JANUARY 2026 – 10 DAYS TOUR

Participants: Nina hale, Staphanie curtis and Ali lozoff.

Bird guide: Jesus cieza

Bird altitud: From 3200m to 300m.

BIRDS DESCRIBED ALONG THIS TRIP REPORT JUST HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE MANY BIRDS SPECIES YOU CAN FIND IN OUR Ebird-CHECKLIST!!

TOUR DESCRPTION

Our first day around southern peru, we decided to do some cool visits to local markets and some places where we could interact with llamas, alpacas, vicuñas and did a bit of shopping while enjoying the whole local population moving on a busy Sunday. Then we took the car to continue with one great place where we could shoot some endemic hummingbirds and other birds around. Here we had great views of Bearded mountaineer, Green and White hummingbird, both endemics. Then some extra birds like Black backed grosbeak, Band tailed seedeater, Black throated flowerpiercer, Giant hummingbird, hooded siskin and many others.

BEARDED MOUNTAINEER.

Then we also had a short stop for lunch and this time lunch was at a local restaurant where we try some local dishes like trout, pork and chicken of course. Right after this we headed to Wayqecha lodge where we spent the afternoon shooting birds right by the dinning area and the main birds here were White bellied hummingbird, Black faced brushfinch, Violet throated startfrontlet, Amethys throated sunangel, Masked flowerpiercer, Shinning sumbean and others. Not owling tonight since the crew was tired today¡.

Our second day we start a Little late since my team was a Little tired from the long flight the night before, so we had a nice breakfast facing the cool southern mountains and some birds and hummingbirds right by the restaurant. Then we birded the road and got some cool birds like Gray breasted mountain toucan, Red crested cotinga, Golden collared tanager, Hooded mountain tanager, Mountain cacique, Blue and black tanager and many others. Along the road we also had the chance to visit two feeding áreas for some very good birds such as Red and white antpitta and Leymebamba antpitta. These two birds gave us great views and shots!! Then we went further down and ended up the morning with a nice bird Flock and extra birds like Inca flycatcer, Handsome flycatcher, Capped conebill, Pearled treerunner, Grass green tanager, Crimson mantled woodpecker, Gould´s inca and the colorful Golden headed quetzal, of course many more like Common chlorospingus, Dusky green oropéndola, Maroon belted chat tyrant and others. Late in the afternoon we went for owls and this time we got a very good view of White throated screech owl

Next morning we did not bird much since Ali, member of the group was not feeling good and had to give her the whole morning for her to recover and the rest of the team we just went for a short walk and got some better views of Scarlet bellied mountain tanager, Golden collared tanager, Moustached flowerpiercer, Lesser violetear and Plushcap. Since Ali was not still well recovered, we decided to eat at the lodge and start driving down the road a Little late to just go straight to the next lodge where we had some easy birding just by the lodge feeders, here we got extra birds like Violet fronted brilliant, Rufous booted racke-tail, Speckled hummingbird, Fork tailed woodnymph, Many spotted hummingbird, White eyed parakeet and others. Our  morning at this beautiful lodge was not to active since we had an early rain that did not let us bird much, but we got a nice group of Large headed Brown cappuchin that came to the lodge and gave us a nice show while trying tos teal food. Then, around 8am we headed to a local bird feeding area located at 30 minutes from the lodge with a great stop on the way for Lyre tailed nightjar and Solitary eagle perched on a distance but with good view. Once at the feeding spot we got many good birds like Fawn breasted brillian, Rufous booted racquet-tail, Speckled hummingbird, Versicolored barbet female, Mottle chekeed tyrannulet, Orange bellied euphonia, Beryl spangled tanager, Golden naped tanager, Bronzy inca, White lined tanager, Rufous capped thornbill and many others. Then back to the lodge for lunch and had a Little break to then visit Andean cock of the rock lek, this bird spot shows you how these birds gather and dance in order to get the females, there were not many birds but we had great views and photos. Then we continued walking along the road and got some extra birds, this time Olive backed woodcreeper, Three striped warbler and Gray breasted Wood-wren.

Today we left Cock of the rock lodge but before departing we decided to go for a morning bird walk above this lodge in order to look for some extra birds before leaving. This idea was great since we got to see the uncommon Crimson bellied Woodpecker, Paradise tanager, Spotted tanager, the special Slaty tanager, Better view of female Lyre tailed nightjar, Green honeycreeper, Swallow tanager and on the way back for breakfast we got a female Amazonian umbrellabird right by the lodge. Then we visited another bird feeder and this time we added some new hummingbirds and extra birds to our list, and these were White browed hermit, Green hermit, Gray breasted sabrewing, Brown violetear, Golden tailed sapphire, Violet headed hummingbird, Rufous crested coquette, Blue tailed emerald and others. This bird location was also a perfect spot for colorful butterflies and lunch to then continue to our final lodge along Manu road. Our afternoon was easy since we just birded the area around with nice water hábitat and second growth, this bird time gave us great bird numbers such as Green kingfisher, Great potoo, Long taied tyrant, Least grebe, the unique Hoatzin, Capped heron, Spot breasted woodpecker, Chesnut eared aracarí, Amazon kingfisher, Buff throated woodcreeper, Red capped cardinal, Smooth billed ani and many other bird species heard such Bamboo antshrike, Yellow browed tody flycatcher, Rufous sided crake, limpkin and many more. This lodge also has a nice feeding area where we added Festive coquette, Sapphire spangled emerald, Gould´s jewelfront, White necked jacobin and many others.

Our full day around this lodge and trails gave us some extra birds like Spangled cotinga, Rufescente tiger heron, Amamazonian motmot, Black and White seedeater, Sunbittern, Black tailed trogon, Greater yellow headed vulture, not many birds today since my team decided to relax and enjoy the area. This lodge has a resident Tropical screech owl that can be heard and seen every night.

Last breakfast at Manu biolodge, our last lodge along Manu road. This time we started our adventure by boat along to one of the biggest tributary of the famous Amazon river, along this nice boat ride and view. We could also get some extra birds that can be easily found along rivers, these were Cocoi heron, Fasciated tiger heron, Giant cowbird, Horned screamer, Blue and yellow macaw, Scarlet macaw, Red and green macaw, Chesnut fronted macaw and we ended up with a nice view of a juvenile Capibara.

Early departure to a nice bird spot where we could get very nice view of hundreds of Red and green macaws, a nice flock of Tui parakeet, hundreds od Mealy amazon and 01 pair of young capibaras eating clay at the macaws clay lick. Of course some more birds around this bird place such as Hooded tanager, Silvered antbird, Troupial, Green kingfisher, Sungrebe, Lesser kiskidae, Green ibis, Purplish jay and many others. While birdwatching at this beautiful bird spot we could also see some monkey species like Weddell’s saddle backed tamarin, Black capped squirrel monkey and Toppin’s titi monkey. THen after having great time with macaws, we moved to a lagoon to try for river otters but the day was too sunny and did not see them but instead of otters we got to see an extra monkey specie, this was White fronted capuccin and some birds like Black capped donacobious, Ladder tailed nightjar, masked crimson tanager, Horned screamer, Slate colored hawk, Greater yellow headed vulture and many more. Nice lunch at the lodge to then spent the afternoon with a Little walk around the property where we got Straight billed woodcreeper, Gray capped flycatcher, Great antshrike and Razor billed curassaw calling around. Our last early birding around this private reserve and this time we visited a nice 42 meters tree tower where we could add some canopy bird species such as Yellow bellied dacnis, Bare necked fruitcrow, Cream colored woodpecker, Masked crimson tanager, Amazonian pygmy owl, Slender billed kite, Maked tityra, Red and green macaw, Forest elaenia, Amazonian violaceous trogon and many others. On the way back for breakfast we got lucky to find a nice family of capibaras swimming acroos the creek before the lodge.

Our afternoon was just incredible since we got extra birds like Pale eyed blackbird, great view of Green kingfisher, the colorful Black capped donacobious, Channel billed toucan, Black collared hawk and a nice pack of the Giant river otters fishing right next to the boat. On the way back to the lodge we had a better great ending since we had the chance to see an immature Jaguar dragging a mature capibara right in fron of the boat, giving us the a great opportunity to photographed it and enjoy this rare nature episode.

Last breakfast at this beautiful lodge were we spent 03 nights and had great time with birds, animals and cool jungle experiences. Then we took our boat and navigate this great river and spotted some extra birds like White throated toucan, Scarlet macaws flying across the river, Ringed kingfisher and others, to finally arrive to Colorado town where a local taxi took us for 01 hour to Inambari river where we had our last car for Puerto Maldonado airport.

And this is how we ended up our Manu tour¡¡