The Northern Peru Birding Route
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T Tawny-throated Do¢erel and Least Seedsnipe. Near um Piura be the port of Eten on Media Luna beach is a reintroduc- s T yr Heading south from Tumbes the border with Piura an tion project for the Humboldt Penguin. t T © Heinz Plenge © Heinz Plenge um The Northern Peru Birding Route department is Quebrada Fernandez, just north of bezia salv Mancora. This quebrada is worth exploring for the ini La Libertad Tumbes Tyrant, Rufous Flycatcher and other dry Starting your north circuit from Trujillo will provide Few places on earth can match northern Peru for bird forest birds. South of Mancora is Los Organos from Peru list. Facilities are limited with visitors either camp- extra species not found on the rest of the route and diversity. From the coast to the tropical lowlands the where pelagic trips can be organized; the warm ing or staying at the biological station prior arrange- allow you to skip some sites further north. The area is variety of ecosystems and birding destinations waters of the El Niño Current here provide excellent ment with SERNANP (national park service) in Tumbes. well-known for the Chan Chan, El Brujo and Huaca La provides a near endless experience, which for most high-sea birding with Galapagos and Parkinson´s Luna and El Sol archeological sites. From Trujillo the avid birders takes at least two trips to fully appreci- Petrel, Black and Least Storm-Petrel and Nazca Tumbes Mangroves 4 hour drive to the highland town of Sinsicap will ate. The route traverses eight political departments Booby amongst many others. The Manglares de Tumbes National Sanctuary is a provide some interesting additions such as the from the coast, across the Andes and into the Amazon 2,970 ha state protected area bordering Ecuador. Russet-bellied Spinetail. Just north of Trujillo is Cerro lowlands with: Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque and La Further south on the coast is Talara city and nearby is Located north of the city of Tumbes, the Tumbes Campana with cactus-scrub habitat and some Libertad along the coast, then moving east we find the hamlet of Piedritas, on the south side of Quebrada Mangroves represent the southern limit of this habitat Spectacled owl Pulsatrix perspicillata unusual species such as Cactus Canastero, Streaked Cajamarca, Amazonas, San Martin and finally Loreto. Pariñas. This is a great spot to pick up the Peruvian on the Pacific coast of South America. Key species These eight departments alone hold some 1,600 bird Plantcu¢er, Tumbes Tyrant, Cinereous Finch and Lambayequ include the Rufous-necked Wood-Rail, Yellow- Tumbes Tyrant Tumbezia salvini White-tailed Jay Cyanocorax mysticalis species; approximately 85% of Peru´s c.1,840 species. other Tumbesian dry forest birds. Heading along the crowned Night-heron, Bare-throated Tiger-heron and This impressive diversity is coupled with an outstand- Pan-American highway the next major town is Tit-Spinetail and Great Inca-Finch. Heading north Mangrove Warbler. About 200 bird species have been Pómac Historical Sanctuary ing 140 restricted-range species, from 10 endemic bird Sullana. To the north of Sullana is the El Angolo Located north of Chiclayo passing through Ferrañafe check out the El Tubo wetland near Malabrigo and recorded here and make sure to check out the dry areas. Not surprisingly such diversity and endemism Hunting Ground (65,000 ha), which although good town, this reserve provides a double-whammy of remnant dry forest patches around Paijan for the forest patches for additional species. The main access is due to a complex combination of climatic factors; for birding needs some previous planning to visit. In birds and archeology in 5,887 ha of Algarrobo Peruvian Plantcu¢er. Near Pacasmayo is the Cañon- point is Puerto 25 where the local community is well with the El Niño and Humboldt ocean currents Piura city the campus of the University of Piura dominated forest. Key species include the Peruvian cillo reserve, which is worth a visit if time allows. organized to provide canoe trips through the influencing the coast, and topographical features; the (UDEP) provides good birding with Peruvian Thick- Plantcu¢er, Rufous Flycatcher, Tumbes Swallow and Note that just north of Pacasmayo is the junction for mangroves. Overnight facilities are also available. relatively low altitude Andes and inter-Andean knee and Tumbes Swallow amongst 30 to 40 birds Snowy-throated Kingbird. Check out the ancient the road up to Cajamarca. Other access points are El Algarrobo and El Bendito. valleys such as the Marañón, Utcubamba and Huan- that can be picked up in a couple of hours. South-west Sicán culture tombs and pyramids do¢ed throughout Various tour agencies in Tumbes offer trips to the cabamba, and not forge¢ing the mega-diverse from Piura heading to the coast are the San Pedro the forest as you bird. mangroves. Another way to visit the mangroves is Central highlands tropical lowlands. However some 75 species are Mangroves, Virrila Estuary, Ramón & Ñapique from Puerto Pizarro port, which is more for general globally threatened (plus c.50 near-threatened lagoons and the Illescas Peninsula. These sites can be tourists and provides less variety with birds. If you are Chaparrí Ecological Reserv Gotas de Agua Reserve, Jaen species) and the route provides an interesting insight visited with some planning and a good early start Firmly established as the premier dry forest site in the Located in north Cajamarca department, some 17 km in Tumbes city with an hour or two to spare keep into many local conservation initiatives working to from Piura. north, Chaparrí provides great birding and excellent off the main Olmos – Tarapoto highway, Jaen holds birding at the Palo Santo reserve (60 ha), just 1.5 km protect these birds. accommodation run by the local community in this some special birds. The best site here is the Gotas de south-east of town. ebrada Frejolillo and Limón de Porcuya 34,400 ha reserve. Star a¢raction is the largest Agua reserve just outside of Jaen city. This 1,800 ha The north coast: Tumbes Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens Back in Piura the road east is the old Pan-American protected population of the critically threatened © Heinz Plenge reserve holds specialties such as the Tatuapa From Tumbes city two habitat types are of interest; the highway to Chiclayo and the road needed to visit White-winged Guan; some 25% of the global popula- Tinamou, Chinchipe Spinetail, Marañon Slaty- Pacific forests and mangroves. The Pacific dry forests Quebrada Frejolillo (near Limón village), a regular tion. Other regulars include the Tumbes Tyrant, Antshrike, Li¢le Inca-Finch and Marañon Crescent- of Tumbes are unique in Peru - forming the southern site for the White-winged Guan. From Mocape village, Rufous Flycatcher, Tumbes Pewee and Sulphur- chest. The reserve has a good trail system and camp- White-edged Oriole Icterus graceannae extent of the tropical Pacific forests with influences of north of Olmos, a trail leads in for some 20 km to the throated Finch. Andean Condor and King Vulture soar ing or overnight facilities are available. Around Jaen, the Chocó ecosystem of Ecuador and Colombia. This site for the Guan. Facilities are few here so either camp in front of Mount Chaparrí, while with luck wild particularly exploring the roads to the north, scrub area of forest is now protected within the Cerros de or overnight in Olmos. Just south of Olmos is the Spectacled Bears and other mammals can be spo¢ed habitat will produce additional birds of interest. Back Amotape National Park (151,560 ha), with the El junction for the main road to Tarapoto and Yurima- around the lodge. On the way in (or out) of Chaparrí on the main highway the road goes through Bagua Caucho area providing the best site for birding. Some guas and the backbone of the main northern circuit. A visit Tinajones reservoir for the rare coastal popula- Grande (with Bagua Chica nearby) and continues 230 species have been recorded here and access is few kilometres along this road is the village of Limón tion of the Black-faced Ibis, Comb Duck, Spo¢ed Rail onto the crossroad town of Pedro Ruiz. Turning off in relatively easy with a 2 hour drive from Tumbes city. de Porcuya (or Porculla) and another regular site and other species. Also worth visiting from Chaparrí is Pedro Ruiz up the Río Utcubamba is the start (or end) Some of the key-species include the Gray-backed visited on tours for the Piura Chat-Tyrant, Gray- the road up to Casupe and Tocmoche for the Black- of the Utcubamba - Leymebamba - Cajamarca loop, Hawk, Gray-cheeked Parakeet, Bronze-winged Parrot, chinned Hermit (porcullae race), Henna-headed cowled Saltator, Black-tailed Trogon, Henna-headed see below. Crested Guan, Blackish-headed Spinetail and Ochra- Foliage-gleaner and White-headed Brush-Finch. Foliage-gleaner and others. Commission for the Promotion of Perú for the Exportation and Tourism ceous A¢ila. Several species reach the southern limit of Further along the main road is the pass of Abra La Florida - Pomacochas www.peru.info their distribution here and in the last few years the Porcuya, which at 2,140 m. is the lowest pass of the anta Rosa marshes From Pedro Ruiz on the main highway the next town Pale-mandibled Aracari, Flame-rumped Tanager and Andean chain. South of Piura department is Between Pimentel and Eten, south-west of Chiclayo is Florida overlooking Pomacochas lake. This is a Free distribution -Sale prohibited © Alejandro Tello © Alejandro Pallid Dove (amongst others) have been added to the Lambayeque, with its capital Chiclayo city. on the coast, are the Santa Rosa marshes, good for © Heinz Plenge common overnight resting stop on the route with Iquitos Gnatcatcher Polioptila clementsi rial Greytail, Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant, Ecuadorian Taking the Yurimaguas road to on the river, then crossing the river by barge the trail Buff-Bellied Tanager and Marañón Thrush.