BIRDING MANU ROAD, OXBOW LAKES AND MACAW CLAYLICK

The journey starts early in the morning in Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire. The road takes us first to Huacarpay, a Ramsar Wetland, which provides habitat for a wide variety of local and migratory species. Some of the specialties include waterfowl such as Yellow-billed Pintail, Puna Teal, Plumbeous Rail, Andean Duck, Andean Tinamou, White-tufted Grebe, and the reeds may show us Many-colored Rush-tyrant and Wren-like Rush-bird. The lake surroundings also hold nicotiana flowers, which attract Black-throated Flowerpiercer, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Giant Hummingbird, and the spectacular and endemic Bearded Mountaineer. Finally, the xerophytic vegetation holds the endemic Rusty-fronted Canastero, Streak-fronted Thornbird, Puna Tinamou, and the very rare Darwin's Nothura, among several others.

At mid-morning, we will get back to the road, driving along puna habitats where Slender-billed Miner, Peruvian Sierra-finch, Andean Flicker, Variable Hawk, etc.

At midday, we will finally get back to the Aqjanaco pass, the entrance to Manu National Park, for a picnic lunch, leaving dry intermountain valleys and starting our way towards more lush vegetation and higher diversity. Aqjanaco presents access to one of the most pristine and delicate habitats, the Elfin forest. The opportunities here are excellent for specialties such as the Endemic Urubamba & Red-and-white Antpittas, Puna Thistletail, Puna & Diademed Tapaculos, Moustached Flowerpiercer, Scribble-tailed Canastero, and the spectacular Gray-breasted Mountain-Tanager. Finally, the mixed flocks here hold colorful Tanagers like Scarlet-bellied & Hooded Mountain-tanagers, Golden-collared & Grass-green Tanager, Pearled Treerunner, Yunga's Pygmy Owl, Grass Wren, and many others.

We will spend our night at Wayquecha Lodge

We will spend the day around San Pedro, located at 1500 meters elevation, lower, warmer and more confortable than Wayquecha, this is the Cloud Forest itself. This place is particularly special for it´s Cock of the Rock Lek, a wonderful show where groups of bright and colorful males gather here to display attracting dull females. There is a plattaform conveniently placed at the Lek to enjoy it. Other wildlife speciallities here are: Brown Tinamou, Rufescent-Screech-Owl, Buff-thighed Puffleg, Rufous-booted Raquet-tail, Peruvian Piedtail (E), Violent-fronted Brilliant, Speckled Hummingbird, Blue-banded Toucanet, White-backed Fire-eye, Stripe-chested Antwren, White crowned Tapaculo, Fulvous-breasted Flatbill, Cinnamon-faced Tyrannulet, Crested Quetzal, Yellow-rumped antwren, Yellow-breasted Warbling Antbird, Yungas Manakin, Cereulean-capped Manakin,  Inca Jay, White-capped Dipper, Andean Solitaire, Olive Finch, Two-banded Warbler, Carmiol´s Tanager. Among a large list of multi-colored Tanagers and others. In addition, a Tanager new for science have been reported and photographed. The restricted Wooly Monkey lives here as well as the Brown Capuchin Monkeys.

Night at Cock of the Rock

We will spend the mourning birding at the lodge which permits access to great bamboo patches where Rufous-headed Woodpecker, Manu Antbird, Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo, White-lined Antbird, White-cheeked Tody-flycatcher, Bamboo Foliage-gleaner and the several trails in the lodge guarantee good birding of restricted species such as Fine-barred Piculet, Scarlet-hooded Barbet, Foothill Antwren, Brownish-headed Antbird, Cabani´s Spinetail among others.

After lunch we leave our lodge towards Machuwasi Oxbow lake, where Hoatzin, Blackish Rail, Gray-cowled Woodrail, Riparian Antbird, Ladder-tailed Nightjar, Pale-eyed Blackbird, Black-Billed Seedfinch, etc. Additionally a garden hummingbird feeder holds White-necked Jacobin, Rufous-breasted Hermit, Black-throated Mango, Koepcke´s Hermit, Amazonian Antpitta and Rufous-sided Crake with feeders among several others. Red Howler and Spider Monkeys are also possibilities.

Night at Manu Biolodge (Villa Carmen).

We will spend two full days at Manu Wildlife Center, an emblematic lodge for birding in the Tropics. We have here a great system of trails especifically designed by and for birders, including creek and river sides, terra firme, bamboo, varzea, disturbed vegetation and tall mature forest. 20 minutes far from the lodge we can always have access to a Canopy Tower and after a hike we can find a Mammal claylick where Tapirs sights are common.

The canopy tower of 34 meters on an emergent tree over the rainforest Canopy. From up here, we have much better views of Blue-and-yellow, Scarlet, Red-and-Green Macaws, Toucans, Parrots, Black-bellied Cuckoo, Amazonian Pygmy-owl, Spangled Cotinga, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Western Striolated-Puffbird and others such as Slender-footed Tyrannulet, Gray-crowned Flatbill, Chestnut-shouldered Antwren, Chestnut-shouldered Antwren. All very hard to see from ground.

Some species we can expect are Razor-billed Curassow, Festive Coquette, Great Jacamar, Pavonine Quetzal, White-throated Woodpecker, Golden-collared Toucanet,White-cheeked Tody Flycatcher, Black-tailed Leaftosser; Round-tailed, Blue-backed & Band-tailed Manakin, Red-billed Pied Tanager, Brazilian Tinamou, Dot-winged Antwren, Little Ground-tyrant, Royal Flycatcher, Rufous-fronted Antthrush but the possibilities are inmense.

Owling at the lodge is generally good with Crested, Mottled & Spectaled Owl and Ferruginous & Amazonian Pygmy-owl.

Nights at Manu Wildlife Center

After an extra birding morning we will start the way out by boat and car, rejoining the civilization and drive towards Puerto Maldonado by the nice Transcontinental road which crosses the continent Pacific-Atlantic by Peru and Brazil. Our birding stops along the way may bring us Orinoco Goose, Black Skimmer, Yellow-billed and large-billed Tern, Picui Ground Dove, Crested & Southern Caracara, Undulated Tinamou, Brazilian Teal, Southern Lapwing, Point-tailed Palmcreeper, Butterfly Coquette, Inambari Woodcreeper, etc.

Night at Puerto Maldonado