Driver Naturalist Guide

08/05/2025

Flame-faced Tanager (Tangara parzudakii)

It's one of my favorite tanagers from the cloud forest; owner of a pretty accurate name.

19/04/2025

Black-capped Donacobius (Donacobius atricapilla)

A really amusing and colorful bird, dweller of black water lakes and swampy areas, this active bird claims its presence with wren like sounds that make me think of laser guns; a truly delightful bird to watch.

10/04/2025

A flash visit to Limoncocha lake (with Cabañas Antpitta) and its surroundings to explore the bird diversity; rainy weather, but nice sightings nonetheless.

28/03/2025

Owl Butterfly (Caligo sp.)

Large, beautiful, and eccentric species of a crepuscular neotropical butterfly... more than the eye of an owl, I see a moving snake.

22/03/2025

Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda)

A rather rare migratory bird that visits the high Andes from the northern latitudes, despite being a Sandpiper, this species is usually sighted in dry prairies more than marshes or river/lake shores looking for insects.

08/03/2025

Torrent Duck (Merganetta armata)

Among the birds, males are the ones who are supposed to bear the beautiful colors and patterns, but to me, female torrent ducks are stunning and elegant in their own way.

25/02/2025

Rufous-throated Tanager (Ixothraupis rufigula)

One of those little birds that require a second look to appreciate its true beauty. This small tanager inhabits the western cloud forests of the Andes between Ecuador and Colombia, where it can be considered an ecosystem indicator as it favors well preserved forests.

23/02/2025

Fabulous

Birds-of-paradise are even colorful in the dark, with feathers and body parts that glow a brilliant yellow-green under ultraviolet (UV) light, a new study found.

22/02/2025

Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)

Among a pretty difficult group of birds to identify, phalaropes stand out due to their polyandrie (females breed with several males/males are the ones taking care of the nest and chicks), and among the 3 existing phalarope species, this particular one is known for describing tight circles in the water while searching for food.

18/02/2025

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola peruvianus)

More than once I've experienced the struggle of photographing this strikingly colorful cotinga, the camera sensors simply seem to fail when trying to register this bright red and pictures not always come out well; so I know this is not the best picture but it is one of the best one I've got with my humble Nikon P950.

15/02/2025

Peruvian Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium peruanum)
Do not be fooled by the size of this cute owl, this is still a fierce and acute predator; distributed throughout the coast of Ecuador and Perú, this tiny owl is usually found on disturbed areas and even around countryside houses where its loud calls can be heard during the day as this species is diurnal.

14/02/2025

Choco Toucan (Ramphastos brevis)

Distributed throughout the Chocó region, this large and colorful toucan is quite difficult to tell apart from the sympatric Yellow-throated Toucan (unless it starts calling) on the field, as both share the same geberal color pattern.
* Clue: The featured species bears a black lower mandible and smaller size.