Introduction to the area
The program
Program description
Extension

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).

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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.

Program description

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.

Extension

As an extension you can join one of Pantiacolla’s fixed departure tours going into Manu’s Reserved Zone. This area is very good for observation of monkeys and other big mammals. The guides for the fixed departure tours are excellent naturalists, however not all are specialized in birds.

DAY 7: Pantiacolla Lodge-Manu River

Around midday a motorized canoe picks you up at Pantiacolla Lodge to navigate down the turbulant Alto Madre de Dios River to Boca Manu. As night falls we make camp on one of the beaches.

DAY 8, 9: Lakes Salvador and Otorongo

On the morning of the tenth day we turn up the Manu River. From this vantage point we will have great views of riverside birds, sunbathing cayman, and that enormous aquatic guinea pig, the capybara. We reach our campsite deep inside Manu in the afternoon. This will be our base for the next two days. During this time, we will hike through virgin forest and explore one of the most beautiful lakes of the Manu basin, Lake Salvador, by catamaran. There is a chance to see a huge variety of colorful birds, numerous species of monkey and with luck, a family of giant otters. A five hour hike through the forest takes us to Lake Otorongo and a 20 meter-high observation platform that overlooks the lake. At night we can explore the forest by torchlight or go moonlight cayman spotting on the lake.

DAY 10: Lake Salvador-Macaw Lick

After a final walk through the forest surrounding Lake Salvador, we return back down the Manu River. Joining the Madre de Dios River we arrive at the beach of Blanquillo, near the clay lick for macaws, where we spend the night.

DAY 11: Macaw Lick

At first light we head to the macaw lick to watch the dazzling spectacle of hundreds of parakeets, parrots and macaws eating clay. In the afternoon we turn back up the Madre de Dios River, making camp close to the airstrip.

DAY 12: Boca Manu-Cusco

A short boat ride takes us to Boca Manu airport and our return flight over the rainforest and the Andes to Cusco by light aircraft.