DAY ONE
Upon arrival in Peru we will be transferred to our hotel for the night. Everyone should plan on being in Lima this evening. Night in Lima at Hotel Jose Antonio.
DAY TWO
Lima – Pantanos de Villa – Pucusana-Puerto Viejo. We start early by car. The habitats will be freshwater marshes, sandy beach, arid lowland scrub, coastal rocky shore and sea coast. The possibilities include Humboldt Penguin, Great Grebe, Peruvian Pelican, Blue-footed Booby, Peruvian Booby, Guanay Cormorant, Red-legged Cormorant, Least Bittern, White-cheeked Pintail, Puna Teal, Southern Caracara, Blackish Oystercatcher, American Oystercatcher, Peruvian Thick-knee, Band-tailed Gull, Gray Gull, KeIp Gull, Gray-headed Gull, South American Tern, Peruvian Tern, Inca Tern, West Peruvian Dove, Croaking Ground-Dove, Dark-billed Cuckoo, Burrowing Owl, Lesser Nighthawk, Amazilia Hummingbird, Coastal Miner, Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes, Tumbes Beardless-Tyrannulet, Rufescent Flycatcher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Dark faced ground-Tyrant, Short-tailed Field-Tyrant, Chestnut-collared Swallow, Yellowish Pipit, Long-tailed Mockingbird, Black-lored Yellowthroat, Slender-billed Finch, Collared Warbling-Finch, Drab Seedeater, Parrot-billed Seedeater, Chestnut-throated Seedeater, Grassland Yellow-Finch, Yellow-hooded Blackbird, Peruvian Meadowlark, Scrub Blackbird. Night in Lima at Hotel Jose Antonio.
DAY THREE
We will take a morning flight from Lima to Cusco. Upon arrival we will be transferred to our hotel as we get acclimated to the extremely high elevation of this Andean city. In the afternoon we will travel to the nearby Huacarpay Lake. Possibilities here include Puna Teal, Andean Lapwing, Wren-like Rushbird, Many-colored Rush-tyrant, Puna Ibis, Cinereous Harrier, and Bearded Mountaineer. Night at Hotel Picoaga.
DAY FOUR
This morning we will depart for the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge located in subtropical forest on the east slope of the Andes. This part of our trip encompasses fantastic birding, breathtaking scenery and rich Andean culture. The ride today can take from 8 to 10 hours depending upon how much birding we do along the way. This drive has been described by many clients as “one of the most spectacular in all of Peru.” Leaving Cusco we will make planned stops at several patches of scrub where Sparkling Violetear, Creamy-crested Spinetail, White-browed Chat-tyrant, Black-throated Flower-piercer, Cinereus Conebill and perhaps Aplomado Falcon can be seen. We’ll get to puna grassland at Acjanaco (Elevation 12,792 feet), the southwest boundary, of Manu National Park. At this elevation we should be able to see Junin Canastero, Sedge Wren, Black-billed Shrike-tyrant, Mountain Caracara, Plumbeus Sierra Finch, and Plain-colored Seedeaters. Here we will try to lure the commonly heard Andean Tapaculo into view. In the ecotone from grassland to temperate forest, White-browed Chat-tyrant is replaced by Brown-backed Chat-tyrant. This change in habitats introduces a strikingly different bird community. Here flocks of colorful tanagers, flower-piercers, conebills, and the sounds of antpittas and tapaculos are features of the landscape. Night at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge (Elevation 5,248).
DAY FIVE
From the lodge we’ll make early departures to bird the Andean gradient at various elevations. Birding at various elevations is essential since Andean birds are generally distributed in narrow altitudinal ranges with a high turnover rate along the gradient. On our first morning we will set off for the temperate forest at about 11,000 feet. From here we will bird down a seldom used road, looking for the brightly colored Blue-and-black, Grass-green, and Blue-headed Tanagers, as well as Scarlet-bellied, and Hooded Mountain-tanagers that roam the humid temperate forest in noisy flocks. Other flock members include White-throated and White-banded Tyrannulets, Streaked Tufted-cheek and the handsome Barred Becard. More secretive, nevertheless equally rewarding species, at this elevation are Marcapata Spinetail, Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Stripe-headed Brush-Finch, Rusty-breasted Antpitta, and Citrine Warblers. Birds can be often be seen at eye level as busy flocks either ascend or descend the mountain range. Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan and Collared Jay are also seen at this elevation. Night at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge.
DAY SIX
Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge is strategically located at the lower end of the subtropical zone at 5,200 feet. At this area several lower elevation species converge with higher-elevation species. This is the ultimate spot to watch the most colorful species as they forage in the canopy of the trees – Golden-headed and Crested Quetzals, Golden, Orange-eared, Blue-necked, Beryl-spangled, Bay-headed, Paradise, White-winged and Golden-collared Tanagers. In addition we can see Green Jays, Yungas and Cerulean-capped Manakins and perhaps Black-and-chestnut and Solitary Eagles. Our hummingbird feeders assure great looks at Violet-fronted Brilliant and other hummingbirds that otherwise are difficult to see. As if this were enough birding, this area guarantees superb looks at displaying Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks as they meet every morning at a lek located just a 10 minute-walk from the lodge! At dusk we’ll look for Lyre-tailed Nightjar that often flies across the clearing at the lodge. Night at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge.
DAY SEVEN
Today we will spend a full day birding down the slope of the Andes, with special emphasis on the Pilcopata-Atalaya portion. The possibilities include Speckle-faced Parrot, Peruvian Piedtail, Chestnut-breasted Wren, Dusky-green Oropendola, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Orange-eared Tanager, White-winged Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Black-faced Tanager, Black-backed Tody Flycatcher, Lesser Seed-Finch, and Golden-bellied Warbler. Night at Amazonia Lodge at 1,600 feet above sea level.
DAYS EIGHT, NINE & TEN
Three full days at Amazonia Lodge. The lodge is situated at the pre-mountane zone that provides birding opportunities in many different habitats such as bamboo forest, flood plains, forest, and wetlands just by walking short distances. It is not necessary to take a boat or car. The Lodge also has a porch with a view of the garden and feeders where it is possible to see several species of hummingbirds including Rufous-crested Coquette, Amethyst Woodstar and Wire-crested Thorntail. The list for the lodge has 572 species of birds including Black-capped Tinamou, Blackish Rail, Hoatzin, Buckley’s Forest Falcon, Wattled Guan, Military Macaw, Blue-headed Macaw, Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo, Koepcke’s Hermit, White-bearded Hermit, Gray-breasted Sabrewing, Black-eared Fairy, Golden-tailed Saphire, Blue-tailed Emerald, Bluish-fronted Jacamar, Fine-barred Piculet, Scarlet-hooded Barbet, Cabani’s Spinetail, Bamboo Antshrike, Manu Antbird, Amazonian Antpitta, Rusty-belted Tapaculo, Black-spotted Bare eye, Johanni’s Tody-tyrant, White-cheecked Tody-tyrant, Ornate Flycatcher, Two-banded Warbler, Fire-capped Manakin Plum-throated Cotinga, Masked-crimson Tanager, and Yellow-bellied Dacnis. There are also possibilities for Mottled Owl, Black-banded Owl, Tawny-bellied Screech-owl, Great, Long-tailed and Common Potoo. All nights at the comfortable Amazonia Lodge.
DAY ELEVEN
Today we will be transferred back to Cusco with an early start by bus with short stops for flocks along the way and arriving in Cusco around 3 p.m. Farewell Dinner! Night at Hotel Picoaga.
DAY TWELVE
Today we will be transferred to the airport for our flight to Lima, Bird at Lomas de Lachay upon arrival. The habitits are arid lowland scrub and the unique vegetation type called lomas vegetation. The possibilities here are Tawny-throated Dotterel, Least Seedsnipe, Gray-capped Cuckoo, Grayish, Coastal and Thick-billed Miners, Cactus Canastero, Dark-faced Ground-Tyrant, Collared Warbling Finch, Dull-colored Grassquit, Grassland and Raymond’s Yellow Finch. Lunch and Day room in Lima at Ramada Costa Del Sol Lima Airport. Located at the airport you can go directly to your homeward flight. (Dinner on own).
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