Andes To Amazon Birding Tour 3 Days

After an early morning departure from Cusco we’ll make our way towards Manu Road to access Wayqecha Biological Station. Since the drive is long and weaves through many habitats not found at the station we’ll stop frequently to see what birds we can spot. Our first stop will be Huacarpay Lake, south of Cusco, where we’ll look for highlights such as the Puna Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Yellow-billed Pintail, Many-colored Rush Tyrant, Wren-like Rushbird, Plumbeous Rail, Giant Hummingbird, Green-tailed Trainbearer, and the endemic Bearded Mountaineer. As the road takes us high over the mountains we’ll look for highland specialists such as the Taczanowski’s Ground-Tyrant, Peruvian Sierra-Finch, Slender-billed Miner, Creamy-crested Spinetail, Mountain Caracara, and the endemic Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch.

We’ll have a relaxing lunch break in the mountains, where we can enjoy the view of the inter-Andean valley and the ecological gradient from the puna grassland to the elfin forest. As we move on into the stunted elfin forest we’ll look for Moustached Flowerpiercers, Shining Sunbeams, Tyrian Metaltails, Great Thrushes, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrants, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers, Puna Thistletails and White-throated Tyrannulets. We’ll arrive at Wayqecha Cloud Forest Biological Station and Birding Lodge, on the east slope of the Andes, late in the afternoon. Before the Sunsets on our view of the Amazon basin we’ll look for some station residents such as the Masked Flowerpiercer, Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, and the Rufous-capped Thornbill.

Early in the morning we’ll head down the road to look for mixed flocks of birds like the Pearled Treerunner, Barred Becard, Mountain Wren, Citrine Warbler, White-browed Conebill, Black-capped Hemispingus, Hooded Mountain Tanager, Chestnut-bellied Mountain Tanager, and Black-faced brush Finch. Additionally, we’ll look for target birds such as Barred Fruiteaters, and Andean Pygmy Owls. In the patches of Chusquea Bamboo vegetation look for the Black-throated Tody Tyrant and the Azara ́s Spinetail. This elevation also has hummingbirds such as the Chestnut-breasted Coronet and Violet-throated Starfrontlet, and as it warms up we may spot White-rumped Hawks and Golden-plumed Parakeets soaring overhead.

In the afternoon we will explore trails and visit the canopy walkway, which allows visitors to rise over 40 meters above the forest floor. Aside from the amazing views and fascinating insight into a hidden
ecosystem, we’ll also look for birds up top such as the Mountain Cacique, Blue-and-black Tanager, and the Ochraceous-breasted Flycatcher. Also keep your eyes peeled for Rufous Antpittas, Band-tailed Fruiteaters, Masked Trogons, Crimson-mantled Woodpeckers, Streak-throated Bush Tyrants, Tufted Tit-Tyrants, Andean Swallows, and Black-throated Flowerpiercers. As it gets dark on the way back to the station we will be on the lookout for the Rufous-bellied Nighthawk and the Swallow-tailed Nightjar.

In the morning we’ll explore the gardens once more hoping to pick up some hummingbirds we may have missed. We’ll then begin to take the Manu Road back towards Cusco.

We’ll stop frequently to bird and enjoy the views. On our way back through the cloud forest we’ll look for Andean Guans and Scaly-naped Parrots. We’ll arrive in Cusco in the afternoon.