AMAZON RIVER CRUISE a Birding and Natural History Odyssey Aboard ZAFIRO (Lima Bird List Included at End)
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AMAZON RIVER CRUISE A Birding and Natural History Odyssey aboard ZAFIRO (Lima bird list included at end) FEBRUARY 6–16, 2020 Capped Heron, Pilherodius pileatus. Photo: D. Ascanio LEADERS: DAVID ASCANIO, ANDREW WHITTAKER, ANGEL CARDENAS & DORIS VALENCIA Naturalists: Segundo Mesia, Juan Tejada & Robinson Rodriguez LIST COMPILED BY: DAVID ASCANIO VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM AMAZON RIVER CRUISE A BIRDING AND NATURAL HISTORY ODYSSEY February 6–16, 2020 By David Ascanio Photo album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidascanio/albums/72157713511166666 The magic of the Amazon unfolded before our eyes—happily—for another year. Seeing fauna highly adapted to challenging conditions (flooded forest, heavy downpours, competition, and lack of fruits for a period of the year) was our reward for our daily efforts to portray in our checklists the amazing richness of this, the largest biome on earth. Humboldt Penguin, Spheniscus humboldti. Photo: D. Ascanio. As this tour offers contrasting habitats, we started with a full day of birding in the vicinity of Lima, where rich oceanic waters allowed views of tens of thousands of Franklin’s Gulls perched on the electric wires along the costanera road. A visit to beach contiguous to Pantanos de Villa gave us the opportunity see shorebirds, Black Skimmers (a migrant from the Amazon region), teals, cormorants, and pelicans at length. We also spent time exploring a trail crossing the reeds and enjoyed wonderful views of the Many-colored Rush-Tyrant and a nesting pair of the secretive Wren-like Rushbird. Later, we drove to the picturesque town of Pucusana, and a magical boat trip gave us the opportunity to get spectacular views of the Humboldt Penguin, as well as Guanay and Red-legged cormorants, a Peregrine Falcon, and thousands of Peruvian Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Amazon River Cruise, 2020 Boobies. The day rounded up with an amazing list of birds that included one of the extreme specialists of the Peruvian coast, the Surf Cinclodes. Following a day of birding in the Lima area, we took a flight that went across the Andes to the city of Iquitos, in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon. During the following six days we explored the Amazon River and two of its main tributaries in Peru, the Ucayali and the Marañon rivers. Exploring these three rivers allowed us to visit various habitats and, although seemingly homogeneous from the air, each one offered a unique fauna. Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium brasilianum. Photo: D. Ascanio. As dictated in the imaginary birders protocol, we started our days early to hear the wonderful chorus of birds that happens right after dawn. This was followed by observations of birds like parrots and egrets commuting to their foraging grounds, and later, as the day warmed-up, we positioned the skiffs in the shade of an enormous tree or even in the inside of the flooded forest. Yet, the birding experience wasn’t the only wonder observed in the Amazon. Every day, the sunrise greeted us with pale red clouds blending with pink and yellow stripes. And in the evenings, it seemed like the sun was hiding below the tumultuous river that was carrying huge trees, branches, water hyacinth, and mud. It was the power of nature as an artist of kinetic art. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 Amazon River Cruise, 2020 Hoatzin, Opisthocomus hoazin. Photo: D. Ascanio. A special paragraph must be dedicated to the winged wonders, the Amazonian birds. Our daily checklist reflected the richness of the area when calling species ranging from the colorful and spectacular Paradise Tanager to little-known ones, such as the Black-tailed Antbird. We saw Trans-Amazonian and Boreal migrants, birds that are restricted to river islands, others that spend their entire lives in the flooded forest, and even some that approach the river from the terra firme forest. We enjoyed superb views of the magical Horned Screamer, the odd Hoatzin, and the secretive Chestnut-capped Puffbird (observed by all participants!). And although numbers don’t tell the whole story, they reflect the meaning of biodiversity. On our cruise we reached what I believe was an unbeatable record of birds seen for some unique bird groups. We reported 24 species of birds of prey (Cathartidae, Pandionididae, Accipitridae, and Falconidae), 19 species of macaws, parrots, parakeets, and parrotlets (Psittacidae), 13 species of piculets and woodpeckers (Picidae), and 26 species of tanagers and allies (Thraupidae). These numbers speak for themselves and exemplify the meaning of richness. In closing, our Amazon River Cruise was one of those experiences that change our concept of life on Planet Earth. Pulling the skiffs into the flooded forest was like entering sacred cathedrals with ant colonies hanging down like chandeliers and bromeliads and orchids bringing vivid colors like a window mosaic. The very word “wonder” was reflected in small and large birds; in pink dolphins having a feast in the mouths of the tributaries; in flocks of parrots and macaws; in enormous roosts of swallows, tyrant-flycatchers, or parakeets; and in the power of the water of the rivers that shaped what is still today an untamed biome. Thank you for visiting the Amazon! Now that you’ve gotten a taste of Neotropical birding, I would like to invite you to consider some of the tours I lead in other bird-rich countries, such as: Cuba: Supporting the Cuban people and its birds. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 Amazon River Cruise, 2020 Photo album: https://ventbird.com/view-photo-gallery/5d4da5e07c74350df0108205/Cuba-352019-3162019 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylRHvB1jzdI The Amazon River Cruise Photo album: https://ventbird.com/view-photo-gallery/5d4d79087c74350df0107cc0/Amazon- River-Cruise-2212019-3032019 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b3xYG0cPSo Colombia: Magdalena River Valley & Western Andes: a Relaxed & Easy Tour Photo album: https://ventbird.com/view-photo-gallery/5d425b427c74350df010200f/Colombia- Magdalena-River-Valley--Western-Andes-7132019-7212019 I look forward to seeing you again! Dusky-headed Parakeet, Aratinga weddellii. Photo: D. Ascanio. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 Amazon River Cruise, 2020 MAP WITH LOCATIONS LOCATIONS 1: Tahuayo. 2: Lucero Pata. 3: Yarapa. 4: Sapuenilla. 5: Yanallpa (pronounced Ya-nash-pa). 6: Yuracocha (Uracocha). 7: Zapote. 8: Dorado. 9: Yanayacu de Pucate. 10: Iquitos creek. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 Amazon River Cruise, 2020 AMAZON RIVER CRUISE A BIRDING AND NATURAL HISTORY ODYSSEY February 6–16, 2020 ITINERARY 6 February, Arrival to Peru. 7 February. Pantanos de Villa. Boat trip Pucusana bay. 8 February. Flight to Iquitos. Embarkation. 9 February. Tahuayo. Lucero Pata. 10 February. Yarapa. Sapuenilla. 11 February. Yanallpa. Yuracocha. 12 February. Zapote. Dorado. 13 February. Yarapa. San José de Paranapura. Iquitos creek. 14 February. Yanayacu de Pucate. Amazon river. 15 February. Itaia river island. Disembarkation. Flight to Lima. 16 February. Departure. HABITATS RF. Riverine forest. Includes all kind of forest at sides of rivers, either in black water rivers (igapó) or white-water rivers (varzea) as well as natural channels and oxbow lakes. MH. Marsh. SW. Swamp. RV. River, river edge and floodplains. RI. Sedimentary river island. SG. Secondary growth. BIRDS Tinamous, Tinamidae Cinereous Tinamou, Crypturellus cinereus. Heard only. Undulated Tinamou, Crypturellus undulatus. Heard only. Screamers, Anhimidae Horned Screamer, Anhima cornuta. MH. Ducks & Geese, Anatidae Muscovy Duck, Cairina moschata. RF, MH. Guans and Chachalacas, Cracidae Speckled Chachalaca, Ortalis guttata. RF. Pigeons & Doves, Columbidae Feral Pigeon (Rock Pigeon), Columba livia. Iquitos. Pale-vented Pigeon, Patagioenas cayennensis. RF. Plumbeous Pigeon. Patagioenas plumbea. RF. Ruddy Pigeon, Columba subvinacea. RF. Blue Ground-Dove. Claravis pretiosa. RF. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 7 Amazon River Cruise, 2020 White-tipped Dove, Leptotila verreauxi. RF. Gray-fronted Dove. Leptotila rufaxilla. RF. Cuckoos, Cuculidae Greater Ani, Crotophaga major. RF, SW. Smooth-billed Ani, Crotophaga ani. MH. Striped Cuckoo. Tapera naevia. MH. Pheasant Cuckoo, Dromococcys phasianellus, Heard only. RF. Little Cuckoo, Piaya minuta. RF. Squirrel Cuckoo. Piaya cayana. RF. Nightjars & Allies, Caprimulgidae Sand-colored Nighthawk, Chordeiles rupestris. RF. Common Pauraque. Nyctidromus albicollis. RF. Short-tailed Nighthawk. Lurocallis semitorquatus. RF. Ladder-tailed Nightjar, Hydropsalis climacocerca. RF, SW. Potoos, Nyctibiidae Great Potoo. Nyctibius grandis. RF. Seen at daytime. Swifts, Apodidae Amazonian Swift. Chaetura viridipennis. SW. Short-tailed Swift, Chaetura brachyura. RF. Pale-rumped Swift. Chaetura egregia. RF. Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift. Panyptila cayennensis. RF. Fork-tailed (Neotropical) Palm-Swift, Tachornis (Reinarda) squamata. RF, Moriche palm stand. Hummingbirds, Trochilidae White-necked Jacobin. Florisuga mellivora. RF. Rufous-breasted Hermit. Threnetes leucurus. RF. White-bearded Hermit. Phaethornis bourcieri. RF. Black-throated Mango, Anthracothorax nigricollis. RF. Long-billed Starthroat. Heliomaster longirostris. RF. Blue-tailed Emerald. Chlorostilbon mellisugus. RF. Blue-chinned Sapphire. Chlorestes notata. RF. Fork-tailed Woodnymph. Thalurania furcate. RF. Olive-spotted Hummingbird, Leucippus chlorocercus. RI. Glittering-throated Emerald, Amazilia fimbriata. Edge of RF. Golden-tailed Sapphire. Chrysuronia aenone. RF. Green-tailed Goldenthroat. Polytmus theresiae. RI. Hoatzin,