The story of Charles Darwin has fascinated me since my school days, when I learned about this giant of natural sciences for the first time. The story of the shapes of the beaks of island finches. The groundbreaking evolutionary conclusions. I could not refuse the invitation of my friend, photographer and guide Libor Veicenbacher, to a trip to Ecuador and then to the Galapagos.

The first encounter with hummingbirds is a moment that no photographer, or any person, will ever forget.

Ecuador, as the name suggests, is a country located on the equator. It abounds with an incredible wealth of various geographical zones with a variety of the most diverse habitats. From the surface of the Pacific Ocean, you can climb up to the six-thousand-meter peaks of the Chimbotazo volcano. And then down again to the lowlands of the even more diverse Amazon. The land of a thousand faces.

The variability of colors and shapes among hummingbirds knows no bounds. Some even have “slippers” on their feet. Others are so small that they have to compete with insects for nectar from flowers.

One of the most interesting areas is the mountain range called “Choco”, or also “Choco forest”. It is a territory of mountain rainforest, stretching from Colombia to Ecuador. Specific natural conditions and an altitude of about 3 to 4 thousand meters above sea level have given rise to many unique species here, most of which are endemic. And not only from the bird kingdom. This area in the province of Pichincha and the Amazon rainforest in the province of Napo were our goal.

Very rare species of hummingbirds that you will never find at a feeder. The first lives along mountain, fast-flowing streams. The second along Amazon streams high in the crowns of rainforest giants.

In total, you can find over 1700 bird species in Ecuador. This makes this country the country with the richest avifauna in the world. There are 11 national parks here. It is interesting that the state does not contribute a single dollar to nature conservation. Everything is in the hands of private institutions.
Just to clarify. Another interesting thing about Ecuador is the fact that this country does not have its own currency. Payment is made here in American dollars.

The frequent rain in the rainforests of Ecuador makes it possible to photograph hummingbirds in the rain, which is a godsend for photographers.

From the perspective of a wildlife photographer, hummingbirds are a definite phenomenon of equatorial South America. People are certainly aware of these flying gems. Even someone who is not very interested in nature has enough information about their unique abilities. However, seeing hummingbirds “face to face”, hearing the buzz of their wings, watching their aerial acrobatics literally from a few centimeters away, is a completely different experience.

The variability does not only apply to the coloration of hummingbird feathers. The length of the beak, the different crests and the long tail feathers are not far behind the colors.

There is not a single restaurant, hotel or lodge in Ecuador that does not have a hummingbird feeder. Having hummingbirds in the garden is a commodity, an attraction, a tourist attraction. Moreover, in each place you can see a completely different species composition. In almost every place you can come across a new species that you have not seen elsewhere.

The constantly changing light conditions and endless variety of colorful flowers make it possible to capture almost every hummingbird in a different location or flower.

For a photographer, it is important to note that the lighting conditions here are very variable in different places. Because we are constantly moving in the rainforest, it is quite dark here, often dark with rain. And even when the sun is shining, it’s still dark in this dense forest. It’s not exactly easy to photograph shiny objects like hummingbirds. It’s a constant search between the photographer’s three magic formulas – aperture, time and ISO value. Not an easy, completely new, but breathtaking experience.

When taking photos in any location, it was always necessary to use fairly high ISO values.

Photographing hummingbirds, which are commonly found near human settlements, can be compared to one large photographic studio. All you have to do is sit comfortably and wait. Sitting or standing, in the sun or in the rain, morning or evening, in backlight or in the shade. For a longer time, for a short time, in flight near a flower or resting on a twig. But there are many species that you will never catch at a feeder, or only very rarely. Most of them are mountain species or species living in the depths of the endless forest. These hummingbirds have slightly different habits than their relatives. This is probably due to more demanding conditions that force them to save energy. And they are also not so used to the presence of people, so they are much more shy.

Backlighting is always a big challenge for a photographer. In the rainforest or in the early evening twilight of the Andean peaks.

Due to their high energy requirements, high-altitude species save much-needed strength and oxygen consumption in another way. They do not suck nectar from flowers from a flying position, like other hummingbirds. They hang out on flowers. Hummingbirds are generally very intolerant. However, in mountainous environments they can spend the night together, which again helps them save their precious energy reserves.

Seeing this hummingbird, which can live at altitudes of around 5,000 meters above sea level, was one of the goals of my trip to Ecuador. Another such species is the Sword-billed hummingbird, whose beak is longer than its body. Its nest has not yet been discovered by anyone in the world.

And perhaps in every place we visited, I gained one insight. The knowledge of bird species of the local residents. They were able to identify the observed species with English names very accurately. Our excellent driver Dario was able to identify them in many cases even by their voice. They realize that this is the wealth of their country. Of course, they get a regular income from this bird tourism. And that is happiness for hummingbirds and not only for them.

One of the highlights of my short stay in the Andes was meeting the world’s largest hummingbird, the Patagona gigas. It is very shy and difficult to photograph except at a feeder. I was lucky enough to finally manage to do so at 4,500 meters above sea level.