Birding in Quito.

Quito is a place where almost anyone can do birdwatching, here you will find different species, from ducks to falcons, pigeons to hummingbirds, here I will give you some advices for birding, both how to identificate different species and where to find them . 

Quito parks are the best place to start your bird-journey, Guanguiltagua metropolitan park  has the most diversity of birds in the city, followed by the "reservorio" located in Cumbayá valley. In order to facilitate the use of this little guide, I will divide the city in four regions, south, center, north, and valleys. 

South: 

In this part of the city you can find a lot of small parks, and three medium parks. Here you will find the tipically bird species of urban Quito, among which are: 

Common birds. 

Eared Dove- Zenaida auriculata

Rufous-collared Sparrow-Zonotrichia capensis

Great Trush-Turdus fuscater

Sparkling Violet-ear-Colibrí coruscans

Common dove-Columba livia

Fairly common birds. 

Black-tailed Trainbearer-Lesbia victoriae

Vermilion Flycatcher-Pyrocephalus rubinus

Brown-bellied Swallow-Notiochelidon murina. 

Blue-and-white Swallow-Pygochelidon cyanoleuca

Black Flowerpiercer-Dyglossa humeralis

Blue-and-yellow Tanager-Traupis bonariensis

Yellow-breasted Brush-finch-Atlapetes latinuchus. 

Non common birds. 

American Kestrel-Falco sparverius. 

Center:

In the center of Quito, the principal place to birdwatch is Itchimbia park, here you will easily find a lot of types of birds. 

Itchimbia park:

Black Vulture - Coragyps atratus  

American Kestrel -   Falco sparverius 

Band-tailed Pigeon - Patagioenas fasciata 

Eared Dove  - Zenaida auriculata 

Sparkling Violet-ear -    Colibri coruscans 

Black-tailed Trainbearer -   Lesbia victoriae 

White-crested Elaenia  - Elaenia albiceps 

Azara's Spinetail  - Synallaxis azarae 

Brown-bellied Swallow  - Notiochelidon murina 

Great Thrush  - Turdus fuscater 

Rufous-collared Sparrow - Zonotrichia capensis 

Grassland Yellow-finch  - Sicalis luteola 

Black-and-white Seedeater  - Sporophila luctuosa 

Band-tailed Seedeater  - Catamenia analis 

White-winged Brush-finch - Atlapetes leucopterus 

Blue-and-yellow Tanager  - Thraupis bonariensis 

Cinereous Conebill  - Conirostrum cinereum 

Black Flowerpiercer  - Diglossa humeralis 

Golden-bellied Grosbeak  - Pheucticus chrysogaster 

Crimson-mantled Woodpecker  - Colaptes rivolii 

Tufted Tit-tyrant  - Anairetes parulus 

Vermilion Flycatcher -    Pyrocephalus rubinus 

Tropical Kingbird  - Tyrannus melancholicus 

Eastern Kingbird  - Tyrannus tyrannus

North: 



In the north of Quito, there are two big parks where to find birds, in one of them, Carolina Park, there is a Botanical Garden, inside of it you can find migratory species, some colorful tanagers, egrets, herons, finches, and more.

Not far away from the botanical garden, about 10 minutes west, there is the Metropolitan Park of Guanguiltagua, there you can find hummingbirds, actually there is a road called "Sendero de los Colibries". Metropolitan Park is an intermedial stage between Quito and the valleys of Cumbaya and Nayón. There you going to find three viewpoints, each one has a different view of the slopes, In this slopes you can observe communities of birds.

Parental Care in Glass Frogs

The glass frogs, are Anuran amphibious of the family Centrolenidae, this tiny animals present in the majority of his species a light green dorsal coloration, and his ventral part is almost always transparent, because of this special feature, easily you can see his intern organs such as his stomach, the liver, his bowels, and also you can see the beat of his heart. The majority of the centrolenid species has parental care, which means that father, mother, or inclusive both parents stay with their eggs and take care of them until the juvenile frogs emerge.

This special behavior, has to do whit terrestrial reproduction, unlike the majority of the amphibias, the glass frogs put his eggs under the leaves. Generally the males stays whit them day and night protecting it of potential predators such as wasps, insects, or other amphibians, also the males prevents the desecation of his eggs producing continiously a gelatinous liquid whit special glands that are located in the back of the animal, also this liquid prevents possible fungi and bacterial infections. 

They reproduction behavior is well documented, the male stays exposed over a leaf or a stone, and he begins to call, this call is named a reproductive song, the male who song more louder and faster will atract more females, then the male do a reproductive "hug" called amplexus to the female, once her is fertilized, she puts a bag of eggs over or under the leaf where the male was. 

After copulation, he stays close to the eggs whitout touching them, or over the eggs, it depends of the specie, generally male protects the eggs at night, and watch them from a near place, but has been cases that he stay whit the eggs day and night. The male is in  alertness but he does not move, his metabolic rate descends according to face all the dangers that he could be exposed (solar radiation, lack of food, dehydration, etc.).

Once the eggs emerge (14 days on average) and the male conduce them to the water and there he finished their work only for sing another reproductive song...