Southern Peru: Birding the Enchanting Manu Road

Rufous-crested Coquette © Doris Valencia

A brand-new tour to Southern Peru showcases the world-renowned Manu Road, a mountain thoroughfare transecting myriad habitats from Andean cloud forest to foothill rainforest, in famous Manu National Park. Much birding at different elevation zones will collectively garner hundreds of tropical bird species.

For birders and naturalists, certain locations are firmly ensconced in the imagination, places where great birds and great bird spectacles evoke visions of birding splendor. Mindo, Ecuador. Pipeline Road, Panama. The Pantanal in Brazil. To this select list belongs the Manu Road. From its inception above treeline, outside the city of Cuzco, to its terminus in the Amazonian lowlands, the Manu Road is a 170-kilometer traverse of the Andes range, passing through several major forest types. It is said a thousand species of birds or more inhabit the forest along the Manu Road.

On this new trip, we’ll embark on an unforgettable journey through the breathtaking mountain landscapes of southern Peru, exploring sections of the Manu Road, much of it within the boundary of the world-famous Manu National Park. Based out of three eco-lodges, in a little more than a week we’ll stay at different elevations, immersing ourselves in a haven of undamaged tropical forest filled with pageants of dazzling birds.

In the cloud forest we’ll delight to a tapestry of colorful hummingbirds and tanagers and stunning Andean Cocks-of-the-rock during morning mating rituals. Other prizes here include Black-and-chestnut Eagle, Andean Motmot, Lyre-tailed Nightjar, and Crimson-mantled Woodpecker. In lush lowland forest we’ll search for tinamous, trogons, woodpeckers, barbets, honeycreepers, and local celebrities such as the bizarre Hoatzín, King Vulture, Amazonian Antpitta, and Rufous-crested Coquette. We will venture to bird feeding stations and hummingbird gardens where a dozen or more species of hummers are possible at once, with extraordinary photographic opportunities.

Back in the upper montane forest, we’ll re-enter a world of trees with spreading canopies and adorned with delicate orchids, home to Andean Guan and hummingbirds with angelic names like Shining Sunbeam and Amethyst-throated Sunangel, along with White-collared Jay and a range of gorgeous mountain-tanagers. As we journey through this birding paradise, we’ll be surrounded by spectacular scenery at every turn. The landscapes will captivate your senses.

At the end of each day, we’ll retreat to our carefully selected accommodations, prioritizing comfort and relaxation. We’ll Indulge in culinary delights served at the lodges, sampling Peruvian fare that, with its combination of tastes, textures, and ingredients, offers a symphony of flavors that will leave you craving more.

This trip will be led by Doris Valencia, a native Peruvian with superb birding skills and a charming personality. In addition to her skills in the field, Doris possesses a masterful command of Peruvian history and culture, qualities that greatly enhance the experiences of those fortunate to travel with her.

Good accommodations split among three lodges at different elevations; good to excellent cuisine; two relatively long drives (about five hours each) interrupted with birding stops; physical demands light to moderate along established roads and well-maintained forest trails; highest elevation reached is 12,000 feet; climate warm and slightly humid in the cloud forest, hot and humid in the foothills, cool and pleasant in the mountains around PIllahuata; rain always possible.

Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan © Doris Valencia