BIRD WATCHING TOURS IN PERU April

MANU ROAD AND AMAZONIA LODGE (9 days)

This tour is designed for birders with not much time for traveling but looking for great birding.
April - November 2010
Dates: April 5-13, April 19-27, May 3-11, May 17-25, May 31- June 9, June 14-22, July 5-13, July 17-25, Aug 2-10, Aug 21-29, Sept 6-15, Sept 20-28, Oct 4-12, Oct 18-26, Nov 1-9, Nov 15-23
Leader: Ramiro Yabar or Virgilio Yabar
Fee: $1,700
Based on double occupancy
Single supplement an additional $180
Deposit: $200
Limit: Maximum 16, Minimum 2
Tour Includes:
- Transfers from the Cusco airport to your hotel and back to the airport
- 7 nights of lodging, Day 2 through Day 8
- Meals: Day 1 L, D. Day 2-8 B, L, D. Day 9 B, L.
- Some Snacks and All Transportation from Cusco
- Full Time Professional Guide
Tour Does Not Include:
- Day 1, Day 9 lodging in Cusco
We would be happy to make reservations for you at the hotel of your choice.
Peru Explorer Listing of Hotels
Andean Web Listing of Hotels
Day 01 Cusco (Cusco is a 3,300 meters / 10,824 feet above sea level) We will pick you up at your hotel for a early morning excursion to the Huacarpay Lakes. The lakes are 50 minutes from Cusco by bus. The possibilities include Puna Teal, Andean Lapwing, Wren-like Rushbird, Many-colored Rush-tyrant, Puna Ibis, Cinereous Harrier, the endemic Bearded Mountaineer, Rufous-fronted Canastero, Streak-fronted Thornbird, etc.

*** Please plan on arriving one day early in Cusco. We can help make hotel reservations for you. Be aware that Cusco is 10,800 feet above sea level and to help acclimate drinking plenty of water or tea.

Ramiro with Tape Recorder

Ramiro speaks English, Spanish and Quechua and has been working in the rainforest since 1980. He started birdwatching in 1985. Ramiro has been guiding tours in the Manu Biosphere Reserve since 1988 and was awarded the Best Naturalist Guide in Manu in 1998 and 2000. As a birding guide he leads tours to many different areas of Peru such as Manu Biosphere Reserve, Cusco, Arequipa, Puno, the Apurimac Valley, Ampay, Paracas, Lima, Marcapomacocha, Santa Eulalia, Lomas de Lachay, the Satipo Road, the Maranon Valley and Iquitos including the White Sand Forest and the Tumbes area. His Peruvian bird list is over 1420 species.

Ramiro has also done guiding in Costa Rica where he was working as a resident guide for a Rancho Naturalista and the Tarcoles Lodges. Both lodges specialize in birdwatching. Ramrio worked at these lodges for a period of 6 months and has also birded other areas of the country. He has led tours to Bolivia specifically Madidi National Park, La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz and Noel Kempff National Park. He has also birded in Chile, Paraguay, Brazil and in Texas during the Birding Festival of Harlingen in 2003. Ramiro recently birded in the Choco area of Ecuador along with other areas in the country.

Virgilio has a Biology degree and has also been deeply involved with the study of birds. His Thesis was done on the diversity and abundance of the Communities of present birds in Amazonia Lodge area in the year 2000. He has also been involved with State ornithological projects in Manu National Park in 2008 working in Costa Rica leading birding tours at Rancho Naturalista.

Together with his brother Ramiro and their father Santiago, they have made ornithological expeditions to remote areas in the Cusco, Madre de Dios, and Apurimac departments. Virgilio has been birding since 1985 in the Cusco area, Manu Biosphere Reserve, Areaquipa, Puno, Lima, and Tumbes areas . He has seen 1082 species of birds in Peru. Virgilio has also birded in Bolivia, Paraguay , and Iguazu National park in Brazil. He recently birded in Ecuador visiting the Choco, Vellavista, and Papallacta areas. He speaks English and Spanish and his hobby is the making of wildlife videos as well as photography. Virgilio is the contributor of many videos and photographs for the Internet Bird Collection and the Hummingbird Photo Gallery.

Abra Malaga presents an opportunity to experience some wonderful andine birding up to 13,500 feet. *Note: Parts of the Abra Malaga portion of this extension can be strenuous because of the steepness and altitude.

The magical ruins of Machu Picchu will leave you awe inspired and the area around the ruins offers some excellent birding.

Tour Includes:

- Transfers from your Cusco hotel to the airport.

- 4 nights of lodging (Last night of tour in Cusco is paid for by client).
- Transport (bus and train).
- Entrance to the ruins at Machu Picchu.
- Guided tour of the ruins.

- Breakfast and box lunches.

Day 09 Amazonia Lodge - Hotel in Urubamba Early start from Atalaya by bus. On the way there are possibilities of finding a flock of tanagers, raptors, etc. Night at Hotel in Urubamba or

Ollantaytambo.

Day 10 Excursion to Abra Malaga by bus to the sector of Canchayoc The pass is over 4,200 meters / 13,776 feet over sea level. The possibilities include the Andean Snipe, Andean Ibis, White-rumped Hawk, Coppery-naped Puffleg, Scaled Metaltail, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Puna Thistletail, Marcapata Spinetail, Paramo Pipit, Rufous Antpitta, White-throated and White-banded Tyrannulets, Unstreaked Tit-tyrant, Parodi's Hemispingus, Golden-collared Tanager, Plush-capped Finch, Tit-like Dacnis, White-browed Conebill,.Inca Wren, Pale-footed Swallow, etc. Night at Hotel in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo.

Day 11 Excursion to the polylepis forest at Abra Malaga On the way we will spend time looking for the White- tufted Sumbeam, Creamy-crested Spinetail, Chesnut-breasted Mountain-finch, Tufted Tit-tyrant, Stripe-headed Antpitta; Puna, Ochre-Naped, White-browed, Plain-capped Ground Tyrants. In the polylepis forest the possibilities are Lined fronted Canastero, Tawny Tit-spinetail, White browed Tit-spinetail, Andean Tapaculo, Ash breasted Tit-Tyrant, Giant Conebill, and the Andean Condor. Night at Hotel in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo.

Day 12 Urubamba - Machupicchu
Early morning transfer by bus from our hotel in
Urubamba to the train station in Ollantaytambo
(20 minutes). From Ollantaytambo we take a
train for 1.5 hours to the town of Aguas Calientes.
Upon arriving we will leave our packs in the hotel.
We will next take the bus to the magical Inca city
of Machu Picchu. After our guided tour of the
ruins and lunch we will start birding the way
down to Aguas Calientes. The possibilities in-
clude the endemic Green and White Hummingbird,
Silver-backed Tanager, Golden Naped Tanager,
Sclater's Tyrannulet, Ashy-headed Tyrannulet, the endemic Inca Wren, Pale-legged Warbler, Russet-crowned Warbler. In the nearby river we might see the Fasciated-tiger Heron, Torrent Duck, White-capped Dipper, Torrent Tyrannulet, etc. Night at Hotel In Machu Picchu.

Day 13 Machu Picchu - Cusco After an early breakfast we will start walking in the direction of the Mandor Valley. The possibilities include Speckle-face Parrot, Streak Xenops, Variable Antshrike, the endemic Masked Fruiteater, Ocellated Piculet, Black-streaked Puffbird, Yellow-whiskered Bush-Tanager, Slaty Tanager, Capped Conebill, etc. We will then walk back to the town of Aguas Calientes and after the lunch take the train to Cusco. Night at Hotel in Cusco. (This hotel is not included in cost of extension.)

End of the Service.

Terms and Conditions

A deposit of $200 will be due when reservations are made.The balance will be paid 30 days before starting the trip. If reservations are made with less than 30 days prior to arrival, then full payment will be due at the time of booking.

Cancellations and Refunds

Amazonia must be notified about cancellations. days or more notification will result in a $100 handling fee and less than 30 days prior to the trip departure notification will result in the entire deposit being forfeited.

We recommend you purchase travel insurance. (See the Travel section of our Links page)

Amazonia Lodge is not responsible for any death, loss, delay or irregularity, like natural disasters, that my occur and produce delays or extra costs.

Day 02 Cusco to Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge

We start the day by bus to Manu Biosphere

Reserve. 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." There will be plenty of time built

into today for stopping for picture taking.

Some birding in Huancarani and Paucartambo

areas on the way to Acjanaco pass at 3,900 meters

/ 12,792 feet. From here we are on the eastern

slope of the Andes. The habitat of this area is

humid temperate. The possibilities include, Gray-breasted Mountain Toucan, White collared Jay, Mountain Cacique, Scarlet-bellied and Hooded Mountain Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, etc. At night a Swallow-tailed Nightjard and Yungas Pygmy-Owl might be in the Pillahuata area. After one hour by bus and we arrive at our comfortable lodge. Night at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge at 1,600
meter / 5,248 feet above sea level.
Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge has double-occupancy bungalows, hot water, some electricity, good food, many bird feeders and wonderful walking trails. You'll have the opportunity to bird right from the dining room, visit the lodges own private Cock-of-the-Rock lek, and enjoy the serenity of a pristine mountain cloud forest.

Day 03 - 04 Two full days at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge This area is the Cloud

Forest. The possibilities include Black and Chestnut Eagle, Andean Guan, Scaly Naped Parrot,

Collared Inca, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Buff-thighed Puffleg, Long-tailed Sylph, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Barred Fruiteater, Barred Becard, Mountain Wren, Solitary Eagle, Crested Quetzal, Golden-headed Quetzal, Masked Trogon, Highland Motmot, Black-streaked Puffbird, Versicolored Barbet, Blue-banded Toucanet, Slaty Gnateater, Yungas Mankin, Saffron-crowned Tanager, and Blue-naped Chlorophonia. The lodge has a Cock-of-the-Rock leck. At night it is possible to see the Rufescent Screech Owl and Lire-tailed Nightjard. Nights at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge.

Your birding guide will be equipped with digital recordings of most of the areas birds and will be able to call out, with luck, many of the "hard to see" birds.

Day 06 - 08 Three full days at Amazonia Lodge
The lodge is situated at the pre-mountain zone
and there it is possible to do birding in many
different habitats like bamboo forest, flood
plain area, hill forest, swamp, etc just 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 Coquete, Amethyst Woodstar
and Wire-crested Thorntail. The list of the
lodge contains 609 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, Yellow-bellied Dacnis, etc. 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.

Peru is a big country with many habitats. To cover the entire country properly it is necessary to spend several months with a lot of traveling. This tours are designed for birders with not very much time. We spend time in the areas that offer the most diversity Peru using hotels and lodges as our base and concentrating on the endemics and specialties of the habitats visited. This strategy will give you a very representative birding experience of the country.

From the sea level to the highlands and the amazonian lowlands we will be in the surrounding areas, looking for waterbirds and hummingbirds. The very scenic drive from Cusco to Manu has many interesting stops making it a constant birding trip. We'll look for the Sierra Finches and Ground Tyrants. As we pass through the Inter Andean valleys and Puna on the eastern slope and temperate zone we'll search for Mountain Tanagers.

Entering the Cloud Forest we'll look for flocks of colorful tanagers and the Cock-of-the-Rock, Quetzals, Owls, Lire Tailed Nightjard and many others.

We will be in the beautifull Cusco city and the spectacular Machu Picchu ruins surrounded by a nice cloud forest.

We'll then travel into the pre-mountain rainforest of Manu and search for many lowland birds like Macaws, with the possibility of 7 species on a lucky trip. Crakes, Rails, Toucans, Barbets, Antbirds, Antpittas, and many Others.

Our tours offer to you great comfort and expert guides. Let us show you our country.

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