Birding Expedi
tions in Peru
Amazon Kingfisher
Highland Motmot
Rufous Antpitta
Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
Lanceolated Monklet
Trip
Basics
Tambopata is among
the world's most bird-rich areas and also some of the most pristine
lowland forest in the Amazon basin. We'll spend this trip at three
excellent lodges, where food and lodging are top-notch. This is an
excellent trip for those wanting to bird Peru in comfort.
Days: 11 Days
Combines With: Southeast Peru
(15 Days), Southern
Highlands 2 (12 Days)
Traveling Conditions: This is our most comfortable trip. We fly to
Puerto Maldonado, then ride in well-seated boats between three excellent
lodges. The food is generally outstanding.
Itinerary
Day 1
We'll take a morning flight to Puerto Maldonado and board a boat to Eco Amazonia Lodge on the Madre de Dios River. From the boat we'll look for Large-billed and Yellow-billed Terns, Black Skimmers, White-banded Swallows and Black Hawk-Eagle. We will make an afternoon walk to Laguna Apu Victor, where we should see Horned Screamers and Wattled Jacanas among other birds.
Days 2-4
The forest at Eco Amazonia Lodge provides an excellent introduction to Amazonian birding. The understory is fairly open, resulting in easier viewing than some other sites. Among the understory birds, we will hope for Rufous-fronted Antthrush, Stipple-throated Antwren, Plumbeous Antbird, Little Tinamou, Musician Wren, Golden-crowned Spadebill and of course many more. A visit to the canopy tower will be an opportunity to observe our main target for the area, the enigmatic Black-faced Cotinga. Also in the area there is an extensive palm swamp, where we will look for Point-tailed Palmcreeper, Sulphury Flycatcher, Fork-tailed Palm-Swift and Black-collared Hawk. Rufescent Tiger-Heron and Green-and-rufous Kingfishers can be found in the swampy lakes, and Peruvian Recurvebill is fairly easily found in bamboo.
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There is also a chance for Crested or Harpy Eagle. On the 29th, we'll tear ourselves away from this wonderful site and head for Explorer's Inn by boat, enjoying more river birds including Amazon Kingfisher on the way. |
days 5-7
Explorer's Inn has one of the longest lists of any birding lodge, and we'll get a good sampling of its species on these days. The Main Trail heads through excellent forest towards Cocococha. Along this trail, we have a chance of finding the near-mythical Zigzag Heron and a variety of other elusive birds including Ocellated Poorwill, Spectacled Owl, Banded Antwren and Collared Forest-Falcon. Cocococha itself is sure to be exciting, with Sunbittern, Sungrebe, Green-and-rufous Kingfishers and Casqued Oropendolas being among the avian targets. Perhaps the lake's biggest attraction is a resident family of
Giant Otters which we will have an excellent chance of observing. The High Forest Trail will deserve a pass, where we will look for Pale-winged Trumpeters, White-throated Antbird and Spot-winged Antshrike. The area immediately around the lodge clearing is also interesting, with Bluish-fronted Jacamars and Gould's Jewelfront among the possibilities. Laguna Chica is home to Rusty-sided Crake and Black-capped Donacobius, and Great Jacamar and White-crested Spadebill are possible in the area. Night birds around the lodge and river include Ladder-tailed Nightjar, Great Potoo and Tropical and Tawny-bellied Screech-Owls. It will again be with reluctance that we leave this site to head for the Tambopata Research Centre by boat on September 1st. This boat ride will take us into virtually untouched rainforest, and we will have a good chance of seeing Jaguar, as well as interesting birds such as Orinoco Goose, Sand-coloured
Nighthawk, Capped Heron and White-rumped Swallow.
Days 8-10
Although all the lodges we use on this trip are comfortable and with excellent food, the Tambopata Research Centre is perhaps the best. And the birding, as we'll find during these days, is also spectacular. The two main attractions of the area are the "colpa" (or clay lick) and the extensive bamboo. We will visit the colpa on one morning and could see up to 16 species of parrots, among them Scarlet, Red-and-green, Blue-and-yellow, Chestnut-fronted and Red-billed Macaws, Orange-cheeked and White-bellied Parrots and White-eyed Parakeets. A smaller lick is also visited by the enigmatic
Amazonian Parrotlet (the famous "parrot without a name"). The trails through the largest bamboo patch in south-east Peru will give us excellent chances to see Large-headed Flatbill, Peruvian Recurvebill, Goeldi's Antbird, Bamboo Antshrike, Red-billed Scythebill, Flammulated Bamboo-Tyrant, Manu Antbird, Rufous-capped Nunlet and White-cheeked Tody-Tyrant among others. White-lined Antbird is among the most common birds of the area. In the true forest areas, we will look for Rufous-capped
Antthrush, Starred Wood-Quail and Chestnut-capped Puffbird. There are a few cliff-top vantage points overlooking the canopy, and here we could see Masked Crimson Tanager, Blue-throated Piping-Guan, Blue-headed Macaw and Lemon-throated Barbet. Razor-billed Curassows are regularly seen in the area, and we should encounter some during our visit. On August 4th we'll travel back to Explorer's Inn for the night savouring the memories of this remarkable area.
Day 11
After a quick morning walk around Explorer's Inn for some species we may have missed,
we'll take a boat trip back to Puerto Maldonado for flights to Lima or Cusco.
Hotel is not included this night.
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