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Overview
Lat: 0 48” S Lon: 78 26” W
Cotopaxi National Park is about 30 km south of the city of Quito. It is named after the Cotopaxi, which is considered the highest active volcano in the world at 5,864 meters (19,350 ft.). This is the most visited park in Ecuador, but with 33,393 ha. (83,000 acres) of land there is plenty of room to find quiet areas to go birding.
Temperature average 7 degrees C (45 F). Cotopaxi is covered with clouds most of the year but the months of June – September can provide a good deal of sunshine. Deforestation has destroyed most of the native trees but pines and paramo grasses harbor a great variety of birds. Lake Limpiopungo provides a habitat for many species of waterfowl as well as the marsh grasses that are home to the Noble Snipe. A walk around the lake can reveal 10 to 15 different species birds.
Exploring the park one can encounter many species of raptors including the Carunculated Caracara, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, and Variable Hawk.
Birds
Notable Species
Andean Condor, Giant Conebill, Noble Snipe, Andean Gull, Andean Coot
Rarities
Andean Condor, Plain-breasted Hawk, Fulica ardesiaca, Spotted Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, Upland Sandpiper, Sparkling Violetear, Purple-backed Thornbill, Mountain Avocetbill, Bar-bellied Woodpecker, White-browed Spinetail, Rufous Antpitta, Ocellated Tapaculo, Spillmann's Tapaculo, White-banded Tyrannulet, White-throated Tyrannulet, Agile Tit-Tyrant, Paramo Ground-Tyrant, Muscisaxicola alpinus, Chestnut-bellied Cotinga, Barred Becard, Rufous Wren, Superciliaried Hemispingus, Oleaginous Hemispingus, Plushcap, Black-backed Bush Tanager, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Black-chested Mountain-Tanager, Masked Mountain-Tanager, Paramo Seedeater, Masked Flowerpiercer, Stripe-headed Brush-Finch
Check-list
Curve-billed Tinamou, Andean Teal, Yellow-billed Pintail, Blue-winged Teal, Cinereous Harrier, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Variable Hawk, Carunculated Caracara, American Kestrel, Aplomado Falcon, Ecuadorian Rail, Andean Coot, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, Noble Snipe, Andean Snipe, Wilson's Phalarope, Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Andean Lapwing, Grey Plover, American Golden-Plover, Andean Gull, Eared Dove, Black-winged Ground-Dove, Great Horned Owl, Burrowing Owl, Band-winged Nightjar, White-collared Swift, Sparkling Violet-ear, Ecuadorian Hillstar, Giant Hummingbird, Shining Sunbeam, Great Sapphirewing, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Tyrian Metaltail, Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, Blue-mantled Thornbill, Bar-winged Cinclodes, Stout-billed Cinclodes, Andean Tit-Spinetail, Azara's Spinetail, White-chinned Thistletail, Streak-backed Canastero, Many-striped Canastero, Tawny Antpitta, Unicolored Tapaculo, Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant, Black-billed, Shrike-Tyrant, Paramo Ground-Tyrant, White-browed Ground-Tyrant, Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant, Great Thrush, Brown-bellied Swallow, Blue-and-white Swallow, Barn Swallow, Grass Wren, Mountain Wren, Paramo Pipit, Black-crested Warbler, Cinereous Conebill, Black Flowerpiercer, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, Southern-Yellow Grosbeak, Black-backed Grosbeak, Plain-colored Seedeater. Paramo Seedeater, Band-tailed Seedeater, Plumbeous Sierra-Finch, Band-tailed Sierra-Finch, Grassland Yellow-Finch, Rufous-naped Brush-Finch, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Hooded Siskin
Other Wildlife
Puma, Spectacled Bear, Andean Wolf, Deer, Marsupial Mice, Llamas and Wild Horses
Site Information
History and Use
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Areas of Interest
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Access and Facilities
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Contact Details
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External Links
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