Bird Tours Peru - North Peru

Extension Tumbes (6 days)

After birding Bosque Pomac in the morning of day 17 of the main nothern peru tour, we'll drive north to Piura for the night. Hotel in Piura.

Day 1 - to Tumbes
We'll spend the morning driving to Tumbes, then make a brief outing to nearby mangroves in the afternoon. The birds here are mostly widespread outside of Peru but not found further south in our country; possibilities include White Ibis, "Mangrove" Yellow Warbler, Magnificent Frigatebird, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Common Black-Hawk and, with a lot of luck, Rufous-necked Wood-Rail. Hotel in Tumbes.

Day 2-5 - TRZ
On Day 2 we'll head to the Tumbes Reserved Zone, a spectacular, large reserve protecting extensive Tumbesian forest. We'll have most of four days to bird this area, with options for camping in more remote and interesting areas depending on the group. Possibilities here are almost endless; some highlights could include Flame-rumped and Black-and-white Tanagers, "Pacific" Royal Flycatcher, Saffron Siskin, Pale-browed Tinamou, Ochre-bellied Dove, Grey-breasted Flycatcher, Rufous-headed Chachalaca, Violet-bellied Hummingbird, and Blackish-headed Spinetail. On our last trip here, we had the first Peruvian records of White-whiskered Puffbird - there is much still to discover in this fascinating forest. On Day 5, we'll return to Tumbes late in the afternoon.

Day 6 - flight to Lima
After some morning birding near Tumbes (flight times permitting), we'll conclude to tour with flights back to Lima (or you could still do the Cordillera Blanca extension!).

 

Extension Cordillera Blanca (5 days)

After birding Bosque Pomac in the morning of day 17 of the main nothern peru tour, we'll drive south to Trujillo, where we may see Waved Albatross virtually from our hotel, depending on the year's water conditions. Hotel in Trujillo.

Day 1 - to San Damian
We'll spend the morning driving south from Trujillo, stopping for an undescribed race of Necklaced Spinetail early and arriving in Huarmey in the early afternoon. A check of the harbour there could produce migrant shorebirds or terns. In the afternoon we'll drive up to San Damian, where we'll camp for the night.

Day 2 - San Damian
We'll have most of the day for the difficult - but rewarding - hike up to the now inaccessible habitat for the rare and endemic Russet-bellied Spinetail - one of the most unique species in a rather uniform genus. Great Inca-Finch and Piura Chat-Tyrant are also common here; other birds we will likely have seen earlier in the tour but this will be a second chance for Bay-crowned Brush-Finch. Later in the day, as we return to the village, we often see the enigmatic Peruvian Martin circling over the valley. We'll drive on to Huaraz for the night. Hotel in Huaraz (or Yungay, depending on the group).

Day 3 - Llanganuco
We'll have a full day to bird the Polylepis forests spectacularly situated below the highest peak in the tropics - Nevado Huascaran. These forests are home to a unique avifauna - among the specialties are Ancash Tapaculo, Striated Earthcreeper, Rufous-eared Brush-Finch, Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch and, with luck, White-cheeked Cotinga. Other birds, more widespread but still very special, include Giant Conebill, Tit-like Dacnis and Stripe-headed Antpitta. Typical puna birds can be found around the lake above the forest, including Puna Teal, Andean Goose, Plain-breasted Earthcreeper and Andean Hillstar. In the afternoon, we'll return to Huaraz for the night. Hotel in Huaraz.

Day 4 - Canrash to Huacho
We'll make an early start on good roads to the distant forest at Canrash; specialties at this Polylepis forest patch include Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant and Tawny Tit-Spinetail, while the nearby lake is home to Giant Coot. We'll then make the long drive down to the coast and south to Huacho. Hotel in Huacho.

Day 5 - Lomas de Lachay
The birding this day will be entirely different from the rest of the trip. We'll visit various areas near Lomas de Lachay, searching the nearly moonscape-like habitat for Cactus Canastero, Greyish Miner and Raimondi's Yellow-Finch, while more vegetated areas are home to Thick-billed Miner, Collared Warbling-Finch, Least Seedsnipe and Tawny-throated Dotterel. Visiting nearby areas, if time permits, will reward us with Peruvian Tern, Chilean Flamingo and a variety of waterfowl and shorebirds, including Peruvian Thick-knee. We can be in Lima in time for late afternoon or evening flights.

	TANAGER TOURS
	Lima - Peru
	Phone:	+51 1 9858 36609
	e-mail:	info@tanagertours.com

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