Central Peru: Sep 12—28, 2009

Scenically spectacular survey of high Andean birds, with focus on Peruvian endemics, plus east-slope cloud forests and the Oilbird caves of Tingo Maria; great new field guide to use.

Central Peru is a land of contrasts, from the stark, arid beauty of the coastal desert and fog-shrouded lomas of Lomas de Lachay, to the snow-covered massif of Huascaran and the elfin tree-line forests of Bosque Unchog. In-between lie dry and moist mountain scrubs, high-Andean puna, and lush cloud forests. This tour will survey the birds of each of these biomes and more, with a focus on maximizing the number of Peruvian endemics seen, as well as providing a terrific introduction to the birds of the high Andes.

First we will make our way north to Huaráz and the Cordillera Blanca, perhaps the most scenically spectacular region in all of Peru. Our attention will be centered on Huascarán National Park, which showcases breathtaking Andean landscapes and preserves some of the finest examples of Polylepis and Gynoxis woodlands to be found anywhere. These unique woodlands are home to some of the most specialized birds in South America, among them, Black Metaltail, the rare White-cheeked Cotinga, Giant Conebill, Tit-like Dacnis (possibly the most common bird here!), and Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch. Nearby lakes are liberally sprinkled with an assortment of high-Andean waterbirds, including Andean Goose, Crested Duck, and Giant Coot, and the arid scrub zones below the park offer such specialties as Bronze-tailed Comet, Pale-tailed Canastero, and Rufous-backed Inca-Finch.

Huánuco will serve as a base for our survey of the Carpish Mountains, which offer some of the most accessible and finest cloud forest birding in all of Peru. We will spend parts of several days working the moss and bromeliad-laden, bamboo-rich forests of the Paty Trail and Carpish Tunnel area for some of the continent's most spectacular birds, including Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Golden-headed Quetzal, White-eared Solitaire, and Masked Saltator. Mixed-species flocks of colorful tanagers (including, hopefully, the dazzling Yellow-scarfed Tanager) will be a constant. A special side trip to Tingo Maria will take us to La Cueva de las Lechuzas, where we will witness the spectacle of hundreds of bizarre Oilbirds at close range.

Bosque Unchog, famous for the many ornithological discoveries yielded there in the past few decades, will be the focus of two days out of Huánuco. Previous visits to Bosque Unchog required high altitude camping, but with the relatively recent extension of a road to within a half-hour hike of our former campsite, we have elected to make a day-trip out of it, returning to our hotel at the end of each day. In relative comfort, we will have the opportunity to seek out some fabulous birds that were previously accessible only by arduous expeditions. Foremost among our targets is the stunningly beautiful Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager, but not far behind are such prizes as Bay-vented Cotinga, the odd Pardusco, and the flashy Rufous-browed Hemispingus, as well as Coppery Metaltail, Undulated Antpitta, and Golden-collared Tanager. Our return to Lima will take us through a number of other spots for some of the most localized and exotic of Peru's birds, including the endangered and flightless Junin (Puna) Grebe, the fabulous Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, Black-breasted Hillstar, White-bellied Cinclodes, Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch, Great Inca-Finch, and many others.

Good to fine accommodations in towns, except for two simple, but adequate hotels; easy to difficult terrain, with much birding on foot (trail and road birding); warm to cold climate, with much time at higher elevations (maximum of 15,600 feet near end of tour); itinerary allows time for gradual acclimatization to altitude.