Ecuador Birds Tour & Mindo Cloud Forest - by Richard Hernandez

Recommended by 98% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Quito, Ecuador

9 to 10 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

See the incredible and unique birdlife of Ecuador with this birding excursion with an experienced guide. Departing in the early morning from Quito City or Mindo town, travel to private reserves and sanctuaries to discover species in their natural habitat. Potential spots include the Schistes geoffroyi, Andigena laminirostris and the Tangara heinei. The necessary equipment including a spotting scope, binoculars and tuned bird calls are included.

This experience is offered in English and Spanish
Bird recordings, books and lists are provided for your interest
Return transportation to Quito City is included for convenience
Enjoy a private activity restricted to your own group

What's Included

Experienced Bird Guide in English/Spanish- Richard Hernandez
Private transportation
spotting scope for birds, binoculars, laser pointer
Bird recordings, bird books
Bird lists

Breakfast
Lunch
Entrance fee - To private bird reserves or bird hides

$30.00 per person
Tips

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Quito hotel pick up time at 05:30AM. Mindo hotel pick up time at 06:30AM Pick ups and drop offs OUT of Quito city like Tababela airport, Pifo, Cumbaya or Tumbaco valleys have an EXTRA charge, you pay direct to Guide. Return time: by 3:00PM back to Quito, by 2:00PM back to Mindo town.

Operating hours
.5:30 am

Itinerary

Nanegalito

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Milpe Bird Sanctuary

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Mindo Cloudforest Foundation

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

San Miguel de los Bancos

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Tandayapa

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Pedro Vicente Maldonado

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 hours of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate

Proper dress and shoes for Nature
Just for birdwatchers, bird photographers, bird lovers
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

James_G

12 hours from pick-up to drop-off. Hit 4 spots plus saw a Toucan at lunch. In total 70 species, 13 Hummingbirds, 16 Tanagers 4 Toucans, Masked Trogon, Cock of the Rock and a Motmot. Quite a haul. Richard is knowledgeable both in where to go and in identifying birds. He has relationships with local landowners that provided access to great spots with blinds set up. He is friendly and eager to share what he knows. Highly recommend this tour for birders whether they are just starting or are veterans. He brought both a laser pointer to help us locate a bird and a scope to provide great looks- got a great look at a Yellow-throated Toucan through the scope. Best birding experience I’ve ever had.

Reviews

4.9

based on 41 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Birding from Quito

James_G, Mar 2026

Beautiful birds of Ecuador

Deborah_Y, Oct 2025

Richard was very knowledgeable and professional. He could identify the birds by sound, as well as by sight. We saw three types of toucans, queztal, motmots, and about fifteen other birds plus many hummingbirds. This is a wonderful tour if you are serious about seeing the many beautiful birds of Ecuador.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Your visit was invaluable for the conservation of the flora and birdlife of this region of Northwest Ecuador, thank you so much.

Bird Watching with Richard Hernandez.

Tina_S, Oct 2025

Richard Hernandez treated us to a FABULOUS day of Bird Watching! He is extremely knowledgeable, was attentive to our interests, and very personable. We'd highly recommend Richard to anyone wanting a memorable birding experience in the Mindo Cloud Forest or beyond.

Richard is very...

margaret_g, Aug 2025

Richard is very knowledgeble about his country's birds. He also provided information about Ecuador as we traveled through the different agricultural zonesl

Richard was so passionate...

Monika_P, Jun 2025

Richard was so passionate and knowledgeable about Birds. We learned a lot and saw 80 different species while with him. He was very accommodating! We had an academic conversation on the extinction of the Karen. Our favorite was the pageantry of the hummingbirds!

Richard was awesome

Todd_L, Jun 2025

Richard was extremely bird knowledgeable, intelligent and had a great sense of humor. If we come back to Ecuador, we most definitely would use him again. We saw a few species of toucans, a ton of species of hummingbirds and much much more. Definitely let Richard know in advance if you want to go for photography vs just birdwatching.

This was a great tour. ...

Rachel_R, Jun 2025

This was a great tour. Richard is a friendly and knowledgeable guide. He knew when and where we needed to be in order to spot some amazing birds, including the cock-of-the-rock and a toucan, which was the bird I most wanted to see. Amazing day!