Aldea Salamandra (200 m).- Is located on the Calacalí-Esmeraldas road. Here, you can stay at cabins which have access to several forest reserves around the place.

Bilsa (400-700 m).- This site, located in Esmeraldas province, offers you 305 known species. Additionally, some of the rarest foothill birds can be found, such as the Banded Ground cuckoo and Long-Wattled Umbrellabird.

Tinalandia (700-900 m).- Is located near Alluriquín, on the Aloag-Santo Domingo road. The lodge is comfortable and the site is famous for its tropical birds (more than 360 colorful species have been observed). See the road from Quito to Sto. Domingo.

Parque Nacional Machalilla (0-850 m).- Located on the coast near Puerto López. In this site, you can find 115 known species. It is quite difficult to reach the higher areas, since it has slightly disturbed dry and cloud forest.

Rio Palenque (200 m).- Located between Santo Domingo and Quevedo. This area contains 370 species. Nevertheless, it is one of the last of western lowland forests. For this reason, some species are leaving this area.

Ecuasal ponds (0 m).- Located on the Peninsula of Santa Elena. This site offers you a variety of shorebirds and seabirds. Additionally, you can also find the Chilean Flamingos.

Manta Real (300-1200 m).- Located on the Guayaquil - Cuenca road. This site is a rainforest/cloud forest area. Here, you can find 120 known species, including some rare birds prevailing in southwestern Ecuador and Peru.

The Petrified forest of Puyango (300-400 m).- In this area, you can find 130 known species and typical dry forest birds. Additionally, this site is well-known for its live trees.

Cerro Blanco (250-300 m).- Located outside of Guayaquil city. This site is famous for its Great Green Macaws and Jaguars. It contains 190 known species of birds and it is considered to be the best remaining example of dry forest.

Manglares-Churute (50-650 m).- Located southeast of Guayaquil. The site has dry-moist forest and mangrove forest and contains 65 species of birds.

Reserva de la Montana Rio Chuchuvi (750-900m).- Ecuador's Choco forest. Located about 12 km west of Lita on the Ibarra-San Lorenzo road. The region contains probably the highest diversity of birds in western Ecuador, as well as a number of species not found elsewhere.

Cerro Golondrinas (2000-4000 m).- Is located near Páramo del Angel. You will not have any problem walking through this site, since it has guided treks you can follow.

Páramo del Angel (2500-4500 m).- Is located south of Tulcán. This site contains 160 bird species. Also, you will love to see its grassland, with tall treelike herbs known as "frailejones".

Junín Community Reserve (1500-2200 m), Intag Cloud Forest Reserve (1800-2800 m) and Siempre Verde.- Are located near the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve (access on the road to Otavalo). All of these famous cloud forests can offer you a variety of cloud forest birds.

Yanacocha (3300-4000 m).- Is located on the west side of the Pichincha volcano. It is a high elevation forest. You have access to this site from Quito.

Los Cedros Reserve (1000-2700 m).- Is located near the Cotacahi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve. In this site, you will find more bird species than in any other site. You will also enjoy the forest, since it has an interesting range of elevations.

The Nono-Mindo road (1500-3400 m).- Is a route where you can find different birds and forest types. It is very difficult to reach the top of this road. However, you can stay at some lodges located at the lower half.

Bellavista (1800-2300 m).- Is located on the Nono - Mindo road. At this lodge, you can find many colorful and hardcore birds.

Tandayapa Lodge (1700 m).- Located on the Nono - Mindo road. In this lodge, some experienced guides can demonstrate and inform you about any type of bird. 318 species of birds have been found here.

Mindo (1300-2400).- Located two hours from Quito. Here, you can have an excellent view of birds such as the quetzals and tanagers. More than 400 species can be found in this area. Mindo is well-known for its concern about the ecotourism.

El Pahuma Orchid Reserve (1600-2600 m).- Is located in the Calacalí - Esmeraldas road (approximately one hour from Quito). Here, you will be able to enjoy a visitor center with lodging and a botanical garden. Approximately 300 species are found in this reserve. Camping and hiking trails through pristine cloud forest are also available.

Maquipucuna (1200-2800 m).- Located off the Calacali - Esmeraldas road. This site has approximately 300 species. All the guests are able to stay at the cabins and enjoy the forest.

Guajalito (1900-2400 m).- Is located halfway down the Chiriboga road. If you are interested in bird watching, many species can be found inside the forest.

The Chiriboga road (900-3200 m).- Goes from south of Quito to Santo Domingo de los Colorados. In the middle and lower sections you can find many variety of birds.

La Hesperia (1000-2000 m).- Is located off the Aloag - Santo Domingo road. It has an easy access, due to its mid-elevation forests.

Otonga (800-2300 m).- Located south of the Aloag - Santo Domingo road. This private reserve, is famous for its Dark-backed Wood-Quails. All of the birds that are found here are very friendly.

Guachanamá Ridge (2000-2800 m).- Is located between Celica and Alamor (southwest of Ecuador). In this area, you will find many rare southwestern endemic species.

Sozoranga-Nueva Fátima road (1300-2600 m).- Is located in Loja, near the Peruvian border. This area has many mid - elevation forests and contains 190 species. As in Guachanamá Ridge, you will be able to find several southwestern endemic species.

Chilla, Guanazán, Manú and Selva Alegre (2800-3000 m).- Located on the Saraguro road to the coast. These places have a reach variety of birds and forests.

Piñas Forest / Buenaventura (800-1000 m).- Located 24 km north from Loja to the coast. This area has over 310 bird species. Unfortunately, there are not many tracts in this area. For this reason, the main priority for Piñas is bird conservation.

Pasochoa (2700-4200 m).- Located south of Quito. In this place, you can visit the cloud forest and admire approximately 120 species of birds.

Guandera (3100-3800 m).- Is located close the Colombian border. Here, you can find temperate forests, as well as a rich variety of rare birds.

Cajas National Park (3000-4500 m).- This park can be accessed through Cuenca. In this place, you can look at 125 species, such as the Condor and the Violet-tailed Metaltail. It has an extensive plateau and high elevation forests.

The Oña-Saraguro-Santiago road (2000-2600 m).- Located between Cuenca and Loja. Approximately 145 species can be seen in this place.

Parque Nacional Cotopaxi (3700-6000 m).- Located 1 ½ hour south of Quito. This place offers a lake and swamp full of birds, called Limpiopungo. You can also find 90 different species, as well as birds of the high arid plateau.

Guango (2700 m).- Is located below Papallacta. This new lodge offers you 95 high-elevation bird species.

Papallacta (3000-4400 m).- Located 1 ½ hours east of Quito. This place has a beautiful grassland and high elevation forest. Occasionally, you will find Condors, as well as a vast variety of highland birds.

Baeza (1900-2400 m).- Is approximately two hours east of Quito. Here, you can enjoy a great variety of birds as well as on the road to the antennas above town.

San Isidro (2000 m).- Located half an hour from Baeza, off the Baeza - Tena road. In this lodge, you will find over 260 species of birds all over the forest.

Guacamayos Ridge (1700-2300 m).- Located on the Baeza-Tena road. In the well- maintained forest, you will find a rich bird life.

Sierra Azul (2200-2400 m).- Is located 12 km beyond San Isidro. Until now, approximately 140 species of birds have been seen, as well as some endangered mammals.

San Rafael Falls (1400 m).- Is located on the Baeza-Lago Agrio road. It is an easy to access place, where you will find many subtropical birds, such as the Cocks-of-the-Rock, including over more than 200 bird species.

The Loreto road (300-1400 m).- This road connects the Baeza-Tena road to Coca. More than 300 species of different types of rare subtropical birds.

The Gualaceo-Limón road (1400-3350 m).- Is northeast of Cuenca. This road has probably more than 300 species of birds. It is considered to have the best roadside birding on the east slope.

The Baños area (1500-5000 m).- Rich bird life is found hiking nearby the Baños wide range of elevations and forests.

The Loja-Zamora road (1000-2850 m).- In this area over 375 species have been found.

Parque Nacional Podocarpus (950-3700 m).- Located close to Loja. The park can be easily reached through its different access points. In this park, some new rare species have been found and there are approximately 800 species.

Pastaza lodges (200-300 m).- They are located in the southern Oriente. The birds found in these lodges are not the same as other areas. Additionally, here, you will enjoy a different cultural environment.

Cuyabeno lodges (200-300 m).- Located on the northern Oriente. These lodges carry up to 400 species of birds. You will not find wildlife such as this one.

Río Napo lodges (200-300 m).- Are located in the north and central Oriente. More than 550 species can be found. These lodges have elevations with the best bird sites in the world.

Archidona / Misahuallí & Tena lodges (300-600 m).- Located in the west-central Oriente. These lodges are convenient for people with a low budget. Here, you will find a few birds and mammals.

Galapagos, has a very rich bird life. A higher percentage of birds are found in the uninhabited islands. You will have no problem in order to visit the inhabited islands. To be able to go to the uninhabited ones, you need scientific permission.

Encountering tropical birds on your own is a wonderful experience. However, in order to take a serious tour, it is advisable to hire a guide who is familiar with the bird calls, since this is the way most tropical birds are found. Additionally, you can get information from any bird tour company in Europe and the United States, as well as some Ecuadorian companies which specialize in birdwatching tours. See Birdwatching tour operators

In Ecuador, many birds are being threatened with extinction because their natural habitat is being destroyed. There are many ways to prevent this loss. Visiting the lodges above mentioned is one of them, so that the owners can protect their land, instead of farming it. Donations can also be done to foundations specialized in buying land for nature reserves.