Northwestern Peru Trip Report
From February 11 - 28, 1999, I had the great opportunity to go birding in northwestern Peru--a region full of fascinating endemics and still relatively off the beaten birding track. The lack of field lodging necessitated camping at several areas (i.e., Tumbes National Forest, the Upper Río Marañón valley, and along the Rioja road between Abra Patricia and Aguas Verdes) and the timing of our visit in the rainy season made for some harrowing moments as landslides and road wash-outs were a constant threat. Nonetheless, we made it through unscathed (although one of my traveling companions did manage to sink up to her waist in quicksand!) and without suffering any health problems. We tallied 290 species in two and a half weeks of travel (almost never driving after dark), which I consider quite successful for three people who had never been to Peru before.
The birds we saw are listed below, grouped in the chronological order of the six major trip segments (albeit, somewhat arbitrary). If you have the capability of receiving and opening an attachment (47kb) in Microsoft Excel 97, I can gladly e-mail you the full species list with daily columns of numbers of individuals seen.
After crossing the Ecuador - Peru border at midday on February 11, 1999 and enduring the tropical heat as papers and passports were scrutinized and eventually stamped, I officially began my Peru list with, of all things, a male House Sparrow! We drove to the city of Tumbes, stayed at the Costa del Sol hotel, and set off on the 12th for the Tumbes National Forest. We camped for 2 nights at the El Caucho military post since the "road" beyond was impassable following the disaster wrought by heavy rains from the previous year's El Niño. Up through our return to the town of Tumbes on Feb. 14, we saw the following species:
Pale-browed Tinamou Magnificent Frigatebird Great Egret Snowy Egret Cattle Egret King Vulture Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Swallow-tailed Kite Plumbeous Kite Short-tailed Hawk Bay-winged Hawk Gray-backed Hawk Black Hawk-Eagle Osprey Laughing Falcon Crested Caracara Croaking Ground-Dove Blue Ground-Dove White-tipped Dove Aratinga sp. Pacific Parrotlet Gray-cheeked Parakeet Dark-billed Cuckoo Groove-billed Ani Striped Cuckoo Barn Owl Burrowing Owl Scrub Nightjar White-collared Swift Gray-rumped Swift Short-tailed Swift Long-tailed Hermit Tumbes Hummingbird Amazilia Hummingbird Black-tailed Trogon Violaceous Trogon Ringed Kingfisher Blue-crowned Motmot Golden-olive Woodpecker Lineated Woodpecker Scarlet-backed Woodpecker Olivaceous Woodcreeper Streak-headed Woodcreeper Pale-legged Hornero Blackish-headed Spinetail Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner Streaked Xenops Collared Antshrike Plain Antvireo Southern Beardless Tyrannulet Pacific Elaenia Slaty-capped Flycatcher Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant Common Tody-Flycatcher Yellow-olive Flycatcher Black-tailed Flycatcher Black Phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Sooty-crowned Flycatcher Boat-billed Flycatcher Baird's Flycatcher Streaked Flycatcher Snowy-throated Kingbird Slaty Becard Black-and-white Becard One-colored Becard Gray-breasted Martin Rough-winged Swallow White-tailed Jay Fasciated Wren Speckle-breasted Wren House Wren Long-tailed Mockingbird Plumbeous-backed Thrush Ecuadorian Thrush Tropical (White-faced) Gnatcatcher House Sparrow Rufous-browed Peppershrike Red-eyed Vireo Lesser Greenlet Yellow-rumped Cacique Yellow-billed Cacique Scrub Blackbird White-edged Oriole Yellow-tailed Oriole Peruvian Meadowlark Tropical Parula Gray-and-gold Warbler Thick-billed Euphonia Blue-gray Tanager Summer Tanager Black-and-white Tanager Streaked Saltator Yellow Grosbeak Variable Seedeater Saffron Finch Crimson Finch Hooded Siskin
On Feb 15, we drove down the Pacific coast from Tumbes to Chiclayo (Hotel Inca) and the following day went searching in the dunes west of Mocupe for the Peruvian Plantcutter, before driving to Cajamarca up in the mountains (stayed at the Hotel Continental). During these two days we saw:
Brown Pelican Magnificent Frigatebird Great Egret Snowy Egret Cattle Egret Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Pearl Kite Gray-backed Hawk Common Black-Hawk Crested Caracara American Kestrel Wattled Jacana Spotted Sandpiper Black-necked Stilt White-winged Dove Croaking Ground-Dove Blue Ground-Dove White-tipped Dove Aratinga sp. Pacific Parrotlet Groove-billed Ani Barn Owl Burrowing Owl Lesser Nighthawk White-collared Swift Green Kingfisher Scarlet-backed Woodpecker Coastal Miner Pale-legged Hornero Necklaced Spinetail Collared Antshrike Southern Beardless Tyrannulet Gray-and-white Tyrannulet Vermilion Flycatcher Baird's Flycatcher Peruvian Plantcutter Gray-breasted Martin Barn Swallow Chestnut-collared Swallow White-tailed Jay Fasciated Wren Superciliated Wren House Wren Long-tailed Mockingbird Tropical (White-faced) Gnatcatcher Shiny Cowbird Scrub Blackbird White-edged Oriole Peruvian Meadowlark Bananaquit Cinereous Conebill Thick-billed Euphonia Streaked Saltator Black-backed Grosbeak Blue-black Grassquit Cinereous Finch Chestnut-throated Seedeater Saffron Finch
Feb 17 - 21: Spent a morning in Cajamarca doing odds and ends, then birded the road beyond the airport in the PM; drove to Celendín (Hostal Celendín); then to Balsas (where we camped just beyond the village for one night); drove up out of the Marañón River canyon and to Leymebamba (Hostal Ecevedo); and finally on to Pomacochas (Hostal Paraiso), logging the following species:
Curve-billed Tinamou Cattle Egret Fasciated Tiger-Heron Torrent Duck Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle Red-backed Hawk Puna Hawk Mountain Caracara American Kestrel Spotted Sandpiper Band-tailed Pigeon Peruvian Pigeon Croaking Ground-Dove Bare-faced Ground-Dove White-tipped Dove Scarlet-fronted Parakeet Groove-billed Ani Pacific Pygmy-Owl Sparkling Violetear Spot-throated Hummingbird Andean Hillstar Shining Sunbeam Great Sapphirewing Green-tailed Trainbearer Tyrian Metaltail Gray-bellied Comet Long-tailed Sylph Purple-collared Woodstar White-bellied Woodstar Amazon Kingfisher Black-necked Woodpecker Many-striped Canastero Red-crested Cotinga Southern Beardless Tyrannulet Yellow-bellied Elaenia Torrent Tyrannulet Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant Bran-colored Flycatcher Black Phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant White-browed Chat-Tyrant Rufous-webbed Tyrant Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant Tropical Kingbird Brown-bellied Swallow Blue-and-white Swallow Green Jay Fasciated Wren Grass Wren House Wren Mountain Wren Long-tailed Mockingbird Chiguanco Thrush Great Thrush Marañón Thrush Tropical (Marañón) Gnatcatcher Yellow-tailed Oriole Peruvian Meadowlark Black-lored (Masked) Yellowthroat Bananaquit Cinereous Conebill Rusty Flower-piercer Moustached Flower-piercer Black-throated Flower-piercer Purple-throated Euphonia Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager Blue-gray Tanager Blue-and-yellow Tanager Summer Tanager Buff-bellied Tanager Golden-billed Saltator Streaked Saltator Yellow Grosbeak Blue-black Grassquit Yellow-bellied Seedeater Dull-colored Grassquit Band-tailed Seedeater Pumbeous Sierra-Finch Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch Band-tailed Sierra-Finch Peruvian Sierra-Finch Rufous-naped Brush-Finch Buff-bridled Inca-Finch Rufous-collared Sparrow Hooded Siskin
Feb. 22 & 23, Pomacochas in search of the Marvelous Spatuletail until midday on the 23rd, then drove east to Abra Patricia and down the eastern face of the Andes for 65 miles before backtracking and camping at Km 396 on the "Rioja Road."
Cattle Egret Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Swallow-tailed Kite Hook-billed Kite Black-and-chestnut Eagle Spotted Sandpiper Band-tailed Pigeon White-tipped Dove Groove-billed Ani Speckled Hummingbird Bronzy Inca Black-tailed Trainbearer Marvelous Spatuletail White-bellied Woodstar Amazon Kingfisher Tyrannine Woodcreeper Azara's Spinetail Rufous-capped Antshrike Torrent Tyrannulet Cinnamon Flycatcher Tropical Kingbird Blue-and-white Swallow Great Thrush Russet-backed Oropendola Peruvian Meadowlark Spectacled Redstart Citrine Warbler Silver-backed Tanager Blue-gray Tanager Blue-capped Tanager Oleaginous Hemispingus Yellow Grosbeak Rufous-naped Brush-Finch Rufous-collared Sparrow
Feb. 24 - 26, birded between Km 410 and 371 until mid-morning on the 26th before backtracking to Pedro Ruíz and then on to Jaén (Hotel Cesar).
Snowy Egret Striated Heron Cattle Egret Fasciated Tiger-Heron Torrent Duck Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Swallow-tailed Kite Broad-winged Hawk Roadside Hawk Savanna Hawk Andean Guan Spotted Sandpiper Band-tailed Pigeon Eared Dove Plain-breasted Ground-Dove Croaking Ground-Dove White-tipped Dove Squirrel Cuckoo Groove-billed Ani Striped Cuckoo White-collared Swift White-tipped Swift Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift Green Hermit Wire-crested Thorntail Spot-throated Hummingbird Speckled Hummingbird Booted Rackettail Long-tailed Sylph Golden-headed Quetzal Speckle-chested Piculet Smoky-brown Woodpecker Strong-billed Woodcreeper Ash-browed Spinetail Rufous-fronted Thornbird Pearled Treerunner Montane Foliage-gleaner Black-billed Treehunter Streaked Xenops Collared Antshrike Chestnut-backed Antshrike Slaty Antwren Rufous-winged Antwren Large-footed Tapaculo Andean Cock-of-the-Rock Golden-faced Tyrannulet Southern Beardless Tyrannulet Slaty-capped Flycatcher Common Tody-Flycatcher Olive-sided Flycatcher Black Phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Rufous-tailed Tyrant Long-tailed Tyrant Short-tailed Field-Tyrant Cliff Flycatcher Pale-edged Flycatcher Great Kiskadee Lemon-browed Flycatcher Golden-crowned Flycatcher Tropical Kingbird Barred Becard Blue-and-white Swallow White-collared Jay Green Jay White-capped Dipper Fasciated Wren Gray-mantled Wren Gray-breasted Wood-Wren Chestnut-breasted Wren Long-tailed Mockingbird Andean Solitaire Swainson's Thrush Great Thrush Black-billed Thrush Tropical (Marañón) Gnatcatcher Slaty-capped Shrike-Vireo Brown-capped Vireo Russet-backed Oropendola Scrub Blackbird Yellow-tailed Oriole Blackburnian warbler Canada Warbler Slate-throated Redstart Spectacled Redstart Citrine Warbler Three-striped Warbler Bananaquit Deep-blue Flower-piercer Black-faced Dacnis Blue-naped Chlorophonia Orange-bellied Euphonia Thick-billed Euphonia Bronze-green Euphonia Orange-eared Tanager Paradise Tanager Golden Tanager Saffron-crowned Tanager Flame-faced Tanager Blue-necked Tanager Beryl-spangled Tanager Yellow-throated Tanager Yellow-scarfed Tanager Hooded Mountain-Tanager Blue-gray Tanager Palm Tanager Blue-capped Tanager Black-bellied (Huallaga) Tanager Rufous-crested Tanager Common Bush-Tanager Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager Superciliaried Hemispingus Oleaginous Hemispingus Grass-green Tanager Magpie Tanager Black-faced Tanager Streaked Saltator Blue-black Grassquit Saffron Finch Rufous-naped Brush-Finch Yellow-browed Sparrow Rufous-collared Sparrow
The final leg of our trip took us birding north of Jaén for a few hours before driving back up over the Andes at Abra Porculla (which was unfortunately fog-bound and wet with rain while threatening road-blocking landslides at any moment, so we didn't get to bird this interesting area) and down to Olmos (Hacienda Remanso). On Feb 28 we went looking for White-winged Guans, but the known areas were inaccessible by vehicle due to the recent rains. Still, we picked up a few interesting things before completing our circle and driving to Chiclayo in the late afternoon.
Least Grebe Great Egret Snowy Egret Striated Heron Cattle Egret Black-crowned Night-Heron Fasciated Tiger-Heron Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Gray-headed Kite Bay-winged Hawk Savanna Hawk American Kestrel Common Gallinule Purple Gallinule Black-necked Stilt Eared Dove White-winged Dove Plain-breasted Ground-Dove Croaking Ground-Dove Blue Ground-Dove White-tipped Dove Scarlet-fronted Parakeet Pacific Parrotlet Groove-billed Ani Striped Cuckoo Pacific Pygmy-Owl Tumbes Hummingbird Spot-throated Hummingbird Amazilia Hummingbird Ringed Kingfisher Scarlet-backed Woodpecker Streak-headed Woodcreeper Pale-legged Hornero Necklaced Spinetail Chinchipe Spinetail Rufous-fronted Thornbird Southern Beardless Tyrannulet Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant Vermilion Flycatcher Brown-crested Flycatcher Baird's Flycatcher Tropical Kingbird White-tailed Jay Fasciated Wren Superciliated Wren Long-tailed Mockingbird Tropical (White-faced) Gnatcatcher Tropical (Marañón) Gnatcatcher House Sparrow Shiny Cowbird Scrub Blackbird Yellow-tailed Oriole Peruvian Meadowlark Bananaquit Purple-throated Euphonia Blue-gray Tanager Silver-beaked Tanager Streaked Saltator Yellow Grosbeak Blue-black Grassquit Cinereous Finch Black-and-white Seedeater Dull-colored Grassquit Parrot-billed Seedeater Chestnut-throated Seedeater Saffron Finch Tumbes Sparrow
Additionally, we observed the following 4 species of mammals during our trip:
Pale-throated Brown Capuchin Monkey Coastal Gray Fox Andean Coati Guayaquil Squirrel
Compiler: Richard Garrigues
For questions, more information or any comments, please feel free to e-mail me at: gonebirdingcr@gmail.com