August 1-15, 2025 with Micah Riegner & Luis Miyanchi
Iquitos is one of those places you can spend two weeks and the species accumulation curve doesn’t flatten out. This was certainly true for our 2025 tour. We kept seeing new things every single day, up until the last few hours before we had to catch our flight back to Lima! So, let me walk you through how it went. We landed in Iquitos, met Luis, our local guide, and took off for the Rio Nanay where we spent the afternoon enjoying Black-crested Antshrikes, Crane Hawk, Purple-throated Euphonias, Cinereous Becards and a Band-tailed Nighthawk right at dusk. The next morning, we targeted a very special bird: Allpahuayo Antbird. This species was one of the “white sands forest” species described by Bret Whitney and Pepe Alvarez in the early 2000s. After a rather long drive, we walked a trail where we found a pair of the Allpahuayo Antbirds in the dark understory, the female more colorful than the male. Later that afternoon at the Allpahuayo-Mishana Reserve, we watched a mixed troop of Ecuadorian Squirrel Monkeys and Red-mantled Saddle-back Tamarins feeding on figs, plus we saw Ancient Antwren, Brown Nunlet, Yellow-billed Nunbird, and White-eared Jacamars. We continued to bird at Allpahuayo-Mishana the following day, finding Plain-throated Antwrens, Citron-bellied Attila, Brown-banded Puffbird, White-crowned Manakin, some Pearly Antshrikes and a pair of Short-billed Leaftossers right in the middle of the trail. On our way back, we saw a male Black-necked Red Cotinga zipping back and forth across the trail. When it flew, we could hear a whistling sound produced by its wings.
The next morning, our change in habitat brought about a brand-new set of birds. We loaded into a motorized boat and cruised downstream on the Amazon to a whitewater river island where we saw Black-and-white Antbirds, Plain-breasted Piculets, Parker’s, White-bellied, Dark-breasted and Red-and-white Spinetails, Lesser Hornero, Olive-spotted Hummingbirds, Lesser Wagtail-Tyrants, Pearly-breasted and Bicolored Conebills, Little Cuckoo and Island Streaked Flycatchers. The lifers were coming so fast it was hard to keep up! We then motored on to Ceiba Tops, stopping for Black Skimmers and Pied Plover at a sandbar. At Ceiba Tops we searched for Pygmy Marmoset, but they retreated before we could get good views. We did, however, have great views of Black-tailed Antbird, Leaden Antwren, and Pale-billed Hornero at a nearby trail. We reached Explorama Lodge, had lunch, then birded the nearby trails finding Black Bushbird, White-shouldered and Plumbeous Antbirds, Slate-colored Hawk and White-chinned Jacamars before dinner.
Water levels in the rivers were higher than normal, leaving us with a lot of mud to contend with on Isla Yanamono, therefore, we could only do a small section of the trail before turning back. Thankfully, we found a Zimmer’s Woodcreeper before we turned around. Reaching the edge of the island, we found a pair of Orange-fronted Plushcrowns constructing a nest. They were grabbing twigs about 10 inches long and flying up to the nest, building it from the bottom up. Castelnau’s Antshrikes, Yellow-bellied Dacnis, a migrant Swainson’s Flycatcher and White-winged Becards were also present. We crossed back to the mainland and walked the varzea trail, where Orange-eyed Flatbill made its appearance, along with Spot-backed and Plumbeous Antbirds, and Buff-throated, Elegant and Striped Woodcreepers. A Straight-billed Hermit visited a heliconia just in front of us, too! After lunch we went downstream from Yanamono Island to a recently exposed sandbar where Luis had seen Sand-colored Nighthawks the week before. They were still there, vocalizing and displaying in broad daylight. We also found a Black Skimmer nest with four eggs, so we hastily retreated to avoid stressing out the adults. From there, we crossed to another slightly older island, with lots Gynerium cane where we saw another island specialist: River Tyrannulet.
Before leaving Explorama Lodge, we took one more walk through the trails and saw Rufous-breasted Hermit, a family of Plumbeous Antbirds with youngsters bouncing around on the ground, Amazonian Trogon, Silvered and Gray Antbirds, Spot-winged Antshrike and yet another Black Bushbird. After lunch we took off for the Rio Napo. Reaching Expornapo Lodge, we assembled into a smaller boat that took us up a shallow creek all the way back to ACTS Lodge. There was just enough water in the creek to get us through, otherwise we would have had to walk. We reached ACTS, got settled into the rooms, then went straight to the canopy walkway for the late afternoon. From the main platform 160 feet off the ground, we saw Many-banded Araçaris, White-fronted Nunbirds and a close Yellow-throated Woodpecker. At dusk we called in a Long-tailed Potoo that flew right in and vocalized below us. Just incredible!
The following morning, we returned to the canopy walkway and saw Lanceolated Monklet, several White-browed Purpletufts, Amazonian Elaenia, Dugand’s Antwren, and some close Great Jacamars that flew in right below us. By 9:00 am it was getting quite hot, so we headed to the trails below. Yellow-billed Jacamars, Blue-crowned Manakin, Amazonian Barred Woodcreeper and a Casqued Oropendola kept us busy until lunchtime. Further exploration of the ACTS trail system the following days brought us Black-and-white Tody-Flycatcher, Common Scale-backed Antbird, Yellow-browed Antbirds, a spectacular Wire-tailed Manakin, and Purplish Jacamars, a species that I had yet to see! We also saw (and, more importantly, heard) Musician Wren in the afternoon. What an incredible song!
From ACTS we walked back to Explornapo Lodge but, before that, we had one more session on the canopy walkway and saw a pair of Black-faced Hawks, Slender-footed Tyrannulet, Monk Sakis and Neotropical Pygmy Squirrels. On our walk to Explornapo we saw a pair of secretive Scaly-breasted Wrens, Rusty-belted Tapaculo, and Luis found us Rusty-breasted Nunlet just before it started to rain. We reached Explornapo and, as we finished lunch, I heard the distant cry of a Purple-throated Cotinga, so we rushed out to the deck and saw it on the other side of the Quebrada Sucusari. What an awesome bird! In the afternoon we did a relaxing boat ride to Yarina Cocha and saw a super-cooperative Cinnamon Attila, a pair of Amazonian Streaked Antwrens, several Velvet-fronted Grackles and some Short-tailed Nighthawks at dusk.
During our days at Explornapo we birded various spots along the Quebrada Sucusari and Rio Napo and saw Plum-throated Cotinga, Lemon-throated Barbet, a very cooperative Dot-backed Antbird, Long-billed Starthroat and a number of White-chinned and White-chested Swifts overhead, Sepia-capped Flycatchers, Riparian Antbird, Varzea Thrush, Riparian Parrotlets and an Amazonian Umbrellabird flying across the river. Along Sendero Julian, a trail that goes along the flooded forest, we came across Spotted Puffbird, Mustached Antwrens, Tropical Royal Flycatcher, Ochre-throated Foliage-gleaner and a pair of Collared Puffbirds posing nicely.
Nocturnal Curassow is always a tricky species to see. First you need to have a nice clear night, preferably with a full moon, and then you need to hear one singing within a reasonable distance. Once you reach the area where the bird is singing, you need to find it up in the canopy… much easier said than done! Our original plan was to find one at ACTS, but the three nights we were there, Luis and I didn’t hear one anywhere close. So, we resorted to plan B, which was to try from a small creek off the Rio Napo. We took off after dinner with Lisbiño, a local forest guy who showed us to a zone where he regularly hears the curassows. We tied up to a trunk, cut the motor and I played the recording. We waited a bit and heard one way the heck off in the distance. I thought we’d be out of luck, but Lisbiño said “diez vueltas adelante” so we continued up another ten bends in the river. We stopped and tied up again, and I played the recording. Within a few seconds the bird sang back, and it was right above us! I was blown away by Lisbiño’s precision. We got out and found the bird through a tiny hole in the canopy.
Our final morning at Explornapo we saw both Sooty and Slate-colored Antbirds, a singing Striolated Manakin, and a busy feeding flock with Rufous-tailed Stipplethroat, another Rusty-breasted Nunlet, Flame-crested Tanager, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher and Dusky-throated Antshrike. Before reaching the lodge, we saw Yellow-handed Titis in a group with Black-Mantle Tamarins. We had our final buffet lunch, then took off for Iquitos, stopping at Isla San Alejandro in the Napo where we had good views of Ash-breasted Antbird, and Brownish Elaenia. We stopped again at Ceiba Tops and this time had great looks at the Pygmy Marmosets. Before heading to the airport for our flight back to Lima we squeezed in one more morning of birding at the Allpahuayo Mishana Reserve where we saw Rufous-backed Stipplethroat and Duida Woodcreeper, two new birds to wrap up a great trip.
I’d like to thank Luis for some great comradery and finding us some fabulous birds, Nicole in our office for making all our arrangements, and you all for joining us on this adventure in Amazonia. I look forward to seeing you again soon—perhaps in Mexico, Brazil or Bolivia!
Mammals
Northern Black-eared Opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) Seen off the Quebrada Sucusari one evening.
Proboscis Bat (Rhynchonycteris naso)
Greater Sac-winged Bat (Saccopteryx bilineata) We saw one clinging to a buttress of a big tree.
Northern Pygmy Marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea) We had fantastic views of some at Ceiba Tops.
Black-mantled Tamarin (Saguinus nigricollis) Daily encounters at Explornapo.
Red-mantle Saddle-back Tamarin (Saguinus lagonotus) The tamarins we saw at Allpahuayo-Mishana Reserve.
Ecuadorian Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri macrodon) Abundant throughout the trip.
Spix's Night Monkey (Aotus vociferans) Heard behind our cabins at Explornapo.
Red-crowned Titi (Plecturocebus discolor) We saw some at Allpahuayo-Mishana Reserve.
White-collared Titi (Cheracebus torquatus) Seen our final morning at Explornapo.
Monk Saki Monkey (Pithecia monachus) Seen at a distance from the ACTS Canopy Walkway.
Linnaeus's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus) We had great views of one at Allpahuayo-Mishana.
Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus) We saw a few throughout the trip.
Northern Amazon Red Squirrel (Sciurus igniventris)
Neotropical Pygmy Squirrel (Sciurillus pusillus) Wow! One of my favorite mammals of the trip. We saw some at the ACTS Canopy Walkway.
Yellow-crowned Brush-tailed Rat (Isothrix bistriata) We saw one in a tree cavity along the way to ACTS.
Amazon River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) We saw a couple on the Rio Napo one afternoon.
Tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis) They were actively jumping out of the Amazon River in front of Iquitos.
Reptiles
Tropical Thornytail Iguana (Urocentron flaviceps) We saw a pair of these odd canopy lizards from the ACTS Canopy Walkway.
Amazon Bark Anole (Anolis ortonii) Seen too from the ACTS Canopy Walkway.
You can see my complete trip report on eBird at this link: https://ebird.org/tripreport/406582
You can download a combined PDF of this page and the eBird report at this link: https://fieldguides.com/triplists/iqu25TRIPLIST.pdf
-- Micah