of bird species recorded at Sani Lodge is fast approaching 600! The tour will focus on finding as many species and local specialities as possible by visiting multiple micro-habitats within the Upper Amazonian biome. Although the list of possible birds is immense, some of the more interesting species that we have good chances of seeing include: Harpy Eagle, Hoatzin, Zigzag and Agami Herons, Grey-winged Trumpeter, Sungrebe, Scarlet, Blue-and-yellow, Chestnut-fronted and Red-bellied Macaws, Gould’s Jewelfront, Wire-crested Thorntail, Great and Long-tailed Potoos, White-throated, Black-mandibled and Channel-billed Toucans, Many-banded and Ivory-billed Aracaris, American Pygmy and Green-and-rufous Kingfishers, Gilded and Scarlet-crowned Barbets, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Coppery-chested Jacamar, Rusty-belted Tapaculo, Long-billed Woodcreeper, Cinnamon Attila, Grey-tailed Piha, Screaming Piha, Golden-headed and Orange-crowned Manakins, Fiery-throated Fruiteater, Bare-necked Fruitcrow, Plum-throated & Spangled Cotingas and dozens of antbird species!
Cinereous, Undulated & Variegated Tinamous; Blue-throated Piping Guan; Speckled Chachalaca; Marbled Wood Quail; Agami, Boat-billed & Zigzag Heron; Greater Yellow-headed & King Vultures; Slate-colored & White Hawks; Harpy & Crested Eagles (both very rare); Black & Ornate Hawk-Eagles; Red-throated; Black & Yellow-headed Caracaras; Grey-winged Trumpeter; Chestnut-headed, Black-banded & Grey-breasted Crakes; Sungrebe; Blue-and-yellow, Scarlet, Chestnut-fronted & Red-bellied Macaws; Dusky-headed & Cobalt-winged Parakeets; Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet; Black-headed, Orange-cheeked & Blue-headed Parrots; Yellow-crowned, Orange-winged & Southern Mealy Amazons; Hoatzin; Black-bellied Cuckoo; Tawny-bellied Screech Owl; Black-banded Owl; Ferruginous Pygmy Owl; Great & Long-tailed Potoos; Fiery Topaz (rare); Ecuadorian Piedtail; Peruvian Racket-tail; White-tailed Hillstar; Black-throated Brilliant; Gould's Jewelfront; Gorgeted Woodstar; Olive-spotted Hummingbird; Black-tailed; Green-backed & Amazonian Trogons; White-eared, Yellow-billed, White-chinned, Coppery-chested & Great Jacamars; White-necked, Chestnut-capped & Collared Puffbirds; Lanceolated Monklet; Brown Nunlet; Black-fronted, White-fronted & Yellow-billed Nunbirds; Scarlet-crowned; Gilded & Lemon-throated Barbets; Black-mandibled, White-throated & Channel-billed Toucans; Golden-collared Toucanet; Lettered, Chestnut-eared, Many-banded & Ivory-billed Aracaris; White-throated, Golden-green, Spot-breasted, Scale-breasted, Chestnut, Cream-colored, Rufous-headed, Ringed & Crimson-crested Woodpeckers; Barred, Lined, Mouse-colored, Castelnau's, Russet, Dusky-throated & Cinereous Antshrikes; Yasuni, Ornate, Rufous-tailed, Pygmy, Moustached, Plain-throated, Dugand's & Yellow-breasted Antwrens; White-backed Fire-eye; White-browed, Black-faced, Black-and-white, Silvered, Plumbeous, Sooty, White-plumed, Lunulated, Spot-backed, Dot-backed & Scale-backed Antbirds; Black-spotted & Reddish-winged Bare-eyes; Ash-throated & Chestnut-crowned Gnateaters; Plain-backed; Ochre-striped & Thrush-like Antpittas; Rusty-belted & White-crowned Tapaculos; Rufous-capped, Short-tailed & Striated Antthrushes; Black-tailed Leaftosser; Lesser Hornero; White-bellied & Parker's Spinetails; Orange-fronted Plushcrown; Point-tailed Palmcreeper; Chestnut-winged Hookbill; Cinnamon-rumped Foliage-gleaner; Long-billed, Cinnamon-throated, Amazonian Barred & Black-banded Woodcreepers; Ringed Antpipit; Lesser Wagtail-Tyrant; Slender-footed & Ecuadorian Tyrannulets; Double-banded Pygmy Tyrant; White-eyed Tody-Tyrant; Golden-winged Tody-Flycatcher; Brownish Twistwing; Orange-eyed Flycatcher; Drab Water Tyrant; Citron-bellied Attila; Amazonian Umbrellabird; Plum-throated & Spangled Cotingas; Screaming Piha; Bare-necked Fruitcrow; Dwarf Tyrant-Manakin; Blue-rumped, White-bearded, Blue-backed, Wire-tailed & Golden-headed Manakins; Wing-barred Piprites; Violaceous Jay; Coraya Wren; Black-capped Donacobius; Red-capped Cardinal; Flame-crested, Yellow-bellied, Paradise, Opal-rumped & Opal-crowned Tanagers; Golden-collared Honeycreeper; Olive Oropendola.
Brown Woolley Monkey; Common Squirrel Monkey; White-fronted Capuchin; Golden-mantled & Napo Tamarins; Pygmy Marmoset; Dusky Titi; Red Howler; Monk Saki; White-bellied Spider Monkey; Black Agouti
subtropical cloud-forest, tropical foothill forest, Rio Napo river-edge forest, Rio Napo river islands, Amazon terrafirme forest, Amazon varzea forest, Amazon riparian habitat and blackwater lagoons
pleasant in the subtropics and foothills, warmer and more humid in the Amazon lowlands
8 with 1 Rockjumper leader & local birding leader
easy to moderate pace
top notch lodges
in general easy birding with tricky species in primary forest
400+
great, especially at the Wildsumaco feeders, NWC canopy tower and during the canoe rides at Sani Lodge
One reason I did sign up was because of the excellent reputation of Dušan Brinkhuizen. A number of people told me what an excellent guide he was and, If I was ever to go to Ecuador, I should do so on one of his tours. They were not wrong. Dušan is exceptional for knowing the vast numbers of Ecuadorian birds and their calls. He can recognize a small chip or the legs and tail or even a partial description. Dušan is also a wonderful individual, helpful and entertaining. He is obviously very fond of his adopted country and cares much about the inhabitants and their lives.
"Really very positive indeed. I really liked Dusan, and there was no question he was an astonishing birder. I'd love to do another tour with him."
What a tour! We ended up with nearly 700 species seen and heard, and I ended up with almost twice as many lifers than I had anticipated. Dusan was excellent: Attentive to those having difficulties, enthusiastic, energetic, indefatigable, and a complete whiz at the birds. He was as excited about each new sighting as was the rest of the group, right through to the last day. We saw many very special birds, birds that I have missed over three previous trips to Ecuador as well as quite rare birds that, although specialties for this tour, require great effort and skill to unveil (think Buff-fronted Owl). Climate change affected the tour to a certain extent, but Dusan always had a clever plan or an alternative site to try for the bird again. The tour was a bit more strenuous than the itinerary led me to believe, but all at the participants willingly went the extra mile with Dusan every time. We were fortunate to have a pretty good group, a great driver, and good luck with the weather.
Dusan was simply amazing! He was the best guide we have ever had. He can identify thousands of birds by sounds. He was very gentle and patient, making the tour very enjoyable. He tried very hard so that everyone in the tour could see the birds. Indeed, we are looking for a next tour where he is the leader.
You have a stellar guide in Dušan Brinkhuizen... he is a fantastic asset!
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