BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY IN NORTHERN PERU
- From
- USD 3850
Per person ?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.
- Activities
- Habitats to explore
Trip Outline
Explore the captivating world of bird photography in northern Peru, where a tapestry of diverse ecosystems offers unparalleled opportunities to capture stunning bird moments where our main targets are Marvelous Spatuletail, Long-whiskered Owlet; Rusty-tinged, Chestnut & Ochre-fronted Antpittas; Jhonson´s Tody-flycatcher, Royal Sunangel, Rufous-crested Coquette, Painted Manakin, Mishana Tyrannulet, White-capped Tanager, among many.
We begin our journey in the Cordillera Escalera, a protected area teeming with life. In this lush paradise, you’ll frame your shots amidst dense rainforests, crystal-clear streams, and enchanting waterfalls; we will later venture later into Moyobamba, where Wakanqui lodge is great for photography in the trails, garden and hummingbird feeders are excellent.
Our lens then turns to the Reserva Arena Blanca with excellent trails, garden and hummingbird feeders and later ascending to Abra Patricia, you’ll set your sights on high-altitude treasures with dramatic vistas, intermountain valleys may bring us the emblematic Long-whiskered Owlet and Huembo Lodge is one of the greatest places for the wonderful Marvelous Spatuletail takes center stage.
This tour is designed specifically for bird photography, lodges and pace will create the chances for you and your camera to capture moments that transcend mere images, conveying the delicate balance of nature’s artistry.
See a Trip Report of one of our Birding Tours in Northern Peru here.
For some of our suggestions of Bird Photography see here.
Itinerary
Tarapoto and Cordillera Escalera
We begin the adventure in Lima with an early flight to Tarapoto, the gateway to the lush Amazon rainforest of Peru. Upon your arrival in Tarapoto, you'll immediately be immersed in the natural beauty of the region as we head to the Cordillera Escalera. This protected area is a haven for biodiversity, boasting dense rainforests, cascading waterfalls, and a rich variety of wildlife. Cordillera Escalera is home to a plethora of bird life for photography such as Koepcke´s Hermit, Hook-billed Kite, Lettered Aracari, Chestnut-throated Spinetail, Mishana Tyrannulet, White-bellied Pygmy-tyrant, Peruvian Tyrannulet, Black Antbird, Cliff & Brown-crested Flycatcher, White-throated Toucan, etc
After a day of exploration and adventure, return to Tarapoto, where you can savor delicious Peruvian cuisine, featuring fresh Amazonian ingredients.
Night in Tarapoto
Akonabikh - Moyobamba
We get back to the Cordillera Escalera to visit Akonabikh Reserve, where there are an impressive number of 22 hummingbirds present in the reserve such as Great-billed Hermit, Gray-chinned Hermit, Blue-fronted Lancebill, Black-throated Mango, Amethyst Woodstar, etc. Other residents are the stunning Golden-headed Manakin, Gilded Barbet, Opal-crowned Tanager, Green-and-gold Tanager, Curl-crested Aracari, Green-backed Trogon, Blue-capped Manakin, Dotted Tanager. Additionally Yellow-tailed Wooly-monkeys are often seen here.
Akonabihk ecotourism project initiative allows you to connect with the experience of the pristine beauty of the rainforest. We will photograph in the garden and feeders as well as explore the surrounding rainforest through the trails.
After our enriching visit to Akonabih and lunch in Tarapoto, we will continue our journey towards Moyobamba with a single stop to photograph the cryptic but awesome Oilbird along the road to end our day in Wakanqui Lodge where we may have the chances for Tropical Screech- Owl and Rufous Nightjar, etc.
Night in Wakanqui Loge.
Moyobamba
Moyobamba promises exciting encounters with the diverse avian species that inhabit this lush region of northern Peru.
After breakfast, we will explore the vibrant biodiverse known for its rich birdlife where Green, Blue-rumped, Blue-capped & the restricted Painted Manakins, Golden-collared Toucanet, Chestnut-eared & Lettered Aracari, Thick-billed Euphonia, Fiery-throated Fruiteater, Lined Antshrike, Mishana Tyrannulet and other spectacular tanagers such as Paradise, Turquoise, Green Honeycreeper, etc are present. While the hummingbird feeders show great chances for capturing the charming Rufous-crested Coquette, Golden-tailed Sapphire, Black-throated Hermit, White-necked Jacobin among others.
After lunch we will try for Russet-crowned & Rufous-sided Crake, Tataupa Tinamou, Great-billed Hermit, Long-billed Starthroat, Channel-billed Toucan among several others and night may reward with Tropical Screech Owl or Stygian Owl.
Night in Waqanki
Arena Blanca
After an early breakfast in Moyobamba, we will head towards Arena Blanca Reserve to spend our mourning in one of the most successful sites for photography and excellent local coffee. Rufous-breasted Woodquail and Little Tinamou can be easily photographed from a comfortable hide, a large set ot Tanagers can be found on the fruit feeders such as Paradise, Palm, Black-bellied, Yellow-bellied, Masked, Magpie, Golden, Blue-necked & Guira Tanagers, Blue & Black-faced Dacnis, Purple Honeycreeper and many others can be photographed from an adequate hide. Finally, flowers and hummingbird feeders attract Wire-crested Thorntail, Rufous-throated Sapphire, Gray-breasted Sabrewing, Many-spotted Hummingbird, Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Little Woodstar, Violet-fronted Brilliant among others.
Trails and surroundings may reward us with White-browed Purpletuft, Fiery-capped Manakin, Gilded Barbet, Zimmer's Antbird.
Night in Arena Blanca
Foothills And Abra Patricia
After an early breakfast and extra time birding Arena Blanca with second chances of the birds described above, we will head towards the emblematic Abra Patricia. We will make an stop at the andean foothills photographing at comfortable feeders for Ecuadorian Piedtail, Green Hermit, Napo Sabrewing, etc. and the surroundings hold specialities like Chestnut-crowned Gnateater, Andean Cock-of-the Rock, Ecuadorian Tyrannulet, Rufous-tailed Tyrant, Orange-eared Tanager, Sharpbill, Lanceolated Monklet, etc. Llanteria is also a great place to spot the endangered Yellow-tailed Wooly-monkey.
After lunch, we will depart towards the Andes, arriving in Owlet Lodge at mid afternoon. Excellent time for preparing ourselves for one of the greatest nocturnal owling. This lodge is famous for two rare and restricted species, Long-whiskered Owlet and White-throated Screech Owl.
Night In Owlet Lodge.
Antpittas and Owlet Lodge
We will spend two days in Owlet Lodge, where we´ll explore the diverse birdlife in the region. This area is known for its high biodiversity and is a haven for bird photographers. We'll traverse lush forests on a short hike seeking for two of the most restricted Antpittas in Peru, Rusty-tinged , Chestnut & Ochre-fronted Antpitta at feeders near the Lodge. We will later spend time at tanager feeders where White-capped Tanager comes often and end the mourning at the excellent hummingbird feeders, well designed for photography, where the spectacular Royal Sunangel is one of the greatest resident; other species that comes are Peruvian Racket-tail, Long-tailed Sylph, Greenish Puffleg, Bronzy Inca, Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Green-fronted Lancebill and other unique residents of the Peruvian rainforest.
Night in Owlet lodge
Abra Patricia and Long-whiskered Owlet
WE will spend the whole day in the trail and canopy tower in Owlet Lodge in Abra Patricia, a renowned destination. On the way we will search for the beautiful and endemic Johnson's Tody-Flycatcher and Yellow-scarfed Tanager in the mixed flocks, other posibilities here are Green-and-black Fruiteater, Masked Trogon, Golden-headed Quetzal, Ornate Flycatcher. Among the several tanagers Metallic-green, Yellow-throated & Black-faced Tanagers, Blue-winged Mountain-tanager among many others.
We will leave the lodge at mid afternoon towards a little comunity nearby which showed to be the most reliable spot for the emblematic Long-whiskered Owlet.
Night in Owlet.
Chido Trail at San Lorenzo for Pale-billed Antpitta
An early short drive will take us to final short drive will take us to San Lorenzo for a whole-mourning hike to the habitat of the rare and endemic Pale-billed Antpitta. Other species here are the spectaculars Barred Fruiteater, Gray-breasted Mountain-toucan and Yungas Pygmy-owl. Some specialities such as Golden-plumed Parakeet, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Utcubamba Tapaculo (E), Russet-mantled Softail (E), Red-crested Cotinga,Unstreaked Tit-tyrant (E), Peruvian Wren (E), Coppery Metaltail (E), Black-crested Warbler, Plain-tailed Wren, White-sided & Masked Flowerpiercers and the colorful Hooded & Lacrimouse Mountain-tanagers, Blue-and-black Tanager, etc
Night in Huembo Lodge.
Marvelous Spatuletail!
After breakfast, we will spend the morning after probably the most spectacular humminbird in the world and one of the highlights in Peru, the stunning Marvelous Spatuletail and other species like Andean Emerald, Lesser Violetear, Bronzy Inca, Long-tailed Sylph. They all come to the Huembo Feeders.
After lunch we will drive towards Cocachimba where Marañon Thrush (E), Spot throated-Hummingbird (NE), Torrent Duck, etc are frequent.
Night in Gocta Lodge.
Chachapoyas
After breakfast, we will have our second chance with the beautiful views of the spectacular Gocta Waterfall for the wonderful Marvelous Spatuletail one of the highlights of the tour which is resident in the garden with other hummingbirds like Andean Emerald, Lesser Violetear, Bronzy Inca, Long-tailed Sylph and others may come too.
After that we will drive through the beautiful Utubamba Valley where Peruvian Pigeon (E) , Marañon Thrush (E), Spot throated-Hummingbird (NE), Black-necked Woodpecker (E), Cordilleran Parakeet, Buff-bellied Tanager, Fasciated Tiger-heron and Torrent Duck.
After lunch we will head to Atuen valley where Atuen Antpitta (E), Leymebamba Antpitta (E), Coppery Metaltail (E), Rufous-chested Tanager, Purple-throated Sunangel, Large-footed Tapaculo, Peruvian Tyrannulet, etc.
Night in Leymebamba.
Barro negro, Yellow Faced Parrotlet and Inca Finches
We will start our day in Leymebamba and after an early breakfast, we will drive to Abra Barro Negro, a high mountain pass in the region. This area is excellent for high altitude birds such as Many-striped Canastero, Grass Wren, Yellow-breasted Brushfinch, Purple-backed Thornbill and excellent specialities such as Coppery Metaltail (E), Sapphire-vented Puffleg, Shinning Sunbeam, Rainbow Starfrontlet, Mountain Velverbreast, Great Sapphirewing, Yungas Pygmy-Owl, Chachapoyas (E) , Atuen (E) & Leymebamba Antpitta, a potential new species of White-chinned Thistletail (peruviana), Neblina Tapaculo (E), Utcubamba Tapaculo (E) , Russet-mantled Softtail (E), Yellow-scarfed Tanager (E), Sword-billed Hummingbird, Paramo Pipit, Andean Lapwing, etc.
Later, on the other side of the pass, we will take a break for a picnic lunch surrounded by the stunning mountain landscapes, and continue the journey as we travel towards Balsas, where Buff-bridled Inca-Finch (E) & Gray-winged Inca-Finch (E) , Yellow-faced Parrotlet (E) , Black-necked Woodpecker (E) are regularly found. Additionally later Chestnut-backed Thornbird (E), Gray-winged Inca-Finch (E), Marañon Thrush (E), etc are present.
Night in basic hotel in Celendin.
Cajamarca - Cruz Conga and Sangal
We will spend the morning exploring Cruz Conga and Sangal, both known for their diverse birdlife. The unique ecosystems in this region offer excellent opportunities to spot Cajamarca Antpitta (E) , Black Metaltail (E), the endangered Plain-tailed Warbling-finch (E), Rufous-eared Brushfinch (E), Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail (E), Black-crested Tit-tyrant (NE), White-tailed Shrike-tyrant, Line-cheeked Spinetail, Jelski´s Chat-tyrant, Slender-billed Miner and Peruvian Sierra-finch.
We will later visit the Chonta River where the highly restricted Gray-bellied Comet (E) is resident, other birds here are Giant Hummingbird, Andean Flicker, Andean Parakeet, among others.
Night at Costa del Sol Cajamarca (3* superior hotel)
Great Spinetail
We will spend the first hours of the day in Jesus, a picturable village and one of the best places for the highly restricted Great Spinetail (E) . Other birds are Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Peruvian Meadowlark, Black-lored Yellowthroat, Buff-bridled Inca-finch (E) among others.
We will get back to Cajamarca for lunch and transfer to the Airport at appropiate time.
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