Tidbits
APPROACHING 500 SPECIES! Since the first of 2011, the Wildsumaco Bird List has increased by 19 species, and now stands at 491! The two latest additions, both in December 2011, were Long-billed Gnatwren and the very rare Red-winged Wood-Rail. Check out or download the full Wildsumaco Bird List elsewhere on this website.
Available to Wildsumaco guests only: Wildsumaco is feeding antpittas! They began coming in to feed on worms a month or 2 ago, and now come in for breakfast almost every day!
Make your reservation now to stay at Wildsumaco Lodge and a have a chance on Plain-backed Antpitta or Ochre-breasted Antpitta!
Now available at the lodge, we've developed 2 bird lists, one giving an estimate (not a promise!) of what an average birder might reasonably hope to see on his own, on a 3-night visit without a guide or playback. The other list, more aimed at guides and hard-core birders, describes relative abundance of all species, on the large elevational gradient that is Wildsumaco, from Loreto Road to the southern boundaries of Gran Sumaco National Park. The latter is our original list, and remains on this website. Contact info@wildsumaco.com for either list, or check them out at the lodge on arrival.
Many people combine their interest in birds with an interest in butterflies and photography. Check out the link at the bottom of this page to see some really nice butterfly photos taken during a couple of spring-time visits to Wildsumaco; these folks were so happy with the butterflies they found here, that they set up a website with their photos!
A most fortunate guest was walking on the main road a distance below the Wildsumaco garage recently, saw something in the grass next to the road, and realized that he was seeing a Puma! They stared at each other for a moment before the cat jumped away. Wow, what an amazing mid-day sight!
One delighted guest recently wrote in our guest book, "Now perhaps the best set of hummingbird feeders anywhere!"
After a period of generally low hummingbird activity around the feeders and lodge, suddenly numbers of both individuals and of species increased in May-July. We began seeing at least 2 males and a female of the very rare in Ecuador Lazuline Sabrewing, and Long-billed Starthroat has been seen several times recently. Eighteen to 20 hummingbird species were the norm this past May, June and July. One guest recorded 24 species in and around our feeders in mid August, and the next day added Blue-fronted Lancebill to his list!
Since then, however, numbers of species visiting the Wildsumaco feeders have dropped, and people see our more normal average of 13-14 species. Clearly, the time to visit and hope to see a most spectacular array of hummingbirds is the May to mid-August period!
Construction of the much-anticipated Wildsumaco Biological Station (WBS) is complete! Our fist academic group arrived in January 2012, and an official ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for March. Officials representing Francis Marion University, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and Rio Pucuno Foundation are expected to attend the ceremonies.
While priority at WBS will always be given to academic groups, when they aren't using it the station will be operated under the name Hostal Wildsumaco, and available to budget-conscious travelers. Birders not requiring all the amenities of Wildsumaco Lodge can avail themselves of lower-cost accommodations, and still visit the Wildsumaco trails and hummingbird feeders. For additional information, visit the Wildsumaco Lodge page of this website, or see Projects, Rio Pucuno Foundation.
Ocelot has been positively identified from camera trap photos! Wildsumaco now officially boasts 4 species of cat: Ocelot, Margay, Puma and Jaguarundi - an exciting group of cats to have documented by photos!
Now you can travel with Wildsumaco! After many requests, Wildsumaco now offers great, cost-conscious tours of the Andes' eastern slope. Journey with Wildsumaco Birdtours from Quito to the heights of Papallacta, and on down to Wildsumaco Lodge in the foothills, visiting at all the important birding locations and elevations on the way. This trip may be taken with or without a professional bird guide. Contact us at info@wildsumaco for costs and details.
Mammals that have been seen or camera trapped on the reserves of Wildsumaco and Rio Pucuno Foundation include GRISON, PUMA, NAPO TAMARIN and WHITE-FRONTED CAPUCHIN, WHITE-BELLIED SPIDER monkeys, SPECTACLED BEAR, KINKAJOU, MARGAY, COLLARED PECCARY and TWO-TOED SLOTH.
A complete list of mammal species caught on camera traps or seen on our reserve is found at the end of the Wildsumaco Bird List, elsewhere on this website. Although photos of many mammal species are scattered throughout the website, most of our mammal photos are on the Rio Pucuno Foundation pages (click link at top of page).
We're happy to announce that Rio Pucuno Foundation is now affiliated with World Land Trust-US (WLT-US). US citizens may make tax-deductible donations to Rio Pucuno Foundation in 1 of 2 ways:
You can mail a check to WLT-US, 2806 P. Street NW, Washington, D.C. Please designate "Rio Pucuno Foundation" both on the check and in a cover letter.
To use a credit card, you can go to the WLT-US website below and click on "You Can Help/Donate Now". If you use a credit card, BE SURE to enter "Rio Pucuno Foundation" in the designation box below "additional information", to ensure that RPF receives your donation.
Every donation, large or small, helps RPF preserve forest, and is gratefully received.
Now open for over 3 years, Wildsumaco Lodge has hosted guests from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Netherlands, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States.
A number of our visitors have generously shared their bird photos with us. Rest your cursor over a photo, and the name of the species and the photographer will appear. We appreciate and thank our many friends who have let us use their photographs of the birds they've seen in Wildsumaco.
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