Scaly-naped Parrot (Amazona mercenarius)

The Scaly-naped Amazon or Scaly-naped Parrot (Amazona mercenarius) is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae.

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They have a huge range throughout the mountainous areas of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru & Bolivia.  You may get lucky as I did at WildsumacoEl Dorado and Rio Blanco.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT SCALY-NAPED PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Neotropical Birds

VIDEOS

I really struggled to find anything on these charming parrots.  The first one is a slideshow.

I couldn’t find any live-action filmed in the wild so I have to use a clip of a captive bird to show him up close.

Bus Travel Through Eastern Ecuador

When I was planning this trip, the one thing that worried me was that it was really hard to find information on bus transport along the road between Coca & Quito that would pass by Wildsumaco, Cosanga (Cabanas San Isidro) and Guango Lodge.  It turned out to be as easy as standing on the roadside (or sitting at a bus stop) and hailing the next bus to pass which never took longer than 20 minutes (that could have just been good luck).  None of them were full, in fact they were mostly empty enough that we could each claim a bank of 2 seats and stretch out.  The buses were also very cheap, between $3-8 for each leg.  In the next few photos you can see what the buses were like and see some of the scenery along the way.  It was cool to see signs promoting conservation!

WILDSUMACO TO COSANGA

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Since our bus was headed to Tena, we had to jump out at the crossroads and hail a Quito bound bus-which pulled up just as we were crossing the street!DSCN2279 DSCN2281 DSCN2280 DSCN2282 DSCN2284 DSCN2285 DSCN2286

It was pouring rain as we pulled over by the Cosanga bus stop.  We had been told to go to a small restaurant and call the lodge when we arrived, so braved the rain to walk along the road back towards the town to find the restaurant.DSCN2287 DSCN2288

COSANGA TO GUANGO LODGE

After leaving the lodge, they dropped us at the same bus stop and we hailed a bus after a few minutes.  This trip took place the day after the earthquake and since we had no internet, we were yet unaware of how much damage was done elsewhere in Ecuador.  As you can see, these roads were perfectly fine, you would never know the earthquake had been felt in the region.DSCN2445 DSCN2446

This bus was featuring a Bollywood film of all things!DSCN2447 DSCN2449

The weather was still rainy and glum as we took the hour long ride to Guango Lodge.  Coming from the Amazon, the lodge is on the right side so keep an eye out if the driver doesn’t seem familiar with it.DSCN2451 DSCN2452 DSCN2453 DSCN2454 DSCN2455

GUANGO LODGE TO QUITO AIRPORT

Since Guango Lodge is best known for hummingbirds, we only stayed there for a couple hours before heading back out to the main road to get another bus.  There was no shelter from the rain this time and we waited around 20 minutes before we were finally rescued by a bus.

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We gradually came out of the mountains and started descending into Quito.  The bus would go all the way into the city bus terminal but for people headed to the airport, you need to jump out at Pifo and take a taxi.  Tell the bus driver you are going to El Aeropuerto and you probably won’t be the only one going there.

I don’t remember exactly how much the taxi was, it was around $10-ish and we probably got ripped off but you are pretty much a captive audience and they know you probably have a flight to catch.  It’s less than 10 minutes from Pifo to the airport – easy!  The best thing is that you don’t need to schedule a day in Quito to make a flight the next morning.  In fact it’s probably easier to get to the airport from Guango or Cabanas San Isidro since there is only one road and no traffic!  So why not spend your last night in Ecuador in a beautiful eco-lodge?DSCN2593 DSCN2595 DSCN2596

Silver-beaked Tanager (Ramphocelus carbo)

The Silver-beaked Tanager (Ramphocelus carbo) is a medium-sized bird with attractive dark crimson & black colouring.  When a male bird faces forward, it kind of looks like he is doing a “milk moustache” commercial!

This one was seen at Wildsumaco Lodge area.

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And this pair was seen at Asa Wright’s in Trinidad and shows the difference between male (above) & female.

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This tanager is a resident breeder in South America from eastern Colombia and Venezuela south to Paraguay and central Brazil, and on Trinidad where they are commonly seen at Asa Wright’s.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT SILVER-BEAKED TANAGERS

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Neotropical Birds

VIDEOS

In both these videos you can see the subtle beauty of this small bird.

 

Military Macaw (Ara militaris)

The Military Macaw (Ara militaris)  gets its name from its predominantly green plumage resembling a military parade uniform.  They are rare enough that if one is spotted, every birder will stand up and pay attention!  We were really lucky to see 4 flying by at Wildsumaco but my photos came out blurry so I have included the Wikipedia shots.

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They have quite a large range in in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.  Even within their range, this is not an easy bird to find so consider yourself very lucky if you do!  Many people (like me) see them at Wildsumaco in Ecuador and Minca in Colombia.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT MILITARY MACAWS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

American Bird Conservancy

VIDEOS

This is a captive bird included here because of the excellent video quality.

This is a small flock in eastern Ecuador, not sure where but near a noisy river!

 

Morning Birding Around Wildsumaco Lodge

When booking with Wildsumaco, I had also booked a morning of birding with their local guide and requested packed breakfast so we could make an early start.  As of April 2016 the guide fee was  full day for $60 and  half day for $40. Half day schedule is from 06h00 AM to 12h00 (noon), and from 13h00 pm to 18h00 pm.  He knows the bird names in English but speaks Spanish only.  I think his name was Jonas but I am not sure on that.  He brought a friend along, not sure if it was for training or just for fun but we were only charged one guide fee so it was cool.

We drove down the road from the lodge and ended up at this small shack overlooking the valley.  I struggled to get decent photos, very few birds were close enough to focus on.  Some of the parrots zoomed by too quickly and I missed them:  Scaly-napped Parrot and Red-billed Parrots were overhead fly-bys.  We heard Barred Parakeets in the trees but they stayed well-concealed.  On the brighter side, I finally got some perching Maroon-tailed Parakeets and Chestnut-fronted Macaws!DSCN2168 DSCN2171

The scenery was beautiful and was constantly busy with birds going back and forth.DSCN2169 DSCN2170

We ended up with a pretty impressive bird list though I didn’t get photos of them all.

Crested Oropendola

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Orange-bellied Euphonia

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Blue-grey Tanager

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Silver-beaked Tanager DSCN2190a DSCN2196

Magpie Tanager

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White-lined Tanager

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Ruddy Pigeon

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Yellow-rumped Cacique

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Russet-backed Oropendola

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Black-billed Thrush

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Maroon-tailed Parakeet

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Lineated Woodpecker

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Channel-billed Toucan

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Black-mantled Tamarin DSCN2234 DSCN2233 DSCN2221a

Chestnut-fronted Macaw

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We stayed there for a couple hours as I was desperate to see Military Macaws but they never showed up.  So we stopped at a trail leading to some hummingbird feeders and watched them for a while, then went back to the lodge.  I grabbed some coffee and sat down to do the bird checklist (supplied by the lodge).  The Singaporean group had just come back with their guide.  Suddenly I heard a shout “MILITARY”!  I leaped up with my camera and we all rushed to the edge of the verandah just in time to see this.

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4 Military Macaws flying past the outlook!  I was snapping away, the Singaporeans didn’t even try.  The shots above were the best I could get but at least they were better than nothing!

Wire-crested Thorntail (Discosura popelairii)

The Wire-crested Thorntail (Discosura popelairii) is a hummingbird and is one of the smallest birds on Earth.  They are one of the most interesting looking hummingbirds with that thin wiry crest, white band around the rump and long thin tail.

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They have a small range in the eastern Andes of Colombia, Ecuador and PeruWildsumaco is probably the easiest place to see them around the hummingbird feeders.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT WIRE-CRESTED THORNTAILS

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Neotropical Birds

VIDEOS

See how fast they are?

 

Wants to look his best.

Sitting pretty

 

 

Wildsumaco’s Hummingbird Feeders

Rain or shine (and you’ll get plenty of both) Wildsumaco’s hummingbird feeders are extremely busy all day with some amazingly brilliant hummingbirds darting around daring you to take a photo while they are in motion.

My eBird list of hummingbirds

I never would have been able to identify all these but after sitting down with our guide, we scored 15 species of hummingbirds!  I didn’t get photos of them all as I was confused about which ones I already photographed but I tried!

Fork-tailed Woodnymph

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Brown Violetear

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Gould’s Jewelfront

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Booted Racket-tail

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Booted Racket-tail  (not sure who the “ghost” is)!

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Wire-crested Thorntails

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A group of Singaporean birders showed up with some very impressive camera gear!  It was hilarious when we were all in a row focussed on the poor little hummingbirds who must have thought they were in a war zone, that’s what it sounded like with all those bursts!DSCN2156 DSCN2154 DSCN2158

It’s cool to see different species sharing the feeders!DSCN2160

Brown Violetear

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More hummingbird feeders down the road from the lodge.DSCN2270 DSCN2272

Many-spotted Hummingbird

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Black-throated Brilliant

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Napo Sabrewing

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Golden-tailed Sapphire

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Golden-tailed Sapphire

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Golden-tailed Sapphire

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Golden-tailed Sapphire

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Booted Racket-tail

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Fork-tailed Woodnymph

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Lodge Review: Wildsumaco Lodge, Ecuador

Although most people fly in and out of Coca when they visit the Ecuadorian Amazon, I strongly urge you to plan at least one way by bus so you can visit some beautiful and birdy eco-lodges such as Wildsumaco.  Ask the bus driver to let you out at the road to Pacto Sumaco and make sure you have called the lodge to let them know which bus you are on so they can send someone to meet you.  There is a good map on their website so you can visualize it.  We didn’t have a local phone but a friendly bus passenger kindly phoned on our behalf.

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The road is fine and you don’t need a 4×4 if you have a rental car.DSCN2114 DSCN2115 DSCN2116

We were given a nice room near the hummingbird feeders. DSCN2117 DSCN2118 DSCN2119 DSCN2120 DSCN2121

The verandah on the main building overlooks a valley so you have a good chance at fly-bys, with Military Macaws being the most desired species.DSCN2127 DSCN2124 DSCN2125

A view of the rooms from the verandah.DSCN2146

This is where you kick back and relax with a drink while waiting for birds or hiding from the rain.DSCN2126

It started raining pretty heavily around 4pm so we did a lot of hiding with our cameras!DSCN2155

Even during meals, you still have a great view!DSCN2153

The bar and a small gift shop.  Cash only, no credit cards accepted which put a damper on my shopping.  There are lots of cozy chairs to relax in after birding.DSCN2149 DSCN2147 DSCN2148 DSCN2150 DSCN2151 DSCN2152 IMG_4472

The food was excellent, just like home-made!  Meals are served with delicious fruit juices and very yummy desserts!

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An enticing view of the hummingbird feeders…………more details in the next post!DSCN2128 DSCN2129

We LOVED Wildsumaco and are happy to recommend it especially for birders.  Although we could only stay one night, we would have liked at least one more night.  The rates are around $340 for 2 people including 3 meals a day and use of all their trails.  The lodge is actually the birding destination.  You have the hummingbird feeders, verandah & outlook and more birding up and down the road which leads from the lodge to the main road.  This lodge doesn’t participate in online travel agencies but you can book direct via their website.  It’s a good idea to hire their guide for at least one morning as they know the best places to see the local birds.  I told them that my priority was parrots, especially Military Macaws and they took us to the best places and we did see a lot of parrots!

Coca – Gateway To The Ecuadorian Amazon

A trip to the Ecuadorian Amazon will be one of the highlights of any birder’s trip to Ecuador!  Since Ecuador is a relatively small country, it is especially easy to get to.  Most package tourists will have flights from Quito to Coca built in to their Amazon package but you can save a couple hundred dollars if you use miles for this route.  Avianca Lifemiles only charges 3000 Lifemiles each way which is a fantastic deal!  You can also reach Coca by bus, its about a 6 hour journey straight through but there are interesting stops along the way.  In the map below, Coca is in the middle, the purple line on the right indicates where the eco-lodges are in Yasuni National Park like Napo Wildlife Center.  You can also see my recommended stops for the journey back – Wawa Sumaco for Wildsumaco, Cosanga for Cabanas San Isidro and that purple dot indicating Guango Lodge which is on the highway but not near a town.

Ecuadorian Amazon

The Aerogal plane which is what you will be on if you use Lifemiles is a small one but it’s only a 35-40 minute flight.

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We didn’t have checked bags but if you do, they are brought to this window.DSCN1602

If you are being picked up by your tour operator, they will have a sign with your name on it.  Otherwise, just get a $3 taxi to the La Mision Hotel.DSCN1603

Driving through the town of Coca.  Not really much here to look at so we didn’t jump out anywhere.DSCN1604 DSCN2105 DSCN2104 DSCN2103 DSCN1605 DSCN1606

Some nice bird art on a building.DSCN1607 DSCN2102

This is the car park of La Mision Hotel and where you get the river boats that take you to your lodge.DSCN1609 DSCN1610 DSCN1611

If you are on the early flight, I suggest getting breakfast here and asking for the wifi password to kill time.  Some lodges do have wifi but it isn’t cheap so be prepared to be unplugged for your adventure!  Let the hotel staff know which lodge you are booked with, everyone knows everyone and they will tell your guide that you are waiting in the restaurant when he/she arrives.  They start arriving around 9:30ish.DSCN1612

Typical river boat that the lodges use.DSCN1613 DSCN1614

View of the La Mision Hotel as our boat pulled away from the pier.DSCN1615 DSCN1616

When you are ready to leave Coca, get a taxi to the bus station on the outskirts of town.  If you are going to Wildsumaco, you can use a bus that is headed to either Quito or Tena.

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For Wildsumaco Lodge, have the driver let you out at the road to Pacto Sumaco and call them so they know when to pick you up.  It’s a long walk up hill so you do need a ride.  Details will be in my report on Wildsumaco Lodge.  We didn’t have a phone but a kindly fellow passenger made the call for us to let them know which bus we were on.DSCN2111

Maroon-tailed Parakeet (Pyrrhura melanura) & Choco Parakeet (Pyrrhura pacifica)

Depending on which birding field guide you have you may see these birds lumped together with Pyrrhura melanura as the nominate with these subspecies or as two separate species as per the title of this post.

  • P. m. berlepschi
  • P. m. chapmani
  • P. m. melanura
  • P. m. pacifica
  • P. m. souancei

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I did see them in 3 separate locations in Ecuador so I know I have at least two varieties!  The photos above were taken at Wildsumaco Lodge and were the only Maroon-tailed Parakeets I saw perched.  I also saw them flying through trees at the Waterfall Trail in Mindo & from the canopy tower at Napo Wildlife center.  The ones at Mindo and Rio Silanche are definitely the Choco Parakeet being the only species seen in the western side of the Andes (red).  The ones above could possibly be P.m. souancei (dark green) or the nominate (lighter green).  The ones at Napo were most likely Pyrrhura melanura.  Splits are so confusing!

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LEARN MORE ABOUT MAROON-TAILED & CHOCO PARAKEETS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife – Maroon-tailed

Birdlife – Choco

Neotropical Birds

Information about the split

VIDEOS

This is pretty much all I get with smaller birds like Pyrrhura Parakeets – just a fleeting glimpse!

Here’s some bird porn to make up for it – filmed at Wildsumaco.