16 days Northern Peru Birdwatching Itinerary.
Take the afternoon or evening flight to Chiclayo. If you are in Lima earlier maybe add a day at the beginning for a Pelagic in Lima. Always a lot of fun and great species. Other Lima excursions are also available as a one day warm up.
Day 1: Bosque Pomac-Chaparri. Peruvian Plantcutter and White-winged Guan.
We'll make an early start to visit the extensive Prosopis forest at Bosque Pomac where we have a good chance of seeing specialties such as Tumbes Swallow, Peruvian Plantcutter, Rufous Flycatcher. In the afternoon we transfer to Chaparri for birds of the dry scrub and White-winged Guan, White-tailed Jay, Tumbes Tyrant, Collared Antshrike and West Peruvian Screech-Owl in Chaparri. Night at Chaparri or just outside of Chaparri.
Day 2: Casupe road and Puerto Eten.
During the first morning hours we bird Casupe road for Guayaquil Woodpecker, Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner, Rufous-necked Foliage-gleaner, Piura Chat-Tyrant, Chapman's Antshrike, Black-cowled Saltator, etc. In the mid-morning we bird Tinajones dam for Great Grebe and Comb Duck. In the afternoon we return to the coast and bird Puerto Eten area for Peruvian Tern, Least Seedsnipe and Tawny-throated Dotterel. Night in Chiclayo.
Day 3: Rafan and drive to Cajamarca. Unicolored Tapaculo and Gray-bellied Comet.
Second chance if necessary at Rafan for Peruvian Plantcutter, and a very early start for Cajamarca. Looking for Unicolored Tapaculo en route. Afternoon will be spent looking for Gray-bellied Comet. Night in Cajamarca.
Day 4: San Marcos and drive to Celendin. Great Spinetail and Rufous-eared Brush-Finch.
Morning searching for Great Spinetail at San Marcos. The species has become difficult to find in recent years. Afternoon drive and birding to Celendin. White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch, Rufous-eared Brush-Finch and Black-crested Tit-Tyrant and the Cajamarca ssp of Rufous Antpitta are possible. If time permits we shall look for Jelski's Chat-Tyrant in the afternoon near Celendin. Night in Celendin.
Day 5: Celendin to Leymebamba. Chestnut-backed Thornbird and Yellow-faced Parrotlet.
We start at El Limon on the way to Balsas, where we have the chance for four endemics of the region, such as Buff-bellied Tanager, Grey-winged Inca-Finch, Chestnut-backed Thornbird and Marañon Thrush. Lower down we shall look out for flocks of Yellow-faced Parrotlet and scattered Buff-bridled Inca-Finch and Peruvian Pigeon.
On the other side of the Marañon valley close to the high pass of Abra Barro Negro we shall look for Russet-mantled Softtail, Peruvian Thistletail (likely split from White-chinned Thistletail), Coppery Metaltail, intermedius form of Blackish Tapaculo (probably a new species) are possible. Night in Leymebamba.
Day 6: Birding Leymebamba all day. Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan and Purple-throated Sunangel
We shall explore the temperate forests of Atuen valley for Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Northern Mountain Cacique, Red-hooded Tanager and Peruvian Treehunter (also known as Buff-throated or Rufous-backed Treehunter). There are good tanager flocks that are easy to see. Andean Condor is often seen in the area. The afternoon will be spent in the lovely gardens of Kenticafe looking for hummingbirds such as Purple-throated Sunangel, Rainbow Starfrontlet and Sword-billed Hummingbird. Nigh in Leimebamba.
Day 7: Drive to Jaen. Koepcke's Screech-Owl and Marañon Crescentchest.
Predawn start to Chillo for Koepcke's Screech-Owl and selected stops along the Utucubamba river for Speckle-chested Piculet, Buff-bellied Tanager, Marañon Spinetail, Marañon form of Black-capped Sparrow, Marañon form of Speckle-chested Wren until we get to Jaen.
Birding near Jaen in the afternoon for Marañon Crescentchest, Marañon Slaty-Antshrike and Chinchipe Spinetail, Also perhaps the Marañon subspecies of the Peruvian Screech-Owl. All these ssp are potential and even likely future splits. Night in Jaen.
Day 8: Jaen to Pomaocochas. Little Inca-Finch and Marvelous Spatuletail
Additional birding in the morning in Jaen looking for Little Inca-Finch and Shumba Antshrike -distinct subspecies of Collared Antshrike. The drive back to Pedro Ruiz with additional stops for Marañon Spinetail which can be tricky. Turning north to Pomacochas. We'll stop at Huembo to look for Marvelous Spatuletail and Little Woodstar, and a host of other hummingbird species. Night in Pomacochas
Day 9: Pomacochas to Abra Patricia. Pale-billed Antpitta and Long-whiskered Owlet.
In the morning we shall hike above San Lorenzo for Pale-billed Antpitta, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Russet-mantled Softtail and schulenbergi ssp of Plain-tailed Wren. Then we continue to Abra Patricia. Look for Long-whiskered Owlet.
Day 10-12: Abra Patricia. Lulu's Pygmy-Tyrant and Royal Sunangel.
Three full days will be used to work the trails at Fundo Alto Nieva, The Owlet Lodge, The LSU trail and the flocks around Afluentes. There are many endemics in this area such Royal Sunangel, Bar-winged Wood-Wren, Ochre-fronted Antpitta, and Lulu's Pygmy-Tyrant. The last night we transfer to the new basic lodge at Aguas Verdes.
At Aguas Verdes in the late afternoon. Cinereous and Little Tinamou, Rufous-breasted Wood-Quail, and Orange-billed Sparrow, as well as the feeders with hummingbirds such as Green-fronted and Blue-fronted Lancebill, Wire-crested Thorntail, and Black-throated Brilliant.
Day 13: Nueva Cajamarca to Moyobamba.
We may do an additional stop at Aguas Verdes in the morning for the Wood-Quail which is often hard to find and to bird the trails. This is a good place for Zimmer's Antbird. We continue birding the savanna for Point-tailed Palmcreeper and Russet-crowned Crake. Often we have seen and heard Buckley's Forest-Falcon here. We spend the night Wakanqi Fruiteater Lodge outside of Moyobamba.
Day 14: Wakanqi lodge all day. Rufous-crested Coquette and Mishana Tyrannulet.
The hummers are fantastic at Waqanki. One often gets 18 species in a morning. One of the best is Rufous-crested Coquette.
Later we shall be working the ridge trail for Mishana Tyrannulet, Roraiman Flycatcher, Short-tailed Antthrush, Black-and-White Tody-Flycatcher, Chestnut-throated Spinetail, Red-shouldered Tanager, Cinereous-breasted Spinetail, Milky-rumped Manakin, and possibly Black Manakin, Fiery-throated and Scarlet-breasted Fruiteaters.
The area is good for Owls and Nightjars. Vermiculated Screech-Owl, Stygian Owl, Band-bellied Owl, Spectacled Owl, Subtropical Pygmy-Owl, Blackish Nightjar, Spot-tailed Nightjar, Rufous NIghtjar and Little Nightjar.
Day 15: Moyobamba to Tarapoto. Oilbird and Hoatzin.
Additional birding in the area and then travel to Tarapoto.
Oilbird en route. Visiting in Juan Guerra for Marañon Slaty-Antbird, Chestnut-throated Spinetail, Rufous Casiornis, Ashy-headed Greenlet and Hoatzin in the afternoon.
Day 16: Yurimaguas road and ACONABIKH. Koepcke's Hermit ad Gould's Jewelfront.
Morning at tunnel area for Dotted Tanager, Purplish Euphonia, Cock-of-the-Rock and Blackish Pewee and hummingbird feeders at Aconabikh with Kopecke's Hermit and Gould's Jewelfront and many more.
You may add an extension to search for Scarlet-banded Barbet or White-masked Antbird from Tarapoto.
