ECUADOR BIRD PICTURES # 1

 The following pictures are from our first 2 weeks in Southern Ecuador.  Vilcabamba is not really known as a birding destination in this country, but it is a great place for vacations and tourism. I’ll likely make a few posts regarding the town and area soon.  One needs to take a jaunt of a few miles to access better birding places, but here are my best pics of local birds from the area, with a short comment.

BOAT-BILLED FLYCATCHER, FAIRLY COMMON AROUND TOWN.

                    PLUMBEOUS-BACKED THRUSH - ALSO FAIRLY COMMON HERE.

                        GLOSSY-BLACK THRUSH - MORE ON THE UNCOMMON SIDE

HOUSE WREN.  YEP, SAME SPECIES AS IS IN THE STATES, AND PROBABLY MORE  COMMON DOWN HERE.  SOME PLACES HERE THEY  ARE AROUND EVERY CORNER IT SEEMS, BUT IN VILCABAMBA THEY ARE SPARSE.  I’VE ONLY SEEN THEM TWICE.

LONG-TAILED MOCKINGBIRD.  OFTEN SEEN, AND THEIR SONG IS PLEASANT TO HEAR

                                    CROAKING GROUND DOVE.  VERY COMMON

                        SAFFRON FINCH.  COMMON AND SPREADING IN THE COUNTRY.

IMMATURE MALE VERMILLION FLYCATCHER.  THIS PIC WAS TAKEN IN QUITO THE MORNING WE WERE THERE.

BLACK PHOEBE.  QUITE COMMON IN MANY WATERWAYS IN THE COUNTRY

GREAT THRUSH.  FOUND IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS, LIKE HERE ON CERRO TOLEDO

ZONE-TAILED HAWK.  I SUSPECT THEY ARE VERY UNCOMMON HERE.

SWALLOW-TAILED KITE.  UNSURE OF THE STATUS RIGHT HERE.

                                    GROOVE-BILLED ANI.  COMMON AROUND TOWN

HORNERO NEST

BLUE-GRAY TANAGER.  THEY ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE.  HARD TO MISS

WHOOPING MOTMOT.  I PLACED BANANAS ON A LIMB NEAR MY FRONT PORCH AND ONE SHOWED UP WITHIN 30 MINUTES.  BEAUTIFUL!!!!

FEMALE AMAZELIA HUMMINGBIRD ON HER  NEST

TWO BLACK VULTURES AND A BROAD-WINGED HAWK

BROAD-WINGED HAWK.  A WINTER RESIDENT FROM THE STATES

TWO LONG-TAILED MOCKINGBIRDS

YELLOW-TAILED ORIOLE.  FAIRLY COMMON AND ALWAYS NICE TO SEE FLASHY BIRDS

MALE GOLDEN GROSBEAK.  FAIRLY COMMON

                                                    RUFOUS-BROWED PEPPERSHRIKE

                                ONE COLORED BECARD, IN THE FLYCATCHER FAMILY

                            PEREGRINE FALCON ON THE WAY UP  CERRO   MANDANGO

                                                        FEMALE GOLDEN GROSBEAK

                        BROWN BACKED CHAT TYRANT

                                    FASCIATED WREN.  VERY COMMON AND NOISY

                            PALE LEGGED HORNERO.  VERY COMMON AND VERY NOISY

THE WHOOPING MOTMOT WAS WAITING FOR BANANAS THE NEXT MORNING.