Tandayapa Hummingbirds June 16-18

Altitude:  5,120 – 5,800 feet a.s.l.
Ecoregions:  Cloud Forest
New Hummingbird Species Seen:  White-necked Jacobin, Brown Violetear, Western Emerald, Andean Emerald, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, Green-crowned Brilliant, Purple-throated Woodstar

Purple-throated Woodstar

Fawn-breasted Brilliants are lovely when the light hits their pink spot!

 This is the time of year in Ecuador when many of the trees and shrubs are flowering, fruiting and heavy with insect life.  Because of this, there are fewer species of hummingbirds at the lodge feeder as they are foraging in the wild.  For a neophyte birder like me, it is a challenge to identify a hummingbird feeding in the canopy of a tree or even on a flowering shrub.  Have a birding guide is a godsend as they point out key characteristics I should be looking for.  The pictures on the internet and in the field guide just didn’t prepare me for this task!  The positive thing about birding here in June is that it is the dry season on this side of the Andes (the Western Slope).  We have had glorious weather and great birding in the mornings and late afternoon/evening.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird guarding his turf!

The San Jorge Tandayapa Lodge is new, nestled into a hillside and beautiful.  Flowers and feeders are everywhere and I have time to sit and watch the behavior of these miniature marvels.  I read about tropical hummingbirds before I came to Ecuador and learned that those belonging to the genus Amazilia are likely to play the role of terratorialist in their community.  In other words, they will zealously guard their nectar source from others.   The Rufous-tailed hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) plays that role here.  They are constantly, displaying, bombarding and otherwise harassing the others as they defend their flowers or feeders.  

Andean Emerald - also a terratorialist from the Genus Amazilia

The emeralds (Western and Andean) are also pretty aggressive but at Tandayapa they are dominated by the Rufous-tailed hummers.  Once again, when I’m not sure what type of hummer I am looking at it is important to remember where I am.  Some birds are exclusively East slope, others West slope.  Most have a vegetation and altitude range that is pretty specific.  As I look at these nectar feeding birds, their codependence with flowers, and their amazing range from lowland rainforest to windswept tree line; I am in awe of the process of evolution.  Darwin could have build an amazing case for his theory using hummingbirds had he not landed on the Galapagos first.

The feeders are a great help because they give me time to study the birds and really look for identifying marks.  This is much harder to do when the hummers are flitting from flower to flower.  The biggest challenge is identifying the females.  Their coloration is more subtle and many of them have similar streaky/spotted breasts.  It's a challenge to pour over the field guide and try to figure these hummers out.  Below are two females I think I have figured out.

Female Purple-bibbed Whitetip

Female Green-crowned Brilliant

My favorite hummingbird so far has to be the Racket-tail.  It is tiny, has an outrageous tail and white fuzzy boots!

Booted Racket-tails look like they are wearing leg warmers.

But hummingbirds aren’t the only sights to see.  The variety of Tanagers is mind-boggling.  We can sit on our balcony and look out over the canopy as mixed flocks of colorful birds move through the treetops.  My favorite tanager at this lodge is the Lemon-rumped.  It is everywhere and gorgeous! 


For our last late afternoon hike at Tandayapa we went up into the cloud forest and saw a few of the big birds this place has to offer including the Sickle-winged Guan, which looked like a blue faced chicken, the Golden-headed Quetzal, and the Crimson-rumped Toucanet.  Unfortunately, the light was failing and photography wasn't an option.  One of my goals for this Lilly Grant is to learn to use binoculars better.  By the end of this stay at Tandayapa, following tanagers through the canopy and finding Quetzals in dim light -- I can truly say I am proficient at spotting birds.

Birding from the balcony of our room.