Charismatic Avifauna of Ecuador

I'm not sure if the term "Charismatic Avifauna" is in general use or not, but from my perspective, it is an appropriate moniker for several groups of Ecuadorian birds - including trogons, toucans, parrots, and likely a few others. Birds in these groups are generally rather gaudy color wise and many have other special characteristics such as unique bills and/or tail feathers. They certainly rival or perhaps even surpass other groups such as Tanagers in their color combinations. And as a general rule, they are larger bodied than many of the Passerine species. There is one species in the trogon/quetzal group that was one of my favorites of the trip. All of the parrot group that we saw on this trip were either too distant for reasonable photo images or were flying - with little or no chance of photos.

The trogons were the easiest of these groups to photograph. Many were quite tame. Several toucan species were also approachable, especially the few that frequented feeders. There is little that additional dialogue can add to the beauty and uniqueness of these species - so enjoy the images with associated species names!

Choco Trogon male - followed by female.Toucan Barbet.
Western White-tailed Trogon.Crimson-rumped Toucanet. Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan.Pale-mandibled Aricari.Masked Trogon male followed by female.
The Golden-headed Quetzal was one of my favorite birds of the trip. And I think it was the settings in which we saw the bird as much as the bird itself that made it special. While I never did get a close-up image of it, these distant shots with the humid forest backdrop are just as good as far as I am concerned.
Next up - Flowers of the Cloud Forest, and then Hummingbirds.