Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge
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Rating:
Country: Ecuador
Region: Tandayapa Alta, Quito
We speak: English, Español
Location: Ecuador is South America´s prime birding destination. Bellavista is just 2 hours from Quito city, and 2 hours from its international airport. Access is along the new road towards Los Bancos, turning off at km52, and driving 12 km up the Tandayapa Valley, or leave Quito along the famous Nono-Mindo road. Coming from the coast, turn off at km 77 at San Tadeo, 14 km on a dirt road to the Lodge. We are at 2200 meters (7200 feet) elevation, on the forested slopes of the Western Andes, deep in the cloud forest, apparently remote, yet so accessible! Our Lodge has its own private reserve of 700 hectares (2000 acres), so good trails and quiet roads await the visitor. The Tandayapa Valley has arguably the highest count of hummingbirds anywhere in the Americas, with over 40 species having been seen here, then range-restricted Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan and Toucan Barbet, lots of tanagers, etc!! Contact us for info about Bellavista´s birding / natural history packages.
Services: Open year round. Birding and naturalist guides available. Optics for rental, ponchos and rubber boots available free. Daily transfer service offered from Quito, and transfers from the airport or other destinations are easily arranged. Trogon´s Lounge offers a nice seating area, with good birding / naturalist reference library. Bird books, binocular straps, T shirts etc. for sale. Full service restaurant and cafeteria, includes vegan / vegetarian options. Hummingbird feeders bring these avian jewels really close, and many other species have become incredibly confiding over 20 years of contact with well-intentioned visitors. Almost 10 km of clearly-marked trails take you into primary and secondary forests, and to hidden waterfalls.
Guestrooms: 17 comfortable rooms with private bath. Rooms are largely twin or double/matrimonial, with some rooms for families. Pleasant standard rooms include the unusual Bamboo House, Mirador Suite, and the half-timbered Trailhead House. New larger “Mountain View” superior rooms with extra long beds (2 meters long). Extensive views over and into the forest, towards Pichincha Volcano. 4 star Lodge rating. One room is wheelchair- accessible. Our Geodesic Dome offers quirky pie-slice shaped private rooms and an economical dormitory with shared bath (12 beds), with 360 degree views and a large balcony. If you want to be alone in your forest cabin, you can stay in San Luis House, located 30 minutes hike from the main area of the lodge but we of course offer shuttles at no cost and as needed. And for the budget-minded, there is a Research Station / Hostel or camping options.
* Please note that the English bird names on this site follow the American terminology. If you can't find a species name, try searching by Family or latin name.
Status key: B = breeding species; RB - rare breeding; W = winter only; V - vagrant; RV = rare vagrant; TM - trans-migrant; In - introduced
Name |
Status | Name (lat) |
Family |
| Broad-winged Hawk | B | Buteo platypterus | Accipitridae |
| Roadside Hawk | B | Buteo magnirostris | Accipitridae |
| Black-and-Chestnut Eagle | B | Spizaetus isidori | Acciptridae |
| Barred Hawk | B | Leucopternis princeps | Acciptridae |
| White-rumped Hawk | B | Buteo leucorrhous | Acciptridae |
| White-collared Swift | RB | Streptoprocne zonalis | Apodidae |
| Toucan Barbet | B | Semnornis ramphasttinus | Capitonidae |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | B | Pheucticus ludovicianus | Cardinalidae |
| Golden-bellied Grosbeak | B | Pheucticus chrysogaster | Cardinalidae |
| White-tipped Dove | B | Leptotila verreauxi | Columbidae |
| Band-tailed Pigeon | B | Patagioenas fasciata | Columbidae |
| White-throated Quail-Dove | B | Geotrygon frenata | Columbidae |
| Plumbeous Pigeon | B | Patagioenas plumbea | Columbidae |
| Beautiful Jay | B | Cyanolyca pulchra | Corvidae |
| Turquoise Jay | B | Cyanolyca turcosa | Corvidae |
| Red-Crested Cotinga | B | Ampelion rubrocristatus | Cotingidae |
| Andean Cock-of-the-Rock | B | Rupicola peruvianus | Cotingidae |
| Green and Black Fruiteater | B | Pipreola riefferii | Cotingidae |
| Sickle-winged Guan | B | Chamaepetes goudotii | Cracidae |
| Squirrel Cuckoo | B | Piaya cayana | Cuculidae |
| Strong-billed Woodcreeper | B | Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus | Dendrocolaptidae |
| White-winged Brush-Finch | B | Atlapetes leucopterus | Emberizidae |
| Tanager-Finch | B | Oreothraupis arremonops | Emberizidae |
| Orange-bellied Euphonia | B | Euphonia xanthogaster | Fringillidae |
| Streaked Tiftedcheek | B | Pseudocolaptes boissonneautii | Furnariidae |
| Montane Woodcreeper | B | Lepidocolaptes lacrymiger | Furnariidae |
| Tyrannine Woodcreeper | B | Dendrocincla tyrannina | Furnariidae |
| Azara's Spinetail | B | Synallaxis azarae | Furnariidae |
| Rufous Spinetail | B | Synallaxis unirufa | Furnariidae |
| Striped Treehunter | B | Thripadectes holostictus | Furnariidae |
| White-faced Nunbird | B | Hapaloptila castanea | Galbulidae |
| Giant Antpitta | B | Grallaria gigantea | Grallariidae |
| Chestnut-crowned Antpitta | B | Grallaria ruficapilla | Grallariidae |
| Undulated Antpitta | B | Grallaria squamigera | Grallariidae |
| Blue-and-white Swallow | B | Pygochelidon cyanoleuca | Hirundinidae |
| Giant Cowbird | B | Molothrus oryzivorus | Icteridae |
| Band-winged Nightjar | B | Caprimulgus longirostris | Nyctibiidae |
| Common Potoo | B | Nyctibius griseus | Nyctibiidae |
| Swalow-tailed Nightjar | B | Uropsalis segmentata | Nyctibiidae |
| Dark-backed Wood-Quail | B | Odontophorus melanonotus | Odontophoridae |
| Black-crested Warbler | B | Basileuterus chrysogaster | Parulidae |
| Spectacled Whitestart | B | Myioborus melanocephalus | Parulidae |
| Three-striped Warbler | B | Basileuterus tristriatus | Parulidae |
| Slaty-throated Whitestart | B | Myioborus miniatus | Parulidae |
| Blackburnian Warbler | W | Dendroica fusca | Parulidae |
| Russet-crowned Warbler | B | Basileuterus coronatus | Parulidae |
| Rufous-collared Sparrow | B | Zonotrichia capensis | Passerellidae |
| Chestnut-capped Brush Finch | B | Arremon brunneinucha | Passerellidae |
| Powerful Woodpecker | B | Colaptes pollens | Picidae |
| Crimson-mantled Woodpecker | B | Colaptes rivolii | Picidae |
| Speckle-faced Parrot | B | Pionus seniloides | Psittacidae |
| Red-billed Parrot | B | Pionus sordidus | Psittacidae |
| Crimson-rumped Toucanet | B | Aulacorhynchus haematopygus | Ramphastidae |
| Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan | B | Andigena laminorostris | Ramphastidae |
| Spillmans Tapaculo | B | Scytalopus spillmannsi | Rhinocryptidae |
| Ocellated Tapaculo | B | Acropternis orthonyx | Rhynocryptidae |
| Mottled Owl | B | Ciccaba virgata | Strigidae |
| Black-and-white Owl | B | Ciccaba nigrolineata | Strigidae |
| Rufescent Screech-Owl | B | Megascops ingens | Strigidae |
| Cloud-Forest Pygmy-Owl | B | Glaucidium nubicola | Strigidae |
| Long-tailed Antbird | B | Drymophila striaticeps | Thamnophilidae |
| Western Hemispingus | B | Hemispingus melanotis melanotis | Thraupidae |
| Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager | B | Anisognathus somptuosus | Thraupidae |
| Golden Tanager | B | Tangara arthus | Thraupidae |
| Metallic-green Tanager | B | Tangara labradorides | Thraupidae |
| Flame-faced Tanager | B | Tangara parzudakii | Thraupidae |
| Capped Conebill | B | Conirostrum albifrons | Thraupidae |
| Blue and Black Tanager | B | Tangara vassorii | Thraupidae |
| Plushcap | B | Catamblyrhynchus diadema | Thraupidae |
| Beryl-spangled Tanager | B | Tangara nigroviridis | Thraupidae |
| Hooded Mountain-Tanager | B | Buthraupis montana | Thraupidae |
| Grass-green Tanager | B | Chlorornis riefferii | Thraupidae |
| White-sided Flowerpiercer | B | Diglossa albilatera | Thraupidae |
| Blue-capped Tanager | B | Thraupis cyanocephala | Thraupidae |
| Dusky Bush-Tanager | B | Chlorospingus semifuscus | Thraupidae |
| Masked Flowerpiercer | B | Diglossa cyanea | Thraupidae |
| Golden-naped Tanager | B | Tangara ruficervix | Thraupidae |
| Rufous-chested Tanager | B | Thlypopsis ornata | Thraupidae |
| Wedge-billed Hummingbird | B | Schistes geoffroyi | Trochilidae |
| Buff-tailed Coronet | B | Boissonneaua flavescens | Trochilidae |
| Tawny-bellied Hermit | B | Phaethornis syrmatophorus | Trochilidae |
| Gorgeted Sunangel | B | Heliangelus strophianus | Trochilidae |
| Sparkling Violetear | NB | Colibri coruscans | Trochilidae |
| Purple-bibbed Whitetip | B | Urosticte benjamini | Trochilidae |
| Andean Emerald | B | Amazilia franciae | Trochilidae |
| Booted Rackettail | B | Ocreatus underwoodii | Trochilidae |
| Speckled Hummingbird | B | Adelomyia melanogenys | Trochilidae |
| Violet-tailed Sylph | B | Aglaiocercus coelestis | Trochilidae |
| Fawn-breasted Brilliant | B | Heliodoxa rubinoides | Trochilidae |
| Green Violetear | B | Colibri thalassinus | Trochilidae |
| Purple-throated Woodstar | B | Calliphlox mitchelli | Trochilidae |
| Collared Inca | B | Coeligena torquata | Trochilidae |
| Plain-tailed Wren | B | Thryothorus euophrys | Troglodytidae |
| Sharpes Wren | B | Cinnycerthia olivascens | Troglodytidae |
| Gray-breasted Wood Wren | B | Henicorhina leucophrys | Troglodytidae |
| Crested Quetzal | B | Pharomachrus antisianus | Trogonidae |
| Masked Trogon | B | Trogon personatus | Trogonidae |
| Golden-headed Quetzal | B | Pharomachrus auriceps | Trogonidae |
| Great Thrush | B | Turdus fuscate | Turdidae |
| Glossy-black Thrush | B | Turdus serranus | Turdidae |
| Slaty-backed Nightingale Thrush | B | Catharus fuscater | Turdidae |
| Andean Solitaire | B | Myadestes ralloides | Turdidae |
| Black Solitaire | B | Entomodestes coracinus | Turdidae |
| Cinnamon Flycatcher | B | Pyrrhomyias cinnamomeus | Tyrannidae |
| Smoke-coloured Pewee | B | Contopus fumigatus | Tyrannidae |
| Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant | B | Ochthoeca diadema | Tyrannidae |
| Golden-crowned Flycatcher | B | Myiodynastes chrysocephalus | Tyrannidae |
| Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant | B | Pseudotriccus ruficeps | Tyrannidae |
| Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant | B | Ochthoeca cinnamomeiventris | Tyrannidae |
| Flavescent Flycatcher | B | Myiophobus flavicans | Tyrannidae |
| Streak-necked Flycatcher | B | Mionectes striaticollis | Tyrannidae |
| White-tailed Tyrannulet | B | Mecocerculus poecilocercus | Tyrannidae |
| Brown-capped Vireo | B | Vireo leucophrys | Vireonidae |
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