The Tandayapa Cloud Forest

Where:
Northwest of Quito in the Andes Region

Distance:
1 1/2 hours from Quito

Outstanding Characteristics:
Richness in birdlife
Richness in plantlife

Number of Species:
350 different species of birds
80 species of orchids
9000 total plant species

Exclusive Activities at Tandayapa

Birdwatching
Birding at Tandayapa starts right on the patio and continues through the trail below the lodge that we visit. We will have the opportunitiy to see: Streak-capped Treehunter, Tricolored and White-winged Brush-Finches, Gray-breasted Wood-Wren, Slat-throated Whitestart, White-winged Becard, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, and Three-striped Warbler. Mixed flocks of tanagers often pass through, stopping to feed on fruiting bushes at the right time of year, and Blue-winged Mountain-Tanagers, White-winged Brush-Finches, and Red-headed Barbets come to eat the fruit put out for them outside the lounge windows, sometimes bringing Crimson-rumped Toucanets with them. On sunny days, after the forest has gone quiet, the patio is a great place to watch for raptors. Black-and-Chestnut Eagle is the most sought-after species, and appears quite often, along with Barred Hawk.