Manu Road Birding Tour 4 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 sun sets 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.

Level of Difficulty: Moderate to difficult

We’ll leave Wayqecha for the Manu Biolodge. At the lower cloud forest, we may encounter the Solitary Eagle, Inca Jay, Crested Quetzal, and Highland Motmot. Also look for mixed flocks with Montane Foliage-gleaners, Bluish Flowerpiercers, Saffron-crowned Tanagers, Yellow-throated Tanagers, Yungas Manakins, Slaty-capped Flycatchers, Three-striped Warblers, Tropical Parulas, and Blue-naped Chlorophonias among others.

On the way, we’ll visit the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek, this will be a great opportunity for photos and observation of such a charming bird. After watching their unique display, we’ll bird along the road toward the lodge, which will be good for spotting
Black-billed Treehunters, Slaty Gnateaters, Cinnamon-faced Tyrannulets, Marble-faced Bristle Tyrants, Slate-throated Redstarts, Variable Antshrikes, Long-tailed Antbirds, Yellow-
breasted Antwrens, Bolivian Tyrannulets, Gray-mantled Wrens, Yellow-throated Bush-Tanagers, and Spotted Tanagers.

Next on the agenda is to head further along Manu Road to Manu Bioilodge and Birding Lodge, where we will spend the night. Manu Biolodge is nearly one thousand meters lower than the lodge, so once again the drive down will give us excellent chances to spot new species. Keep your eyes peeled for White-eared Solitaires, Black-streaked Puffbirds, Lanceolated Monklets, Crimson-bellied Woodpeckers, Stripe-chested Antwrens, Lemon-browed Flycatchers, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrants, as well as Beryl-spangled and Golden-naped Tanagers. As the road drops lower and lower we’ll emerge into more open areas and agricultural communities where we’ll look for King Vultures and Greater Yellow-headed Vultures, Roadside and Gray Hawks, Long-tail Tyrants, Social Flycatchers, Magpie Tanagers, Violaceous Jays, Chestnut-bellied Seedeaters, and hopefully endemic Black-backed Tody-Tyrants.

Level of Difficulty: Moderate to difficult

The trails at Manu Biolodge are a combination of second-growth forest, local native Bamboo (Guadua), primary forest, and successional forest. Together these provide an incredible array of habitats for birds. Walking along the trails you may be able to see White-browed Antbirds, Plain-winged Antshrikes, Pygmy Antwrens, Gray Antwrens, Wedge-billed Woodcreepers, Rufous-capped Nunlets, and Chesnut-backed Antshrikes. Right around the station, we’ll be looking for species such as the Plain-crowned Spinetail.

Lesser Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Little Ground Tyrant, Crested Oropendola, and the Yellow-rumped Cacique. Around the fish pond and the marsh vegetation we’ll look for the Sunbittern, Blackish Rail, Purple Gallinule, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Uniform Crake, Amazon Kingfisher, and the Gray-necked Wood Rail.

We will also explore bamboo patches and try to pick up bamboo specialists such as the Bamboo Antshrike, Manu and Striated Antbird, Dusky-cheeked Foliage-gleaner, Rufous-capped Nunlet, White-cheeked Tody-Flycatcher, Flammulated Pygmy-Tyrant, and the Large-headed Flatbill.

We’ll end with some night birding near the station to look for Tawny-bellied Screech-Owls, Tropical Screech Owls, Black-banded Owls, Common Potoos and Pauraques.

Level of difficulty: Moderate

In the morning we’ll explore the gardens once more hoping to pick up some hummingbirds we may have missed, such as Gould’s Jewelfronts, Pale-tailed Barbthroats, Fork-tailed Woodnymphs, Blue-tailed Emeralds, and Long-billed Starthroats. 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, whereas in the inter-Andean valleys we’ll hope for Black-faced Ibises, Mountain Caracaras, Greenish Yellow-Finches and Rufous-webbed Bush-Tyrants. We’ll arrive in Cusco late in the afternoon.

Level of difficulty: Easy to moderate