A short flight from Lima takes us the Incan Capital city of Cusco and beyond. A few days in the scenic Apurimac River valley – source of the mighty Amazon, the world’s largest river system - in search of some highly localised and rarely-seen endemics: Apurimac Spinetail and Apurimac Brushfinch. Returning to Cusco, we climb the famous Manu Road before descending the eastern Andean slopes and birding through temperate zones and montane cloud forest, offering chances for an incredible variety of exceptional and endemic birds, including Cerulean-capped and Yungas Manakins, Rufous-capped Thornbill, Crested and Golden-headed Quetzals, Blue-banded Toucanet, Spotted Barbtail, the outrageous Amazonian Umbrellabird, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Inca Flycatcher, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Golden-eyed Flowerpiercer and Peruvian Piedtail. We also visit an Andean Cock-of-the-rock lek site, where up to twenty males sometimes congregate, to watch the strange mating dance of these spectacular birds! With persistence, night birding in this area might yield the uncommon Napo and Rufescent Screech Owls, Rufous-banded Owl, Lyre-tailed Nightjar and possibly even Andean Potoo.
Torrent Duck, Andean Condor, Black-and-chestnut Eagle, Montane Solitary Eagle, White-rumped & White-throated Hawk, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Cinereous Harrier, Buckley’s Forest Falcon, Black-capped Tinamou, Puna & Andean Ibis, Tawny-throated Dotterel, Imperial Snipe, Rufous-breasted Wood Quail, Blue-headed Macaw, Mitred & Andean Parakeet, Fine-barred Piculet, Versicolored Barbet, Yungas (Andean) Pygmy Owl, White-throated & Napo Screech Owl, Lyre-tailed & Swallow-tailed Nightjar, Andean Potoo, Bluish-fronted Jacamar, Pheasant Cuckoo, Grey-breasted Mountain Toucan, Blue-banded Toucanet, White-collared Jay, Southern Mountain Cacique, Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Crested & Golden-headed Quetzals, Yungas, Fiery-capped, Round-tailed & Cerulean-capped Manakins, Lanceolated Monklet, White-throated, Undulated, Stripe-headed, Rufous, Thrush-like & chances for Red-and-white Antpittas, White-capped Dipper, Black-streaked Puffbird, Olive-backed & Montane Woodcreepers, Spotted Barbtail, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Uniform & Variable Antshrikes, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Scaled & Band-tailed Fruiteaters, Bolivian Tyrannulet, Inca Flycatcher, White-throated Spadebill, Fulvous-breasted Flatbill, Koepcke’s Hermit, Sword-billed, Giant, Green-and-white, White-bellied & Oasis Hummingbirds, Mountain Velvetbreast, Shining & White-tufted Sunbeams, Great Sapphirewing, Scaled & Tyrian Metaltails, Green-fronted Lancebill, Black-tailed & Green-tailed Trainbearers, Bearded Mountaineer, Rufous-webbed Brilliant, Rufous-capped, Blue-mantled & Purple-backed Thornbills, chances for Andean Hillstar, Rufous-crested Coquette, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Peruvian Piedtail, Inca & Mountain Wrens, Cuzco Warbler, Apurimac, Marcapata & Creamy-crested Spinetails, White-breasted Tit-Spinetail, Parodi’s Hemispingus, Puna & Vilcabamba Thistletails, Peruvian Treehunter, Puna, Diademed, Trilling & chances for Vilcabamba Tapaculos, Rusty-fronted, Junin, Ayacucho (Pale-tailed) & Streak-throated Canasteros, chances for Royal Cinclodes, Streak-fronted Thornbird, Plumbeous Tyrant, Cinereous, Puna & White-fronted Ground Tyrants, Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant, Kalinowski’s Chat-Tyrant, Many-colored Rush Tyrant, Giant, Blue-backed & White-browed Conebills, Black-faced & Tit-like Dacnis, Moustached & Golden-eyed Flowerpiercers, Chestnut-bellied Mountain Tanager, Paradise, Saffron-crowned, Golden-collared, Rust-and-yellow & Grass-green Tanagers, Andean Negrito, Peruvian Sierra Finch, Chestnut-breasted Mountain Finch, Apurimac & Cuzco Brushfinches.
Top Mammals Tayra, Brown-throated Sloth, Saddle-back Tamarin, White-fronted & Large-headed Capuchin, Bolivian Squirrel Monkey, Geoffroy’s Woolly Monkey, Brown Titi Monkey, Bolivian & Southern Amazon Red Squirrels, Long-tailed Weasel, White-lipped Peccary, White-tailed Deer.
Habitats Covered humid montane forest, foothill forest, tropical forest, high altitude lakes, polylepis forest
Expected Climate cold to cool in the highlands, hot & humid in the lowlands
Max Group Size 8 with 1 Rockjumper leader
Tour Pace & Walking moderate, with some long drives and high altitude
Accommodation comfortable
Ease of Birding moderate with some challenging species
Other Attractions Cusco (the historical Incan capital city of Peru), Apurimac River valley (source of the Amazon), visiting an Andean Cock-of-the-rock lek
Photographic Opportunities excellent
This was an excellent tour! We saw so many great birds, and had many delicious meals from pizza to ceviche. The time spent birding and touring Kuelap was a highlight. To top everything off, Forrest Rowland is an awesome leader. In addition to hearing, seeing and getting everyone on the birds, he told wonderful stories and kept everyone laughing. All in all, we had a terrific time.
Guides were awesome. Found lots of birds; guide was way too knowledgeable about the bird species and taxonomy.
It is terrific to have a bilingual guide in any country and one who knows the history and culture of the country is even better, thanks Rob! As always, terrific eyes, ears and birding skills.
Our guide, Rob Williams, was exceptionally well qualified, good humoured in all circumstances and remarkably diligent in accommodating all levels of birding skills within our group. He went out of his way to make sure that each member of the group realised their expectations for the trip. We would welcome the opportunity to join him on additional trips; he is a quality individual with sound values and a superb representative of Rockjumper Birding Tours.
Forrest Rowland is a terrific guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable of the birds we encountered on our trip. Further, he is very friendly, engaging and enthusiastic. I’d be quite pleased to join him again on any birding tour in the Neotropics.