Nada Tapir, Tapir!

Greetings Everyone,

The last stop on our Ecuadorian adventure was Cayambe-Coca National Park, a short 45-minute drive east from Quito. The draw here is Andean Bears and Mountain Tapir. We had made arrangements to meet Armando Castellanos, the president of the Andean Bear Foundation. He has been studying bears and tapir in the Park since 1995 and has been working with the locals to mitigate human-bear conflicts. Our base would be Guango Lodge, about a 30-minute drive from Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve. We arrived a day earlier than Armando which gave us the opportunity to see birds around the lodge. The highlights here are the many hummingbirds that frequent the feeders, colorful tanagers and the pair of Torrent Ducks that live in the nearby Papallacta River.

Red-hooded Tanager

Torrent Duck Pair

The following day Armando picked us up after lunch and we drove to Cayambe-Coca National Park to scout for Andean Bears. The vegetation here is very different than that of Maquipucuna Reserve. The main habitat is the grasslands of the páramo, an alpine tundra ecosystem. Here the bears feed mainly on Puya bromeliads and unfortunately have developed a taste for beef. There is one village inside the park, Oyacachi, and the locals graze their cows on the páramo. They are easy pickings for the bears, especially the calves, and part of Armando’s work is to compensate the locals when a bear kills their livestock.

Puya Bromeliad 

The bromeliads form a more interesting part of the story. The bears have adapted to eating these plants in several ways. The first is to consume the entire plant, an example of which Armando showed us.

Fully-eaten Bromeliad

The second is to eat only the top of the plant leaving the base prone to infestation by beetle larvae which the bears later harvest. It’s an interesting adaptation allowing the bears to survive in an environment where there’s not a whole lot to eat.

Partially-eaten Bromeliad

We drove on dirt roads inside the park but did not see any bears. It was getting late and Armando said that they would be making their nests for the night as they are strictly diurnal. Suddenly movement on the right side of the vehicle caught my attention. It was a bear not far from the road! We stopped to get a better view and saw that it was a sow with two young cubs! She raised up on her hind legs to get a better look at us, then ambled off with her two cubs in tow. Marc was able to get some photos but it was getting dark and the bears were quite far. Armando was ecstatic that we had seen our first bears.

Spectacled Bear and Cub

Armando picked us up at 7:00 the following morning and we drove to Termas Papallacta, a resort spa with a private entrance into Cayambe-Coca National Park. Not far from the gate we saw two Brazilian Rabbits or Tapeti next to the road but they scurried off before Marc could get a photo. We climbed higher and entered the park. The weather wasn’t great with clouds obscuring the views but at least it wasn’t raining. We continued on dirt roads stopping occasionally to scan for bears but saw none. 

The Páramo in Cayambe-Coca Reserve

Armando stopped and honked at a man walking along the road with a backpack. He was Melchor Ascanta from the nearby village of Oyacachi and would be our tracker for the remainder of the trip. Armando explained that Melchor used to be a puma hunter and had killed around 60 of these cats but that he now works for Armando tracking and helping to radio-collar Mountain Tapirs. I’m glad that he has had a change of careers. As we were driving to the known home range of a radio-collared tapir, two White-tailed Deer crossed the road. Some sources list this deer as Odocoileus virginianus, the same species we have here in the United States. Other sources classify these deer as the Andean White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus ustus), their own species.

White-tailed Deer

We dropped Melchor off so he could go in search of the Mountain Tapir the old fashioned way, looking for tracks as we didn’t have the radio receiver and antenna with us today. Melchor called on the walkie-talkie that he had located one and we drove to intercept him on the road. I wanted to go find the tapir but Armando said we needed rubber boots to hike off-road and the weather had taken a turn for the worse so we’d have to wait until tomorrow.

Armando and Melchor picked us up at 8:00 the next morning and we returned to the park. An Andean Fox was on the road ahead but to my dismay, he disappeared as we approached. We waited and he returned seemingly looking for a handout. This fox is apparently used to being fed by the rangers at the nearby entrance station. Melchor threw him some bread and he hung out for awhile allowing Marc to get some great photos.

Andean Fox (Culpeo)

We returned to the location where Melchor had found the Mountain Tapir yesterday and prepared to track her. This time we had the radio receiver and antenna to pick up her signal. With this high tech equipment we should have no problems locating her or so I thought. It had started to rain so we put on Gortex pants, jackets, rubber boots and rain ponchos to keep us and our photo equipment dry.

Geared Up

We followed Melchor (or at least tried to) up to the low point on the first ridge. It was tough going on uneven terrain through knee-deep tussock grass and wet marshy areas at an elevation of 13,500-feet! We had to be very careful not to twist an ankle.

Hiking Through the Páramo

Melchor would go ahead to pick up her signal with the receiver and we’d follow when given the ok. At one point we were within 50 meters of her but couldn’t see her in the thick fog. This was frustrating. The story was always the same, “nada tapir” (no tapir in Spanish).

Radio Tracking a Mountain Tapir

We stopped for a break and after lunch, we had lost her signal so Melchor went in one direction to look for fresh tracks and we went in the other direction with the receiver and antenna but it stopped working due to all the rain. Armando radioed Melchor to see what was going on and he had found her sleeping. Perfect! We started off to his location but he radioed back that she had woken up and moved off! This was beyond frustrating, it was downright infuriating! We walked to a nearby ridge and sat while Melchor went below to look for the tapir. She may have headed to a patch of forest nearby to hide. Suddenly we heard a snort and Armando said in an excited whisper, “Tapir!”. At first, I couldn’t see her then spotted her on the next ridge. She was heading down to the river and Melchor’s location. Following her was a young calf with a white-striped coat! It was amazing to see an adult Mountain Tapir but to see a female with a baby was exceptional. Finally, after trudging through the páramo for 5 hours in the pouring rain we had seen not one but two Mountain Tapirs!

Mountain Tapir and Calf (top right)

Back at the car, Armando told us that this tapir is named Pache or Panchita as he affectionately calls her. He has been following her for 7 years and estimates that she is more than 10 years old. This is the third time she has given birth during the timeframe he has been studying her. He thought the calf was 6-7 months old. Radio collaring a Mountain Tapir is no easy task. It takes tracking with dogs to chase the tapir to a lake where it can be darted. Once anesthetized, a tracking collar can be fitted before the animal is woken up. Obviously, it is very stressful for the tapirs and something Armando does not do often. Currently, he has 12 Mountain Tapirs radio-collared for his study.

Mountain Tapir Tracking Route

Mountain Tapir Tracking Team

As we were leaving the park, the weather started to clear and we finally got a glimpse of snowclad Antisana Volcano at nearly 19,000-feet!

Antisana Volcano

It was raining when we got up the following morning and it didn’t look as if the weather was going to improve. We returned to the park with Armando and Melchor one last time in the hopes of seeing Pache and her calf again but they eluded us. It’s probably for the best as we had disturbed them enough. 

Waiting for a Tapir

We decided to drive around and look for bears instead but the visibility was poor. The only mammals we saw were two more White-tailed deer. We returned to Guango Lodge where we said our final goodbyes to Armando and Melchor. We told them the effort it took to locate Pache and her calf made finding her all the more special. We thanked them for all their hard work in studying and protecting the Andean Bears and Mountain Tapir and wished them continued success in the future. To find out how you can help and visit the bears go to:

Andean Bear Foundation

Back at the lodge, the manager built a fire in the stove so we could dry our wet clothes once again. Marc was determined to get a photo of a Sword-billed Hummingbird that visited the feeders at dusk and his patience paid off. With a bill longer than its body, it cannot perch on the feeder and must hover.

Sword-billed Hummingbird

Our 5-week visit to Ecuador had come to an end. We had an amazing time exploring the Amazon Basin, the cloud forests on the western slopes of the Andes and the páramo along the continental divide. We were fortunate to see around 300 species of birds and nearly 50 species of mammals in this biodiverse country. We look forward to our next visit. There’s still so much to explore!

We hope all is well with everyone.

Peggy and Marc

Our Route Map:

   Cayambe Coca Mammal List:

No.	Species	Scientific Name	Notes
1	Brazilian Rabbit (Tapeti)	Sylvilagus brasiliensis	Cayambe Coca & Guango Lodge
2	Andean White-tailed Deer	Odocoileus ustus	Four in Cayambe Coca
3	Andean Fox (Culpeo)	Lycalopex culpaeus	One in Cayambe Coca
4	Andean Bear	Tremarctos ornatus	Sow w/2 cubs in Cayambe Coca
5	Mountain Tapir	Tapirus pinchaque	Female w/calf in Cayambe Coca

Guango Final Bird List:

1. Tourmaline Sunangel (Heliangelus exortis)
2. White-capped Dipper (Cinclus leucocephalus)
3. Citrine Warbler (Myiothlypis luteoviridis)
4. Spectacled Whitestart (Myioborus melanocephalus)
5. White-banded Tyranulet (Mecocerculus stictopterus)
6. Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca)
7. Grey-breasted Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucophrys)
8. Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca cinnamomeiventris)
9. Masked Flowerpiercer (Diglossa cyanea)
10. Black-Crested Warbler (Myiothlypis nigrocristata)
11. Turquoise Jay (Cyanolyca turcosa)
12. Torrent Duck (Merganetta armata)
13. Great Thrush (Turdus fuscater)
14. Hooded Mountain-Tanager (Buthraupis montana)
15. Red-hooded Tanager (Piranga rubriceps)
16. Mountain Wren (Troglodytes solstitialis)
17. Pearled Treerunner (Margarornis squamiger)
18. Chestnut-breasted Coronet (Boissonneaua matthewsii)
19. White-bellied Woodstar (Chaetocercus mulsant)
20. Collared Inca (Coeligena torquata)
21. Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens)
22. Glowing Puffleg (Eriocnemis vestita)
23. Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera)
24. Long-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus kingii)
25. Purple-backed Thornbill (Ramphomicron microrhynchum)

Cayambe Coca Final Bird List:

1. Variable Hawk (Geranoaetus polyosoma)
2. Carunculated Caracara (Phalcoboenus carunculatus)
3. Andean Teal (Anas andium)
4. Páramo Pipet (Anthus bogotensis)
5. Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)

Waiting for the Bears

Greeting Everyone,

After our wildly successful visit to Cuyabeno Reserve, we returned to Quito where we picked up a rental car for the drive to Maquipucuna Lodge. I had read that this lodge and adjoining reserve is one of the best places to see wild Andean Bears. The Maquipucuna Reserve is the dream of Rodrigo and Rebeca who visited the area in 1985 and fell in love with the pristine forest. They worked diligently to raise the funds to buy 3500 hectares of montane rainforest that was being held as collateral from a bankrupt Spanish logging company. In 1987 Fundación Maquipucuna became the first NGO in Ecuador to purchase land for conservation. The reserve has now grown to nearly 6000 hectares at the heart of the Chocó Andean Corridor, one of the earth's top five biodiversity hotspots. To learn more about the Reserve and how you can help go to:

Maquipucuna Reserve

I had been working with Rebeca for almost a year to time our visit with the arrival of the bears. The bears only come near the lodge when the fruit of the pacche trees (genus Nectandra) are ripe. Rebeca told me the fruit was ripening and that mid-November would be a good time come. The drive from the Quito Airport was a bit tricky with many roundabouts to negotiate and some winding back roads but we arrived on November 11 in time for lunch.

Our Arrival at Maquipucuna Lodge

Arcenio would be our guide during our stay. He’s from the nearby village of Santa Marianita and is intimately familiar with the area’s birds and animals. Unfortunately the bears had yet to come down from their cloud forest home to feed on the pacche fruit so instead, we focused on birds. One of the highlights was the Rufous Motmot that hung out around the lodge and even has a nest in a mud bank just outside our room.

Rufous Motmot

The next morning our focus was still birds and we headed up the road past the lodge in search of specialties like this beautiful Golden-headed Quetzal.

Golden-headed Quetzal

After lunch, we went birding on some of the trails behind the lodge. Again we were seeing some great birds like these Torrent Ducks and a Golden Tanager but I was keen to see the bears.

Torrent Duck Pair

Golden Tanager

The next day we headed out early to venture into the cloud forest in search of the bears. We followed the Sendero Principal, an old road built by a Spanish logging company, past an old farm and up into the cloud forest. As we climbed higher the trail became more obscure but we were starting to see signs of the bears! Scat (I’ll spare you a photo), claw marks on trees and hair on small trees that the bears use as scratching posts indicated that the bears were around.

Marc Hiking in the Cloud Forest

We climbed steeply on an ancient trail used by the Yumbo, a pre-Incan people, to get from the Andes to the coast. When the trail ended we were forced to return. Arcenio pointed out the ripe pacche fruit that had fallen on the ground. These lipid-rich avocado-like fruits are an important food source for the bears. They resembled black olives.

Pacche Fruit

The trees that had fruit were spotty, there should have been enough to attract the bears but where were they? On the 4th day of our 5-day visit, we were getting desperate to see the bears. We were spending a lot of time on Sendero Principal where the fruit was ripe including many hours on a bamboo bench waiting for Carlos, one of the trackers, to find the bears.

Waiting on the Bamboo Bench

After lunch, we headed back into the forest with Arcenio when he finally got the call that a bear had been spotted! We rushed off to the location passing the bamboo bench where a woman who had just arrived was sitting. She saw us racing by and followed. We saw Carlos on the trail ahead but the woman and I stopped a short distance before and got a view of an Andean Bear perched high in a pacche tree! Marc and Arcenio went to Carlos' location but Marc could not see the bear. I was happy to have seen the first bear of the “2017 Andean Bear Season” but was sad that Marc missed it. The woman who had just arrived and had seen the bear felt guilty that she had seen it so easily when Marc who had been searching for days missed it. That’s how it goes with wildlife viewing. Timing is everything!

The next morning we were out early in search of the bear. Hopefully, he had brought friends. We searched until 9:00 with no luck. The others returned to the lodge for breakfast but Marc and I persevered. We waited on the bamboo bench while Arcenio investigated the forest on the opposite side of the trail. He returned with a smile and thumbs up, he had found the bear!  We followed him into the forest to the edge of a deep ravine. The bear was feeding in a tree on the other side of the ravine and we couldn’t get closer. We positioned ourselves to see the bear climb down the tree through a tiny window in the forest. Finally, he climbed down and both Marc and I got good views and he was even able to take some photos.

Andean Bear

The Andean Bear (Tremarctos ornatus), also known as the Spectacled Bear, is the last remaining short-faced bear (subfamily Tremarctinae). Its closest relatives are the extinct Florida Spectacled Bear and the giant short-faced bears of the Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene age. Andean Bears are the only surviving species of bear native to South America. The species is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN because of habitat loss.

That afternoon we went out searching for more bears. It was getting late and the others grew tired of the wait and returned to the lodge. Marc and I hung back and Arcenio said he’d check up the trail one more time. He returned shortly excited that he had found a bear. We rushed off to the location and it took Arcenio a little searching to locate the bear but there he was feeding in a pacche tree not far from the trail. This was our closest encounter yet and we got good views as the bear perched on an open branch before descending and disappearing into the forest.

Our Next Andean Bear Sighting

Another surprise awaited us when we returned to the lodge and viewed the videos from our trail cam that we had set up along Sendero Principal. To see what we captured walking along the trail the night before click on the following link.

Surprise Visitors to Maquipucuna

On our final morning at Maquipucuna, we went out in search of what we hoped would be one last sighting. We came up empty-handed and returned to the lodge for our departure. When we arrived a group of 60 schoolchildren had descended upon the lodge. We had been warned but nothing could prepare us for the transition from peace and tranquility to chaos and the exuberance of youth. We wanted to make a hasty retreat but were convinced to stay for lunch.

The Arrival of Schoolchildren

Afterwards, we drove to the Yellow House in Mindo where we’d spend the next 3 nights. This birding lodge is run by some friendly ladies, Maria Elena, and her sister. The following morning we went off in search of birds on the trails behind the Yellow House. We walked through a guava tree plantation and a cow pasture for almost a mile. We thought we had taken a wrong turn but ran into an American guy doing bird surveys and he told us we had just reached the trails.

Crimson-rumped Toucanet

We returned to the lodge for breakfast before heading out again. We climbed past a little cabin called “ James’ Hut” and heard monkeys in the trees. A small troop of White-fronted Capuchins was crossing the trail. Marc was able to get some good photos.

Ecuadorian White-fronted Capuchin

I did some research and found that these Capuchins may be the critically endangered Ecuadorian White-fronted Capuchins (Cebus aequatorialis) which are found on the west slope of the Andes. I sent an email to Dr. C. Dusti Becker, the director of the nearby Reserva Las Tangaras, and she confirmed that they were the rare Ecuadorian species of White-fronted Capuchin! 

That evening I sent an email to Becca who was volunteering at Maquipucuna and asked her if the schoolkids had left and if more bears had been sighted. Her response was "yes and yes". We made arrangements to return to Maquipucuna for one more night. When we returned we found out that Rodrigo and Rebeca, the owners of the lodge, would be arriving with some biologists from the just-concluding “25th International Conference on Bear Research & Management” held in Quito. It would be good to finally meet Rebeca and to talk to some biologists working on bear conservation and management from around the world.

We arrived in the morning and went searching for the bears. A mother and cub had been spotted close to the lodge yesterday but we did not find them. When we returned to the lodge for lunch Rebeca and Rodrigo had arrived with about 25 biologists! It was a bit chaotic and when we returned to the forest in the afternoon to look for the bears the pressure was on. We were with a small group of 5 and a new guide Mauricio and were lucky to find a bear first. He was feeding in the same patch of forest across from the bamboo bench as the bear in our second sighting. We were able to get good views and photos before the bear biologists showed up.

Another Bear Sighting!

The following morning we were hoping to get one last bear sighting but came up empty-handed. We returned to the lodge for breakfast. We had some interesting conversations with some of the bear biologists including a couple who work for the state of Alaska. They told us how to apply for a permit to visit the McNeil River where up to 70 grizzlies congregate to feed on salmon. We also showed Rodrigo our video with the two Pumas and gave him a copy. We were planning on leaving after breakfast but Rodrigo told us a bear had been located so we decided to go see it.

The bear had been found by Carlos and his grandson deep in the forest off the Swamp Trail. We, along with the 25 bear biologists, attempted to get a view but when we got too close the bear became agitated so we backed off. Clearly, such a large group visiting a bear at the same time is not a good practice. Rodrigo and Rebeca plan on working with some of the bear biologists to come up with a protocol of how to view the bears without stressing them. This will become important in the future as more people visit Maquipucuna to see the bears.

Bear Biologists Viewing an Andean Bear

We left Maquipucuna after our 5th and final bear sighting. We were very fortunate to witness the start of the “2017 Andean Bear Season”. A big thank you to our guides Arcenio and Mauricio for showing us the bears and many of Maquipucuna’s other treasures. Thanks to Carlos and his grandson for spending hours in the forest locating bears so we could get a good view. Last but not least a heartfelt thanks to Rodrigo and Rebeca for having the foresight and will to protect this amazing place. We wish them the best of luck in the future and hope many others will experience the joy of seeing a wild Andean Bear in its natural habitat!

We hope all is well back home.

Peggy and Marc

Our Route Map:

Maquipucuna and Yellow House Mammal List:

No.	Species	Scientific Name	Notes
1	Andean Bear	Tremarctos ornatus	5 sightings of at least 2 different bears at Maquipucuna
2	Common Opossum	Didelphis marsupialis	One seen on a night walk at Maquipucuna
3	Red-tailed Squirrel	Sciurus granatensis	One seen @ Maquipucuna & three @ the Yellow House
4	Puma	Puma concolor	Two caught on out trailcam @ Maquipucuna
5	Spotted Paca	Cuniculus paca	One caught on out trailcam @ Maquipucuna
6	Central American Agouti	Dasyprocta punctata	Several seen @ the Yellow House
7	Ecuadorian White-fronted Capuchin	Cebus aequatorialis	Troop of 6 seen on Main Road above the Yellow House
8	Mouse Opossum	Sp.?	One found dead near Maquipucuna Lodge

  Maquipucuna Final Bird List:

1. Crested Guan Penelope purpurascens
2. Wattled Guan Aburria aburri
3. Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
4. Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
5. Gray-headed Kite Leptodon cayanensis
6. Hook-billed Kite Chondrohierax uncinatus
7. Barred Hawk Leucopternis princeps
8. Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris
9. Barred Forest-Falcon Micrastur ruficollis
10. Plumbeous Pigeon Patagioenas plumbea
11. Ruddy Pigeon Patagioenas subvinacea
12. Ruddy Quail-Dove Geotrygon montana
13. Barred Parakeet Bolborhynchus lineola
14. Red-billed Parrot Pionus sordidus
15. Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana
16. Common Potoo Nyctibius griseus
17. White-collared Swift Streptoprocne zonaris
18. Green Honeycreeper Chlorophanes spiza
19. Tawny-bellied Hermit Phaethornis syrmatophorus
20. White-necked Jacobin Florisuga mellivora
21. Purple-bibbed Whitetip Urosticte benjamini
22. Sparkling Violetear Colibri coruscans
23. Green-crowned Brilliant Heliodoxa jacula.
24. Booted Racket-tail Ocreatus underwoodii
25. Golden-headed Quetzal Pharomachrus auriceps
26. Collared Trogon Trogon collaris
27. Masked Trogon Trogon personatus
28. White-necked Jacamar
29. Broad-billed Motmot Electron platyrhynchum
30. Rufous Motmot Baryphthengus martii
31. Red-headed Barbet Eubucco bourcierii
32. Crimson-rumped Toucanet Aulacorhynchus haematopygus
33. Pale-mandibled Araçari Pteroglossus erythropygius
34. Collared Aracari Pteroglossus torquatus
35. Smoky-brown Woodpecker Veniliornis fumigatus
36. Golden-olive Woodpecker Piculus rubiginosus
37. Guayaquil Woodpecker Campephilus gayaquilensis
38. Red-faced Spinetail Cranioleuca erythrops
39. Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner Philydor rufum
40. Ruddy Foliage-gleaner Pteroglossus torquatus
41. Plain-brown Woodcreeper Dendrocincla fuliginosa
42. Spotted Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus erythropygius
43. Strong-billed Woodcreeper Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus
44. Blue-lored(Immaculate) Antbird Myrmeciza immaculata
45. Plain Antvireo Dysithamnus mentalis
46. Western Slaty (Black-crowned) Antshrike Thamnophilus atrinucha
47. Slaty-capped Flycatcher Leptopogon superciliaris
48. Ornate Flycatcher Myiotriccus ornatus
49. Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant Lophotriccus pileatus
50. Western Wood-Pewee Contopus sordidulus
51. Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans
52. Rusty-margined Flycatcher Myiozetetes cayanensis
53. Streaked Flycatcher Myiodynastes maculatus
54. Golden-crowned Flycatcher Myiodynastes chrysocephalus
55. Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
56. Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer
57. Masked Tityra Tityra semifasciata
58. Cinnamon Becard Pachyramphus cinnamomeus
59. Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus
60. Blue-and-white Swallow Notiochelidon cyanoleuca
61. House Wren Troglodytes aedon
62. Bay Wren Thryothorus nigricapillus
63. Gray-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucophrys
64. Southern Nightingale-wren Microcerculus marginatus
65. Black-billed Peppershrike Cyclarhis nigrirostris
66. Pale-eyed Thrush Platycichla leucops
67. Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus
68. Bare-eyed (Ecuadorian) Thrush Turdus nudigenis maculirostris
69. White-shouldered Tanager Tachyphonus luctuosus
70. White-lined Tanager Tachyphonus rufus
71. Lemon-rumped Tanager Ramphocelus icteronotus *
72. Blue-gray Tanager Thraupis episcopus
73. Palm Tanager Thraupis palmarum
74. Fawn-breasted Tanager Pipraeidea melanonota
75. Golden Tanager Tangara arthus
76. Silver-throated Tanager Tangara icterocephala
77. Bay-headed Tanager Tangara gyrola
78. Blue-necked Tanager Tangara cyanicollis
79. Swallow Tanager Tersina viridis
80. Metallic Green Tanager Tangara labradorides
81. Orche-breasted Tanager Chlorothraupis stolzmanni
82. Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus flavigularis
83. White-winged Tanager Piranga leucoptera
84. Buff-throated Saltator Saltator maximus
85. Black-winged Saltator Saltator atripennis
86. Tropical Parula Parula pitiayumi
87. Blackburnian Warbler Dendroica fusca
88. Slate-throated Whitestart Myioborus miniatus
89. Three-striped Warbler Basileuterus tristriatus
90. Thick-billed Euphonia Euphonia laniirostris
91. Orange-bellied Euphonia Euphonia xanthogaster
92. White-capped Dipper Cinclus leucocephalus
93. Torrent Duck Merganetta armata
94. Slate-throated Redstart or Whitestart Myioborus miniatus
95. Scarlet-rumped Cacique Cacicus uropygialis
96. Large-headed Flatbill Ramphotrigon megacephalum
97. Common Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis
98. White-whiskered Puffbird Malacoptila panamensis
99. Rufous-breasted Antthrush Formicarius rufipectus
100. Barred Puffbird Nystalus radiatus

  Yellow House Final Bird List:

1. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
2. Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
3. Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
4. Barred Hawk Leucopternis princeps
5. White-tipped Dove Leptotila
6. Red-billed Parrot Pionus sordidus
7. Bronze-winged Parrot
8. Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya
9. White-necked Jacobin Florisuga mellivora
10. Green-crowned Woodnymph Thalurania fannyi
11. Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl
12. Andean Emerald Amazilia franciae
13. Green-crowned Brilliant Heliodoxa
14. Rufous Motmot Baryphthengus martii
15. Purple-throated Woodstar
16. Chocó Toucan Ramphastos brevis
17. Yellow-throated Toucan
18. Olivaceous Piculet Picumnus
19. Golden-olive Woodpecker Piculus rubiginosus
20. Red-faced Spinetail Cranioleuca erythrops
21. Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner Anabacerthia variegaticeps
22. Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner Philydor rufum
23. Lineated Foliage-gleaner
24. Strong-billed Woodcreeper Xiphocolaptes
25. Choco (Golden-faced) Tyrannulet Zimmerius albigularis
26. Slaty-capped Flycatcher Leptopogon superciliaris 
27. Ornate Flycatcher Myiotriccus ornatus
28. Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens
29. Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans
30. Rusty-margined Flycatcher Myiozetetes cayanensis
31. Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
32. Cinnamon Becard Pachyramphus cinnamomeus
33. One-colored Becard Pachyramphus homochrous
34. Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus
35. House Wren Troglodytes aedon
36. Bay Wren Thryothorus nigricapillus
37. Scaly-breasted Wren
38. Bare-eyed (Ecuadorian) Thrush Turdus nudigenis maculirostris
39. White-shouldered Tanager Tachyphonus luctuosus
40. Lemon-rumped Tanager Ramphocelus icteronotus *
41. Blue-gray Tanager Thraupis episcopus
42. Palm Tanager Thraupis palmarum
43. Golden Tanager Tangara arthus
44. Bay-headed Tanager Tangara gyrola
45. Blue-necked Tanager Tangara cyanicollis
46. Flame-rumped Tanager
47. Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus flavigularis
48. Buff-throated Saltator Saltator maximus
49. Tropical Parula Parula pitiayumi
50. Blackburnian Warbler Dendroica fusca
51. Slate-throated Whitestart Myioborus miniatus
52. Bananaquit Coereba flaveola
53. Thick-billed Euphonia Euphonia laniirostris
54. Orange-bellied Euphonia Euphonia xanthogast
55. Orange-crowned Euphonia
56. Yellow-bellied Elaenia 
57. Pacific Antwren
58. Black-winged Saltator