Copalinga

Green Honeycreeper, male

Green Honeycreeper, male

Copalinga, a delightful ecolodge, sits above the Rio Bombuscaro near the eastern base of the Andes in southern Ecuador. The lodge is owned and run by Catherine and Boudewijn, who built it after moving there from Belgium in 1998. Debbie and I spent 16 days volunteering on various projects while enjoying its bountiful natural treasures.

Copalinga outdoor dining

Copalinga outdoor dining (photo by Debbie Carr)

Copalinga’s most famous resident is the Gray Tinamou. Elsewhere this bird is tough to see, but it appears daily near a viewing blind 10 minutes up the trail.

Gray Tinamou

Gray Tinamou

Copalinga is also known for its diversity of tanagers, many of which visit feeders at the lodge.

Green-and-gold Tanager

Green-and-gold Tanager

Ecuador, Prov. Zamora-Chinchipe, Copalinga

Golden-eared Tanager and Golden Tanager

Thick-billed Euphonia

Thick-billed Euphonia female

Thick-billed Euphonia

Thick-billed Euphonia male

This Thick-billed Euphonia may be doing its business, but it is also taking care of business for a mistletoe plant.

Thick-billed Euphonia

Thick-billed Euphonia

Mistletoe grows on tree branches, penetrating the wood to get its nutrients. It uses a special trick to get the euphonia to deposit its seeds in the proper place.

Mistletoe fruits

Mistletoe fruits

The slimy seeds stick to the euphonia’s rear end so that it must wipe them off on a branch just where the mistletoe needs to germinate.

Thick-billed Euphonia, wiping mistletoe seeds onto branch

Thick-billed Euphonia, wiping mistletoe seeds onto branch

There are plenty of other captivating birds flitting around Copalinga. These two vie for title of noisiest species.

Inca Jays

Inca Jays

Speckled Chachalaca

Speckled Chachalaca

The property has a high diversity of hummingbirds, with more species than the entire U.S.

Violet-fronted Brilliant

Violet-fronted Brilliant

I had the honor of documenting the 34th species of hummingbird for Copalinga with the following photograph.

Purple-collared Woodstar

Purple-collared Woodstar

The diversity of other animals is equally impressive. A few examples:

A cryptic katydid

A cryptic katydid

And a closer view of its face. Note the ear,  a tiny slit near the joint of its front leg.

A cryptic katydid

A cryptic katydid

My favorite insect, the machaca.

Peanuthead Bug or Machaca, Fulgora

Peanuthead Bug or Machaca, Fulgora

A member of the raccoon family, the coati.

South American Coati, Nasua nasua

South American Coati, Nasua nasua

While prowling about at night with my headlamp, I found this treefrog at the edge of a puddle.

Red-skirted Treefrog, Dendropsophus rhodopeplus

Red-skirted Treefrog, Dendropsophus rhodopeplus

The scenery from the excellent trail system beckons.

Mountains beyond Copalinga

Mountains beyond Copalinga

View from trail in Copalinga

View from trail in Copalinga

An added benefit, the Bombuscaro entrance to Podocarpus National Park is just a few minutes down the road.

Debbie and me on hanging bridge, Rio Bombuscaro

Debbie and me on hanging bridge, Rio Bombuscaro

It was great to witness this private conservation effort first hand and see what two people (with a great deal of help) can do to protect valuable habitat.

[Update: Catherine and Baldwin have sold Copalinga to the Jocotoco Foundation. It is the foundations 12th reserve. It is still a fantastic place to visit. Contact Jocotours to make reservations: Call directly: +593 2 505 129]

 

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