YANACOCHA & UPPER NONO-MINDO ROAD & LIST (2006) 
ECUADOR

PICHINCHA (NW)

Lat:00o10´S/78o35´W 3200-3600m 1,250ha, high altitude montane forest, access to paramo above is possible but actual reserve includes little.

 

Birding Site Guide

Access is from the old stone Nono-Mindo road, which is followed for several km before a Yanacocha signed left turning through a white-pillar archway. The sign says 10km to reserve. The road is very rough in places and 4-wheel drive is recommended. 

Yanacocha is a Fundacion Jocotoco reserve quite near Quito. You can contact the foundation office in Quito or just turn up and pay your entry fee to the 2 guardaparques. If you don't have your own transport, you can hire a pick up to take you up. From the centre of Quito, first go to the area of Cotocollao. Find the plaza (or parque central) and look for pick-ups (camionetas) to take you up. The drivers know the site. The ride up there took about 50 minutes along a bad road (which may be improved in the future) and I managed to haggle the driver down to $12. A camioneta leaves about 5:30 in the morning to the community of Yanacocha near the entrance to the reserve. It may be possible to get a ride up this. Alternatively (if you're a glutton for punishment), you could get on a bus towards Nono and get off at the (signed) turning up towards the reserve, a further 10km uphill. Entrance to the reserve costs $5. There are many hummingbird feeders along the main trail of the reserve where you can see many good species well. I failed to see the critically endangered endemic Black-breasted Puffleg which appears to be present only from December to mid-July. May and June being the best months. At the end of the trail is an area opf forest where I saw Stout-billed Cinclodes and some flowerpiercers. Before this is a fork, the left to a large pipe-tunnel under a hill. Apparently on the far side is some nice paramo habitat. To get back down to Quito, you can take the community truck at about 4pm, but beware, it doesn't go on Tuesdays and Fridays. Alternatively you could walk down to the junction with the Nono road from where you have a better chance to get a bus or hitch. On the walk down, I saw Short-eared Owl. I saw 26 species including 4 lifers 


Species seen by Charles Hesse (Yanacocha 14th July, 2006)

 
American Kestrel Falco sparverius Andean Guan Penelope montagnii Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus Sparkling Violet-ear Colibri coruscans Shining Sunbeam Aglaeactis cupripennis Mountain Velvetbreast Lafresnaya lafresnayi Buff-winged Starfrontlet Coeligena lutetiae Photographed Great Sapphirewing Pterophanes cyanopterus Photographed Sapphire-vented Puffleg Eriocnemis luciani Photographed Golden-breasted Puffleg Eriocnemis mosquera Photographed Black-tailed Trainbearer Lesbia victoriae Tyrian Metaltail Metallura tyrianthina Photographed Stout-billed Cinclodes Cinclodes excelsior Photographed Azara's Spinetail Synallaxis azarae Heard only Streaked Tuftedcheek Pseudocolaptes boissonneautii Barred Fruiteater Pipreola arcuata Photographed White-throated Tyrannulet Mecocerculus leucophrys Brown-bellied Swallow Notiochelidon murina Great Thrush Turdus fuscater Black-chested Mountain-Tanager Buthraupis eximia Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus igniventris Plain-colored Seedeater Catamenia inornata Glossy Flowerpiercer Diglossa lafresnayii Masked Flowerpiercer Diglossopis cyanea Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch Atlapetes latinuchus Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis 


Nono-Mindo road, now an ecotourist route (Tandayapa Ecoroute and Mirador Ecoroute) which offers official protection, this famous road has many of the best birding places along it including BELLAVISTA, MINDO, PACHA QUIND, SACHATAMIA, SEPTIMO PARAISMO HOTEL, TANDAYAPA LODGE and VERDECOCHA, with sites such as YANACOCHA and others accessed via it (see rest of this account). It used to link Nono to Mindo but as Quito has expanded (so that Nono will soon be a suburb) links Quito to Mindo. A small section of the old road, just before the Mindo turn-off has been incorporated into the new highway, so the old road appears to stop at the new highway before reaching Mindo. The last section of the old road from the new highway to Mindo is now paved. Access from the Quito end is either via Avinida Occidental n end (on outskirts) where there is a turning (left heading out, requiring turning back on the in-bound highway to access) onto Machala Road (there is a sign across the highway saying Preservemos la Naturaleza). Follow Machala Road up, and this becomes the Nono-Mindo road (or for Yanacocha take the right hand turn above Nono through the gate, following the signs). An easier alternative is to leave Quito, passing the second (and last) pay toll, only a short way past this is a left turn onto a unsurfaced road which is signed Nono-Mindo Ecotourist Route, follow the Ecotourist Route signs. 

Birding is good anywhere along this road, though the best forest is in the mid-section between the turn-off for Yanacocha and Bellavista. Under the new designation reforestation along the route is taking place in some parts, and theoretically at least no more forest should be felled. The terrain is mountainous (between 1500m (Tandayapa) and 2750m (Nono area) with the road following one side of a steep and impressively forested valley from Quito, before crossing the Alambi river at Tandayapa village and climbing the opposite hillside towards Bellavista. The road continues to the junction of Miraflores road (Bellavista Research Centre road which descends to the main Quito highway). Carrying straight on past this junction leads eventually to a few scattered houses of Santa Rosa, the road then quickly descends to the Quito highway in a couple of km and emerges very close to the Mindo turn-off (KM76?).


FULL SPECIES LIST 

  • Tinamidae
  • Tawny-breasted Tinamou Nothocercus Julius
  • Curve-billed Tinamou Nothoprocta curvirostris
  • Anatidae
  • Torrent Duck Merganetta armata
  • Ardeidae
  • Fasciated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma fasciatum
  • Cathartidae
  • Andean Condor Vultur gryphus
  • Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
  • Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
  • Accipitridae
  • Hook-billed Kite Chondrohierax uncinatus
  • Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus
  • Double-toothed Kite Harpagus bidentatus
  • Plain-breasted Hawk Accipiter ventralis
  • Semicollared Hawk Accipiter collaris
  • Bicolored Hawk Accipiter bicolor
  • Barred Hawk Leucopternis princes
  • White-rumped Hawk Buteo leucorrhous
  • Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus
  • White-throated Hawk Buteo albigula
  • Variable Hawk Buteo polyosoma
  • Black Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus tyrannus
  • Black-and-chestnut Eagle Oroaetus isidori
  • Falconidae
  • Carunculated Caracara Phalcoboenus carunculatus
  • Barred Forest-Falcon Micrastur ruficollis
  • American Kestrel Falco sparverius
  • Aplomado Falcon Falco femoralis
  • Orange-breasted Falcon Falco deiroleucus
  • Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
  • Cracidae
  • Andean Guan Penelope montagnii
  • Sickle-winged Guan Chamaepetes goudotii
  • Odontophoridae
  • Dark-backed Wood-Quail Odontophorus melanonotus
  • Rallidae
  • Sora Porzana Carolina
  • Ecuadorian Rail Rallus aequatorialis
  • Scolopacidae
  • Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia
  • Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicuada
  • Andean Snipe Gallinago jamesoni
  • Imperial Snipe Gallinago imperialis
  • Columbidae
  • Band-tailed Pigeon Columba fasciata
  • Plumbeous Pigeon Columba plumbea
  • Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata
  • White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi
  • White-throated Quail-Dove Geotrygon frenata
  • Psittacidae
  • Barred Parakeet Bolborhynchus lineola
  • Red-billed Parrot Pionus sordidus
  • White-capped Parrot Pionus seniloides
  • Scaly-naped Amazon Amazona mercenaria
  • Cuculidae
  • Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana
  • Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani
  • Strigidae
  • Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus
  • Andean Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium jardinii
  • Rufous-banded Owl Strix albitarsis
  • Stygian Owl Asio stygius
  • Caprimulgidae
  • Rufous-bellied Nighthawk Lurocalis rufiventris
  • Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis
  • Band-winged Nightjar Caprimulgus longirostris
  • Swallow-tailed Nightjar Uropsalis segmentata
  • Apodidae
  • White-collared Swift Streptoprocne zonaris
  • Chestnut-collared Swift Streptoprocne rutilus
  • Trochilidae
  • Tawny-bellied Hermit Phaethornis syrmatophorus
  • Green Violetear Colibri thalassinus
  • Sparkling Violetear Colibri coruscans
  • Western Emerald Chlorostilbon melanorhynchus
  • Green-crowned Woodnymph Thalurania fannyi
  • Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl
  • Andean Emerald Amazilia franciae
  • Speckled Hummingbird Adelomyia melanogenys
  • Green-crowned Brilliant Heliodoxa jacula
  • Fawn-breasted Briliant Heliodoxa rubinoides
  • Giant Hummingbird Patagona gigas
  • Shining Sunbeam Aglaeactis cupripennis
  • Mountain Velvetbreast Lafresnaya lafresnayi
  • Great Sapphirewing Pterophanes cyanoperus
  • Brown Inca Coeligena wilsoni
  • Collared Inca Coeligena torquata
  • Buff-winged Starfrontlet Coeligena lutetiae
  • Sword-billed Hummingbird Ensifera ensifera
  • Buff-tailed Coronet Boissonneaua flavescens
  • Velvet-purple Coronet Boissonneaua jardini
  • Gorgeted Sunangel Heliangelus strophianus
  • Black-breasted Puffleg Eriocnemis nigrivestis
  • Glowing Puffleg Eriocnemis vestitus
  • Sapphire-vented Puffleg Eriocnemis luciani
  • Golden-breasted Puffleg Eriocnemis mosquera
  • Hoary Puffleg Haplophaedia lugens
  • Booted Racket-tail Ocreatus underwoodii
  • Black-tailed Trainbearer Lesbia victoriae
  • Green-tailed Trainbearer Lesbia nuna
  • Purple-backed Thornbill Ramphomicron microrhynchum
  • Tyrian Metaltail Metallura tyrianthina
  • Rainbow-bearded Thornbill Chalcostigma herrani
  • Mountain Avocetbill Opisthoprora euryptera
  • Long-tailed Sylph Aglaiocercus kingi
  • Violet-tailed Sylph Aglaiocercus coelestis
  • Wedge-billed Hummingbird Schistes geoffroyi
  • Purple-throated Woodstar Philodice mitchellii
  • White-bellied Woodstar Acestrura mulsant
  • Little Woodstar Acestrura bombus
  • Trogonidae
  • Crested Quetzal Pharomachrus antisianus
  • Golden-headed Quetzal Pharomachrus auriceps
  • Masked Trogon Trogon personatus
  • Momotidae
  • Rufous Motmot Baryphthengus martii
  • Bucconidae
  • White-faced Nunbird Hapaloptila castanea
  • Capitonidae
  • Toucan Barbet Semnornis ramphastinus
  • Ramphastidae
  • Crimson-rumped Toucanet Aulacorhynchus haematopygus
  • Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan Andigena laminirostris
  • Picidae
  • Crimson-mantled Woodpecker Piculus rivolii
  • Smoky-brown Woodpecker Veniliornis fumigatus
  • Bar-bellied Woodpecker Veniliornis nigriceps
  • Powerful Woodpecker Campephilus pollens
  • Furnariidae
  • Bar-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes fuscus
  • Azara’s Spinetail Synallaxis azarae
  • Slaty Spinetail Synallaxis brachyura
  • Rufous Spinetail Synallaxis unirufa
  • White-browed Spinetail Hellmayrea gularis
  • Red-faced Spinetail Cranioleuca erythrops
  • White-chinned Thistletail Schizoeaca fuliginosa
  • Many-striped Canastero Asthenes flammulata
  • Streaked Tuftedcheek Pseudocolaptes boissonneautii
  • Pearled Treerunner Margarornis squamiger
  • Spotted Barbtail Premnoplex brunnescens
  • Lineated Foliage-gleaner Syndactyla subalaris
  • Flammulated Treehunter Thripadectes flammulatus
  • Striped Treehunter Thripadectes holostictus
  • Streak-capped Treehunter Thripadectes virgaticeps
  • Dendrocolaptidae
  • Tyrannine Woodcreeper Dendrocincla tyrannina
  • Strong-billed Woodcreeper Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus
  • Montane Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes lacrymiger
  • Greater Scythebill Campylorhamphus pucherani
  • Thamnophilidae
  • Uniform Antshrike Thamnophilus unicolor
  • Long-tailed Antbird Drymophila caudate
  • Immaculate Antbird Myrmeciza immaculate
  • Formicariidae
  • Rufous-breasted Antthrush Formicarius rufipectus
  • Giant Antpitta Grallaria gigantean
  • Undulated Antpitta Grallaria squamigera
  • Scaled Antpitta Grallaria guatimalensis
  • Chestnut-crowned Antpitta Grallaria ruficapilla
  • Chestnut-naped Antpitta Grallaria nuchalis
  • Yellow-breasted Antpitta Grallaria flavotincta
  • Rufous Antpitta Grallaria rufula
  • Tawny Antpitta Grallaria quitensis
  • Rhinocrytidae
  • Ash-colored Tapaculo Myornis senilis
  • Unicolored Tapaculo Scytalopus latrans
  • Narino Tapaculo Scytalopus vicinior
  • Spillman’s Tapaculo Scytalopus spillmanni
  • Ocellated Tapaculo Acropternis orthonyx
  • Tyrannidae
  • Ashy-headed Tyrannulet Phyllomyias cinereiceps
  • Tawny-rumped Tyrannulet Phyllomyias uropygialis
  • White-crested Elaenia Elaenia albiceps
  • Sierran Elaenia Elaenia pallatangae
  • White-throated Tyrannulet Mecocerculus leucophrys
  • White-banded Tyrannulet Mecocerculus stictopterus
  • White-tailed Tyrannulet Mecocerculus poecilocercus
  • Tufted Tit-Tyrant Anairetes parulus
  • Streak-necked Flycatcher Mionectes striaticollis
  • Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant Pseudotriccus ruficeps
  • Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcher Poecilotriccus ruficeps
  • Flavescent Flycatcher Myiophobus flavicans
  • Handsome Flycatcher Myiophobus pulcher
  • Cinnamon Flycatcher Pyrrhomyias cinnamomea
  • Smoke-colored Pewee Contopus fumigatus
  • Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi
  • Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens
  • Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans
  • Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca fumicolor
  • Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca rufipectoralis
  • Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca cinnamomeiventris
  • Crowned Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca frontalis
  • Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca diadema
  • Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant Myiotheretes striaticollis
  • Smoky Bush-Tyrant Myiotheretes fumigatus
  • Paramo Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola alpine
  • Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola maculirostris
  • Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer
  • Golden-crowned Flycatcher Myiodynastes chroysocephalus
  • Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
  • Barred Becard Pachyramphus versicolor
  • White-winged Becard Pachyramphus polychopterus
  • Cotingidae
  • Red-crested Cotinga Ampelion rubrocristatusa
  • Barred Fruiteater Pipreola arcuata
  • Green-and-black Fruiteater Pipreola riefferii
  • Andean Cock-of-the-Rock Rupicola peruviana
  • Corvidae
  • Turquoise Jay Cyanolyca turcosa
  • Beautiful Jay Cyanolyca pulchra
  • Vireonidae
  • Brown-capped Vireo Vireo leucophrys
  • Turdidae
  • Andean Solitaire Myadestes ralloides
  • Black Solitaire Entomodestes coracinus
  • Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush Cathars fuscater
  • Swainson’s Thrush Catharus ustulatus
  • Great Thrush Turdus fuscater
  • Glossy-black Thrush Turdus serranus
  • Hirundinidae
  • Brown-bellied Swallow Notiochelidon murina
  • Blue-and-white Swallow Notiochelidon cyanoleuca
  • Southern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx ruficollis
  • Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
  • Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
  • Troglodytidae
  • Rufous Wren Cinnycerthia unirufa
  • Sepia-brown Wren Cinnycerthia olivascens
  • Grass Wren Cistothorus platensis
  • Bay Wren Thryothorus nigricapillus
  • Plain-tailed Wren Thyothorus euophrys
  • Whiskered Wren Thryothorus mystacalis
  • Mountain Wren Troglodytes solstitialis
  • Gray-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucophrys
  • Motacillidae
  • Paramo Pipit Anthus bogotensis
  • Parulidae
  • Tropical Parula Parula pitayumi
  • Blackburnian Warbler Dendroica fusca
  • Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia
  • Olive-crowned Yellowthroat Geothlypis semiflava
  • Slate-throated Whitestart Myioborus miniatus
  • Spectacled Whitestart Myioborus melanovephalus
  • Black-crested Warbler Basileuterus nigrocristatus
  • Three-striped Warbler Basileuterus tristriatus
  • Russet-crowned Warbler Basileuterus coronatus
  • Thraupidae
  • Cinereous Conebill Conirostrum cinereum
  • Blue-backed Conebill Conirostrum sitticolor
  • Capped Conebill Conirostrum albifrons
  • Giant Conebill Oreomanes fraseri
  • Bluish Flowerpiercer Diglossa caerulescens
  • Masked Flowerpiercer Diflossa cyanea
  • Indigo Flowerpiercer Diglossa indigotica
  • Glossy Flowerpiercer Diglossa lafresnayii
  • Black Flowerpiercer Diglossa humeralis
  • White-sided Flowerpiercer Diglossa albilatera
  • Rusty Flowerpiercer Diglossa sittoides
  • Rufous-chested Tanager Thlypopsis ornata
  • Fawn-breasted Tanager Pipraeidea melanonota
  • Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia Chlorophonia pyrrhophrys
  • Thick-billed Euphonia Euphonia laniirostris
  • Golden-rumped Euphonia Euphonia cyanocephala
  • Orange-bellied Euphonia Euphonia xanthogaster
  • Glistening-green Tanager Chlorochrysa phoenicotis
  • Golden Tanager Tangara arthus
  • Silver-throated Tanager Tangara icterocephala
  • Flame-faced Tanager Tangara parzudakii
  • Golden-naped Tanager Tangara ruficervix
  • Metallic-green Tanager Tangara labradorides
  • Beryl-spangled Tanager Tangara nigroviridis
  • Blue-and-black Tanager Tangara vassorii
  • Black-capped Tanager Tangara heinei
  • Golden-crowned Tanager Iridosornis rufivertex
  • Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus igniventris
  • Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus lacrymosus
  • Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus somptuosus
  • Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus notabilis
  • Hooded Mountain-Tanager Buthraupis Montana
  • Black-chested Mountain-Tanager Buthraupis eximia
  • Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager Dubusia taeniata
  • Grass-green Tanager Chlorornis riefferii
  • Blue-capped Tanager Thraupis cyanocephala
  • Blue-and-yellow Tanager Thraupis bonariensis
  • Lemon-rumped Tanager Ramphocelus icteronotus
  • Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
  • Dusky Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus semifuscus
  • Black-capped Hemispingus Hemispingus atropileus
  • Superciliaried Hemispingus Hemispingus superciliaris
  • Oleaginous Hemispingus Hemispingus frontalis
  • Western Hemispingus Hemispingus ochraceus
  • Plushcap Catamblyhynchus diadema
  • Cardinalidae
  • Black-winged Saltator Saltator atripennis
  • Southern Yellow-Grosbeak Pheucticus chrysogaster
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus
  • Emberizidae
  • Blue-black Grassquit Volatinia jacarina
  • Yellow-faced Grassquit Tiaris olivacea
  • Yellow-bellied Seedeater Sporophila nigricollis
  • Blue Seedeater Amaurospiza concolor
  • Plain-colored Seedeater Catamenia inornata
  • Paramo Seedeater Catamenia homochroa
  • Plumbeous Sierra-Finch Phrygilus unicolor
  • Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch Phrygilus plebejus
  • Grassland Yellow-Finch Sicalis luteola
  • Slaty Finch Haplospiza rustica
  • Rufous-naped Brush-Finch Atlapetes latinuchus
  • White-winged Brush-Finch Atlapetes leucopterus
  • Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch Buarremon brunneinucha
  • Stripe-headed Brush-Finch Buarremon torquatus
  • Tanager Finch Oreothraupis arremonops
  • Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis
  • Icteridae
  • Russet-backed Oropendola Psarocolius angustifrons
  • Giant Cowbird Molothrus oryzivorus
  • Fringillidae
  • Hooded Siskin Carduelis magellanica
  • Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria 

 

Author Jane Lyons, BSG

 

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