Black-and-white Treehopper (Membracis foliatafasciata)

Black-and-white Treehopper (Membracis foliatafasciata)

These artistic insects suck sap from the wild mango tree at the welcome center of Napo Wildlife Center (where you start your canoe journey up the creek to the…


Great Sapphirewing (Pterophanes cyanopterus)

Great Sapphirewing (Pterophanes cyanopterus)

A female great sapphirewing (Pterophanes cyanopterus). Altitude 2706 metres. It sounds like this: Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve,…


Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera)

Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera)

This sword-billed hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera) simply defies logic and forces of nature! Despite the enormous length of the beak, it flies just like any…


Collared Inca (Coeligena torquata)

Collared Inca (Coeligena torquata)

The distinctive, large white chest makes it quite easy to recognize the collared inca (Coeligena torquata), even for novice birders. Altitude 2706 metres. It…


White-bellied Woodstar (Chaetocercus mulsant)

White-bellied Woodstar (Chaetocercus mulsant)

The small woodstars can be difficult to classify, but the first is to eliminate by range, as well as to look in the local birdlist. In this case only the…


Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina)

Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina)

Altitude 2706 metres. It sounds like this: Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve, Ecuador-0.378333,-78.074167


White-bellied Woodstar (Chaetocercus mulsant)

White-bellied Woodstar (Chaetocercus mulsant)

The small woodstars can be difficult to identify, but the first is to eliminate by range, as well as to look in the local birdlist. In this case only the…


Hypericum laricifolium

Hypericum laricifolium

Compared to all the European species of hypericum the hypericum laricifolium is a very large plant, and I didn't even see the resemblance. The spiral…


Rufous-tailed hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl)

Rufous-tailed hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl)

Hummingbirds are extraordinarily visual and acrobatic, but also very loud and territorial. This is no yawn, but a high-pitched audio communication. Silence is…


Green-crowned Woodnymph (Thalurania fannyi)

Green-crowned Woodnymph (Thalurania fannyi)

A green-crowned woodnymph (Thalurania fannyi) at Tinalandia's many hummingbird feeders that are refilled every day. In daytime the several species of…