I closed my eyes for a second to rest them, and when I opened them, there was the Long-wattled Umbrella bird. What an amazing and super cool bird! A little bit bigger than your average crow, they are resident of the Andian Highlands in Ecuador. That wacky headress is how they got part of their name. That massive pile of feathers on their head opens up, coming down to cover the sides and hiding their bill. In the breeding season, as many as fifteen males gather on a lek, open their umbrella, sway their wattle, and make a low, cow-like single note call.

We had multiple opportunities each day to be with this incredible bird! They could perch like a statue for as long as they liked. It would float in and land without making a sound. When it left, though, its wing beat are so powerful we witnessed it breaking its perch on launch. They would perch and stare right at us and then slowly, cock their head back and forth, rotating it every so slowly. I would love to know what it saw, what it was thinking as it just stared. All totalled, I’m sure we had hours with them over the week and I still was left wanting. It was the Ecuadorian forest star!

Just look at that tail! Would you believe it’s a cavity nestor?! It gets all twenty inches of itself into and out of a cavity and in near silence. The Rufous Motmot is the second largest of the motmots, and they are all very secretive. They can perch for incredibly long periods and not even blink an eye. Their call is a single, low note, a kind of haunting call of the rainforest. They are common, very common, but with that said, this large bird is rarely seen. Often, because it is holding so still, your eye doesn’t catch them perched there watching you. They also love the dark pockets of the rainforest. The Profoto A10 was at 10 and screaming from pain trying to bring life to the color of this amazing bird, perched there in silent eloquence.

It would appear as if by magic, not making a sound or flash. It would grab its prey (sizable at that) and poof, be gone! The Golden-bellied Flycatcher of the Andean Highlands of Ecuador was a delight to watch. In the world of green, you could pick it out as it made its way in. It would perch and watch and then, when ready, strike with great speed, capturing its prey. I watched and marveled at this gorgeous bird all week, and would always be on the lookout for it to get more time watching. I was smitten by golden.

Just how big, or small, is a bird in a photograph? This is really hard to determine unless you know birds to start with. Even if you know birds, you still can be left wondering, like with this Glissening-green Tanager, an inhabitant of the Andean Highlands of Ecuador. You might know the Summer or Western Tanager and assume the Glissening-green is about the same size. You might be surprised when you scroll down the page to see just how tiny they are! Yeah, the size of about a couple of grapes. They’re pretty small, but what they lack in size they more than make up for in color. When that kiss of flash touches them, you can see why they are called Glissening-green. And with the grapes, you know the answer to how big is a Glissening-green Tanager?

Yes, it is a “hummingbird bird and no, it’s not part of its name, but after that, it’s still all hummer! The Booted Racket-Tail is another of those rare hummers living in a small niche in the Andean Highlands of Ecuador. It’s why I went down there, to see, watch, and if possible, photograph this little dynamo. From the tip of its elaborate tail to the tip of the bill, we’re talking five inches. They be small! But when it comes to either moving off another male or trying to attract a female, they show their mettle. In the lower photo (a challenge to get), they curve their body, flare their “boots,” and fly right in the face of the other hummer. I did not come back with the photos I wanted from what I witnessed, only hints of it. That means I’ll be going back as I want more of that five inches of attitude!

Unlike most birds of the rainforest, you can see the Golden Tanagers coming long before they arrive. That helps! These tiny little birds are no bigger than a couple of grapes. Their energy level, though, is off the charts. They are rather gregerious which is fun to watch and a challenge to photograph. It’s dark, ISO 3200 dark, and even with that, you’re still working at 1/125. The Profoto A10 pop of light is for color (not exposure), making that crazy “gold” color come to life against the green. When I was there, I thought I had captured plenty of photos of these little jewels, but now that I’m back in the office, I find that is not the case. I have come to treasure this gold in the rain.