[ovenbird43]

I just got back from my first trip to South America, and what a place! I went down there for 2 weeks to explore the area and consider potential dissertation projects. I spent most of the time learning the birds, but I also tagged along with two researchers from the US while they banded birds. I traveled down with a professor from my own university who is working on ant-plant associations at Yasuni National Park, and from there I traveled on my own for a week at Tiputini Biodiversity Station.

We arrived in Quito late on Jan 12, and during my fitful night's sleep I occasionally heard a bird singing outside the Hotel Embassy. The next morning I finally discovered the singer's identity- a Rufous-collared Sparrow. We had many errands to run in Quito, but a quick walk in the area produced a Great Sapphirewing, Eared Dove, Great Thrush, and Sparkling Violetear. Later in the day we also glimpsed a female Black-tailed Trainbearer in a garden at a university.

We flew out to Coca in the lowlands early on Jan 14, beginning the long trek to Yasuni. After the 1/2-hour flight we stepped off into oppressive heat and humidity, a shock after coming from the northern winter and spending a day in the thin air of the Andes. The first birds I saw were Black and Turkey Vultures and a Gray-breasted Martin. In town and at the office for Yasuni I saw Blue-gray Tanager, White-winged Swallow, Black-billed Thrush, White-shouldered Tanager, and Yellow-browed Sparrow, as well as more Rufous-collared Sparrows with a song that was very different that what I heard in Quito.

From Coca we had a long, bumpy drive with 7 of us squished into a small pickup. I saw a few birds from the road, including Smooth-billed Ani, Magpie Tanager, Roadside Hawk, and Troupial. At Pompeya we piled out of the truck for a canoe ride across the Napo River, and were then picked up by the Yasuni station manager for another hour-and-a-half ride to the station.

We got in at late afternoon and went for a quick walk along the roads and trails near the station. Right on the station grounds were Tropical Kingbird, a colony of Yellow-rumped Caciques, more Black-billed Thrushes, and Blue-gray and Silver-beaked Tanagers. The adjacent Tiputini River harbored White-banded Swallows, and in the forest I saw my first Many-banded Aracaris and a Spix's Guan.

More later...

[Dave B Smith]

Good start, looking forward to more!

[tjbirdofprey]

sounds great,cant wait for the next instalment.

[stephennj]

Yes definitely looking forward for more !

[ovenbird43]

I had one full day to spend at Yasuni before traveling downriver to Tiputini. Early in the morning I tagged along with a student from Quito who was doing a project on movements and species composition of understory flocks. It was a great way to learn some of the birds, and to be able to hike around off the trails with someone familiar with the area. The understory flocks were mainly led by Cinereous Antshrikes, with Dusky-throated Antshrikes as sub-leaders. A few hours after sunrise enough light was finally hitting the forest floor that I could see and identify some of the other birds. Many Myrmotherula antwrens were flitting around, and we eventually identified White-flanked Antwren, Long-winged Antwren, and Gray Antwren. Phaethornis hermits frequently hovered nearby as if checking us out, and I was able to identify at a Great-billed Hermit. I saw my first woodcreepers: Wedge-billed (very common in the area) and Buff-throated Woodcreepers, and my first ovenbird: Plain Xenops. We got a nice close look at a Chestnut Woodpecker, and later a Crimson-crested Woodpecker. My companion picked out a Blue-black Grosbeak sitting in the understory feeding on something- how beautiful! We managed to spot a few canopy/subcanopy birds as well, including Amazonian White-tailed and Black-tailed Trogons, and my first glimpses of the White-throated Toucans that always seemed to be in earshot.

The afternoon brought a downpour, so I sat on the porch for a while. I noticed many of the birds seemed unfazed by the deluge; a pair of Blue-gray Tanagers kept busy feeding a fledgling, occasionally even bursting into song, their thin, tinkling notes almost drowned out by the roar of the rain. I saw a Blackpoll Warbler and a Yellow-bellied Dacnis flitting around in a nearby tree. A few of us attempted to visit the canopy tower during a brief respite from the rain, but it was coming down steadily again by the time we completed the 45-minute walk to the tower. Not a lot was out, but on the way there and back we watched a pair of Yellow-tufted Woodpeckers by the road as they foraged in a stand of cecropias.

[Larry Lade]

Interesting reading! I am anxious to hear more.

[tjbirdofprey]

this thread is making me want travel to go birding......anyway keep the good stuff coming

[ovenbird43]

On Jan 16 I was to travel to Tiputini, but not until the afternoon, so in the morning I hiked back out to the canopy tower. The canopy tower at Yasuni is a little scary, you climb all the way up on a ladder. Thankfully there are three platforms so one can stop for a rest several times on the way up. It was a foggy morning, so I wasn't able to see much for about an hour. When I got to the top there was a bird singing from higher up in an emergent tree. It took me forever to locate the motionless singer in the fog, but eventually I found it- a Bright-rumped Attila, singing its song over and over and over. In general it was a slow morning, but I had stunning close-up views of a few species: White-necked Puffbird, Many-banded Aracari (group of 5+), a male Gilded Barbet, and a Cinnamon-throated Woodcreeper. I also heard a Screaming Piha, in my opinion one of the coolest Amazonian sounds.

During the hike back to the station I saw a beautiful Scarlet Macaw, first in flight and then perched high in a tree by the road. I stumbled onto a canopy flock foraging in some cecropias by the road, which included Green-and-gold, Yellow-bellied, and White-shouldered Tanagers, as well as several Squirrel Cuckoos, another Gilded Barbet, and Cobalt-winged Parakeets. A Bare-necked Fruitcrow flew over.

I joined a school group from the US on the motorized canoe ride to Tiputini. From Yasuni it was a 2-hour ride downriver. While sitting on the canoe waiting to depart I watched several Black-fronted Nunbirds foraging across the river, and caught sight of a Spot-breasted Woodpecker. During the ride downriver I didn't see too much, partly because of our speed and partly because the river was so high, but I did spot a Ringed Kingfisher, Greater Ani, and Black Caracara. As we pulled into to the dock at Tiputini a Drab Water-Tyrant flew by.

It was getting late by the time we got settled in, but I was quite impressed by the surroundings. The forest at Tiputini is vast, uncut, and not hunted, and the only way to reach the station is by boat, there are no roads. The station itself is tucked neatly into the forest, with only a little area cleared around the lab and the cabins. The dining area is an open-air structure right inside the forest. The library is the only facility with air-conditioning and there is no hot water- and for some additional rustic feel, the main generator was out when I arrived so only the kitchen/dining area and the library had electricity. It actually made for a nice experience, showering and reading in my cabin by candlelight. After dark I heard nearby Tawny-bellied Screech-Owls and a Crested Owl. I couldn't wait for the next day to arrive so I could explore.

[tjbirdofprey]

great stuff it sounds like a great trip, it keeps getting better.

[ovenbird43]

Jan 17

I began my first day at Tiputini with a trip to the river, where I watched a pair of Buff-rumped Warblers and a pair of Drab Water-Tyrants. The tyrants were interesting, occasionally the two would call back and forth while raising their wings up and down. On a log in the river was a Spotted Sandpiper. A few hummingbirds visited the flowers that grew in a small clearing on the river bank, one or two of which I couldn't identify, though I did get a good look at a cute little Reddish Hermit.

After breakfast I began walking the trails through the forest, and one of the first birds I saw (and heard) was a Southern Nightingale-Wren. There were many antbirds, including Scale-backed and Spot-backed Antbirds. I climbed the canopy tower that was near the cabins, where I found Casqued Oropendola, several Purple-throated Fruitcrows, and a male and female Fork-tailed Woodnymph. Soon a visiting school group and their guide joined me at the top of the tower, and the guide whistled in a Long-billed Woodcreeper- what a spectacular bird! We also saw Chestnut-fronted and Scarlet Macaws, Mealy Amazons, a female Violaceous Trogon, and a troop of Woolly Monkeys.

On my way back to the cabins I found a single Gray-winged Trumpeter, and not much farther down the trail I ran into an unbelievably close Common Piping-Guan. I also encountered my first army antswarm, and with it one of my most-hoped-for birds: White-plumed Antbird. It was the only bird in attendance that I could see, and I watched for a while as it perched on vertical stems just above the ants, occasionally darting down for some large insect.

Back at the cabins I happened upon a canopy flock, where many birds were silhouetted, but I managed to make out three species; Purple Honeycreeper female, Opal-crowned Tanager, and a Green-and-gold Tanager.

I'll continue with the second half of this day another time, I've come down with a cold and I really need to go home to take some medicine No doubt all the time I spent in planes and airports did me in

[tjbirdofprey]

yo,this trip sounds amazing it makes me envious,anyway are you keeping a yearlist because a dread to think how many birds you have seen

[ovenbird43]

Originally Posted by tjbirdofprey

yo,this trip sounds amazing it makes me envious,anyway are you keeping a yearlist because a dread to think how many birds you have seen

Heh, yeah I keep a yearlist, and it already tops my average for most other years...

[ovenbird43]

Jan 17, cont...

After lunch I went back out on the trails leading toward the canopy tower. New birds seen along the trail were Gray Antwren and a singing Lawrence's Thrush that I finally managed to spot. Not much activity up at the canopy tower except for a much-unexpected Black-bellied Cuckoo and a Lineated Woodcreeper. Continuing along the trails provided rewarding, close-up views of 2 Salvin's Curassows. In this unhunted expanse of forest these birds are apparently not very wary: as I stood there on the trail watching them from about 15-20 meters away, they just kind of looked at me, flicking their tails and grunting, and after a moment ambled off. The trail also produced a quick view of a Black-faced Antthrush, strutting around in a manner that reminded me of the Ovenbird of North America. I watched two Long-billed Gnatwrens flit around, and admired their impossibly long bills. I found more Grey-winged Trumpeters, this time a group of about 7-10.

[lewis20126]

Originally Posted by ovenbird43

Jan 17, cont...
Continuing along the trails provided rewarding, close-up views of 2 Salvin's Curassows. In this unhunted expanse of forest these birds are apparently not very wary: as I stood there on the trail watching them from about 15-20 meters away, they just kind of looked at me, flicking their tails and grunting, and after a moment ambled off.

Now that is seriously gripping! Probably the best world site for this species which is locally extinct in much of the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Great stuff, alan

[tjbirdofprey]

oooooh man! i wish i was there...........keep up the good birding work

[ovenbird43]

The next day I spent the morning mistnetting with some researchers from the US. Quite an amazing experience, to hold some of these birds... our captures included Blue-crowned Motmot, White-plumed Antbird, and many hummingbirds. It poured for most of the rest of the day, though a quick walk before dark produced two Golden-crowned Spadebills, flitting around manakin-like in the understory.

On the morning of Jan 19 I hiked out to the lagoon and the second canopy tower, a 45-60 minute hike from the cabins. The lagoon held the very bird I was hoping for: Hoatzin. What bizarre-looking creatures! I could smell them before I saw them, a strange fermented manure smell. Along the fringes of the lagoon were also noisy Great Kiskadees high in the trees and Lesser Kiskadees in the lower vegetation. A Pale-tailed Barbthroat hovered in front of me for a few seconds, and a pair of Orange-fronted Plushcrowns foraged in a nearby bush. It began raining again, so I walked back to the cabins afterwards.

Later in the afternoon the rain stopped, so I hiked back out to the second canopy tower, this one a wooden structure with stairs, not far from the lagoon. I was rewarded with my first good view of a canopy flock, which began with a sighting of a Blackpoll Warbler. Soon the tanagers began flooding in with amazing colors: Black-faced Dacnis, Rufous-bellied Euphonia, Blue Dacnis, Purple Honeycreeper, Opal-crowned Tanager, Masked Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Yellow-backed Tanager... wow! Also part of the flock was a pair of Scarlet Tanagers, the male just beginning to molt into his bright red plumage. Another familiar North American bird made an appearance, a Red-eyed Vireo. In the distance, after hearing them call, I saw a few Channel-billed Toucans glide from tree to tree. The setting sun reminded me that I had a 45-minute walk back, but I made plans to return to this tower the next day.

[tjbirdofprey]

wow! lucky..............

[Birdingcraft]

Thanks for posting this- so nice to read about Yasuni. I had fantastic birding there in 2000 and remember that canopy tower well! Probably the most reliable and accessible place in Ecuador for the Curassow and Trumpeter- great birds!

[ovenbird43]

Jan 20

In the morning I returned to the far canopy tower, on the way picking up a Brown Nunlet and finally seeing a White-necked Thrush, a species whose monotonous song was usually somewhere in the background. The canopy tower was productive again, with flyby Yellow-crowned Amazons and a foraging Yellow-billed Nunbird in one of the adjacent trees. Several other species appeared that I hadn't seen the day before: Eastern Wood-pewee, Opal-rumped Tanager, Dusky-headed Parakeet, and Piratic Flycatcher. A hummingbird in the canopy, which I had seen the evening before but couldn't ID, turned out to be a male White-necked Jacobin. Some raucous macaw noises, slightly different from the Scarlets that I was used to hearing, drew my attention in time to see 2 magnificent Blue-and-yellow Macaws in flight. Wow!

On the way back from the tower I stumbled onto a mixed-species flock that seemed to consist of both understory and canopy species. As usual in these flocks, many many birds remained frustratingly out of sight, but I did finally glimpse a male and female Fulvous Shrike-Tanager, a cutie little Lafresnaye's Piculet, a female White-crowned Manakin, and a stunning male Green Honeycreeper.

Jan 21
This was another morning out mist-netting, and while hiking out in the darkness I had a quick glimpse of a Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl. Sightings during the netting session included an Ocellated Woodcreeper and a Striated Antthrush, which we heard singing in the area most of the morning. Later in the day, when I was sitting on the porch of my cabin, 2 Lettered Aracaris flew into the cecropia trees lining the clearing. Cool! One of them bumped its bill noisily against a branch- I wondered if it was just wiping its bill off or communicating something to its companion.

[ovenbird43]

Jan 22

This was my last day at Tiputini. In the morning I hiked some new trails, following flocks around when I could. The first flock was practically right outside my cabin door, and it produced a quick but nice look at a White-breasted Wood-Wren. Also present was a female Wire-tailed Manakin, though searching around failed to turn up a male. I saw something walking around on the ground, and after waiting motionlessly for a moment I spotted it again: Marbled Wood-Quail.

Farther down the trail a rattling call caught my attention, making me think of a kingfisher. I was way off though... I followed the sound to its source and discovered a Sooty Antbird in the undergrowth. As I climbed farther up into terra firme, I came across a Rufous-capped Antthrush strutting along by the trail. A large army antswarm brought in White-plumed Antbirds and Bicolored Antbirds, and probably other species flitting around. On another trail I found another understory-canopy flock in a clearing, affording decent views of some of the species. Among them was my first jacamar at last, a Yellow-billed Jacamar. As a sat on a log to watch the flock, a handsome Scale-breasted Woodpecker landed on a trunk just above my head. Among the canopy species that I could see were Flame-crested Tanager and Chestnut-winged Hookbill.

Back at the cabins at midday I watched a Straight-billed Hermit feed in a low flowering tree and a Golden-collared Toucanet call from a cecropia. My lucky find of the day was a Great Tinamou walking ahead of me along a trail at dusk.

Jan 23
Early in the morning, just after breakfast, I piled into the motorized canoe with a school group on their way out. It was a nice 2-hour ride upriver affording views of a caiman and a Striated Heron. I returned to Yasuni to reunite with my traveling companions. The next day, my last full day in the lowlands, I hiked out to the lagoon that was near the station. Among the birds present were Red-capped Cardinals, a large group of Channel-billed Toucans, Red-throated Caracara, Hoatzin, and Green Kingfisher. A nearby antswarm held the attentions of White-plumed Antbirds, Bicolored Antbirds, a Plain-brown Woodcreeper, and possibly a ground-cuckoo (I heard loud bill clacks, but never did see it- darn!). Overnight I was awakened by the calls of 2 Tropical Screech-Owls just outside my window, though when I grabbed my flashlight and went outside to look for them they stopped calling.

I had an opportunity to do a little more birding on the way back, since we had a bit of a wait at the check station/ferry at the Napo River. Slapping no-see-ums left and right, I walked down to the grassy edge of the river to watch the sparrows that were down there: Blue-black Grassquit, Chestnut-bellied Seedeater, Lesser Seed-Finch, and Yellow-browed Sparrow. Overhead a Yellow-headed Caracara flew by and a Greater Yellow-headed Vulture circled.

To summarize... what an amazing experience! I'm looking forward to going back with a research project... and I'll be looking for some field assistants

[ovenbird43]

Here is a complete list of all species seen during my trip (194):

Great Tinamou
Anhinga
Striated Heron
Snowy Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
Cattle Egret
Great Egret
King Vulture
Greater Yellow-headed Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Swallow-tailed Kite
Roadside Hawk
Black Caracara
Red-throated Caracara
Yellow-headed Caracara
Spix's Guan
Common Piping-Guan
Salvin's Curassow
Marbled Wood-Quail
Gray-winged Trumpeter
Spotted Sandpiper
Plumbeous Pigeon
Ruddy Pigeon
Rock Pigeon
Eared Dove
Ruddy Ground-Dove
Ruddy Quail-Dove
Blue-and-yellow Macaw
Scarlet Macaw
Chestnut-fronted Macaw
Cobalt-winged Parakeet
Black-headed Parrot
Dusky-headed Parakeet
Blue-headed Parrot
Orange-winged Amazon
Yellow-crowned Amazon
Mealy Amazon
Squirrel Cuckoo
Black-bellied Cuckoo
Greater Ani
Smooth-billed Ani
Hoatzin
Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl
Paraque
White-collared Swift
Gray-rumped Swift
Short-tailed Swift
Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
Neotropical Palm-Swift
Pale-tailed Barbthroat
Great-billed Hermit
White-bearded Hermit
Straight-billed Hermit
Reddish Hermit
Buff-tailed Sicklebill
Gray-breasted Sabrewing
White-becked Jacobin
Sparkling Violetear
Glittering-throated Emerald
Rufous-throated Sapphire
Fork-tailed Woodnymph
Great Sapphirewing
Black-tailed Trainbearer
Black-tailed Trogon
Amazonian White-tailed Trogon
Amazonian Violaceous Trogon
Ringed Kingfisher
Amazon Kingfisher
Green Kingfisher
Blue-crowned Motmot
Yellow-billed Jacamar
White-necked Puffbird
Brown Nunlet
Black-fronted Nunbird
White-fronted Nunbird
Yellow-billed Nunbird
Swallow-winged Puffbird
Gilded Barbet
Golden-collared Toucanet
Many-banded Aracari
Lettered Aracari
White-throated Toucan
Channel-billed Toucan
Lafresnaye's Piculet
Chestnut Woodpecker
Scale-breasted Woodpecker
Spot-breasted Woodpecker
Yellow-tufted Woodpecker
Crimson-crested Woodpecker
Orange-fronted Plushcrown
Plain Xenops
Rufous-rumped Foliage-Gleaner
Olive-backed Foliage-Gleaner
Chestnut-winged Hookbill
Plain-brown Woodcreeper
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
Cinnamon-throated Woodcreeper
Buff-throated Woodcreeper
Ocellated Woodcreeper
Lineated Woodcreeper
Long-billed Woodcreeper
Plain-winged Antshrike
Cinereous Antshrike
Dusky-throated Antshrike
Gray Antwren
Long-winged Antwren
White-flanked Antwren
Plain-throated Antwren
Black Antbird
Black-faced Antbird
Plumbeous Antbird
Sooty Antbird
White-plumed Antbird
Bicolored Antbird
Scale-backed Antbird
Spot-backed Antbird
Striated Antthrush
Rufous-capped Antthrush
Black-faced Antthrush
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
Forest Elaenia
Golden-crowned Spadebill
Eastern Wood-pewee
Drab Water-Tyrant
Bright-rumped Attila
Short-crested Flycatcher
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Lesser Kiskadee
Social Flycatcher
Piratic Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Purple-throated Fruitcrow
Bare-necked Fruitcrow
Golden-headed Manakin
Wire-tailed Manakin
White-crowned Manakin
Blue-crowned Manakin
Red-eyed Vireo
Yellow-green Vireo
Violaceous Jay
Gray-breasted Martin
Southern Rough-winged Swallow
White-banded Swallow
White-winged Swallow
Southern Nightingale-Wren
White-breasted Wood-Wren
House Wren
Long-billed Gnatwren
Tawny-faced Gnatwren
Great Thrush
Black-billed Thrush
Lawrence's Thrush
White-necked Thrush
Blackpoll Warbler
Buff-rumped Warbler
Purple Honeycreeper
Green Honeycreeper
Blue Dacnis
Black-faced Dacnis
Yellow-bellied Dacnis
Orange-bellied Euphonia
Thick-billed Euphonia
Rufous-bellied Euphonia
Swallow Tanager
Opal-rumped Tanager
Opal-crowned Tanager
Green-and-gold Tanager
Yellow-bellied Tanager
Masked Tanager
Yellow-backed Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Silver-beaked Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Fulvous Shrike-Tanager
Magpie Tanager
White-shouldered Tanager
Flame-crested Tanager
Red-capped Cardinal
Blue-black Grosbeak
Blue-black Grassquit
Lesson's Seedeater
Chestnut-bellied Seedeater
Lesser Seed-Finch
Yellow-browed Sparrow
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Cacique
Casqued Oropendola
Crested Oropendola
Russet-backed Oropendola
Olive Oropendola
Troupial
Giant Cowbird

[tjbirdofprey]

that list is amazing i wanna go

[stephennj]

Excellent report ! I couldn't help but notice you did extremely well in the Antbird department . You must have spent alot of time in the understory !
Well done and thanks !