An intensive multi-centre 16-day birding tour to Peru covering some of the best areas in both the North and South of the country in one itinerary, in conjunction with our friends from Oriole Birding.

Peru

Peru is one of the best countries for birding in the World. The problem with such a big and diverse country, with so much variation in altitude and habitats, is knowing which bits to try and cover in one tour. Our itinerary is unique, in that we utilise the reliable internal flights between Lima and Cusco to combine some of the highlights of the North, with the spectacular and diverse birding on the famous Manu Road in the South.

Starting with five nights in the area around Pomacochas gives us the chance to connect with some delectable endemics, none more than the Marvelous Spatuletail, an incredible but tiny hummingbird with an improbably long tail. Five endemic antpittas are also on offer, including Chestnut, Rusty-tinged, Pale-billed, Ochre-fronted and Chachapoyas Antpittas. In the elfin cloud forest, we search for such gems as Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Cinnammon Screech-Owl, Johnson’s Tody-flycatcher and Yungas Pygmy-Owl, while the lodge feeders attract Sword-billed Hummingbird, surely one of the most spectacular birds in the world. There are highlights too numerous to mention here, from Maranon Crescentchest in the dry scrub to Torrent Duck on the rivers and of course, the enigmatic Long-whiskered Owlet whose tiny range is centred around the very lodge where we stay.

After a flight down to Cusco, we then embark on an ornithological journey along one of the world’s most famous birding routes, the Manu Road. Starting at Wayqecha up around 2900m, we search for Urubamba and Red and White Antpittas. We work our way down the elevations, trying for Leymebamba and the tricky White-throated Antpittas, reaching the warmer climes of the Amazonian lowlands. Here, at Manu Biological Station, we enjoy raucous macaws overhead, Hoatzins outside our rooms and tinamous coming to the lodge feeding stations. Our focus will be on seeing many of the bamboo-specialists such as Bamboo Antshrike, Manu Antbird, Bluish-slate Antshrike, White-lined Antbird, Goeldi’s Antbird, Dusky-cheeked Foliage-gleaner, Cuzco Warbler and White-cheeked Tody-flycatcher. We have chances for Amazonian Antpitta too, and the lagoon at our lodge hosts a variety of waterbirds, including Sunbittern. Excursions out from here will take us deeper into the Amazon, for some spectacular macaw licks and a chance even for Harpy Eagle.

Towards the end of the tour we retreat back up the Manu Road as far as Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge, where we have the opportunity to visit the lek of one of the Neotropics flagship birds. Andean Cock-of-the-Rock is one of those must-see birds, and here we will have them bouncing around at eye level from a purpose-built shelter, close enough to photograph as well as just watch their fascinating behaviour. We end our tour in Cuzco, the touristic gateway to the iconic Inca city of Machu Picchu. For those interested, there is a short extension offered to travel by train from Cuzco and stay two nights there in order to visit this marvel of the ancient world (price on application).

We will be assisted throughout by Juan Carlos Figueroa and other local guides. You can expect to see up to 400 species.