10,000 Birds is running a series of articles by and about tour guides, tour companies, eco-lodges, and other birding travel organizations. We want to help the birding tourism industry come back strong from the COVID pandemic. Please consider using the services described in this post or any of the other posts we are sharing this February.

Ecuador is one of the world’s leading destinations for birdwatchers, and no wonder: with more then 1,600 bird species found throughout the small country, Ecuador has the world’s highest density of bird species found per acre. In fact, 1,600 different bird species accounts for almost 20% of the species known to exist in the world. With Ecuador’s diverse geography, you can count on finding diverse birdlife wherever you are.

Mercedes Rivadeneira has been in the birding tourism and nature conservation business for over 30 years! She was the founder of Neblina Forest, the first birding company in South América! She is also the co-discoverer of the Jocotoco Antpitta together with Dr. Robert Ridgely and currently runs a boutique birding hotel in Quito, Ecuador.

The Puembo Birding Garden (https://puembobirdinggarden.com) is located in the town of Puembo, a historic and naturally preserved area in close proximity to Quito and its airport. The hotel is surrounded by a natural garden which is full of flowers and birds. This makes it attractive to nature lovers and birdwatchers, and a perfect starting point for birding trips throughout Ecuador.

Read more about what our previous guests have said about the lodge on our website or on Trip Advisor.

In 2019, we received the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence which accounts for the quality, quantity and recency of reviews submitted by travelers on Trip Advisor over a 12-month period. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall Trip Advisor bubble rating of at least four out of five.

However, the Puembo Birding Garden is just the beginning of greater adventures!

Mercedes knows Ecuador like no one else, and can organize the birding trip of a lifetime for you or your organization! Destinations include the Amazon rainforest, Andes highlands, eastern and western slope cloud forests, the Pacific coast and the Galapagos Islands. Ecuador offers unique opportunities for seeing endemic and hard-to-find species, all while maximizing large lists!

“Covid has hit Ecuador hard, but after 12 months without hosting any guests, we are happy to announce we are back in business!”

We are currently offering the opportunity of a lifetime to see a Harpy Eagle that is nesting in the Amazon lowlands, and guides are ready to work! Birding guides have been working hard to keep trails open at the lodges. One guide has been taking care of cattle. Another – raising and selling trout to survive.

Please come and visit, find out why Ecuador has long been one of the top birding destinations on the planet, and experience first-hand the amazing birding experience that Ecuador has to offer.

With Mercedes, you will be treated like family, and guaranteed to have the trip of a lifetime!

Written by a Guest
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