Sword-billed hummingbird at Guango, 11 km away. Photo: Andy Morffew, CC BY 2.0
A family farm on the Papallacta–Baeza road, turning its cloud-forest hillside into a lookout for Ecuador hummingbirds.
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Sword-billed hummingbird at Guango, 11 km away. Photo: Andy Morffew, CC BY 2.0
Which hummingbirds live at 2,330 m?
Every Andean hummingbird has its own altitude. Some live in the páramo, some in the foothills. Here is where the hummingbirds of our valley live, and where our farm sits among them. A 2019–2020 survey of Cuyuja recorded 14 hummingbird species (Reyes Vargas et al., 2022); we only mark a bird as photographed here once we have done it ourselves.
Collared IncaCoeligena torquataPhotographed here1,800–3,000 m
Sword-billed HummingbirdEnsifera ensifera1,700–3,500 m
Chestnut-breasted CoronetBoissonneaua matthewsii1,600–3,300 m
Tourmaline SunangelHeliangelus exortis1,500–3,400 m
Mountain VelvetbreastLafresnaya lafresnayi1,800–3,400 m
Long-tailed SylphAglaiocercus kingii900–3,000 m
The other side of the Andes
Most hummingbird gardens near Quito face west, toward Mindo and the Chocó. San Pedrito is on the eastern slope, in the humid temperate forest above the Amazon basin, and many of the birds are different: the Collared Inca's black-and-white eastern race, the Chestnut-breasted Coronet instead of Mindo's Velvet-purple Coronet, and the Tourmaline Sunangel, which in Ecuador lives only on this side.
Around 90% of Cuyuja parish lies inside protected areas: Cayambe-Coca National Park and the Antisana Ecological Reserve. Ecuador has recorded 136 hummingbird species, more than a third of all the hummingbirds on Earth.
On the road from Quito to the Amazon
San Pedrito is in Sector Alejandría, Cuyuja, on the E20 from Quito to Baeza and Tena. Coming from Quito you cross the páramo pass above Papallacta and then drop into the cloud forest — so you arrive lower than Quito, not higher.
- QuitoHistoric centre
- PapallactaHot springs
- GuangoCloud-forest reserve
- CuyujaVillage
- San PedritoSector Alejandría
- BaezaToward Tena and the Amazon
A family farm, done the careful way
San Pedrito is run by our family. We are planting flowers that hummingbirds of this altitude actually use — native fuchsias, tacso passionflowers and red angel's trumpet — so the birds have natural food and natural perches, not just feeders. Our feeders will use plain white sugar and water (1 part to 4) with no dyes, and will be washed every week. See what we're planting.
We will be honest about what you can expect: wild birds come and go, and we will only list species on this site once we have seen them here ourselves.
Frequently asked questions
Where is San Pedrito?
In Sector Alejandría, Cuyuja (Quijos canton, Napo province), right on the E20 Quito–Papallacta–Baeza road, about 4 km east of Cuyuja village. That is roughly 30 minutes after Papallacta and 1 h 45 – 2 h from Quito. How to get here.
Is the hummingbird lookout open?
Not yet — we are finishing a safe trail up the slope to the lookout. Message us on WhatsApp and we will tell you as soon as we open.
Which hummingbirds can you see in Cuyuja?
A 2019–2020 bird survey in Cuyuja recorded 14 hummingbird species, including Collared Inca, Chestnut-breasted Coronet and Long-tailed Sylph. We have photographed the Collared Inca on the farm. See our species guide.
Can I see the Sword-billed Hummingbird here?
It is a regular at Guango, 11 km up the road at about 2,700 m. San Pedrito sits a little lower, at 2,330 m, near the bottom of its favourite range — so we are planting the long-tubed flowers it feeds on. Read about the swordbill.
Can I combine a visit with the Papallacta hot springs?
Yes. Papallacta is about 23 km (around 30 minutes) back toward Quito, so a morning with the hummingbirds and an afternoon in the hot springs fits in one day from Quito.
What is the weather like?
Cool and humid: around 10–16 °C, with rain possible in any month. Bring a rain jacket and a warm layer, especially in May–August, the wettest months.