BIRDWATCHING IN NORTHERN PERU

The Northern Peru Birding Trip will take you into the dry deciduous forest of the pacific coast and visting the prosopis acacia woodlands. In this 12 day birding program you will explore the, habitat which contain the Peruvian Plantcutter and the Rufuos Flycatcher, Collared Antshrike, Scarlet-backed Woodpecker among others specialities of the zone and give you one of the most spectacular and prized of all the hummingbirds of the world. The Marvelous Spatuletail. You will go in search of the White-winged Guan in the forests of Lambayeque and cross the Andes to arrive at the cloudforest where you will observe mixed flocks of tanagers, fruiteaters, cotingas and flowerpiercers. Finally the trip ends in the Amazonian lowlands.

This is trip is designed to explore areas where you can see endemics and birds on the threatened list. For those who are looking for new species there are the Marveleous Spatuletail, Bar-winged Wood-Wren, Ash-throated Antwren and Ecuadorian specialities as Ecuadorian Piedtail, Tumbes Pewee, Tumbes Swift, Tumbes Swallow. New birders will delight in seeing colourful birds like the impressive Gray-breasted Mountain -Toucan, Golden Headed Quetzal, Masked Trogon, Flame-faced and White-capped Tanager. Also the zone is famous for its recent discoveries like the Lulu's Tody-Tyrant, Ochre-breasted Antpitta and the mythical Long-whiskered Owl. We designed the program to spend the nights in the most appropriate and best hotels the region has to offer.

The trip is easy with a one full day hiking up the Chido Trail, which is considered moderate by those who don't have much hiking experience and a child's play for hardcore birders.

Day 1 Arrival in Lima

Transfer from the airport to your hotel in Lima. Hotel Manhattan.

Day 2 Pucusana

We will drive 60 km to the south until we arrive to the small fishing village of Pucusana (1 hour to the south of Lima.) We will see our first Humboldt Current Specials such as Peruvian Boobies and Pelicans, Guanay and the Red-legged Cormorant, the gorgeous Inca Tern, Band-tailed Kelp Gull and the Grey-headed Gull. We will focus on the threatened Humboldt Penguin and the endemic Peruvian-Seaside Cinclodes. We will drive a futher 11 km to the south to reach the Wetlands of Puerto Viejo, place that harbour the precious Many-colored Rush-Tyrant, Wren-like Rushbird, Peruvian Meadowlark, Yellowish Pipit, Grassland-Yellow Finch, Chestnut-throated Seedeater, Blue-black Grassquit. We will get our second endemic the Coastal Miner. These coastal lagoons provide excellent chances to see the Great-Pied-billed and White-tufted Grebes. Andean Coots, Common Moorhems, Cinammon Teals, Black-necked Stilt and the White-cheeked Pintail. There are some arid areas near to the wetlands. The habitat of the only species of Burhinus found in Peru, namely the Peruvian-Thick-Knee. The Burrowing Owl is also possible. A hike by the shore offers a lot of species of shorebirds like Yellowlegs, Sanderlings, Whimbrels, American and Blackish Oystercatcher, and Black Skimmers.

Between May and November it is possible to spot beautiful Chilean Flamingos. We will continue on our trip to the coastal valley of Cañete and after lunch in a local restaurant we will drive above Cañete where the Prosopis riperain thickets grow and is the habitat for the Slender-billed Finch. Others birds include Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant, Eared Dove, Shiny Cowbirds, Long-tailed Mockingbird, Rufuos-collared Sparrow. We will return to Lima and head east to the Santa Eulalia Valley for the night ready for the next days birding.
Night in Hotel La Quinta(B, L, D)

Day 3 Santa Eulalia

The Santa Eulalia Road is home to a lot of west slope specialist and endemics such as the Great-Inca Finch, Black-necked Woodpecker, Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch, Canyon Canastero, Collared Warbling Finch and Peruvian-Pygmy Owl. The upperparts of the Santa Eulalia valley will give us the White-capped Dipper, Spot-winged Pigeon, Giant Hummingbird, Torrent Duck. If we are lucky we shall see the majestic Andean Condor.

The shrubs when in blossom attract many species of hummers like the elegant Peruvian Sheartail, Oasis Hummingbird, Purple-collared Woodstar, and the endemic Bronze-tailed Comet, Black Metaltail. American Kestrel, Variable Hawk, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle and Aplomado Falcon are among the raptors to be seen here. There are small patches of Polylepis which are home for the Thick-billed Siskin, Stripe-headed Antpitta, Shinning Sumbeam, D'Orbigny Chat-Tyrant, Striated Earthcreeper. We may see the endemic and elusive White-cheeked Cotinga. Return to Lima .
Sleep in the hotel Manhattan (B, L, D)

Day 4 Chiclayo - Batan Grande - Pimentel

We catch the first flight to Chiclayo. Then we head to the Prosopis Woodlands of Batan Grande to see the Peruvian Plantcutter and the Rufuos Flycatcher. Other birds include Stripe Headed Woodcreper, Scarlet-backed Woodpecker, Collared Antshrike, Cinereous Finch, Fasciated Wren, White-edge Oriole,Amazilia Hummingbird, Short-tailed Field-Tyrant. In the afternoon we will go south to Pimentel and we will explore the coastal lagoons nearby. Comb Duck, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and Short-eared Owl are possible. Later we head north again to archaeological site of Tucume and sleep in Los Horcones. (B, L, D)

Day 5 Batan Grande and Olmos

On the way to Olmos we go into Batan Grande again for a second chance to see the birds mentioned above. Later we go on to Olmos. Along the way, Pearl Kite, Savanna Hawk, Chestnut-throated Seedeater, Peregrine Falcon, Turkey Vulture can be seen. We will stop at the White-winged Guan Breeding Center for the Baird's Flycatcher and the Striped Owl. The Spotted Rail is sometimes possible to see in the rice fields on route. Sleep in the Hotel Remanso. (B, L, D)

Day 6 Hacienda Limon, Olmos

In the morning we will scan the area and the canyons for the re-discovered White-winged Guan, Elegant Cresentchest, Pacific Parrotlet, Red-masked Parrakeet, Blue-crowned Motmot, White-tailed Jay, Henna-hooded Foliage-Gleaner, Tumbes Tyrant, Tumbes Swift, Tumbes Sparrow, Tumbes Pewee, Tumbes Hummingbird, White-headed Brush-Finchand Srub Nightjar. The Sechura Fox is common here. We will return to Olmos and the Remanso Hotel for the night. (B, L, D)

Day 7 Road to Jaen

We will continue our trip and we will drive over the Porculla Pass, the lowest pass in the Andes. We will pick up the Spot-throated Hummingbird, Black-and-white Seedeater and Champan's Antshrike. We will arrive at Jaen and we will explore the are for the Tataupa Tinamou, Chichipe Spinetail, Marañon Thrush. We will try for the seldom seen Marañon Crescentchest and Marañon Spinetail. We will sleep in the hotel El Bosque in Jaen. (B, L, D)

Day 8 Jaen and Pomacochas area

An additional morning to pick up the birds that we may have missed the day before. Then we continue to Pomacochas on the way we will spot the Fasciated-Tiger-Heron on the Utcubamba River. Nearby to Pomacochas you can see the Marvelous Spatuletail Hummingbird one of the most beautiful and precious hummingbirds of the world, Green-tailed Trainbearer, Roadside Hawk and with luck the White-capped Tanager. We will sleep at Puerto Pumas Hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 9 Chido Trail

Species here are: Sword-billed Hummingbird, Collared Inca, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Unicolored Tapaculo, Barred Fruiteater, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Pale-billed Antpitta, Plain Antvireo, Emerald Toucanet, Gray-breasted Mountain Toucan, Azara's Spinetail, Green Jay, Golden-headed Quetzal. Return trek to Pomacochas (2 hours). Return to Puerto Pumas for the night. (B, L, D)

Day 10 Abra Patricia Area

Early starts to go to one of the most famous birding locations in Peru. Silver-baked and Straw Backed Tanagers, Saffron-crowned, Flame-faced, Berly Spangled, Blue-necked Tanagers. The Long-whiskered Owlet was discovered around this area but the possibilities of seeing it are few indeed.

The Lulus-Tody Tyrant a recently discovered species is possible here. Solitary Eagle, Chestnut eared Aracari, White-eyed parakket, Fasciated Antshrike, Variable Antshrike, Ash-throated Antwren, Andean Cock of the rock, Squirrel Cuckoo, Magpie Tanager, Green-and-black Fruiteater, Speckle-chested Piculet, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Pearled Treerunner, Tricolored Brush Finch. Night in Puerto Pumas. (B, L, D)

Day 11 Abra Patricia and Tarapoto

Another early start to bird at Abra Patricia and Afluentes areas. Later continue on to Tarapoto and stay the night in Hotel Nilas. (B,L, D)

Day 12 Tarapoto

In the morning, we will drive on the road to Yurimaguas to see the Plumbeous Euphonia, Northern-Slaty-Antshrike, Swalow-tailed Kite, Sulphur-bellied Tyrant-Manakin, Pavonine Quetzal. The rare Dotted Tanager can be seen here. White-necked Jacobin, Painted Parakeet,Ocellated Woodcreeper, Green Honeycrepper,Scale-backed Antbird, Striolated Puffbird, Collared Trogon, Bluish-fronted Jacamar, Gilded Barbet,Blue Ground-Dove, Golden-collared Toucanet, Speckled Chachalaca and more. Return to Tarapoto for the afternoon flight to Lima. Optional night in hotel Manhattan or your international connection to your country of origin. (B, L)

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