Tropical Birding Trip Report PERU: Manu and Machu Picchu Aug-Sept. 2015 A Tropical Birding SET DEPARTURE tour PERU: MANU and MACHU PICCHU th th 29 August – 16 September 2015 Tour Leader: Jose Illanes Andean Cock-of-the-rock near Cock-of-the-rock Lodge! Species highlighted in RED are the ones illustrated with photos in this report. INTRODUCTION Not everyone is fortunate enough to visit Peru; a marvelous country that boasts a huge country bird list, which is second only to Colombia. Unlike our usual set departure, we started out with a daylong extension to Lomas de Lachay first, before starting out on the usual itinerary for the main tour. On this extra day we managed to 1 www.tropicalbirding.com +1-409-515-0514
[email protected] Page Tropical Birding Trip Report PERU: Manu and Machu Picchu Aug-Sept. 2015 find many extra birds like Peruvian Thick-knee, Least Seedsnipe, Peruvian Sheartail, Raimondi’s Yellow- Finch and the localized Cactus Canastero. The first site of the main tour was Huacarpay Lake, near the beautiful Andean city of Cusco (accessed after a short flight from Lima). This gave us a few endemic species like Bearded Mountaineer and Rusty-fronted Canastero; along with other less local species like Many-colored Rush-tyrant, Plumbeous Rail, Puna Teal, Andean Negrito and Puna Ibis. The following day we birded along the road towards Manu where we picked up birds like Peruvian Sierra-Finch, Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch, Spot-winged Pigeon, and a beautiful Peruvian endemic in the form of Creamy-crested Spinetail. We also saw Yungas Pygmy-Owl, Black-faced Ibis, Hooded and Scarlet-bellied Mountain- Tanagers, Red-crested Cotinga and the gorgeous Grass-green Tanager.