! ! ! ! ! ! ! Central((Custom(Tour(2013( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( November(8(–(27,(2013( Guided(by(Andrew(Spencer( All#photos#in#this#report#taken#on#the#tour#by#Andrew#Spencer#and#Scott#Watson# Peru!is!easily!one!of!the!world’s!most!visited!tropical!birding!destinations.!!And!for!good! reason!–!sky=high!diversity,!combined!with!good!infrastructure,!excellent!,!and!a! good!dose!of!local!culture!make!this!a!must=hit!location!for!any!world!traveler.!!!But!if!you! look!at!the!majority!of!birding!tours!to!Peru!most!of!them!visit!the!southern!part!of!the! country.!!A!few!visit!the!more!remote!north.!!But!very,!very!few!ever!venture!into!the! mountainous!center!of!this!large!country.!!And!that!is!a!real!shame!–!central!Peru!has!some! of!the!best!birding,!the!highest!endemism,!and!some!of!the!best!scenery!available.!!While! the!tourist!infrastructure!still!isn’t!up!to!snuff!compared!to!the!more!traveled!south,!it!has! improved!with!leaps!and!bounds!over!even!a!few!years!ago,!and!running!a!birding!tour! here!has!never!been!easier.( ! This!was!Tropical!Birding’s!first!tour!to!most!of!Central!Peru.!!It!was!arranged!as!a!custom! tour!for!five!of!the!participants!on!the!2011!Chile!Tour,!and!targeted!a!mix!of!Peruvian! endemics!with!a!route!maximizing!!diversity.!!And!we!were!wildly!successful!on! both!fronts!!!Weather!mostly!held!in!our!favor,!with!a!few!rainy!days!hindering!us!a!bit!but! in!the!end!not!costing!a!whole!lot!of!species.!!Most!of!the!targeted!endemics!cooperated! well,!and!some!surprises!here!and!there!added!some!spice!to!the!tour.! ! Santa(Eulalia(Valley( ! With!no!flight!delays,!everyone!was!in!Lima!on!time,!so!an!early!morning!departure!has!us! ascending!into!the!mountains!for!our!first!day!of!birding.!!On!tap!was!the!dry!Santa!Eulalia! Valley,!located!right!outside!of!Lima!and!offering!a!good!transect!of!arid!!at! different!elevations.! ! Stops!low!in!the!valley!early!in!the!morning!proved!quite!birdy,!and!we!quickly!picked!up! species!like!dapper!Collared(WarblingGFinch,(Croaking(GroundGDove,(the!omnipresent! Scrub(Blackbird,( BlueGandGyellow( ,(and!lots!of! LongGtailed( Mockingbirds.!! There!were!lots!of! roadside!flowering! shrubs,!and!some! scanning!of!these! produced!Oasis( ,!a! young!male! Peruvian(Sheartail,! and!some!PurpleG collared( Woodstars.! ! Continuing!higher,! we!soon!ascended! into!the!stark,!rocky!canyon!with!only!a!scattering!of!vegetation!but!an!abundance!of! amazing!scenery.!!Graceful!Andean(Swifts!darted!along!the!canyon!walls,!while!BandG tailed(Seedeaters!inhabited!practically!every!bush!along!the!road.!!At!a!bridge!over!one!of! the!narrowest!and!deepest!slot!canyons!I’ve!seen!on!the!continent!we!found!one!of!our! main!targets!for!the!morning,!a!pair!of!Great(IncaGFinches.!!Part!of!the!Peru’s!flagship! ,!Inca=!are!endemic!to!the!country!and!always!feature!prominently!on!a!hit=list! visiting!central!and!northern!Peru.!!The!pair!we!found!was!fantastically!cooperative,!often! perching!within!a!few!feet!of!us!in!the!roadside!scrub.! ! We!had!barely!gotten!over!our!Inca=!high!before!fortune!struck!again,!this!time!in!the! form!of!a!vocal!and!responsive!PiedGcrested(TitGtyrant.!!Don’t!let!the!fact!that!it’s!a! flycatcher!fool!you!–!this! is!one!fine!looking!!!! The!arid!scrub!continued! to!be!good!to!us!when! two!more!sought=after! endemics!put!in!an! appearance!in!the!form!of! a!nice!male!BronzeG tailed(Comet!followed!by! a!pair!of!the!more! subdued!RustyGbellied( BrushGFinches.!!A!trio!of! BlackGthroated( Woodpeckers(rounded! out!our!endemics!for!the! morning!and!we!decided! to!book!it!up!to!the!higher! elevations!of!the!valley! for!a!bit!of!a!different! flavor!for!the!afternoon.! ! The!way!up!the!valley!proved!to!be!slow!going,!but!not!entirely!birdless.!Some!WhiteG winged(Cinclodes!were!found!along!the!river,!joined!higher!up!by!a!few!CreamGwinged( Cinclodes!and!a!plethora!of!sierra=finches!including!BandGtailed,(Mourning,(Peruvian,( AshGbreasted,!and!higher!up!still,!Plumbeous.!!Our!first!try!for!White=cheeked!Cotinga! turned!up!empty,!but!an!exceptionally!cooperative!Giant(Hummingbird!made!up!for!the! miss.! ! Having!missed!the!cotinga!the!day!before,!the!first!order!of!business!was!returning!to!the! high=elevation!!grove!to!try!again.!!This!time!our!luck!was!better,!and!after!some! serious!huffing!and!puffing!as!we!scrambled!up!the!steep!slope!we!were!looking!at!a!distant! WhiteGcheeked(Cotinga!perched!on!top!of!a!Polylepis!tree!!!A!couple!of!Giant(Conebills! were!nuthatching!along!some!branches!nearby,!while!a!RufousGwebbed(BushGTyrant(sat! watching,!giving!us!some!nice!bonus!!for!all!the!effort.! ! Milloc(Bog( ( Usually!birders!come!to!this!dizzyingly!thin=aired!bog!for!two!birds.!!But!since!all!of!the! group!had!previously!birded!with!me!in!Chile!we!didn’t!spend!much!effort!looking!for! Diademed!Sandpiper=Plover,!and!instead!concentrated!on!one!of!the!rarest!birds!on!the! planet!–!WhiteGbellied(Cinclodes.!!This!very!restricted!Peruvian!endemic!is!found!only!on! a!few!high=elevation!Bofedal!bogs!in!central!Peru,!and!is!severely!threatened!by!habitat! destruction.!!Luckily!we!found!a!pair!of!birds!almost!as!soon!as!we!pulled!up!to!the!bog,!and! got!to!watch!them!as!they!foraged!near!the!road.! ! Our!other!main!target!at!the!bog!was!one!of!the!weirdest!of!all!,!Olivaceous! Thornbill.!!This!species!occurs!higher!than!almost!any!other!hummingbird,!and!is!known! for!walking!on!the!ground!searching!for!tiny!flowers!on!the!puna.!!Unfortunately!our!luck!

didn’t!hold!and!despite!some!significant!searching!no!hummingbirds!were!turned!up.!!Even! so!we!managed!to!find!a!number!of!other!new!species!for!the!trip,!including!a!slew!of! Ground=Tyrants!(with!Cinereous,(Taczanowski’s,(WhiteGfronted,(and!Puna!all!being! seen),!as!well!as!numerous!WhiteGwinged(DiucaGFinches!and!Andean(Geese!among!the! more!common!species.!!! ! Working!our!way!back!down!to!the!highway!we!stopped!at!some!likely!looking!bunch!grass! covered!slopes,!and!soon!had!the!endemic!Junin(Canastero!perched!up!yelling!back!at!us.!! Another!stop!just!downhill!provided!a!StreakGthroated(Canastero,!rounding!out!our! basket=maker!haul!for!the!morning.! ! Satipo(Road( ( South!America!is!filled!with!legendary!birding!locations!–!The!Manu!Road,!The!Escalera,! The!Pantanal,!and!on!and!on.!!But!one!location!that!easily!holds!its!own!among!the!top! echelon!of!birding!locations,!yet!receives!almost!no!recognition,!is!the!Satipo!Road.!!! Nowhere!else!in!South!America!can!you!see!so!many!undescribed!species!so!easily,!and!few! indeed!are!the!locations!where!you!can!find!so!many!localized!and!hard!to!find!endemics.!! Combine!all!that!with!beautiful!temperate!and!cloud=forest!habitat,!superb!flocks,!and! stunning!scenery,!and!you!have!all!of!what!makes!Peru!one!of!the!best!countries!on!the! planet,!in!spades.! ! Even!though!the!habitats!on!the!Satipo!Road!vary!from!high,!dry!puna!to!lowland!forest,!we! spent!most!of!our!time!in!the!temperate!and!cloud!forest!zones.!!Before!we!made!it!to!those! elevations!a!quick!stop!at!a!large!roadside!lake!in!the!puna!gave!us!a!few!common!duck! species,!and!some!stunning!views!of!ShortGtailed(Pipits!serenading!us!with!their!beautiful! songs!and!flight!displays.! ! Another!roadside!stop!in! an!area!of!temperate! scrub!had!us!ogling!our! first!localized!endemics,! in!the!form!of!FireG throated(!and! the!still!undescribed! “Millpo”(,!both! found!only!in!a!tiny!area! of!central!Peru.!!A! gorgeous!male!PurpleG backed(Thornbill!was! also!popular,!though!a! number!of!female!birds! were!more!cooperative.! ! Our!first!serious!birding! stop!came!at!the!famed! Carrizales!bridge,!located! in!the!upper!temperate! zone!not!far!below! treeline.!!Here!bad!weather!finally!caught!up!with!us,!but!between!bouts!of!rain!we!walked! our!way!down!the!road,!poring!through!the!mixed=species!flocks!and!calling!out!skulkers.!! Among!the!highlights!were!some!excellent!views!of!obscura(Rufous(!(a!for!sure! future!split),!the!ever!impressive!GoldenGcollared(Tanager,!some!unbeatable!views!of! Tshudi’s(Tapaculo,!and!! ! A!good!deal!of!our!time!along!the!Satipo!Road!was!spent!along!the!side!road!that!starts!in! the!town!of!Apalla!and!goes!over!into!the!Mantaro!River!Valley.!!This!was!for!various! reasons,!but!foremost!among!them!as!that!it!is!along!this!road!that!most!of!the!specialties! (an!most!especially!the!undescribed!species)!can!be!found,!and!the!town!of!Apalla!also!has! the!only!convenient!lodging.!!Now!to!call!it!lodging!might!be!a!bit!of!a!stretch,!and!it’s!the! only!place!I’ve!been!on!tour!where!everyone!was!sharing!the!same!room,!but!it!worked!!! And!it!was!better!than!camping!by!a!long!shot,!to!say!the!least!! ! We!spent!and!afternoon!and!the!better!part!of!a!morning!along!the!road!above!Apalla,! which!passes!through!excellent!cloud!forest!of!increasing!elevation!before!crossing!a!high! pass!over!puna!grassland!and!descending!into!the!drier!Mantaro!River!valley.!!Good!birds! came!fast!and!furious!along!the!road,!with!specialties!from!the!newly!described!Junin( Tapaculo!to!the!yet!to!be!described!“Satipo(Road”(Chestnut(Antpitta!to!the!little!known! and!rarely!seen!weskei,Marcapata(Spinetail!!!A!closely!calling!Bay(Antpitta!remained! elusive,!unfortunately,!but!some!loud!and!inquisitive!Unstreaked(TitGTyrants!were!much! more!cooperative.!!Several!GrayGbreasted(MountainGToucans!were!quite!popular!with! the!group!as!well.! ! Flocks!in!the!area!were!dominated!by!several!species!of!tanager,!including!ScarletGbellied( MountainGTanager! and!BlueGandGblack( Tanager.!!The!drab! form!of! Superciliaried( Hemispingus!was! seen!a!couple!of! times,!while!the! actual!Drab( Hemispingus!was! seen!only!once.!!A! nicely!cooperative! BuffGbreasted( MountainGTanager! of!the!southern! subspecies!(a!likely! future!split)!gave!us! some!spectacular! views!in!a!! patch!as!well.! ! Once!we!had!ascended!to!the!higher!elevations!the!bird!diversity!changed!noticeably.!!A! quick!stop!at!some!treeline!forest!yielded!our!first!StripeGheaded(Antpitta,!but!bad! weather!otherwise!kept!us!in!the!car!as!we!wound!our!way!down!the!other!side!of!the! valley.!!A!stop!at!a!likely!looking!bamboo!patch!produced!the!yet!to!be!described! “Mantaro”(Wren,!which!allowed!us!superb!views!!!But!many!tries!for!Black=spectacled! Brush=Finch!came!up!empty.!!Our!final!destination!on!the!Mantaro!side!was!just!short!of! the!town!of!Andamarca,!where!a!dry!brushy!area!soon!had!us!looking!at!the!undescribed! “Mantaro”(Thornbird,!giving!us!a!sweep!of!the!undescribed!Mantaro!birds!! ! Heading!back!the!way!we!came,!some!more!searching!for!the!brush=finch!had!about!the! same!result.!!But!the!way!back!wasn’t!entirely!a!waste!of!time!!!Most!of!the!way!back!to!the! top!I!spotted!a!hummingbird!out!the!window.!!A!quick!jump!out!and!bins!up!and!I!saw!that! it!was!an!Olivaceous(Thornbill!!!This!rare,!localized!hummingbird!was!among!Joe’s!most! wanted!species!for!the!trip,!but!unfortunately!this!one!flew!off!a!little!too!quickly.!!But!all! was!not!lost…we!managed!to!refind!it!just!a!bit!up!the!road,!and!everyone!got!a!good!view!!! After!having!missed!the!bird!at!the!Milloc!Bog!this!was!a!very!welcomed!save.! ! Our!last!morning!of!birding!on!the!Satipo!Road!was!spent!driving!the!main!road!towards! the!town!of!Satipo.!!Along!the!higher!portions!of!the!road!the!habitat!was!excellent,!and!we! found!a!number!of!the!same!species!that!we’d!seen!earlier!as!well!as!some!stunning!WhiteG collared(Jays.!Slightly!lower!down!the!habitat!became!spottier,!but!the!birds!became! Amazonianier.!!Flock!activity!was!good,!especially!at!one!mega=flock!that!hung!out!in!the! same!area!from!over!half!an!hour!!!There!were!too!many!species!to!list!them!all!here,!but! !abounded!including!an!out!of!range!OpalGrumped,!GoldenGeared,(Spotted,( GoldenGnaped,(Golden,(and!a!single!female!GreenGthroated(that!only!some!of!us!saw.!!A! couple!of!Versicolored(Barbets!were!new!for!the!trip,!and!a!stunning!male!ChestnutG backed(Antshrike!gave!us!some!nice!views.!!Toucan!variety!was!good!as!well,!with!both! BlueGbanded!and!ChestnutGtipped(Toucanets!putting!in!an!appearance.!!Flycatchers!also! didn’t!disappoint,!and!SlatyGbacked((MaroonGbelted)(ChatGTyrant(and!Inca(Flycatcher( were!both!new!as!well.!! ! Villa(Rica(area( ! Villa!Rica!is!one!of!those!sites!that!sits!right!in!the!“magic”!zone!in!terms!of!elevational! range.!!It!has!habitats!that!span!just!enough!elevation!to!pick!up!a!startlingly!good!variety! of!Amazonian!and!foothill!birds!while!also!going!up!high!enough!to!get!a!number!of! montane!species.!!And!with!its!location!on!an!outlying!ridge!in!central!Peru,!it!also!has!a! good!number!of!localized!birds!! ! Our!first!birding!around!Villa!Rica!came,!unsurprisingly,!at!the!large!Oconal!Lake!right! outside!of!town.!!This!large,!shallow!lake!with!abundant!marshes!makes!an!excellent! birding!spot,!even!during!the!times!of!day!when!there!isn’t!much!else!happening!in!the! forests.! ! Our!first!scans!of!the!lake!gave!us!many!of!the!common!birds!present,!including!Limpkin,( Purple(Gallinule,(Least(Grebe,(and!various!heron!and!egret!species.!!It!was!Scott’s!sharp! eyes!that!found!a!pair!of!Masked(Ducks,!a!rare!bird!just!about!anywhere!and!often!difficult! to!see.!!Most!of!us!were!able!to!get!on!them!before!they!disappeared!into!the!lilypads,!quite! an!achievement!!!With!all!that!marsh,!rails!were!also!on!tap,!and!we!had!some!superb!and! close!views!of!a!pair!of!RufousGsided(Crakes,!while!some!Blackish(Rails!were!much!less! cooperative.! ! The!brushy!habitat!around!the!lake!was!also!quite!good!to!us,!and!we!had!a!wonderful! variety!of!spinetails!(including!PlainGcrowned,!DarkGbreasted,(and!Cabanis’s)!as!well!as! the!austral!migrant!Little(GroundGTyrant.!!! ! One!of!the!best!birding!locations!around!Villa!Rica!is!along!the!back!road!to!Oxapampa.!! Here!a!good!patch!of!cloud!forest,!combined!with!a!low=traffic!road!and!good!visibility! make!for!a!winning!combination,!and!we!dedicated!most!of!a!day!to!the!area.!

! Leaving!Villa!Rica!early!in!the!morning,!we!booked!it!up!to!the!top!of!the!road!and!just!over! the!other!side.!!It!took!almost!no!time!at!all!to!slap!the!scope!on!our!main!reason!for! heading!out!early,!a!local!RufousGbellied(BushGTyrant!known!to!have!a!territory!in!the! area.!!Almost!immediately!after!another!of!our!target!species!rocketed!overhead!in!the! form!of!a!small!flock!of!BlackGwinged(Parrots,!a!very!difficult!bird!to!find!in!Peru!!!A! suspicious!woodpecker!noise!then!got!my!attention,!and!some!quick!playback!brought!in!a! very!angry!but!very!beautiful!CrimsonGbellied(Woodpecker!onto!a!tree!right!in!front!of! us!!!Not!a!bad!way!to!start!a!morning,!that’s!for!sure.! ! Further!down!the!road!the!activity!decreased!a!bit!but!the!quality!stayed!high.!!Some!PaleG footed(Swallows!flew!over!us,!and!a!nice!brushy!area!produced!a!very!cooperative! RufousGtailed(Tyrant,!our!first!of!the!trip.!!A!couple!of!small!flocks!had!some!Silvery( Tanagers!and!Tricolored(BrushGFinches,!but!not!a!whole!lot!else!new.!!One!of!our!best! birds!came!at!a!large,!flowering!tree!a!ways!down!the!road,!where!we!had!decent!looks!at!a! RufousGwebbed(Brilliant,!another!of!Joe’s!target!hummers!for!the!trip.!!A!nearby!Masked( Fruiteater!that!was!singing!decided!to!be!very!uncooperative,!so!I!was!quite!relieved!when! we!managed!to!find!another!down!the!road!that!behaved!much!better!! ! The!lower!elevations!were!quite!cut!over,!and!we!didn’t!spend!too!long!in!them,!but!despite! the!lower!quality!habitat!we!still!had!our!best!views!of!WhiteGeared(Solitaire!of!the!tour! as!well!as!a!few! more!tanager! flocks.! ! With!many!of! our!higher! elevation!targets! from!the!Villa! Rica!area!in!the! bag,!we!decided! to!bird!the! intermediate! heights!of!the!La! Cumbre!area.!! While!there!isn’t! a!whole!of!forest! left!at!La! Cumbre,!it!can! still!be!quite! birdy!and!worth! a!morning’s! effort.!!Before! we!made!it!to! the!top,!though,! we!stopped!at!various!points!in!roadside!scrub!when!the!sounds!of!flocks!prompted.!!This! proved!quite!productive,!with!many!new!trip!birds,!including!a!female!BlueGtailed( Emerald,(both!Grayish!and!BuffGthroated(Saltators,(Spotted(Tanager,(Blue(Dacnis,!and! some!stunning!views!of!perched!SwallowGtailed(Kites.! ! At!the!top,!we!quickly!found!our!first!flock.!!While!it!wasn’t!all!that!large,!it!did!give!us!our! first!FawnGbreasted(Tanager!of!the!tour.!!Continuing!downwards,!the!very!next!flock! produced!our!main!target!of!the!morning!–!a!wonderfully!cooperative!CreamyGbellied( Antwren.!!This!local!endemic!is!found!only!in!a!small!part!of!Peru,!and!the!Villa!Rica!area!is! the!best!place!to!search!for!it.!!A!few!FlameGfaced!and!a!stunning!male!WhiteGwinged( Tanager(rounded!out!the!mix.!!The!rest!of!the!morning!was!quite!slow,!though!we!did! stumble!across!another!RufousGtailed(Tyrant!among!the!more!common!species,!and!a! dark=phase!ShortGtailed(Hawk(back!near!town!was!the!first!for!the!trip.! ! After!lunch!we!switched!gears,!and!headed!to!the!lowest!elevations!near!town.!!Here!the! terrain!is!almost!entirely!covered!in!coffee!plantations,!but!luckily!these!are!shade=grown! coffee!plantations,!so!the!bird!activity!can!be!quite!excellent.!!And!today!definitely!proved! the!point!!!Despite!starting!in!the!heat!of!the!day,!we!managed!to!find!many!new!and!some! unexpected!birds.!!Foremost!among!these!was!surely!a!RufousGcapped(Nunlet!that! randomly!flew!out!of!some!remnant!dense!scrub!in!one!of!the!plantations!and!perched! right!in!front!of!us!!!No!less!appreciated!were!a!few!pairs!of!BluishGfronted(Jacamars! present!in!the!same!area,!along!with!a!WhiteGbellied(PygmyGTyrant,!some!ChestnutG eared(Aracaris,!and!a!pair!of!Emerald(Toucanets.! ! Given!that!it!was!the!heat!of! the!day,!though,!other! species!remained!heard= only.!!These!included! Peruvian(WarblingG Antbird,(GreenGbacked( Trogon,(and!ThrushGlike( Antpitta.!!More!cooperative! was!a!female!Lineated( Woodpecker,!a!couple!of! Lineated(Woodcreepers,! and!a!ThrushGlike(Wren.( ( We!returned!to!the!coffee! plantation!area!the!next!day,! though!the!weather!couldn’t! have!been!more!different!!! Off!and!on!rain!made!the! birding!difficult!at!times,!but! it!also!kept!activity!high,!so!it!turned!out!to!be!quite!productive.!!Flock!activity!right!along! the!road!was!superb,!and!we!found!a!number!of!rare!species!including!Spectacled(BristleG Tyrant,!CinnamonGfaced(Tyranulet,!finally!a!visual!of!Cabanis’s(Spinetail,!and!our!only! YellowGcrested(Tanager!of!the!trip.!!The!general!coffee!plantation!area!also!proved!to!be! the!best!for!CreamyGbellied(Antwren,(and!we!found!several!before!the!morning!was!over,! along!with!a!number!more!WhiteGbellied(PygmyGTyrants!and!other,!more!common! species.! ( Lake(Junin( ( To!non=birders,!this!large,!high=elevation!lake!is!known!as!the!largest!entirely!in!Peru.!!But! to!birders!its!fame!lies!in!two!endemics!–!a!rail!and!a!grebe.!!Both!are!endangered,!but!the! grebe!ranks!among!the!rarest!on!the!continent!and!is!truly!in!dire!trouble.!!It!was!to!see!this! critically!endangered!species!that!we!devoted!a!morning!of!birding!between!more!species= diverse!sites.! ! Since!the!only!way!to!get!a!good!view!of!the!grebe!is!to!make!a!2!hour!trip!on!a!small!zodiac! we!had!to!divide!the!group!in!two,!making!two!trips!out!onto!the!lake.!!I!was!in!the!first! group,!and!as!we!started!out!onto!the!calm!and!serene!lake!we!almost!immediately!started! seeing!large!numbers!of!birds.!!Most!of!these!were!common!duck!species,!though!Puna( Teal!was!new!for!the!trip,!but!among!them!were!a!nice!mix!of!other!waterbirds!including! WhiteGtufted(and!Silvery(Grebes,!and!good!numbers!of!Chilean(Flamingos.! ! But!nice!as!all!those!birds!were,!they!weren’t!what!we!were!really!looking!for.!!So,!after! putting!out!into!the!lake!for!an!hour!we!finally!started!looking!at!all!the!grebes!we!could! find.!!Most!of!them!were!just!the!common!Silvery!Grebe,!but!finally!we!spotted!our!goal!–!a! pair!of!Junin(Grebes!!!Luckily!for!us!they!were!quite!tame!once!found,!and!we!were!soon! enjoying!point=blank!views!at!close!range!in!the!sublime!morning!light.!

! Once!back!on!dry!land!we!switched!with!the!other!half!of!the!group,!who!headed!out!to!go! a=grebeing.!!We!spent!a!bit!of!time!birding!the!marshes!around!the!lake,!where!playback! gave!us!some!ridiculously!good!views!of!Plumbeous(Rail!and!ManyGcolored(RushG Tyrant,!while!the!more!subdued!WrenGliked(Rushbird(played!a!bit!harder!to!get.!! Numerous!Austral(Negritos!hopped!around!on!the!tundra=like!vegetation,!while!Black( Siskins!were!relatively!common!around!the!buildings.! ! When!the!other!half!of!the!group!got!back!we!all!quickly!went!in!search!of!the!marsh!birds! again,!and!with!them!under!our!belt!began!our!drive!north.!!But!not!without!a!quick!stop! first!at!a!large!pool!of!water,!where!a!scope!soon!had!us!looking!at!our!only!Andean( Avocets!of!the!trip,!and!quite!a!difficult!bird!in!Peru!! ( Bosque(Unchog( ( Bosque!Unchog!may!be!the!single!most!famous!birding!site!in!central!Peru.!!First!explored! in!the!‘70s!by!ornithologists!from!LSU,!it!is!a!well=known!place!to!see!a!variety!of!colorful,! charismatic,!and!extremely!local!endemic!species.!!It’s!also,!to!put!it!politely,!not!terribly! easy!to!reach.! ! Because!of!this!we!left!Huanuco!at!the!lovely!hour!of!3:30!AM!in!two!4x4!pickup!trucks.!! The!first!part!of!the!drive!was!wonderfully!smooth,!but!then!the!entirety!of!the!rest!was!a! rump=bruising!rumble!up!steep,!winding!mountain!roads!in!the!darkness.!!Luckily!the! thought!of!mountain=tanagers!glowing!in!the!morning!sun!helped!us!ignore!the!discomfort.! ! Arriving!just!after!dawn!at!the!top!it!wasn’t!long!before!we!found!our!first!target!and! endemic!(and!one!of!Joe’s!highest!value!goals),!Coppery(Metaltail.!!This!beautiful!russet= colored!species!proved!to!be!the!most!common!hummingbird!of!the!day,!and!it!was!rare! that!we!could!stand!in!a!spot!for!long!and!not!see!or!hear!one.!!Unfortunately!a!far!away! singing!Neblina!Tapaculo!wasn’t!as!cooperative,!for!now,!so!we!began!the!walk!to!the! forest.! ! The!first!part!of!the!hike!was!through!wet!páramo!and!the!edge!of!some!elfin!forest,!but!for! the!most!part!birds!were!few!and!far!between.!!A!pair!of!Paramo(Pipits! uncharacteristically!flew!out!of!the!páramo!and!landed!at!the!tops!of!some!of!the!trees,!but! otherwise!we!didn’t!see!much.!!The!all!changed!when!we!ended!the!first!forest!patch!and! found!our!first!flock.!!Though!a!bit!distant,!it!did!have!out!first!ChestnutGbelled(MountainG Tanager!along!with!a!slew!of!ScarletGbellied(MountainGTanagers,!some!Pearled( Treerunners,!and!a!couple!of!noisy!WhiteGthroated(Tyrannulets.! ! Our!next!flock!was!closer!but!more!elusive.!!A!flash!of!deep!blue!so!intense!it!hurt!the!eyes! morphed!in!a!YellowGscarfed(Tanager,!definitely!among!the!tanager!royalty,!but! unfortunately!not!everyone!got!on!it.!!Scott!also!saw!a!couple!of!Parduscos,!but!they!must! have!been!taking!lessons!from!the!tanager!(in!stealth!not!looks)!and!no!one!else!saw!them.! ! Crossing!a!small!stream,!I!suddenly!heard!the!song!of!one!of!rarest!and!most!sought=after! species!of!Unchog.!!Elated,!I!started!playing!the!tape,!certain!that!we!would!soon!be!feasting! our!eyes!on!avian!magnificence.!!Just!as!my!elation!was!starting!to!fade!and!I!was!beginning! to!fear!my!eyes!would!be!going!hungry!there!it!was!!!A!pristine!RufousGbrowed( Hemispingus!just!popped!out!of!a!bush!practically!on!top!of!us!!!While!not!everyone!saw!it! the!first!time!around,!we!got!to!spend!the!next!20!minutes!getting!progressively!better! looks!at!this!rather!un=hemispingus=like!hemispingus!as!it!worked!low!through!the!forest.!! In!fact,!in!behavior!it!reminded!some!of!us!more!of!a!Tanager!Finch!(from!the!Chocó)!than! anything!else.! ! While!we!were!watching!the!Hemispingus,!a!LargeGfooted(Tapaculo!suddenly!sounded!off! right!at!our!feet.!!A!quick!bit!of!playback!and!this!huge,!hulking!!popped!right!out! into!the!open!!!But!this!bit!of!luck!was!nothing!compared!to!the!next!–!we!had!only!got!a! little!down!the!trail!when!a!yellow!bird!flew!over!our!heads!quickly.!!I!only!barely!got!a! glimpse,!but!that!glimpse!was!enough!to!get!my!heart!beating!rapidly.!!Out!came!the!ipod,! and!barely!20!seconds!later!a!small!group!of!GoldenGbacked(MountainGTanagers!(see! cover!photo)!rocketed!back!overhead!!!They!perched!out!in!the!open!above!us,!and!slowly! worked!their!way!in!closer!–!and!unforgettable!experience!with!one!of!the!best!birds!in!all! of!Peru.! ! With!most!of!our!goals!at!Unchog!down,!it!was!time!to!go!search!for!cotingas!!!Usually!not! one!of!the!harder!birds!here,!it!took!us!a!while!this!time!until!we!had!a!distant!view!of!a! BayGvented(Cotinga,!expertly!spotted!on!a!distant!hillside!by!Scott.!!But!not!everyone!got! on!it,!so!we!were! hoping!for!more.!! Luckily!more! came!not!much! later!when!a!pair! of!them!hopped! up!right!in!front! of!us!!!Not!only! did!everyone!get! onto!these! individuals,!but!I! got!my!best!ever! views!of!this! local!and!rare! bird.! ! With!the!big!4! under!our!belt,!it! was!time!to!head! back!to!the! trucks.!!There! wasn’t!a!whole! lot!more!birding!on!the!way!up,!but!a!couple!of!us!did!stop!to!pursue!a!distant!calling! Neblina(Tapaculo,!which!eventually!cooperated!beautifully.!!Then!the!same!few!of!us! walked!a!side!trail!through!some!marshes,!flushing!a!few!Puna(Snipe!before!finding!a! stunning!Andean(Snipe!chick!right!before!the!trucks!! ! Once!back!in!a!wheeled!vehicle,!exhausted!but!elated!at!our!success,!it!was!time!to!work! our!way!back!down!to!Huanuco.!!Our!only!order!of!business!was!one!rather!drab!and! boring!tanager.!!But!drab!and!boring!as!it!was,!it!was!still!an!endemic!!!Thankfully!it!didn’t! prove!too!difficult,!and!all!of!us!had!a!good!view!of!BrownGflanked(Tanager!without!too! much!effort.! ! Paty(Trail( ( The!Paty!Trail!is!another!of!those!famed!Central!Peruvian!locations!from!bygone!years.!! Back!in!the!day!many!a!birder!and!ornithologist!spent!days!on!this!trail,!which!was!one!of! the!few!known!locations!for!many!Peruvian!endemics!and!rare!species.!!But!now!a!days!it’s! less!visited,!though!no!less!good.!!Other!locations!have!supplanted!it!both!in!terms!of!access! and!ease!of!birding.!!That’s!a!real!shame,!in!my!opinion!–!it’s!still!an!excellent!birding!site! with!many!good!birds,!and!it’s!location!close!to!Huanuco!makes!for!an!excellent! combination!with! Unchog.! ! We!spent!two!different! mornings!on!the!Paty! Trail!in!variable! weather.!The!very!first! bird!we!found,!right!at! the!start!of!the!trail,!was! also!one!of!the!best!of! the!tour!–!an! unbelievably! cooperative!RufousG backed(Treehunter!!! This!species!is!probably! the!hardest!of!all!the! treehunters,!and!a!very! rarely!seen!bird.!! Further!down!the!trail!it! didn’t!take!long!for!the! activity!to!pick!up,!with! goodies!like!SulphurG bellied(Tyrannulet,! Inca(Flycatcher,!RustyG winged(Barbtail,!and! BlackGeared( Hemispingus!all! putting!in!an! appearance.!! ! Skulkers!were!in!evidence!as!well.!!A!piping!song!from!the!bamboo!and!some!playback!later! and!we!had!some!excellent!looks!at!a!“Leimebamba”(RustyGbreasted(Antpitta.!!A!not!so! piping!sound!and!even!more!playback!later!and!the!skulker!we!were!looking!at!was!the! bizarre!but!well=voiced!ChestnutGbreasted(Wren,!one!of!my!favorite!songsters!of!the! central!.!!!also!played!nice,!for!a!change,!and!we!had!good!visuals!of!both! Trilling!and!RufousGvented!Tapaculos!before!the!morning!was!over.!!Unfortunately!a! calling!GoldenGbrowed(ChatGTyrant!wasn’t!so!cooperative,!and!only!a!couple!of!people! got!a!view!before!the!rain!started!in!earnest.! ! The!lowest!reaches!of!the!trail!were!mostly!unproductive,!though!we!did!find!some!MottleG cheeked(Tyrannulets!there,!as!well!as!Ocellated(Piculet,!a!rather!uncooperative!pair!of! Uniform(Antshrikes,!and!a!Barred(Becard.! ! With!all!that!done!and!dusted!we!still!had!one!order!of!business!with!the!Paty!Trail!–!Bay! Antpitta.!!We!had!heard!the!bird!on!both!the!Satipo!Road!and!the!Villa!Rica!area,!but!as!of! yet!we!had!no!visuals.!!Our!first!day!on!the!Paty!Trail!didn’t!really!help,!either…a!distant! song!or!two,!but!nothing!close!enough!to!work!with.!!So!I!was!overjoyed!on!our!second!day! when!right!upon!arrival!I!heard!an!antpitta!in!a!large!bamboo!patch!right!by!the!top!of!the! trail!!!It!still!wasn’t!ideal!–!we!had!to!scramble!into!some!dense!bamboo!–!but!about!an! hour!of!effort!later!and!we!were!looking!right!at!a!Bay(Antpitta!!!It!didn’t!stay!in!the!open! for!long,!but!long!enough!for!everyone!there!to!see!it!well.! ( Carpish(Tunnel( ( The!Carpish!Tunnel,!right!up!the!road!from!the!Paty!Trail,!is!also!one!of!the!places!that!has! gotten!a!lot!less!attention!than!it!used!to.!!And!like!the!Paty!Trail,!that!is!a!real!shame.!! While!it!doesn’t!have!the!extent!of!habitat!that!is!on!the!Paty!Trail,!it!still!has!some!really! nice!forest.!!Combine!that!with!an!easy!to!walk!road!and!lots!of!bird!activity!and!you!have!a! perfect!birding!spot!! ! We!only!spent!a!few!hours!on!the!Carpish!Tunnel!road,!mostly!due!to!being!rained!out!one! afternoon.!!What!time!we!did!spend,!though,!was!quite!productive.!!Flock!activity!was! excellent,!and!we!had!no!shortage!of!things!to!look!at.!!Right!at!the!get=go!we!found! ourselves!sorting!through!Pearled(Treerunners,(Lacrimose(MountainGTanagers,!and! Masked(Flowerpiercers(for!something!rarer.!!At!the!beginning!of!the!trail!that!something! rarer!showed!up!in!the!form!of!ChestnutGbellied(MountainGTanager,!which!gave!us!a! much!better!view!than!the!one!we!had!seen!at!Unchog,!as!well!as!GrassGgreen(Tanager,( the!always!local!BarGbellied(Woodpecker,(and!BlackGcapped(Tyrannulet.(.!!A!skulking! Plushcap!nearby!was!our!only!one!for!the!tour,!while!a!couple!of!RufousGchested( Tanagers!rounded!out!our!haul!of!the!warbler=like!Thylpopsis,for!the!trip.! ! Like!most!montane!sites!in!Peru,!there!were!a!few!skulkers!we!were!hoping!to!lay!eyes!on.! At!Carpish!the!foremost!among!these!was!Chestnut!Antpitta.!!We!had!seen!the!undescribed! form!that!is!currently!lumped!with!this!species!on!the!Satipo!Road,!but!the!form!at!Carpish! is!the!nominate,!and!we!were!hoping!to!actually!see!it.!!Alas,!it!was!not!to!be,!and!despite! hearing!several,!including!at!close!range,!we!never!were!able!to!get!it!in!the!open.!!We!had! better!luck!with!our!only!AshGcolored(Tapaculo(of!the!trip,!here!at!the!southern!end!of!its! range.! ! Another!bird!that!Carpish!is!known!for!is!the!rare!and!local!Unstreaked(TitGTyrant.!!I’m! used!to!this!bird!being!hard!to!find,!but!that!was!definitely!not!the!case!at!Carpish!!!Here!we! ran!into!several! flocks!that! included!some!of! the!tamest!and! most!responsive! birds!I’ve!had!the! pleasure!of! viewing.!!Keeping! with!the!rare!and! local!theme,! perhaps!our! biggest!surprise! at!Carpish!came! at!the!very!end!of! our!walk.!!Here,!at! the!edge!of!a! pasture,!we!found! a!pair!of!Slaty( Finches!!!This! bird!is!well! known!as!a! seeding!bamboo! specialist,!and!as! a!bird!very!hard!to!find!away!from!seeding!bamboo.!!Well,!we!had!done!just!that!!!I!didn’t! see!any!seeding!bamboo!in!the!area,!so!we!were!especially!lucky!to!come!across!this!little! seen!species.! ( Huascaran(National(Park( ( Huascaran!is!one!of!those!places!that!defines!beauty.!!I!would!place!its!scenery!against!any! mountainous!area!in!the!world!!!Towering,!knife=edged,!glacier!covered!peaks,!turquoise= blue!lakes!surrounded!by!gnarled!Polylepis#forest,!expansive!views!as!far!as!the!eye!can!see,! what!more!could!one!as!for!from!a!mountain!range?!!Unfortunately,!a!majority!of!visits!to! this!location!don’t!get!to!see!the!real!beauty!on!tap,!as!clouds!usually!obscure!the!best!the! range!has!to!offer.!!That!was!the!way!it!was!with!all!my!previous!visits.!!So!it!was!a!pleasure! and!a!joy!to!have!a!completely!clear!morning!on!our!visit!on!this!trip!!!The!birds!we!had! were!excellent.!!The!views!we!had,!incomparable!! ! Since!we!had!already!seen!most!of!the!montane!forest!birds!that!call!Huascaran!home,!we! quickly!headed!up!to!the!higher!elevations!of!the!park.!!Here,!in!the!brushy!Polylepis,forests! there!is!an!entirely!different!group!of!birds!than!most!of!the!other!locations!we!had!birded! during!the!trip.!!It!took!us!almost!no!time!at!all!to!find!one!of!them!–!the!startlingly!blue!TitG like(Dacnis.((And!thankfully!they!were!especially!cooperative,!giving!everyone!stunning! views.!!Another!Polylepis!specialty!(and!an!endemic!at!that!)!quickly!followed!in!the!form!of! the!most!cooperative!PlainGtailed(WarblingGFinch!I!had!ever!seen.! ! Working!our! way!up!to!Abra! Portuchuelo,!we! stumbled!upon!a! few!more! species!(such!as! ThickGbilled( Siskin!and! Striated( Earthcreeper),! but!in!general! we!kept!moving! forward!until!we! crossed!the!pass! and!worked!our! way!down!to!a! small!patch!of! Polylepis.,,It!was! in!this!area!that! some!of!the! rarest!and!most! local!Polylepis!specialties!could!be!found,!and!so!with!that!in!mind!I!played!the!tape!of!the! rarest!of!the!bunch!first.!!Not!really!expecting!a!response,!I!was!shocked!when!immediately! an!AshGbreasted(TitGTyrant!answered!back!!!It!took!a!bit!of!work,!but!soon!everyone!had! excellent!views!of!this!rare!and!extremely!local!bird.! ! With!the!tit=tyrant!under!wraps,!I!tried!the!next!hardest!bird.!!And!low!and!behold,!a!pair!of! Tawny(TitGSpinetails!answered!right!away!!!Next!up!was!RufousGeared(BrushGFinch,!and! again,!immediate!response.!!There!wasn’t!much!left!to!look!for!up!at!this!elevation,!so!after! a!bit!of!work!getting!everyone!on!the!endemic!Ancash(Tapaculo!we!headed!back!up!and! over!the!pass.!!We!spent!a!bit!of!time!in!the!lower!Polylepis#groves!seeing!what!else!we! could!find,!but!didn’t!turn!up!much.!!Some!Shining(Sunbeams!were!seen!well!by!call,!and!a! Canyon(Canastero!gave!us!some!brief!but!decent!views.!!A!small!gaggle!of!RustyGcrowned( TitGSpinetails!were!also!fun!to!watch!as!they!cavorted!around!the!scrub.! ! A!few!other!hummingbirds!rounded!out!our!day!at!Huascaran.!!One!of!these!–!an!Andean( Hillstar!–!was!a!brief!view!that!not!everyone!shared,!but!the!several!GreenGtailed( Trainbearers,!enormous!Giant(Hummingbirds,!and!Black(Metaltails!were!enjoyed!by! all.! ( ( ( ( Pueblo(Libre(and(Huaylas( ( These!two!relatively!minor!sites!near!Huascaran!are!important!for!a!few!endemics!not! easily!found!elsewhere!on!this!tour.!!!We!spent!a!couple!of!hours!one!afternoon!at!Pueblo! Libre,!where!some!rather!sparse=looking!dry!thornscrub!proved!to!be!surprisingly!birdy.!!It! took!us!almost!no!time!at!all!to!find!our!main!target!here,!the!undescribed!form!of!“PaleG tailed”(Canastero,!which!obliged!us!with!some!superb!views!as!it!moved!between!large! pipe!cacti.!!The!canastero!under!our!belts!we!sifted!through!large!flocks!of!Greenish( YellowGFinches,!but!the!hoped!for!Raimondi’s!was!unfortunately!not!found.!!The!last! endemic!at!the!site!was!easier,!thankfully,!and!some!judicious!use!of!pygmy=owl!playback! soon!had!us! admiring!(if! that’s!the!right! word!for!such!a! bland=looking! species!)!a!SpotG throated( Hummingbird.! ! If!anything,!the! habitat!along!the! road!to!Huaylas! (which!we! birded!for!a! couple!of!hours! one!morning!en= route!to!Trujillo)! is!even!less! impressive! looking,!habitat= wise.!!But!the! presence!of!one!rather!rare!and!local!bird!more!than!makes!up!for!that,!and!it!was!with! bird!in!mind!we!found!ourselves!playing!a!tape!into!the!bromeliad=studded!slopes.!!Our! luck!was!with!us,!and!it!wasn’t!long!before!we!were!looking!at!a!pair!of!RufousGbacked( IncaGFinches,!probably!the!hardest!of!all!of!Peru’s!flagship!genus.! ! A!small!reservoir!nearby!produced!our!only!Andean(Swallows!of!the!trip,!but!little!else.!! But!the!best!of!the!morning!was!yet!to!come,!and!it!wasn’t!even!bird=related!!!The!drive! down!to!the!coast!took!us!through!one!of!the!most!spectacular!slot!canyons!I’ve!seen,! anywhere.!!The!Canon!del!Pato!is!many!hundreds!of!feet!deep,!and!at!places!nearly!spitting! distance!wide.!!And!the!road!built!through!the!canyon!is!nothing!short!of!a!marvel!of! engineering!–!traversed!by!innumerable!one=lane!tunnels!and!hanging!on!in!a!nail=biting! fashion!to!the!edge!of!the!cliff,!it!has!to!be!seen!to!be!believed.!!Highly!recommended!for! anyone!visiting!this!part!of!Peru!! ( ( Chao( ( If!the!habitat!at!Huaylas!was!insignificant=looking,!than!the!habitat!at!Chao!was!nearly! moonscape!!!There!is!no!other!place!in!South!America!that!I!have!birded!with!habitat!that! looks!so!lifeless.!!But!don’t!let!appearances!deceive!you!!!Despite!looking!like!it!would!have! nothing!other!than!a!few!lizards!and!perhaps!a!sand!flea,!the!birding!here!is!surprisingly! good.!!Small!patches!of!dense,!thorny!scrub!have!an!excellent!density!of!species!more! typical!of!the!Tumbesian!zone!further!north,!and!gave!us!some!nice!triplist!padding.! ! Keeping!with!our!trend!of!quick!success,!we!soon!found!our!main!target!–!the!undescribed! “Chao”(Necklaced(Spinetail,!which,!just!to!spite!other!Necklaced!Spinetails,!has!no! necklace.!!It!also!sounds!different,!and!is!only!found!in!a!few!tiny!patches!of!habitat!in!a! very!small!area.!!Should!it!ever!be!split!(a!likely!outcome!if!you!ask!me)!it!would!rank! among!Peru’s!rarest!endemic!species.! ! Our!birding!didn’t!end!with!unadorned!spinetails.!!The!birds!inhabiting!the!thornscrub! proved!to!be!very!responsive!to!pygmy=owl!playback,!and!in!the!course!of!about!an!hour! we!had!“Rufescent”(BranG colored(Flycatcher,( Superciliated(Wren,( TawnyGcrowned(PygmyG Tyrant,(and!Fasciated( Wren,!among!others.!!Martin! even!spotted!a!shy!Tumbes( Tyrant,!though!alas!the!rest! of!us!weren’t!so!lucky.!!All!in! all!not!a!bad!haul!for!a!place! that!looked!like!it!should! have!nothing!! ! A!final!drive!into!a!more! agricultural!area!produced!a! dimunitive!ShortGtailed( FieldGTyrant(and!a!few! singing!ParrotGbilled( Seedeaters,!but!not!the! hoped!for!Cinereous!Finch.! ( Sinsicap( ( Sinsicap!is!an!out!of!the!way! place!for!an!out!of!the!way! bird.!!Three!of!them!in!fact!!! This!site!was!not!on!our! original!itinerary,!but!we!had! done!so!well!at!Chao!the!day! before!that!we!found!ourselves!with!an!extra!morning!to!spend!before!driving!back!into!the! highlands!at!Huamuchuco.!! ! A!typically!early!morning!departure!from!Trujillo!found!us!in!the!barren!hills!above!town!at! dawn.!!Our!first!birding!stop!came!at!a!rather!lush!creek,!where!it!took!almost!no!time!at!all! to!find!our!first!target!species!–!Piura(ChatGTyrant.!!This!diminutive!chat=tyrant!is!only! found!locally!in!a!small!area!of!Peru,!and!was!a!definite!unplanned!bonus!for!the!trip!!!A!few! other!species!inhabited!the!same!area,!including!a!noisy!group!of!ThreeGbanded(Warblers! and!a!couple!of!BlackGnecked(Woodpeckers.! ! With!the!morning!heating!up!and!our!other!targets!higher!up!the!hill!we!didn’t!have!long!to! linger!with!the!chat=tyrant.!!So!after!passing!through!the!rather!depressing!looking!town!of! Sinsicap!we!worked!our!way!up!to!a!small,!rocky!gully!choked!with!scrubby!growth,!and!set! out!on!our!search.!! Thankfully!it!took!almost! no!time!at!all!to!find!our! primary!target,!and!we! were!soon!enjoying!point= blank!views!of!a!pair!of! handsome!RussetGbellied( Spinetails.!!Much!easier! than!last!time!I!saw!the! species!!!There!was!more! on!tap!than!the!spinetails,! and!another!half=hour!of! searching!also!gave!us!a! pair!of!BayGcrowned( BrushGFinches!and!a! rather!reticent! Unicolored(Tapaculo! before!we!had!to!head! down!the!hill!again.! ! Our!last!bit!of!birding!around!Sinsicap!had!a!decidedly!Tumbesian!flavor.!!One!stop! produced!a!stunning!Elegant(Crescentchest!while!pygmy=owl!playback!at!another!gave!us! a!handsome!Collared(Antshrike,!a!pair!of!Tropical(Gnatcatchers!and!a!WhiteGedged( Oriole.!!The!last!new!bird!of!the!site!came!in!a!rufous!flash!flying!by!that!turned!into! beautiful!views!of!a!Baird’s(Flycatcher!by!the!side!of!the!road.! ( El(Molino( ( Twitching!is!one!birding’s!most!infamous!terms.!!It!can!inspire!just!about!every!emotion! associated!with!the!hobby,!and!few!indeed!are!birders!who!don’t!have!an!opinion!on!the! practice.!!And!it!rarely!features!on!birding!tours,!at!least!birding!tours!to!the!tropics.!!Yet!a! twitch!is!the!term!I!think!most!accurately!reflects!what!this!day!of!the!tour!entailed.!!! ! The!day!had!all!the!hallmarks!of!a!twitch!–!an!early!morning!departure!(not!that!THAT!was! unusual!for!this!trip!),!a!long,!tedious!drive!for!one!bird,!and!that!palpable!tension!that! hovers!over!the!group!on!the!way!out,!before!the!bird!has!been!seen.!!And!most! importantly,!it!had!resultant!elation!when!success!was!achieved!!!Our!goal!of!the!day,!and! some!the!main!goal!of!the!entire!trip,!was!one!small,!rare,!and!exceptionally!local! hummingbird!–!PurpleGbacked(Sunbeam.!!Found!only!in!a!tiny!area!of!the!middle! Marañón!River!drainage!and!essentially!only!gettable!at!one!spot,!it’s!a!species!few!have! made!the!effort!to!go!see.!!It’s!not!hard!to!see!why,!though.!!It!took!us!almost!five!hours!to! drive!the!90!km!from!the!hotel,!with!parts!of!that!on!a!very!bumpy!and!poorly!maintained! dirt!road.!!And!there’s!only!one!bird!at!the!end!of!the!quest.!!But!the!thrill!of!going!through! the!effort!and! succeeding!is!it’s! own!reward,!and! made!for!a!fitting! end!to!the!tour.! ! In!addition!to!the! Sunbeam,!which! gave!us!excellent! views!at!a!territory! along!the!edge!of!a! small!clearing,!we! had!some!brief! glimpses!at!our!only! SlatyGbacked( NightingaleG Thrush!of!the!tour,! as!well!as!our!only! Rainbow( Starfrontlet.!!Some! Unicolored( Tapaculos!called!in! the!brushy!draw! below!us,!but!since!we!had!all!seen!the!species!the!day!before!we!didn’t!spend!much!time! on!them.!!Otherwise,!the!small,!insignificant!looking!patch!of!habitat!didn’t!produce!much.! ! The!drive!back!to!the!hotel!was!brought!to!an!abrupt!halt!when!we!hit!a!roadblock!for! construction,!and!had!to!wait!over!two!hours.!!Still!getting!over!some!sickness!that!had!hit! me!a!few!days!before,!I!decided!to!try!to!nap!a!bit.!!Scott,!despite!having!the!same!sickness,! just!knocked!back!a!shot!of!maple!syrup,!leaped!to!his!feet,!and!declared!he!was!off!to!find! the!next!big!thing.!!And!it!didn’t!take!him!long!before!he!returned!with!the!news!that!the! next!big!thing!was!a!pair!of!BuffGbridled(IncaGFinches!he!had!found!just!up!the!road!!!This! Marañón!endemic!had!even!featured!on!my!radar!for!the!tour,!and!was!an!excellent!find!by! Scott.!!Thankfully!we!were!all!able!to!refind!it,!along!with!a!female!Hepatic(Tanager,!a! heterogyna!WhiteGwinged(BlackGTyrant,!and!a!nicely!cooperative!if!diminutive!TawnyG crowned(PygmyGTyrant.! ! Once!construction!had!cleared!we!trudged!our!way!back!to!Huamachuco,!dinner,!and!some! welcome!rest.! ! Huamachuco(to(Trujillo(to(Lima( ! We!didn’t!have!much!chance!to!go!birding!this!day!–!not!only!did!we!have!to!be!in!Trujillo! in!time!to!get!our!early!afternoon!flight,!we!also!had!to!leave!Huamachuco!early!enough! that!we!made!it!through!a!daytime!road!closure.!!This!required!our!last!early!morning!start! of!the!tour,!and!we!made!it!down!to!the!coast!by!mid=morning.!!With!almost!all!the!good! habitat!around!Trujillo!gone,!we!decided!to!scan!the!ocean!for!a!bit!to!see!if!we!could!find! some!last!minute!list!padding.!!Our!efforts!resulted!in!a!few!new!birds!for!the!trip,!including! Franklin’s!and!Gray(Gulls,!a!bunch!of!fly=by!Elegant(Terns!and!a!good=sized!flock!of! Sanderlings!practically!playing!at!our!feet.! ! The!rest!of!the!day!was!predictable!and!tedious,!with!the!flights!to!Trujillo!leaving!on!time,! and!from!there!flights!on!home.!!But!it!was!an!amazing!trip!with!amazing!birds!and!a!great! group!of!people!–!easily!ranking!among!my!favorite!tours!I’ve!ever!done!! ! Checklist( ( Bird##follows#Clements,#J.#F.,#T.#S.#Schulenberg,#M.#J.#Iliff,#B.L.#Sullivan,#C.#L.#Wood,#and# D.#Roberson.#2012.#The#eBird/Clements#checklist#of#birds#of#the#world:#Version#6.7#(2012).( ( A!total!of!527!species!were!encountered!during!this!trip.!!Of!these,!those!that!were!heard! only!(23!species)!are!marked!with!an!“H”,!while!those!that!were!seen!only!by!the!guide!(5! species)!are!marked!with!a!“G”.!!Species!endemic!to!Peru!have!a!(E)!after!their!common! name.! ! TINAMIFORMES: Tinamidae h Hooded Tinamou Nothocercus nigrocapillus h Tawny-breasted Tinamou Nothocercus julius h Brown Tinamou Crypturellus obsoletus Curve-billed Tinamou Nothoprocta curvirostris ANSERIFORMES: Anatidae Andean Goose Chloephaga melanoptera Crested Duck Lophonetta specularioides Torrent Duck Merganetta armata Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Yellow-billed Pintail Anas georgica Puna Teal Anas puna Yellow-billed Teal Anas flavirostris Masked Duck Nomonyx dominicus Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis GALLIFORMES: Cracidae

Speckled Chachalaca Ortalis guttata Andean Guan Penelope montagnii GALLIFORMES: Odontophoridae h Rufous-breasted Wood-Quail Odontophorus speciosus PODICIPEDIFORMES: Podicipedidae White-tufted Grebe Rollandia rolland Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Silvery Grebe Podiceps occipitalis Junin Grebe (E) Podiceps taczanowskii PHOENICOPTERIFORMES: Phoenicopteridae Chilean Flamingo Phoenicopterus chilensis SULIFORMES: Sulidae Peruvian Booby Sula variegata SULIFORMES: Phalacrocoracidae Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Guanay Cormorant Phalacrocorax bougainvillii SULIFORMES: Anhingidae Anhinga Anhinga anhinga PELECANIFORMES: Pelecanidae Peruvian Pelican Pelecanus thagus PELECANIFORMES: Ardeidae Fasciated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma fasciatum Cocoi Heron Ardea cocoi Great Egret Ardea alba Snowy Egret Egretta thula Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Striated Heron Butorides striata Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax PELECANIFORMES: Threskiornithidae Green Ibis Mesembrinibis cayennensis Puna Ibis Plegadis ridgwayi Black-faced Ibis Theristicus melanopis ACCIPITRIFORMES: Cathartidae Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Greater Yellow-headed Vulture Cathartes melambrotus Andean Condor Vultur gryphus ACCIPITRIFORMES: Accipitridae Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis Plumbeous Kite Ictinia plumbea Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle Geranoaetus melanoleucus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus

Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus Short-tailed Hawk Buteo brachyurus Variable Hawk Buteo polyosoma FALCONIFORMES: Falconidae Red-throated Caracara Ibycter americanus Mountain Caracara Phalcoboenus megalopterus Yellow-headed Caracara Milvago chimachima American Kestrel Falco sparverius Aplomado Falcon Falco femoralis GRUIFORMES: Rallidae Rufous-sided Crake Laterallus melanophaius Gray-necked Wood-Rail Aramides cajanea Blackish Rail Pardirallus nigricans Plumbeous Rail Pardirallus sanguinolentus Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinica Common Gallinule Gallinula galeata Giant Coot Fulica gigantea Slate-colored Coot Fulica ardesiaca GRUIFORMES: Aramidae Limpkin Aramus guarauna CHARADRIIFORMES: Charadriidae Andean Lapwing Vanellus resplendens Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus CHARADRIIFORMES: Recurvirostridae Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Andean Avocet Recurvirostra andina CHARADRIIFORMES: Jacanidae Wattled Jacana Jacana jacana CHARADRIIFORMES: Scolopacidae Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Sanderling Calidris alba Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii Puna Snipe Gallinago andina Andean Snipe Gallinago jamesoni Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor CHARADRIIFORMES: Thinocoridae Gray-breasted Seedsnipe Thinocorus orbignyianus CHARADRIIFORMES: Laridae Andean Gull Chroicocephalus serranus

Gray Gull Leucophaeus modestus Franklin's Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan Belcher's Gull Larus belcheri Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus Inca Tern Larosterna inca Elegant Tern Thalasseus elegans COLUMBIFORMES: Columbidae Rock Pigeon Columba livia Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata Plumbeous Pigeon Patagioenas plumbea West Peruvian Dove Zenaida meloda Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti Croaking Ground-Dove Columbina cruziana Bare-faced Ground-Dove Metriopelia ceciliae Black-winged Ground-Dove Metriopelia melanoptera White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi PSITTACIFORMES: Psittacidae h Golden-plumed Parakeet Leptosittaca branickii h Black-capped Parakeet Pyrrhura rupicola Scarlet-fronted Parakeet Aratinga wagleri Mitred Parakeet Aratinga mitrata White-eyed Parakeet Aratinga leucophthalma Barred Parakeet Bolborhynchus lineola Pacific Parrotlet Forpus coelestis Black-winged Parrot Hapalopsittaca melanotis Blue-headed Parrot Pionus menstruus Red-billed Parrot Pionus sordidus Speckle-faced Parrot Pionus tumultuosus Scaly-naped Parrot Amazona mercenaria CUCULIFORMES: Cuculidae Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris STRIGIFORMES: Strigidae h Tropical Screech-Owl Megascops choliba Band-bellied Owl Pulsatrix melanota h Yungas Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium bolivianum Peruvian Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium peruanum Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia : Apodidae White-collared Swift Streptoprocne zonaris Andean Swift Aeronautes andecolus

APODIFORMES: Trochilidae Tawny-bellied Hermit Phaethornis syrmatophorus Sparkling Violetear Colibri coruscans Amethyst-throated Sunangel Heliangelus amethysticollis Wire-crested Thorntail Discosura popelairii Speckled Hummingbird Adelomyia melanogenys Long-tailed Sylph Aglaiocercus kingi Bronze-tailed Comet (E) Polyonymus caroli Andean Hillstar Oreotrochilus estella Black-breasted Hillstar (E) Oreotrochilus melanogaster Green-tailed Trainbearer Lesbia nuna Purple-backed Thornbill Ramphomicron microrhynchum Olivaceous Thornbill olivaceum Blue-mantled Thornbill Chalcostigma stanleyi Tyrian Metaltail Metallura tyrianthina Coppery Metaltail (E) Metallura theresiae Fire-throated Metaltail (E) Metallura eupogon Black Metaltail Metallura phoebe Shining Sunbeam Aglaeactis cupripennis Purple-backed Sunbeam (E) Aglaeactis aliciae Bronzy Inca coeligena Collared Inca Coeligena torquata Rainbow Starfrontlet Coeligena iris Violet-throated Starfrontlet Coeligena violifer Mountain Velvetbreast Lafresnaya lafresnayi Sword-billed Hummingbird Ensifera ensifera Great Sapphirewing Pterophanes cyanopterus Booted Racket-tail Ocreatus underwoodii Rufous-webbed Brilliant (E) Heliodoxa branickii Fawn-breasted Brilliant Heliodoxa rubinoides Giant Hummingbird Patagona gigas Purple-collared Woodstar Myrtis fanny Oasis Hummingbird Rhodopis vesper Peruvian Sheartail Thaumastura cora Amethyst Woodstar Calliphlox amethystina Blue-tailed Emerald Chlorostilbon mellisugus Fork-tailed Woodnymph Thalurania furcata Spot-throated Hummingbird Leucippus taczanowskii White-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia chionogaster Amazilia Hummingbird Amazilia amazilia Sapphire-spangled Emerald Amazilia lactea Golden-tailed Sapphire Chrysuronia oenone TROGONIFORMES: Trogonidae

Golden-headed Quetzal Pharomachrus auriceps Crested Quetzal Pharomachrus antisianus h Green-backed Trogon Trogon viridis h Masked Trogon Trogon personatus CORACIIFORMES: Momotidae Andean Motmot Momotus aequatorialis CORACIIFORMES: Alcedinidae Amazon Kingfisher Chloroceryle amazona Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana GALBULIFORMES: Bucconidae Rufous-capped Nunlet Nonnula ruficapilla GALBULIFORMES: Galbulidae Bluish-fronted Jacamar Galbula cyanescens PICIFORMES: Capitonidae h Gilded Barbet Capito auratus Versicolored Barbet Eubucco versicolor PICIFORMES: Ramphastidae Emerald Toucanet Aulacorhynchus prasinus Chestnut-tipped Toucanet Aulacorhynchus derbianus Blue-banded Toucanet Aulacorhynchus coeruleicinctis Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan Andigena hypoglauca Chestnut-eared Aracari Pteroglossus castanotis PICIFORMES: Picidae Ocellated Piculet Picumnus dorbignyanus Yellow-tufted Woodpecker Melanerpes cruentatus g Little Woodpecker Veniliornis passerinus Yellow-vented Woodpecker Veniliornis dignus Bar-bellied Woodpecker Veniliornis nigriceps Golden-olive Woodpecker Colaptes rubiginosus Crimson-mantled Woodpecker Colaptes rivolii Black-necked Woodpecker (E) Colaptes atricollis Andean Flicker Colaptes rupicola Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus Crimson-bellied Woodpecker Campephilus haematogaster PASSERIFORMES: Furnariidae Coastal Miner (E) Geositta peruviana Common Miner Geositta cunicularia Slender-billed Miner Geositta tenuirostris Dark-winged Miner (E) Geositta saxicolina Striated Earthcreeper (E) Geocerthia serrana Plain-breasted Earthcreeper Upucerthia jelskii Cream-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes albiventris White-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes atacamensis

White-bellied Cinclodes (E) Cinclodes palliatus Wren-like Rushbird Phleocryptes melanops Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail (E) Leptasthenura pileata Streaked Tit-Spinetail Leptasthenura striata Andean Tit-Spinetail Leptasthenura andicola Tawny Tit-Spinetail Leptasthenura yanacensis Azara's Spinetail Synallaxis azarae h Dark-breasted Spinetail Synallaxis albigularis Rufous Spinetail Synallaxis unirufa Cabanis's Spinetail Synallaxis cabanisi Synallaxis stictothorax ssp. Necklaced "Chao" Spinetail (E) unnamed Plain-crowned Spinetail Synallaxis gujanensis Russet-bellied Spinetail (E) Synallaxis zimmeri Marcapata (Weske's) Spinetail (E) Cranioleuca marcapatae weskeii Creamy-crested Spinetail (E) Cranioleuca albicapilla Ash-browed Spinetail Cranioleuca curtata Baron's Spinetail (E) Cranioleuca baroni Creamy-breasted (Pale-tailed) Canastero Asthenes dorbignyi Many-striped Canastero Asthenes flammulata Junin Canastero (E) Asthenes virgata Streak-throated Canastero Asthenes humilis Cordilleran Canastero Asthenes modesta Canyon Canastero Asthenes pudibunda Eye-ringed Thistletail (E) Asthenes palpebralis White-chinned Thistletail Asthenes fuliginosa "Mantaro" Thornbird (E) Phacellodomus sp. nov. Rusty-winged Barbtail Premnornis guttuligera h Spotted Barbtail Premnoplex brunnescens Pearled Treerunner Margarornis squamiger Streaked Tuftedcheek Pseudocolaptes boissonneautii Montane Foliage-gleaner Anabacerthia striaticollis Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner Syndactyla rufosuperciliata Rufous-backed Treehunter Thripadectes scrutator Streaked Xenops Xenops rutilans Olivaceous Woodcreeper Sittasomus griseicapillus Strong-billed Woodcreeper Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus h Buff-throated Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus guttatus Lineated Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes albolineatus Montane Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes lacrymiger PASSERIFORMES: Thamnophilidae Chestnut-backed Antshrike Thamnophilus palliatus Barred Antshrike Thamnophilus doliatus

Collared Antshrike Thamnophilus bernardi Variable Antshrike Thamnophilus caerulescens Uniform Antshrike Thamnophilus unicolor Stripe-chested Antwren Myrmotherula longicauda Creamy-bellied Antwren (E) Herpsilochmus motacilloides Streak-headed Antbird Drymophila striaticeps Blackish Antbird Cercomacra nigrescens h White-backed Fire-eye Pyriglena leuconota Peruvian Warbling-Antbird Hypocnemis peruviana PASSERIFORMES: Grallariidae h Undulated Antpitta squamigera h Thrush-like Antpitta Myrmothera campanisona Stripe-headed Antpitta Grallaria andicolus Bay Antpitta (E) Grallaria capitalis Rufous Antpitta Grallaria rufula obscura h Chestnut Antpitta (E) Grallaria blakei Chestnut Antpitta (Oxapampa-Satipo form) (E) Grallaria blakei (s)sp. nov Grallaricula ferrugineipectus Rusty-breasted "Leimebamba" Antpitta leymebambae PASSERIFORMES: Melanopareiidae Elegant Crescentchest Melanopareia elegans PASSERIFORMES: Rhinocryptidae Ash-colored Tapaculo Myornis senilis (E) Scytalopus unicolor Scytalopus parvirostris Large-footed Tapaculo (E) Scytalopus macropus Junin Tapaculo (E) Scytalopus gettyae Rufous-vented Tapaculo (E) Scytalopus femoralis h White-crowned Tapaculo Scytalopus atratus "Millpo" Tapaculo (E) Scytalopus sp. nov. Neblina Tapaculo (E) Scytalopus altirostris Ancash Tapaculo (E) Scytalopus affinis Tschudi's Tapaculo (E) Scytalopus acutirostris PASSERIFORMES: Tyrannidae Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma obsoletum White-tailed Tyrannulet Mecocerculus poecilocercus White-banded Tyrannulet Mecocerculus stictopterus White-throated Tyrannulet Mecocerculus leucophrys Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet Mecocerculus minor Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant Anairetes reguloides Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant Anairetes flavirostris Tufted Tit-Tyrant Anairetes parulus

Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant (E) Anairetes agraphia Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant Anairetes alpinus Mouse-colored Tyrannulet Phaeomyias murina White-crested Elaenia Elaenia albiceps Mottle-backed Elaenia Elaenia gigas Highland Elaenia Elaenia obscura Sierran Elaenia Elaenia pallatangae Torrent Tyrannulet Serpophaga cinerea Streak-necked Flycatcher Mionectes striaticollis Slaty-capped Flycatcher Leptopogon superciliaris Inca Flycatcher (E) Leptopogon taczanowskii Spectacled Bristle-Tyrant Phylloscartes orbitalis Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet Phylloscartes ventralis Cinnamon-faced Tyrannulet (E) Phylloscartes parkeri Rough-legged Tyrannulet Phyllomyias burmeisteri Black-capped Tyrannulet Phyllomyias nigrocapillus h Ashy-headed Tyrannulet Phyllomyias cinereiceps Peruvian Tyrannulet (E) Zimmerius viridiflavus Many-colored Rush Tyrant Tachuris rubrigastra Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant Pseudotriccus ruficeps Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant Euscarthmus meloryphus White-bellied Pygmy-Tyrant Myiornis albiventris Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant Lophotriccus pileatus Common Tody-Flycatcher Todirostrum cinereum Yellow-breasted Flycatcher Tolmomyias flaviventris Cinnamon Flycatcher Pyrrhomyias cinnamomeus Cliff Flycatcher Hirundinea ferruginea Ochraceous-breasted Flycatcher Nephelomyias ochraceiventris Flavescent Flycatcher Myiophobus flavicans Bran-colored Flycatcher Myiophobus fasciatus Smoke-colored Pewee Contopus fumigatus Western Wood-Pewee Contopus sordidulus h Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens Tropical (Tumbes) Pewee Contopus cinereus punensis Alder Flycatcher Empidonax alnorum Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Andean Negrito Lessonia oreas Rufous-tailed Tyrant Knipolegus poecilurus White-winged Black-Tyrant Knipolegus aterrimus Taczanowski's Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola griseus Little Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola fluviatilis Puna Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola juninensis

White-fronted Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola albifrons Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola rufivertex Cinereous Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola cinereus Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant Agriornis montanus Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant Myiotheretes striaticollis Rufous-bellied Bush-Tyrant Myiotheretes fuscorufus Rufous-webbed Bush-Tyrant Polioxolmis rufipennis Golden-browed Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca pulchella Slaty-backed (Maroon-belted) Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca cinnamomeiventris Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca rufipectoralis Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca fumicolor D'Orbigny's Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca oenanthoides White-browed Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca leucophrys Piura Chat-Tyrant (E) Ochthoeca piurae Tumbes Tyrant Tumbezia salvini Long-tailed Tyrant Colonia colonus Short-tailed Field Tyrant Muscigralla brevicauda Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis Lemon-browed Flycatcher Conopias cinchoneti Golden-crowned Flycatcher Myiodynastes chrysocephalus Streaked Flycatcher Myiodynastes maculatus Baird's Flycatcher Myiodynastes bairdii Piratic Flycatcher Legatus leucophaius Variegated Flycatcher Empidonomus varius Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus PASSERIFORMES: Cotingidae Band-tailed Fruiteater Pipreola intermedia Barred Fruiteater Pipreola arcuata Masked Fruiteater (E) Pipreola pulchra White-cheeked Cotinga (E) Zaratornis stresemanni Bay-vented Cotinga (E) Doliornis sclateri Red-crested Cotinga Ampelion rubrocristatus Andean Cock-of-the-rock Rupicola peruvianus Amazonian Umbrellabird Cephalopterus ornatus PASSERIFORMES: Tityridae Masked Tityra Tityra semifasciata g Green-backed (Yellow-cheeked) Becard Pachyramphus viridis Barred Becard Pachyramphus versicolor White-winged Becard Pachyramphus polychopterus PASSERIFORMES: Vireonidae Brown-capped Vireo Vireo leucophrys

Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus Olivaceous Greenlet Hylophilus olivaceus Rufous-browed Peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis PASSERIFORMES: Corvidae White-collared Jay Cyanolyca viridicyanus Green (Inca) Jay Cyanocorax yncas Violaceous Jay Cyanocorax violaceus PASSERIFORMES: Hirundinidae Blue-and-white Swallow Pygochelidon cyanoleuca Pale-footed Swallow Orochelidon flavipes Brown-bellied Swallow Orochelidon murina Andean Swallow Orochelidon andecola White-banded Swallow Atticora fasciata Southern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx ruficollis g Gray-breasted Martin Progne chalybea Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica PASSERIFORMES: Troglodytidae Fasciated Wren Campylorhynchus fasciatus Thrush-like Wren Campylorhynchus turdinus Peruvian Wren (E) Cinnycerthia peruana "Mantaro" Wren (E) Pheugopedius sp. nov. Superciliated Wren Cantorchilus superciliaris Coraya Wren Pheugopedius coraya House Wren Troglodytes aedon Mountain Wren Troglodytes solstitialis Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis Gray-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucophrys Chestnut-breasted Wren Cyphorhinus thoracicus PASSERIFORMES: Polioptilidae Tropical Gnatcatcher Polioptila plumbea PASSERIFORMES: Cinclidae White-capped Dipper Cinclus leucocephalus PASSERIFORMES: Donacobiidae Black-capped Donacobius Donacobius atricapilla PASSERIFORMES: Turdidae Andean Solitaire Myadestes ralloides Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus fuscater Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus White-eared Solitaire Entomodestes leucotis Black-billed Thrush Turdus ignobilis White-necked Thrush Turdus albicollis Great Thrush Turdus fuscater Chiguanco Thrush Turdus chiguanco

Glossy-black Thrush Turdus serranus PASSERIFORMES: Mimidae Long-tailed Mockingbird Mimus longicaudatus PASSERIFORMES: Motacillidae Correndera Pipit Short-billed Pipit Anthus furcatus Paramo Pipit Anthus bogotensis PASSERIFORMES: Parulidae Cerulean Warbler Setophaga cerulea Tropical Parula Setophaga pitiayumi Three-striped Warbler Basileuterus tristriatus Three-banded Warbler Basileuterus trifasciatus Citrine Warbler Myiothlypis luteoviridis Black-crested Warbler Myiothlypis nigrocristatus h Buff-rumped Warbler Myiothlypis fulvicauda Russet-crowned Warbler Myiothlypis coronatus Canada Warbler Cardellina canadensis Slate-throated Redstart Myioborus miniatus Spectacled Redstart Myioborus melanocephalus PASSERIFORMES: Coerebidae Bananaquit Coereba flaveola PASSERIFORMES: Thraupidae Black-faced Tanager Schistochlamys melanopis Magpie Tanager Cissopis leverianus Black-capped Hemispingus Hemispingus atropileus Superciliaried Hemispingus Hemispingus superciliaris Oleaginous Hemispingus Hemispingus frontalis Black-eared Hemispingus Hemispingus melanotis Rufous-browed Hemispingus (E) Hemispingus rufosuperciliaris Drab Hemispingus (E) Hemispingus xanthophthalmus Gray-hooded Bush Tanager Cnemoscopus rubrirostris Rufous-chested Tanager Thlypopsis ornata Brown-flanked Tanager (E) Thlypopsis pectoralis Rust-and-yellow Tanager Thlypopsis ruficeps Pardusco (E) Nephelornis oneilli Cinereous Conebill Conirostrum cinereum Blue-backed Conebill Conirostrum sitticolor Capped Conebill Conirostrum albifrons Giant Conebill Oreomanes fraseri Tit-like Dacnis Xenodacnis parina Plushcap Catamblyrhynchus diadema Guira Tanager Hemithraupis guira Yellow-crested Tanager Tachyphonus rufiventer

Silver-beaked Tanager Ramphocelus carbo Blue-gray Tanager Thraupis episcopus Palm Tanager Thraupis palmarum Blue-capped Tanager Thraupis cyanocephala Blue-and-yellow Tanager Thraupis bonariensis Hooded Mountain-Tanager Buthraupis montana Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager (E) Buthraupis aureodorsalis Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus lacrymosus Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus igniventris Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus somptuosus Grass-green Tanager Chlorornis riefferii Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager Dubusia taeniata Chestnut-bellied Mountain-Tanager Delothraupis castaneoventris Yellow-throated Tanager Iridosornis analis Golden-collared Tanager Iridosornis jelskii Yellow-scarfed Tanager (E) Iridosornis reinhardti Fawn-breasted Tanager Pipraeidea melanonota Orange-eared Tanager Chlorochrysa calliparaea Golden Tanager Tangara arthus Saffron-crowned Tanager Tangara xanthocephala Golden-eared Tanager Tangara chrysotis Flame-faced Tanager Tangara parzudakii Spotted Tanager Tangara punctata Bay-headed Tanager Tangara gyrola Golden-naped Tanager Tangara ruficervix Blue-necked Tanager Tangara cyanicollis g Masked Tanager Tangara nigrocincta Beryl-spangled Tanager Tangara nigroviridis Blue-and-black Tanager Tangara vassorii Silvery (Silver-backed) Tanager Tangara viridicollis Green-throated (Straw-backed) Tanager Tangara argyrofenges Opal-rumped Tanager Tangara velia Blue Dacnis Dacnis cayana Swallow Tanager Tersina viridis Grayish Saltator Saltator coerulescens Golden-billed Saltator Saltator aurantiirostris Buff-throated Saltator Saltator maximus Slate-colored Grosbeak Saltator grossus PASSERIFORMES: Emberizidae Peruvian Sierra-Finch Phrygilus punensis Mourning Sierra-Finch Phrygilus fruticeti Plumbeous Sierra-Finch Phrygilus unicolor Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch Phrygilus plebejus

Band-tailed Sierra-Finch Phrygilus alaudinus White-winged Diuca-Finch Diuca speculifera Great Inca-Finch (E) Incaspiza pulchra Rufous-backed Inca-Finch (E) Incaspiza personata Buff-bridled Inca-Finch (E) Incaspiza laeta Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch (E) Poospiza alticola Collared Warbling-Finch Poospiza hispaniolensis Blue-black Grassquit Volatinia jacarina Yellow-bellied Seedeater Sporophila nigricollis Parrot-billed Seedeater Sporophila peruviana Drab Seedeater Sporophila simplex Chestnut-bellied Seedeater Sporophila castaneiventris g Chestnut-throated Seedeater Sporophila telasco Chestnut-bellied Seed-Finch Oryzoborus angolensis Band-tailed Seedeater Catamenia analis Plain-colored Seedeater Catamenia inornata Haplospiza rustica Moustached Flowerpiercer Diglossa mystacalis Black-throated Flowerpiercer Diglossa brunneiventris Masked Flowerpiercer Diglossa cyanea Bright-rumped Yellow-Finch Sicalis uropygialis Greenish Yellow-Finch Sicalis olivascens Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola Grassland Yellow-Finch Sicalis luteola Red-capped Cardinal Paroaria gularis Gray-browed Brush-Finch Arremon torquatus Tricolored Brush-Finch Atlapetes tricolor Rufous-eared Brush-Finch (E) Atlapetes rufigenis Slaty Brush-Finch Atlapetes schistaceus Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch (E) Atlapetes nationi Bay-crowned Brush-Finch Atlapetes seebohmi Yellow-browed Sparrow Ammodramus aurifrons Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis Common Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus ophthalmicus Short-billed (Yellow-whiskered) Bush- Tanager Chlorospingus parvirostris PASSERIFORMES: Cardinalidae Hepatic Tanager Piranga flava Summer Tanager Piranga rubra Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea White-winged Tanager Piranga leucoptera Golden-bellied (Southern Yellow) Grosbeak Pheucticus chrysogaster PASSERIFORMES: Icteridae

Peruvian Meadowlark Sturnella bellicosa Scrub Blackbird Dives warszewiczi White-edged Oriole Icterus graceannae Yellow-billed Cacique Amblycercus holosericeus h (Southern) Mountain Cacique Cacicus chrysonotus Yellow-rumped Cacique Cacicus cela Russet-backed Oropendola Psarocolius angustifrons Dusky-green Oropendola Psarocolius atrovirens Crested Oropendola Psarocolius decumanus PASSERIFORMES: Fringillidae Thick-billed Euphonia Euphonia laniirostris Bronze-green Euphonia Euphonia mesochrysa Orange-bellied Euphonia Euphonia xanthogaster Thick-billed Siskin Spinus crassirostris Hooded Siskin Spinus magellanicus Olivaceous Siskin Spinus olivaceus Black Siskin Spinus atratus PASSERIFORMES: Passeridae House Sparrow Passer domesticus ! ! !