Maquipucuna
is the home of hundreds of birds, plants, and wildlife species that are endemic and endangered.

This incredibly biodiverse region is home to:

• Nearly 2,000 species of plants including vivid flowering varieties such as bromeliads and orchids.
• More than 350 species of birds, including the golden-headed Quetzal, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Violet-tailed Sylph, Broad-billed Motmot and the active “Andean Cock-of-the-Rock” lek.
• At least 45 different mammals, such as the Armadillo, Spectacled bear, Anteater, Agouti, and 19 species of Bats.
• Countless varieties of invertebrates including such species of butterflies as the Electric-blue Morph.

The Maquipucuna Reserve is a 6,000-hectare privately owned and managed nature reserve, surrounded by 14,000 hectares of “protected forest.” Eighty percent of Maquipucuna consists of steeply-sloped, undisturbed cloud forest.

Covering four different life zones ranging from 1,000 to 2,800 meters above sea level, the Reserve houses a tremendous diversity of flora and fauna. In fact, it is located within the Choco-Andean Corridor, one of the planet's top five "biodiversity hotspots."

This diversity of plants rivals that of lowland tropical forests and is a result of the humid conditions due to nearly constant mists at high altitudes.

Archaeological studies indicate that the area in and around Maquipucuna was home to pre-Incan peoples known as Yumbos. To this day, one can still find ceramics, burial sites and buried pathways used as they traveled between the highlands and the coast.

Modern-day residents of the area are farmers, dedicating themselves to raising cattle and producing sugar cane and its derivatives.