Site Report: Buenaventura, Ecuador

Buenaventura

Emerald Cuckoo-Orchid Bee (Exaerete smaragdina)

Guayaquil Woodpecker (Campephilus gayaquilensis) - Male

Gray-backed Hawk (Pseudastur occidentalis)

Red Peacock (Anartia amathea)

Guayaquil Woodpecker (Campephilus gayaquilensis) - Female

Violet-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus coelestis) - Female

Pearl Moth (Midila sp)

Pearl Moth (Spilomelinae sp)

Tufted Moth (Nolidae sp)

Armyworm Moth (Spodoptera sp)

Gray-backed Hawk (Pseudastur occidentalis)

Green Thorntail (Discosura conversii) - Female

Thermesiini Moth (Feigeria magna)

Choerocampina Moth (Xylophanes anubus)

Plume Moth (Pterophoridae sp)

Choerocampina Moth (Xylophanes anubus)

Groundling Moth (Condica imitata)

Lichen Moth (Erebidae sp)

Hypoptinae Moth (Langsdorfia sp)

Concealer Moth (Stenoma sp)

Cotton Stainer Bug (Dysdercus sp)

Groundling Moth (Condica cupentia)

South American Coati (Nasua nasua)

Carpet Moth (Psaliodes sp)

Pearl Moth (Diasemiopsis sp)

Plume Moth (Pterophoridae sp)

Tiger Moth (Dysschema sp)

Cutworm Moth (Noctuidae sp)

Patent Leather Beetle (Passalini sp)

Violet-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus coelestis)

Brown Violetear (Colibri delphinae)

Collared Trogon (Trogon collaris)

White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora)

Darien Shade Lizard (Alopoglossus harrisi)

Tree Cricket (Oecanthidae sp)

Groundling Moth (Condica sp)

Pearl Moth (Crambidae sp)

Erebid Moth (Eribidae sp)

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift (Panyptila cayennensis)

Olive-striped Flycatcher (Mionectes galbinus)

White-bearded Manakin (Manacus manacus)

Zeledon's Antbird (Hafferia zeledoni)

Black-and-white Owl (Strix nigrolineata)

Red Postman (Heliconius erato)

Green-crowned Brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula)

Plain-brown Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla fuliginosa)

Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola)

Silver-throated Tanager (Tangara icterocephala)

Golden-naped Tanager (Tangara ruficervix)

Violet-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus coelestis aethereus) Female

Violet-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus coelestis aethereus) At Nest

Smoke-colored Pewee (Contopus fumigatus)

Bronze-winged Parrot (Pionus chalcopterus)

Anthony's Poison Frog (Epipedobates anthonyi)

One-colored Becard (Pachyramphus homochrous)

Thick-billed Seed-Finch (Sporophila funerea)

Brown Inca (Coeligena wilsoni)

Russet Antshrike (Thamnistes anabatinus)

Club-winged Manakin (Machaeropterus deliciosus)

Geometer Moth (Geometridae sp)

Angle Moth (Macariini sp)

Green Stink Bug (Chinavia runaspis)

Plain Plume Moth (Hellinsia homodactylus)

Cutworm Moth (Noctuidae sp)

Wave Moth (Leptostales sp)

Geometer Moth (Geometridae sp)

Tufted Moth (Nolini sp)

Cutworm Moth (Leptostales sp)

Cutworm Moth (Orthodes sp)

Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)

Emerald Moth (Chloropteryx sp)

Cockroach (Anaplecta sp)

Pergid Sawfly (Pergidae sp)

Tiger Moth (Macrocneme sp)

Sharpshooter (Tylozygus fuscolineellus)

Dusky Chlorospingus (Chlorospingus semifuscus)

El Oro Parakeet (Pyrrhura orcesi)

Gray-breasted Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucophrys)

White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora)

Thermesiini Moth (Feigeria herilia)

Ochraceous Attila (Attila torridus)

Lesser Greenlet (Pachysylvia decurtata)

White Satyr (Pareuptychia ocirrhoe)

Darkling Beetle (Xystropodina sp)

Tiger Beetle (Pseudoxycheila sp)

Lichen Moth (Erebidae sp)

Orion Cecropian (Historis odius)

White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora)

Black-striped Sparrow (Arremonops conirostris)

Bay Wren (Thryothorus nigricapillus)

A reserve on the Eastern Andes a few hours from Guayaquil. To arrive by sunrise, we took a taxi from the nearby town. We were expecting a lodge of some sort, but we went to a different part of the reserve. There were small pockets of forest intermixed with cow pastures.

Map of Site Report: Buenaventura, Ecuador

Visits

2006-11-26: We took a taxi early morning and walked around here for a couple of hours with occasional light rain. In addition to the birds, there were really large moths dead at the nearby altar.
2025-07-06: We arrived at the reserve just as it was starting to get dark. The first photo from the trip was going to be an owl!
2025-07-07: We had returned to the Buenaventura area because the last time, we missed the El Oro Parakeet. After a short drive, we were in the best area to see the parakeet, and there it was. After, we visited a couple of spots on the way back down the hill as well as some trails in the main reserve. While having lunch, a medium-sized black bird flew into a nearby tree. Not sure why I didn't go running to take the photo of the umbrellabird.
2025-07-08: We took a walk around the reserve in the morning before heading off to the next place.

Species Seen

Kingdom: Animals (147 records)

Phylum: Arthropods (48 records)

Class: Insects (48 records)

Order: Bees, Wasps, and Ants (2 records)
- Family: Apidae
- Emerald Cuckoo-Orchid Bee (Exaerete smaragdina)
- Family: Pergid Sawflies
- Pergid Sawfly (Pergidae sp)

Order: Beetles (3 records)
- Family: Darkling Beetles
- Darkling Beetle (Xystropodina sp)
- Family: Scarabs
- Patent Leather Beetle (Passalini sp)
- Family: Tiger Beetles
- Tiger Beetle (Pseudoxycheila sp)

Order: Butterflies and Moths (38 records)
- Family: Brush-footed Butterflies
- Orion Cecropian (Historis odius)
- Red Peacock (Anartia amathea)
- Red Postman (Heliconius erato)
- White Satyr (Pareuptychia ocirrhoe)
- Family: Carpenter and Leopard Moths
- Hypoptinae Moth (Langsdorfia sp)
- Family: Concealer Moths
- Concealer Moth (Stenoma sp)
- Family: Crambid Snout Moths
- Pearl Moth (Crambidae sp)
- Pearl Moth (Diasemiopsis sp)
- Pearl Moth (Midila sp)
- Pearl Moth (Spilomelinae sp)
- Family: Cutworm Moths and Allies
- Armyworm Moth (Spodoptera sp)
- Cutworm Moth (Noctuidae sp)
- Cutworm Moth (Noctuidae sp)
- Cutworm Moth (Noctuidae sp)
- Cutworm Moth (Orthodes sp)
- Groundling Moth (Condica cupentia)
- Groundling Moth (Condica imitata)
- Groundling Moth (Condica sp)
- Family: Geometer Moths
- Angle Moth (Macariini sp)
- Carpet Moth (Psaliodes sp)
- Emerald Moth (Chloropteryx sp)
- Geometer Moth (Ennominae sp)
- Geometer Moth (Geometridae sp)
- Wave Moth (Leptostales sp)
- Family: Plume Moths
- Plain Plume Moth (Hellinsia homodactylus)
- Plume Moth (Pterophoridae sp)
- Plume Moth (Pterophoridae sp)
- Family: Sphinx Moths
- Choerocampina Moth (Xylophanes anubus)
- Family: Tufted Moths
- Tufted Moth (Nolidae sp)
- Tufted Moth (Nolini sp)
- Family: Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths
- Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)
- Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)
- Lichen Moth (Erebidae sp)
- Lichen Moth (Erebidae sp)
- Thermesiini Moth (Feigeria herilia)
- Thermesiini Moth (Feigeria magna)
- Tiger Moth (Dysschema sp)
- Tiger Moth (Macrocneme sp)

Order: Cockroaches and Termites (1 record)
- Family: Household Cockroaches
- Cockroach (Anaplecta sp)

Order: Grasshoppers, Katydids and Crickets (1 record)
- Family: Tree and Bush Crickets
- Tree Cricket (Oecanthidae sp)

Order: True Bugs (3 records)
- Family: Leaf-footed Bugs
- Cotton Stainer Bug (Dysdercus sp)
- Family: Stink Bugs
- Green Stink Bug (Chinavia runaspis)
- Family: Typical Leafhoppers
- Sharpshooter (Tylozygus fuscolineellus)

Phylum: Chordates (99 records)

Class: Amphibians (1 record)

Order: Toads and Frogs (1 record)
- Family: Tree Frogs
- Anthony's Poison Frog (Epipedobates anthonyi)

Class: Birds (96 records)

Order: Doves and Pigeons (1 record)
- Family: Pigeons and Doves
- Ochre-bellied Dove (Leptotila ochraceiventris)

Order: Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies (4 records)
- Family: Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Gray-backed Hawk (Pseudastur occidentalis)
- Gray-headed Kite (Leptodon cayanensis)
- Roadside Hawk (Rupornis magnirostris)
- Variable Hawk (Geranoaetus polyosoma)

Order: Hummingbirds and Swifts (11 records)
- Family: Swifts
- Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift (Panyptila cayennensis)

Order: Owls And Nightjars (1 record)
- Family: Typical Owls
- Black-and-white Owl (Strix nigrolineata)

Order: Parrots (3 records)
- Family: New World Parrots
- Bronze-winged Parrot (Pionus chalcopterus)
- El Oro Parakeet (Pyrrhura orcesi)
- Rose-faced Parrot (Pyrilia pulchra)

Order: Pelicans (1 record)
- Family: Falcons and Caracaras
- Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus)

Order: Perching Birds (64 records)
- Family: American Blackbirds and Orioles
- Yellow-rumped Cacique (Cacicus cela)
- Family: Bananaquit
- Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola)
- Family: Cardueline Finches and Allies
- Guira Tanager (Hemithraupis guira)
- Family: Cotingas
- One-colored Becard (Pachyramphus homochrous)
- Family: New World Sparrows
- Orange-billed Sparrow (Arremon aurantiirostris)
- Family: New World Warblers
- Buff-rumped Warbler (Myiothlypis fulvicauda)
- Gray-and-gold Warbler (Myiothlypis fraseri)
- Tropical Parula (Setophaga pitiayumi)
- Family: Old World Buntings
- Black-striped Sparrow (Arremonops conirostris)
- Family: Ovenbirds and Woodcreepers
- Azara's Spinetail (Synallaxis azarae)
- Northern Plain-Xenops (Xenops mexicanus)
- Plain-brown Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla fuliginosa)
- Spotted Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus erythropygius)
- Family: Swallows
- Blue-and-white Swallow (Pygochelidon cyanoleuca)
- Family: Tapaculo
- Ecuadorian Tapaculo (Scytalopus robbinsi)
- Family: Thrushes and Allies
- Ecuadorian Thrush (Turdus maculirostris)
- Family: Treecreepers
- Song Wren (Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus)
- Family: Typical Antbirds
- Black-crowned Antshrike (Thamnophilus atrinucha)
- Chestnut-backed Antbird (Poliocrania exsul)
- Russet Antshrike (Thamnistes anabatinus)
- Zeledon's Antbird (Hafferia zeledoni)
- Family: Vireos
- Brown-capped Vireo (Vireo leucophrys)
- Lesser Greenlet (Pachysylvia decurtata)

Order: Trogons (1 record)
- Family: Trogons
- Collared Trogon (Trogon collaris)

Order: Turkey-like birds (3 records)
- Family: Chachalacas, Guans, and Curassows
- Crested Guan (Penelope purpurascens)
- Rufous-headed Chachalaca (Ortalis erythroptera)
- Family: New World Quail
- Rufous-fronted Wood-Quail (Odontophorus erythrops)

Order: Vultures (2 records)
- Family: New World Vultures
- Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
- Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

Order: Woodpeckers, Barbets, Toucans, and Honeyguides (5 records)
- Family: Piculets and Woodpeckers
- Guayaquil Woodpecker (Campephilus gayaquilensis)

Class: Mammals (1 record)

Order: Carnivorans (1 record)
- Family: Procyonidae
- South American Coati (Nasua nasua)

Class: Reptiles (1 record)

Order: Lizards and Snakes (1 record)
- Family: Shade Lizards
- Darien Shade Lizard (Alopoglossus harrisi)

Site Report: Buenaventura, Ecuador

Visits

Species Seen

Lifelists

Trips