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Manu
for Birdwatchers
Tour Length: 7 days, 6 nights
Activities : Ecological, Cultural, Birdwatching
Places to visit: Manu National Reserve
PROGRAM
DESCRIPTION Eastern slope of the Andes and
Tropical Lowland Rainforest - in and out by bus. Introduction
to
the area.Eastern
Andes Slope. In the 80´s, after an extensive scientific
search of the Andean slope forests, it was found that
the parts included in the Manu Biosphere Reserve are
best preserved, maybe for all of South America , with
large areas under private conservation. Fertile soil
is only an extremely thin cap on top of the Andean rocks
and vegetation exists in delicate balance, due to harsh
erosion from many rains, extreme solar radiation and
temperature conditions. Any human intrusion, from farming
to logging or even only trail-making leaves the fertile
layer open to the elements and soon nothing is left,
leaving only bare rocks.
At
appr. 1600 m, Pantiacolla built a comfortable, permanent
campsite. An avian-rich altitude, which also holds possibilities
to travel back up and further down, without loosing
the comfort of restful nights in the little huts. Trails
are under construction, but always considering the delicacy
of this habitat: special methods are used to not have
all vegetation come down. And just next to the lodge
is the lek of that strange-looking bird, the Peruvian
Cock-of-the-Rock. A platform is made for observation
and entrance is controlled, to ensure the continuation
of this phenomenon, incredibly situated only a few meters
from the road.
Pantiacolla
Mountains.- Some decades ago, a member of the
extended Moscoso Family got the title to almost 1000
ha of land in the Pantiacolla Mountains in Manu's Cultural
Zone. These mountains, for being an Andean foothill
and therefore a 'frontier area' held the promise of
increased biodiversity: in 1998 Pantiacolla sent two
ornithologists out to investigate. The results exceeded
even our expectations. Within one month they found a
dazzling record of appr. 500 species! A starting list
that can already compete with over 20 year old lists
of other top-locations in Manu and Tambopata.
Many
of the species are endemic to the area, extremely rare,
or found at altitudes different from their normal range.
To make it possible for you to really see the birds,
Pantiacolla are now constructing a network of trails
through at least eight different habitats, including
to the small oxbow lake near the Petroleo Stream. Also
observation platforms in trees, hides near for example
the Round-tailed Manakin lek and the only clay lick
ever found for the range-restricted Blue-hooded Macaw,
an observation tower near a huge fig tree and benches
at the miradors, as also a platform on the first Pantiacolla
summit (appr. 950 m).
The
program
We designed you a program combining the two avian rich
areas of the eastern Andes slope and the Pantiacolla
Mountains and giving you the best of our services: at
the end you have observed birds from 4000m to 450m zones,
including many rare and endemic species!
The
program, after seeing some aquatic highland birds in
Lake Huacarpay , has you four days birdwatching on the
Andean slope, using our comfortable 6-wheel-drive bus
for the unpaved road through paramo/puno, Temperate,
Subtropical and Tropical Zones, and resting at night
in the rustic Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. Our bus is available
to you all the time, just in case you would like to
repeat other altitudes along the way.Going down the
slope one finds an increase in vegetation complexity,
which causes an increase in bird diversity as well.
Slowly, you get prepared for the extreme high bird diversity
and more difficult observation conditions of the Pantiacolla
Mountains .
After
traveling the last part of the road, we change into
a motorized canoe and in a relaxed way you encounter
many riverine bird species. Then you are welcomed in
the beautiful Pantiacolla Lodge. The comfortable cabins
and lounge, give you the perfect basis for your wanderings
in search of the birds of our extensive list.
The
seventh day of the tour gives you two options: the first
one is you return to Cusco by bus, where you arrive
in the evening. The second option is that you are picked
up by a boat traveling into the Manu's Reserved Zone,
famous for its high number of monkey and big-mammal
sightings, you visit the oxbow Lakes Salvador and Otorongo
and then you travel to Blanquillo's clay lick for macaws
and afterwards return to Cusco by light aircraft, which
is day 12 of your combined program.
ITINERARY
Eastern
slope of the Andes and Tropical Lowland Rainforest -
in and out by bus.
DAY
1: Cusco-Huacarpay-Paucartambo-Pillahuata.-
You leave Cusco early in the morning (appr. 05:30 am
) by private transportation. Lake Huacarpay is reached
after 40 minutes, where we spend time to observe highland
lake and marsh birds. We look for the Plumbeous Rail,
which is not as elusive here as rails normally are,
the Many-coloured Rush-Tyrant and two endemics, the
Rusty-fronted Canastero and the spectacular hummingbird,
the Bearded Mountaineer. Afterwards the bus takes you
to the folkloric village Paucartambo for a late breakfast.In
the early afternoon you arrive at the Ajanaco pass at
3900 m and the beginning of our descent of the eastern
Andes . This is also the beginning of the Manu National
Park , where the slope forests, unlike at other parts
of the eastern Andes , are almost completely untouched.
In between the clouds we look for flocks of many different
tanager species. Also the Andean Guan, White-collared
Jay, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker and the endemic Puna
Thistletail belong to this altitude. We make camp for
the night at Pillahuata at about 2500 m, a transient
zone from Temperate to Subtropical.
DAY
2: Pillahuata-San Pedro.- Early in the morning
we start looking for birds near our campsite at this
avian rich elevation. Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan,
Blue-banded Toucanet, Fulvous Wren and Marcapata Spinetail
are some of the possibilities. Red-and-white Antpitta
is quite common here and there is a possibility to see
the bird.
Then
we slowly descend through the Subtropical Zone, stopping
whenever encountering new avian communities. At these
altitudes we can expect the Crested~ and the Golden-headed
Quetzal, among others. In San Pedro, at 1500m, we spend
the following two nights at the Posada San Pedro campsite
and have our first exploration in this area bordering
the Upper Tropical Zone.
DAY
3: San Pedro.- At dawn we visit the lek of
the Cock-of-the-rock, quite close to the lodge. The
rest of the day we look around in this avian-rich zone.
It is home to many tanagers, but also the song-birds,
flycatchers, jays and hummingbirds are well represented.
The colony of Russet-backed Oropendulas is one of the
first tropical elements we encounter. On one of the
evenings we´ll search Lyre-tailed Nightjar.
DAY
4: San Pedro-Atalaya-Pantiacolla Lodge.- We
pack up camp early to be able to look for the birds
between 1500 and 1000m in the 'good hours' of the day.
Hereafter the Tropical Zone  starts,
with some traces of human activity. Most of the species
encountered here can be found elsewhere, therefore we
do not remain here for long. After Pilcopata we reach
Atalaya and change, after lunch, into a motorized canoe.
We navigate down the Alto Madre de Dios: a relaxed way
of observing birds herons, such as the Capped Heron
and the Fasciated Tiger-Heron, vultures, possibly King
Vulture, overflying macaws, including Military Macaw!
Late in the afternoon we are welcomed at Pantiacolla
Lodge (450 m). At dusk we sit near the river and enjoy
the Sand-coloured Night-hawks.
DAY
5, 6: Pantiacolla Lodge.- Hikes on the well
designed trails around Pantiacolla Lodge take you through
at least eight different habitat types with many rare
and endemic species of bird. The many different tinamoes,
antbirds and manakins are only a fraction of the 537
species of bird found till this day. As always in primary
rainforests, one has to work hard to see the birds well,
but it is certainly worth the effort. For variation,
one can sit in the garden of the lodge and wait for
a passing 'mixed-species flock', while enjoying the
ever-present hummingbirds. The longest trail takes you
up the Pantiacolla Mountains , to its first mirador,
at 900 m, with an incredible view over the vast Amazonian
expanse. Just before reaching the mirador you will pass
through an isolated patch of cloud forest, displaced
at 850 m altitude. This area is one of the most likely
sites to encounter the extremely rare Black Tinamou.
We start the hike before dawn, still being able to hear
the sounds of the Great~ and the Long-tailed Potoo,
while diurnal birds just start their daily activities.
DAY
7: Pantiacolla Lodge-Cusco.- This is a full
day of traveling, first by boat back up the Alto Madre
de Dios River and then by bus over the Andes to Cusco
TOUR
INCLUSIONS
INCLUDED:
-
Qualified naturalist guide speaking English and Spanish,
specialized in birds.
- Transportation
Cusco to Atalaya by private bus.
- Transportation
Atalaya-Pantiacolla Lodge-Atalaya by private boat.
- Meals
(breakfast, lunch and dinner).
- Tents
and mats (sleeping bags can be rented) for first night
camping.
- 2
nights at the Posada San Pedro campsite.
- 5
nights in Pantiacolla Lodge
- Birdlist
for eastern slope of the Andes and Pantiacolla Lodge
NOT INCLUDED:
DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS NOT INCLUDED
Entrance fee (approximately $25 pp for 2004)
Sleeping bag (can be rented in Cusco at $1 per day)
Soft drinks and beers
Important:
Children under 11 pay half the rate when and only when
they share the cabin with an adult - for safety reasons,
bringing children under 5 years old is not recommended.
The order of the excursions can vary according to airplane
schedules, the season and the weather.
Rates and programs are subject to change without prior
warning.
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