Juan Freile - Birds of Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands

Waved Albatross pair on Isla Espaola, Galpagos.

Birding in Ecuador is a wonderful experience for both the keen birder and the novice. Being one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth, Ecuador has plenty to offer nature lovers across its varied wild areas, including the superb Galpagos archipelago. Access to most regions and ecosystems is reasonably good as the country is small, and has a good road network, fairly low-priced transportation, lodging and food, excellent birding and naturalist guides, large protected areas, and very good tourist infrastructure virtually throughout the country.

This photographic guide is intended for nature lovers who are not addicted to birds. It does not cover the entire avifauna of Ecuador, which would be impossible in a book of this size given that more than 1,700 species have been recorded in the country. For those seeking a complete guide to its birds, we recommend the most recent guide published by Helm (Freile & Restall 2018), as well as other books such as Birds and Mammals of the Galapagos by Brinkhuizen & Nilsson (Lynx Edicions, 2020) and earlier works by McMullan & Navarrete (Fieldbook of the Birds of Ecuador, Ratty Ediciones, 2017) and Ridgely & Greenfield (The Birds of Ecuador, Cornell University Press, 2001). Those interested in general wildlife might need a copy of Vsquezs photographic guide (Wildlife of Ecuador, Princeton University Press, 2017).

We have selected 332 species that travellers might easily encounter in different areas throughout Ecuador. Choosing these species was not a simple task, and some missing species could easily have been included. Unfortunately, space constraints compelled us to omit some must-see species, including several of our favourite birds and many key species from a conservation standpoint, like the 42 Ecuadorian endemics (species that breed in no other country). A few examples of these endemics are listed in the next section.

The 332 species presented in this photographic guide cover a representative sample from all geographic regions, most ecosystems and as many families as possible, including charismatic and classic tropical birds like parrots, toucans, hummingbirds, tanagers and quetzals. In addition to a description of each species appearance and behaviour, we include a brief where to see section in the accounts. Again, space limits precluded us from providing full details, but online platforms like eBird (ebird.org) provide complementary resources for those requiring additional information.

We also include a section on the best birding sites. Again, the selection is somewhat incomplete because of the wealth of birding hotspots in Ecuador. However, we are confident of providing a fair coverage of the most remarkable areas for birders and nature lovers alike. Each site has reference coordinates and elevation. A few logistical details and representative species are mentioned for each site. We also include a summary of bird conservation in Ecuador, aiming to raise readers interest in this topic while travelling through the country.

Ecuador is full of natural wonders. Extensive Amazonian rainforest covers very large expanses of the east, whilst continuous, pristine Andean cloud forest shrouds steep slopes and deep creeks. Needless to say, the Galpagos Islands, including their coral reefs and other marine ecosystems, are among the best-preserved natural areas worldwide. Nonetheless, conservation problems are on the rise in nearly all regions of Ecuador.

Scarce natural habitats persist in most of the Pacific lowlands or temperate Andean valleys, while deforestation is spreading in the northern Amazon, the wet Choc rainforests of Esmeraldas, and the AndeanAmazonian foothills. Main causes of habitat loss are intensive agriculture and cattle pastures, timber extraction, water pollution, slash-and-burn agriculture, and oil and mining exploitation, whereas unsustainable hunting and fishing are depleting species populations, and invasive species predators, competitors, parasites, disease vectors are causing serious declines in Galpagos birds.