Cajas National Park

🇪🇨 Ecuador

🐦 Violet-throated Metaltail in Polylepis Woods

🌍 #216 Global · 3.4 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #35 in South America #98 in Tropical Forest

Southern Andes, Ecuador 820 spp. recorded

Cajas National Park is in the Southern Andes of Ecuador, a high‑altitude páramo and cloud forest where glacial lakes, rolling grasslands, and patches of tropical rainforest intermix. It stands out for its network of crystal‑clear lagoons and the sharp contrast between open moorland and dense moss‑laden forest.

-2.840° S 79.224° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Violet-throated Metaltail

Metallura baroni

50–60% · Likely

Tit-like Dacnis

Xenodacnis parina

60–70% · Likely

Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan

Andigena hypoglauca

30–40% · Possible

Culpeo

Lycalopex culpaeus

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Andean Teal

Anas andium

80–90% · Very likely

Great Thrush

Turdus fuscater

80–90% · Very likely

Andean Gull

Chroicocephalus serranus

80–90% · Very likely

Tawny Antpitta

Grallaria quitensis

60–70% · Likely

Chestnut-winged Cinclodes

Cinclodes albidiventris

60–70% · Likely

Spectacled Redstart

Myioborus melanocephalus

60–70% · Likely

Andean Ruddy Duck

Oxyura ferruginea

60–70% · Likely

Black Flowerpiercer

Diglossa humeralis

50–60% · Likely

Blue-mantled Thornbill

Chalcostigma stanleyi

50–60% · Likely

Slate-colored Coot

Fulica ardesiaca

50–60% · Likely

Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant

Ochthoeca fumicolor

50–60% · Likely

Phrygilus unicolor

Geospizopsis unicolor

50–60% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Culpeo

Lycalopex culpaeus

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Andean Tapeti

Sylvilagus andinus

30–40% · Possible

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

30–40% · Possible

Ecuadorean Small-eared Shrew

Cryptotis montivaga

Insufficient data

montane myotis

Myotis oxyotus

Insufficient data

Andean Tapir

Tapirus pinchaque

Insufficient data

Dusky Caenolestid

Caenolestes fuliginosus

Insufficient data

⭐ Iconic Species

Violet-throated Metaltail

Metallura baroni

50–60% · Likely

Tit-like Dacnis

Xenodacnis parina

60–70% · Likely

Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan

Andigena hypoglauca

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Andean Teal

Anas andium

80–90% · Very likely

Great Thrush

Turdus fuscater

80–90% · Very likely

Andean Gull

Chroicocephalus serranus

80–90% · Very likely

Tawny Antpitta

Grallaria quitensis

60–70% · Likely

Chestnut-winged Cinclodes

Cinclodes albidiventris

60–70% · Likely

Spectacled Redstart

Myioborus melanocephalus

60–70% · Likely

Andean Ruddy Duck

Oxyura ferruginea

60–70% · Likely

Black Flowerpiercer

Diglossa humeralis

50–60% · Likely

Blue-mantled Thornbill

Chalcostigma stanleyi

50–60% · Likely

Slate-colored Coot

Fulica ardesiaca

50–60% · Likely

Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant

Ochthoeca fumicolor

50–60% · Likely

Phrygilus unicolor

Geospizopsis unicolor

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Günther's Forest Racer

Dendrophidion brunneum

Insufficient data

🦎 No photo available

Incaspis amaru

Insufficient data

Mountain Pholiodobolus

Pholidobolus montium

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Boulenger's Rocket Frog

Hyloxalus vertebralis

Insufficient data

San Vicente Robber Frog

Pristimantis cryophilius

Insufficient data

Atelopus nanay

Insufficient data

Gastrotheca pseustes

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🐦

Páramo Hummingbird Season

SepOctDec

High-elevation hummingbirds feeding on flowering páramo shrubs (Chuquiraga) in the open grassland — peak visibility for the Ecuadorian Hillstar and Blue-mantled Thornbill

Blue-mantled Thornbill

Chalcostigma stanleyi

50–60% · Likely

Ecuadorian Hillstar

Oreotrochilus chimborazo

40–50% · Likely

🐦

Polylepis Forest Songbirds

JanFebMar

Feeding congregations of Polylepis-specialist songbirds in the park's high-altitude paper-tree (quinoa) forest patches — documented as the best place anywhere to see Tit-like Dacnis and Giant Conebill

Giant Conebill

Conirostrum binghami

30–40% · Possible

Tit-like Dacnis

Xenodacnis parina

60–70% · Likely

🦆

Andean Waterfowl on the Glacial Lakes

FebJulAug

Breeding and congregation of high-Andean waterbirds across the park's 230+ glacial lakes, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance

Andean Teal

Anas andium

80–90% · Very likely

Andean Ruddy Duck

Oxyura ferruginea

60–70% · Likely

Andean Gull

Chroicocephalus serranus

80–90% · Very likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

Violet-throated Metaltail

50–60

40–50

50–60

60–70

40–50

40–50

30–40

60–70

40–50

80–90

40–50

50–60

Tit-like Dacnis

60–70

70–80

70–80

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

70–80

50–60

70–80

Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan

40–50

30–40

10–20

30–40

20–30

20–30

20–30

30–40

20–30

10–20

40–50

20–30

30–40

40–50

10–20

10–20

40–50

40–50

30–40

0–10

60–70

50–60

10–20

50–60

80–90

90–100

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

90–100

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

60–70

80–90

60–70

70–80

80–90

90–100

70–80

90–100

80–90

60–70

60–70

70–80

70–80

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

80–90

50–60

60–70

Chestnut-winged Cinclodes

60–70

70–80

70–80

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

40–50

60–70

70–80

50–60

70–80

Spectacled Redstart

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

40–50

60–70

70–80

70–80

30–40

70–80

70–80

50–60

Andean Ruddy Duck

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

80–90

60–70

30–40

60–70

60–70

40–50

Black Flowerpiercer

70–80

60–70

40–50

40–50

50–60

60–70

60–70

40–50

30–40

60–70

80–90

50–60

Blue-mantled Thornbill

40–50

70–80

70–80

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

60–70

70–80

40–50

60–70

Slate-colored Coot

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

30–40

40–50

60–70

50–60

40–50

50–60

60–70

40–50

Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant

60–70

40–50

40–50

50–60

30–40

40–50

40–50

60–70

40–50

70–80

40–50

60–70

Phrygilus unicolor

50–60

30–40

70–80

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

60–70

50–60

40–50

70–80

Animal Events

🐦 Páramo Hummingbird Season

🐦 Polylepis Forest Songbirds

🦆 Andean Waterfowl on the Glacial Lakes

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Good

🐦 Violet-throated Metaltail in Polylepis Woods

🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

4.2 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

500

🐒 Mammals

199

🦎 Reptiles

94

🐸 Amphibians

27

820 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

47 Threatened 59 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

3.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

66%

📊

Coverage (106 species at ≥5% of 820 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

13%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (12 bird)

47% Global avg

0%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

76

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

5

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

21

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