Andean Cock-of-the-rock— Photo: Robert (Spike) Baker

This epic journey starts in Cuzco where we set out across the Peruvian highlands, passing a quiltwork of often colorful fields and villages and ever-changing panoramas before descending the verdant, eastern wall of the Andes, first through elfin forest, then cloud forest, wet foothill forest, and finally the lowland rainforest. Our first destination is cloud forest on the eastern slope of the Andes at the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge, at about 4,500 feet elevation. Here we have access to displaying Andean Cocks-of-the rocks, and feeders that attract hummingbirds, barbets, and tanagers. We also may see Torrent Ducks, motmots, quetzals, and mountain-toucans but, for some, the high energy bird flocks dominated by unbelievably colorful tanagers—which are so characteristic of the Andes—will surely be a highlight.

Next we will descend into the Andean foothills to the lovely Hacienda Amazonia Lodge. With delightful hospitality, spotless rooms, and excellent food, the Amazonia Lodge is a superb place for a relaxed birding transition into foothill rainforest. You are sure to notice dramatic changes in the avifauna here as tanager-dominated mixed species flocks of the highlands give way to a more diverse array of antbirds, furnariids, flycatchers, manakins, and such exotic species as hoatzins and macaws. Several species here are unique to these wet foothills, among them the Blue-headed Macaw, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, and Black-backed Tody-Tyrant, but it may be the hummingbirds (up to 16 species around the lodge in a single day) that thrill you most.

For the last leg of our journey we will embark on an exciting day-long journey down the fast-flowing Alto Madre de Dios River and more serpentine Madre de Dios River to the Manu Wildlife Center. This lodge, situated within the enormous Manu Biosphere Reserve, encompasses some of the wildest and most pristine rainforest on the planet—a place where all the top predators from jaguars and Harpy Eagles to the smallest prey species are present.

More than 500 species of birds occur in the vicinity of the Manu Wildlife Center, including such exciting species as Razor-billed Curassow, Pale-winged Trumpeter, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Curl-crested Aracari, Pavonine Quetzal, Manu Antbird, Spangled Cotinga, and rare Yellow-shouldered Grosbeak. Visitors may see eight or more kinds of monkeys, among them the incomparable emperor tamarin. There is a good chance we will see giant otters, and we have seen jaguars on some trips. We will spend one early morning in a large hide opposite a riverbank where hundreds of parrots and macaws gather to eat clay, two mornings atop forest canopy observation platforms, and one morning on a lovely oxbow lake. And, of course, there are miles of beautiful forest trails to explore. This trip is a wilderness adventure of the first order—one that incorporates all the magic of unspoiled nature in a birding and wildlife experience unsurpassed in South America.

Good lodge accommodations and good food; two to four days at each site; roadside birding in highlands; easy walking trails; travel by bus, boat, and commercial plane; some long travel days; moderate pace with frequent midday breaks; cool in mountains, warm and humid in lowlands.