El Refugio Birding
El Refugio de Intag has a great deal to offer birders, with over 260 species having been observed on the property. The lodge is located at the edge of the Chocó Bioregion, one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet! It is situated between two conservation areas, both easily accessible. The Intag Cloud Forest Reserve, is just a 40-minute walk away (or 10 minutes by car) plus a five-minute walk along a forest trail. Siempre Verde Reserve, the road to which begins just a mile from the lodge, is at a higher elevation and features a different set of birds.
Intag Cloud Forest Reserve, with more than 350 hectares of forest, some primary, and many kilometers of trails, has a list of nearly 250 bird species. Highlights include Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Toucan Barbet, Red-headed Barbet, White-faced Nunbird, both Crested and Golden-headed Quetzal, impressive numbers of tanagers and hummingbirds, as well as an Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek (the area where the males gather to display).
The four-mile road to Siempre Verde, a nature reserve owned by a university in the US, is for walking or a four-wheel drive vehicle. It rises some 500 meters to the reserve itself. Along the way birders may see Toucan Barbets, Turquoise Jays, Masked Trogons, various warblers and tanagers, and with luck maybe even a Black-and-Chestnut Eagle or Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan! Inside the reserve itself, look for the Powerful Woodpecker, Andean and Sickle-winged Guans, and an array of high-altitude tanagers.
A bit further afield, back along the road to Otavalo, is the Neblina Reserve, which begins about a mile past the community of La Delicia. With another rise in elevation, it offers other birding opportunities: several species of mountain- and other high altitude tanagers, Red-crested Cotinga, Sword-billed Hummingbird, several colorful Conebill and Flowerpiercer species. Various Tapaculos have been spotted there, as well as Giant, Undulated, and Chestnut-crowned Antpitta. You may also find bamboo specialists such as Plain-tailed Wren, Plushcap, and others.
El Refugio itself has a list of over 250 species. Highlights include Lyre-tailed Nightjar, Common Potoo, Torrent Duck, White-capped Dipper, and Mottled Owl. Twenty species, mostly tanagers, have visited the banana platforms adjacent to the main lodge.
We can provide a guide to help you find the birds in these places, as well as binoculars.
