Peru: The Magnificent Manu Road and Lowland Rainforest

Pre-tour extension around Lima 

The surroundings of Lima offer some wonderful and easy birding, and this two-day pre-tour will not only give you to see many wonderful and specialized species but also some buffer time between your international flight and the start of the main tour. 

Day 1: The trip begins at 6 p.m. in the lobby of our Lima International Airport area hotel. Night in Lima.

Day 2: We’ll drive south of Lima to visit some coastal wetlands and agricultural fields full of stunning birds. The diversity of waterbirds and sheer abundance is amazing, and species we should encounter include White-cheeked Pintail, Great Grebe, Little Blue Heron, Puna Ibis, Slate-colored (Andean) Coot, Plumbeous Rail, the stunning Many-colored Rush-Tyrant, and the cryptic Wren-like Rushbird. With luck, we may even find the secretive Least Bittern.

After lunch, we’ll take a short boat trip to look for various Humboldt seabirds such as Red-legged Cormorant, Peruvian Pelican, Peruvian Booby, the vulnerable Humboldt Penguin, and the endemic Surf Cinclodes. On our way back to Lima we will stop at some agricultural fields where we’ll have a great chance of finding exciting species like Amazilia Hummingbird, Rufescent Flycatcher, Peruvian Elaenia (a forthcoming split of White-crested Elaenia), Long-tailed Mockingbird, Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet, and the local dark morph of Vermilion Flycatcher. Night in Lima.

Day 3: We’ll leave early for the Lomas de Lachay National Reserve. Located in the extremely arid Atacama/Sechura Desert, one of the driest places in the world, the reserve features a unique mist-fed ecosystem. During the humid season (June to November) the dense clouds make moist contact with the peculiar geography of this area, and the resultant humidity gives life to more than 150 species of plants and 80 species of birds.

We’ll be there during the middle of the wet season, which will be extremely interesting from a botanical perspective, and is the best season for bird activity! We’ll have good opportunities to find some of the exceptional birds of this remarkable area, including Burrowing Owl, Coastal Miners, Andean Tinamou, Peruvian Thick-knee, and Least Seedsnipe. We may even find some rare ones such as Thick-billed Miner or Raimondi’s Yellow-Finch. After a lunch in the reserve, we’ll head back to Lima for some rest and to prepare for the start of the main tour. Night in Lima.

Main tour

Day 1: The trip begins at 6 p.m. in the lobby of our Lima International Airport area hotel. Night in Lima.

Day 2: We’ll fly early this morning to Cusco and board our bus for a day of birding. We’ll stop at a lake or two where we’ll likely see Andean Gull, Puna Ibis, White-tufted Grebe, and several kinds of ducks. Some of the birds inhabiting the rushes by the lakeshores could include Many-colored Rush-Tyrant, Wren-like Rushbird, and Plumbeous Rail, while nearby drier hillsides host the local Rusty-fronted Canastero and Bearded Mountaineer. Night in Cusco.

Day 3: We’ll depart by bus for the trip to the eastern slope of the Andes. We’ll make several stops as we climb over a couple of interior ridges and traverse some drier intermontane valleys before arriving at the last Andean pass, Acjanaco. Some birds we’ll likely see along the way include Mountain Caracara, Andean Flicker, Slender-billed Miner, and Mourning, Peruvian, and Ash-breasted Sierra Finches. Diversity increases as the habitats become moister and denser, with the endemic Creamy-crested Spinetail and very local Chestnut-breasted Mountain Finch possible. Near the pass, we’ll look for flocks in the patches of the humid treeline forest in hopes of encountering Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Golden-collared Tanager, White-browed Conebill, and Black-throated and Moustached Flowerpiercers. We’ll look particularly for Line-fronted and Scribble-tailed Canasteros, local species found only at high elevation or above treeline. As we descend the eastern slope of the Andes to our accommodations at 9400 feet, the forest becomes more continuous. The vast array of birds here includes White-collared Jay and Mountain Cacique, and we’ll hope to see mixed flocks of tanagers, flycatchers, and furnariids. In the evening we’ll go to a favorite spot where we’ve had good luck finding Swallow-tailed Nightjar. Night at Wayqecha Birding Lodge.

Day 4: At breakfast, we’ll be greeted by a dawn chorus of Great Thrushes, Glossy-black Thrushes, and Black-faced Brushfinches. We’ll have a full day in these uppermost elevations of the Kosñipata cloud forests, birding from the road that borders Manu National Park as well as on trails that enter the Amazon Conservation Association’s private reserve and research station. We’ll principally be birding along the road, almost certainly hearing Red-and-white Antpitta and Trilling Tapaculo, and with more than a bit of luck, we’ll even see one or both. The lodge now has feeders, and possible hummingbirds here are the creatively named Shining Sunbeam and Amethyst-throated Sunangel, and other high-elevation specialties could include Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Marcapata Spinetail, and Barred Fruiteater. We may return to Acjanaco Pass a few kilometers back up the road for any high-elevation birds we might have missed the day before, such as Puna Thistletail, Undulated Antpitta, Great Sapphirewing, or Grass Wren, the last an Andean resident recently split from North American Sedge Wren. Night at Wayqecha Birding Lodge.

Day 5: We’ll spend the bulk of this day making stops along the road, starting in the high-elevation cloud forests below our lodge at 9400 feet down to our next lodge at 4600 feet. Lower down, as we walk along this little-traveled road, we’ll keep an eye out for Masked Trogon, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant, Inca Flycatcher, Blue-banded Toucanet, and a wide variety of other hummingbirds, flycatchers, and tanagers. The list of possible birds is all but overwhelming, and perhaps equally exciting are the myriad butterflies that come to seeps, puddles, and flowers. Lush, cloud-forest vegetation with flowers such as wild nasturtiums, fuchsias, Pitcairnia, and Bomarea (all attractive to hummingbirds) as well as fabulous vistas of undisturbed forest will make our day’s journey down the Manu Road memorable. Night in San Pedro.

Day 6: We’ll spend a full day exploring the middle-elevation forests, concentrating on the habitats found from 6500 feet down to 4500 feet, home to many narrow-range specialties and an exceptionally comfortable climate. Birding these forests can be like visiting a bird buffet, with fancy quetzals and cotingas and mixed flocks of dazzling tanagers. Among the many possibilities are Crested and Golden-headed Quetzals, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Slaty Gnateater, Yungas Manakin, Andean and White-eared Solitaires, Deep-blue Flowerpiercer, and Golden, Paradise, Blue-necked, Golden-eared, and Orange-eared Tanagers. We sometimes get lucky with a troop of Geoffroy’s Woolly Monkeys in the roadside trees, and if it’s sunny, butterflies such as eighty-eights, jewels, and clearwings will continue to delight. We’ll visit a nearby Andean Cock-of-the-rock lek to watch up to ten or more males engaged in their strange mating dance at surprisingly close range. Hummingbirds at the lodge’s feeders and porterweed hedges should include Violet-fronted Brilliant, Many-spotted Hummingbird, and Rufous Booted Racket-tail, while Geoffroy’s Daggerbill, Wire-crested Thorntail, and White-bellied Woodstar are also possible at the flowers. We’ll also do some night birding here; we could find Rufescent Screech-Owl and Band-bellied Owl, but the real treat will be the Lyre-tailed Nightjar show: watching a male Lyre-tailed swoop across the sky at dusk is truly awesome. Night in San Pedro.

Day 7: After a pre-dawn breakfast we’ll spend the morning birding the lower foothill forests where more mixed flocks are our target. We’ll pay special attention to the stretch between 4500 and 2500 feet, which has relatively untouched forest, a rarity in the Andes as the climate is ideal for raising cash crops such as tea, coffee, and coca. In the past, we’ve seen many species restricted to this upper tropical zone, including Peruvian Piedtail, Versicolored Barbet, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Stripe-chested Antwren, Ornate Stipplethroat, Cinnamon-faced Tyrannulet, Ornate Flycatcher, Black-backed Tody-Flycatcher, and Chestnut-breasted Wren. On one stretch of the road we’ll search for the Inti Tanager, first documented on WINGS tours in 2000 and 2003 and described finally in 2021. We’ll arrive at our next lodge with plenty of time to settle in before some late afternoon birding close to our rooms. Night at Villa Carmen.

Days 8–10: We’ll spend two full days at Villa Carmen. This birding lodge and biological research station owned by the Amazonian Conservation Association is in the transitional zone where the last low foothills of the Andes begin to flatten out into the Amazon Basin proper; while many of the species are Amazonian in affinity, some that are limited to the outer foothills are found only here. The possibilities are almost endless and include Uniform Crake, Hoatzin, Blue-headed and Chestnut-fronted Macaws, Yellow-billed Nunbird, Scarlet-hooded Barbet, Golden-bellied Warbler, Bamboo Antshrike, Black-throated Antbird, Rusty-belted Tapaculo, Ringed Antpipit, Johannes’s Tody-Tyrant, Hauxwell’s Thrush, and Band-tailed, Round-tailed, and Fiery-capped Manakins—in a word, tons of birds. We’ll make a short drive one day to visit a hummingbird feeding station where we may find Rufous-crested Coquette, Koepcke’s Hermit, and many other species. We’ll have the chance to go night birding here as well, and we should hear and possibly see Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, Black-banded Owl, and Common Potoo. Nights at Villa Carmen.

Day 11: After replacing our bus by a motorized canoe, much of today will be devoted to travel as we’ll motor down the Madre de Dios River to our next lodge, Tambo Blanquillo. The boat ride itself is delightful, and we’ll stop for any number of birds that can be seen along the rivers, such as Sand-colored Nighthawk, roosting Great Potoo, Orinoco Goose, Capped Heron, and various other herons and parrots. Night at Tambo Blanquillo Lodge.

Days 12-13: During our two full days at Tambo Blanquillo, we’ll have several activities such as a boat ride on an oxbow lake, a visit to a parrot clay lick, and a visit to the canopy platform. An early morning visit to the clay lick should yield numbers of Yellow-crowned, Orange-cheeked, and Blue-headed Parrots, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, and most mornings groups of Red-and-green Macaws come down, though every day is different and unpredictable. Late morning will see us on the canopy platform where one has a totally novel view of the tropical rainforest. Here we’ll have a better chance to see species such as Gilded Barbet, Amazonian Pygmy-Owl, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, White-necked Puffbird, and Paradise, Turquoise, and Green-and-gold Tanagers. Finally in the afternoon, we’ll take a two-hour boat ride on the lake, where we’ll look for Hoatzin, Sungrebe, Horned Screamer, American Pygmy and Green-and-rufous Kingfishers, and Pale-eyed Blackbird. With luck, we may see the rare Agami Heron and possibly spot a rail or two while looking for the local family of Giant Otters. Night at Tambo Blanquillo.

Day 14: After some early birding at Tambo Blanquillo Lodge, we will have a five-hour journey to our home for the next few days, Los Amigos Research Station. We’ll try to fit in some birding in the late afternoon as we familiarize ourselves with the grounds, perhaps seeing the Undulated Tinamous that, quite incredibly, forage in the open lawn. Night at Los Amigos

Days 15–18: Los Amigos Research Station and Birding Lodge, owned by the nonprofit Amazon Conservation Association (which also owns Wayqecha and Villa Carmen Biological Stations, visited on the previous tour), is situated where the Los Amigos and Madre de Dios Rivers converge. The biological station is part of a watershed that includes millions of acres of protected wilderness in southeastern Peru. The landscape is a mosaic of terrestrial and aquatic habitats, including palm swamps, bamboo thickets, oxbow lakes, and various types of flooded and unflooded forests. Large stands of Guadua bamboo coupled with the extensive várzea (a wet forest inundated during the peak of the rainy season), terra firme (a forest occurring on higher ground that never gets flooded), and mature transitional floodplain forest ensure a huge variety of birdlife at Los Amigos. A casual day of birding on foot could easily yield 200 species. Two recent big days here tallied 345 and 347 species on foot, making this possibly the single birdiest location on the planet.

Some of the more interesting and unusual species possible in the bamboo are Rufous-headed Woodpecker, Manu Antbird, Peruvian Recurvebill, and Long-crested Pygmy-Tyrant. Throughout the forest various species of foliage-gleaners and antbirds join in mixed flocks. Some of the scarcer species here include Bartlett’s Tinamou, Razor-billed Curassow, Pale-winged Trumpeter, Pavonine Quetzal, Purus Jacamar, Cream-colored Woodpecker, Banded Antbird, Tropical Royal Flycatcher, and Musician Wren, to name but a few, and we’ll certainly look for the especially rare and local Rufous-fronted Antthrush and Black-faced Cotinga. 

Butterflies abound here, and since the dragonflies of this region have been studied more thoroughly than almost anywhere else in the Amazon, we might be able to put names to some of the more colorful ones we see. Thirteen species of primates are known from the reserve, and we’ll surely see a good selection of some of them, and possibly even rarer mammals such as Jaguar, Giant Anteater, and Short-eared Dog. 

Night birding may produce potoos, Mottled and Black-banded Owls, and Ocellated Poorwill, as well as a good chance for fascinating nocturnal invertebrates, tree frogs, and Amazonian Tree Boa, the only snake with a bright eyeshine. Nights at Los Amigos. 

Day 19: After some early morning birding around our lodge, we’ll travel back to Puerto Maldonado via a combination of boats and wheeled vehicles, taking up much of the day, including stops for any birds and mammals. Night in Puerto Maldonado.

Day 20: We’ll have a few hours in the morning for some roadside birding near Puerto Maldonado, where we’ll certainly see a few new species. Rusty-margined Flycatcher occurs at the edge of its range here, and several species have spread into Peru from Bolivia in this area including Grassland Sparrow. On one recent tour we discovered the second country record of White-bellied Seedeater, and on another, a Tiny Hawk was a wonderful surprise. You never know what you’ll see. We’ll have an afternoon flight back to Lima, and after a farewell dinner at the airport area hotel, the tour will conclude at the Lima International Airport.

2025 Narrative

This has been a truly fantastic and remarkably successful tour along The Magnificent Manu Road and Lowland Rainforest! Starting high in the Andes near Cusco, at about 11,000 feet (3,400 meters) in elevation, we birded all the way down to the Amazonian lowlands, finishing our journey in Puerto Maldonado at just 850 feet (180 meters). Along the way, we explored an incredible variety of habitats—puna grasslands, páramo, elfin forest, temperate and tropical montane forest, oxbow lakes, flooded and terra firme forest in the lowlands, stands of Guadua and Chusquea bamboo, and much more. The diversity of landscapes was simply breathtaking!

We delighted in the dazzling display of Andean Cock-of-the-rocks at their lek, marveled at the flocks of parrots visiting the clay lick at Blanquillo Lodge, and visited several feeding stations attracting a wonderful range of species—antpittas, tinamous, antbirds, crakes, and an impressive array of hummingbirds. We quietly navigated two wildlife-rich oxbow lakes by catamaran and even enjoyed a stunning sunset over the Amazonian forest from a canopy platform 150 feet (45 meters) above the ground. What an unforgettable experience!

It’s nearly impossible to summarize such an exceptional tour with just a few highlights, but some sightings were truly unforgettable. Among the most memorable were a pair of dazzling Rufous-crested Coquettes feeding on blooming bushes along the Manu Road; extended, close-up views of the rarely seen Chestnut-crested Cotinga; incredible encounters with two different groups of Pale-winged Trumpeters; and the discovery of a nesting Starred Wood-Quail, found thanks to the use of a thermal camera. We also had a Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle perch just a few branches from our canopy platform, superb views of a Semicollared Puffbird devouring a large caterpillar, and fantastic looks at a pair of the very local White-cheeked Tody-Flycatcher—plus so many more!

Beyond the birds, we also recorded no fewer than eight species of monkeys, had a close encounter with a large group of White-lipped Peccaries, and enjoyed sightings of countless other fascinating creatures and beautiful butterflies. Full trip report on eBird: https://ebird.org/tripreport/411428

FULL REPORT

Most of the group met at our airport hotel in Lima, where we held our introductory meeting followed by our first delicious dinner of Peruvian cuisine.

Cusco area

After our night in Lima, we took an early flight to the bustling city of Cusco, where we met our driver, Omar, and immediately set off toward nearby Huacarpay Lake. There, we quickly found Puna and Yellow-billed Teals, Yellow-billed Pintail, Slate-colored Coot, numerous Andean Gulls, and Puna Ibises. Several Plumbeous Rails showed well in the open, while in the reeds we admired a few dazzling Many-colored Rush-Tyrants along with the more subdued Wren-like Rushbird. The surrounding shrubland produced Band-tailed Seedeaters, Chiguanco Thrushes, and the ubiquitous Rufous-collared Sparrow.

We continued to the “Sacred Garden,” where several feeders were attracting a dozen Giant Hummingbirds, at least three stunning Bearded Mountaineers, plus Black-tailed Trainbearer, White-bellied Hummingbird, and Sparkling Violetear. Among the many hummingbirds, we also observed Spot-winged Pigeon, half a dozen Black-backed Grosbeaks, and two White-browed Chat-Tyrants. After a fine lunch there, we made our way back to Cusco, spotting a perched Aplomado Falcon and a Rusty-fronted Canastero in roadside scrub. At Piuray Lake, we enjoyed large numbers of Yellow-billed Pintail and Teal, White-tufted and Silvery Grebes, Slate-colored Coots, and a few Andean Ducks and Puna Teals. Migrants included Baird’s Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, and Wilson’s Phalarope, stopping en route to their wintering grounds. We couldn’t have ended our first day better than with another excellent dinner at our comfortable hotel in Cusco.

The Sacred Valley and Wayqecha

We began our next day with a beautiful drive through the Sacred Valley, where spectacular Inca ruins dot the landscape. A stop at the Tambomachay ruins yielded a pair of the striking endemic Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch, three Creamy-crested Spinetails, and even a pair of Andean Tinamous! We also explored the ruins of Pisac before heading higher into puna grassland, finding numerous Ash-breasted Sierra-Finches, a few Peruvian Sierra-Finches, Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant, and Streak-backed Canastero. Other highlights included both White-winged and Cream-winged Cinclodes, Mountain Caracara, and Andean Flicker — but the surprise of the day was two Ornate Tinamous quietly crossing the grass!

As we drove toward Paucartambo, the last village for the next week, we spotted Rufous-webbed Bush-Tyrant and Andean Ibis. Reaching the Acjanaco Pass, the gateway to Manu National Park, we began our descent along the pristine eastern slope. During a few brief stops on the way to Wayqecha, we encountered Golden-collared and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers, Moustached and Masked Flowerpiercers, Tyrian Metaltail, and Red-crested Cotinga.

We arrived at our lovely Wayqecha Lodge in time to enjoy the feeders in the late afternoon, attracting Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Long-tailed Sylph, Violet-throated Starfrontlet, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Shining Sunbeam, and White-bellied Woodstar, as well as Black-faced Brushfinch, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Blue-capped Tanager, and Andean Guan!

Birding the Cloud Forest

The next morning, we returned to Acjanaco Pass to watch the sunrise over the Amazon and admire the fascinating high-altitude vegetation. Birds came quickly: a male Great Sapphirewing, several Rufous-breasted and Brown-backed Chat-Tyrants, Pearled Treerunner, Puna Thistletail, White-browed Conebill, Chestnut-backed Mountain-Tanager, and Plain-colored Seedeater, while Urubamba and Undulated Antpittas sang in the distance. A Puna Tapaculo responded well to playback, though its relative, the Diademed Tapaculo, stayed hidden I the dense vegetation.

Descending to the lodge, we encountered flocks containing Three-striped Hemispingus, Rust-and-yellow Tanager, and many Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers, plus excellent views of Yungas Pygmy-Owl and Grass Wren singing in a Stipa ichu clump. 

Back to the lodge for lunch, we appreciated a delicious meal in front of the feeders. Afterwards, we birded the tunnels below Wayqecha, where fruiting trees drew more than ten Red-crested Cotingas and at least six Chestnut-crested Cotingas, some at close range for perfect photos! The same tree also hosted a Glossy-black Thrush and a splendid male Barred Fruiteater. Nearby mixed flocks included Spectacled Redstart, Barred Becard, Montane Woodcreeper, White-banded and White-throated Tyrannulets, Grass-green, Blue-and-black, and Fawn-breasted Tanagers, and our first Capped Conebills. We stayed out until dusk and were rewarded with fantastic views of a pair of Swallow-tailed Nightjars flying and perching close by.

Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge

After a quiet night beneath the Milky Way, we began the morning by visiting several antpitta feeding stations, enjoying superb looks at three different species — Urubamba, Leymebamba, and Red-and-white Antpittas. Watching these normally secretive birds feeding in the open was a real treat!

Descending gradually toward Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge, we made several bird-filled stops at different elevations. Mixed flocks produced Superciliared and Black-capped Hemispingus, Inca Flycatcher, Ochraceous-breasted and Handsome Flycatchers, White-banded Tyrannulet, Brown-capped Vireo, Short-billed and Common Chlorospingus, Rust-and-yellow Tanager, Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager, and Slate-throated Redstart. Highlights included Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Golden-headed Quetzal, Fulvous Wren, and the shy Black-throated Tody-Tyrant. During our picnic lunch, a family of Blue-banded Toucanets entertained us, and a male Gould’s Inca dazzled everyone at close range.

Our driver Omar showed us a day roost for the rare Andean Potoo and both male and female Lyre-tailed Nightjars — always a thrill to see day-roosting nightbirds! Later, we added Deep-blue Flowerpiercer, Yellow-throated, Saffron-crowned, Orange-eared, and Golden Tanagers, plus Slaty-capped Flycatcher and Olive-backed Woodcreeper.

At the lodge, feeders attracted Silver-beaked, Golden-eared, and Blue-necked Tanagers, a stunning male Golden-collared Honeycreeper, Russet-backed Oropendola, Speckled Chachalaca, and hummingbirds including Violet-fronted Brilliant, Many-spotted Hummingbird, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Rufous-booted Racket-tail, and Green Hermit. An unexpected Amazonian Umbrellabird briefly visited the garden, and after sunset, we admired over a hundred species of moths under UV light before a peaceful night’s rest.

We had two full days to explore the surroundings of the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. On our first morning, we birded above the lodge, between 5,900 and 6,500 feet (1,800–2,000 meters), finding many new species such as Green-fronted Lancebill, Buff-thighed Puffleg, Bronzy Inca, Uniform Antshrike, Spotted Barbtail, Striped Treehunter, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Gray-mantled Wren, Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Olivaceous Siskin, and Russet-crowned Warbler.

As activity slowed with the rising temperature at mid-morning, we returned to the lodge for lunch and some relaxed birding around the garden. In addition to species seen the previous day, we enjoyed excellent views of a Bolivian Tyrannulet, a Peruvian Piedtail feeding among the garden flowers, and a splendid male Versicolored Barbet at the fruit feeders. Paradise and Saffron-crowned Tanagers glowed in the sunlight, joined by Yellow-throated Chlorospingus.

Of course, no stay at the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge would be complete without a visit to the nearby lek. There, we were treated to unforgettable views of four male Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks displaying just a few meters from our hide—a dazzling natural spectacle! On our walk back to the lodge, we added the secretive Black-striped Puffbird, Plumbeous Pigeon, Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant, Two-banded Warbler, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Golden-olive Woodpecker, and Streaked Xenops. In one large mixed flock, Steve even spotted a rare White-winged Tanager. After dinner, we capped off the day with a singing Rufescent Screech-Owl right in the lodge garden— what a perfect ending!

The Lower Road and Manu Ecolodge

On our second full day, we birded the road below the lodge, between 3,300 and 4,600 feet (1,000–1,400 meters). The morning began with fantastic views of a lovely Black-streaked Puffbird, soon followed by prolonged scope looks at a Lanceolated Monklet. We then encountered several antbirds—Stripe-chested Antwren, Yellow-breasted Warbling-Antbird, Ornate Stipplethroat, and Western Fire-eye—though the Chestnut-backed Antshrike remained “heard only.”

Other highlights included Dusky-cheeked Foliage-gleaner (our first bamboo specialist), Ash-browed Spinetail, Wire-crested Thorntail, Cuzco Warbler, Bay-headed Tanager, Purple Honeycreeper, and Bluish-fronted Jacamar. Tyrant-flycatchers were particularly diverse, with Yellow, Cinnamon-faced, Bolivian, and Yellow-olive Tyrannulets, Olive-faced and Large-headed Flatbills, Long-tailed Tyrant, Ornate Flycatcher, and the elusive Black-backed Tody-Flycatcher. Twice along the road we spotted an Amazonian Umbrellabird—always a thrilling sight—and even though we couldn’t see them, hearing Pavonine Cuckoo and Rufous-breasted Wood-Quail was a delight.

After our wonderful stay at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge, we descended further toward Manu Ecolodge at 1,600 feet (500 meters). Naturally, we made several stops en route, noting Magpie Tanager, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Southern Streaked Flycatcher, and Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant.

The highlight of the morning was undoubtedly the beautiful garden at Manu Endemic Lodge, where the feeders hosted no fewer than sixteen hummingbird species! Among them were Pale-tailed Barbthroat, White-browed and Great-billed Hermits, Rufous-crested Coquette (a pair of them!), Long-billed Starthroat, Violet-headed Emerald, Golden-tailed Sapphire, and Green-and-white Hummingbird. Watching these dazzling birds while sipping a cup of rich Peruvian coffee was pure bliss.

We also stopped at a known site where a Common Potoo was incubating a downy chick—an extraordinary sight! Nearby we added Mottle-backed Elaenia, Masked Tanager, and Pale-vented Pigeon. Upon arriving at Manu Ecolodge, we settled into our comfortable rooms overlooking a pond teeming with Hoatzins, Purple Gallinules, Limpkins, and even a few Capped Herons. The lodge grounds were equally birdy, yielding Dusky-headed Parakeet, Violaceous Jay, Red-throated Caracara, Black-fronted Nunbird, Short-crested Flycatcher, and a Crowned Slaty Flycatcher—an austral migrant soon to head south for the breeding season. The feeders and garden also attracted Blue-tailed Emerald, Gray-breasted Sabrewing, White-bearded Hermit, and Sapphire-spangled Emerald.

Manu Biolodge (formerly Villa Carmen)

We spent two full days exploring the trails at Manu Biolodge, which cross an impressive variety of habitats. Extensive bamboo areas harbored several specialists, including Rufous-headed Woodpecker, Manu, Goeldi’s, and White-lined Antbirds, Red-billed Scythebill, Rufous-capped Nunlet, Large-headed Flatbill, and Flammulated Pygmy-Tyrant. We also enjoyed wonderful views of Cinereous and Undulated Tinamous, Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, and Gray-fronted Dove at a forest feeding station.

Our walks produced a wealth of other species: Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Pectoral Sparrow, Ringed Antpipit, both Black-tailed and Blue-crowned Trogons, Scarlet-hooded Barbet, Fine-barred Piculet, Black-throated Antbird, Chestnut-crowned Foliage-gleaner, and Orange-backed Troupial—just to name a few. In a single day around the cabins, we tallied over 120 species!

A highlight of our stay was a morning at the “Pico de Hoz” garden, where the owner, Jonathan, attracts new species each year. We were treated to close encounters with White-lined and White-browed Antbirds, a pair of Great Antshrikes, Plain Softtail, and Moustached Wren. Soon after, an Amazonian Antpitta emerged into view, followed by a pair of Rufous-sided Crakes—simply spectacular! Additional highlights included Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher, Johannes’s Tody-Tyrant, Ringed Antpipit, and Rufous-breasted Hermit. In nearby bamboo, we located a pair of the very rare and localized White-cheeked Tody-Flycatcher—one of the top birds of the entire trip!

We could easily have stayed many more days at Manu Biolodge, enjoying its dazzling biodiversity of birds, butterflies, and moths. But it was time to continue toward our next destination—Tambo Blanquillo Lodge.

Tambo Blanquillo Lodge

We traded our minibus for a roofed pirogue and set off down the Madre de Dios River. For most of the day, we glided through pristine rainforest, passing breathtaking scenery. This remains one of the wildest regions on Earth—home to isolated communities that still live as their ancestors did thousands of years ago.

During our journey, we observed Pied and Collared Plovers, Sand-colored Nighthawk, Fasciated Tiger-Heron, Orinoco Geese, Greater Yellow-headed Vultures, Blue-and-yellow Macaws, Cobalt-winged Parakeets, Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant, and our first Drab Water-Tyrant.

At Tambo Blanquillo Lodge, our forest-surrounded cabins resonated with the calls of Undulated Tinamous, Russet-backed Oropendolas, and distant macaws. On a short walk around the lodge, we spotted Yellow-crowned Amazons, Purplish Jays, and a memorable encounter with two Razor-billed Curassows!

One of our main goals here was the famous macaw clay lick. After an early walk, we spent the morning in a spacious hide overlooking the lick, enjoying breakfast—pancakes and coffee—as dozens of Red-and-green Macaws and Blue-headed Parrots gathered. We also recorded over a hundred Mealy Amazons, a pair of Tuí Parakeets, and several Orange-cheeked Parrots—one of the trip’s most unforgettable moments!

In the afternoon, we explored Blanco oxbow lake by raft, encountering Wattled Jacana, Horned Screamer, Cocoi Heron, Hoatzin, and Black-capped Donacobius. Along the reedy margins, we found Silvered Antbird, Rufescent Tiger-Heron feeding a chick, all four kingfisher species (Ringed, Amazon, Green, and Green-and-rufous), the localized Pale-eyed Blackbird, and even the elusive Sungrebe— spotted by Steve!

The following day, we made two visits—morning and afternoon—to the remarkable Camungo canopy platform, an impressive structure rising 150 feet (45 meters) in a giant fig tree. From the treetops, we enjoyed an entirely new perspective of the rainforest.

Activity was fantastic: we had close views of Western Striolated-Puffbird, White-rumped Sirystes, Gilded and Lemon-throated Barbets, Forest Elaenia, Plum-throated Cotinga, and even a stunning Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle perched nearby, briefly harassed by two Bat Falcons! Nearby trees hosted Amazonian Pygmy-Owl, drumming Red-necked Woodpecker, Lettered Aracari, Slender-footed Tyrannulet, Channel-billed Toucan, and brilliant Turquoise and Green-and-gold Tanagers—an unforgettable morning!

Later, we visited a nearby oxbow lake where we found a resting Green Anaconda, Barred Antshrike, a group of ten Purus Jacamars, Band-tailed Antbird, Amazonian Streaked-Antwren, and American Pygmy Kingfisher. During short walks between sites, we added Dwarf Tyrant-Manakin, Cream-colored Woodpecker, White-eyed Stipplethroat, and Plumbeous Antbird.

Los Amigos Biological Station 

After two incredible days around Tambo Blanquillo, we began our final leg toward Los Amigos Biological Station. Before our five-hour boat ride, we revisited the Camungo trail—and it was worth it! We had a thrilling encounter with two Pale-winged Trumpeters responding to playback and crossing the trail in full view. Even more remarkable, using the thermal camera we located an incubating Starred Wood-Quail, perfectly camouflaged and observable from just a few meters away. Unforgettable!

The first part of our river journey was still framed by beautiful lowland forest, but beyond the Colorado River we saw the harsh reality of gold mining along the Madre de Dios. Vast areas of forest have been cleared and rivers polluted with mercury. It was sobering to witness the environmental impact, yet fascinating to glimpse this modern “Wild West,” where men, women, and children work in precarious conditions to extract gold with improvised machinery.

We arrived at Los Amigos by mid-afternoon, checked into our lovely cabins, and enjoyed some relaxed birding in the garden—spotting White-winged Becard, Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet, Swallow Tanager, and brief views of the tiny Fiery-capped Manakin. The day ended perfectly with a colorful sunset over the Madre de Dios River and flyovers of Scarlet Macaws.

The Los Amigos Biological Station sits at the edge of a vast 360,000-acre (146,000-hectare) protected reserve managed by the NGO Asociación para la Conservación Amazónica. Tourism here directly supports research and conservation—so our visits also helps protect this remarkable forest. We had five full days to explore the extensive trail system around our comfortable cabins at Los Amigos, visiting a wonderful variety of forest types.

In the terra firme forest surrounding the lodge, we enjoyed superb views of White-fronted Nunbird, Collared Trogon, White-shouldered Antshrike, Red-necked Woodpecker, and several Round-tailed Manakins displaying at their lek. Other highlights included Rufous-capped Antthrush, Amazonian Barred-Woodcreeper, White-bellied Tody-Tyrant, Yellow-margined Flatbill, Chestnut-winged Hookbill, and Black-bellied Cuckoo. Mixed understory and canopy flocks added even more excitement, with Dusky-throated and Bluish-slate Antshrikes, White-flanked Antwren, White-shouldered, Paradise, Opal-rumped, and Opal-crowned Tanagers, Chivi Vireo, and Swainson’s Flycatcher among others.

Within this same terra firme forest, patches of guadua bamboo held a different suite of specialists, including Long-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Large-headed and Dusky-tailed Flatbills, Ornate Stipplethroat, Dot-winged Antwren, and Striated Antbird.

Close to the lodge, we also explored several areas of flooded forest, visiting them multiple times during our stay. These rich habitats produced Flame-crested Tanager, Dusky-chested Flycatcher, Bare-necked Fruitcrow, Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher, Band-tailed Manakin at its lek, Olive-backed Foliage-gleaner, Long-billed Woodcreeper, Long-winged and Sclater’s Antwrens, a family of White-crested Spadebills, and a charming pair of Spot-backed Antbirds. We also observed Golden-green Woodpecker, a pair of White-bellied Parrots feeding in a flowering tree, and Broad-billed Motmot—among many others.

Some of the most memorable moments included fantastic close views of a pair of Rusty-belted Tapaculos approaching slowly to playback, a stunning Semi-collared Puffbird discovered with the help of our thermal camera, and an incredible perched King Vulture right inside the forest. We also enjoyed prolonged scope views of a Red-stained Woodpecker, a pair of the sought-after White-throated Jacamars, and daily encounters with raucous Scarlet Macaws around the lodge garden.

Our night walks were equally productive, yielding Crested Owl, Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, Common Pauraque, and even a male Ocellated Poorwill that nearly landed on Terence’s head!

Before leaving this extraordinary place, we couldn’t resist one last short walk in the forest. Even then, we added new species such as Yellow-billed Nunbird, Grayish Mourner, and the delightful, miniature White-browed Purpletuft—a reminder that we could easily have spent weeks here and still found new birds each day!

We then boarded our boat for the three-hour journey to the small village of Laberinto, spotting a group of more than thirty Sand-colored Nighthawks roosting on a sandbar along the way. From Laberinto, we continued to Puerto Maldonado by air-conditioned bus, arriving at our comfortable hotel in the early afternoon for a well-earned rest during the heat of the day.

That evening, we explored nearby secondary habitats and added several new species to our growing list: Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Gray-lined Hawk, a pair of Barred Antshrikes, Chestnut-bellied Seedeater, Large Elaenia, and Purus Jacamar. We also enjoyed wonderful views of a singing male Rusty-backed Antwren perched on a low bush. We even encountered a few Upland Sandpipers making a brief stopover on their southbound migration.

On our final morning, before our flight back to Lima and onward connections, we did some early birding around Puerto Maldonado. In stands of Moriche palms, we found a pair of Sulphury Flycatchers, the stunning Point-tailed Palmcreeper, several Red-bellied Macaws, and Green Ibises. In nearby open fields, a large flock of migrating Eastern Kingbirds was joined by a Burrowing Owl with two fluffy chicks, while we added several new species, including Yellowish Pipit, Saffron Finch, Grassland Sparrow, and Mouse-colored Tyrannulet.

It was the perfect finale to a fantastic and unforgettable tour—one filled with extraordinary birds, breathtaking scenery, and the shared joy of discovery along the legendary Manu Road and the vast lowland rainforests of the Amazon.

-          Fabrice Schmitt