The Birds of Northern Peru

Northern Peru is arguably the overlooked highlight of a truly diverse and spectacular country. With a mountainous backbone dissected by the mighty Marañon River and its tributaries, this vast region is a biogeographic jigsaw that is surely yet to reveal many hidden wildlife secrets. We will explore it on this adventurous tour, as we travel from the midst of the verdant Amazonian lowlands to the breathtaking Utcubamba Canyon, over the Western Cordillera of the Andes, and through desert and dry foothills before concluding at Chaparri Lodge and the crashing surf of the Pacific.

This will be a spellbinding journey offering a wealth of opportunities to enjoy the region’s spectacular scenery and rich archaeological heritage, as well as an ornithological feast that may include such legendary gems as the remarkable Marvellous Spatuletail, endemic Incafinches, the endangered White-winged Guan (which was thought to be extinct for over 100 years), and a huge variety of more widespread species such as Andean Condor, King Vulture and Andean Cock-ofthe- rock. Without doubt, this is one of the world’s most tantalising birding destinations!

We begin our tour with a flight to Iquitos, from where a short boat ride will deliver us to a well-appointed Amazonian lodge which allows us to embark on our holiday in style! Here we will explore a variety of Amazonian habitats, seeking the birds and wildlife of the region. We will pay special attention to an area of rare white-sand forest where there are several endemics, some only recently discovered, and to the inhospitable habitats on the islands in the river where several specialist species have also evolved. We should also see monkeys, river dolphins, caiman and much more as we explore this region on foot and by boat.

We next spend two days exploring the humid forests to the east of the Andes, home to such species as Royal Sunangel and huge mixed species flocks teeming with colourful tanagers. The lower elevations here also accommodate such sought-after species as Andean Cock-ofthe- rock and Amazonian Umbrellabird. We will eventually bird our way up to the high pass of Abra Patricia. The stunted forests around the pass, amidst the most aweinspiring scenery of the tour, are home to some of Peru’s least known species. The birders’ lodge here, Owlet Lodge, is ideally placed overlooking the forested ridges falling away to the east, and will be our base for the next two nights. The Longwhiskered Owlet (after which our lodge is named), is one of the great ornithological mysteries of the continent. Discovered in 1976, it was for many years only ever encountered by a handful of mist-netting researchers. Finally, in February 2007, it was discovered naturally by researchers and has been seen by a regular trickle of keen birders since then.

Remaining in the Andes, we next explore the drainage basin of the mighty Marañon, one of Peru’s principal Amazonian tributaries. The area comprises an incredibly complex topography and it is here in these mountains that another suite of endemic species has evolved. Travelling up the spectacular Utcubamba Valley to the Andean town of Chachapoyas, we will, over the course of two days in the region, explore the area for birds, and also sample the remnants of the incredible Chachapoya culture which include the fortress of Kuelap (considered by many to rival Machu Picchu for its grandeur and location).

After crossing the Marañon itself, we will spend a night in the town of Jaen to search the nearby areas for such endemics as Marañon Thrush and Little Inca-finch. Next, we cross the lowest pass in the Andean chain (at just 2,200 metres) and, leaving the Andes behind, move on towards the dry coastal lowlands of the Tumbesian region of Peru, one part of the most diverse centre of bird endemism on the planet. Based at the rustic and charming Chaparri Ecological Reserve (run by the local community), the traditional cabins provide a comfortable base from which to go in search of such species as the critically threatened White-winged Guan and the endemic Tumbes Tyrant, as well as such mammals as White-tailed Deer and Sechuran Fox.

This coastal plain was once also home to a diversity of pre-Inca civilisations, including the Muchik who left behind a rich heritage of fine gold and silver jewellery in their adobe pyramids. We will see some of these huge structures at the Pomac Archaeological Sanctuary (which is also home to many of the endemic birds of the region) and, during a short visit to the Tumbas Reales Museum in Lambayeque, we will be able to marvel at the treasures of the Lord of Sipan. These were discovered as recently as 1988 and are now displayed in a splendid new museum that was recently named as one of the world’s 10 best small museums by the Art News magazine of New York.