Reserva Yanacocha Area

eBird Hotspot Link: Reserva Yanacocha

Species - 250

Checklists - 4306

Projected Time at Site: Short (≈ 60minutes)

About the Area: 

Reserva Yanacocha, perched at 9,200' on the western slope of Volcán Pichincha just outside Quito, is a high-altitude cloud forest sanctuary that feels both remote and ethereal. The grounds are threaded with well-maintained trails that wind through lush montane vegetation—giant-leaved plants, moss-draped trees, and dense thickets of bamboo and ferns. Hummingbird feeders dot the paths, drawing in a dazzling cast of highland specialists like the Sword-billed Hummingbird, Great Sapphirewing, and Buff-winged Starfrontlet. The reserve’s hummingbird garden is a particular highlight, offering close-up views of these glittering species in misty, dreamlike settings. Despite its proximity to the city, Yanacocha feels worlds away, a place where the air is crisp, the silence profound, and the birds abundant.

The surrounding lands protect over 960 hectares of montane humid forest, a rare and fragile ecosystem that supports more than 120 bird species, many of them endemic or threatened. Most famously, Yanacocha is one of the last refuges of the critically endangered Black-breasted Puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis), a hummingbird with an extremely limited range and a haunting vulnerability to habitat loss. Mixed flocks sweep through the canopy, featuring Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers, Golden-crowned Tanagers, and Blue-backed Conebills, while the understory hosts elusive antpittas and tapaculos. The steep terrain and persistent fog create a mosaic of microclimates, each harboring its own avian community. Conservation efforts led by the Jocotoco Foundation have helped preserve this vital habitat, making Yanacocha not only a birding treasure but a beacon of high-Andean biodiversity and resilience.

Top Target Species:

Andean Guan, Tyrian Metaltail, Sapphire-vented Puffleg, Golden-breasted Puffleg, Shining Sunbeam, Buff-winged Starfrontlet, SWORD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD, Great Sapphirewing, Undulated Antpitta, Equatorial Antpitta, Tawny Antpitta, Ocellated Tapaculo, Blackish Tapaculo, Pearled Treerunner, Barred Fruiteater, White-banded Tyrannulet, White-throated Tyrannulet, Crowned Chat-Tyrant, Brown-bellied Swallow, Rufous Wren, Great Thrush, Gray-browed Brushfinch, Yellow-breasted Brushfinch, Spectacled Redstart, Superciliaried Hemispingus, Black-chested Mountain Tanager, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Blue-backed Conebill, Cinereous Conebill, Glossy Flowerpiercer, Black Flowerpiercer and Masked Flowerpiercer.

Recap and Reflections (How it played out)

(Stay tuned...)