Mindo Cloud Forest

Mindo sits at around 1,250 metres on the western slope of the Andes, in the Chocó Andino cloud forest, and it packs an extraordinary number of bird species into a small area: several hundred have been recorded around the valley, including toucan barbets, cock-of-the-rock at their display leks, and a dizzying variety of hummingbirds that come to feeders in numbers that make photography almost too easy. The village itself is small and relaxed, built around birding lodges, butterfly farms and small chocolate makers who grow, ferment and roast on site. A hand-pulled cable car crosses a river gorge to a network of waterfall trails, and tubing down the river is the standard afternoon activity for anyone tired of binoculars.

What you actually see

• Hummingbird feeders - a dozen or more species at close range at the reserves and lodges.
• Cock-of-the-rock lek - the dawn display of the bright red males, at set viewing sites.
• The tarabita and waterfall trails - a cable car over the gorge to a chain of falls.
• Chocolate workshops - bean to bar tastings at small local producers.

When to go

June to September is drier, though this is cloud forest and rain is normal all year. Birding is at dawn, which means staying in the valley rather than driving from Quito. Afternoons are usually cloudier.

Honest expectations

It rains, often, and the trails are muddy and slippery; proper footwear matters. Serious birding requires an early start and a guide who knows the calls, without which you will see a fraction of what is there. The village has grown quickly and weekends bring day-trippers from Quito, so midweek is calmer and much better for birds.

Nearby

Quito is two hours east; the Chocó lowlands continue northwest towards the coast.