In a selection of birding tours destination around the world definitely Manu is the crown jewel of all birding areas. Nowhere else in the Andes & Amazon, birdwatching & bird photography tour can be combined like here, there is an easily accessible road that travels through pristine cloud forest from the treeline down to the lowlands! And at the bottom of the road, there is an excellent selection of Tropical rainforest lodges where you can comfortably birdwatching one of the best biodiverse habitats in the world. Doesn’t matter if you are first-time visitor to Peru, Manu birding tours will give you chance for bird photography enjoying wildlife and pristine forest with a great number & selection of endemic birds with restricted range.
Manu Andes & Foothills - 10 days
So Birding in Manu is not to be missed!
This tour is easily combined with some other destinations, it can be cultural or nature extensions. some examples for Cultural tours are Machupicchu, Sacred Valley, City Tour, etc.
if you want to add some special species, birding options would be Abra Malaga, Mollepata – Apurimac specialties, Dry West and High Andes in Central Peru, or Vilcabamba Mountains which can offer a unique endemic species.
contact us for more suggestions and options suitable for you according your targets and time.
Manu Andes & Foothills - 10 days
In a selection of birding tours destination around the world definitely Manu is the crown jewel of all birding areas. Nowhere else in the Andes & Amazon, birdwatching & bird photography tour can be combined like here, there is an easily accessible road that travels through pristine cloud forest from the treeline down to the lowlands! And at the bottom of the road, there is an excellent selection of Tropical rainforest lodges where you can comfortably birdwatching one of the best bio diverse habitats in the world. Doesn’t matter if you are first-time visitor to Peru, Manu birding tours will give you chance for bird photography enjoying wildlife and pristine forest with a great number & selection of endemic birds with restricted range.
So Birding in Manu is not to be missed!
This tour is easily combined with some other destinations, it can be cultural or nature extensions. some examples for Cultural tours are Machupicchu, Sacred Valley, City Tour, etc.
if you want to add some special species, birding options would be Abra Malaga, Mollepata – Apurimac specialties, Dry West and High Andes in Central Peru, or Vilcabamba Mountains which can offer a unique endemic species.
contact us for more suggestions and options suitable for you according your targets and time.
Day 1: THROUGH THE DRY ANDES TO MANU.
We’ll spend the morning birding at Huacarpay Lake , looking for wetland species like Many-coloured Rush-Tyrant and Plumbeous Rail and searching the adjacent scrub for Rusty-fronted Canastero, Streak-fronted Thornbird and a variety of others. We’ll then make the drive through the dry Andes towards Manu, hoping to find three endemics en route: Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch, Bearded Mountaineer, and Creamy-crested Spinetail. In the afternoon we’ll have our first crack at the humid forest, hoping for treeline specialties like Golden-collared Tanager, Moustached Flowerpiercer, and – with lots of luck – the rare Scribble-tailed Canastero.»
Late in the day, we will have our first chance for one of the enigmatic and endemic red-and-white Antpitta.
We spend the night in the humid montane forest, enjoying the stars with the opportunity to look for some nocturnal birds located in this area: Yungas Pygmy-Owl, Rufous-banded Owl, Swallow-tailed Nightjar.
Night: Wayquecha Lodge. B:L:D
Day 2: MIDDLE MANU ROAD.
After a morning around Wayqecha, looking for more high-elevation species like Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Red-and-white Antpitta, Puna Thistletail, Marcapata Spinetail, Rufous-capped Thornbill, and many others, we’ll work our way down the Manu Road, birding the most productive areas. Possibilities are nearly endless, from relatively common specialties like Blue-banded Toucanet and Handsome Flycatcher to mega-rarities like Greater Scythebill and Andean Potoo. We should encounter some good flocks that could include a variety of tanagers as well as Versicolored Barbet, Striped Treehunter, Inca Flycatcher, and even Band-tailed Fruiteater if we’re lucky. In the not-so-rare but difficult category are Hazel-fronted Pygmy-Tyrant, Unadorned Flycatcher, and White-throated Antpitta… sound like enough to keep us busy for the day?.
We will spend the night in cloud forest in more temperate environment at 1400 meters of height less than the previous night (4593,176 ft,) in the ideal habitat for the Cock of the rock.
Night: Cock of the Rock Lodge. B:L:D.
Day 3 – 4: MANU CLOUD FOREST.
We’ll have two full days around Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge – this is tanager paradise! Depending what birds we need, we’ll visit elevations from 1000 m. – up to 2400 m.( 3280,84 ft. – 7874,016 ft.). We can expect at least a couple great mixed flocks during our stay which could include Golden-eared (uncommon), Golden-naped, Black-goggled, Orange-Eared, Fawn-breasted, Yellow-throated, Spotted, Paradise, Golden, Bay-headed, and Black-goggled Tanagers, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Olive-backed Woodcreeper, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Grey-mantled Wren, Streak-necked, Slaty-capped and Lemon-browed Flycatchers, the restricted-range Bolivian Tyrannulet, Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant, Tropical Parula, Russet-crowned and Three-striped Warblers, Slate-throated Whitestart, Golden-eyed (or Deep-blue) and Bluish Flower-piercers, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, the restricted-range Slaty Tanager, Yellow-throated and Common Bush-Tanagers, and Black-faced (or Dark-faced) Brush-Finch (split from Rufous-naped). Yellow-rumped and Yellow-breasted Antwren, Ash-browed Spinetail, and many, many more. Away from flocks we’ll search for Crested and Golden-Headed Quetzal, Andean and White-eared Solitaires, Amazonian Umbrellabird, and Solitary and Black-and-chestnut Eagles, rare and Difficult to detect Black-Streaked Puffbird.
The lodge gardens are visited by Many-spotted Hummingbird, Violet-fronted Brilliant, Booted Racket-Tail, and others, sometimes including Wire-crested Thorntail and the rare Buff-Tailed Sicklebill and of course Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks are frequently seen in the area – if all else fails, we can visit a lek!
Behind the garden there is a trail system where we can look for Chestnut-breasted Wren, Scaled Antpitta, Rufous-breasted and Short-tailed Antthrush’s, Slaty Gnateater and the endemic Cerulean-capped Manakin (very rare). Night birding is usually slow, but we should see Lyre-tailed Nightjar, Band-Bellied Owl and Rufescent Screech-Owl is also a possibility.
Night: Cock of the Rock Lodge. B:L:D.
Day 5: LOWER MANU ROAD – VILLA CARMEN.
Today we’ll spend the morning on the lower part of the Manu Road where we’ll try for some very difficult endemics: Black-backed Tody-Flycatcher, Cerulean-capped Manakin, Peruvian Piedtail, and even an beautiful but undescribed tanager species known from this location ( «Bamboo Tanager» – «San Pedro Tanager» ), although it appears to be very rare, species of tanager are possible – feeling lucky? There are lots of others to hope for too, including Lanceolated Monklet, Two-banded Warbler, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Stripe-chested Antwren, Versicolored Barbet, Golden-collared Honeycreeper, Fulvous-breasted Flatbill, Cinnamon-faced Tyrannulet, Ornate and Lemon-browed Flycatcher, Cabanis’s Spinetail.and many more birds Around mid-day we’ll have a quick look for some open country birds (there isn’t much appropriate habitat on this tour!)
We’ll arrive in the afternoon for a short walk around Villa Carmen lodge (biological station recently working in turism 500m – 1640,42ft ), this area will provide different selection of trails with special habitats in the southeast of South America «Bambo» where many specialties are restricted to this type of habitat and make birdwatching so special around Manu National Park.
We have a night birding with some great night birds: Stripe, Black-banded and Spectacled Owl are some goodies that we can get, including Tawny-Bellied Screech-Owl (Garden guy)
Night: Villa Carmen Lodge. B:L:D
Day 6: VILLA CARMEN – BAMBOO FOREST.
Bamboo forest offers a great selection of birds restricted to this habitat so we will be birding 2 full days looking for all possible specialties.
Some of our bamboo targets are the wonderful White-cheeked Tody-Flycatcher, Manu, Striated, Goeldi’s, and White-lined Antbirds, Ihering’s Antwren, Bamboo Antshrike, Large-headed and Dusky-tailed Flatbills, Flammulated Tody-Tyrant, Rufous-capped Nunlet, and Brown-rumped and Dusky-cheeked Foliage-gleaners, Red-billed Scythebill, Dot-winged Antwren, Ornate Antwren and Rufous-breasted Piculet If we’re very lucky, we may also get Rufous-headed Woodpecker and Peruvian Recurvebill, but these are usually difficult and rare species,
Outside the bamboo we can expect good activity too; we may add Rusty-belted Tapaculo, Amazonian Antpitta, Red-necked Woodpecker, and Striolated Puffbird and rare and local Scarlet-hooded Barbet to our list. And of course this is an amazing place for antbirds & amazonian birds, we should build up a good list over our two days, Fine-barred Piculet is one of the local endemic specie found in the area usually around the lodge, Including lowland hummingbirds and of course flying by some psittacidae Military, Blue-headed and Chestnut-fronted Macaws as well as we can find some mammals – Monkeys, without forgetting the nocturnal activity.
Night: Villa Carmen Lodge. B:L.D.
Day 7: BAMBOO FOREST – AMAZON FOOTHILL.
bamboo forest its an special habitat, that’s why we’ll spend couple hours birding before to leave the lodge, we have some birding on the way Yellow-billed Nunbird and Plain softail are our target before taking a short boat ride to Amazonia Lodge 10 minutes down stream from Atalaya Port.
Scanning from the boat we’ll catch Fasciated Tiger-heron, White-banded, White-winged and Southern Rough-winged Swallow.
Garden is so wonderful, where we could find Rufous-crested Coquette, Gould’s Jewelfront, and Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Blue-tailed Emerald, Koepcke’s Hermit (endemic species) rare visitor among a variety of other hummingbirds. A short afternoon walk will get us our first Hoatzin for the trip, Amazonian Antpitta, Black-capped & Cinereous Tinamou, Blue-throated Piping-Guan, Fiery-capped, Band-tailed and Round-tailed Manakins, Bluish fronted Jacamar, Chestnut-capped Puffbird, Spot-backed Antbird, and rare and local threatened Razor-billed Curassow are possible. In the evening, we have a good chance of seeing Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, but the local Black-banded Owl – though we usually hear it – is much more difficult!
Day 8: AMAZONIA – MACHU WASI OXBOW LAKE.
We’ll spend most of the day at Amazonia Lodge, first heading into the hill forest for the most difficult forest birding of the trip. Rewards are there to be found though; flocks typically include Half-collared Gnatwren, Spectacled Bristle-Tyrant, Carmiol’s Tanager, Cuzco Warbler, Yellow-browed Tody-flycatcher, and Rufous-tailed Antwren; with lots of luck we may also find Foothill Antwren, Brownish-headed Antbird or even Sapphire Quail-Dove or Grey Tinamou – now it’s really getting tough! We’ll also visit a White-browed Hermit lek, while other possibilities include Black and Spot-backed Antbirds, Ringed Antpipit, and Round-tailed Manakin. After a mid-morning walk we scan around the lodge (check for soaring raptors and swifts!), we’ll try the floodplain forest for Slender-billed Xenops, Fine-barred Piculet, Black-faced Antthrush, Amazonian Antpitta, Dark-breasted Spinetail,Speckled Spinetail Red-billed Tyrannulet, Black-banded Woodcreeper after lunch we’ll catch a boat down the river for 15 minutes about, we’ll start our river bird list too; from here where birding walking in a new forest, we visit an small oxbow, Horned Screamer, Pale-eyed Blackbird, Rufous-sided Crake and extremely lucky would be Agami Heron.
Late in the day we go back up to the mountains.
Night: Villa Carmen Lodge. B:L.D.
Day 9: LOWLAND FOREST – BACK TO THE ANDES.
Birding in lowland forest is totally surprising after days, weeks or even years (for local Guide) always there is a good rewards, we visit a different trail looking for some missing species, those can be Amazonian Antpitta, Black-capped Tinamou, Fine-barred Piculet, Scarlet-hooded Barbet and many more to find in this forest after lunch we’ll take our ground transport to keep going back to the andes, along the road some mix flock we’ll keep us busy arriving late in the day to our lodge. Night: Cock of the rock Lodge. B:L:D.
Day 10: BACK TO CUSCO
Today we’ll make the 5 – 6 hour drive back to Cusco, birding in a few select spots depending what species we’re still missing.
We finish our birding trip in Cusco, depending your preference we can drop you in your hotel / airport for your flight to Lima or connect one of our bird tour extension see our itineraries. B:L.
What to Bring:
- During the tour we are not going to take any domestic flight but to get Cusco you will need one, so please do not bring too much luggage. For domestic flights you can hold 23 kg. ( 50.7063 lbs.) and 8 kg. (17.637 lbs.) in hand luggage. Extra costs run by yourselves.
- Lightweight comfortable clothing is recommended, i.e. standard field pants and shirts for the
entire trip, some jacket for cold places is enough. - At Cock-of.the-rock Lodge and Villa Carmen Lodge laundry can be done.
- Sunblock and hat or cap.
- Mosquito or insect repellent.
- An umbrella and rain poncho.
- Rubber boots / gumboots specially for Amazonian Tropical Rainforest area.
- Small flashlight for owling – I will have a strong owling light (guide).
- You will need a fleece or other light jacket
This is noted for the high elevations. We will be in all kinds of weather, but no special clothing is
necessary. If you are a person that gets cold easily – perhaps a little more clothing, like a warm hat or
light-weight gloves would be in order, like heavy winter type coat/jacket. - Please using camouflaged clothing would be ok not really any military clothing avoid the second.
- Shower thongs / rubber flip flops will be useful.
Recommendation:
- Binoculars.
- Extra Batteries.
- Camera (Optional).
- Telescope (Optional).
General:
- Birding will primarily be on forested roads and some trails – difficulty is easy to moderate level.
- We will be moving between 3400 – 450 meters, asl (11154 – 1476 feet). Mostly between 2900 to 400 meters.
- We will experience all kinds of weather, but no special clothing is necessary.
- We will have electric power at all our destinations. There are sockets inside all rooms with 220 volt
electricity. - Please note be sure and bring extra batteries as electricity may sometimes go out in sites like Cock of the Rock lodge in Manu Road,
(in these places sometimes they have to use electricity generator 6 – 9 pm),
Medical and Health Information:
High altitude information you may find useful. from Cusco, gradually we will go to the andes, the highest point during the tour is 3500 meters, at the higher elevation will be moving slowly just roadside birding and physical effort its minimal, Adjusting to higher altitude is a very individual thing.
Some may feel no effects at all, some may have minor effects, and others may experience great difficulty.
You may feel the lack of oxygen, and will easily get «out of breath» for the first two or three days, so take it easy. You may feel a little nauseous, have a headache, or tire easily.. You will acclimatize to it by producing more red blood cells, so you should make sure you stay well hydrated, as the extra cells thicken your blood.
Drink lots of water, while avoiding alcohol or caffeine. Dehydration can make any effects of altitude worse. Try to avoid overeating the first day.
Please keep in mind our birding tour will be over a wide range of altitudes – and we will be acclimatizing as we move through the different habitats.
By the time we reach the very high altitude of the Paramo we should be adjusted to the altitude. We will be taking our time, birding slowly, and enjoying ourselves. That being said, your safety and well-being is of first importance above all else.
Therefore, I will be making frequent checks to make sure everyone is feeling well. If someone in the group isn’t feeling well our driver will be ready to take the person or the group to lower altitude very quickly.
There are medications available for altitude sickness. Please check with your doctor. For the headache, you can take an over-the-counter medicine, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve).
Travel insurance
Our suggestion is that you use travel insurance service. The normal price of this tour not cover travel insurance.
Books:
Birds of Peru is the best field Guide.
If you consider you can bring some other field guide are welcome.
+ Prices Include:
- Private transport in all the way.
- All accommodations in all the tour (Cusco/Cusco).
- Three meals per day (breakfast, lunch/ picnic or box lunch depending where we are, dinner, snacks, water available all the time).
- Bird guide specialist.
- Bird checklist per person.
- Private boat service in all amazonian tropical rainforest area.
- Entrances to all Birding spots.
- Transfers in Cusco.
- Basically full board in a private tour.
– Not included:
- Laundry, calls, medical costs or hospitalization, excess baggage charges, insurance, or other items of personal nature. Domestic flights from Lima to Cusco, but we can assist you
What I (guide) will have with me
- Recording stuff Roland R-05/Microphone SENNHEISER ME66/K6.
- Playback set ( iPods- speakers.)
- A Swarovski ATX 80 scope 20-60 zoom
- Green laser pointer
- Owling light.
- GPS.
- Personal Swarovski Binoculars.
- I will be carrying the new field guide Birds of Peru this can be found on www.amazon.com.
Tour Calendar 2023:
- 13th June 2023.
- 5th August 2023.
- 27th September 2023.
- 19th November 2023.
If some our fixed departure doesn’t work with you, we can propose a fixed departure with your available dates , also if you need private or customized tour, please contact us for more information, all our tours are totally flexible and adjustable to your needs.