It has been more than 20 years since the last bird finding guides for Ecuador were published. Some of these books were my constant traveling companions in the long, rewarding and still ongoing learning process of the Ecuadorian avifauna. Since their publication many things have changed for the good of the Ecuadorian birdlife. There are increasing numbers of private reserves that have been established by nature and bird lovers, as well as the formation of many foundations for the conservation of the wildlife in Ecuador, one of which includes the formation of the Jocotoco Foundation in 1998. The publication of the master piece A Field Guide to the Birds of Ecuador, by Ridgely and Greenfield brought increasing interest from the international birding community and the opportunity to set deep roots for the newly rising Ecuadorian birding community. This has brought me to the conclusion that this is the right moment to publish a tool that could share most of the useful information needed to travel and look for birds in Ecuador.

The avian richness of the country accounts for over 1660 species including those encountered in the Galapagos Islands. The mainland or continental species are 1621 from which 7 are endemic species unique to Ecuador. This avian richness makes Ecuador the fourth country in the world in numbers of bird species following only Colombia, Brazil and Peru. I hope this information will allow you to enjoy your birding tour of our wonderful country and its birds.