Yanacocha - Private Bird Watching Tours

Yanacocha Reserve

At 3200 MASL (10500 ft) is a high altitude reserve located on the western slope of Volcano Pichincha with 960 hectares (2371 Acres) of mostly elfin Polylepis forest. These woodlands are home of the largest and most beautiful hummingbirds of Ecuador such as: the Great Sapphirewing (Pterophane scyanopterus), the Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera), and also the critically endangered and endemic Black-breasted Puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis). This reserve is owned and operated by The Jocotoco Foundation, which was established in 1998 to protect the habitat of the endangered species of Andean birds.

This is a great place to view birds of high altitude, it has a wonderful flat and open trail 2+ miles in length with great views of the back side of Pichincha. This trail was first opened to bury a water pipe which brings pristine mountain water to the city of Quito. It now has been adapted for bird watchers and has side trails to explore. There are numerous hummingbird feeders, and this gives a great opportunity to see some high altitude rarities up close. We can spend the whole day, or a half day, exploring this wonderful area. Since it is very close to Quito we recommend doing this trail on the first day; we pick you up from your hotel and take you straight to this high altitude paradise of birds.

Click Here to see the bird List: Bird List Yanacocha Reserve

BIRDS Of Yanacocha


Curve-billed Tinamou	Andean Condor	Black-and-chestnut Eagle	Caranculated Caracara

	Variable Hawk Black Morph	Andean Guan	White-capped Parrot

Short-eared Owl	Purple-backed Thornbill	Shining Sunbeam	Great Sapphirewing

Great Sapphirewing Female	Sword-billed Hummingbird	Buff-winged Starfrontler Female	Buff-winged Starfrontler

Mountain Velvetbreast	Sapphire-vented Puffleg	Golden-breasted Puffleg Eriocnemis mosquera	Tyrian Metaltail

Bar-bellied Woodpecker	Powerful Woodpecker	Pearled Treeruner	Streaked Tuftedcheek

Rufous Antpitta	Tawny Antpitta	Ocelleated Tajpaculo	Tufted Tit-Tyrant

White-throated Tyrannulet	White-banded Tyrannule	Rufous-breasted Chat Tyrant	Crowned Chat Tyrant

Barred Fruiteater	Rufous Wren	Great thrush	Spectacled Whitestart

Blue-backed Conebill	Glossy Flowerpiercer	Masked Flowerpiercer	Bluish Flowerpiercer

Black Flowerpiercer	Golden-crowned Tanager	Hooded Mountain Tanager	Black-chested Mountain Tanager

Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager	Superciliated Hemispingus	Stripe-headed Brush Finch	Rufous-naped Brush Finch