Vilcabamba/Machu Picchu Birding Trek (Cusco)
While all of our birding trips are oriented towards walking and minimizing the use of cars, this one includes a proper mule-supported trek to a high valley where we spend three nights camping in tents. The trek takes place in the Sacsara Valley, which is tucked away in the Vilcabamba Range directly behind Machu Picchu. The views of glaciated peaks are superb as is the forest. The birding reminds us of the upper parts of Manu, but without the highway and trucks rumbling by! We have seen a lot of birds on this route and we believe that there are still many more species to be found here. After exploring the Sacsara we hike to Llactapata which has an incredible view of Machu Picchu and then continue to Machu Picchu itself. This can also be done in the context of a full Cusco trip which visits the most important tourist sites.
Demanda Valley & Lake Llanganuco
(Cordillera Blanca)
This is a great one-or-two-day outing with lots of birds and great views of some of the tallest peaks in Peru. We visit the Demanda Valley, which has lots of great habitat and then Lake Llanganuco to see the waterfowl. It can be done in one long day from Huaraz or in two days with one night camping. This is a great place to see Peruvian endemics like the white-cheeked cotinga, rufous-eared brushfinch, plain-tailed warbling finch, black metaltail, Ancash tapaculo, and the striated earthcreeper. There is also a very good selection of charismatic high-Andean birds like the giant conebill, tit-like dacnis, lots of waterfowl, and even Andean condors now and again.
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
Birding in the Llaca Valley (Cordillera Blanca)
This is one of our favorite places to bird, because of the wide range of species, including some rare endemics, and the towering summits of Ranrapalca and Oshapalca dominating the valley. This can be done as a one or two day trip (camping) and is easily acessible from Huaraz. A few of the birds you can find here include: green-headed hillstar, ash-breasted tit-tyrant, tawny tit-spintail, rusty-crowned tit-spinetail, striated earthcreeper, tit-like dacnis, Ancash tapaculo, and many others.
Inca Finches and Beyond (Cordillera Blanca)
There are varous sites in and around the Callejón de Huaylas that are great for single day or longer trips. Some of them harbor rarely observed endemic species such as the rufous-backed Inca Finch, the ash-breasted tit-tyrant, or the creamy-breasted canastero. We can arrange guided trips of whatever length necessary to visit the sites where these birds are present. CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
