Exploring the Manu for three days of bird watching in the high mountains, wetlands, cloud forest and Amazonian jungle between Cusco and Manu National Park. You’ll see many endemic species including the Cock-of-the-Rock, Peru’s national bird.
Transport, meals and lodging for two nights are included.
Day 1: Cusco to Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge
Day 2: Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge – Full day
Day 3: Cock-of-The-Rock – Cusco city
Day 1: Cusco to Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge
Our overland journey begins at 3,400m (11,150 ft) with an early departure from the highland city of Cusco. Today’s destination is the lush cloud forest region where the Andes meet the Amazon basin. Our first stop is Huacarpay, a mountain wetland habitat, with numerous bird species such as the endemic Bearded Mountaineer, Rusty-fronted Canastero as well as non-endemic flycatchers, coots, teals, egrets, hummingbirds, raptors, and seedeaters. Between the Cusco Valley and the Paucartambo valley we’ll stop to look for two more endemic birds, the colorful Chesnut- breasted Mountain Finch and the Creamy-crested Spinetail. We will reach a maximum altitude of 3,900m (12,790ft) before we start down through forested cliffs, waterfalls and gorges. Some of the stops along the way include mountain villages, a hilltop necropolis with chullpas (pre-Inca burial chambers), and numerous opportunities to spot ground tyrants and miners. The ridge top of Ajanaco marks our final high point in the Andes. On a clear day, we’ll see a breathtaking panorama of cloud forest and mountains giving way to the lowland Amazonian rainforest far below us.
After a picnic lunch we descend through the rapidly changing habitat characteristic of the tropical Andes. We move through grassland, stunted trees and elfin forest with mixed-species flocks of mountain tanagers, metaltails, tyrannulets, flower piercers and tapaculos. Next is the cloud forest with giant ferns, monster begonias, countless orchids and bromeliads. There’s a good chance we’ll see the Inca Flycatcher (endemic) and more mixed-species flocks of tanagers, fruiteaters, quetzals, the Solitary and Black-and-Chesnut eagles.
As dusk arrives on Manu Road we may see one of the most rare and unique birds in the world – the Lyre-tailed Nightjar.
Overnight: Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge
Elevation: 1400mts / 4480ft
Overnight: Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge
Day 2: Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge
After an early morning bird walk and breakfast we’ll drive to El Mirador (Union Lookout) to look for mixed-species flocks of Blue-necked Tanagers, Paradise Tanagers, Bush Tanagers, Slaty-capped Flycatchers, Slate-throated red stars, Olive-backed and Mountain woodcreepers, Mountain Foliage Gleaners, Blue-banded and Chesnut-tipped toucanets, Crimson-bellied and Golden Olive woodpeckers, and Highland Motmots. El Mirador is a great place to spot raptors as well.
Back to the lodge for lunch and time to enjoy the garden, home to at least six species of hummingbirds, the Booted Racket-tail, and Wire-crested Thorntail.
We’ll set aside some time to visit a lek in the cloud forest to observe the Cock-of-the-Rock, the national bird of Peru. We’ll get a chance to watch the colorful males dance to attract the females.
Overnight: Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge.
Day 3: Cock-of-The-Rock – Cusco city
After breakfast, we’ll be back to the Manu road (Asfalt road), we continue our bird watching. The landscape will change as we climb and move through the cloud and elfin forests. We’ll have a good chance to see Mountain Tanagers, Chat Tyrants, and Elaenias. We’ll have a box lunch along the way as we move through the magical landscape toward Cusco. The trip ends when we drop you back at your hotel in Cusco.
Including in this trip:
Not Included
USD.00