Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Lima
Transfer to hotel. Night in Lima.
Day 2: Transfer to ExplorNapo/Explorama
and Muyunaa Lodge
We take a flight to Iquitos, and then transfer to the marvelous Muyuna
Lodge on the Amazon, a three-hour speedboat ride. We have four nights
ay Muyuna looking for birds of the lowlands and flooded forests. Here
we access a variety of lowland Amazonian habitats, including flooded
forest, lakes, and river islands. Each habitat supports different species
and we make sure we cover the full range during our time here. From our
boat along the Amazon River, we should see Snowy, Cattle and Great Egrets,
Black and Greater Yellow-headed Vultures, kingfishers, and Yellow-hooded
Blackbird. Night at Muyuna Lodge.
Days 3 - 5: ExplorNapo/Explorama
The Peruvian Amazon boasts a huge list of species, and we will amass
a very impressive tally of neotropical goodies. The trails around the
lodge should produce Wire-tailed Manakin, Blue-crowned Manakin, Black-tailed
and White-tailed Trogons, Curl-crested and Chestnut-eared Aracaris,
and Bluish-fronted Jacamar. The main targets are the endemic Black-tailed
Antbird and Plum-throated Cotinga. Aquatic habitats around the lodge
support Sunbittern, Hoatzin, Gray-necked Wood-rail, crakes, Black-capped
Donacobius, and Wattled Jacana. Cuvier’s Toucan and Festive Parrot
will be calling from the upper canopy, and Plumbeous and Snail Kites,
Black-collared Hawk and Lined Forest-Falcon are among the raptors that
we will look for here. We may see one of the most amazing wonders of
nature – the pink river dolphins! Overnights at Muyuna Lodge.
Day
6: ExplorNapo/Explorama to Iquitos
We have the morning at Muyuna Lodge before we travel back to Iquitos.
Night in Iquitos.
Day 7: Allpahuayo – Mishana
We spend a full day in the Allpahuayo-Mishana area searching specifically
for endemics, including recently discovered species only known from
the area such as the Iquitos Gnatcatcher and Ancient Antwren. The
newly created
Allpahuayo-Mishana Reserve Zone protects the greatest concentration
of White Sand Forest in the entire Peruvian Amazon, which we thoroughly
explore today. White Sand Forests are a unique ecosystem where extremely
poor soil has been constantly leached by rain for millions of years,
which has resulted in a unique and impressive biodiversity with some
rare birds and recently found endemics. This is the home of Pompadour
Cotinga, the newly described Ancient Antwren, Allpahuayo Antbird,
Mishana Tyrannulet, Northern Chestnut-tailed Antbird, Orange-crowned
and White-crowned
Manakins, Sulphur-crested Tyrant-Manakin, Cinnamon-crested Spadebill,
Zimmer’s Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Antbird, White-throated
Antbird, Great and Paradise Jacamars, Pied Puffbird, and Gilded Barbet
and the impressive Black-necked Red Cotinga. We may have a chance
to hear or even see the rare White-winged and Rufous Potoos. We will
look
for the ant-following specialists like the White-plumed and White-banded
Antbirds, Black-faced Antthrush, and Black-spotted and Reddish-winged
Bare-Eyes. Later in the day we take a flight back to Lima. Night
in Lima.
Day 8: Pomac and Chaparri
Today, we take a flight to Chiclayo, and on arrival we depart for
the reserve of Bosque de Pomac where we come to grips with several
of the
more common Tumbesian endemics in addition to the threatened Peruvian
Plantcutter and Rufous Flycatcher. Bosque de Pomac is a reserve
of about 6000 ha that protects archeological sites such as Batán
Grande, and in so doing has also saved a considerable amount of Prosopis
(Mesquite)
woodland. Species that occur here include Necklaced Spinetail,
Superciliated Wren, Cinereous Finch, Scarlet-backed Woodpecker, Gray-and-White
Tyrannulet,
Short-tailed Field-Tyrant, Peruvian Pygmy-Owl, Tumbes Tyrannulet
(split from Mouse-colored Tyrannulet), Pacific Hornero, Baird´s
Flycatcher, Fasciated Wren, Long-tailed Mockingbird and Saffron Finch.
Other interesting
birds here include White-edge Oriole and Collared Antshrike, while
the cliffs nearby hold Black-faced Ibis and riverside vegetation
is home
to Tumbes Swallow. We then move on to the Chaparrí Ecological
Reserve, stopping en route at Puerto Eten for wetland species such
as White-tufted Grebe, Many-coloured Rush-tyrant, Wren-like Rushbird,
Chilean
Flamingo, Peruvian Tern, and waterfowl, and along the beach for
boobies, pelicans, skuas and maybe Waved Albatross. Night in Chaparrí.
Day
9: Chaparrí Reserve
We spend the morning in and around Chaparri Reserve. The community
of Santa Catalina de Chongoyape has declared 34,000 hectares of
its land
as “Chaparri Ecological Reserve”. In the dry forest
we look for those “Tumbesian” specialties that we have
not yet found, and some that are not found in Pomac such as the
rare and local Tumbes
Tyrant, among the most attractive of New World flycatchers, and
the handsome Maranon Crescent-chest. In the afternoon we should
encounter White-winged
Guans. Discovered in the dry northwest of Peru in 1876 and presumed
extinct for a century thereafter, this endangered guan was rediscovered
in 1977
and occurs in only a handful of wooded valleys in the west Andean
foothills. The dry deciduous forests in the reserve have been the
site of a successful
reintroduction program for this endangered cracid. Many other birds
inhabiting these woodlands are confined to semi-arid habitats in
northwestern Peru
and southwest Ecuador such as Red-masked Parakeet and White-headed
Brush-Finch. Large woodpeckers such as Lineated and Guayaquil are
possible, as are
Andean Tinamou, Short-tailed Woodstar, Tumbes Hummingbird, Elegant
Crescentchest, Tumbes Pewee (split from Tropical), Sooty –crowned
Flycatchers, Tropical Gnatcatcher (the western, white-faced form),
the superb White-tailed
Jay along with Tumbes Sparrow and Collared Warbling-Finch. Cryptic
species include Peruvian Thick-knee. Night in Chaparri.
Day 10:
To Jaen
We make an early start as we drive towards Jaen, birding en route
in the deciduous forests of the westen Andes near the Abra Porculla
pass.
The drive takes us to 2100 m elevation before descending to the
warm Marañòn Valley, so make sure you have a sweater
or jacket handy. After we arrive and check into the hotel, we bird
some areas nearby.
The Porculla Pass is home to the endemic and hard-to-find Piura
Chat-Tyrant, and also for Rufous-necked and Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaners,
Chapman’s
Antshrike, Three-banded Warbler, Black-cowled Saltator and White-winged
and Bay-crowned Brush-Finches. Open country birds include Harris’s
Hawk and Northern Crested-Caracara. We also stop at “km 70” about
an hour before Jaen to look for Yellow-faced Parrotlet. Night in
Jaen.
Days 11 - 12: Pomacochas areas
This morning we bird a site 5 km north of Jaen looking for several
Marañón
endemics and other goodies such as Little Inca Finch. We then
drive to the village of Pomacochas where we check into our hotel.
We spend the
last hours of the day and the following day in search of the
Marvelous Spatuletail. The male is perhaps the world’s
most spectacular hummingbird, with long tail feathers curved
back around the body and ending in “spatulas”.
This amazing hummingbird is confined to the humid montane forests
on the west slope of the eastern Andes; we hope to find a male
of this legendary
species, although a female or young male would be quite welcome!
Other possibilities here include Purple-throated Sunangel, Three-striped
and
Russet-crowned Warblers, Green-tailed Trainbearer, Tawny-rumped
Tyrannulet, Sierran Elaenia, Streak-necked Flycatcher, Smoke-colored
Pewee, flowerpiercers,
and Green-throated, Silver-backed and Blue-capped Tanagers. Nights
in Puerto Pumas.
Day 13: Abra Patricia
Today we go on to the famous Abra Patricia area, located in one
of the loveliest areas of Peru’s northern Andes, for
the next two days. This is a very bird-rich region; over 400
species have been recorded
in this area. The stunted forests here, amidst awe-inspiring
scenery, support the mysterious Long-whiskered Owlet, the little-known
Ochre-fronted
Antpitta, the stunning Royal Sunangel. and the highly localized
Cinnamon-breasted Tody-Tyrant, Bar-winged Wood-Wren and the
splendid White-capped Tanager.
Multi-species flocks hold a multitude of tanagers including
the endemic Yellow-scarfed Tanager, several bush-tanagers,
mountain-tanagers, hemispinguses
and flowerpiercers, along with antbirds, woodcreepers, fruiteaters,
becards, flycatchers, vireos and warblers. Hummingbirds are
well represented,
with Bronzy Inca, Emerald-bellied Puffleg, Chestnut-breasted
Coronet and Long-tailed Sylph. Night in Abra Patricia area.
Day
14: Abra Patricia to Moyobamba
Today we continue birding the Abra Patricia area, driving down
the road, and arriving in Moyobamba in the afternoon. Further
downslope from Abra
Patricia, near the tiny settlement of Afluente, the road passes
through
beautiful upper tropical forests. Twenty years ago the late
Ted Parker first explored this locality, locating yet another
set
of new and
exciting birds. Among the most noteworthy specialties are the
tiny Speckle-chested
Piculet and the canopy-dwelling Ash-throated Antwren, until
recently only known from the outlying mountain ridge above
Jesus del Monte
(further east), but in 1999 this highly localized species was
also found here.
We have excellent chances of seeing Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
and the Ecuadorian Piedtail, a lek-forming hummingbird here
reaching
the
southernmost limit
of its range. The endemic Huallaga (or Black-bellied) Tanager
is fairly common and Yellow-throated and Ashy-throated Bush-Tanagers
make their
rounds in noisy family parties. At day’s end, our tanager
list may include Orange-eared, Paradise, Green-and-gold, Spotted,
Golden,
Blue-necked, Bay-headed, White-winged and Magpie Tanagers,
whilst with a bit of luck we will encounter the stunning Vermilion
Tanager. Chestnut-breasted
Wrens are also here, along with Black-billed Treehunter, Versicolored
Barbet, Yellow-breasted Antwren, Grey-mantled Wren and the
easily overlooked Equatorial Greytail, a warbler-like member
of the Furnariidae here also
at the southern extremity of its range. Other birds should
include various pigeons, parakeets and parrots, toucans, woodpeckers,
woodcreepers, foliage-gleaners,
antbirds, tyrannulets, euphonias, oropendolas and thrushes.
Later we make a few stops in cleared areas for open country
and second growth
species as Striated Heron, Roadside Hawk, Wattled Jacana, Ruddy
Ground-Dove, Cobalt-winged Parakeet, Blue-headed Parrot, Smooth-billed
Ani, Fork-tailed
Palm-Swift, Ringed Kingfisher, Brown-mandibled Aracari, Little
Woodpecker, Rufous-fronted Thornbird, Barred Antshrike, Yellow-cheeked
Becard, Common
Tody-Flycatcher, Black-capped Donacobius, Pale-breasted and
Black-billed Thrushes, Crested Oropendola, Yellow-rumped Cacique,
Chestnut-vented
Conebill, Blue-grey, Palm, Burnished-buff and Black-faced Tanagers,
Greyish Saltator, Blue-black Grassquit and Black-billed and
Lesser Seed-Finches.
Night in Moyobamba.
Day 15: Morro de Calzada to Tarapoto
This morning we bird the area around an isolated mountain that
rises out of the river basin. North of the bustling town
of Tarapoto the
road ascends into a low range of forest-clad foothills. Fiery-capped
Manakins
buzz, Pavonine Quetzals hum, and Blackish Pewee and the endemic
Koepcke’s
Hermit are not uncommon in this area, and with luck we will
also find Scaled Fruiteater. Among a multitude of other possibilities
are Painted
Parakeet, Grey-breasted Sabrewing, White-necked Jacobin,
Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Gould’s Jewelfront, Amazonian
White-tailed and Collared Trogons, Striolated Puffbird, Gilded
Barbet (split from Black-spotted),
Golden-collared and Chestnut-tipped Toucanets, White-throated,
Scale-breasted and Red-stained Woodpeckers, Ocellated Woodcreeper,
Eastern Woodhaunter,
Tawny-throated Leaftosser, Rufous-winged Antwren, Black and
Scale-backed Antbirds, White-lored Tyrannulet, several flycatchers,
honeycreepers,
dacnises, euphonias, tanagers and saltators. We drive on
to Tarapoto for lunch and an afternoon trip to the dry forest
south of Tarapoto.
Here we could find the isolated huallagae race of Northern
(or Guianan) Slaty Antshrike, Bluish-fronted Jacamar, Sulphur-bellied
Tyrant-Manakin,
Speckled Chachalaca, Blue Ground-Dove, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl,
Blue-crowned Trogon, Blue-crowned Motmot, Yellow-billed Nunbird,
Chestnut-eared and
Lettered Aracaris, Lafresnaye’s Piculet, Stripe-chested
Antwren, White-browed Antbird, Flammulated Pygmy-Tyrant,
Olive-faced (split from
Yellow-breasted), Boat-billed and Piratic Flycatchers, Buff-breasted
Wren, Hauxwell’s Thrush, Dusky-capped Greenlet, Tropical
Gnatcatcher and Red-eyed Vireo. Night near Tarapoto.
Day 16:
Departure
After breakfast we catch flights to Lima where we should
have some time to bird around Lima, before connecting with
our international
departures
for home.
What
to Expect
Our
accommodation ranges from good to basic but perfectly adequate.
In the Tumbes region, weather will be variable. At low and middle
elevations
days are usually warm to hot, sunny and likely humid, although it
can
be cool and overcast. At higher altitudes conditions range from cool
to cold, especially in the early morning. Rain can be expected at
times. Layers and a windbreaker would be the solution in the mountains.
In
all altitudes, we should remember to have adequate protection from
the sun.
Walking effort is mostly moderate, with some optional harder walks,
including the hike to see the Marvelous Spatuletail. In the Amazonian lowlands,
we begin birding before breakfast, followed by a slow-paced walk
in the forest. After lunch we will have some time for siesta or enjoy
watching
hummingbirds from a hammock with a cold drink in hand. In the late
afternoon we venture again to the forest. On some occasions we
will
go spotlighting
in the forest at night. Trails may be muddy and wearing rubber boots
is always recommended. In the evening, we will enjoy good meals provided
by the various lodges’ dining facility, at the hotel restaurant,
or a local place selected for its good food and fine local charm.
At this time we discuss the day’s activities and review the
list of birds and wildlife we have encountered. We outline the events
for the
next day, preparing you for another round of excitement and discovery.
