Tinalandia
by Paul Greenfield
I have always thought of Tinalandia as a sort of Oasis of nature, and especially of birds. Way back in the early 70's, when I first happened upon Tinalandia, it was a mystical place - one that made sense out of the miles and miles (kilometers really!) of lush "tropical" habitat that one passed by en route between Quito and Guayaquil. Back then, there were no places to really stop at, worse to stay over night at, and the then extensive forest, which seemed so utterly complex, intriguing and impenetrable, was basically unreachable, unless one stood at risk along the busy (dusty!!) "highway" trying to get a glimpse through the thick second-growth that often bordered the roadside; and being that the trip between these two major cities took "forever" in those days, there really wasn't much time to stop and explore.
So, there it was - Tinalandia, a private hacienda/nature refuge (back when there were no nature refuges around) that I was told about by a good friend, Tom Butler; he even wrote a letter of recommendation for me to show upon my initial arrival. When my brother Steve and I pulled up to Tinalandia's "pearly gates" for the first time, in the late afternoon, we were met by the owner and then already "famous" Tina, who looked us both over from head to toe - we weren't much to look at, having just bushwacked our way there from Guayaquil, stopping to try to ID every single bird we came across - and she read the recommendation letter very carefully a couple of times, looked back at us (again from head to toe).and after a worrisome pause, she smiled. We were in!! You see this was not just any old place, in those days Tinalandia was visited almost exclusively by "royalty" (i.e. dignitaries, ambassadors, diplomats.) and two dust and mud-covered bird-watching hippies must have been a sight for our host, in all her elegant glory.
This "oasis" of order and calm, set back from the main bustling highway, seemed like some new dimension - tropical gardens, lawns, attractive cabins with comfortable beds - and a golf course! - surrounded by beautiful tropical rainforest with birds and butterflies everywhere. Back then, all formal meals (not the ones we stuffed into our backpacks so as to spend as much time in the field as possible) were served at the main dining table - with Tina seated at the head, Alfredo, Tina's husband positioned to her left, and all guests randomly spaced themselves at the remaining place settings. All (and I mean all) conversation was directed by and through our host; Tina spoke almost every language you could ever hope to come across, and conversations often covered many interesting subjects, and went through various translations before getting a simple idea across. The home-style cooking, served in large trays, was always something to look forward to.
And.I had never seen so many bird species so easily in my life.what a spectacular place! Walking around the gardens, along the edge of the nine-hole golf course, the forest borders and the jungle trails was a delight - the sights and sounds of jacamars, toucans, trogons, antbirds, tanagers, hummingbirds. Tinalandia was paradise.
Well, it still is; and although much has changed in Ecuador since that first visit, Tinalandia has not changed all that much.and it remains an oasis, now a stronghold for many species that are striving to survive the rampant deforestation that has taken claim to most of the country's virgin forests. So now Tinalandia isn't a natural hide-away in a sea of green jungle, but rather a sanctuary for an ever more threatened natural biodiversity that fights to remain in spite of man's mishandling of his environment. In many ways, it is even better than before - sure, due to habitat destruction in areas outside its grounds, some species have disappeared from the area - but now, many of the cleared pastures within the property have even been reforested, and species that were never recorded here before have shown up and reside permanently on the property. It still offers some of the most enjoyable and exciting bird-watching (and butterfly- and flower-watching!) you can find anywhere in the world! The extremely active fruit and nectar feeders are a treat; where from the dining terrace you can watch dacnises, tanagers, barbets, and even toucanets and araçaris so close, you can almost touch them (and certainly photograph them!!), along with a frenzy of hummingbird activity happening right in your face!
To me, the Tinalandia experience is an absolute must for newcomers to the joys of the neotropics and its birding, as well as for seasoned experts, where most tropical bird families are well represented and even seen with more relative ease than just about anywhere. It isn't uncommon to see some 60-80 bird species in just the first few morning hours, without even walking more than 100 yards from your room! I've seen over 30 species by just sitting quietly at breakfast (it is never easy to manage to put my binoculars down to actually eat!) - and the food and accommodations are as good as ever.
Paul Greenfield grew up near New York City and became interested in birds as a child. He received his B.A. from Temple University where he was an art major at the Tyler School of Art. Since 1972, he has lived in Ecuador where his fascination for birds and art has culminated with the completion of 20 years of work illustrating The Birds of Ecuador, which he co-authored with Robert Ridgely. Paul is very involved in saving Ecuador's avian diversity and important habitats through his involvement with various foundations, as well as working with local government and communities to encourage their involvement in the protection of "their" biodiversity and the promotion of birding tourism in Ecuador. He has been showing visitors the birds of this fascinating country for over two decades and has led many Ecuador bird tours. He and his wife, Martha, live in Quito.
Hacienda Tinalandia:
tele/fax: (593-2) 2449-028
cells: 099467741
Urbanizacion El Bosque 2da. Etapa Av. del Parque
Calle 3era. Lote 98 #43-78
Quito, Ecuador