AGUAS CALIENTES
PERU
LOCALE
| Altitude (ft): | 6690 |
| # Species: | 231 |
| # Excl Vagrants: | 230 |
| # Endemics: | 6 |
| # Near Endemics: | 18 |
ABOUT THE BIRDING
The main opportunities for birding around Aguas Calientes are along the road out of town in the Urubamba River. The road leads to Machu Picchu up steep switchbacks, and buses pass every 2-3 minutes. However, some scrub vegetation along the road and river offers good birding, and birds such as Torrent Duck and White-capped Dipper are regularly seen among the rocks in the river. Mitred Parakeets occasionally fly overhead. A half mile or so outside town, a side path leads away from the road along the train tracks. This path is the end of the Inca Trail that many people hike. It's surrounded by good forest and offers good birding opportunities. Tanager flocks often show up in flowering trees. Hummingbirds such as the endemic Green-ahd-white Hummingbird and occasionally Peruvian Piedtail can be found. A nice variety of flycatchers including the endemic Inca Flycatcher and the near endemic Sclater's Flycatcher and Bolivian Tyrannulet can also be seen.
LOCATION OF SITE
Aguas Calientes is located in a valley below Machu Picchu in the central Andes of Peru. It's reached by train from either Cusco or Ollantaytambo. There is a very bad road from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, which is not recommended.