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[Ingles]
PERU
Tours
Where do I start? There are too many trips to choose from!
Which trip is best for you to choose? We have the largest amount of different trips for birders to Peru. It is hard to choose. The following short summery will help you.
- Long list. High biodiversity: GRAND CENTRAL PERU, Manu road, North Peru with its extensions, North Peru and Southen Ecuador
- For the beginner. Slow pace, birds easy to find, alternatives for the non-birding spouse. Southern Circuit.
- Endemics. Central Peru, Carpish, North Peru, Tumbes. Not necessarily the longest lists but many restricted range species.
- New species to science and undescribed species. Iquitos, Central Peru (Satipo road).
- Pelagic birds. Pelagics and Southern Circuit.
- Wildlife. Manu Jaguar Safari,
- Archeology and birding. MST archeology and birding, Southern Circuit.
- Hummingbirds. Hummingbird programs on MST (North and Machu Picchu and Manu)
- Comfort. Marvelous Spatuletail Tours: Southern Circuit, MST archeology and birding, Tambopata, Short North 9 day and Machu Picchu and Manu Hummingbird trip.
- Limited time. Short North 9 day, Carpish, Concise Manu road Light
- North Peru. Our new expanded itineraries give many options.
There are constantly new stake-outs, trails and birding sites popping up in North Peru. Roger Ahlman took a Kolibri Expeditions group around for three weeks in August. The pace was set a bit slower than usual, but unfortunately one of the key species – the Orange-throated Tanager was missed. Find Roger’s trip report here.
There are some difficulties regarding putting together a North Peru trip apart from that there are too many birds and too many good sites. Some of the sites require a lot of physical effort, for example the owlet trail, the antenna trail and the Jesus del Monte trail in the Abra Patricia area. In the end in most programs these are excluded – even on those trips when it has been planned to do trails. Not only is the physical reason behind this, but also the fact that one usually sees more species and more birds from the road. Another problem is that at Abra Patricia many of the best birds (the endemics) occur high up on the road where the birding is much slower than lower down. With limited time, often some of the “Important” endemics are not seen because more birds (albeit more common and widespread species) can be seen lower down. Lastly, camping has turned people off from these trips, so it would be good to be able to offer a trip where camping can be totally avoided.
I have played around with some alternatives and finally come up with something for everybody.
- There is a main 12 day trip from Cajamarca to Tarapoto on which one can chose to camp or drive back and forth to a hotel (1 hour away) in the Abra Patricia area during 2 of the nights only. There is also a deluxe version slow version of this trip with the best hotels from each town offered featured on our Marvelous Spatuletail Tours pages.
- The Chiclayo pretrip during five days is also offered with basic hotels and with the best there is. This pretrip is perfect for those that have not birded in Southern Ecuador previously, since the pace is moderate and there is time to search for all the other tumbesian endemics.
- There is also a post trip for an additional 4 days that travels back from Tarapoto, via Jaen to Olmos/Chiclayo. During these four days it is possible to either to some trail-birding or have a leisurely canoe trip in the Tingana reserve and some additional birding in the Afluentes area. Everyone will search for endemic birds near Jaen before heading back to Olmos. There are two additional day-trips available for White-winged Guan and Peruvian Plantcutter for those that are not doing the Chiclayo pretrip.
- Orange-throated Tanager and White-masked Antbird are put in a separate 14 day-trip that starts in Tarapoto and ends in Chiclayo. This trip also include the exiting site of Jeberos.
- For Orange-throated Tanager there is also the same 3 week North Peru itinerary that was carried out during 2005 (click here for a trip report). However, it does not allow much time at the Tanager spot and thus it is easily missed.
- The new short 9 day North Peru trip. This is calculated in such a way that you can do this in a week and only take five days off work. From June 2007, there will be a lodge at Abra Patricia that will make trip very comfortable.
- Inexpensive. Gran Central Peru and Cerros de Sira - both for only 99 US/day when group size is six or more.
- Expedition birding points. Iquitos,, Abra Malaga and Machu Picchu, Scarlet-banded Barbet (strenuous), White-masked Antbird, Cerros de Sira.
- Photography. Southern Circuit, Machu Picchu and Manu (Hummingbirds).
- First time in South America. Peru is overwhelming. You cannot do it all on one trip. Chose a trip that gives you the flavour of Peru triggering the desire to come back. Don't kill yourself with a Megalist the first time in South America. Southern Circuit, Abra Malaga and Machu Picchu, Lima days (see below), Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Negra. Carpish is also good but very endemic concentrated. Tambopata is probably the best lowland alternative, but the lowlands are really too species rich and it is difficult to see the birds well. It would not be my first choice for someone that never spent any time in South America and is not familiar with the families.
- Rainy Season. January-April. This is the time of year when it is most difficult to visit i.e. Manu road (but it is not impossible) due to East slope rains. These rains are usually most severe in the south. In the North during the same period there is also considerable amount of rain on the west slope, but rarely too much to spoil your birding –after all they are xerophytic areas. During Niño years there is more rain in the north and central Peru and probably less so in the SE. Now for the recommendations. During normal conditions we recommend North Peru, Tumbes (January and beginning of February), Iquitos, Southern Circuit (you can do this any time), and surprisingly also Tambopata (which is served by jet-planes and have many good lodges), but add a few days to compensate for possible rain.
- Time to kill in Lima. Quite a few people come on very short trips to Lima for business or passing through on a more extensive trip and may have a spare day.
Along the coast there are Pucusana and Puerto Viejo to the south and Lomas de Lachay and Paraiso to the north. If you have more time in Lima any of the above can be made more extensively. More time allows you to trips into the Andes. A day trip to Santa Eulalia Canyon offers many pacific slope endemics including Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch and Great Inca-Finch, as well as good possibilities to see condors, but you do need to make a very early start from Lima. Ticlio and Marcapomacocha road at extreme altitude above 4000m gives an almost 100% hit-rate for Diademed Sandpiper Plover and White-bellied Cinclodes. Santa Eulalia and Marcapomacocha road can be combined in a two or three day trip to also allow time to look for White-cheeked Cotinga
- Cruises. If you are on a cruise, by the time you get off the boat, the most important part of the morning may have been lost. I would recommend a program consisting of Pantanos de Villa and Pucusana in combination. Some goodies that may be seen are Peruvian Thickknee, Humboldt Penguin and Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes.
If you are very keen on endemics one could make a go for Cactus Canastero at Lomas de Lachay 100km north of Lima - but it can sometimes be difficult to find the Canastero it if its very hot. July-September, during the mist season, it should be easier however. Also in this area are Grayish, Thick-billed and Coastal Miner. Most of these species you will not get in Arica, Chile if you plan also to go birdwatching there later on your cruise.
Many cruise ships also dock in Salaverry near Trujillo in the North. We have sites for Peruvian Plantcutter that may reachable in the time you have available.
We can also arrange guides and transport in Arica and Valparaiso (see Batuco-Lampa for high diversity and pre-cordillera for endemics in Chile and in Guayaquil in Ecuador if you want to go birding here.
NATURAL HISTORY TOURS
KOLIBRI EXPEDITIONS TRIPS
- Abra Malaga - altitude preperation for the Inca Trail. 3 days.
If you are going to do the Inca Trail, you do not want to spoil your fun by taking our trip that combines Abra Malaga and Machu Picchu, but on the other hand you don't just want to wait around in Cusco untill you get acustomed with the altitude. The below
- Abra Malaga & Machu Picchu
5 days recommended, but shorter variants are possible. Excellent birding in the magic environment of the Incas.
- Carpish and Junin Lake 9 or 10 days
9-10 days. Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager and all the other Carpish endemics, Paty trail, the oilbird cave in Tingo Maria and Junin Grebe at wonderful Lake Junin. A great (and very affordable) trip
- Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Negra
6 days leaving on day 1 in the evening (1 hour drive from the airport). Russet-bellied Spinetail, Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch and Rufous-eared Brush-Finch.
- GRAND CENTRAL PERU ON 120 US$/DAY - MORE THAN 700 SPECIES
750 species in 27 days (including pelagic and Lomas de Lachay). This itinerary will give you More Birds! than Manu. But is dead cheap. Cost is only 120 dollars per day.
- GRAND MANU and THE MANU SPLIT - Manu road and Manu Biosphere reserve. 12 or 22 days
Manu road and Manu lowlands have received well worth attention in the past years. Over 1000 species of bird
- Hummingbirds - Satipo road
This is a custom made tour top maximise number of hummingbirds on the tour. Having said this it will also give excellent opportunities to see many other birds along the Satipo road and the Yanachaga Chemillen National Park. The last days are spent at Pamp
- Hummingbirds: Manu and Machu Picchu Budget
Best trip for the person who wants to see as many of SE Peru's Hummingbirds as possible and inlcude a visit to Machu Picchu. We have chosen basic but adequate lodging. At Cock-of-the Rock Lodge we sleep in rooms wall to wall next to the diningroom. It is possible to upgrade to private cabins. 30US per person. Also possible to upgrade the hotel in Aguas Calientes.
- Iquitos Specialties White-sand forest, river islands, Canopy Walkway and Wattled Curassow
9 days. This trip concentrates on the birds that are difficult to see elsewhere in the Amazon basin. It is possible to add days for other lodges. One can easily spend up to 3 weeks in the Iquitos area
- La Montañita
10 days special. Support the conservation project at this locality and see some of the best birds of Peru. Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager and Yellow-browed Toucanet.
- Lima days: Daytrip to Santa Eulalia valley
A shorter trip concentrating on the endemics of the west slope such as Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch and Great Inca-Finch.
- Lima days: Daytrip to Ticlio and Marcopomacocha area
Diademed Sandpiper-Plover and White-bellied Cinclodes
- Lima days: El Olivar Park and Pantanos de Villa
Good introduction to the birds of LIma
- Lima days: Lomas de Lachay and Paraiso Lagoon.
Endemic or near-endemic birds: Cactus Canastero, Thick-billed, Coastal and Grayish Miner and Peruvian Tern. Shorebirds.
- Lima days: Pucusana, Pantanos de Puerto Viejo and Cañete valley
One of our Lima favorites.
- Lima days: Santa Eulalia valley and Marcopomacocha
This trip can be run almost anytime.
- Lima days: Tinajas and Pucusana
Combine the two programs
- Lima days: Tinajas valley close to Lima
Endemics Cactus Canastero and Thick-billed and Grayish Miners
- Lowland SE Peru specialties at Los Amigos Research Center
Incredible diversity with good bamboo, varzea and terra firme. Thus you can get all Manu and Tambopata specialists at a very decent price. Departures from Lima on Thursdays
- Lowland SE Peru specialties at Rio Las Piedras
If you don't have the money to do Manu or Tambopata, this is a good option for you. In fact for birders wanting to get all the lowland-specialites will do better at Piedras, because here you can also find Black-faced Cotinga, Long-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, the newly described Rufous Twistwing. Obviously all the other bamboo specialists can be found here as well as good macaw-lick as good as the one in Manu. Giant Otters and Tapirs are also frequently seen.
- Manu Light - Manu road and lowlands in 13 days.
So what if you don't have 22 days available to do Manu and you still want to get some of the Manu road and some of lowlands. Well here it is. Manu Light. We have deliberately tried to keep costs down by using some resources in Pilcopata and Boca Manu.
- Manu mammals and birds – the Jaguar Safari.
A new trip that takes you into Manu proper where you have your best chances of spotting mammals.
- Manu road 18 days (11 or 14 days also available)
18 days. Once a month April-December. +500 species.
- North Peru - Chiclayo pretrip 5 days.
Chiclayo Pretrip - Thorough Tumbesian endemics trip.
This trip is for those that hate to rush through the areas to pick up the endemics. The tumbesian region is so dense with restricted range species that often many of the common birds get a very brief
- North Peru - Main Tour 12 days. Cajamarca-Leimebamba-Abra Patricia-Tarapoto
Marvelous Spatuletail and Gray-bellied Comet. Recently Long-whiskered Owlet has been found at Abra Patricia.
- North Peru 5 day post-trip. Tarapoto-Jaen-Olmos-Chiclayo.
This post trip is only for those that have done the main North Peru trip. It gives time for further exploraration on the Jesus del Monte trail or the O
- North Peru normal circuit 10-15 days (see details of length in Calendar)
We run this trip twice a month from March 30. Marvelous Spatuletail, White-winged Guan, Orange-throated Tanager, etc. Who will be the first to find the Long-whiskered Owlet outside of a mist net? around 500 species.
- North Peru post tour extension A: White-winged Guan (1 day)
For those that prefer a shorter program and did not do the Chiclayo-pretrip prior to the North Peru main tour we offer this short day trip to the White-winged Guan
- North Peru post tour extension B: Per Plantcutter near Chiclayo (1 day)
This day trip follows that of the White-winged Guan and offers this day trip to have an additional go at Peruvian Plantcutter and other birds. The Plantcutter is easiest in the morning.
- North Peru with Orange-throated Tanager 22 days
3 weeks long.
- North Peru: White-masked Antbird and Orange-throated Tanager
New itinerary that also inlcudes Jeberos. Lot's of very rare and seldomly seen birds possible.
- NORTH PERU–SOUTHERN ECUADOR with Jocotoco Antpitta and Tumbesia endemics 22 days
Combine the Chinguela ridge with the key species in SOuthern Ecuador and end in Tumbes for the ultimate Tumbesian clean-up trip. Jocotoco Antpitta will be a main target duiring this trip.
- Pampas del Heath - Kolibri Expeditions 10 year anniversary
Pampas del Heath presents practically the only savanna habitat in Peru and presents 14 species found nowhere else in Peru. We shall be camping 3 nights at Puerto Juliaca where the best Peruvian Pampas is. White-naped Xenopsaris was recorded as a new species for Peru in 2004
- Paracas and Ayacucho
2-4 days depending on program chosen
- Pelagic
There are monthly departures. This is a Kolibri Expeditions special. The first regular departures of Pelagics in Peru is organized by us in 2001 we found three new species for Peru!!.
- Puno department with Sandia and Abra Maruncunca
Very exciting area with many species that arew very difficult even in Bolivia. Green-capped Tanager. Some hiking is needed if one does not want to spend too many hours in the vehicle.
- Puno-Arica (Chile)-Arequipa. Pelagics in the South
If you like Pelagics and the Andes this trip is for you. Usually this trip would be run in connection with Puno special, but you may also sign-up only for t
- Salaverry Cruise-ship special - Peruvian Plantcutter and Rufous Flycatcher
This day trip will make the most of birding wise of your stop at the port of Salaverry south of Trujillo. The key species to look for that you will not find in Guayaquil or Lima are Peruvian Plantcutter, Rufous Flycatcher, and an undescribed (s)sp of Neclaced Spinetail (without neclace!).
Different cruiships will have different length of stay, so time will limit exactly what will be done this day.
- Satipo Road and Carpish (18 days)
18 days. Endemic dense and extremely birdy. more than 500 species when combined with Lima excursions.
- Satipo road special
The extended version of the Satipo road trip run in July 2008
- South East Peru ENDEMICS. Manu and Machu Picchu 12 days
We recommend to do SE Peru in 22 days for Manu and 4 days for Abra Malaga and Machu Picchu if SE Peru is to be done properly. However, if you want to concentrate on the species you cannot see elsewhere you may strip down the trip to only 12 days, and keep a very high pace. The reason why this is possible is that there are relatively few endemics and specialities in the lowlands apart from the bamboo birds. Since many of the bamboo birds can be gotten near Pilcopata relatively close to the road, it is possible to skip lowland Manu completely and still get most of the special birds.
The other SE Peru species are found in high Andean forests (Abra Malaga), in the cloud forest (Machu Picchu) and in the foothills (on Manu road).
- Tumbes
6 days. Best combined with North Peru as a pre-trip. Restricted range species.
Looking
for trips with very high levels of comfort: Check our
Marvelous Spatuletail Tours -trips instead.
NATURTREK BUDGET TRIPS
Quite high comfort in areas where there is little infrastructure. Safari style camping with cooking and camp personel. Very good value. But more camp comfort than the Kolibri Expeditions trips to the same areas.
EXPEDITION BIRDING EXTREME
We´re introducing a new concept. Or rather developing one of the principle driving forces of Kolibri Expeditions. In 1998 were we the first to see Orange-throated Tanager and Great Spinetail for at least 15 years and later that same year we found several new localities for Peruvian Plantcutter. In 1999 we discovered the Montañita site. In 2000 we rediscovered Kalinowski´s Tinamou after 100 years. Montañita held its promise and produced the Golden-backed Mountain Tanager and most of the other Carpish endemics. Millpo Tapaculo was relocated at a new site. In 2001 we found a new taxon of Thrythorus wren near Otuto in Junin, and we have the first observations of eye-ringed Thistletail in over 15 years. Furthermore in the Apurimac Valley we recorded the voice of a new Otus owl and a the local form of Peruvian Pygmy-Owl, which is vocally distinct from the coastal form and consequently may be split in the near future. In 2002 we learnt that Rufous Antpitta in Canchaque Piura sounds very different from Grallaria rufula rufula which has been collected in this area. It seems that when considering the voice a new taxon is invloved. It sounds like the Rufous Antpitta from Cajamarca (cajabambae), but looks more than the Rufous Antpitta from Ecuador (rufula). We also found Little Woodstar near Pedro Ruiz - a species that had no confirmed recent records in Peru.
During 2007 we will offer a couple of extremes. There may be surprises out there.
- Cordillera Blanca Hike
A more thorough Kalinowski Tinamou search
- Long-whiskered Owlet
Search for the most enigmatic bird in Peru
- Scarlet-banded Barbet
probably the toughest trip on program. You need to be extremely fit to undertake this expeditions. Conditions are hard, but you may be rewarded with one of the best birds in South America.
- Sira Tanager and Horned Curassow
This trip is best run May to December. Initially we offer the trip at a special price of 99 dollars per day (with group size of 6 - which is maximum number for the first trips).
Also
see the discussion group for Expedition
Birding.
Trip
reports Check out past trips to Peru with Kolibri Expeditions
on our trip report page.
Safe
birding in Peru Are you worried about the safety in Peru?
Terrorism and Guerilla? Check out or updated page with recommendations
to people who are not on a Kolibri Expedition trip. Most of the
country is OK to travel in...some areas require care and common
sense. Kolibri Expeditions have those qualities.
The
Condor fiesta Read about the filming of the condor and the
bull fiesta featured in the tv-series Giants.
Birds
of Peru mentions 1817 species, but there are several candidates
for species level which yet are to be described or "officially"
split. Be sure you’ll get your armchair ticks. Look at the
28 potential additions.
Kolibri
Expeditions
www.kolibriexpeditions.com
E-mail
to: kolibriexp@gmail.com
for more information
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