Birds

Ecuador’s most emblematic bird is probably the Andean condor, whose 3m wingspan makes it one of the largest flying birds in the world. There are only a few hundred pairs left in the Ecuadorian highlands, so sighting one is a unique experience.

Other highland birds include the carunculated caracara., but for many visitors, the diminutive hummingbirds found throughout Ecuador are the most delightful birds to observe. About 120 species have been recorded in Ecuador, and their exquisite beauty is matched by extravagant names, such as green-tailed golden throat, spangled coquette, fawn-breasted brilliant and amethyst-throated sun angel.

The cloud forest is one of the areas with the most dense populations of birds with 300+ species of bird recorded – a target here for birders is the elusive cock-of-the-rock lek. The Ecuadorean Amazon also has hundreds of species of birds, whilst, in the Galápagos, about half of the 58 resident species are endemic to the islands.