NORTHERN ENDEMIC TOUR: Tumbesian, Pacific, Marañónic & Andean Slopes
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- USD 3990
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
NORTHERN ENDEMIC TOUR: The Ultimate Birding Tour for Hardcore Listers
This specific Peru birding tour is designed for experienced birders who are no longer chasing widespread species and are instead focused on a sharper goal: finding the rarest, most range-restricted, and hardest-to-see endemics in one of the most species-rich regions on the planet.
NORTHERN ENDEMIC TOUR is our specialized “megas tour,” crafted for listers and serious birders who want maximum returns in a compact timeframe, with excellent access to some of the highest concentrations of endemism in South America.
🧭 A Strategic Route for Maximum Endemism
This carefully designed Northern Peru birding itinerary covers a series of biogeographic zones that include the Tumbesian dry forests, coastal Pacific habitats, inter-Andean valleys of the Marañón, cloud forests of the eastern Andes, and the highlands of Cajamarca. Few tours offer such habitat variety with such a strong focus on high-value targets.
Birding in Northern Peru on this tour offers an unbeatable mix of species richness, access, and comfort — with smooth logistics and expert guiding throughout.
🦜 Flagship Endemics and High-Value Targets
This hardcore birding tour focuses on elusive, local, and often-missed species. Some of the primary endemic and near-endemic targets include:
Marvelous Spatuletail, Long-whiskered Owlet, Yellow-scarfed Tanager, White-winged Guan, Peruvian Plantcutter, Royal Sunangel, Gray-bellied Comet, Napo Sabrewing, Koepcke’s Hermit, Rusty-tinged Antpitta, Ochre-fronted Antpitta, Leymebamba Antpitta, Chestnut Antpitta, Pale-billed Antpitta, Chachapoyas Antpitta, Marañón Crescentchest, Chinchipe Spinetail, Little Inca-Finch, Buff-bridled Inca-Finch, Gray-winged Inca-Finch, Yellow-faced Parrotlet, Johnson’s Tody-Flycatcher, Rufous-vented Tapaculo, Speckle-chested Piculet, Black-bellied Tanager, Utcubamba Tapaculo, Painted Manakin, Peruvian Wren, Coppery Metaltail, Marañon Tyrannulet, Peruvian Tyrannulet, Mishana Tyrannulet, Tumbes Tyrannulets.
Additional specialties encountered along the route include:
Yungas Manakin, Golden-headed Manakin, Blue-rumped Manakin, Cinnamon-breasted Tody-Tyrant, Bar-winged Wood-Wren, Blue-browed Tanager, Green-throated Tanager, Foothill Screech-Owl, Foothill Schiffornis, Blackish Pewee, Dotted Tanager, Oilbird (in roosting caves), and possibly the undescribed Yungas Woodcreeper.
🗺️ Birding Route and Core Habitats
This Northern Peru Birding Tour crosses a diverse and endemic-rich set of habitats:
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Pacific Coast & Equatorial Dry Forest – Peruvian Plantcutter, Tumbes Tyrannulets, White-winged Guan
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Marañón Valley & Chinchipe – Little Inca-Finch, Buff-bridled Inca-Finch, Marañón Crescentchest
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Utcubamba & Chachapoyas – Chachapoyas Antpitta, Johnson’s Tody-Flycatcher, Rusty-tinged Antpitta
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Abra Patricia & Eastern Slopes – Marvelous Spatuletail, Long-whiskered Owlet, Royal Sunangel, Ochre-fronted Antpitta
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Alto Mayo & Tarapoto Foothills – Painted Manakin, Koepcke’s Hermit, Napo Sabrewing
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Cajamarca Highlands – Gray-bellied Comet, Great Spinetail, Buff-bridled Inca-Finch
Along the route, we’ll also visit strategic feeders that improve chances for hummingbird and tanager photography.
🚐 Comfort, Precision, and Expert Guidance
Though this is a focused birding expedition, we prioritize logistical ease and comfort. We travel by private vehicle on well-maintained roads and stay in a combination of quality birding lodges and local hotels. No camping, no roughing it — just strategic travel designed for birders who value efficiency and species count.
You’ll be accompanied by professional Peruvian birding guides who specialize in regional endemics and know how to deliver target species while keeping the experience enjoyable and immersive.
💼 Customizable, Efficient, and Affordable
This tour offers incredible value for its length, intensity, and species list. While the itinerary is carefully built to maximize productivity, we’re happy to adapt it to your specific needs — whether it’s adding extra days, shifting for seasonality, or focusing on particular bird families.
If you’ve already birded Northern Peru and want to go deeper — or if you’re ready to log one of the most incredible birding lists of your life — the Northern Endemic Tour is your next challenge.
Itinerary
Chiclayo to Chaparri - Peruvian Plantcutter and White-winged Guan
Early domestic flight from Lima to Chiclayo, we will head to a one of the few remains of Carob-trees, the Bosque de Pomac. The birds we can spot here is Peruvian Pantcutter (E), Tumbes Swallow (E), Cinereous Finch (E), Tumbes Chat-tyrant (E), Tumbes Swallow (E), Coastal Miner (E), Rufous Flycatcher (E), Peruvian Pygmy-owl, Pacific Parrotlet, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Mouse-gray Tyrannulet, Short-tailed Field-tyrant & Baird's Flycatcher and we can additionally spot the Sechuran Fox.
After lunch, we will spend some time in Tinajones where Comb Duck, White-cheeked Pintail, Paint-billed Grebe, Little-blue Heron or Black-faced Ibis or Andean Ibis are regularly seen. Finally we will spend the rest of the afternoon in the famous Chaparri Reserve where the emblematic and critically endangered White-winged Guan (E), once considered exctinct.
Night in Chaparri.
Casupe Road
After breakfast we will head towards Casupe Road where we will inicially look for one of the last habitat for wild populations of the Endemic White-winged Guan (E). Other great species here are Guayaquil Woodpecker, Piura Chat-tyrant (E) , Chapman´s Antshrike, Black-capped Sparrow, Ecuadorian Piculet, etc.
The afternoon will be spent in Chaparri for Lesser Nighthawk, Scrub Nightjar, Purple-collared Woodstar, Savanna Hawk, Red Masked Parakeet, Collared Antshrike, Pacific Hornero, Sooty-crowned Flycatcher, Snowy-throated Kingbird, White-tailed Jay, Tumbes Sparrow, Peuvian Meadowlark, White-edged Oriole.
After dinner we will look for Peruvian Screech-Owl
Night in Chaparri.
Pacific Shore and Wetlands
After an early birding around Chaparri, we will head towards the Pacific coast where we will spend the rest of the morning at the shore in the Pacific where we have good chances for the endangered Peruvian Tern (NE), Peruvian Pelican, Peruvian Booby, Gray-hooded Gull, Gray Gull, Belcher´s Gull, Kelp Gull, Elegant Tern, Peruvian Pipit (NE), etc.
The wetland offers Many-colored Rush-tyrant, Plumbeous Rail, Peruvian Thicknee, among others.
Dinner and Night in a basic lodging in Motupe.
Abra Porculla - Jaen
Abra Porculla crosses the western Andes (at 2145 meters elevation) and is a semi-humed montane scrub habitat where Piura Chat-Tyrant (E), Marañon Tyrannulet (E), Tumbes Tyrannulet (E), Gray-chinned (Porculla) Hermit (E), Tumbes Hummingbird (NE), Ecuadorian Piculet, Line-cheecked Spinetail, Black-cowled Saltator, Chapman´s Antshrike, Bay-crowned Brush-Finch, White-winged Brush-Finch, White-headed Brush-Finch, Henna-hooded Foliage Gleaner & Rufous-necked Foliage Gleaner, Mouse-gray flycatcher, Tumbes Pewee, Three-banded Warbler & Gray-and-Gold Warbler, Chestnut-Crowned Antpitta, Plumbeous-backed Thrush, Speckle-breasted Wren, White-browed Gnatcatcher among others are all good possibilities.
In the afternoon we will head towards the Marañon basin where the unique dessertic enviroment may show Northern (Peruvian) Slaty-antshrike, Red-crested Finch, Striped Cuckoo and Gray-breasted Crake.
Night in Urqu Hotel in Jaen (3*** superior hotel)
Dry Marañon Basin and Marvelous Spatuletail
Jaen is located in the Marañon Basin, well known for it´s high endemism and great birding with jems like Little Inca-finch (E), Chinchipe Spinetail (E), Marañon Crescentchest (NE), Marañon Tyrannulet (NE), Marañon Spinetail (E), Marañon Sparrow (NE). Additionally Tataupa Tinamou, Paint-billed Crake, Ecuadorian Ground Dove, Ochre-bellied Dove, Cordilleran Parakeet, Rufous-fronted Thornbird, Fulvous-faced Scrub-tyrant, Cryptic Becard, are good possibilities here.
After lunch, we will drive towards the Eastern Andes to a hummingbird feeding spot where the wonderful Marvelous Spatuletail (E) is resident in its garden with other hummingbirds like Andean Emerald, Lesser Violetear, Bronzy Inca, Long-tailed Sylph and others may come too.
Dinner and night in basic lodging in Pomacochas.
Elfin Forest in San Lorenzo
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 endemics of great importance are Utcubamba Tapaculo (E), Russet-mantled Softail (E), Unstreaked Tit-tyrant (E), Peruvian Wren (E), Coppery Metaltail (E).
Additionally Black-crested Warbler, Plain-tailed Wren, Red-crested Cotinga,White-sided & Masked Flowerpiercers and the colorful Hooded & Lacrimouse Mountain-tanagers, Blue-and-black Tanager, etc.
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,
We will arrive to Abra Patricia at mid afternoon.
Night in Owlet Lodge.
Abra Patricia
Abra Patricia raises at 2300 meters elevation, it´s the pass that crosses the Andes towards the east side towards the Amazon.
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 Emerald-bellied Puffleg, Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Bronzy Inca, White-bellied Woodstar, etc are residents. Mixed flocks use to bring beauties like Yellow-scarfed Tanager (E), Grass-green Tanager, Flame-faced Tanager, Black-faced Tanager, Green-throated Tanager, Metallic-green Tanager.
Jhonson´s Tody-Flycatcher (E) is regularly found in the trails with Rufous-headed Pygmy-tyrant,
This cordillera is wonderful for Antpittas since Ochre-fronted Antpitta (E), Rusty-tinged Antpitta (E), and Chestnut Antpittas (E) are being fed very close to the lodge and Leymebamba Antpitta (E) can be seen at the trails.
Bird feeders at Alto nieva, another spot nearby atract Royal Sunangel (E), Rufous-booted Raquet-tail (E), White-capped Tanager, Violet-throated Brilliant, Rufous-vented Whitetip, Collared Inca, Green-fronted Lancebill, etc. The trail rewards with the endemic Rufous-vented Tapaculo (E) and the very restricted Bar-winged Wood-wren, Cinnamon-breasted Tody-tyrant, Crimson-bellied Woodpecker, etc.
Nights are particularly active with Long-whiskered Owlet, White-throated & Cinnamon Screech Owl and Rufous-banded Owl.
At mid-afternoon we will head towards our most solid chance for Long-whiskered Owlet.
Night of day 7th in Owlet Lodge
Night of day 8th in Arena Blanca Reserve
Arena Blanca Reserve
Arena Blanca Reserve where Russet-crowned Crake can be seen near, and great birds come to feeders such as Black-bellied Tanager (E) , Little Tinamou, Cinereous Tinamou, Rufous-breasted Wood-quail, White-chinned Sapphire, Wire-crested Thornbill, Rufous-throated Sapphire, Black-throated Brilliant, Geoffroy´s Daggerbill, Reddish Hermit, Many-spotted Hummingbird, among many.
After lunch, we will start gaining hight back to the Andes birding along the road where Lanceolated Monklet, Tawny-bellied Hermit, Ecuadorian Piedtail, Ecuadorian Tyrannylet, Crested Quetzal, Speckle-chested Piculet (E), Ornate Flycatcher and Peruvian Tyrannulet(E) can be found.
The afternoon will be our second chance for Marvelous Spatuletail in a hummingbird feeder in Cocachimba.
Night in Cocachimba.
Utcubamba Valley
After breakfast, with the beautiful views of the spectacular Gocta Waterfall, we will have our third chance for the wonderful Marvelous Spatuletail (E) one of the highlights of the tour which is resident in the garden with other hummingbirds like Little Woodstar, 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.
Night in Casona Leymebamba.
Leymebamba cloud forest
We will spend the morning in the surroundings of Leymebamba where Atuen Antpitta (E), Leymebamba Antpitta (E), Coppery Metaltail (E), Gray-browed Wren (E), Utcubamba Tapaculo (E), Rufous-chested Tanager, Purple-throated Sunangel, Large-footed Tapaculo, Imperial Snipe, Yellow-billed Teal, Curve-billed Tinamou, etc.
Here, the very rare Yellow-browed Toucanet (E) may be present.
We will spend the afternoon near Ccalla Ccalla Pass (Barro Negro) looking for Coppery Metaltail (E), Purple-throated Sunangel, Rainbow Starfrontlet, Many-striped Canastero, White-chinned Thistletail, Paramo Pipit, Andean Lapwing.
Night in Casona Leymebamba
Barro Negro Pass
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 Grass Wren, Yellow-breasted Brushfinch, Purple-backed Thornbill and excellent specialities such as Mountain Velverbreast, Great Sapphirewing, Yungas Pygmy-Owl, Chachapoyas Antpitta (E), Atuen Antpitta (E), Neblina Tapaculo (E). This area present another chance for the endemics Utcubamba Tapaculo (E) , Russet-mantled Softtail (E), Yellow-scarfed Tanager (E), 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) etc are present.
Night in Celendin.
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 (Baron´s) 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 in Costa del Sol - Cajamarca (3*** superior hotel).
Cajamarca
We will spend the first hours of the day near Cajamarca, in 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.
END OF SERVICIES
We recomend to continue our recomended birding extension of our SCARLET-BANDED BARBET Tour.
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