Tag Archives: Umbrellabird Lodge

Bronze-winged Parrot (Pionus chalcopterus)

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The Bronze-winged Parrot (Pionus chalcopterus) is a short-tailed stocky parrot found in forest and woodland in north-western South America.  They are one of the easier parrots to find in their range.

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They are found mostly in Ecuador & Colombia with a sparse population in Venezuela.  I saw them just about everywhere – Umbrellabird Lodge flybys, Mindo‘s Waterfall Trail, Milpe Bird Sanctuary, Rio Silanche, Rio Blanco in Colombia near Manizales.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT BRONZE-WINGED PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Neotropical Birds

VIDEOS

This was a challenge as there isn’t much video footage of these beautiful parrots from the wild but there are a lot of pet bird videos on YouTube.  Here’s a couple, at least you can hear this one!

Video filmed through digiscoping.

 

 

Long-wattled Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger)

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The Long-wattled Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger) is a passerine bird belonging to the family Cotingidae, endemic to the western slopes of Chocó in Colombia and Ecuador. The male is about 51 cm (20 in) long and is a black bird with a large casque-shaped crest on the head and a long, feather-covered wattle on the breast. The loud call is only heard in the breeding season. The female is considerably smaller, with a smaller crest and wattle.

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They have a limited range in Ecuador and Colombia.  Probably the easiest place to see them is the Umbrellabird Lodge at Jocotoco’s Buenaventura Reserve which has a lek a short walk from the lodge.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT LONG-WATTLED UMBRELLABIRDS

Wikipedia

Birdlife

American Bird Conservancy

VIDEOS

This could be the same bird we saw only he’s a lot more active, dancing around and fluffing up his wattle.  It was filmed in February and we were there in April.

Another clip which could be the same bird or a different one.  He’s sexy and he knows it!

 

 

Birding The Grounds Of The Umbrellabird Lodge, Southern Ecuador

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Although the main draw to this area of Ecuador is the El Oro Parakeet, don’t forget that the grounds of the Umbrellabird Lodge are also very birdy and many wonderful species can be seen just from the deck and on a short but steep walk to the lek of the Long-wattled Umbrellabird.

Depending on the time of year, you may want to get up early to see the Umbrellabirds at the lek or wait a bit and see them in the trees.  The trail isn’t far from the lodge but the birds are difficult to find in the trees as they blend in and are quiet so best to go with a guide unless you have very keen eyesight.

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From the balcony, we saw several flocks of Bronze-winged Parrots and Red-masked Parakeets fly past.IMG_2300 IMG_2301a IMG_2303a IMG_2311 IMG_2311a IMG_2330a IMG_2347a IMG_2351

The hummingbird feeders are constantly busy with many beautiful species!  The guide gave me the list of the ones we saw.  Brown Violetear, White-necked Jacobin, Andean Emerald, Green-crowned Brilliant, Violet-bellied Hummingbird, Green Thorntail, Bananaquit, Blue & Grey TanagerIMG_2308 IMG_2355 IMG_2373 IMG_2343a IMG_2346a IMG_2379 IMG_2389a IMG_2397 IMG_2406a

In Search Of The El Oro Parakeet

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Most birders who come to Buenaventura Reserve are hoping to see the beautiful endangered El Oro Parakeet.  This petite parakeet would normally be a challenge to see in the wild but fortunately there is one special trail where they nest.  Access is limited and you must go there with a guide from Umbrellabird Lodge booked in advance with Jocotoco Foundation.  The trail is locked for the protection of the birds.

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We arrived at the spot about an hour early, the parakeets usually show up around 5pm-ish so we looked for other birds in the meantime.  Not many around, here’s a Striped Cuckoo.IMG_2206a

Our patience was rewarded as the El Oro Parakeets started arriving right on schedule.  First they perched in the trees, then a pair went down to the nest box.  One bird went inside the nest while the other kept watch on top.  I couldn’t see if there were any babies inside but the behaviour of the adults suggested they were feeding babies.IMG_2186 IMG_2184a IMG_2193a IMG_2201a IMG_2200a IMG_2216 IMG_2217a IMG_2221a IMG_2237a IMG_2250a IMG_2251a IMG_2259a IMG_2272a DSCN0677 DSCN0687 DSCN0703 DSCN0675 DSCN0671 DSCN0666 DSCN0663

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EBIRD LIST

 

Lodge Review: Jocotoco’s Umbrellabird Lodge, Buenaventura

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The Umbrellabird Lodge is managed by the Jocotoco Foundation and is a very beautiful but small property that can accommodate up to 14 people in 5 cabins.  You can get there by bus to Pinas or Machala, then by taxi-camioneta to the lodge which is 5km from the main road.

Entrance to reception and the restaurant.

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Our cabin was a short walk away.  The cabins are quite large, plenty of room and furnished comfortably.  They have an ensuite and fans but no wifi.DSCN0655 DSCN0654 DSCN0656 DSCN0657 DSCN0658 DSCN0659

The restaurant has a more open section which we preferred to take our meals so we could keep an eye out for birds.  There is always a lot of hummingbird action!   I had previously requested non-spicy food so we had soup and spaghetti for dinner which was really good.DSCN0652 DSCN0724 DSCN0742 DSCN0743

The Umbrellabird’s lek is down this trail but I recommend taking a guide as the birds can be very difficult to see if they are resting in the trees.  They don’t make any noise.DSCN0776 DSCN0775

The lodge has a small library with bird guidebooks and various novels, some local information and t-shirts and other souvenirs for sale.  DSCN0781 DSCN0782 DSCN0783

Of course I got an El Oro Parakeet t-shirt!DSCN0785

I forgot to get photos of breakfast but here is lunch taken on the open deck because who doesn’t want to dine with hummingbirds!DSCN0786 DSCN0787 DSCN0788

I’ll be covering the birding excursions on other posts.  This beautiful little lodge isn’t cheap but well worth it for at least a night, more if you can afford it.  Book direct with Jocotoco.