Manu Road

This is Peru's most famous birding area. There are many sites to visit along the road, and two excellent lodges in the lowlands where the road ends. See our resources page for a checklist.
Pillahuata
This is an excellent site to sample the upper cloud forest. The main target of the area is Red-and-white Antpitta, while Masked Fruiteaters and Rust-and-yellow Tanagers are additional attractions. Andean Potoo and Swallow-tailed Nightjars can be found with luck.
San Pedro
There are two lodges which can be used here, in the mid-elevation forest. Cock-of-the-rock Lodge and Cloud Forest Lodge. The birding is spectacular, with the main highlights being the feeding flocks, normally with a nucleus of radiant tanagers. Other birds could include Yungas Manakin, Bluish-fronted Jacamar and Olive Finch, while soaring over the valley Solitary and Black-and-chestnut Eagles are occasionally seen.
San Pedro-Atalaya
This section of road has many excellent birds locally along its length, including Hazel-fronted Pygmy-Tyrant, Black-backed Tody-Flycatcher, Bamboo Antshrike, Blue-headed Macaw, Black Tinamou and Slaty Gnateater.
Amazonia Lodge
With a list of over 500 species, this site is a world-class birding lodge. The marshes in the area are home to Hoatzin, Black-capped Donacobius and Dark-breasted Spinetail, while along the quiet streams Sunbittern and Sungrebe can be found. There are hummingbird feeders around the lodge, which are visited by Koepcke's Hermit and Black-eared Fairy. Pre-dawn walks often produce something interesting, such as Long-tailed Potoo or Buckley's Forest-Falcon.
Pantiacolla Lodge
This has been called SE Peru's best birding lodge, and for good reason. Particularly interesting here are the bamboo and the excellent terra firme forest. The bamboo is home to White-cheeked Tody-Tyrant, Rufous-headed Woodpecker, Manu Antbird and Rufous-headed Woodpecker among others. The terra firme forest has Pale-winged Trumpeters and regular ant swarms which could produce Sooty and White-throated Antbirds, White-throated Woodcreeper and a host of other interesting birds. Also present in the area is the local Scarlet-hooded Barbet and many forest-falcons.

Connecting Sites
Cusco is the starting point for a trip to this spectacular road, and Pillahuata is a day's journey from the city via the Huacarpay Lakes.


The Birds of Manu Road

April 16-19 2001

Turkey vulture

Catharte aura

Greater Yellow-headed Vulture

Cathartes melambrotus

King Vulture

Sarcorhamphus papa

Roadside hawk

Buteo magnirostris

Black and Chestnut Eagle

Oroaetus isidorei

Speckled Chachalacha

Ortalis motmot

Andean Guan

Penelope montagnii

Grey-necked Wood Rail

Aranides cajanea

Sunbittern

Eurypyga helias

Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularia

Band-tailed Pigeon

Columba fasciata

Ruddy Pigeon

Columba subvinacea

Ruddy Ground Dove

Columbina talpacoti

Blue and Yellow Macaw

Ara severa

Military Macaw

Ara militaris

Red and Green Macaw

Ara chloroptera

Blue-headed Macaw

Ara couloni

Blue-headed Parrot

Pionus menstruus

Scaly-naped Parrot

Amazona mercenaria

Squirrel Cuckoo

Piaya cayana

Yungas Pygmy Owl

Glaucidium bolivianum

Chestnut-collared Swift

Cypseloides rutilus

Short-tailed Swift

Chaetura brachyura

Green Hermit

Phaethornis guy

White-bearded Hermit

Phaethornis hispidus

Buff-tailed Sicklebill

Eutexeres condamini

Grey-breasted Sabrewing

Campylopterus largipennis

Fork-tailed Woodnymph

Thalurania furcata

Speckled Hummingbird

Adelomyia melanogenys

Gould's Inca

Coeligena gouldi

Bronzy Inca

Coeligena coeligena

Violet -throated Starfrontlet

Coeligena violifer

Amethyst-throated Sunangel

Heliangelus amethysticollis

Many-spotted Hummingbird

Taphrospilus hypostistus

Green-tailed Trainbearer

Lesbia nuna

Tyrian Metaltail

Metallura tyrianthina

Rufous-capped Thornbill

Chalcostigma ruficeps

Long-billed Starthroat

Heliomaster longirostris

Golden-headed Quetzal

Pharomachrus auriceps

Black-tailed trogon

Trogon melanurus

Masked Trogon

Trogon personata

Amazon Kingfisher

Choloroceryle amazona

Highland Motmot

Momotus aequatorialis

Bluish-fronted Jacamar

Galbula cyanescens

Versicolored Barbet

Eubucco versicolor

Blue-banded Toucanet

Aulacorhynchus coeruleicinctus

Grey-breasted Mountain Toucan

Andigena hypoglauca

Bar-breasted Piculet

Picumnus borbae

Golden-olive Woodpecker

Piculus rubiginosus

Crimson-mantled Woodpecker

Piculus rivolii

Olive-backed Woodcreeper

Xiphorhynchus triangularis

Montane Woodcreeper

Lepidocolaptes affinis

Greater Scythebill

Campylorhamphus pucherani

Azara's Spinetail

Synallaxis azarae

Pearled Treerunner

Margarornis squamiger

Streaked Tuftedcheek

Pseudocolaptes bossoinneautii

Montane Foliage-gleaner

Anabacerthia striaticollis

Black-billed Treehunter

Thripadectes melanorhynchus

Dusky-cheeked Foliage Gleaner

Automolus dorsalis

Bamboo Antshrike

Cymbilaimus sanctaemariae

Great Antshrike

Taraba major

Uniform Antshrike

Thamnophilus unicolor

Plain-winged Antshrike

Thamnophilus schistaceus

Plain Antvireo

Dysithamnus mentalis

Pygmy Antwren

Myrmotherula brachyura

Stripe-chested Antwren

Myrmotherula longicauda

Plain-throated Antwren

Myrmotherula hauxwelli

White-flanked Antwren

Myrmotherula axillaris

Dot-winged Antwren

Microrhopias quixensis

White-browed Antbird

Myrmoborus leucophrys

Warbling Antbird

Hypocnemis cantator

Scale-backed Antbird

Hylophilax poecilonota

Black-faced Antthrush

Formicarius analis

Red and White Antpitta

Grallaria erythroleuca

Scaly Gnateater

Conopophaga ardesiaca

Barred Fruiteater

Pipreola arcuata

Band-tailed Fruiteater

Pipreola intermedia

Andean Cock of the Rock

Rupicola peruviana

Yungas Manakin

Chiroxiphia boliviana

Streak-necked Flycatcher

Mionectes striaticollis

Ochre-bellied Flycatcher

Pipromorpha oleagineus

Inca Flycatcher

Leptopgon taczanowskii

Ochre-faced Tody Flycatcher

Todirostrum plumbeiceps

Black-backed Tody Flycatcher

Todirostrum pulchellum

Bolivian Tyrannulet

Zimmerius bolivianus

White-throated Tyrannulet

Mecocerculus leucophrys

White-banded Tyrannulet

Mecocerculus stictopterus

Yellow-billed Tit-tyrant

Anairetes flavirostris

Variegated Bristle-Tyrant

Phylloscartes poecilotis

Cinnamon-faced Tyrannulet

Phylloscartes parkeri

Scale-crested Pygmy Tyrant

Lophotriccus pileatus

Yellow-breasted Flycatcher

Tolmomyias flaviventris

Unadorned Flycatcher

Myiophobus inornatus

Cinnamon Flycatcher

Pyrrhomyias cinnamomea

Olive-tufted Flycatcher

Mitrephanes olivacea

Smoke-coloured Peewee

Contopus fumigatus

Black Phoebe

Sayornis nigricans

Chestnut-belted Chat-tyrant

Ochthoeaca thoracica

Rufous-breasted Chat Tyrant

Ochthoeaca rufipectoralis

White-winged Black Tyrant

Knipolegus aterrimus

Long-tailed Tyrant

Colonia colonus

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

Myiarchus tuberculifer

Pale-edged Flycatcher

Myiarchus cephalotes

Tropical Kingbird

Tyrannus melancholicus

Lemon-browed Flycatcher

Conopias cinchoneti

Golden-crowned Flycatcher

Myiodynastes chrysocephalus

Social Flycatcher

Myiozetetes similis

White-collared Jay

Cyanolyca viridicyana

Violaceous Jay

Cyanolyca violaceus

Green Jay

Cyanolyca yncas

Red-eyed Vireo

Vireo olivaceus

Brown-capped Vireo

Vireo leucophrys

Chiguanco Thrush

Turdus chiguanco

Glossy Black Thrush

Turdus serranus

Southern Nightingale Wren

Microcerculus marginatus

White-winged Swallow

Tachycoineta albiventer

Blue and White Swallow

Notiochelidon cyanoleuca

Southern Roughwing Swallow

Stelgidopteryx ruficollis

Hooded Siskin

Carduelis magellanicus

Blackburnian Warbler

Dendroica fusca

Slate-throated Redstart

Myioborus miniata

Spectacled redstart

Myioborus melanocephalus

Pale-legged warbler

Basileuterus signatus

Three-striped Warbler

Basileuterus tristriatus

Rufous-collared Sparrow

Zonotrichia capensis

Yellow-browed Sparrow

Myiospiza aurifrons

Black-faced Brush Finch

Atlapetes melanolaemus

Bananaquit

Coereba flaveola

Blue-backed Conebill

Conirostrum sitticolor

Magpie Tanager

Cissopis leveriana

Grass-green Tanager

Chlorornis riefferi

Common Bush Tanager

Chlorospingus ophthalmicus

Yellow-whiskered Bush Tanager

Chlorospingus parvirostris

Yellow-throated Bush Tanager

Chlorospingus flavigularis

Ash-throated Bush Tanager

Chlorospingus canigularis

Grey-hooded Bush Tanager

Cnemoscopus rubrirostris

Superciliaried Hemispingus

Hemispingus superciliaris

Black-eared Hemispingus

Hemispingus melnotis

Drab Hemispingus

Hemispingus xanthophthalmus

Rust and Yellow Tanager

Thlypopsisruficeps

Olive Tanager

Chlorothraupis carmioli

Slaty Tanager

Creurgops dentata

Red-crowned Ant Tanager

Habia rubica

Silver-beaked Tanager

Ramphocelus carbo

Blue-grey Tanager

Thraupis episcopus