Equipment
In order to practice this simple but beautiful activity,
you will require:
· a pair of binoculars
· a camera
· a lot of patience and tranquility
The recommended time of the year for this activity are
during summer (July - September), due to the warm temperatures
and clear days which favour bird watching in their natural
habitats.
The places in Ecuador that
are great for bird watching:
Mindo Cloud Forest (Northwest of Quito):
The agricultural community of Mindo is situated in an
isolated valley surrounded by cloud forest. Known as "the
valley of eternal spring", Mindo has a reputation
as one of the best areas for bird watching, with more
than 400 species, including the cock of the rock and hundreds
of hummingbirds.
Galapagos Islands:
The site of the most exotic marine birds in world, many
of which are endemic. Blue-footed boobies, pelicans, frigates,
gulls, are only some of the incredible specimens that
you can enjoy from only a few feet away. Also, other life
forms such as starfish, marine iguanas and penguins, can
also be seen nearby.
Ecuadorian coast (especially Manabi and Guayas
provinces):
Surrounded by the remains of the Valdivia Culture, the
earliest civilization in South America, you can enjoy
a variety of almost 400 bird species including parrots,
toucans and others.
Amazon Rainforest:
Ecuador occupies fifth place in bird diversity in the
world, and it is the Amazon basin and its rainforests
that harbour a large part of these species. Toucans, parrots,
macaws, are only some of the species that can be seen
during bird watching outings.
You can find more information
on Ecuador's bird species at:
www.vnu.org.ec/ecuador.ht
www.prodiversitas.bioetica.org
www.prodiversitas.bioetica.org
http://www.colibri.ws
http://www.cecia.org
