Best Birding in Mindo, Ecuador
3-Days / 2-Nights
$355 per person
3-Day Birdwatching Experience with the Paz Family
Discover the magic of Ecuador’s cloud forest with a 3-day birdwatching experience at Refugio Paz de las Aves. This immersive tour not only offers incredible opportunities to spot some of the rarest bird species in the world but also provides a deeper connection to the heart and soul of the reserve—the Paz family.
A key highlight of your stay is the early morning visit to the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek, where you’ll witness the spectacular courtship display of brightly colored males. But the real magic lies in your chances to observe the five species of antpittas for which Refugio Paz is famous: Giant Antpitta, Ochre-breasted Antpitta, Moustached Antpitta, Chestnut-crowned Anpitta, and Yellow-breasted Antpitta. These elusive ground-dwellers can sometimes be shy or unpredictable, but with multiple mornings at the reserve, you’ll greatly improve your chances of seeing them all as Angel, Rodrigo, and Andy call them from the thick undergrowth.
Giant Anpitta
Ochre-breasted Antpitta
Moustached Antpitta
Chestnut-crowned Antpitta
Yellow-breasted Antpitta
In addition to exploring the Paz family’s reserve, your tour includes visits to neighboring areas rich in birdlife. These varied landscapes introduce you to an array of species while complementing your time on the family’s land, where tanagers and hummingbirds put on a spectacular show at the feeding stations. Over a dozen species of hummingbirds, including the remarkable Violet-tailed Sylph, frequent the feeders, making every quiet moment a rewarding opportunity to connect with nature.
What truly sets this tour apart is the chance to spend time with the Paz family. Staying overnight allows you to become part of the family’s daily rhythm and deepen your understanding of their passion for conservation and birdwatching. You’ll have extended opportunities observe family members in action, hear stories about how they transformed their land into a renowned bird sanctuary, and learn firsthand about the unique relationship they’ve cultivated with the birds.
With extended time, expert guidance, and the warmth of the Paz family, this 3-day birdwatching adventure offers more than just a glimpse of the birds of Ecuador—it gives you the time, space, and personal connection to fully embrace the cloud forest and its incredible wildlife.
Example Itinerary
This is a sample itinerary for our 3-day, 2-night birdwatching tour at Refugio Paz de las Aves. Birdwatching in the cloud forest requires flexibility, as the best sightings often depend on the birds and weather. Rest assured, we prioritize new and exciting bird encounters, adjusting schedules accordingly. We also tailor the experience to match your birding style. Whether you prefer a relaxed pace, are focused on expanding your life list, or are in search of a specific species, your tour will be adapted to make the most of every opportunity!
Arrival and First Encounters with the Forest
Your journey begins as you arrive at Refugio Paz de las Aves, a special place with primary cloud forest, secondary forests, and reclaimed farmland, making it an ideal location for many different types of birds. After settling in, you’ll take your first exploration of the reserve’s lush trails with one of the Paz family guides. The forest comes alive with the sounds and sights of Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, quetzals, tanagers, and quail.
Dinner will be served at the lodge restaurant around 6:30 pm. The evening offers a time to relax and prepare for an early morning start.
Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Antpittas, Toucans, & Many More Birds
The day starts early with a visit to the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek, where you’ll witness the unforgettable sight of these brightly colored males performing their energetic mating display. Afterward, the real challenge begins: seeking out the antpittas that have made Refugio Paz de las Aves famous.
Mid-morning, enjoy a delicious homemade breakfast.
Spend the late morning at the feeders, engaging with the hummingbirds, tanagers, and toucans, photographing birds to your heart’s content. Sometimes a Paz guide will suggest hiking a trail to see a new bird.
Early afternoon, enjoy a homemade lunch and a short rest before our afternoon birding session. Time for a nap or to sit by the feeders, though activity is light this time of day.
The afternoon is reserved for a visit to neighbors’ reserves, offering a different landscape and bird species to explore, while ensuring a full day of birdwatching. In the evening, you’ll return to the reserve for more birdwatching or enjoy a peaceful rest surrounded by nature.
After a delicious dinner in the early evening, head out on a night walk with a Paz family guide to hear and hopefully see owls and other night birds. For our nature lovers, we can also hunt for frogs and insects.
Trogons, Tanagers, and Trees
Your final day allows for a morning by the lodge where birds flock to breakfast on moths attracted by the light trap. This is a great opportunity to see Masked Trogon, tanagers, flycatchers, and other insect loving birds.
If you prefer to head out to see the antpittas or Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, let the Paz family know! There will also be time before and after breakfast to attempt to see those more difficult birds or enjoy time at the feeders.
You’ll also have the opportunity to leave your own legacy by planting a tree on the property, contributing to the reforestation of former cattle pasture land. With this simple act, you’ll support Fundación Paz de las Aves in its mission to restore critical habitats for future generations.
After a farewell lunch, you’ll leave the cloud forest with unforgettable memories of the birds, landscapes, and people who call it home.
This Itinerary Includes
- Expert Birding Guide
- Limited transportation within the reserve
- Lodging & Meals, including purified water and hot beverages
- Access to the grounds, including hummingbird gardens and feeding stations.
Not Included
- Transportation to and from Paz de Las Aves (add-on available)
- Tips for staff
- Travel insurance
Your Overnight Stay Helps the Forest
By choosing to stay overnight at Refugio Paz de las Aves, visitors play an active role in the reforestation of former cattle pastures and agricultural lands in the region. A portion of the fees from your stay is donated directly to Fundación Paz de las Aves, supporting their mission to restore and expand critical bird habitats.
Additionally, overnight guests have the unique opportunity to plant a tree during their visit, leaving a lasting impact on the landscape. This hands-on experience allows you to contribute to the long-term preservation of Ecuador’s cloud forest, helping to regenerate ecosystems for future generations of both birds and people.
Other Birdwatching Opportunities at Paz de Laz Aves
During your visit, in addition to the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock and the Antpittas, it is possible to see:
- Collared Aracari, Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, Chocó Toucan, Yellow-throated Toucan, and Crimson-rumped Toucanet.
- Tanagers like Beryl-spangled, Golden-hooded, Flame-faced, Black-chinned, Metallic-green, Blue-capped, Blue-gray, and many more.
- Hummingbirds like Violet-tailed Sylph, Velvet-purple Coronet, Purple-chested, Violet-bellied, White-booted Racket-tail, Empress Brilliant and others.
- Night birds to include Black-and-White Owl, Rufescent Screech-Owl, Mottled Owl, and Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl.
- Other species like the quetzals, raptors, antthrush, antbirds, woodcreepers, foliage-gleaners, fruiteaters, woodpeckers, nightjars, etc.
If you would like to see a complete list of birds, visit our eBird listing.
To maximize your opportunity to see all of these birds, especially those that visit in the early morning and late evening, consider staying the night on our 3-day tour or 4-day tour. Alternatively, we also offer a 7-day tour that includes other important birding zones of the West Slope.
Additional Information
October 27, 2024
Paz de Las Aves, Mindo, Ecuador
Lodging and Rooms
Our lodge is small, with a total of 4 rooms. Three of these rooms have queen-beds. One room has two twin beds. Each room has a private bathroom with hot water and shower. These rooms share a protected, outdoor living room where we serve early morning coffee and tea.
The lodge does have wifi, though weather can impact the strength of the signal.
Want to learn more? Visit our Lodge and Restaurant page.
Meals
Our team, with over 20 years of experience serving a diverse international birdwatching audience, offer thoughtfully prepared dishes. Whether you're enjoying Ecuadorian classics or familiar international favorites, we ensure every guest has delicious meals that meet their needs, including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free options with advanced notice.
For day-trip visitors, breakfast is included, and for overnight guests, meals are included from dinner on the day of arrival through lunch on the day of departure.
Want to learn more? Visit our Lodge and Restaurant page.
Reservations and Payments
Guests wishing to book directly with Refugio Paz de Las Aves should use our online booking system, powered by WeTravel.
A deposit is required at the time of booking. If you need to cancel before making the full payment, we will do our best to refund your deposit, minus any bank transfer and administrative fees. Cancellations must be made in writing.
Full payment is due 30 days before your arrival date.
Once the full payment is made, we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance to cover any unexpected situations. If you need to cancel, please first submit a claim to your insurance provider.
For bookings made within 30 days of arrival, full payment is required at the time of booking.
Price Adjustments
Refugio Paz de Las Aves may need to adjust rates for reservations made more than four months in advance of the travel date. Rapid changes in the global economy can affect costs for transportation, fuel, food, and other essentials. If an adjustment is necessary, we will inform you immediately.
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance. A good policy should cover reimbursement for travel expenses due to personal illness (including COVID-19), natural disasters, and/or political instability. We also highly advise buying health insurance that includes medical coverage within Ecuador and emergency evacuation. While Refugio Paz de Las Aves is within driving distance of Quito, emergency medical care is limited in our region. If evacuation is needed, you will be responsible for all associated costs.
Terms and Conditions
By making a reservation through email, WhatsApp, or our website, you (the client) agree to these terms and conditions.
If your reservation is made through a third party such as a travel agency, Mindo hotel, or private guide, their terms and conditions apply, and you should contact them directly with any issues.
Terms of Service
The scope of our services is detailed on our website. However, we reserve the right to adjust the itinerary due to unforeseen circumstances such as severe weather, national emergencies, changes in animal behavior, etc.
If your arrival time changes due to unforeseen circumstances, please notify us as soon as possible. We will work with you to arrange an alternate visit time. However, if you prefer to cancel, please note that you may forfeit your payment.
Privacy Policy
At Refugio Paz de las Aves, we are committed to protecting your privacy. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal information when you engage with our marketing campaigns and services.
Information that we collect:
We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when completing forms on our website or through Facebook ads. This information may include:
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
How We Use Your Information:
- To send you details and updates about our birdwatching tours
- To respond to your inquiries and assist with booking our services
- To send promotional emails about future activities and events at Refugio Paz de Las Aves
Changes to the Privacy Policy:
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the updated policy on this page.
Protecting Your Information:
We take reasonable measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or loss. We do not share your information with third parties unless it is necessary to provide our services to you. You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal information at any time. To do so, please contact us at info@refugiopazdelasaves.com or call us at +1 619 919 4985 (U.S.) or 0996494170 (Ecuador).
