FULL DAY BIRDING – HUACARPAY LAKE

We pick you up at your hotel in Cusco and we head out south of town with a picnic lunch to Huarcapay lakes. The lake is surrounded by Inca, and pre-Inca ruins amongst which we will be birding.

Here we will see a variety of high Andean waterfowl including Puna, Speckled and Cinnamon Teal, Yellow-billed Pintail, Andean Duck and other wetland associated birds. White-tufted Grebe, Plumbeous Rail and Andean Coot will be here too. Depending on the time of year migrant North American shorebirds (waders) may be present.

We will be specifically on the lookout for Wren-like Rushbird, Many-colored Rush-tyrant, Yellow-winged Blackbird, Puna Ibis and Andean White-winged Negrito.

Birds of Prey we may see include Aplomado Falcon, Cinereous Harrier, Variable Hawk and Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle.

In the arid scrub around the lake we’ll look for the endemic Rufous-fronted Canastero and also Streak-fronted Thornbird. We should find the pretty, endemic Bearded Mountaineer feeding in the tree tobacco (Nicotania sp.) with Giant Hummingbird and Trainbearers. Peruvian, Ash-breasted and Mourning Sierra-Finches will be here with Greenish Yellow-finch and Blue and Yellow Tanager.

In the afternoon we’ll drive back to Cusco and if time permits stop to look for the endemic Chestnut-breasted Mountain Finch near the spectacular Inca ruins of Tipon.