Bird Watching in Ecuador, Wildlife, Tourist Activities
People all over the world enjoy watching the delightful antics of birds from the comfort of their home. They may take this passion a bit further by visiting local birding sights and spending hours trying to identify the various birds they see from the bird’s shape, coloring and call. Still more enthusiastic bird watchers will travel to different parts of the world, having conquered their own backyard and enjoyed the experience so much that they felt ready for new and more exciting challenges. While the many beautiful feathered creatures that can be found near your home should not be underestimated, there are a great many more bird species across the globe that will keep bird watchers and enthusiasts intrigued for hours if not weeks. If you are such an enthusiast, you simply have to put Ecuador on your list of birding destinations. Bird watching in Ecuador is cost effective and there is an abundance of colorful, beautiful birds to discover.
Most bird watchers may already know that the closer you get to the equator, the more birds you will find. Ecuador is certainly no exception to the rule since this beautiful country, which is situated right on the equator, is home to well over 1500 species of birds. Since the country is not as big as many other countries, you will find that this is quite a remarkable feat. The country owes much of this diversity to the many different types of flora to be found here. Coastal forest, rain forest and cloud forest provide plenty of different habitats for birds to live in. There are rocky and sandy beaches, open grassy plains, steep mountains as well as large lakes with their wetland environments – all of which readily provide the perfect environment for a variety of birds. Because there is so much in such a small area, many of the country’s top birding sites are easily accessible and admission fees are often low and very affordable. Transport costs are also low, making Ecuador one of the most cost-effective bird watching destinations in the world.
The best way to see as many different birds as possible is to visit as many different vegetation zones as possible. There are as many as eight different zones in Ecuador and, while time may not permit you to visit them all, just one or two will usually provide you with enough memories and photographs to last you a lifetime. While you can enjoy a certain level of comfort whilst bird watching in Ecuador, you will usually see even more if you sacrifice comfort and service to go camping or trekking in the wilderness and protected areas of Ecuador. It is usually best to hire a local birding guide who can not only provide you with the names of the different birds but who will be able to quickly lead you to areas where certain birds are known to be found, thus allowing you to see more in a short space of time. It is also a good idea to bring a good pair of binoculars – preferably a ‘gas-sealed’ pair as these suffer the least under the moist climatic conditions.