Andean Birding was founded in order to promote responsible bird tourism. Beyond our commitment to provide you with the best bird trip for a great price, our mission is to foster bird conservation and to further ornithological research in the Andean region through direct involvement and devotion of a major portion of our time to such ends. We also design our tours, when at all possible, to stay at lodges which
are run by conservation organizations such as the Jocotoco Foundation (the most effective bird conservation group in Ecuador) or hotels, which preserve substantial tracks of forest and demonstrate a clear environmental mission. These lodges are more expensive but the proceeds go directly to conservation. Wildsumaco Andean Birding works closely with Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary and our mission to promote bird
conservation in the Andean region continues with the Rio Pucuno Foundation, started by the owners of Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary. This bird conservation project in the eastern foothills off the Loreto Road, has acquired 325 acres (130 ha) of subtropical forest which harbors more than 350 species including many foothill specialties, 13 threatened and 14 restricted range species. The area is threatened by slash-and-burn farming. At present the anticipated opening of
Wildsumaco Lodge will be in November 2007. Wildsumaco's already fine trail system continues to be upgraded and expanded, and the road is improved. The birdlist is up to 352 species and climbing, with many rare eastern foothill specialties. Through the non-profit Rio Pucuno Foundation contributions are accepted for forest purchase and conservation in the Sumaco area. You can visit www.wildsumaco.com for information and details about either Wildsumaco Lodge or Rio Pucuno Foundation.
By choosing Andean Birding you will help protect bird species and their habitats in Ecuador.
La Florida Reserve, Intag
This private reserve located west of Otavalo in northern Ecuador, maintains some of Imbabura province's last remaining subtropical cloud forest. Home to 8 threatened bird species as well as 6 Chocó endemics, the reserve harbors healthy leks of Andean Cock-of-the-rock and at least 3 pairs of the rare White-faced Nunbird. The main access road was in the process of being widened by the local provincial council with no environmental concern, trees cut and road fill
being dumped directly onto remnant cloud forest. Andean Birding obtained a letter drafted by Aves y Conservación which put pressure on the council to mend their ways and Charlie has been monitoring the situation closely. The area has sustained an onslaught of threats from mining interests, more recently from a Canadian company, Ascendant Mining Co. To see
more about conservation issues in Intag please visit the following site: www.decoin.org | 
