April 2009

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Lobby Ashton Kutcher for conservation?

Hey, Ashton.

I wasn’t going to follow you. It just seemed so mainstream to do – and that is something I always felt I was not – mainstream, I mean! I am a birdwatcher and a conservationist. Sure I have seen some of your movies, but I am not one of your fans. But today, I decided to follow you on Twitter anyway. My follow is of no importance, since you already beat CNN to the first million followers. But, I’ll through in my 10 bucks to the anti-malaria fund, because it is a decent thing you are doing.
As I was looking at your stream and seeing that you actually interact with your followers on Twitter, I realized that: “Man, this guy really has the power to promote any good cause that can convince him to retweet that cause”. For instance, I know a small NGO Rain Forest Partnership that wants to help protecting forests in Peru (where I live) and help the local communities to find sustainable ways of living – through ecotourism and low impact ecological agriculture. Would that not be cool to have you, Ashton support such a cause and retweet it to your million plus followers?

I realize, just as I am suggesting you to do this – yes this a lobby intent for a good cause – I imagine that maybe one of every 10 or 20 of your followers is lobbying you for a retweet of a cause. You would have between 100.000 and 50.000 causes to choose from. Which to choose? You have to choose wisely!

There are evil voices stating that all this buzz with you and CNN is just a media stunt. Well, sure isn’t everything in show-biz? The point is that you are now in position to do good things. And you are doing it with the Malarianomore.org plead. You’ve got the power to do a lot of good, if you want. It is your choice! Use or miss-use! Either take this and do something serious good – or be shallow. There is much on stake for your credibility. So far so good and that is why I am following you on Twitter.

No-one can accuse Larry King of being shallow. In the below interview he says he never liked the tech for personal use, never uses text messages on the phone and not even computers. But now you got him twittering under @kingsthings. Well, done!

Live video chat by Ustream

Larry King confesses he misses in depth journalism in today’s shallow and fast news stream. Now Larry is position to retweet any indepth journalism articles he finds on the net. Let’s hope Larry King also gets a million followers!

Finally, in spite of all those that critisize and heckle you for the shallowness of having a million followers on twitter, you have my respect. Now, go and do some good. Support conservation and sustainable development for local communities. Don’t sell out! You have a great responsibilty to your followers.

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Gunnar’s Twitter Updates for 2009-04-18

  • The ultimate birdlist on “I and the Bird #98” offered by Biological ramblings. https://bit.ly/uNnMx #
  • Did you know Nature Blog Nework has an excellent blog? https://tr.im/iZwl #
  • The ultimate birdlist on “I and the Bird #98” offered by Biological ramblings. https://bit.ly/uNnMx #
  • Hurray, Pelagic tomorrow from Lima. I’m excited. April, should give some albatrosses an some whales and all the storm-Petrels of course. #
  • RT @mattjfogarty: Every wonder what the 4 letter codes on birder tweets are https://bit.ly/14y2zu #
  • RT @birdguy: @aphriza Check this out: Sibley’s online bird guide: https://sibley.enature.com/home.asp How cool is that? #
  • RT @twsuccess: Birding Business News: Dos and Don’ts of Twitter https://bit.ly/tLIgd #

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I and the bird #98

The ultimate birdlist this week

A new delivery of your favorite birding carnival is a all about listing birds. Nick of Biological Ramblings has ordered the postings both in a narrative manner like a trip report and ending it in a check list containing no less than 190 species of 65 families. What is more, this issue of “I and the birds” is submitted to the Friday Ark #239. What could be more fitting?

Here is the complete list. For the actual reading, well jump over to Biological Ramblings now!

Casuariidae (Cassowaries)

Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)

Odontophoridae (New World Quail)

Gambel’s Quail (Callipepla gambelii)
Phasianidae (Grouse)
Chicken (Gallus gallus)

Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)

Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Torrent Duck (Merganetta armata)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)

Spheniscidae (Penguins)

Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti)

Diomedeidae (Albatrosses)

Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata)
Antipodean Albatross (Diomedea antipodensis)
Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys)
Shy Mollymawk (Thalassarche cauta)
Chatham Island Albatross (Thalassarche eremita)
Salvin’s Albatross (Thalassarche salvini)

Procellariidae (Petrels)

Northern Giant Petrel (Macronectes halli)
Cape Petrel (Daption capense)
White-chinned Petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis)
Westland Petrel (Procellaria westlandica)
Buller’s Shearwater (Puffinus bulleri)
Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus)
Hutton’s Shearwater (Puffinus huttoni)

Podicipedidae (Grebes)

Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)

Phoenicopteridae (Flamingos)

Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis)

Ciconiidae (Storks)

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)

Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills)

White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)
White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi)

Ardeidae (Herons)

American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax violaceus)
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea)
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)

Pelecanidae (Pelicans)

White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants)

Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)

Cathartidae (New World Vultures)

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus)

Falconidae (Falcons)

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Accipitridae (Hawks)

Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)

Rallidae (Rails)

American Coot (Fulica americana)

Recurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets)

American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)

Thinocoridae (Seedsnipe)

Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe (Attagis gayi)

Laridae (Gulls and Terns)

Inca Tern (Larosterna inca)
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)

Columbidae (Doves and Pigeons)

White-crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala)
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
Inca Dove (Columbina inca)

Psittacidae (Parrots)

Blue-and-gold Macaw (Ara ararauna)
Black-hooded Parakeet (Nandayus nenday)

Opisthocomidae (Hoatzin)

Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin)

Cuculidae (Cuckoos)

Mangrove Cuckoo (Coccyzus minor)
Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)

Podargidae (Frogmouths)

Sri Lanka Frogmouth (Batrachostomus moniliger)

Apodidae (Swifts)

Common Swift (Apus apus)

Trochilidae (Hummingbirds)

Long-billed Hermit (Phaethornis longirostris)
Stripe-throated Hermit (Phaethornis striigularis)
Violet Sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus)
Cuban Emerald (Chlorostilbon ricordii)
Stripe-tailed Hummingbird (Eupherusa eximia)
Violet-crowned Woodnymph (Thalurania colombica)
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl)
Black-tailed Trainbearer (Lesbia victoriae)
Marvellous Spatuletail (Loddigesia mirabilis)
Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

Trogonidae (Trogons)

Collared Trogon (Trogon collaris)

Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)

White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)

Ramphastidae (Toucans)

Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)

Picidae (Woodpeckers)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris)
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)

Cotingidae (Cotingas)

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola peruvianus)

Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris)
Paramo Ground-Tyrant (Muscisaxicola alpinus)
Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca fumicolor)
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)

Thamnophilidae (Antbirds)

Peruvian Warbling Antbird (Hypocnemis peruviana)
Sao Paulo Antwren (Stymphalornis sp.)

Furnariidae (Ovenbirds)

Stout-billed Cinclodes (Cinclodes excelsior)
White-chinned Thistletail (Schizoeaca fuliginosa)

Dendrocolaptidae (Woodcreepers)

Cocoa Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus susurrans)

Meliphagidae (Honeyeaters)

Yellow-faced Honeyeater (Lichenostomus chrysops)

Acanthizidae (Thornbills)

White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis)

Cracticidae (Butcherbirds)

Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)

Laniidae (Shrikes)

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)

Vireonidae (Vireos)

Rufous-browed Peppershrike (Cyclarhis gujanensis)
White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons)
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)
Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius)

Rhipiduridae (Fantails)

Grey Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa)

Corvidae (Crows and Jays)

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)
Common Raven (Corvus corax)
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)

Paridae (Tits)

Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
Great Tit (Parus major)
Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)

Hirundinidae (Swallows)

Purple Martin (Progne subis)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)

Alaudidae (Larks)

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)

Sylviidae (Old World Warblers)

Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)

Zosteropidae (White-eyes)

Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis)

Regulidae (Kinglets)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)

Troglodytidae (Wrens)

Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)
Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
Spot-breasted Wren (Thryothorus maculipectus)
White-breasted Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucosticta)

Polioptilidae (Gnatcatchers)

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)

Sittidae (Nuthatches)

Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)

Certhiidae (Creepers)

Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)

Mimidae (Mockingbirds)

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)

Sturnidae (Starlings)

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

Turdidae (Thrushes)

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) –

Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)

Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush (Catharus mexicanus)
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Red-legged Thrush (Turdus plumbeus)

Nectariniidae (Sunbirds)

Purple-throated Sunbird (Nectarinia sperata)

Passeridae (Sparrows)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Fringillidae (Finches)

Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus)
Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria)
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
Elegant Euphonia (Euphonia elegantissima)

Parulidae (Wood-Warblers)

Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata)
Tennessee Warbler (Vermivora peregrina)
Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora pinus)
Northern Parula (Parula americana)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata)
Yellow-throated Warbler (Dendroica dominica)
Palm Warbler (Dendroica palmarum)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica)
Pine Warbler (Dendroica pinus)
Black-throated Green Warbler (Dendroica virens)
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)
Kentucky Warbler (Oporornis formosus)
Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum)
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus)
Louisiana Waterthrush (Seiurus motacilla)
Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis)
Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina)
Wilson’s Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla)
Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens)

Icteridae (Blackbirds)

Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus)
Baltmore Oriole (Icterus galbula)
Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus)
Boat-tailed Grackle (Quisculus major)
Great-tailed Grackle (Quisculus mexicanus)
Common Grackle (Quisculus quiscula)

Emberizidae (Sparrows)

Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)
Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

Thraupidae (Tanagers)

Crimson-collared Tanager (Ramphocelus sanguinolentus)

Cardinalidae (Grosbeaks)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)
Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea)
Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)
Blue Bunting (Cyanocompsa parellina)

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Nature Blog Network Blog

Natureblog Network

There is hardly a nature blogger who is not checking out their statistics on Nature Blog Network.
Yes, I adm¡t it! I am also following how my blog is doing compared to other birding blogs. This can be done selecting only birding blogs. I have reached 11 at the highest – and right now at a modest 21. Sometimes I am checking out the statistics so much that I forget to write blogposts!. Today is obviously not such a day.

The blog of the blogs!

What most bloggers perhaps don’t follow as closely is the excellent blog that Nature Blog Network provides. Their blog ought to be listed in the blogging statistics of the site,  so there is no chance of missing it.

In a recent posting they summerize some Nature Blogs in South America and I am happy to see that my blog is mentioned and recommended. (Less happy that my name is misspelt – but that is alright – you should just see what they have done to my last name Engblom in this country! Spanish speaking people have a hard time to tackle more than two consonants in a row – and when they do they need to put a wovel before everything i.e Speak eSPANISH. Engblom has four consonants in a row and that is asking for trouble,  Many times it comes out Em-blong! Poor Luciana Engblom 2 years old! Maybe I should change my name translating it to its Spanish meaning – Flor de la Pradera? Update: My name has been corrected now. Thanks Nate!).

More South America Nature Blogs

Ooops, I think I lost my thread there for a while and got distracted. Anyway, check out the above link for some suggestions. I should mention two other excellent birding blogs from Peru and a blog ifrom Brazil that I also follow closely that are not mentioned on the site.

Featured Bloggers

Nature Blog Network Blog also had the good taste to allow me as guest blogger recently in a post called “Facebook for birders“.

Nature blog Network Blog has done some excellent interviews of other bloggers in their Featured Blogs every Monday since November last year. This is a good source to learn about how more experienced bloggers go about their blogging. I just discovered this feature and have enjoyed the interviews with Julie Zickefoose and Beverly Robertson’s Behind the bins.

PS: I am experimenting with pings and trackbacks on this post, so a teaser-comment from this post shows in the comment sections to particular posts I am metioning above. Let me know if they don’t show.

Gunnar

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Twitter Updates for 2009-04-13

  • #Vermilion-Flycatcher at #Aurora-Lima singing at 2 AM. Time to go to bed! … https://is.gd/s7dJ #
  • What birds qualify as tourism attractions in your state/country? Here are 11 best birds as tourism attractions in Peru https://is.gd/rHQC #
  • hmm, recently sent link works OK in Tweetdeck, but gives an add to “NY’s hottest strategist”. What is going on? Is it only is.gd links? #
  • That is gives an add in Power-Twitter! #

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Twitter Updates for 2009-04-12

  • Pick 10 bird species for each country that could become poster species for conservation and ecotourism. I have for Peru https://bit.ly/XzT8f #
  • hmm, seems the update of tweetdeck 0.25 does not give me all mails mentioning @kolibrix in the reply column. I recieved these before update #
  • hmm take that back, cause I did get the last post in my replies column. The retweets of link https://bit.ly/XzT8f yesterday do not show! #

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Twitter Updates for 2009-04-11

  • Thanks for macaw photos. Off to the movies with Luciana & Elita. Monster and Aliens. Elita insists on the non 3D version. Buh! #
  • Start of 15 d trip including the Amazon, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lima Pelagic and Central Highway. Vacancies on Central Highway next Sunday. #
  • Updated 11 best birds of Peru as tourist attractions. An experiment to reach beyond birders. https://bit.ly/XzT8fpls retweet and bookmark. #

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Twitter Updates for 2009-04-11

  • Thanks for macaw photos. Off to the movies with Luciana & Elita. Monster and Aliens. Elita insists on the non 3D version. Buh! #
  • Start of 15 d trip including the Amazon, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lima Pelagic and Central Highway. Vacancies on Central Highway next Sunday. #
  • Updated 11 best birds of Peru as tourist attractions. An experiment to reach beyond birders. https://bit.ly/XzT8fpls retweet and bookmark. #

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11 must-see birds in Peru for everyone!

Why birds?

Birdwatching is a specialized hobby. The birdwatchers aim to see hundreds of birds during a holiday in Peru. However, there are certain birds that transcend to more normal tourists. Some birds that you don’t have to be a birdwatcher to appreciate. Those birds that will leave an impact on anyone who lays eyes on them. These kinds of birds become banner species and tourist attractions and could be decisive to turn a non-birder into a birder. They are also important for conserving habitat and supporting local small scale businesses which often give direct revenue to local communities. I hereby present the 11 most important birds in Peru as tourism attractions.

Condor

Andean Condor

Emblematic bird of the Andes. 100.000 people travel yearly to Colca Canyon near Arequipa to see the mighty Condor. Kolibri Expeditions have found a good viable population in Santa Eulalia canyon only 3 hours from Lima, which also is a good place to see this majestic bird. You’d be surprised to learn that most tourists that come to Peru, those that do not visit Colca or Santa Eulalia Canyon, will not see a condor in spite it being such a tremendously important symbol of Peru and the Andes. The closest they will get is hearing “Condor pasa” – the Peruvian song Simon and Garfunkel made world famous. At every little coffee shop to every fine restaurant in Cusco you will hear it played with panpipes and charrango. You cannot avoid it – not escape it!
Strangely enough Peru has yet to raise the awareness of the importance of the species for eco-tourism in other rural areas. As such it may become an important cash cow for communities. This would change the present situation in many places where the species is persecuted and seriously threatened.

Macaw-lick

Blue-and-Yellow Macaw & Scarlet Macaw. Photo: Tim RyanThere are two major macaw-licks in SE Peru where these giant parrots descend on sunny clay river cliffs to ingest the clay with thousands of other parrots. The best one that attracts 5 species of macaws is situated in the Tambopata area near Tambopata Research Center.  There is extremely important Macaw research going on here and you can help as a participant volunteer. See Tambopata Macaw Project. The other important one is downriver from Manu at Blanquillo near in vicinity of several lodges.

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock

Andean Cock-of-the-RockWow! Exclamation mark is necessary! This surreal member of the Cotinga family has a wide distribution from Venezuela to Bolivia. It is one of the most colorful birds of the Andes. The males gather in “lek” – displays – where the perform ritual dances and make noisy grunts and shrieks. In many places leks have become tourism attractions. The most famous is perhaps next to Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge, but there are several places in Central and Northern Peru where leks also can be seen. Locally, it has become good incentives to conserve forest. Since the cock-of-the-rock is also un-officially national bird of Peru kids all over the country learn to appreciate it. Only five years ago, when traveling in Central Peru inquiring where I could see it, I was directed to the zoo or a man that allegedly had stuffed ones for sale! Things have changed now.

Inca Tern

Inca Tern IncaternIts coral red bill and feet, and yellow and white waxy mustache on a slaty blackish body makes the Inca Tern the most beautiful Tern of the world.  This specialty of the Humboldt Current is not difficult to see in large numbers. In many places it can be approached for a photograph.  A spectacular event on the Lima pelagics is when the fish scrap leftover that is used to attract seabirds at the high sea is thrown out after the boat and up to a thousand Inca Terns come in to the stern.

Hummingbird feeders

Rufous-crested Coquette. Photo: Alex DuranWire-crested Thorntail

Peru has yet to develop more places with hummingbird feeders, but the ones available are truly spectacular. My favorites are the following.

Amazonia Lodge at the bottom of Manu road, with specialties such as the rare Rufous-crested Coquette, Koepcke’s Hermit and Gould’s Jewelfront and another dozen of more common hummers such as White-necked Jacobin, Blue Emerald, Gray-breasted Sabrewing and Black-eared Fairy come to the garden with feeders and blue vervain in front of the ample porch of the main building..

Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel the luxurious hotel with precious subtropical gardens decorated with orchids and bromeliads at the foot of Machu Picchu next to Aguas Calientes village. The hotel also have dozens of well maintained hummingbird feeders spread out in the compound open only to its guests. The specialties include Gould’s Inca, White-bellied Hummingbird, Long-tailed Sylph, Chestnut-breasted Coronet and Booted Racket-tail.

Cock-of the-Rock Lodge on the Manu road, has a open veranda dining room looking out to the garden where tanagers are fed and Blue Vervain and feeders attract the hummingbirds. The specialties include Violet-fronted Brilliant, Many-spotted Hummingbird, Wire-crested Thorn-tail, Booted Racket-tail and many more.

Marvelous Spatuletail


If I should choose just one hummingbird species in Peru this would be the one. It is the most spectacular Hummingbird in Peru. The male has long streamers ending in blue rackets. It may not yet be a large tourist attraction since it occurs only in Amazonas department and a bit off the beaten track for most general tourists coming to Peru, but it is certainly on the birdwatcher’s radar on the Northern Birding Circuit and the principle attraction. Kolibri Expeditions has initiated a project here together with local farmer Santos Montenegro obtaining funds through our clients allowing Santos to buy some land from his neighbors. The idea is to turn the small reserve to a Hummingbird information center.

Chilean Flamingo

Chilean Flamingo
Flamingos are big tourist attractions all over the world, and the Chilean Flamingo in Peru is not an exception, especially since legend has that the flamingos San Martin saw in Paracas before leading the liberation from Spain, inspired to the design of the Peruvian flag. There is not a person in Peru, that is not familiar with this story. Unfortunately, many flamingo colonies are well off the beaten track, except that of wintering flamingos still present at the Paracas bay. One may hope however those remote flamingo colonies could be integrated in sustainable tourism packages and this way supply income to local communities at the same time protecting the colonies. The practice common is the past to scare the colony to take flight for a photograph, is fortunately no longer carried out. It seems to me that Peruvian awareness for the well being of the natural attractions has increased in recent years.

Hoatzin.

HoatzinWithout being a particularly rare bird, the Hoatzin inhabits lake sides. It prehistoric looks, similar to the Archaeopteryx and the fact that the young have claws in the wings, make it a tantalizing. The hisses it makes add to its pre-historic image. It occurs in colonies and is mostly not hunted because its meat is smelly and not good. It has constantly bad breath as its digest is completely leaves which are fermented in the crop. Hoatzin can be seen in many places in the Amazon. Most photogenic perhaps at Amazonia Lodge.

Humboldt Penguin

Humboldt PenguinParacas has been the traditional place where many tourists come in contact with the species for the first time while visiting the sea-lion colonies at Ballestas Islands. In recent years however trips have been arranged to sea-lion colony at Islas Palomino from Callao, Lima, where also the Penguins occur and this is a time effective alternative to Paracas. Recent studies show that Humboldt Penguins are very sensitive to disturbance – much more so – than its close relative Magellanic Penguin that occurs in Patagonia and with colonies that attracts tens of thousands of visitors. Fortunately, there are no colonies in Peru that are accessible to tourists to walk around in. The large colony at Punta San Juan near Nazca is closed to the public.

Other places where one can see Humboldt Penguin include Pucusana and the new San Fernando reserve close to Nazca.

Torrent Duck

Torrent Duck. Photo: Alex DuranA highly dimorphic beautiful duck specialized living its life in streaming water and fascinating to watch. One of the best place to see them is at Aguas Calientes below Machu Picchu. In fact, they can often be seen looking out the window from the train to Machu Picchu.

Waved Albatross

Waved AlbatrossIn spite of being a bird breeding on the Galapagos, practically all individuals of the species will spend considerable time in Peruvian Waters in its lifetime when not breeding. The pelagic birdwatching and whale-watching trips from Lima has made it possible for larger numbers of people to see an albatross at relative ease. Waved Albatross is critically threatened due to high adult mortality in recent years. In spite of being one of the smaller albatrosses, with 2.30m wingspan it is still impressive and a highlight for anyone venturing to sea to see it.

This article was brought to you by Kolibri Expeditions.  Kolibri Expeditions runs tours everywhere in Peru and can take you to all these birds, providing a full-fledged birding holiday or a holiday to culture and nature on a more general level.

Photos by license of creative commons: Ogwen (Condor), Species snob (Chilean Flamingo), Olliethebastard (Hoatzin), and Inca Tern close up by Suneko
Special thanks to Tim Ryan of The faraway, nearby blog, for letting me use his Macaw pictures from Tambopata. All other pictures by Gunnar Engblom and Alex Duran (Rufous-crested Coquette and Torrent Duck). GE´s and AD´s pictures may be used under creative commons license. Link and acknowledge this page. Thanks.
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