Manu Birding Tour 8 Days

Day 1: Cusco – Huacarpay Lake – Dry Andes – Wayqecha (2,700 m)

We pick you up at your hotel or the airport and spend the morning at Huacarpay Lake, a wetland near Cusco, looking for Many-colored Rush-Tyrant and Plumbeous Rail, and in the surrounding scrub for Rusty-fronted Canastero and Streak-fronted Thornbird. The drive across the dry Andes toward the Manu Road can produce Mountain Parakeet, Black-tailed Shrike-Tyrant, Cinereous Ground-Tyrant and Spot-winged Pigeon, and three endemics we look for on the way: Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch, Bearded Mountaineer and Creamy-crested Spinetail.

In the afternoon we reach the humid forest at the treeline, with targets such as Golden-collared Tanager, Moustached Flowerpiercer and, with a lot of luck, the rare Scribble-tailed Canastero. Late in the day we have our first chance for the endemic Red-and-white Antpitta. After dinner we look for night birds such as Yungas Pygmy-Owl, Rufous-banded Owl and Swallow-tailed Nightjar. Night at the Wayqecha research station (2,700 m / 8,860 ft).

Day 2: Wayqecha – Manu Road – Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge (about 1,400 m)

After birding around Wayqecha for high-elevation species such as Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Red-and-white Antpitta, Puna Thistletail, Marcapata Spinetail and Rufous-capped Thornbill, we work our way down the Manu Road, stopping at the most productive spots. Specialties such as Blue-banded Toucanet and Handsome Flycatcher are fairly common, and there is always a chance of rarities like Greater Scythebill and Andean Potoo.

Mixed flocks can bring a variety of tanagers, Versicolored Barbet, Striped Treehunter, Inca Flycatcher and, with luck, Band-tailed Fruiteater, while Hazel-fronted Pygmy-Tyrant, Unadorned Flycatcher and White-throated Antpitta are present but hard to see. Night in the cloud forest at about 1,400 m (4,590 ft), prime habitat for the Andean Cock-of-the-rock.

Day 3: Manu Cloud Forest – Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge

A full day between 1,000 and 2,400 m (3,280–7,875 ft), depending on which birds we still need. This is tanager country: mixed flocks can include Golden-eared, Golden-naped, Black-goggled, Orange-eared, Fawn-breasted, Yellow-throated, Spotted, Paradise, Golden and Bay-headed Tanagers, along with Golden-olive Woodpecker, Olive-backed Woodcreeper, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Gray-mantled Wren, the restricted-range Bolivian Tyrannulet and Slaty Tanager, Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant, Blue-naped Chlorophonia and many more. Away from the flocks we look for Crested and Golden-headed Quetzals, Andean and White-eared Solitaires, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Solitary and Black-and-chestnut Eagles and the hard-to-find Black-streaked Puffbird.

The lodge gardens attract Many-spotted Hummingbird, Violet-fronted Brilliant and Booted Racket-tail, sometimes Wire-crested Thorntail and the rare Buff-tailed Sicklebill, and Andean Cock-of-the-rocks are seen often in the area; there is also a lek nearby. The trails behind the garden hold Chestnut-breasted Wren, Scaled Antpitta, Rufous-breasted and Short-tailed Antthrushes, Slaty Gnateater and the very rare endemic Cerulean-capped Manakin. At night, Lyre-tailed Nightjar and Band-bellied Owl are possible, and Rufescent Screech-Owl with luck.

Day 4: Lower Manu Road – Villa Carmen (about 500 m)

In the morning we bird the lower Manu Road for difficult endemics such as Black-backed Tody-Flycatcher, Cerulean-capped Manakin and Peruvian Piedtail, and a very rare, still undescribed tanager known from this area, sometimes called the “Bamboo” or “San Pedro” Tanager. Other targets include Lanceolated Monklet, Two-banded Warbler, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Stripe-chested Antwren, Golden-collared Honeycreeper, Fulvous-breasted Flatbill, Cinnamon-faced Tyrannulet and Cabanis’s Spinetail.

In the afternoon we reach Villa Carmen, a biological station at about 500 m (1,640 ft) whose trails cross bamboo forest, a habitat of southeastern Peru with many specialized birds. Night birding can produce Striped, Black-banded and Spectacled Owls and Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl.

Day 5: Bamboo Forest – Amazon Foothills – Amazonia Lodge

A full day for bamboo specialists: 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, Brown-rumped and Dusky-cheeked Foliage-gleaners, Red-billed Scythebill, Ornate Antwren and Rufous-breasted Piculet, and with great luck Rufous-headed Woodpecker and Peruvian Recurvebill. Outside the bamboo we look for Rusty-belted Tapaculo, Amazonian Antpitta, Red-necked Woodpecker, Striolated Puffbird, the rare Scarlet-hooded Barbet and the local endemic Fine-barred Piculet, often near the lodge.

Past Pilcopata, low hills of about 1,000 m with views over the Alto Madre de Dios River can give Military and Blue-headed Macaws, Wattled Guan, Plum-throated and Spangled Cotingas and Pheasant Cuckoo. In the late afternoon we cross the river to Amazonia Lodge.

Day 6: Amazonia Lodge – Floodplain Forest – Oxbow Lake

Around Amazonia Lodge the flowering vervain attracts hummingbirds, with Rufous-crested Coquette as a specialty, plus Gould’s Jewelfront, Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Blue-tailed Emerald and the endemic Koepcke’s Hermit. The lodge has a canopy tower on the ridge trail, and the old jeep track is good for tinamous, including Black-capped Tinamou.

An afternoon walk to an oxbow lake brings our first Hoatzins, and the forest can hold Blue-throated Piping-Guan, Fiery-capped, Band-tailed and Round-tailed Manakins, Bluish-fronted Jacamar, Chestnut-capped Puffbird, Spot-backed Antbird and the rare, threatened Razor-billed Curassow. In the evening Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl is likely; Black-banded Owl is usually heard but hard to see.

Day 7: Parrot Clay Lick – Lowland Forest – Machuhuasi Oxbow Lake

Early in the morning we visit a parrot clay lick for good views of the threatened Blue-headed Macaw, often with White-eyed Parakeet, Blue-headed Parrot and Chestnut-fronted Macaw, and river-edge species like Mottle-backed Elaenia and Dark-breasted Spinetail. We then bird the floodplain forest for Slender-billed Xenops, Black-faced Antthrush, Speckled Spinetail and Black-banded Woodcreeper, among others.

After lunch a short boat ride takes us to new forest and to the Machuhuasi oxbow lake, with Horned Screamer, Pale-eyed Blackbird, Rufous-sided Crake and, with great luck, Agami Heron.

Day 8: Amazonia Lodge – Cusco

A last early walk on a different trail for any species we are still missing, such as Amazonian Antpitta, Black-capped Tinamou, Fine-barred Piculet or Scarlet-hooded Barbet. After breakfast we drive back to Cusco and drop you off at your hotel or the airport.