BIRDING AT NORTHERN PERU
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- USD 2399
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The price listed above is based on a minimum of 4 people in double occupancy. If you have any questions please refer to FAQ of send us a message.
- Trip Outline
- Itinerary
- Trip Includes
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Trip Outline
Northern Peru should be at the top of your list of must-visit destinations. With its incredible diversity, endemism, and rare species, it’s truly a paradise for birdwatchers. Our 10-day trip is designed to take you on an unforgettable journey through the region, allowing you to experience the best of what Northern Peru has to offer.
Our itinerary includes a visit to some of the most sought-after birding spots in the area, including Marvelous Spatuletail, Long Whiskered Owlet, and a number of Antpitta and hummingbird feeders. We’ll also explore the Maranon Valley and Tumbesian endemics, as well as the Pacific coast.
Our journey begins on the Chiclayo coast, where we’ll gradually ascend the Andes through the dry slopes of the west Andes. The valleys in this area hold an incredibly high endemism, making it a prime location for birdwatching. Next, we’ll spend time at the pass and Cloudforest on the humid east slope of the Andes before descending to the foothills. Finally, we’ll end our trip at the lowlands in Tarapoto.
The road conditions and access to the main birding spots are excellent, making this the perfect way to explore the Coast, High Andes, and lowland Rainforest by car. Our trip is designed to help you see as many bird species as possible in just 10 days, with an easy and comfortable pace at an affordable price.
While our itinerary is a suggestion, we’re more than happy to adapt it to your needs, targets, or budget. So, whether you’re an experienced birder or a novice, our Northern Peru birding trip is the perfect way to experience the incredible birdlife that this region has to offer.
See a Trip Report of one of our Birding Tours in Northern Peru here.
Itinerary
Lima and flight to Chiclayo
We will start the day in Lima first birding in coastal habitats in order to get to Pantanos de Villa, an important Ramsar Wetland where we can get Plumbeous Rail, Many-colored Rush-tyrant, Wren-like Rushbird and Peruvian Meadowlark at the marshes and Burrowing Owl and Peruvian Thicknee at the sandy areas. Sea shore of Villa is good for Yellow-hooded Blackbird and Yellowish Pipit and Coastal Miner (E), and the coast itself is productive for Peruvian Booby, Inka Tern and a high number of Terns and Gulls and scanning the ocean may reward us with some pelagic species. Once back in the lake, Cinnamon teal; Great, Pied-billed and White-tufted Grebe; Osprey, among others. We will get back to Lima for lunch and get ready for our flight to the northern Peru in Chiclayo. ON Chiclayo.
Chiclayo, Puerto Eten & Bosque de Pomac
After breakfast we will head to Eten, a fishing area in the Pacific where we can once again search for coastal species in Eten a fisherman´s zone where we can find species such as Peruvian Pelican, Amazilia Hummingbird, Guanay Cormorant, West-peruvian Dove, Coastal Miner (E), Peruvian Pipit, Peruvian Tern, Killdeer, Short-tailed Field-tyrant or Grassland Yellowfinch. After the lunch we will visit the important Bosque de Pomac, one of the last reserves for Carob-trees, Birding at Pomac can reward us with specialities such as Peruvian Plantcutter (E), Lesser Nighhawk, Peruvian Sheartail, Oasis Hummingbird, Peruvian Pygmy Owl, Savana Hawk, Collared Antshrike, Scarlet Backed Woodpecker, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Rufous Flycatcher, Tumbes Tyrannulet, Tumbes Chat-tyrant and Tumbes Swallow. We can additionally spot the Sechuran Fox. Dinner and Overnight in Olmos.
Abra Porculla - Jaen
Abra Porculla crosses the western Andes (at 2145 meters elevation) and is a semi-humed montane scrub habitat where Gray-chinned (Porculla) Hermit, Tumbes Hummingbird, Ecuadorean Piculet, Line-cheecked Spinetail, Black-cowled Saltator, Chapman´s Antshrike, Bay-crowned, White-winged & White-headed Brush-Finch, Henna-hooded & Rufous-necked Foliage Gleaner and Piura Chat-Tyrant, Fulvous-faced Scrub-Tyrant, Marañon Tyrannulet, Tumbes Tyrannulet, Mouse-gray flycatcher, Tumbes Pewee, Three-banded & Gray-and-Gold Warbler, Chestnut-Crowned Antpitta, Plumbeous-backed Thrush, Speckle-breasted Wren, White-browed Gnatcatcher, Blue seedeater among others are all good possibilities
Night in Jaen
Dry Marañon Basin and Marvelous Spatuletail
Jaen is located in the Marañon Basin, well known for it´s high endemism and breat birding with jems like Tataupa Tunamou, Paint-billed Crake, Chinchipe Spiinetail, Marañon Crescentchest, Marañon Tyrannulet, White-lined Tanager are species very rarely found else where ; additionally Little Inca-finch, Northern (Peruvian) Slaty-antshrike, Red-crested Finch and Gray-breasted Crake are good possibilities here. After lunch, we will starg gaining hight and drive to Huembo where the wonderful Marvelous Spatuletail is resident in its garden with other hummingbirds like Bronzy Inca, Long-tailed Sylph, and others may come too. A final short drive will take us to the famous Owlet lodge to spend the night and search for the mythic Long-wiskered Owlet.
We will spend two full days birding up in the humide montane forest. The pass raises at 2300 masl has great forest and crosses the Andes towards the east side. This is one of the most productive and easy to bird road in the Neotropics. Owlet Lodge is a famous and confortable lodge, from easy birding in the garden where White-bellied Woodstar, Emerald-bellied Puffleg, Fawn-breasted Brilliant and Lesser Violetear are residents to very good birding chasing tanager flocks where beauties like Grass-green, Yellow-scarfed (E), White Capped, Beryl-spangled, Yellow-throated Tanagers, or Rusty-breasted and Rusty-tinged Antpitta or the endemic Jhonson´s Tody-Flycatcher.
Night in Owlet Lodge
Alto Nieva and Foothills
After an early breakfast we will head towards Alto Nieva another lodge nearby, it´s an excellet site for it´s great results with two of the most restricted and rare Antpittas, the Rusty-tinged & Ochre-fronted Antpitta; the endemic Royal Sunangel, Ornate Flycatcher, Bar-winged Wood-wren, Cinnamon-breasted Tody-tyrant, Rufous-vented Tapaculo, White-capped & Yellow-throated Tanager among much more and explore the hummingbird feeder where beauties such as Long-tailed Sylph, Greenish Puffleg, Brown Violetear, Peruvian Raquet-tail as they are common residents and lots more. After lunch we will get back to the road looking for Cliff Flycatcher and Rufous-tailed Tyrant, etc.
Nights in Arena Blanca
Alto Mayo
We start birding at Arena Blanca reserve with Rufous-breasted Woodquail and Little Tinamou at a feeder. Its garden is excellent for hummingbirds such as Blue-fronted Lancebill, Wire-crested Thornbill, Rufous-thorated Sapphire, Black-throated Brilliant, Golden-tailed Sapphire and our firts attempt for the spectacular Rufous-crested Coquette. Tanagers come to feeders with great views of Huallaga Tanager and Burnish-buff Tanager, other species include White-lined, Green-throated, Turquoise & Paradise Tanager. Finally we can also find White-browed Purpletuft, Russet-crowned Crake, Lanceolated Monklet, etc
After lunch we will head towards Moyobamba where birding includes Scaled Pigeon, Blackish, Rufous and Spot-tailed Nightjars; Cinereous-breasted Spinetail, Dark-breasted Spinetail, Stripe-necked, Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrants, Sooty-headed, and Mishana Tyrannulets, Striped and Fiery-capped Manakins, Lesser Elaenia, Red-shouldered and Black-face Tanagers, and Pale-breasted Thrush. We will arrive to Moyobamba "The city of the Orchids" to spend some time in the hummingbird feeders where Rufous-crested Coquette, Brown Violetear, Great-billed Hermit, Golden-tailed Sapphire, Gray-breasted Sabrewing or the very rare Masked Duck to end the day.
Night in Wakanki Lodge
Moyobamba & Mishquiyaquillo
The climate conditions in Moyombamba is unique, Wakanki Lodge started being a reserve for orchids but later turned into a "must"place to stay if you are birding at northern Peru. The lodge and Mishquiyaquillo trail can reward you with specialities such as Roraiman Flycatcher, Speckle-chested & Lafresnaye´s Piculet; Huallaga Tanager, Mishana Tyrannulet, Black-and-White Tody-Flycatcher, Fiery-throated Fruiteater or Chestnut-throated Spinetail. Owling is great here where Striped, Band-bellied & Stygian Owl; and Tropical & Foothill Screech Owl or Rufous Nightjar are all good possibilities.
Night in Wakanki Lodge
Tarapoto and surroundings
After a brief birding at the lodge and breakfast, we take our way towards east and stop specifically for an Oilbird roosting place at the side of the road. After arriving to Tarapoto we will start birding close the town for Comb Duck, Planalto Hermit, Stripe-chested Antwren, Coraya Wren Stripe-Necked tody-Flycatcher, Pale, breasted Thrush, Rufous Casiornis among others.
Night in Tarapoto
Tarapoto & Cordillera Escalera
This is our last day of tour, after breakfast we will head to Cordillera Escalera and Aconabikh Reserve, where Koepcke´s Hermit, Buff-tailed Sicklebill, Pink-thorated Brilliant, Hook-billed Kite, Lettered Aracari, Mishana Tyrannulet, White-bellied Pygmy-tyrant, Peruvian Tyrannulet, Black Antbird, Cliff & Brown-crested Flycatcher, White-throated Toucan, Black-faced Tanager, Ashy-headed Greenlet, Rufous-bellied Euphonia, Blue-capped Manakin, Dotted Tanager and we find here an active lek of Golden headed Manakin. Additionally Yellow-tailed Wooly-monkey are often seen here. We will turn back after lunch to get ready for our flight to Lima.
We recomend to continue our recomended birding extension of our SCARLET-BANDED BARBET Tour
We can also continue the way to Cajamarca in our full Northern extended tour.