Northern Peru: Jul 06—19, 2009

A wonderful transect through a relatively remote and infrequently visited area. The region is well-known for its stunning array of rarely-seen and endemic birds. Coastal deserts, cloud forests, and dry cactus-dotted Andean valleys loaded with range-restricted species. Hummingbirds, furnariids, some antpittas, and many colorful tanagers.

Northern Peru is a land of contrasts, from stark coastal deserts to wet, epiphyte-laden cloud forests, and from deciduous forests dominated by huge Bombax trees to wind-swept páramos above treeline. This region harbors not only a diverse avifauna, but also one that is highly endemic with many species that occur nowhere else in the world. We have brought this trip back after an absence of a few years—this time with some improved accommodations along the way and with no camping. A new lodge in the Abra Patricia area is a particularly welcome addition because this is one of the most endemic-rich areas of the trip. 

Our tour is designed to survey the incredible diversity of this region while also paying attention to levels of comfort, inasmuch as it is possible in this remote area. We will begin in the dry woodlands, deserts, and canyons near the northwestern coast. This region has many birds that are easy to see, and many also are found nowhere else, among them the rare White-winged Guan, a species once feared extinct. Leaving the dry coast, we will move into the cloud forests of the Andes in the vicinity of Abra Patricia and Pomacochas where we hope to catch sight of the Marvelous Spatuletail, a rare and now endangered hummingbird whose remarkable racket-shaped tail has made it the stuff of legend. The cloud forests of Abra Patricia are also the site of discovery of many new species in the last few decades, including the Royal Sunangel, Bar-winged Wood-Wren, Cinnamon-breasted Tody-Tyrant, Long-whiskered Owlet, and several species of antpittas. The area also harbors a stunning array of large glamour birds including two species of quetzals, Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, and even Amazonian Umbrellabird. In mixed species flocks here, it is possible to see a large number of colorful tanagers including such dazzling species as Grass-green, Vermilion, Red-hooded, Blue-browed, Paradise, Flame-faced, and many more.

The last portion of our tour focuses on the deserts and dry woodlands of the upper Marañon Valley, a large rain-shadow valley within the Andes, and one justly famous for its many endemic birds. Here, in this remote region, we will leave the paved road and begin working our way southward and then westward through the many dry valleys and mountain passes that are home to a stunning array of endemics. A sampling of species here, most of which are found only in northern Peru and adjacent southern Ecuador, or are endemic to the upper Marañon Valley, includes Peruvian Pigeon, Yellow-faced Parrotlet, Black Metaltail, Baron's Spinetail, Great Spinetail, Chestnut-backed Thornbird, Russet-mantled Softtail, Jelski's Chat-Tyrant, Fasciated Wren, Buff-bellied Tanager, Gray-winged Inca-Finch, Buff-bridled Inca-Finch, and Yellow-tailed Oriole. High mountain passes also should offer opportunities to see a good variety of hummers, furnariids, and sierra-finches as well.

We are certain that you will see a great many new and exciting birds in this region which has not been widely visited by others.

Accommodations improved, some quite nice, others simple; some rather long drives; mostly low to mid-level elevations, a few Andean passes at 11,000 feet.