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>>>> BIRDING SITESBIRDING SITES ANTPITTA PARADISE

W ith the exception of Tawny G. quitensisand Chestnut-crowned Antpittas G.

ruficapilla, however, the majority of theother species can be extremely tough to find and,consequently, many visitors leave the countrydisappointed having missed birds such as Giant G.gigantea, Moustached G. alleni and Yellow-breasted Antpittas G. flavotincta.

The opening, by Ángel Paz, of Refugio Paz delas Aves has, however, dramatically altered theodds of encountering these species and birderscan now witness the almost surreal spectacle ofseeing at least eight antpittas in one morning(three Giants, 4+ Yellow-breasted and one

Antpitta paradiseChris Collins

For many birders visiting northernFor many birders visiting northernEcuador, one of the most-wanted generaEcuador, one of the most-wanted generais the is the Grallaria Grallaria antpittas.antpittas.

Figure 1a–c. GiantAntpitta Grallaria gigantea(Sam Woods/TropicalBirding). In Cotinga 2,Krabbe et al.1 publishedall known records of GiantAntpitta since 1958, withthe number in the early1990s being in only singlefigures. Since then,however, sightings haveincreased dramaticallyand given the evidencefrom Refugio Paz de lasAves, it would appear thatwhere favourableconditions exist, thespecies can in fact berelatively numerous. GiantAntpitta resembles themuch commonerUndulated Antpitta G.squamigera, but Giant isc.10% larger with a moremassive bill, a rufousforehead, much narrowerblack scalloping on theunderparts, and a buffierthroat with no suggestionof a dark malar.

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Figure 2 (above). Moustached Antpitta Grallaria alleni(Steve Blain/Tropical Birding). Described by Ridgely &Tudor2 as ‘very local and rare in the Andes of Colombia’,this species has been known from Ecuador for about adecade. Of the three speciality antpittas at Refugio Pazde las Aves, this is probably the hardest to see, withonly one individual being encountered regularly inJanuary 2006. Moustached Antpitta resembles themuch more widespread Scaled Antpitta G.guatimalensis. They are much the same size, butMoustached has darker upperparts and a whitish belly,and has a blackish-scaled white malar stripe.

Figure 3 (below). Yellow-breasted Antpitta Grallariaflavotincta (Steve Blain/Tropical Birding). This species isrestricted to the west slope of the Andes and occursmainly in Colombia. The southern end of its range justextends into north-west Ecuador where it is much sought-after. It is obviously closely related to White-belliedAntpitta G. hypoleuca but the latter is restricted to theeast slope of the Andes and their ranges do not overlap.

Moustached in January 2006). What makes theexperience even more incredible, however, is thatthe birds have become more-or-less habituated topeople and can regularly be watched at a range ofless than 3–4 m, feeding on giant earthworms!

When Ángel, a resident of nearby Nanegalito(a small town near Mindo), first permitted visitorsonto his land, it was to see a small Andean Cock-of-the-Rock Rupicola peruvianus lek. However, hesoon discovered that birders were interested inother species too and that was when he startedfeeding the antpittas. Over the course of severalmonths, increasing numbers of birds responded tohis efforts and visitors now stand an excellentchance of seeing all three antpittas as well asDark-backed Wood-quail Odontophorus

melanonotus (another species he feeds on aregular basis) and Andean Cock-of-the-Rock.

Visiting Refugio Paz de las AvesVisiting Refugio Paz de las AvesAs Ángel Paz does not live permanently at theRefugio and access is impossible without him, it isimportant that all those wanting to visit thereserve make arrangements in advance. Bookingscan be made through a number of the Ecuadorianecotourism companies and lodges (e.g. TropicalBirding/Tandayapa Bird Lodge), but for thosewishing to make their own arrangements, twoother options are possible: those sufficiently fluentin Spanish (Ángel does not speak English) cantelephone him on 2116243, or you can e-mail an

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>> BIRDING SITES ANTPITTA PARADISE >> BIRDING SITES ANTPITTA PARADISE>> BIRDING SITES ANTPITTA PARADISE

English-speaking friend of his, Hector Clavijo(hectorclavijo@yahoo.com or cellphone 099931507) listing the date(s), preferably givingseveral options, when you wish to visit. Thisservice will incur a modest booking fee payable toÁngel. Entry to the Refugio costs US$10 perperson which includes Angel’s fee for acting asyour guide.

Getting to Refugio Paz de las AvesAccessing Refugio Paz de las Aves is relativelystraightforward from Quito (see map above), withthe easiest option being the main road from Quitotowards Los Bancos (also the fastest route toMindo). At km 66, turn left (there was a sign inJanuary 2006) and follow the main track for 4.4km. The Refugio is on your left. As the entranceroad is only a dirt track and involves fording asmall river, a 4˘4 vehicle is certainlyrecommended, but for the sufficiently determinedthere is always the option of ‘chancing it’ with aconventional vehicle or walking once the roadconditions deteriorate.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSMany thanks to: Sam Woods and Steve Blain (TropicalBirding) for permission to use their stunning photoswhich accompany this article (all taken at Refugio Paz delas Aves); Hector Clavijo for acting as my driver / guideon another spectacularly successful trip to Ecuador; andlastly to Ángel Paz for permitting myself and otherbirders to access his forest and see the great birds thatlive there.

REFERENCES1. Krabbe, N., DeSmet, G., Greenfield, P., Jácome, M.,

Matheus, J. C. & Sornoza, F. (1994) Giant AntpittaGrallaria gigantea. Cotinga 2: 32–34.

2. Ridgely, R. S. & Tudor, G. (1994) The birds of SouthAmerica, 2. Austin: University of Texas Press.

CHRIS COLLINS9 Pound Close, Long Ditton, Surbiton,Surrey KT6 5JW, UK.