Our tour begins with a morning flight from Lima to Cusco, ancient capital of the Incas. Upon our arrival, we immediately depart in our expedition bus for the Manu Road, where we'll be spending the next several days birding en route down an altitudinal gradient and at eco-lodges where we'll be staying during the transect.
PILLAHUATA SAFARI CAMP
We'll spend our first day birding Manu Road en route to an established safari camp at Pillahuata, where we'll be spending the night. The drive begins in Cusco at elevation 10,900 ft and goes over several high mountain passes before descending to Pillahuata at 9300 ft elevation. En route we'll be looking for the endemic Bearded Mountaineer, a high-elevation hummingbird.
In the mountain passes we'll be looking for Andean Condor, which is sometimes seen in this area. We hope to see two endemics, the Creamy-chested Spinetail and Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch in the valleys between the cordilleras. We'll also be looking for the very locally distributed Line-fronted Spinetail and Scribble-fronted Spinetail, as well as the hard to see Puna Tapaculo and Diademed Tapaculo. Other birds we may see during the transfer include Spot-winged Pigeon, Andean Lapwing, Plum-crowned Parrot, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Collared Jay, White-browed Conebill, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Yellow-collared Tanager, Moustached Flowerpiercer, Northern Mountain Cacique, and four species of Sierra-Finches. We'll arrive before dark, have dinner, and then optionally go out looking for Swallow-tailed Nightjar and Yungas Pygmy-Owl around Pillahuata.
The habitats around Pillahuata consist of Chusquea bamboo, secondary forest, second-growth scrub, and evergreen forest. We'll spend part of the following morning birding these habitats. Possibilities include Golden-headed Quetzal, Puna Thistletail, Red-and-white Antpitta, Diademed Tapaculo, Masked Fruiteater, White-eared Solitaire, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Blue-capped Tanager, Golden-collared Tanager, Tit-like Dacnis, and Moustached Flowerpiercer.
COCK-OF-THE-ROCK LODGE
The section of Manu Road descending to Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge is surrounded by pristine forest. We'll spend most of the day birding along the road.
Some of the specialty birds we'll be looking for are White-rumped Hawk, Black-and-chestnut Eagle, Andean Guan, Golden Tanager, Golden-headed Parakeet, Scaly-naped Amazon, and Trilling Tapaculo. We should see numerous hummingbirds including Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Collared Inca, Violet-throated Starfrontlet, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Purple-backed Thornbill, Scaled Metaltail, and White-bellied Woodstar. We should see many spectacular tanagers including possibly Giant Conebill, Superciliared Hemispingus, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager, Golden-eared Tanager, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Flame-faced Tanager, Paradise Tanager and more. Other birds we could see this day include Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Bar-bellied Woodpecker, the endemic Marcapata Spinetail, White-throated Antpitta, Barred Fruiteater, Band-tailed Fruiteater, Mountain Wren, Citrine Warbler, and numerous flycatchers. We'll arrive before dinner at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge near Union.
Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge is situated within a 10,000 acre cloud forest reserve owned by Peru Verde and Selva Sur. We'll be spending two full days birding around the lodge. One day will be spent around the 8,000 ft zone near San Pedro, and the other day around 5,000 ft near Union. Among the many species we could see are White-throated Hawk, Solitary Eagle, Crested Quetzal, Golden-headed Quetzal, Masked Trogon, Highland Motmot, Black-streaked Puffbird, Buff-thighed Puffbird, Blue-banded Toucanet, Olive-backed Woodcreeper, Spotted Barbtail, Uniform Antshrike, Variable Antshrike, Yellow-rumped Antwren, Slaty Antwren, Slaty Gnateater, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Scaled Fruiteater, Bolivian Tyrannulet, Inca Flycatcher, Yungas Manakin, Cerulean-capped Tanager Uniform Antshrike, Fulvous-breasted Flatbill, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, and Deep-blue Flowerpiercer. Early one morning we'll visit the famed Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek just a short walk from the lodge to observe the courtship display of these spectacular birds. We could see 6-20 males displaying within 15 ft of our blind. During the evening we may optionally look for night birds such as Rufescent Screech-Owl, Rufous-banded Owl, Lyre-tailed Nightjar, and Andean Potoo.
AMAZONIA LODGE
We'll spend a full day birding our way down the Manu Road to the Amazonia Lodge, located at 1600 ft elevation. We'll be traversing the upper tropical zone forest, which in many parts of South America has been cut to grow tea, coffee, and coca. The forest here is still pristine, and we'll be looking for such species as Rufous-breasted Wood-Quail, Plum-crowned Parrot, Chestnut-collared Swift, Peruvian Piedtail, Long-tailed Sylph, Lanceolated Monklet, Versicolored Barbet, Russet Antshrike, Slaty Antwren, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Cerulean-capped Manakin, Rufous-lored Tyrranulet, Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant, Fulvous-breasted Flatbill, Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Chestnut-breasted Wren, Black-faced Tanager, White-winged Tanager, Orange-eared Tanager, Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager, Swallow-Tanager, Golden-collared Honeycreeper, and Dusky-green Oropendola.
We'll spend the next three days birding around the lodge. Over 530 species of birds have been seen on the property of this converted tea plantation. Among the many possibilities are Black-capped Tinamou, Blackish Rail, Hoatzin, Buckley's Forest-Falcon, Wattled Guan, Military Macaw, Blue-headed Macaw, Pheasant Cuckoo, Koepcke's Hermit, Rufous-webbed Brilliant, Rufous-crested Coquette, Golden-tailed Sapphire, Bluish-fronted Jacamar, Chestnut-capped Puffbird, Fine-barred Piculet, Red-billed Scythebill, Dark-breasted Spinetail, Dusky-cheeked Foliage-gleaner, Bamboo Antshrike, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Amazonian Antpitta, Rusty-belted Tapaculo, Mottle-backed Elaenia, Red-billed Tyrannulet, Johannis' Tody-Tyrant, Yellow-browed Tody-Tyrant, Ornate Flycatcher, Golden-bellied Warbler, Magpie Tanager, Hooded Tanager, Masked Crimson Tanager, and Black-faced Dacnis. Some of the night birds we could see are Mottled Owl, Black-banded Owl, Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, Great Potoo, Long-tailed Potoo, and Common Potoo.
MANU WILDLIFE CENTER
From Amazonia Lodge we'll spend a full day transferring to Manu Wildlife Center by motorized canoe down the Rio Alto Madre de Dios. We should see numerous riverside species including Pied Lapwing, Collared Plover, Fasciated Tiger-Heron, Orinoco Goose, Large-billed Tern, Yellow-billed Tern, Swallow-winged Puffbird, Bare-necked Fruitcrow, and possibly a variety of hawks, eagles, macaws, and parrots.
During the next four days we'll be birding the Manu Biosphere Reserve. On one day we'll visit the famed Blanquillo Macaw clay lick where we'll see hundreds of parrots and macaws of several species from our floating blinds. We should see Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Scarlet Macaw, Red-and-green Macaw, and Red-bellied Macaw in addition to several parrot species. On another day we'll climb up a canopy observation tower to get good views of canopy birds. We'll spend the remainder of our time birding trails through varzea and terra firme forest, large stands of bamboo, and a variety of waterways and oxbow lakes.
Manu has a bird list in excess of 550 species and still growing. Some of the more scarce species we'll be looking for include Bartlett's Tinamou, Razor-billed Curassow, Pale-winged Trumpeter, Sunbittern, Pavonine Quetzal, Purus Jacamar, Striolated Puffbird, Gray-cheeked Nunlet, Cream-colored Woodpecker, Ocellated Woodcreeper, Collared Puffbird, Ruddy Spinetail, Plain Softail, Striped Woodhaunter, Sclater's Antwren, Banded Antbird, Ash-throated Gnateater, White-throated Antbird, Black-spotted Bare-eye, Black-faced Cotinga, White-bellied Tody-Tyrant, Musician Wren, Yellow-shouldered Grosbeak, and Pale-eyed Blackbird. Around the waterways we'll be looking for birds such as Agami Heron, Sungrebe, Rufous-sided Crake, Gray-breasted Crake, Hoatzin, Silvered Antbird, and Large-billed Seed-Finch. In the Bamboo forest we'll be looking for specialties such as Rufous-headed Woodpecker, Manu Antbird, Flammulated Bamboo-Tyrant, White-cheeked Tody-Tyrant, Dusky-cheeked Foliage-gleaner, Brown-rumped Foliage-gleaner, Large-headed Flatbill, Dusky-tailed Flatbill, Peruvian Recurvebill, Ihring's Antwren, Ornate Antwren, White-lined Antbird, and Striated Antbird.
