Ecuador in the Rainy Season? (1 Viewer)

Hi All,

I've got about 5 weeks for a birding trip, from the end of February until the beginning of April and I've been wanting to bird Ecuador for years. (The closest I've been to this nation is Costa Rica.)

The only problem is, this is during the rainy season, and in my few international travels I've always birded in the drier times of the year.

All I've read about this says that the rains usually begin in the afternoons. My birding gf and I are planning to travel most of the country (not including the Galapagos, which we can't afford) and I'm just not sure that this is the place I want to be during the rains.

Has anyone birded during that time of year? Any advice would be welcome. Our goal is to see as many species as we can, so we won't be heading to spots for one or three rare birds.

Also, as an aside, I can't find information on when the majority of the species breed. Again, any information would be much appreciated.

I've birded Ecuador in April and, although there was rain, it wasn't a big problem. I visited both east and west slopes from Quito. I think I only lost birding time to the weather for a few hours in a couple of weeks.

Thanks, Andrew. I'm still a bit hesitant but will continue moving forward with our planning. Do you know anything about the breeding times for birds in Ecuador? I've never birded near the equator.

There are certain birds that are breeding during the rainy season and therefore can be difficult to see the rest of the year, such as Umbrellabird. If a day turns out to be truly rain-filled all day, then it helps being in a place with feeders so you can enjoy the hummers on such a day.

Niels

Well OF COURSE the Umbrella Birds would be breeding during the rainy season! :-D I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for the input, Niels. I think that a full day of rain would drive me crazy, being in a country with so many great birds and being reduced to only looking at feeders all day. Good suggestion, though.