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Our visit to a lek of the weird and wonderful Andean Cock-of-the-Rock was one of the highlights of the tour. Photo by guide Dan Lane.

“Manu” is one of those places that sounds so exotic, adventurous, and mysterious! Perhaps that’s what draws us there: the opportunity to see the mystery for ourselves? The national park itself is largely impenetrable, with access blocked by steep Andean slopes, dense forests, and small groups of Indians leading isolationist and traditional lifestyles. The Andean foothills of Cusco department are largely, thankfully, inaccessible to us with one exception: the Kosñipata Road that leads from Paucartambo, on the dry side of the first tall ridge, all the way to village of Pillcopata (and a bit farther), at the head of the navigable part of the Rio Alto Madre de Dios. This road, approximately 50 km of it, cuts across the pass at Acjanaco, enters treeline, and descends through unbroken forest (quite a contrast to the dry, open puna that one sees back towards Cusco!) all the way to the Guadua bamboo and flatlands of the valley leading to Pillcopata. This includes a change in elevation of about 2700 m (close to 9,000 feet)! To be able to see so much relatively undisturbed habitat, and particularly to know that it is merely the face of a much greater expanse we can’t see from the road, is awe-inspiring! In addition, this region is hyper-diverse in so many groups of organisms: flowering plants, butterflies, and of course birds. It is estimated that over 1000 species of birds occur in the area. Although there have been few expeditions actually into the park, the Kosñipata road has provided a corridor to allow us to sample the avifauna immediately adjacent to the park. But the few expeditions to adjacent regions on either side of the park suggest that there are more species still that haven’t yet been encountered on the road!

What is the reason for all this diversity? Well, the short answer is the elevational gradient combined with high microhabitat diversity. Thanks to the Andes, the Amazonian slope and nearby lowlands have enjoyed a fairly stable climate for hundreds of thousands of years, if not millions. This allowed for plants to diversify to a very great extent, and also allowed for specialization and species packing of vertebrates. The microhabitats such as Chusquea and Guadua bamboo thickets, tall forest versus short ridgetop forest, landslide clearings and second growth, rock faces, and such have all allowed for a few species of bird (not to mention other organisms!) to specialize on each. The long period of relative stability, despite otherwise drastic global climate change thanks to glacial cycles, meant that these specialists were insulated from the greatest cause of extinction: change. As a result, the tropical Andes and adjacent lowlands from Colombia to Peru are the most diverse terrestrial biomes for birds and many other organisms! And we were here to see them!

We weren’t disappointed either! Our visit started as we departed the valley that is home to the city of Cusco. As we started up the walls of the canyon of the Rio Urubamba (which flows past Machu Picchu and eventually north to the Rio Ucayali), we stopped to see a few of the specialists of the dry scrub of the valley. Among these were a shy Bearded Mountaineer and Rusty-fronted Canastero, as well as a rare snake, Tachymenis peruvianus, that Larry spotted for us! Then, we had a long drive ahead of us, cutting across the relatively bland puna landscape dotted with small hamlets and carpeted with eucalyptus groves, but with few birds to grab our attention, until the larger town of Paucartambo. From this last intermontane valley, we then proceeded to ascend the final ridge up to the pass at Acjanaco, the corner of Manu National Park, and had lunch. The fog banks here announced the humid slope, and from here on down, we rarely saw the sun until the day we returned! We birded the tunnels below the pass, catching glimpses of our first mixed species flocks and even the tail end of some Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucans. Then it was down to our comfortable lodging at Paradise Lodge in an area generally referred to as San Pedro. We birded here the following day, despite a drizzling rain, and actually did quite well, seeing several active flocks. Our third day saw us returning to higher elevations around Pillahuata and Rocotal, searching for species we had driven past two days earlier. Then, it was time to head downslope yet further, birding the upper tropical zone from San Pedro down to Tanager Corner and the Quita Calzon bridge and beyond. We started to see towns again, including Chontachaca, Patria, and finally Pillcopata. A left turn from the square of the last took us to our second lodgings at Villa Carmen. That afternoon, we drove to the mirador on the Atalaya ridge to see what might be flying by, and we checked the bamboo on the way for interesting birds. Then, we had a day at Villa Carmen to explore their extensive trail system, and went out owling one evening. Finally, we drove back upslope, with birding stops in the open country around Patria along the way, ending the day at the biological station at Wayqecha, near 10,000 feet elevation. Our final day involved a morning birding above Wayquecha, a short jaunt down the Tres Cruces road into the park a few miles, and then back over the pass to a site for lunch and our final endemic: Creamy-crested Spinetail. Then, it was back to Cusco, and a morning to enjoy this historic city!

Among the highlights of the tour were such sights as the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek, the bright colors of a flock of White-collared Jays, the active mixed flocks around San Pedro and Pillahuata, an extroverted Yellow-billed Cacique, fine views of Blue-banded Toucanets, Mountain Caciques and mountain-tanagers, the quiet elegance of a male Masked Trogon, the extravagance of a Lyre-tailed Nightjar male as he swooped about above us, the large gawkiness of a male Amazonian Umbrellabird long the road, the crowd of oropendolas, jays, and chachalacas around the feeders at Villa Carmen, the responsive and friendly Black-banded Owl overhead, the badly-managed hairdos of the Hoatzins around the pond there, the bee-like Rufous-crested Coquettes buzzing around the verbena flowers, the bold Scaly-breasted Wren that perched for all to see for an impressively long time before heading back into the forest, the annoying skulkiness of that Rufous Antpitta, the activity at dawn around Wayqecha, with multiple hummingbirds coming in to check us out, including a lovely male Rufous-crowned Thornbill, and the boldness of the Sedge Wrens in their foggy grass tussocks. It was overall a lovely trip, and I’m so glad to have been able to share it with you all! I hope we’ll have another opportunity soon. Until then, keep them binoculars close at hand and good birding!

Dan Lane

KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

We enjoyed some fine views of Blue-banded Toucanets. Note the band on this one's leg! Photo by guide Dan Lane.

Crested Oropendolas, including this one, were feeding in an Erythrina tree along with some Dusky-green Oropendolas. Photo by guide Dan Lane.

"What the...? I'VE GOT WHITE EYEBROWS!!" screamed this Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant. At least I think so... my chat-tyrant translator app is not very good. Photo by guide Dan Lane.

The view from the Atalaya Mirador is fantastic! Photo by guide Dan Lane.

This Scaly-breasted Wren allowed us a great view below the Quita Calzon bridge. Normally, these wrens are very shy, but this one sat nicely for quite a while! Photo by guide Dan Lane.

This Dull-capped Attila thought we looked interesting! Photo by guide Dan Lane.

We found the Hooded Mountain-Tanager near Pillahuata. Photo by guide Dan Lane.

This Rufous-capped Nunlet is practicing to be a bittern. Photo by guide Dan Lane.

We had some good looks at Barred Fruiteaters as well. Photo by guide Dan Lane.

This Laughing Falcon is probably remembering that time he sucker-punched a Peregrine in a barfight. Photo by guide Dan Lane.

White-collared Jays are electric blue, and their voice sounds strangely electronic, as well. Anyone checked for their battery compartment? Photo by guide Dan Lane.

This Puna Thistletail was anger personified... um, birdonified? Photo by guide Dan Lane.

Another lovely little flycatcher that we saw well was the Ornate Flycatcher that we found at the Quita Calzon bridge. Photo by guide Dan Lane.

The Black-backed Grosbeak looks a lot like the Rose-breasted Grosbeak that we are familiar with in North America. Photo by guide Dan Lane.

This Black-banded Owl was a favorite; it posed nicely for us at Villa Carmen one evening. Photo by guide Dan Lane.

Here's our intrepid group of birders! Photo by guide Dan Lane.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Tachymenis sp. : the snake that Larry spotted above the Urubamba in the dry scrub. Turns out, it is venomous (but rear-fanged)!

Totals for the tour: 300 bird taxa and 4 mammal taxa