Birding Old Nono Road in Ecuador

Old Nono Road is a historic mountain road descending through Ecuador’s western Andes, offering access to a remarkable range of elevations and cloud forest habitats within a relatively short distance. As the road drops through the Andes, vegetation changes, temperatures moderate, and bird communities shift with them.

For birders, that elevational gradient creates constant opportunity. Dense cloud forest sections give way to roadside openings, river crossings, steep forested slopes, and patches of regenerating edge habitat. Every change in habitat brings subtle shifts in species activity and visibility.

A Different Style of Birding

Birding along Old Nono Road felt very different from the controlled observation points of reserves and feeder stations earlier in the day. Success here depended on moving slowly, stopping often, and paying close attention to calls and movement in the surrounding forest.

This was highly mobile birding. Many species were heard before they were seen, and each roadside stop offered a new opportunity to scan forest edges, canopy openings, and understory vegetation.

The road itself became an active observation corridor.

Roadside Stops and Species Highlights

One memorable stop came where the road crossed a river and we paused for lunch. Even this brief stop proved productive. Among several species moving through the area, I was able to photograph a Black Phoebe.

Continuing toward Tandayapa, we worked the road slowly, stopping whenever bird activity suggested something nearby. Several productive stops yielded excellent views and photographic opportunities.

Among the highlights were a Montane Woodcreeper and a Slate-throated Redstart, both species well suited to the humid cloud forest habitats of Ecuador’s western slope.

Why Old Nono Road Matters

What makes Old Nono Road especially valuable is not simply the number of species it supports, but the way it allows birders to experience habitat transitions in real time.

Over the course of a single afternoon, species composition can shift noticeably as elevation changes and environmental conditions evolve.

One Final Stop Before Tandayapa

By late afternoon, Old Nono Road delivered one final extraordinary stop before we reached Tandayapa Bird Lodge. Hidden within the cloud forest was one of the most unforgettable sightings of the Ecuador trip—an active lek of Andean Cock-of-the-rock.

That remarkable encounter deserves its own Field Notes entry.