Birding Hotspots & Lodges at Manu Biosphere Reserve

Breakdown of Day 1;
• Elfin Forest - Full day of Birding.
• Overnight at Wayquecha Lodge.

Driving uphill we will reach the high mountains which is locally known as Puna, we will be searching diligently for Sedge Wren, Line Fronted and Junin Canastero. While descending the Acjanacu Pass (1066 feet) the vegetation is scattered and we will look for birds of this habitats such as; Chestnut Bellied, Hooded, Scarlet Bellied Mountain Tanager and the bird’s flocks that travel at this misty forest are quite productive also to find some specialists at this elevation, Crimson Mantled Woodpecker, Plushcap, White Banded & throated Tyrannulet, Pearled Treerunner, Puna Thistletail, Black Throated Tody-Tyrant, Sierran Eleania, Golden Collared, Grass Green, Blue Capped Tanagers, Band-tailed and Barred Fruiteater, Streaked Tuftedcheeck, Purple Backed Thornbill among others in the mixed flocks as they are more frequently to find them flying across the road.

Full afternoon birding at the elfin forest at the Wayquecha Lodge elevational range, overnight at the Wayquecha

Breakdown of Day 2;
• Cloud Forest - Full day of Birding.
• Overnight at Cock of the Rock Lodge.

Early morning walk to look for the Endemic Red and White Antpitta and the rufuous. Other interesting targets at Tuneles and Esperanza location are; Gray Breasted Mountain Toucan, Chestnut Crested Cotinga the Endemic Red and White Anpitta. While transecting along the Cloud Forest as we keep driving down into the mountain the vegetation will gradually have changed into a more dense vegetation it holds birds species like Golden Headed Quetzals, Stripe-faced Wood-quail, Yungas Pigmy Owl , Blue-Banded Toucanet, Collared Jay Mountain Cacique, Greater Scythebill,

At Much lower target bird would be the Cock of the rocks (Peru’s national bird) it more easy to find them while they are displaying at their lek, (the male birds are a vibrant reddish orange, and as many as several dozens get together for an exhibition of a mating ritual dance in a place called Lek)

After this fascinating experience we will searching diligently for more species that are still found at this high; Yungas Manakin, Versicolored Barbed, Orange Eared Tanager, Streak Necked Flycatcher, Andean Motmot, Green Jay among others. If lucky enough we may see the lyre tailed night during dusk. Overnight at Cock of the Rock Lodge

Breakdown of Day 3;
• Cock of the Rock
• Hummingbird Watch.
• Overnight at Guadalupe Lodge.

We will be looking to observe Cock of the rocks (Rupicola peruviana), Peru’s national bird from a platform. The male birds are a vibrant reddish orange, and as many as several dozen get together for an exhibition of a mating ritual dance in a place called “Lek”

After this we will visit the flowers / feeders that attracts hummingbirds, we will be able to see the following species; Booted Racket Tail, Wire crested Thorntail, Green Hermit, Many Spotted Hummingbird, Violet Fronted Brilliant, White Bellied Woodstar, Peruvian Pied tail, Long Tailed Sylph, Wedge Billed Hummingbird, Speckled Hummingbird and the common Sparkling Violetear.

During the afternoon we will sadly leave the lodge to look for few target species, if lucky enough we may see the umbrella as far driving down the mountains. We will pass by an swamp that is packed by Hoatzins known as pre-historic birds due its appearance,. Most of the bird sights here are also; Brazilian Teals, Southern Lapwings, Flycatchers, Amazon, Green Kingfishers, Little, Lineated and Spot Breasted Woodpeckers. Gray Breasted and Rufous Sided Crake, Capped Heron, Little Cuckoo, Silvered Antbird, and many more.

We will arrive to our lodge Guadalupe just on time to see the nightjars (Common Pauraque) these elusive birds used to catch insect during dusk, the road it’s by far the best place to see them.

Breakdown of Day 4;
• Bamboo Forest - Full day of Birding.
• Foothill Forest.
• Overnight at Guadalupe Lodge.

We will wake up with the amazing variety of birds call that emerges out from the forest , the diversity of call its incredible here, the most frequently heard are specialist from bamboo forest , Mustached and Scaly Breasted Wren , Golden Bellied and Buff Rumped Warbler, Warbling Antbird, Dot Winged Antwren, Bluish Fronted Jacamar, Manu, Striated, White Line Antbird, Stripe Chested Antwren among others  calls you heard coming just behind your cabins, we also heard the calls of the Blue and Yellow Macaws over flying during the sunrise.

After Breakfast we will ultimate our birding experience here, exploring the bamboo forest interior that holds a unique collection of birds, our expert guides will do their best to shows us the jewel of the dense bamboo thickets. "White Checked Tody-flycatcher" the birding at the bamboo Forest Patch its quite Interesting for cool and challenging birds such as; Red Billed Scythebill, Bamboo Antshrike, Ornate, White Eyed and Dot Winged Antwren, Peruvian Recurbill, Dusky Cheeked, Ruddy , Buff Throated Foliage Gleaner, Large Headed Flatbill, Manu and Black Antbird, the Unmistakable Rufous Headed Woodpecker, Yellow Billed Nunbird.

During the afternoon we explore another complex forest type to explore would be the foothill forest that is quite good to spot the Golden Collared Toucanet, Fasciated Antshrike, Red Billed Pied, Masked, Green & Gold, Yellow Bellied, Yellow Crested, Yellow Backed Tanagers all used to be spotted while flocking up and few other unexpected Forest Falcons and large predators such as Harpy Eagle.

The understory at this type of forest that hold incredible species like; Rusty Belted Tapaculo, Black Faced Antbird, Golden Bellied Warbler.

Overnight at Guadalupe Lodge.

Breakdown of Day 5;
• Full day of Birding.
• Madre de Dios River - boat journey.
• Forest walk - monkey watch.
• Overnight at Amazonia Lodge.

After early morning breakfast will descend out of the foothills to keep looking for a birds along the road few stops including the beautiful Blue and Yellow Macaws, Trogons, Woodpeckers, Tanagers and many second growth specialist such as; seedeaters and flycatchers.

The road crosses a low set of hills where we get the Alto Madre de Dios River starts along the boat journey there will be chances to observe shore birds which often seen foraging on the rocky gravel bars and we will keep a close watch raptor, so we will be exploring the trails to Machuhuasi lagoon (1900 ft) we will have chances to look for the Amazonian Antpitta, Rufous Breasted Piculet, Cabannis Spinetail , arriving to the lagoon we will be welcomed by the noisy and clumsy hoatzins which is one of the most commons birds next to the Black Capped Donacobious, Horned Screamers, Blackish Rail, Black Billed Seed-Finch, Orange Backed Troupial, Red Capped Cardinal, Pale Eyed Blackbird, Rufous Sided Crake.

Once at Amazonia Lodge at noon, the veranda provides wide view of the garden to see hummingbirds flying around the berbenacea flowers ; Golden Tailed Sapphire, Blue tailed Emerald, Rufous Breasted, White Bearded and  White Browed Hermit, Gray Breasted Sabrewing,  Rufous Crested Coquette, Golden Tailed Sapphire and the Endemic Koepcke's Hermit.

During the afternoon we will explore trails along the channel to look for monkeys and if lucky enough the tapir and capybaras, overnight at the Lodge.

Breakdown of Day 6;
• Parrot Clay Lick - Boat journey.
• Depart for Cusco, arrive in evening.

Early in the morning, we travel downriver by boat to the parrot clay lick. This is a special place where parrots, parakeets and small macaws, including the Chestnut fronted Macaw and the rare Blue headed Macaw, come to eat minerals which they need for digestion, the we return to our lodge for breakfast and start packing and get ready to take the motor boat back to Atalaya port and our minivan ride will begins. We should be continuing with our journey even when we have to leave behind the tropical forest and weather and we will start climbing the Andes and arriving to Cusco at night.