29 May 2026

Roughly two hours drive from Quito lies one of the most enchanting forests in the world. Situated in the montane transition zone between the high Andes and the Pacific lowlands, the Mindo Cloud Forest easily makes it onto any list of the top 10 birding destinations in the world.

Roughly 500 species of birds make this region their home. You won’t find all of those species in one place, though. A key reason that the area has such a high species diversity is that the mountain slopes form multiple ecological zones that are defined by specific elevation ranges - with each zone hosting a different suite of plants and animals. Since the valley walls are so steep, all of those ecological zones are packed together within a relatively small area. Thus, on a day trip from Quito you can visit multiple elevation zones, and observe an astonishing variety of species.

The Mindo region is particularly renowned for its diversity in three groups of birds: hummingbirds (~50 species), tanagers (~55 species) and toucans/barbets (7 species), and we did our best to see as many of these species as we could. In addition there is one super-charismatic species, the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock - a big, fluorescent-scarlet bird sporting an over-sized, puffy crest that completely obscures its beak. We hoped to add this one to the list as well.

Over the course of our day in the Mindo Cloud Forest we visited four different reserves, each one in a different elevation zone. By the time the day was done, we had seen 47 species of birds. Here is a gallery of some of our favorite moments from an extraordinary day.

Sparkling Hummingbirds

Usually trying to see hummingbirds (let alone photograph them) is a lesson in patience - and frustration. They move so incredibly fast among flowers in the wild, and they never sit still for long. In our experience, it can take hours of effort, even to just identify some hummingbirds.

Yet at the various bird reserves within the Mindo Cloud Forest, they have totally changed the equation. Each reserve we visited had a comfortable viewing area overlooking numerous hummingbird feeders and plants covered with the birds’ favorite flowers. It was almost luxurious to sit in chairs and watch the hummingbirds come to us - often close enough to photograph - as they gorged themselves on the endless supply of nectar and sugar water.

Each bird reserve we visited in the Mindo Cloud Forest had a comfortable viewing area with numerous hummingbird feeders close by. At this one, we were even protected from the rain by an awning. Cotinga Bird Reserve, Mindo Cloud Forest, Pichincha Province, Ecuador. Copyright © 2019-2026 Pedals and Puffins.

Over the course of the day we were able to identify a total of 18 different species of hummingbirds (although there were a couple more that “got away”). Their names were often fanciful, long and complicated - an amusing trend for naming such tiny birds. Yet we could appreciate the whimsy when we saw the actual birds. Each one sparkled when the sunlight caught its feathers just right.

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Frequently, multiple species of hummingbirds would gather at a single feeder. Fawn-breasted Brilliant and White-necked Jacobin. Alambi Nature Reserve, Mindo Cloud Forest, Pichincha Province, Ecuador. Copyright © 2019-2026 Pedals and Puffins.

One of the most captivating experiences at the reserves within the Mindo Cloud Forest was the ability to literally hold a hummingbird in your hand. At two of the sites we visited, many of the individual hummingbirds were so unafraid of humans that they would visit a feeder held by a person, and even sit on your fingers while they drank the nectar. It was extraordinarily moving to see these delicate, little creatures glittering just inches away.

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Velvet-purple Coronet. Cotinga Bird Reserve, Mindo Cloud Forest, Pichincha Province, Ecuador. Copyright © 2019-2026 Pedals and Puffins.

Violet-tailed Sylph. Cotinga Bird Reserve, Mindo Cloud Forest, Pichincha Province, Ecuador. Copyright © 2019-2026 Pedals and Puffins.

Spectacular Tanagers

The hummingbirds were magical, but the tanagers were bewitching in their own way. There are few other types of birds that come in such a mind-blowing assortment of glowing colors. Bright blues and yellows were typical, with black, green and orange rounding out the mix.

Most of the tanagers in the cloud forest were fruit-eaters. So the feeding stations at the bird reserves drew them in with bananas. We easily saw 16 different species of tanagers as they gathered around the bananas for a snack.

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Golden Tanagers and Golden-naped Tanagers gathered around the bananas. Cotinga Bird Reserve, Mindo Cloud Forest, Pichincha Province, Ecuador. Copyright © 2019-2026 Pedals and Puffins.

Barbets and Toucans

It’s fair to say that nearly everyone who visits the cloud forest would love to see any of the resident toucans and barbets. These birds are so emblematic of the cloud forest that they are usually the ones whose image appears on marketing materials for nature tours.

Unlike the tanagers which are sleekly elegant, toucans and barbets are clothed in wild, almost clown-like patterns of bright, contrasting colors. They are only found in the tropics (whereas some hummingbird and tanager species make it to temperate zones) - so they have the extra appeal of being unfamiliar to many people. And let’s face it, toucans in particular just look so very different from anything else, that they seem especially exotic. It is, absolutely, a thrill to see one.

In the Mindo Cloud Forest we saw four different species - two barbets and two toucans. All of them were on our wish list, so each sighting was a delight. The Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan was especially exciting, because of its very-restricted range and exuberant colors.

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Two Gorgeous, Bonus Birds

We ended the day with a side trip to a very informal viewing site for one of the area’s most flamboyant birds.

Twenty-five years ago we had actually seen a breeding group of Andean Cock-of-the-Rock birds outside of Quito, when a friend-of-a-friend took us on a grueling, pre-dawn hike up the side of a mountain through ankle-deep mud. We worked really hard for that first sighting.

These days, the trek is a whole lot easier. We drove just about a mile off the main highway, down a gravel road. When we reached an area with a homemade, wooden sign with a Cock-of-the-Rock painted on it, we had just a short walk down a well-maintained trail to reach a wooden bird blind. From there, we watched 8-10 neon-scarlet birds bobbing their heads and calling to each other as they flew back and forth among the towering trees of the cloud forest. It was a wonderful reunion with an extraordinary species.

As a bonus, we caught sight of a Golden-headed Quetzal (another bird we had seen near Quito 25 years ago), resting on a branch near the gravel road.

The Wonderful Birds of the Mindo Cloud Forest, Ecuador

Sparkling Hummingbirds

Spectacular Tanagers

Barbets and Toucans

Two Gorgeous, Bonus Birds

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The Wonderful Birds of the Mindo Cloud Forest, Ecuador

Sparkling Hummingbirds

Spectacular Tanagers

Barbets and Toucans

Two Gorgeous, Bonus Birds

Click here for quick links to all of our other Cycling the Americas blog pages

Cycling the Pan-American Highway in Ecuador, Part 1: Cuenca to Quito