Central Peru Birding Tour 16 Days

Day 1: Lima – Lomas de Lachay – Santa Eulalia

We head north to Lomas de Lachay, a humid coastal hill near the Pacific, for the endemics Coastal Miner, Cactus Canastero, Raimondi’s Yellow-Finch and Thick-billed Miner, plus Least Seedsnipe, Grassland Yellow-Finch, Peruvian Meadowlark and Andean Tinamou. Coastal marshes add Peruvian Tern, Gray-hooded Gull, Many-colored Rush-Tyrant and Wren-like Rushbird before we drive to the foot of the Andes. Night in Santa Eulalia.

Day 2: Santa Eulalia Valley

Our main targets are the very local Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch and Great Inca-Finch, with other endemics such as Bronze-tailed Comet, Black Metaltail, Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail, Black-necked Woodpecker and Thick-billed Miner. We also expect Canyon Canastero, Giant Hummingbird, Peruvian Sheartail, White-capped Dipper, White-winged Cinclodes and Torrent Duck; Andean Condor may fly over, and Peruvian Pygmy-Owl may call at dusk. Night in Santa Eulalia.

Day 3: Milloc – Marcapomacocha – La Oroya

A high-elevation day where almost every bird is a specialty. A Polylepis patch holds the rare White-cheeked Cotinga, Stripe-headed Antpitta and Striated Earthcreeper. Up the Milloc Valley, Black Siskin and Bright-rumped Yellow-Finch are common, and we search for Black-breasted Hillstar, the endemic Junin Canastero and the rare migrant Black-fronted Ground-Tyrant. In the afternoon the Marcapomacocha area offers Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, White-bellied Cinclodes and Olivaceous Thornbill. Much of the day is on dirt roads. Night in La Oroya.

Day 4: Lake Junin – Huanuco

We plan to take a small motorboat into the deeper parts of Lake Junin for good views of the Critically Endangered Junin Grebe. The lake also has Plumbeous Rail, Puna Plover (seasonal) and, at times, White-tufted Grebe, Puna and Yellow-billed Teals, Yellow-billed Pintail and Chilean Flamingo. Driving toward Huanuco, we stop for Black-crested Tit-Tyrant, Giant Conebill, Thick-billed Siskin and the endemics Brown-flanked Tanager and Baron’s Spinetail. Night at a lodge outside Huanuco.

Days 5–6: Bosque Unchog

Two full days at the most important site of the trip. Its “Big Four” – Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager, Rufous-browed Hemispingus, Bay-vented Cotinga and Pardusco – are among Peru’s best birds, and all are difficult. Other targets include Golden-collared Tanager, Coppery Metaltail, Tschudi’s and Large-footed Tapaculos, the endemic Neblina Tapaculo, Line-fronted Canastero (in grassy areas with boulders), Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant, Ochraceous-breasted Flycatcher, the obscura form of Rufous Antpitta (often called Fulvous Antpitta) and the southern form of White-chinned Thistletail, sometimes split as Plenge’s Thistletail. Both nights at the lodge outside Huanuco.

Day 7: Paty Trail – Tingo Maria

The Paty Trail is unprotected and losing habitat each year, but still holds the endemics Peruvian Tyrannulet, Rufous-vented Tapaculo and Bay Antpitta, Masked Fruiteater with luck, and mixed flocks of tanagers, flycatchers and furnariids. We descend to Tingo Maria in the afternoon and may try for Band-bellied Owl at dusk. Night at Villa Jenifer Lodge.

Day 8: Tingo Maria – Oilbird Cave

Forest patches east of town hold Rufous-crested, Orange-eared and Golden-naped Tanagers and the uncommon endemic Masked Fruiteater. In the afternoon we try the few trails of Tingo Maria National Park for the endemic Black-bellied Tanager, Spot-winged Antbird and Fiery-capped Manakin, and visit the Oilbird cave (Cueva de las Lechuzas). Night at Villa Jenifer Lodge.

Day 9: Carpish Tunnel – Huanuco

Back at higher elevations, we look for Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant, Peruvian Wren, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Barred Fruiteater, Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant, Bar-bellied and Powerful Woodpeckers, Chestnut Antpitta and, with luck, Buff-tailed Sicklebill. Night at the lodge outside Huanuco.

Day 10: Huanuco – Lake Junin – Oxapampa

Mostly a travel day past Lake Junin and down into the cloud forest, with stops for missing species such as the difficult Rufous-backed Inca-Finch. In the evening we have our first chance for Cloud-forest Screech-Owl. Night in cabins at Ulcumano Lodge, Oxapampa.

Day 11: Oxapampa – Bosque Shollet

Around Oxapampa we look for Masked Fruiteater, Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant, Peruvian Wren, Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Chestnut Antpitta and the “Huanuco Fruiteater,” a distinctive form of Green-and-black Fruiteater. In the afternoon the cloud forest of Bosque Shollet offers Black-winged Parrot, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Rufous-bellied Bush-Tyrant, Pale-footed Swallow, Sickle-winged Guan, Moustached Flowerpiercer and another chance for Bay Antpitta. A second evening try for Cloud-forest Screech-Owl. Night at Ulcumano Lodge.

Day 12: Villa Rica – Coffee Plantations

A full day in the shade-coffee plantations around Villa Rica for Creamy-bellied Antwren, Foothill Elaenia, White-bellied Pygmy-Tyrant, Versicolored Barbet, Chestnut-backed Antshrike and cloud forest flocks. A marsh near town can produce Subtropical Doradito, Green-backed Becard and Masked Duck. Night in Villa Rica.

Day 13: Villa Rica – Satipo

We bird our way out of the area, looking for local specialties such as Masked Saltator and Andean Tyrant, then drive down the valley to Satipo. Night at a hotel in Satipo.

Day 14: Satipo Road – Mantaro Valley – Acobamba

Similar to the Manu Road but less pristine, the Satipo Road has a different mix of species. Lower flocks bring Paradise, Golden, Blue-necked and Bay-headed Tanagers, Ocellated Piculet and the rare Lanceolated Monklet. Above Apalla and Calabaza we target Bay Antpitta, Eye-ringed Thistletail, Marcapata Spinetail (weskei subspecies), Junin Tapaculo, Inca Flycatcher, Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan and Grass-green Tanager. Near the pass we look for the undescribed Millpo Tapaculo, Junin Canastero and Andean Ibis, and below, toward the Mantaro Valley, Mantaro Thornbird, Mantaro Spinetail (a form of Azara’s Spinetail) and the recently described Black-spectacled Brush-Finch. After dark we search for the undescribed Acobamba Screech-Owl. Night in Acobamba.

Day 15: Acobamba – Comas – La Oroya

A morning around Acobamba for Black-spectacled Brush-Finch, the “Mantaro Wren” (an undescribed form of the endemic Inca Wren or possibly a new species), Mantaro Thornbird and Mantaro Spinetail. After midday we take the road to Comas for Eye-ringed Thistletail, Fire-throated Metaltail, Creamy-crested Spinetail, Tschudi’s Tapaculo and Millpo Tapaculo, followed by a long drive. Night in La Oroya.

Day 16: La Oroya – Lima

On the drive back to Lima we look for Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe and any missing high-Andean species, with Black Metaltail, Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail, White-capped Dipper and Torrent Duck as likely last birds. We reach Lima by mid-afternoon and drop you off at the airport or your hotel.