dismal, light rain was falling as we made our way to the first of four blinds on our birding tour of Mindo, Ecuador. Mindo is home to one of the Earth’s rare cloud forests, a unique climate created by high humidity at extreme altitude, and, as its name suggests, the valley can often be seen covered by a low-hanging cloud. Thus, it was no surprise that we trudged through thick mud and drizzling rain on our quest to see the brilliantly plumed “Cock of the Rock.”
Across a field of idle cattle we walked, over a brook along a bottle-cap-encrusted log, and through slick mud to a small (but more importantly dry) blind where we caught a glimpse of the first birds of the day.
During that visit to Mindo, we explored three more viewing locations, each more interesting than the last, before we began the long drive back to the capital. While the weather remained dreary at times, our efforts were rewarded in many ways on that two-day visit to the cloud forest. We hiked a lovely forested trail to five waterfalls, visited a butterfly garden, fed hummingbirds from our hands, and were blessed with many incredible bird sightings. Few animals are as brilliantly colored as birds, and neither before nor since have I seen such a vast array of resplendent avifauna in the wild.
The “Cock of the Rock,” with its bulbous scarlet head, was of course magnificent, but nothing compared to the dazzling hummingbirds, exotic toucans (a special favorite of mine), and brightly colored tanagers. But here I cease to write, and allow the pictures to speak for themselves.
Birds of Equador
