New, private itineraries in Ecuador offer thrills for bird watchers
By Chris Miller
Photos courtesy of Sacha Lodge
Birders are in for an exotic treat. Sacha Lodge, an accessible, 5000-acre private ecological reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon, is offering an array of new, private birding itineraries. Of 1,600 bird species registered in Ecuador, 600 have been seen at Sacha Lodge. Better yet, the lodge’s specialist field guides know the best spots for the hard-to-find species and can identify them by sight and sound. Guests can spot about 60 distinct species of birds per day.
Some of the rarest bird species you might see at Sacha Lodge include the Zigzag Heron, Scarlet-Shouldered Parrotlet, Lanceolated Monklet, Collared Puffbird, Rufous-headed Woodpecker, Short-billed Leaftosser, Dot-backed Antbird, Ochre-striped Antpitta, Chestnut-belted Gnateater and Orange-crested Manakin.
New birding itineraries on offer include nighttime expeditions, the Yasuni Parrot Clay Lick, the 940-foot-long Canopy Walk, the 360-degree panoramic Kapok Tower and the only Canopy Exploration Crane in the Amazon. The crane provides access to a part of the rainforest still largely undiscovered.
But birds aren’t the only creatures you’ll see. The reserve is also home to monkeys, river otters, three-toed sloths, bats and tiny pygmy marmosets. Guests don’t rough it here, though. Accommodations include luxurious beds, hot water showers, ceiling fans and bug-proofed windows. sachalodge.com
