PERU (NORTHERN) REP - Birdquest

1 BirdQuest Tour Report: Northern Peru 2012 www.birdquest-tours.com

The endangered White-winged Guan spends a good deal of time feeding on the ground (Eustace Barnes).

NORTHERN PERU

9 – 27 JULY 2012

LEADER: EUSTACE BARNES Were one to have said, even five years ago, that you had seen Long-whiskered Owlet calling from a mossy twig and had point blank views of a pair of Pale-billed Antpittas on the same trip you would have been thought a fan-tacist. Nevertheless we did and along with many other such encounters, our 2012 Northern Peru tour again produced a superb range of avian specialties and an equally memorable variety of breath-taking scenery. The diversity of life in the Andes is indeed unparalleled and all those countries with its dramatic folds within their borders enjoy high levels of biodiversity. Our list of 567 species included 52 Peruvian endemics and over thirty restricted-range species as well as a good number of Tumbesian specialities. Naturally many of


the highlights were the endemics or otherwise endangered species starting with the declining and endan-gered Grey-bellied Comet and the loquacious Great Spinetail, the dapper White-winged Guans, a velvety male Royal Sunangel, several male Marvellous Spatuletails, two pairs of Peruvian Plantcutters and several Russet-bellied Spinetails among many others. The highly prized Pale-billed Antpitta was our bird of the trip followed closely, of course by the near mythical Long-whiskered Owlet. We enjoyed unbeatable views of Brown Tinamou that walked along in front of us, stunning looks at Cinnamon-breasted Tody-Tyrant in its stunted forest, several male Peruvian Sheartails dazzling us in bright sunshine, a pair of Marañon Cres-centchests at our feet, a small party of Yellow-faced Parrotlets by the bus, swirling flocks of tanagers with Yellow-scarfed Tanagers, numerous male Marvellous Spatuletails, three species of endemic inca-finches, the very rare Tumbes Swallow, the stunning Tumbes Tyrant, several Piura Chat-Tyrants and a lovely Bar-winged Wood-Wren along with many more. We began what is now known as the Marañón circuit with an early flight to Cajamarca, famous as the last stand of the usurper Atahualpa against the avaricious Pizarro during a fractious internal episode in the great Incan empire. Today it is the site of another clash over the same natural resource: Gold. This time however it is between the indigenous population and multinational corporations. Plus ca change plus cest la meme chose. We met up with Pancho, our driver for the next couple of days and headed off to our first site where we were almost immediately treated to superb views of the endangered Grey-bellied Comet at its only known site. The best way to start to the tour! Not so very long ago this spectacular endemic and highly threatened hummingbird species was only ever seen as a ‘fly by ‘at quite a variety of unlikely locations. Today we enjoy point blank views at its only known haunt and probable nesting site. In this pretty little valley we also saw a good selection of Andean species, including American Kestrel, Black-chested Buzzard Eagle, Sparkling Vio-letear, Green-tailed Trainbearer, Band-tailed Seedeater, Blue-and-yellow Tanager and Peruvian Sierra-Finch. Our target bagged so early on we were able to spend the rest of the day birding along the upper canyon. We quickly found the smart Black-crested Tit-Tyrant, several Giant Hummingbirds, an unexpected Black and White Becard, several Grassland Yellow-Finches and good numbers of White-winged Cinclodes along with a magnificent Black Metaltail and the endemic Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail. In this pretty Andean valley we also enjoyed some great views of Torrent Tyrannulet along the streams, whilst on the drier slopes we found a family group Golden-billed Saltators, Ash-breasted and Peruvian Sierra-Finches.

Two of South America’s rarest species: the Grey-bellied Comet (left) and the Great Spinetail (right) (Eustace Barnes)

The following day we departed early for the deep gulley clad in columnar cacti and acacia above San Marcos in search of the Great Spinetail. Another highly threatened endemic, declining rapidly as its habitat is cut or burnt. Again, moments after arriving we were thrilled to be treated to fantastic views of maybe three of these spectacular Furnarids. We then walked down through the deeply incised gulley in the early morning sunshine


and were treated to numerous Amazilia Hummingbirds, Purple-collared Woodstars and the endemic Spot-throated Hummingbird as well as a pair of Black-lored Yellowthroats, numerous Vermillion Flycatchers and Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrants. Interestingly we heard a Chestnut-backed Thornbird at a site new for this endangered endemic. However, it was not interested in showing itself and so we concentrated on a family party of much more cooperative Black-necked Woodpeckers, several families of Marañon Gnatcatchers and a noisy family of Fasciated Wrens. A little lower in the valley a pair of Buff-bridled Ina-Finches with young were lured into view. The Chestnut-backed Thornbird is an uncommon and localised endemic found princi-pally in the Maranon valley. This site would represent the first known site for this species away from that val-ley although still in the same catchment. As we continued through the gulley we found our first Peruvian Pygmy-Owls. They sat and eyed us with contempt while a few Rufous-browed Peppershrikes, several High-land Hepatic Tanagers and a couple of Golden-bellied Grosbeaks mobbed them adding to our rapidly grow-ing lists. We then headed back to Cajamarca, stopping at a deep lagoon to see Andean Duck, Common Gal-linule, Slate-coloured Coots and Andean Gulls as well as Andean Lapwing and Plumbeous Rail. Along the marshy edge we also found a number of Pied-billed grebes and several very obliging Wren-like Rushbirds. Our return drive was broken with a brief stop for a raptor which somewhat surprisingly turned out be a White-throated Hawk; a rather rare species. In the afternoon we climbed the western Cordillera to Abra Gavilan where we all had incredible views of a pair of Jelski’s Chat-Tyrants with a young bird. Also present were a couple of somewhat skulking Unicolored Tapaculos and the modesta form of White-crested Elaenia which probably represents a separate species: the Peruvian Elaenia. As the sun dropped and with the temperature we returned to Cajamarca for celebratory drinks and a well earned rest.

The pretty Buff-bridled Inca-finch (left) (Eustace Barnes) and the rather skulking Jelski’s Chat-Tyrant (right) (Walter Markel)

As is the habit for birders we were again on the road early the next morning en route to Celendin. As there were road works of colossal proportions along our route we birded Encanada and the high elevation grass-lands nearby. We quickly notched up Baron’s Brush-Finch, Black-crested Tit-Tyrant, the endemic Baron’s Spinetail and several Shining Sunbeams and Black-tailed Trainbearers. As we climbed to the paramos we stopped to see a large flock of White-browed Ground-Tyrants, a Paramo Pipit and a dozen or so Rufous-webbed Tyrants. Searching the open grasslands we then found Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant and the first of twelve White-tailed Shrike-Tyrants; the latter generally a rare species but here outnumbering its close rela-tive the aforementioned Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant. A female Cinereous Harrier then flew down the valley much to our surprise. Also feeding in the fields we saw Cream-winged Cinclodes, Bright-rumped Yellow- finches and Plumbeous Sierra-Finches. A pair of Streak-throated Canasteros chased around on the open grasslands accompanied by more ground tyrants. We saw many more Mountain Caracaras and a couple of Variable Hawks along with more White-tailed Shrike-Tyrants. In a tiny fragment of humid cloud forest we heard the distinctive song of ‘Cajamarca Antpitta', a likely split from Rufous Antpitta. A patient wait sat on the dry mossy ground eventually provided most of us with views of this elusive species. At this point our pro-gress was impeded by the aforementioned roadworks. Indeed one of our sites was so busy with heavy ma-


chinery that it may be said to no longer exist. The final twenty kilometres of the road were then closed to traf-fic forcing a lengthy diversion upon us. However, not to be deterred we birded a few patches of temperate scrub and alder dominated woodland finding Tufted Tit-Tyrant, several Brown-backed Chat-Tyrants and a few pairs of Spectacled Whitestarts On entering the bucolic Andean backwater that is Celendin one is greeted with the sight of a gigantic concrete hat in celebration of the local millinery trade. It appears to oper-ate as a bus shelter and sun shade as it is placed over a seated area. The eccentricity of this then contrasts rather sharply with the formal mix of administrative and ecclesiastical colonial buildings around the spotlessly clean Plaza de Armas. The following day we headed into the inspiring drama of the Marañón Canyon with its towering cliffs, tortured folds and knife edged ridges to the pleasantly bucolic Hacienda Limon where we enjoyed a full English breakfast. A very enjoyable session here produced several Grey-backed Inca-Finches and several very ob-liging Chestnut-backed Thornbirds. There were also a good number of the dowdy Spot-throated Humming-birds and clean cut Andean Emeralds. Our breakfasting was watched by numerous Long-tailed Mockingbirds, Peruvian Meadowlarks, well named Dull-coloured Grassquits and a few Lesser Goldfinches.

Grey-winged Inca-Finch at Hacienda Limon (Anon). A little later we screeched to a halt to see several pairs of Yellow-faced Parrotlets as they fussed about and twittered in the cacti. One of the prettiest Parrotlets and a clear favourite on the tour. Rather surprisingly we also saw a Squirrel Cuckoo and an Inca Jay at the same spot before we had to descend to the base of the canyon in search of Peruvian Pigeon which we found and obtained great scope views of. While we walked along the mighty Marañon we enjoyed superb scope views of Marañon Thrush and a large group of Purple-throated Euphonias along with more Dull-coloured Grassquits, a Black-necked Woodpecker and several


pairs of Blue-grey Tanagers. That same day it was time for us to start the long climb up to Barro Negro through even more stunning scenery stopping for a late but nevertheless fine field lunch just below the pass and giving us spectacular views of the canyon and Balsas 2000m below us. In the late afternoon we crossed the Abra Barro Negro (Black mud pass) to the open paramos of the upper Utcubamba basin. It was bright and sunny with a strong wind giving breathtaking views across to the eastern cordilleras but making for diffi-cult birding conditions. We then descended to the superb hummingbird feeders at the museum near town where we enjoyed great views of Rainbow Starfrontlets and Chestnut-breasted Coronets but little else as the forests were full of flowering shrubs. The following morning we were climbing back up towards Abra Barro Negro in search of a handful of speci-alities. Our first stop provided us with a chorus of Andean Snipe displaying high over the valley and a some-what distant Swallow-tailed Nightjar. High on the paramos we quickly found a pair of stunning Coppery Metaltails which we watched glowing in the early morning sun. A little later we were searching for White-chinned (Peruvian) Thistletail which we only managed to glimpse despite our best efforts. A small flock held Blue-backed Conebill, Superciliated Hemispingus, Pearled Treerunner and Streaked Tuftedcheek kept us entertained while Mountain Caracaras and Harris’s Hawks flew overhead. Conditions were not the best with little or no bird song in the sunny conditions.

The Peruvian Pigeon is now uncommon and declining (Anon) After lunch we headed along the Utcubamba valley to Pomacochas. Along the valley we saw several Fasci-ated Tiger-Herons, large flocks of Scarlet-fronted Parakeets and a few Golden-rumped Euphonias. However, unfortunately we did not find the Koepcke’s Screech-Owl on their day roost as it seems another tour group had been through a few days earlier and, not knowing where the birds were, blasted them with playback until they appeared! Needless to say they had not been seen since. Hopefully they will return in the near future. However, we did see more Maranon Thrushes, Golden-bellied Grosbeaks, Blue-grey and Blue and Yellow Tanagers and the ubiquitous Bananaquit while searching through the trees. We then continued along the


spectacular canyon to Pedro Ruiz where we began our ascent to Florida, eventually arriving at our rather pleasant if bizarre hotel at Pomacochas to be greeted by the ever smiling Oscar. We had plenty of time be-fore our splendid dinner to wonder at the decidedly ghastly artwork adorning the walls and the illegally ob-tained Chachapoyan mummies in the foyer while taking time to enjoy the hummingbirds in the more pleasant gardens.

Black-necked Woodpecker (left) and Chestnut-backed Thornbird (right) (Walter Mankel) The next day began with a visit to the ECOAN visitor centre and the feeders arranged around its grounds. In no time were enjoying spectacular views of several male Marvellous Spatuletails replete with ultramarine blue spatuletail. This species has been named the world's most spectacular hummingbird and indeed the world’s most spectacular bird. It is only found on the eastern slope of the Utcubamba canyon, although it does cross at the upper end near Leymebamba. Also present on the feeders were good numbers of White-bellied Woodstars and a couple of the rare Little Woodstar. The latter is a very poorly known species, al-though it is now seen with regularity with the widespread introduction of feeders. The site was alive with a profusion of Sparkling and Green Violetears, Rainbow Starfrontlets, Chestnut-breasted Coronets, Collared and Bronzy Incas, Andean Emeralds, White-bellied hummingbirds and numerous Long-tailed Sylphs. After having our fill of watching these magical creatures buzzing about it was time to leave and head for Myo-bamba. In the close vicinity of the feeders we also saw Mitred and Scarlet-fronted Parakeets and a few Speckle-faced Parrots. We then headed east to the stunted forests on the knife-edge ridges at Alta Nieva famous for the discovery of the Long-whiskered Owlet. However, this is not all this area is famed for as the site also provides a spe-cialised niche for a number of other range restricted species. We rather quickly found the stunning Royal Sunangel and enjoyed spectacular views of this beautiful species just a few meters from our watch point. At the site we also saw a White-cheeked Solitaire, several Rufous-tailed Tyrants and a Barred Hawk; the latter only recently recorded from Peru and therefore a notable sighting. A number of the graceful Swallow-tailed kites glided over us and the noisy calls of a pair of Roadside Hawks echoed in the gulley beneath us. A short walk along the road then hit a massive flock of tanagers that included several Rufous-crested Tanagers, a number of the lovely Yellow-throated Tanager, Flame-faced, Saffron-headed, Beryl-spangled and Metallic-green Tanagers. The latter an especially pleasing find as it can be hard to come by. There were also Streaked Tuftedcheek, Olive-backed and Montane Woodcreepers, Green and black Fruiteater, Bluish and Golden-eyed Flowerpiercers, Blue-capped Tanager, Andean Solitaire and others. Where else in the world can such a number of species be seen in a single mixed flock?


The dazzling Rainbow Starfrontlet is now easily seen at the many feeders (Eustace Barnes). After dragging in a pair of Sub-tropical Caciques and working at good views of both this species and an An-dean Solitaire that was proving hard to see it was time to turn to our next target: the pretty and rather elusive Cinnamon-breasted Tody-Tyrant. Having heard one along the road in some bamboo we positioned our-selves in readiness and sure enough a pair of this rather pretty little tyrannid duly appeared in front of us and all obtained stunning views. Rather less obliging were several pairs of Bar-winged Wood-Wrens which called from every quarter of the stunted forest around us along with numerous Grey-breasted Wood-Wrens. Even-tually after several individuals were tried and numerous sites worked upon we did lure one into view. How-ever, although some of us had great views of a singing bird it only passed through once and it did not hang around for us all to see it well as well. It was time to move and we headed to the lowlands. It is particularly striking in the Andes that the patchwork of microhabitats produces very high diversity across short distances and this area is a very good example of this. Within a few kilometres one can travel from the humid temperate cloud forests to stunted white sand forests and scrub and then to the lush sub-tropics and upper tropics before reaching the Amazonian lowlands with its mix of savannas, rainforests and white sand forest all of which house differing avifaunas. We stopped in the sub-tropics for a brief session looking through some smaller flocks. We did find a number of Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. One of the most spectacu-lar species and always one of the favourites. We then had a look through a mixed flock that held Marble-faced bristle-Tyrant, slaty-capped Flycatcher, Saffron-crowned Tanager, the elusive Scale-crested Pygmy Tyrant. The latter always proving rather more difficult to find than abundance may suggest reasonable.


A male Royal Sunangel at Alta Nieva (Eustace Barnes) At Morro Calzada, a small reserve just outside Myobamba, we were instantly greeted by the cacophony of an entirely different avifauna dominated by Amazonian species. The lower lying area of woodland held Blu-ish-fronted Jacamar, Blue-crowned Trogon, Swallow-wing Puffbird, and Gilded Barbets. Working through the tyrannids we picked up Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant, Stripe-necked Tody-Tyrant and the endemic foothill form of Mishana Tyrannulet. The latter put on a spectacular show and a pair perched out for us in the afternoon sun. Although only recently discovered it is clear that the foothill form differs significantly from that found in the varillal woodlands on white sand in the lowlands and is undoubtedly a distinct species. There were also Speckled Chachalacas, Ruddy and Blue ground Doves, Grey-fronted Dove, Squirrel Cuckoos, Groove-billed Ani, Fork-tailed Palm-Swift, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Great Kiskadee, Short-crested Flycatcher, Black-billed Thrush, Palm Tanager, Black-faced Dacnis, Swallow Tanagers, three lettered Aracaris, Social and Grey-capped Flycatchers and a flock of White-eyed Parakeets. We then headed to our hotel in Myobamba for a much needed rest and celebratory drinks after another packed day. The following morning we began birding in the rain and as result failed to even hear a Band-bellied Owl. A short time after dawn we headed to the hummingbird feeders at Wakanki where the morning frenzy was well underway. The furious search for food always provides a mesmerising spectacle and we were not disap-pointed. At the feeders we saw several Great-billed and a couple of Rufous-breasted Hermits, Fork-tailed Wood-nymph, Blue-tailed Emerald, Amethyst Woodstar, the amazing Rufous-crested Coquette, Grey-breasted Sabrewing, Violet-fronted Brilliant, numerous Golden-tailed Sapphires, a male White-chinned Sa-pphire, Sapphire-spangled Emeralds, White-necked Jacobin, Long-billed Starthroat, Black-throated Mango and a Many-spotted Hummingbird. Quite a list but not an exhaustive one as other species are present in the austral spring. It is sometimes said that the diversity of South America’ s avifauna can be accounted for by looking solely at the nature of the sub-oscines but the dramatic diversity of these intriguing little birds which is also mirrored in other families contradicts this in style. Also present in the area were numerous Huallaga and Black-faced Tanagers, Cobalt-winged Parakeets, Blue-headed Parrots, Channel-billed Toucan, Piratic Flycatcher, Swallow-tailed Kite, Lafresnaye’s Piculet, Little Woodpecker, Lineated and Crimson-crested woodpecker, Rufous-fronted Thornbird, Olivaceous woodcreeper, Blackish Antbird, Streaked flycatcher, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Grey-breasted Martin, Southern Roughwing, Green and Gold Tanager, Purple honey-creeper and Buff-throated Saltator.


Golden-tailed Sapphire is a stunning foothill species (Walter Mankel). It was time to explore the foothill forests above the lodge and we duly began to climb slowly up through some magnificent forests. We were assailed with the calls of numerous Amazonian species, although these were not our targets and we had to pass many of those by in order to give ourselves time to search out the speci-alities of the foothill forests which can be tough at the best of times. Those birds that did call and were duly noted included Spot-backed and Black Antbirds, Peruvian Warbling Antbird, Rufous-rumped and Rufous-winged Antwrens, White-crowned Tapaculo, Scaly-breasted Wren and so on. We found and saw Grey-chinned Hermit, Plain-winged Antshrike, Blackish Antbird, Foothill Antwren, a pair of Black and white Tody-Tyrants, White-bellied Pygmy-Tyrant and a trio of the lovely Golden-collared Toucanet. As we neared the ridge top we found Tschudi’s Woodcreeper, the foothill form of Ocellated Woodcreeper and usually now con-sidered a separate species. Also a pair of Ash-throated Antwrens were calling from the tree tops but they would not come to our tape and try as we might they only moved slowly away from us. This is a recently described species restricted to stunted forests on ridges. The ridge top gave us a spectacular view of Myobamba below us and the extensive foothill forest that covers the hills both north and south of town. We then slowly descended to the clearing below and a sumptuous lunch prepared for us by our talented field cook Aurelio. It is always a surprise what can be done on a couple of burners beneath the shelter of an open back door, often in the dark on a slope and in the rain. On this occasion however, it was pleasantly warm and sunny allowing us to sit outside and watch the Rufous-crested Coquettes on the flowering shrubs nearby.


A male Rufous-crested Coquette (left) and a Great-billed Hermit (right) at Wakanki. (Walter Markel) Birder groups now have the benefit and luxury of Owlet Lodge from which to explore the temperate forests on the east flank between Abra Patricia and Aguas Verdes. Certainly an area attracting birders for decades in search of a quite extraordinary range of endemics and range restricted species and which continues to produce exciting finds. Altogether we had four days to explore this spectacular area it is never nearly enough. However, our time here did prove very productive as we explored the trails at Owlet lodge and watched yet more hummingbirds feeding around the lodge. The trails produced good sightings of Inca Flycatcher, Ru-fous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant, both Lulu’s and Black-throated Tody-Tyrant in bamboo thickets along with nu-merous Long-tailed Antbirds and Rufous Spinetails. We also enjoyed listening to the fluid melodies of Chest-nut-breasted Wrens and Andean Solitaires while watching Pale-edged Flycatchers and Mottle-cheeked Ty-rannulets and yet more Green and black Fruiteaters and Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanagers. A rapidly mov-ing flock in scrub near the lodge produced Blue-backed Conebill, Drab Hemispingus, Beryl-spangled, Flame-faced, saffron-crowned and Rufous-crested Tanagers along with the stunning Yellow-scarfed Tanager and always popular Grass-green Tanagers. However, the forest was generally quiet and we did not even hear a quetzal or a Mountain-toucan at this locality Walking the trails in search of those denizens of the forest floor produced some unexpected results. One morning we happened upon a Brown Tinamou which just fed in the open for some time on the trail. A truly unusual event which was repeated subsequently when a Hooded Tinamou did the same. Along the same trail we had great views of a Rufous-vented Tapaculo which can also be somewhat tricky to actually see. However, the Ochre-fronted Antpittas came in but never showed them-selves which was frustrating. The Chestnut Antpitta on the other hand cooperated sufficiently well to be filmed by Walter. , As seemed to the case throughout the trip night birding produced mixed results. After some effort we did ob-tain outstanding views of a Long-whiskered Owlet which put on a tremendous performance which will not be forgotten for a long time. Seeing the Whiskers and the bright orange eyes of the furious little bird calling from literally just above our heads was indeed an experience that makes it all the more worth while. We never imagined we would see this bird so well. On the other hand our search for Cinnamon screech Owl was frustrated by rain and our tiredness. A second for the screech-Owl did produced great views of a female Lyre-tailed nightjar hunting from a roadside perch while on all of our forays into the mossy, epiphyte ladened cloud forests at night we heard Rufous-bellied Nighthawks, both White-throated screech Owl and rufous-banded Owl although there was insufficient time to track them down.


Chestnut-breasted Coronet (left) and collared Inca (right) at Owlet lodge (Walter Markel).

The numerous feeders and flowering shrubs around the Owlet Lodge attracted another set of hummers that included green Violetear, speckled hummingbird, Long-tailed Sylph, Chestnut-breasted Coronets, Bronzy and Collared Incas, Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Tyrian Metaltail, numerous Emerald-bellied Puffleg and a single Booted Racket tail. Quite exhausting just thinking of all of those birds buzzing around furiously defending ‘their’ feeder against the dozens of competitors. The clearing also turned out to be good for mixed flocks and we were all able to get to grips with Common Bush Tanagers and Grey-hooded Bush Tanagers in the com-pany of many other species. Although we did suffer a Friaje in the sub-tropics, which resulted in our loosing a day to weather, we never-theless saw much of what we had hoped to see. A Friaje is a cold wind from Patagonia that drives a thick cold front before it as it blows north along the base of the Andes during the austral winter. The unusually cold and wet weather made our day at Affluente quite unproductive and so we returned to the temperate cloud forests where we saw White-rumped hawks and a White-collared Jay put in an appearance for some of us. We subsequently returned to Affluente and the sub-tropics later on during our stay for an afternoon which turned out to be very productive for that time of day. The resident flock produced Streak-necked Flycatcher, Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant, Slaty-capped Flycatcher, Ecuadorian and Plumbeous-crowned Tyrannulets, Montane and Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaners, Paradise, Blue-necked, Spotted, Green and gold, Bay-headed, Golden and Saffron-crowned Tanagers, the immaculate Orange-eared Tanager, Olivaceous Greenlet, Three-striped Warblers and a Wing-barred Piprites. Several flocks of Red-billed Parrots and Scaly-naped Amazons flew over and we also saw a family group of White-fronted Nunbirds and several dazzling Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. There were also Ashy-throated Bush-Tanagers, Ash-browed Spinetails and a stunning male Versicoloured Barbet in the same flock. We also managed good views of the White-crowned Tapaculo which is usually more of a challenge and lower down we enjoyed roadside views of Ecuadorian Piedtail and the rarely seen Blue-fronted Lancebill. Inspite of this dramatic flurry of activity this area requires a good deal more time than weather permitted on this trip and we did miss a couple of species. Another morning was devoted to the Pomacochas area while Walter remained at the hummingbird feeders trying to capture the magic of the spatuletail while the rest of the group scaled the rocky hillside on a quest to see the Pale-billed Antpitta. While climbing slowly up to the site we saw a Smoky Bush Tyrant, Citrine War-blers, Rufous-breasted Chat-tyrant, several Violet-throated Starfrontlets and a Red-crested Cotinga. All spe-cies we did not see elsewhere on the tour. Once on site we began the work of locating our prize and it was not until the third patch of bamboo that a pair put in an appearance. However, what an appearance they made. The birds bounded in and sat on a mossy log in front of us singing. They circumnavigated our position and gave outstanding views of what was to be the bird of the trip. We could not have asked for except that on our descent we decided to go for the Leymebamba Antpitta at the foot of another muddy slope which we then saw very well, a great end to the morning for those who managed it.


On our last morning at Abra Patricia we gave the Ochre-fronted Antpitta another shot without success al-though the birds did come very close to us and shot across the trail to sing behind us. This was out Tinamou morning and so it was not entirely without compensation. However, it was time to move on and we headed back to Pomacochas where we had spectacular views of the endemic speckle-chested Piculet and a pair of rufous-capped Antshrikes. We then descended to the Utcubamba valley below Florida for our journey to Jaen during which we had quite a number of planned stops to make.

Extraordinary views of the very shy and elusive Brown Tinamou (Eustace Barnes). Stopping along the Utcubamba we quickly found several of our target species for the next couple of days. These included the rare and very poorly known Maranon Spinetail, a pair of Speckle-breasted Wrens, here sometimes called the ‘Maranon’ Wren and the localised Maranon Slaty-Antshrike which is reasonably well differentiated from Northern Slaty Antshrike. We continued towards the desert seeing the pretty little Pearl Kite on the way. Once in the desert we were again looking at Peruvian pygmy Owls, Spot-throated Hummingbirds and after a short time the newly described Shumba Antshrike and Little Inca-Finch; our final Incaspiza species at one of its few localities. The following morning along the Tamborapa valley were treated to a chorus of night birds that included Scrub and Rufous Nightjars, a few rather distant Pauraques and our targeted bird the nominate form of West Peruvian Screech Owl, although very poorly differentiated both vocally and morphologically. However, al-though it came very close to us it was not interested in showing itself and as dawn approached our time ran out. We then continued to our breakfast stop a little further up the valley and were treated to another round of dawn chorus: that of the passerines. Our first species was the vocally distinct Chinchipe Spinetail which per-formed beautifully followed by more Maranon spinetails and a pair of Maranon Slaty Antshrikes. Better was yet to come in the form of three very responsive Maranon Crescentchests which again showed themselves very well; quite a stunning species with its superb colouration and crisp markings. After an excellent break-fast of pancakes and good strong coffee we were prepared for the final assault on these birdy woodlands. A short distance from the bus we found a pair of ‘Maranon’ Sparrows; a form of the Black-capped sparrow that


is as well differentiated as any Maranon endemic. The Red-crested Finches were very visible along with a nice flock of Buff-bellied Tanagers, a Guira Tanager, a pair of Streaked Xenops and our only Yellow-cheeked Becard. the temperatures were soaring and it was time to head off on the long journey over Abra Porculla to Olmos in the western lowlands. After a full morning of birding we relaxed on the bus, updated our notes and enjoyed the ever changing scenery. .

Shumba Antshrike (left) and the diminutive Pearl Kite (right)(Eustace Barnes) Departing Olmos somewhat early we headed north to yet another locality known as Limon, this time in search of the endangered White-winged Guan at its most famous location. On arrival we found a few Streak-headed Woodcreepers, Baird’s Flycatchers, Tumbes Sparrows and had poor views of a Tumbes Tyrant. It was time to begin our pleasant walk into the canyon and we headed off with Lino, our local guide and head of the community that owns the land. White-tailed Jays were common, we heard a Lineated woodpecker and saw a number of Scarlet-backed Woodpeckers. A little further up we found maybe four Ecuadorian Trogons before we spotted a pair of White-winged Guans. We watched this pair and subsequently found another ten birds that we were able to watch gliding between the tree tops and chasing one another around in the early morning sunlight before they descended to the forest floor to feed and disappear from our sight. The mixed flocks were very active and found Golden-olive woodpecker, Pacific Elaenia, Sooty-crowned Flycatcher, Bran-coloured Flycatcher, the rare Grey-breasted Flycatcher, numerous family groups of White-headed Brush-Finches as well as Grey and gold Warblers. The forest floor held numerous Elegant Crescentchests and a single Pale-browed Tinamou before we found several Black-capped Sparrows and a superb Henna-hooded Foliage-Gleaner. At this point your leader may have seen an Ochre-bellied Dove; a decidedly rare species this far south in Peru. A river cliff held a pair of Whooping Motmots that performed for us superbly while overhead we spotted a few Tumbes swifts and a pair of Black-chested Buzzard Eagles. On our return for another splendid lunch we found several pairs of Necklaced Spinetails and Grey and white Tyrannulets. It was time to leave and head for Chiclayo on the coast. On the way we stopped to find Tumbes Humming-bird and a superb Tumbes Tyrant; surely one of the prettiest of the Tumbesian endemics. At the same site we also saw a number of Siskins. These birds have been seen on a number of occasions at this site over the last few years. They are very bright yellow and have no hint of olive green streaking on their mantles. They have a broad yellow collar and seem to be more or less yellow and black. They look like Saffron Siskins but owing to their rarity and the distance between this site and its documented range I have only included it ten-tatively on the list. Having spent a good deal of time watching these pretty finches made a move. A little fur-ther on we saw three Snowy-throated Kingbirds and a flock of thirteen Peruvian Thick-knees which we de-


voted some time to. Also present was a pair of Burrowing Owls which always entertain. The desert had been productive earlier in the year and as a result life was prolific and the birding good.

Tumbes Hummingbird (left) and Peruvian Thick-knees(right)near Olmos (Eustace Barnes) Leaving the desert we were exactly on time for our final target of the day. A stop at a rather unpromising looking marsh produced several Killdeer, black-necked stilts, a Green Kingfisher, Grey-breasted Martins, an immature Black-crowned Night-Heron and numerous scrub Blackbirds. However, it was the spotted rail that we had come to see and it performed superbly; flying in front of us and landing to take a lengthy wander along the edge of the marsh. Rather pleased with the days results we then headed back to Olmos: the town that time forgot. Not a luxury not available to us.

Tumbes Tyrant (left) (Walter Markel) and Spotted Rail at Olmos marsh (Eustace Barnes).

The following we headed back up to Abra Porculla, arriving within ninety seconds of the stated journey time for a splendid breakfast looking out over the west flank of the Andes down to the Pacific lowlands. A magnifi-cent view. We walked the road, finding our first Peruvian Sheartail, several Three-banded Warblers, a Grey and gold Warbler and several Bay-crowned and White-winged Brush-Finches. A stunning White-throated


Hawk soared around us and landed in a small tree for us all to admire. This is generally a rare species and not one I had seen at this site before. A short walk along a narrow path led us to a nice patch of semi-humid cloud forest and we waited while a procession of birds passed before us. We kicked off with Line-cheeked Spinetail and a pair of Chapman’s Ant shrikes before we found the endemic pretty little Piura Chat-Tyrant. We then went in search of Black-cowled Saltator which was lurking by the road away from any mixed flock. A little further up the road and we found our remaining target: the rare Rufous-necked Foliage-Gleaner of which we obtained great views as it skulked around in a dense thicket. We had found everything by nine thirty, quite a record for this site! Making the most of our advantage we headed to Batan Grande for lunch. As we descended to the lowlands a quick stop in another dreadful looking village produced the much wanted Chestnut-collared Swallow at a nesting colony . We were able to watch these delightful creatures hunt the excellent supply of insects found in such settlements for some time get-ting some really good views. Fortunately, since it was very hot, our watch point was right next to a large cooler full of ice-cream. After cooling ice creams and more views of the swallows we move on and headed to Batan Grande. A concerted effort in the afternoon sun produced great views of the rare Tumbes Swallow before we retreated to the shade nearby in search of the lovely Rufous Flycatcher which we found rather easily just as lunch was ready. We then moved on through the Pomac sanctuary to the Thousand year old tree. Our next target required a patient wait but soon a male Peruvian Plantcutter came out of a thicket for brilliant views. However, our search for Ecuadorian Piculet only produced somewhat brief views of an ag-gressive adult and so we decided to move on. A final stop at a nice little area of desert produced our final target of the day: the near endemic Cinereous Finch which posed for us. However. The appearance of large numbers of small finch-like birds caught our attention and we were suddenly surrounded by dozens of Sul-phur-throated Finches; a rare and somewhat infrequently seen Tumbesian endemic; the perfect end to an-other great day.

The increasingly rare Rufous Flycatcher (Walter Markel). The short journey to Chiclayo placed us perfectly to enjoy some birding on the coast the following day having seen all the species of the dry deciduous woodlands and scrub. A late departure the following morning still put us on the beach at Puerto Eten just after dawn. We enjoyed some great views of Many-coloured Rush-Tyrant, Wren-like Rushbird and Plumbeous Rail before we headed o the beach to look for waders and sea-birds. As it was only July there were not a great many waders about but we still found Willet, Grey-bellied


plover, Whimbrel, Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers as well as good numbers of Peruvian Boobies and a few Blue-footed Boobies, Peruvian Pelicans, Guanay Cormorants, Grey, Kelp, Belcher’s and Franklin’s Gulls, Royal, South American and a few Inca terns. We then explored another area of beach where we found a pair of Least Seedsnipe with downy chicks pro-viding us with a real thrill for the day. This species is rapidly declining in the northern coastal deserts and is increasingly hard to find. At the same spot we also found our only Coastal Miners and about nineteen Peru-vian Terns; a species in steep decline with the development of beaches along the coast. Having seen more or less everything there was to be seen we began the long journey to Chaparri for the night.

Two of the commoner species of the coast. Burrowing Owl(left) and West Peruvian Dove (right) ((Walter Markel). Chaparri is the site of the reintroduction of White-winged Guans to a site within their historic range. They are now breeding here successfully and rather easily seen as they are quite tame. We saw hundreds more Sul-phur-throated finches at the Tinajones reservoir where we also saw Short-tailed Woodstar and obtained some cracking views of Red-masked Parakeet. At dusk around the lodge we saw the resident West Peru-vian Screech Owl and enjoyed great views of this tiny little owl along with a least a dozen Scrub Nightjars, some of which were sat in the road for us to admire at length. After at pleasant rest in Trujillo we set off for the tiny Andean village of Sinsicap at 2200m. Our arrival was, as usual greeted with a deafening round of firecrackers followed rather less frequently by the loud pro-nouncements and drunken ‘music’ of a political rally. Our entire stay in this rural back water was accompa-nied by the racket although it did not affect our birding. The hills here are planted with quince orchards and this is precisely where we headed after breakfast for our mornings birding. We climbed a low ridge and quickly found several pairs of the endangered Russet-bellied Spinetails. We subsequently saw three or more Piura Chat-Tyrants and several male Peruvian Sheartail along with the maculatus race of Speckled Hummingbird, numerous Sparkling Violetears and Purple-collared Woodstars. Our return to the bus pro-duced brief views of a Curve-billed Tinamous followed by an extraordinary version of Yellow Submarine that echoed across the valley. We then continued our way birding down the valley, stopping at numerous sites. We found a good many species we had already seen in the region including Collared Antshrike, Baird’s Flycatcher, Elegant Cres-centchests and a Plain-breasted Hawk. We also saw Collared Warbling-Finch which, rather strangely, we had missed so far. Rather more importantly we also found a pair of Peruvian Plantcutters in a large area of acacia and prosopis scrub at what is new site for this endangered species. Quite a find.


Russet-bellied Spinetail (Anon)

The following morning we took an early morning flight to Lima for some final session on the coast before re-turning home. Arriving at Lima we headed south to the Pantanos de Villa for a short visit. This large nature reserve on the southern edge of the city is surprisingly good for waterbirds and can be good for inshore sea-birds. On arrival we found a few Yellow-hooded Blackbirds; a species that was released here some time ago and which now breeds widely along the coast. Scanning the sea from the beach we saw several thousand Guanay Cormorants just offshore along with the usual numbers of Peruvian Boobies and Pelicans and hun-dreds of Inca Terns. However, it was the Humboldt Penguin found by Dara, swimming just offshore that really made our visit worth while. This species nests on the Palamino islands just off the coast here and they often come to fish in these waters so it was gratifying to see they still manage to survive in these intensively fished waters.


Red-legged Cormorant (left) (Eustace Barnes) and Blackish Oystercatcher (right) at Pucusana (Walter Markel).

We then headed south to the tiny fishing village of Pucusana for a short boat ride around the harbour. This trip undertaken on a locally built fishing boat adapted for boats trips is always a very productive little trip. We were not disappointed with our circumnavigation of the area, starting with spectacular views of the stunning Ina Tern on the fishing boats in the harbour. This is surely the most beautiful of all terns. As we drifted around the harbour we also enjoyed great views of the resident Guanay Cormorants along with large num-bers of Belcher’s Gulls, Peruvian Pelicans and a few Blackish Oystercatchers. As we rounded the headland we found several pairs of Red-legged Cormorants, which were nesting on the seaward cliffs where we were also treated to great views of Surf Cinclodes dicing with death as the waves crashed on the rocks. There is also a small colony of South American Sea Lions that often hang out on the rocks. Along with these impres-sive mammals and dozens more Inca Terns we enjoyed the seemingly unending spectacle of abundant life that so characterises this coast.

Inca Tern at Pucusana on our last day on the coast (Eustace Barnes).


The stunning Emerald-bellied Puffleg is easily seen at Abra Patricia (Eustace Barnes).

SYSTEMATIC LIST

Species which were heard but not seen are indicated by the symbol (H).

Species which were only recorded by the leader are indicated by the symbol (L).

Species which were not personally recorded by the leader are indicated by the symbol (NL).

Species marked with the diamond symbol (◊) are either endemic to the country or local region or considered ‘special’ birds for some other reason (e.g. it is only seen on one or two Birdquest tours; it is difficult to see across all or most of its range; the local form is endemic or restricted-range and may in future be treated as a full species).

Conservation threat categories and information are taken from Threatened Birds of the World, BirdLife International’s magnificent book on the sad status of the rarest 10% of the world’s avifauna, and updates on the BirdLife website: http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/home


Hooded Tinamou Nothocercus nigrocapillus (L) One seen along the ridge trail at Abra Patricia. Very rarely seen.

Brown Tinamou Crypturellus obsoletus One watched at length along the Owlet trail. A very rarely seen species.

Pale-browed Tinamou ◊ Crypturellus transfasciatus One seen poorly at Limon. A Tumbesian endemic.

Tataupa Tinamou Crypturellus tataupa(H) Commonly heard at Tamborapa.

Curve-billed Tinamou ◊ Nothoprocta curvirostris One seen at Sinsicap where reportedly common.

Andean Tinamou Nothoprocta pentland A couple heard near San Marcos.

White-cheeked Pintail (Bahama P) Anas bahamensis A few seen along the coast and various wetlands.

Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera Seen on most wetlands on the coast.

Andean Duck Oxyura ferruginea Seen at all wetland sites.

White-winged Guan ◊ Penelope albipennis Twelve seen at Limon. Rather more at Chaparri; the release site. See notes.

Speckled Chachalaca Ortalis guttata A few seen and others heard in the eastern lowlands..

White-tufted Grebe Rollandia Rolland Seen at Pantanos de Villa.

Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Common on most wetland sites.

Great Grebe Podiceps major Common at Tinajones reservoir, where many pairs now breed.

Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti One on the sea at Pantanos de Villa.

Peruvian Pelican Pelecanus thagus Common along the coast.

Blue-footed Booby Sula nebouxii A few seen along the coast south to Pucusana.

Peruvian Booby Sula variegate Common along the coast.

Neotropic Cormorant* (Olivaceous C) Phalacrocorax brasilianus Common.

Red-legged Cormorant ◊ Phalacrocorax gaimardii A few pairs at Pucusana.

Guanay Cormorant ◊ Phalacrocorax bougainvilii Several thousand at Pantanos de Villa.

Guanay Cormoranr resting at Pucusana (Eustace Barnes)


Fasciated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma fasciatum A few along the rio Utcubamba.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Nyctanassa violacea At least four at Pantanos de Villa where now breeding.

Black-crowned Night-Heron (Night Heron) Nycticorax nycticorax Commonly seen at wetlands throughout the tour.

Striated Heron Butorides striatus Seen at several wetlands.

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

Cocoi Heron (White-necked H) Ardea cocoi Fairly common at Tinajones reservoir.

Great Egret (Great White Egret) Ardea alba Small numbers throughout.

Snowy Egret Egretta thula Small numbers throughout.

Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea A few near Rioja and good numbers seen on the coast.

Puna Ibis Plegadis ridgwayi Up to 40 seen at Abra Gran Chimu along the highway to Celendin.

Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Common.

Black Vulture (American B V) Coragyps atratus A common synanthropic scavenger.

Swallow-tailed Kite (American S-t K) Elanoides forficatus A few seen at Abra Patricia.

Pearl Kite Gampsonyx swainsonii Two in the deserts around Bagua Grande.

Double-toothed Kite Harpagus bidentatus One scoped up at Aguas Verdes.

Cinereous Harrier Circus cinereus One ringtail seen near Cajamarca. A regular site for this species.

Plain-breasted Hawk Accipiter ventralis Three seen at scattered sites from Abra patricia to Sinsicap..

Bicoloured Hawk Accipiter bicolor One immature bird seen at Tamborapa. An infrequently seen species

Savanna Hawk Buteogallus meridionalis A couple seen west of the Andes.

Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle (B-c Eagle-Buzzard, B-c Eagle) Geranoaetus melanoleucus Several pairs noted.

Harris’s Hawk (Bay-winged H) Parabuteo unicinctus One pair at Leymebamba and others near Olmos.

Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris A common species.

White-rumped Hawk Buteo leucorrhous A superb pair soaring above us at Abra Patricia.

Short-tailed Hawk Buteo brachyurus A black phase and a pale phase bird mobbing a Variable hawk at Tamborapa.

White-throated Hawk Buteo albigula One seen at Namora and repeated good looks at another at Abra Porculla.

Variable Hawk Buteo polyosoma Small numbers throughout open and drier habitats..

Barred Hawk ◊ Leucopternis princeps A single bird flew right past us at the Garcia ridge.

Crested Caracara (Northern Crested-C) Caracara cheriway A few around Olmos.

Black Caracara Daptrius ater A single bird seen near Rioja.

Mountain Caracara Phalcoboenus megalopterus Fairly common in the upland areas.

American Kestrel Falco sparverius Commonly seen throughout.

Aplomado Falcon Falco femoralis A single bird seen somewhat briefly above Leymebamba.


Spotted Rail ◊ Pardirallus maculatus A single bird seen near Olmos.

Plumbeous Rail Pardirallus sanguinolentus Seen near Namora and on the coast where not uncommon.

Common Moorhen (C Gallinule) Gallinula chloropus Common on all wetlands.

Slate-coloured Coot (Andean C) Fulica ardesiaca Small numbers on all wetlands.

Andean Lapwing Vanellus resplendens Seen at many sites throughout.

Black-bellied Plover (Grey Plover) Pluvialis squatarola 8 seen at Puerto Eten.

Killdeer Charadrius vociferous Seen at Olmos and the Tinajones reservoir.

American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliates A few seen along the coast at Puerto Eten.

Blackish Oystercatcher Haematopus ater Several pairs at Pucusana.

Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Common on the coast where breeding at this time of year.

Peruvian Thick-knee Burhinus superciliaris A spectacular species seen near Limon.

Andean Snipe Gallinago jamesoni Up to 5 heard displaying above us at Leymebamba.

Hudsonian Whimbrel Numenius hudsonicus Seen at Puerto Eten flying south.

Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia A few along the coast.

Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca A couple on the coast.

Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes A few at Tinajones reservoir.

Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria One at Puerto Eten.

Willet Catoptrophorus semipalmatus One at Puerto Eten was a surprise.

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres One in the harbour at Pucusana.

Least Seedsnipe Thinocorus rumicivorus A pair with chicks near Monsefu was one of the trips highlights.

Wattled Jacana Jacana jacana Several seen near Rioja.

Andean Gull Chroicocephalus serranus Seen at several high altitude lakes from Cajamarca to Pomacochas.

Grey-headed Gull (Grey-hooded G) Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus Fairly common on the coast.

Grey Gull Leucophaeus modestus Good numbers seen at Puerto Eten.

Franklin’s Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan A few seen at Pantanos de Villa.

Belcher’s Gull Larus belcheri Common at Pucusana. See notes.

Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus Common to abundant on the coast.

Peruvian Tern ◊ Sternula lorata Nineteen seen at Monsefu Beach at a recently discovered site. See notes.

Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Two or three at Puerto Eten.

Inca Tern Larosterna inca Very common at all coastal sites.

Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea One immature bird seen at Pantanos de Villa.

South American Tern Sterna hirundinacea Several pairs seen from the beach at Puerto Eten.


Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus Good numbers seen from the beach at Puerto Eten.

Black Skimmer Rynchops niger Nine seen at Malabrigo from the headland skimming along the beach..

Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti Common in the lowlands around Rioja.

Ecuadorian Ground-Dove ◊ Columbina buckleyi One at Hacienda Limon and then common in the Chinchipe valley.

Croaking Ground-Dove Columbina cruziana Abundant throughout the tour in drier areas.

Blue Ground-Dove Claravis pretiosa Seen at Tamborapa and along the lower Utcubamba valley.

Bare-faced Ground-Dove Metriopelia ceciliae A few seen at widely scattered sites.

Rock Pigeon (feral) Columba livia Common domesticate in urban areas where squabs harvested.

Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata A few seen in temperate cloud forests.

Peruvian Pigeon ◊ (Marañon Pigeon) Patagioenas oenops Two seen at Balsas. Not easy at midday! See notes.

Plumbeous Pigeon Patagioenas plumbea Seen and heard in the humid sub-tropics.

Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata Common to abundant in all drier habitats and open areas.

West Peruvian Dove (Pacific D) Zenaida meloda Abundant on the coast.

White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Common in dry deciduous woodlands.

Grey-fronted Dove Leptotila rufaxilla A few seen and heard at Wakanki.

Scarlet-fronted Parakeet Aratinga wagleri Good numbers seen in the Utcubamba and Chinchipe valleys.

Mitred Parakeet Aratinga mitrata Leymebamba where only recently acknowledged to occur. See notes.

Red-masked Parakeet ◊ Aratinga erythrogenys Common at Chaparri and a few heard at Limon..

White-eyed Parakeet Aratinga leucophthalmus Small numbers seen at Wakanki.

Pacific Parrotlet ◊ Forpus coelestis Another common Psittacid of the drier woodlands.

Yellow-faced Parrotlet ◊ Forpus xanthops Up to 7 seen above Balsas. See notes.

Cobalt-winged Parakeet Brotogeris cyanoptera gustavi Small numbers seen at Wakanki.

Blue-headed Parrot Pionus menstruus A few seen at Affluente and Wakanki.

Red-billed Parrot Pionus sordidus A few seen in the humid sub-tropics at KM400.

White-capped Parrot Pionus seniloides Small numbers seen at Pomacochas.

Golden-plumed Parakeet ◊ Leptosittaca branickii A few heard going to roost at Abra Patricia at a well known site.

Scaly-naped Parrot (S-n Amazon) Amazona mercenaria A few seen at a number of sites.

Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana A few seen at widely scattered sites.

Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani A few around Rioja.

Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris The common Ani.

Striped Cuckoo (American S C) Tapera naevia Heard at numerous sites and one seen near Bagua Grande..

‘Marañon’ Screech-Owl ◊ Megascops roboratus roboratus (H) One heard at Tamborapa inspite of being very close to us.

Peruvian Screech-Owl ◊ (West-P S-O) Megascops roboratus pacificus One seen at Chaparri. See notes.


Tropical Screech Owl Megascops choliba (H) One heard at Moyobamba in the hotel grounds.

Cinnamon Screech-Owl ◊ Megascops petersoni (H) One heard at Abra Patricia just before it started to rain.

White-throated Screech-Owl Megascops albogularis (H) Heard on both of our Owlet hunts.

Rufous-banded Owl Ciccaba albitarsis (H) Several birds heard at Abra Patricia.

Andean Pygmy-Owl ◊ Glaucidium jardinii (H) One bird heard at Leymebamba.

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium brasilianum (H) One bird heard at the Hotel in Myobamba and another at Wakanki.

Peruvian Pygmy-Owl (Pacific P-O) Glaucidium peruanum Common throughout the drier areas.

Long-whiskered Owlet ◊ Xenoglaux loweryi A magnificent showing from this infrequently seen and enigmatic species.

Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia A few seen on the coastal plain.

Common Potoo (Grey P) Nyctibius griseus (H) Distantly heard at Chaparri.

Rufous-bellied Nighthawk Lurocalis rufiventris (H) Heard every night at Owlet lodge.

Lesser Nighthawk Chordeiles acutipennis Seen at Olmos and Chaparri where common.

Pauraque (Common P) Nyctidromus albicollis (H) Heard at Tamborapa.

Rufous Nightjar Caprimulgus rufus Heard at Tamborapa. An infrequently seen species.

Band-winged Nightjar ◊ Caprimulgus longirostris (H) Heard at Leymebamba.

Scrub Nightjar ◊ (Anthony’s N) Caprimulgus anthonyi Seen at Tamporapa. At least twelve seen at Chaparri.

Lyre-tailed Nightjar Uropsalis lyra Seen at Abra Patricia.

Swallow-tailed Nightjar Uropsalis segmentata (H) Heard at a regular stake out above Leymebamba.

Chestnut-collared Swift Streptoprocne rutila Seen in the Utcubamba valley.

White-collared Swift Streptoprocne zonaris Seen in small numbers throughout.

Grey-rumped Swift Chaetura cinereiventris A few seen at Affluente and in the lowlands around Rioja.

Short-tailed Swift Chaetura brachyura Seen near Rioja.

Tumbes Swift ◊ Chaetura ocypetes Small numbers seen at Limon.

White-tipped Swift Aeronautes montivagus A few seen at Abra Porculla.

Fork-tailed Palm-Swift Tachornis squamata A few seen at Morro Calzada.

White-necked Jacobin Florisuga mellivora Common on the feeders at Wakanki.

Rufous-breasted Hermit Glaucis hirsutus A t least two on the Wakanki feeders.

Grey-chinned Hermit Phaethornis griseogularis One seen at Wakanki on our lengthy hike. See notes.

Green Hermit Phaethornis guy One bird heard at Abra Patricia.

Tawny-bellied Hermit Phaethornis syrmatophorus A couple heard at Abra Patricia where not common.

Great-billed Hermit Phaethornis malaris Several on the Wakanki feeders.

Blue-fronted Lancebill Doryfera johannae A somewhat surprising record of a bird at Affluente below 900m.

Brown Violetear Colibri delphinae Several seen on the Wakanki feeders.


Sparkling Violetear Colibri coruscans Common throughout the temperate where can be dominant at feeders.

Green Violetear Colibri thalassinus Common on feeders at Florida and Leymebamba.

Black-throated Mango Anthracothorax nigricollis A few at Wakanki.

Amethyst-throated Sunangel Heliangelus amethysticollis A few seen above Pomacochas.

Royal Sunangel ◊ Heliangelus regalis A single male seen at Alta Nieva. See notes.

Rufous-crested Coquette ◊ Lophornis delattrei Another upper-tropical species common at Wakanki.

Ecuadorian Piedtail ◊ Phlogophilus hemileucurus Spectacular views of this uncommon species at Aguas Verdes.

Speckled Hummingbird Adelomyia melanogenys A few on east flank. A west flank sub-species common at Sinsicap.

Long-tailed Sylph Aglaiocercus kingi Seen at several sites in the humid sub-tropics.

Grey-bellied Comet ◊ Taphrolesbia griseiventris One male at his regular gulley. A species in serious trouble. See notes.

Black-tailed Trainbearer Lesbia victoriae A couple at Encanada near Cajamarca.

Green-tailed Trainbearer Lesbia nuna Not uncommon at sites in drier areas from Cajamarca.

Tyrian Metaltail Metallura tyrianthina A common temperate zone species.

Coppery Metaltail ◊ Metallura theresiae Spectacular views of this uncommon and wary species above Leymebamba.

Black Metaltail ◊ Metallura phoebe Good views of a single bird seen along the Rio Chonta.

Emerald-bellied Puffleg ◊ Eriocnemis alinae: A surprising number seen at Abra Patricia.

Marvellous Spatuletail ◊ Loddigesia mirabilis Extraordinary views of this magnificent creature at Florida. See notes.

Shining Sunbeam Aglaeactis cupripennis A few at Encanada.

Bronzy Inca Coeligena coeligena Seen at a few sites.

Collared Inca Coeligena torquata This smart hummer was on the feeders at Abra Patricia.

Violet-throated Starfrontlet Coeligena violifer Several birds seen above San Lorenzo.

Rainbow Starfrontlet ◊ Coeligena iris Common at Leymebamba.

Sword-billed Hummingbird Ensifera ensifera One seen very briefly above Leymebamba.

Chestnut-breasted Coronet Boissonneaua matthewsii Common at Abra Patricia.

Booted Racket-tail Ocreatus underwoodii A couple noted near Abra Patricia.

Violet-fronted Brilliant Heliodoxa leadbeateri: A couple on feeders at Wakanki.

Fawn-breasted Brilliant Heliodoxa rubinoides A few on the feeders at Owlet lodge.

Giant Hummingbird Patagona gigas A couple seen along the Rio Chonta, near Cajamarca.

Long-billed Starthroat Heliomaster longirostris A nice male at Wakanki on the feeders.

Purple-collared Woodstar Myrtis fanny Common in he drier intermontane sites.

Peruvian Sheartail Thaumastura cora Some stunning males seen at Abra Porculla and Sinsicap.

White-bellied Woodstar Chaetocercus mulsant A good number seen at Florida.

Little Woodstar ◊ Chaetocercus bombus A least two seen at Florida on the feeders.


Amethyst Woodstar Calliphlox amethystina : A couple of males of the feeders at Wakanki.

Short-tailed Woodstar ◊ Myrmia micrura One seen at Sinsicap and another at Chaparri.

Blue-tailed Emerald Chlorostilbon mellisugus Found at the feeders at Wakanki.

Grey-breasted Sabrewing Campylopterus largipennis Common at Wakanki.

Fork-tailed Woodnymph Thalurania furcata Numerous males and females at Wakanki.

Many-spotted Hummingbird Taphrospilus hypostictus One on the feeders at Wakanki.

Tumbes Hummingbird ◊ Leucippus baeri Fairly common near Limon.

Spot-throated Hummingbird ◊ Leucippus taczanowskii Common in the Maranon and Chinchipe drainages.

White-bellied Hummingbird Leucippus chionogaster A few at Hacienda Limon.

Amazilia Hummingbird Amazilia amazilia Common throughout in the drier areas.

Andean Emerald Amazilia franciae A stunning species seen at Hacienda Limon and in the Maranon canyon.

Sapphire-spangled Emerald ◊ Amazilia lacteal A few on the feeders at Wakanki.

Golden-tailed Sapphire Chrysuronia oenone A numerous foothill species common on the Wakanki feeders.

White-chinned Sapphire Hylocharis cyanus A single male on the feeders at Wakanki.

Masked Trogon Trogon personatus (H) Heard at Abra Patricia.

Ecuadorian Trogon ◊ Trogon mesurus A least four seen at Limon.

Amazonian white-tailed Trogon Trogon viridis (H) Heard at Wakanki and Morro Calzada.

Blue-crowned Trogon Trogon curucui Seen and heard at Morro Calzada and Wakanki.

Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata A couple seen at Tinajones reservoir.

Amazon Kingfisher Chloroceryle amazona One seen along the Utcubamba river.

Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana: A few seen at Chaparri.

Bluish-fronted Jacamar Galbula cyanescens A pair at Morro Calzada near Rioja..

Whooping Motmot Momotus subrufescens A pair at Limon when searching for the guans.

White-fronted Nunbird Monasa morphoeus A family group at a regular site.

Swallow-wing Chelidoptera tenebrosus: Several birds at Morro Calzada.

Gilded Barbet Capito auratus Birds seen and heard at Morro Calzada and Wakanki.

Versicoloured Barbet Eubucco versicolor A male at KM 400 above Aguas Verdes.

Channel-billed Toucan Pteroglossus vitellinus Heard and seen at Wakanki.

Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan Andigena hypoglauca (H) Heard above Leymebamba where seasonally common.

Lettered Aracari Pteroglossus inscriptus Three seen at Morro Calzada.

Chestnut-eared Aracari Pteroglossus castanotis (H) A common call of the rainforest heard at Wakanki.

Golden-collared Toucanet Selenidera reinwardtii A pair seen displaying at Wakanki.

Lafresnaye’s Piculet Picumnus lafresnayi A single bird seen at Wakanki.


Ecuadorian Piculet ◊ Picumnus sclateri A single bird seen very briefly at Batan /Grande.

Speckle-chested Piculet ◊ Picumnus steindachneri A single bird hunted down at Florida.

Yellow-tufted Woodpecker Melanerpes cruentatus A family group seen at Morro Calzada.

Smoky-brown Woodpecker Picoides fumigatus Seen at several sites from Hacienda Limon to Sinsicap.

Little Woodpecker Veniliornis passerinus One seen at Wakanki.

Scarlet-backed Woodpecker Veniliornis callonotus Common in dry deciduous woodlands on the coast.

Golden-olive Woodpecker Colaptes rubiginosus Seen at Limon and Chaparri.

Black-necked Woodpecker ◊ (B-n Flicker) Colaptes atricollis Common in the Maranon and west flank drainages.

Andean Flicker Colaptes rupicola Seen at Cruz Conga and above Leymebamba.

Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus Not uncommon at Wakanki and Limon.

Crimson-crested Woodpecker Campephilus melanoleucos Seen at Wakanki.

Grey-throated Leaftosser Sclerurus albigularis(H) Heard at Wakanki.

Coastal Miner ◊ Geositta peruviana A few on the coast at Monsefu

Cream-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes albiventris A few seen at Abra Gran Chimu.

Surf Cinclodes ◊ (Peruvian Seaside-C) Cinclodes taczanowskii Three seen at Pucusana.

White-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes atacamensis Common along the rio Chonta..

Pacific Hornero ◊ Furnarius cinnamomeus Abundant on the coast.

Wren-like Rushbird Phleocryptes melanops Several pairs at Puerto Eten and Laguna san Nicolas.

Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail ◊ Leptasthenura pileata Several along the Rio Chonta.

White-chinned Thistletail ◊ Schizoeaca fuliginosa A couple glimpsed on Abra Barro Negro.

Azara’s Spinetail Synallaxis azarae(H) Very few heard at a number of sites.

Dark-breasted Spinetail Synallaxis albigularis (H) Heard at Affluente.

Rufous Spinetail Synallaxis unirufa Seen at Abra Patricia in bamboo thickets, often with mixed flocks.

Marañon Spinetail ◊ Synallaxis maranonica Seen in the Utcubamba valley and at Tamborapa. See notes.

Russet-bellied Spinetail ◊ Synallaxis zimmeri Several pairs seen in the Quince orchards at Sinsicap. See notes.

Necklaced Spinetail ◊ Synallaxis stictothorax Common at Limon and Batan Grande.

Chinchipe Spinetail ◊ Synallaxis chinchipensis A few seen at Tamborapa.

Great Spinetail ◊ Siptornopsis hypochondriacus A pair seen and others heard at San Marcos where declining.

Ash-browed Spinetail Cranioleuca curtata A pair at Affluente.

Line-cheeked Spinetail ◊ (Northern L-c S) Cranioleuca antisiensis Several pairs found at Abra Porculla.

Baron’s Spinetail ◊ (Southern Line-cheeked S) Cranioleuca baroni Seen from Cajamarca to Leymebamba.

Russet-mantled Softtail ◊ Thripophaga Berlepschi (H) Despite a thorough search we only heard one bird.

Streak-throated Canastero Asthenes humilis A couple of pairs at Abra Gran Chimu.


Many-striped Canastero Asthenes flammulata(H) Heard only above Leymebamba.

Rufous-fronted Thornbird Phacellodomus rufifrons Common in the lowlands around Rioja and the Chinchipe Valley.

Chestnut-backed Thornbird ◊ Phacellodomus dorsalis Seen at Hacienda Limon and heard at San Marcos. See notes.

Spotted Barbtail Premnoplex brunnescens A couple seen at Abra Patricia.

Pearled Treerunner Margarornis squamiger Found in many mixed flocks in the temperate zone.

Streaked Tuftedcheek Pseudocolaptes boissonneautii Several in mixed flocks, often with the above species.

Montane Foliage-gleaner Anabacerthia striaticollis A few seen at Abra Patricia.

Rufous-necked Foliage-gleaner ◊ Syndactyla ruficollis A pair at Abra Porculla.

Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner Philydor rufum A few seen at Affluente.

Black-billed Treehunter Thripadectes melanorhynchus (H) A few heard at Aguas Verdes where not uncommon.

Striped Treehunter Thripadectes holostictus (H) Heard at Abra Patricia.

Buff-throated Treehunter ◊ Thripadectes scrutator(H) Heard at Abra Patricia where rare. A difficult bird to see.

Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner Automolus ochrolaemus One bird glimpsed at Wakanki on our ridge walk.

Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner ◊ Hylocryptus erythrocephalus A superb adult taped in at Limon.

Streaked Xenops Xenops rutilans A pair at Tamborapa.

Tyrannine Woodcreeper Dendrocincla tyrannina(H) One heard calling on several occasions at Abra Patricia. A rare bird.

Olivaceous Woodcreeper Sittasomus griseicapillus A couple seen.

Strong-billed Woodcreeper Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus (H) One heard at Abra Patricia at dusk and dawn.

Buff-throated Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus guttatus A pair at Wakanki.

Ocellated Woodcreeper ◊ Xiphorhynchus ocellatus tschudii This distinct foothill form seen at Wakanki.

Olive-backed Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus triangularis A few pairs seen above Affluente.

Streak-headed Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes souleyetii Common in the western lowlands.

Montane Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes lacrymiger A pair seen at Alta Nieva.

Plain-winged Antshrike Thamnophilus schistaceus Heard and briefly seen Wakanki.

Rufous-capped Antshrike Thamnophilus ruficapillus A pair seen at Florida and others heard elsewhere.

Chapman’s Antshrike ◊ Thamnophilus zarumae A pair seen at Abra Porculla and others heard.


Chapman’s Antshrike at Abra Porculla (Anon)

Lined Antshrike Thamnophilus tenuepunctatus (H) Heard only at Affluente.

Collared Antshrike ◊ Thamnophilus bernardi: A common bird west of the Andes.

Shumba Antshrike ◊ Thamnophilus bernardi shumbae A pair at Bagua Grande of the distinct form of T.b.shunbae

Marañon (or Peruvian) Slaty-Antshrike ◊ Thamnophilus leucogaster Seen in Chinchipe valleys. See notes.

Variable Antshrike Thamnophilus caerulescens (H) Heard at Abra Patricia.

Uniform Antshrike Thamnophilus unicolor (H) Heard at Abra Patricia.

Foothill Antwren ◊ Myrmotherula spodionota A female seen at Wakanki, mistaken for a Slaty Antwren..

Ash-throated Antwren ◊ Herpsilochmus parkeri (H) A pair heard at Wakanki did not respond to our invitations.

Rufous-winged Antwren Herpsilochmus rufimarginatus (H) A single bird heard at Wakanki.

Long-tailed Antbird Drymophila caudata Several pairs seen at Abra Patricia.

Peruvian Warbling-Antbird Hypocnemis peruviana (H) Heard only at Wakanki.

Rufous-rumped Antwren Terenura callinota (H) Heard at Wakanki where in mixed flocks.

Black Antbird Cercomacra serva (H) Heard at Wakanki where not uncommon.

Blackish Antbird Cercomacra nigrescens A pair seen at Wakanki.

White-backed Fire-eye Pyriglena leuconota (H) Heard at several sites above Affluente.

Spot-backed Antbird Hylophylax naevius (H) A common bird in the foothills near Myobamba.

Rufous-breasted Antthrush Formicarius rufipectus (H) One heard at Abra Patricia.

Barred Antthrush ◊ Chamaeza mollissima(H) A couple heard at Abra Patricia.

Chestnut-crowned Antpitta Grallaria ruficapilla (H) Commonly heard throughout.


Pale-billed Antpitta ◊ Grallaria carrikeri A superb pair came bounding in, giving spectacular views. A stunning bird.

Rusty-tinged Antpitta ◊ Grallaria przewalskii(H) A few heard of what is a common species in the Pomacochas area..

Rufous Antpitta ◊ Grallaria rufula cajamarcae One heard and seen at Cruz Conga of this distinct form. See notes.

Chestnut Antpitta ◊ Grallaria blakei A superb adult seen at the worm feeders at Abra Patricia.

Ochre-fronted Antpitta ◊ Grallaricula ochraceifrons (H) Inspite of a lengthy search we only heard a pair of this species.

Leymebamba Antpitta ◊ Grallaricula leymebambae A single bird seen at San Lorenzo. See notes.

Blackish Tapaculo ◊ Scytalopus latrans (H) Heard at Abra Barro Negro.

Unicoloured Tapaculo ◊ Scytalopus unicolor A couple seen at Abra Gavilan of this range restricted endemic.

Trilling Tapaculo ◊ Scytalopus parvirostris (H) Heard only at Abra Patricia.

Rufous-vented Tapaculo ◊ (Peruvian R-v T) Scytalopus femoralis A pair seen very well at Abra Patricia.

White-crowned Tapaculo ◊ (Northern W-c T) Scytalopus atratus A single bird seen very well at Affluente.

Marañon Crescentchest ◊ Melanopareia maranonica Three seen at Tamborapa where quite common.

Maranon Crescentchest at Tamborapa (Anon).

Elegant Crescentchest ◊ Melanopareia elegans Seen from Limon and Chaparri to Sinsicap. A lovely species.

Plumbeous-crowned Tyrannulet ◊ Phyllomyias plumbeiceps A pair at Affluente.

Pacific Elaenia ◊ Myiopagis subplacens: Several seen at Limon and Tamborapa.

Yellow-bellied Elaenia Elaenia flavogaster Seen and heard very widely.

White-crested Elaenia Elaenia albiceps Seen at several sites. The form E.a.modesta seen at Abra Gavilan.

Small-billed Elaenia Elaenia parvirostris Quite a number seen at Wakanki in fruiting trees.

Highland Elaenia Elaenia obscura (H) Heard at Florida.


Sierran Elaenia Elaenia pallatangae Commonly seen in temperate cloud forests.

Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma obsoletum A common species.

Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet Tyrannulus elatus Several pairs found at Wakanki where common..

White-lored Tyrannulet Ornithion inerme (H) A common species heard at Morro Calzada.

White-tailed Tyrannulet Mecocerculus poecilocercus A pair seen at Rio Atuen.

White-banded Tyrannulet Mecocerculus stictopterus A common species seen at a few sites.

White-throated Tyrannulet Mecocerculus leucophrys Several pairs seen at Abra Barro Negro.

Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet Mecocerculus minor A pair at Alta Nieva.

Black-crested Tit-Tyrant ◊ (Marañon T-T) Anairetes nigrocristatus A fairly common species.

Black-crested tit-tyrant at Cruz Conga (Eustace Barnes).

Tufted Tit-Tyrant Anairetes parvulus A few seen in humid temperate zone.

Torrent Tyrannulet Serpophaga cinerea Common along most rivers and stream in the Andes.

Tumbesian Tyrannulet ◊ (Tumbes T) Phaeomyias tumbezana Common to abundant west of the continental divide.

Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant Pseudotriccus ruficeps Seen at Abra Patricia.

Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant Euscarthmus meloryphus ruficeps Very common in Maranon valley and on west coast.

Grey-and-white Tyrannulet ◊ Pseudelaenia leucospodia Fairly common in the west.


Mishana Tyrannulet ◊ Zimmerius villarejoi A pair seen very well at Morro Calzada.

Mishana Tyrannulet is easily seen at Morro Calzada(Walter Mankel).

Peruvian Tyrannulet Zimmerius viridiflavus Common at Abra Patricia.

Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant Phylloscartes ophthalmicus Pairs found at Abra Patricia.

Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet Phylloscartes ventralis A pair seen at Abra Patricia where uncommon.

Ecuadorian Tyrannulet ◊ (E Bristle-Tyrant) Phylloscartes gualaquizae A pair at Affluente.

Streak-necked Flycatcher Mionectes striaticollis Not uncommon in the sub-tropics at Affluente.

Olive-striped Flycatcher Mionectes olivaceus: Several seen at fruiting trees at Aguas Verdes.

Sepia-capped Flycatcher Leptopogon amaurocephalus: A pair at Wakanki.

Slaty-capped Flycatcher Leptopogon superciliaris Only very few recorded at Affluente.

Inca Flycatcher ◊ Leptopogon taczanowskii Not uncommon at Abra patricia.

Many-coloured Rush-Tyrant Tachuris rubrigastra Up to 8 at Puerto Eten where seemingly quite common..

White-bellied Pygmy-Tyrant ◊ Myiornis albiventris Two seen at Wakanki.

Short-tailed Pygmy-tyrant Myiornis caudata One seen and heard at Morro Calzada.

Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant Lophotriccus pileatus Commonly heard and seen at Affluente.

Stripe-necked Tody-Tyrant Hemitriccus striaticollis A pair recorded at Morro Calzada.

Black-throated Tody-Tyrant Hemitriccus granadensis Not uncommon at Abra Patricia.

Cinnamon-breasted Tody-Tyrant ◊ Hemitriccus cinnamomeipectus A pair seen superbly well at Alta Nieva.

Johnson’s Tody-Tyrant ◊ (J T-Flycatcher, Lulu’s T-T) Poecilotriccus luluae Several pairs at Abra Patricia.


Black-and-white Tody-Flycatcher ◊ (B & W T-tyrant) Poecilotriccus capitalis A pair at Wakanki.

Common Tody-Flycatcher Todirostrum cinereum: Seen at numerous sites throughout.

Yellow-olive Flycatcher (Y-o Flatbill) Tolmomyias sulphurescens: Several pairs seen at Limon.

Bran-coloured Flycatcher Myiophobus fasciatus Seen at Tamborapa and Limon.

Cinnamon Flycatcher Pyrrhomyias cinnamomeus Common in the humid high Andes.

Cliff Flycatcher Hirundinea ferruginea (H) Surprisingly only heard only at several sites.

Grey-breasted Flycatcher Lathrotriccus griseipectus Found at Limon where somewhat uncommon.

Smoke-coloured Pewee Contopus fumigatus A few seen at Abra Patricia.

Tumbes Pewee ◊ Contopus punensis Surprisingly common west of the continental divide.

Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans Seen along most water courses.

Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Common to abundant throughout..

Rufous-tailed Tyrant ◊ Knipolegus Poecilurus Several pairs found at Alta Nieva. An uncommon species generally.

White-winged Black-Tyrant Knipolegus aterrimus A few seen at San Marcos and in the Maranon valley.

Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola maculirostris A couple seen along the Rio Chonta.

White-browed Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola albilora Common on Abra Gran Chimu where a migrant.

Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola rufivertex A few seen along the Rio Chonta canyon.

Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant Agriornis montana A few at Cruz Conga.

White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant ◊ Agriornis albicauda A dozen at Cruz Conga, a site where this species is common.

Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant Myiotheretes striaticollis Several along the Rio Chonta and a pair at San Lorenzo.

Smoky Bush-Tyrant Myiotheretes fumigatus A single bird above San Lorenzo.

Rufous-webbed Bush-Tyrant (R-w T) Polioxolmis rufipennis Fairly common at Cruz Conga.

Tumbes Tyrant ◊ Tumbezia salvini One at Limon and another nearby in a densely vegetated gulley.

Jelski’s Chat-Tyrant ◊ Ochthoeca jelskii A confiding pair with fledged young at Abra Gavilan

Maroon-chested Chat-Tyrant ◊ (M-belted C-T) Ochthoeca thoracica Seen and heard at Abra Patricia.

Piura Chat-Tyrant ◊ Ochthoeca piurae One seen at Abra Porculla and three at Sinsicap.

Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca rufipectoralis A few seen at Abra Patricia.

Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca fumicolor Commonly seen above Leymebamba.

White-browed Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca leucophrys Common in the drier habitats throughout.

Short-tailed Field-Tyrant Muscigralla brevicauda Several seen on the west coast.

Piratic Flycatcher Legatus leucophaius Seen and heard below Affluente.

Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis Seen and heard in the eastern lowlands.

Grey-capped Flycatcher Myiozetetes granadensis (H) Heard only at Morro Calzada.


Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Common in the eastern lowlands.

Lemon-browed Flycatcher Conopias cinchoneti: Seen at KM400 above Affluente

Baird’s Flycatcher ◊ Myiodynastes bairdii Unusually common in the western lowlands.

Streaked Flycatcher Myiodynastes maculatus Seen at several sites.

Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua Seen and heard in the eastern lowlands around Myobamba.

Snowy-throated Kingbird Tyrannus niveigularis Three seen near Olmos. A smart Kingbird.

Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus: Common.

Greyish Mourner Rhytipterna simplex (H) Heard at Wakanki.

Rufous Flycatcher ◊ Myiarchus semirufus: One seen at Batan Grande. A lovely species in need of help.

Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer Small numbers throughout.

Short-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus ferox Seen and heard in the eastern lowlands.

Sooty-crowned Flycatcher ◊ Myiarchus phaeocephalus Fairly common at Tamborapa.

Pale-edged Flycatcher Myiarchus cephalotes A few seen at Abra Patricia.

Red-crested Cotinga Ampelion rubrocristatus One seen at San Lorenzo.

Peruvian Plantcutter ◊ Phytotoma raimondii A pair at Batan Grande and another at Sinsicap, a new site for this rarity.

Green-and-black Fruiteater Pipreola riefferii Commonly seen near Abra Patricia.

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock Rupicola peruviana Quite a number seen at Affluente.

Fiery-capped Manakin Machaeropterus Pyrocephalus Seen and heard at Wakanki where common.

Masked Tityra Tityra semifasciata A pair seen at Wakanki.

Wing-barred Piprites (W-b Manakin) Piprites chloris A single bird seen at Affluente in a mixed flock.

Yellow-cheeked Becard ◊ Pachyramphus xanthogenys A male seen very well at Tamborapa.

Barred Becard Pachyramphus versicolor Common at Abra Patricia.

White-winged Becard Pachyramphus polychopterus A pair at Wakanki. Not a common species on this itinerary.

Black-and-white Becard Pachyramphus albogriseus A pair along the Rio Chonta Canyon near Cajamarca was a surprise.

Rufous-browed Peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis: seen in small numbers throughout.

Slaty-capped Shrike-Vireo Vireolanius leucotis(H) Heard at Wakanki. Generally a foothill species.

Brown-capped Vireo Vireo leucophrys:(H) Heard only at Abra Patricia.

Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus A few seen at Tamborapa and Limon.

Olivaceous Greenlet Hylophilus olivaceus Several seen in mixed flocks at Affluente.

Tawny-crowned Greenlet Hylophilus ochraceiceps: A pair at Wakanki along the foothill trail.

White-collared Jay Cyanolyca viridicyanus Several heard and one seen at Abra Patricia.

White-tailed Jay ◊ Cyanocorax mystacalis Common at Limon and Chaparri.


Inca Jay Cyanocorax yncas Not uncommon at many sites throughout.

Tumbes Swallow ◊ Tachycineta stolzmanni Maybe four seen at Batan Grande. A rare species. See notes.

White-winged Swallow Tachycineta albiventer A few along the Utcubamba valley.

Grey-breasted Martin Progne chalybea Seen at many sites in the lowlands in the east and west.

Blue-and-white Swallow Pygochelidon cyanoleuca Very common throughout.

Brown-bellied Swallow Notiochelidon murina Not uncommon at higher elevation sites.

Southern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx ruficollis Common at many lowland sites. .

Chestnut-collared Swallow ◊ Petrochelidon rufocollaris Up to 40 seen at a colony near Batan Grande.

Scaly-breasted Wren (Southern Nightingale-Wren) Microcerculus marginatus (H) Heard in the eastern lowlands.

House Wren Troglodytes aedon Common everywhere.

Mountain Wren Troglodytes solstitialis A few seen near Leymebamba.

Thrush-like Wren Campylorhynchus turdinus A pair seen at Wakanki and others heard nearby.

Fasciated Wren ◊ Campylorhynchus fasciatus Common in Xerophytic habitats.

Plain-tailed Wren Pheugopedius euophrys (H) Heard at San Lorenzo.

Marañon Wren ◊ Pheugopedius paucimaculatus sclateri Several pairs seen along the Utcubamba valley. See notes.

Speckle-breasted Wren ◊ Pheugopedius paucimaculatus Not uncommon at Limon.

Superciliated Wren ◊ Cantorchilus superciliaris Common to abundant in western lowlands.

Sharpe’s Wren (Sepia-brown W) Cinnycerthia olivascens (L) A family group seen at Abra Patricia.

Bar-winged Wood-Wren ◊ Henicorhina leucoptera One seen well by most of us. Others heard at Alta Nieva. See notes.

Grey-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucophrys Common by call. A couple seen.

Chestnut-breasted Wren Cyphorhinus thoracicus A pair seen at Abra Patricia.

Tropical Gnatcatcher Polioptila plumbea albifacies Common on the coast. Another distinct sub-species.

Marañon Gnatcatcher ◊ Polioptila plumbea maior Common in the Maranon drainages.

Half-collared Gnatwren Microbates cinereiventris (H) One heard at Wakanki.

White-capped Dipper Cinclus leucocephalus A few seen along the Rio Chonta and at Encanada.

Andean Solitaire Myadestes ralloides Common in the humid sub-tropics where at least one seen.

White-eared Solitaire Entomodestes leucotis One seen at Alta Nieva.

Great Thrush Turdus fuscater Common in the more humid upland areas.

Chiguanco Thrush Turdus chiguanco Common in the drier areas of the high Andes.

Glossy-black Thrush Turdus serranus Only one heard and seen at Abra Patricia was very unusual.

Plumbeous-backed Thrush ◊ Turdus reevei Fairly common at Limon and Chaparri.

Marañon Thrush ◊ Turdus maranonicus Several seen superbly well in the Maranon valley.


Black-billed Thrush Turdus ignobilis Common in the eastern lowlands.

Long-tailed Mockingbird Mimus longicaudatus Abundant in the western lowlands

Yellowish Pipit Anthus lutescens (H) Heard at Monsefu and Puerto Eten.

Paramo Pipit Anthus bogotensis: One at Abra Gran Chimu.

Magpie Tanager Cissopis leveriana Seen at KM400 above Affluente.

Black-faced Tanager Schistochlamys melanopis: Seen at Morro Calzada and Wakanki.

White-capped Tanager Sericossypha albocristata: Up to three heard flying over the forest at Abra Patricia.

Rufous-crested Tanager Creurgops verticalis: Several pairs at Alta Nieva and Abra Patricia.

Superciliaried Hemispingus Hemispingus superciliaris: Common at Abra Barro Negro.

Black-eared Hemispingus Hemispingus melanotis (L) A couple seen along the ridge trail.

Drab Hemispingus Hemispingus xanthophthalmus Seen around the lodge at Abra Patricia.

Grey-hooded Bush-Tanager* Cnemoscopus rubrirostris: Common at Abra Patricia.

Guira Tanager Hemithraupis guira A pair at Tamborapa.

Rufous-chested Tanager Thlypopsis ornate Several seen above Leymebamba.

Buff-bellied Tanager ◊ Thlypopsis inornata Up to 7 seen at Tamborapa.

Yellow-crested Tanager ◊ Tachyphonus rufiventer: A pair at Aguas Verdes.

White-lined Tanager Tachyphonus rufus; Seen at a few sites in the Utcubamba valley.

Black-bellied Tanager ◊ (Huallaga T) Ramphocelus melanogaster: Common in the eastern lowlands.

Silver-beaked Tanager Ramphocelus carbo Seen in the lower Utcubamba valley.

Blue-grey Tanager Thraupis episcopus Common in both eastern and western lowlands.

Palm Tanager Thraupis palmarum Fairly common in the eastern lowlands.

Blue-capped Tanager Thraupis cyanocephala: A numerous upland Thraupis species.

Blue-and-yellow Tanager Thraupis bonariensis A very common dry country Thraupis species.

Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus lacrymosus A few seen at San Lorenzo.

Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus igniventris Several noted in the humid temperate zone.

Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus somptuosus A few seen.

Grass-green Tanager Chlorornis riefferii: Seen at Abra Patricia. A lovely species in the large mixed flock near the lodge.

Yellow-throated Tanager Iridosornis analis Several pairs seen at Alta Nieva in mixed flocks.

Yellow-scarfed Tanager ◊ Iridosornis reinhardti A pair seen at Abra Patricia, although somewhat skulking.

Orange-eared Tanager Chlorochrysa calliparaea Several pairs seen at Affluente in mixed flocks.

Silvery Tanager (Silver-backed T) Tangara viridicollis Several seen at Florida and Pomacochas usually in pairs.

Blue-necked Tanager Tangara cyanicollis Common in the eastern lowlands.


Spotted Tanager Tangara punctata A few at Affluente in mixed flocks.

Blue-and-black Tanager Tangara vassorii: A few at Abra Patricia.

Beryl-spangled Tanager Tangara nigroviridis A stunning mixed flock species.

Metallic-green Tanager Tangara labradorides Somewhat unusually we saw several pairs.

Turquoise Tanager Tangara mexicana A few in the eastern lowlands.

Paradise Tanager Tangara chilensis Quite common at Affluente and in the eastern lowlands.

Bay-headed Tanager Tangara gyrola Several pairs at Affluente.

Saffron-crowned Tanager Tangara xanthocephala Seen in the temperate zone in mixed flocks.

Flame-faced Tanager Tangara parzudakii Common at Abra Patricia.

Green-and-gold Tanager Tangara schrankii Several seen at Wakanki and Affluente.

Golden Tanager Tangara arthus Not uncommon at Affluente.

Swallow Tanager Tersina viridis At least three pairs at Morro Calzada.

Black-faced Dacnis Dacnis lineata Seen at Morro Calzada.

Purple Honeycreeper Cyanerpes caeruleus A pair at Wakanki in a mixed flock.

Cinereous Conebill Conirostrum cinereum: Not uncommon in the eastern lowlands.

Blue-backed Conebill Conirostrum sitticolor Several pairs noted above Leymebamba.

Rusty Flowerpiercer Diglossa sittoides Seen at Rio Chonta and at Sinsicap.

Black-throated Flowerpiercer Diglossa brunneiventris Fairly common around Cajamarca.

White-sided Flowerpiercer Diglossa albilatera Common in the humid forests on the east flank.

Deep-blue Flowerpiercer (Golden-eyed F) Diglossopis glauca A pair seen at Abra Patricia.

Bluish Flowerpiercer Diglossopis caerulescens A pair at Alta Neiva.

Masked Flowerpiercer Diglossopis cyanea The commonest Diglossa species.

Common Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus ophthalmicus Another common mixed flock species at Abra Patricia.

Ashy-throated Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus canigularis Quite a number of pairs seen at Affluente.

Bananaquit Coereba flaveola Common to abundant at many sites.

Dull-coloured Grassquit Tiaris obscurus Seen at many sites in drier areas.

Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis A common species.

Yellow-browed Sparrow Ammodramus aurifrons One along the Rio Utcubamba.

Tumbes Sparrow ◊ Aimophila stolzmanni: Seen at Limon and at Chaparri where its distinctive ‘chip’ note gives it away.

Peruvian Sierra-Finch Phrygilus punensis Numerous in upland areas.

Plumbeous Sierra-Finch Phrygilus unicolor A few at Abra Gran Chimu.

Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch Phrygilus plebejus Common at many sites in drier areas.


Cinereous Finch ◊ Piezorhina cinerea Several seen at Batan Grande.

Grey-winged Inca-Finch ◊ Incaspiza ortizi A few at Hacienda Limon. A rare and localised species. See notes.

Buff-bridled Inca-Finch ◊ Incaspiza laeta: Seen at San Marcos and Balsas. See notes.

Little Inca-Finch ◊ Incaspiza watkinsi: A couple seen near Bagua Grande at a well known site. See notes.

Collared Warbling-Finch Poospiza hispaniolensis Several pairs Sinsicap valley.

Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola Not uncommon in the western lowlands.

Bright-rumped Yellow-finch Sicalis uropygialis A few pairs seen at Abra Gran Chimu.

Grassland Yellow-finch Sicalis luteola Small numbers seen in the upper rio Chonta.

Sulphur-throated Finch ◊ Sicalis taczanowskii Common to abundant at Batan Grande and Chaparri. See notes.

Blue-black Grassquit Volatinia jacarina Commonly seen throughout.

Black-and-white Seedeater Sporophila luctuosa Good numbers seen at Sinsicap.

Yellow-bellied Seedeater Sporophila nigricollis A few seen in the eastern lowlands.

Parrot-billed Seedeater Sporophila peruviana A few seen in the western lowlands.

Drab Seedeater Sporophila simplex Very small numbers seen in the western lowlands and the Utcubamba valley.

Chestnut-bellied Seed-Finch Oryzoborus angolensis Seen at Wakanki.

Band-tailed Seedeater Catamenia analis Common throughout the drier habitats.

Plain-coloured Seedeater Catamenia inornata Seen at many sites in the High Andes.

Black-capped Sparrow Arremon abeillei Several pairs seen at Limon where common.

Marañon Sparrow ◊ Arremon nigriceps A pair seen very well at Tamborapa.

Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch Arremon brunneinucha (H) Heard at Abra Patricia.

Grey-browed Brush-Finch Arremon torquatus (H) Also heard at Abra Patricia where somewhat skulking.

Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch Atlapetes latinuchus Commonly seen east of the Maranon canyon. See notes.

Baron’s Brush-Finch ◊ Atlapetes latinuchus baroni This distinctive taxon was recorded west of the Maranon.

Bay-crowned Brush-Finch ◊ Atlapetes seebohmi Seen at many sites but common at Sinsicap.

White-winged Brush-Finch ◊ Atlapetes leucopterus Common at Abra Porculla.

White-headed Brush-Finch ◊ Atlapetes albiceps A fairly common species at Limon.

Rufous-eared Brush-Finch ◊ Atlapetes rufigenis A single bird seen at Encanada.

Red-crested Finch (Red Pileated-F) Coryphospingus cucullatus Only recorded at Tamborapa.

Highland Hepatic-Tanager Piranga lutea Seen at numerous sites throughout.

Golden-bellied Grosbeak (Southern Yellow G) Pheucticus chrysogaster Common to abundant in drier areas.

Buff-throated Saltator Saltator maximus A few seen in the eastern lowlands.

Black-cowled Saltator ◊ Saltator nigriceps A pair seen at Abra Porculla.


Golden-billed Saltator Saltator aurantiirostris Commonly seen near Cajamarca.

Streaked Saltator Saltator striatipectus Common in the Maranon and Utcubamba valleys.

Tropical Parula Parula pitiayumi A few seen at Limon.

Black-lored Yellowthroat ◊ Geothlypis auricularis A few at San Marcos, Sinsicap and Limon.

Slate-throated Redstart (S-t Whitestart) Myioborus miniatus Not uncommon.

Spectacled Redstart (S Whitestart) Myioborus melanocephalus Common.

Grey-and-gold Warbler ◊ Basileuterus fraseri Common at Limon and a few at Abra Porculla.

Citrine Warbler Basileuterus luteoviridis A few seen at San Lorenzo

Black-crested Warbler Basileuterus nigrocristatus Common throughout.

Russet-crowned Warbler Basileuterus coronatus A numerous understorey and mixed flock species at Abra Patricia.

Three-banded Warbler ◊ Basileuterus trifasciatus Quite numerous at Abra Porculla and Sinsicap.

Three-striped Warbler Basileuterus tristriatus A few seen above Affluente.

Buff-rumped Warbler Phaeothlypis fulvicauda(H) One heard at Wakanki. A common lowland species.

Russet-backed Oropendola Psarocolius angustifrons (H) Not uncommon below Affluente.

Crested Oropendola Psarocolius decumanus (H) Seen in good numbers below Affluente.

Yellow-rumped Cacique Cacicus cela Seen at Myobamba.

Subtropical Cacique Cacicus uropygialis Several pairs seen and heard at Alta Nieva.

Yellow-billed Cacique Amblycercus holosericeus; One seen at San Lorenzo.

White-edged Oriole ◊ Icterus graceannae Common to abundant at Limon.

Yellow-tailed Oriole Icterus mesomelas Common in the drier habitats.

Scrub Blackbird Dives warszewiczi Common west of the continental divide.

Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis Very common around Trujillo.

Yellow-hooded Blackbird Chrysomus icterocephalus: Several pairs seen at Pantanos de Villa.

Peruvian Meadowlark (P Red-breasted M) Sturnella bellicose: Common.

Hooded Siskin Carduelis magellanica Several flocks noted at widely scattered sites.

Lesser Goldfinch* (Dark-backed G) Carduelis psaltria Several seen at Hacienda Limon.

Purple-throated Euphonia Euphonia chlorotica Common in the Maranon Canyon and at Limon.

Thick-billed Euphonia Euphonia laniirostris Seen at Limon.

Golden-rumped Euphonia Euphonia cyanocephala Fairly numerous in the Utcubamba valley.

Bronze-green Euphonia Euphonia mesochrysa(H) Heard at Wakanki.

White-lored Euphonia (Golden-bellied E) Euphonia chrysopasta A couple seen at Wakanki.

Orange-bellied Euphonia Euphonia xanthogaster A few seen in the humid sub-tropics.


House Sparrow Passer domesticus Increasingly common at urban sites throughout.

NOTES. White-winged Guan Penelope albipennis This species has a small and fragmented population, estimated at only 250 wild birds. However, captive breeding and the release of captive bred birds, now breeding in several areas, indicate that its wild population may have ceased to decline. Belcher’s Gull Larus belcher This species was lumped with Olrog’s Gull Larus atlanticus of the southern Atlantic of Argentina, with the name Band-tailed Gull used for the enlarged species. The two forms differ in plumage, size and feeding ecology. Peruvian Tern Sternula lorata Classified as Endangered by Birdlife International. Several well-known breeding sites have now been completely devel-oped, the likely cause of its continuing decline. A serious cause for concern. Peruvian Pigeon (Marañon P) Patagioenas oenops This restricted-range species is classified as Vulnerable by Birdlife International. It is found in very small numbers at a number of widely scattered sites. Mitred Parakeet Aratinga mitrata A recent publication regards one of the forms concerned, Hocking’s Parakeet A. hockingi, as a separate species and in addition gives full species status to Chapman’s Parakeet A. alticola, the form found in the Andes of Cuzco. These splits were based solely on morphology with no genetic or vocalisation data presented. The SACC currently lump all forms in Mitred Parakeet A. mitrata, using the name Mitred Parakeet for the enlarged species. Yellow-faced Parrotlet Forpus xanthops This endemic is classified as Vulnerable by Birdlife International with a world population of less than 1,000. This species is very vulnerable to trapping and the Bird trade. Peruvian Screech-Owl Megascops pacificus Although this form is often lumped in Marañon Screech-Owl M. roboratum, the two differ in size, but are not vocally dis-tinct and have no differences in plumage. The expanded species is then West Peruvian Screech-Owl M.roboratum. Grey-chinned Hermit Phaethornis griseogularis Three subspecies are concerned. The west slope form may represent a separate species, Porculla Hermit P. porcullae, however zonura of the Marañon is intermediate in plumage between porcullae and the nominate race of the eastern foothills. Royal Sunangel Heliangelus regalis This restricted-range endemic is classified as Endangered by Birdlife International. Grey-bellied Comet Taphrolesbia griseiventris Classified as Endangered with a fragmented and probably declining population. Conversion of its habitat for agriculture is partly to blame, but interestingly both of the known nests were found in overhanging road cuts. Marvellous Spatuletail Loddigesia mirabilis This Endangered species has a small range basically restricted to the east slope of the Utcubamba valley. Sadly its population is declining, something that EcoAn (www.ecoanperu.org), a partner of the American Bird Conservancy, are trying to change by educating and encouraging tourism. Marañon Spinetail Synallaxis maranonica Classified as Vulnerable due to habitat loss and extirpation in its very small range. Russet-bellied Spinetail Synallaxis zimmeri Classified as Endangered this species is restricted to a small number of sites in the western Cordilleras.


Chestnut-backed Thornbird Phacellodomus dorsalis This Peruvian endemic is classified as Vulnerable by Birdlife International. Marañon (or Peruvian) Slaty-Antshrike Thamnophilus leucogaster This form is often lumped in Northern (or Guianan) Slaty-Antshrike T. punctatus (including by the SACC). Formerly a number of other taxa were lumped in the latter, with the name Eastern Slaty-Antshrike being used for the enlarged spe-cies. In turn Western Slaty-Antshrike T. atrinucha used to be lumped in the latter, with the name Slaty Antshrike being used for the enlarged species. Rufous Antpitta Grallaria rufula cajamarcae As many as seven species may well be involved in what is currently considered the Rufous Antpitta.. The form found in northern Peru west of the Maranon, cajamarcae likely represents a separate species: The Cajamarca Antpitta. The form oscura, found east of the Maranon is quite distinct both morphologically and vocally and clearly represents a separate species. Leymebamba Antpitta Grallaricula leymebambae This form was formerly lumped in Rusty-breasted Antpitta G. ferrugineipectus. Marañon Crescentchest Melanopareia maranonica This form is sometimes lumped in Elegant Crescentchest M. elegans. Mishana Tyrannulet Zimmerius villarejoic The foothill form is likely a separate species as it has a markedly different call and is found in a variety of secondary and forest edge habitats. Tumbes Tyrant Tumbezia salvini This Peru endemic is classified as Near-Threatened. Piura Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca piurae The severe deforestation of its habitat has led to its classification as Near-Threatened. Rufous Flycatcher Myiarchus semirufus This Peruvian endemic is globally threatened due to the ongoing deforestation of its habitat and has recently been re-classified as Endangered. Peruvian Plantcutter Phytotoma raimondii Classified as Endangered by Birdlife International but at the current rate of destruction of its Prosopis (Algarrobo) habitat, this species will soon merit the conservation status of Critical. Tumbes Swallow Tachycineta stolzmanni Best considered Near-Threatened. Named after Jean Stanislaus Stolzmann (1854-1928), a Polish ornithologist who travelled to Peru in 1871 on behalf of the zoological museum of Warsaw University. Marañon Wren Thryothorus sclateri This form was formerly lumped in Spot-breasted Wren T. maculipectus. The SACC continue to lump Speckle-breasted Wren T. paucimaculatus and Colombian Wren T. columbianus (endemic to Colombia) in this form, with the name Spec-kle-breasted Wren being used for the enlarged species. Bar-winged Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucoptera Classified as Near-Threatened this has a very small range restricted to knife edge ridges. Grey-winged Inca-Finch Incaspiza ortizi Classified as Vulnerable by Birdlife International. Genetic data indicate Incaspiza belongs in the Thraupidae (tanagers). Little Inca-Finch Incaspiza Watkins Classified as Near-Threatened by Birdlife International, this species has a range restricted to the lower Utcubamba and Maranon.


Sulphur-throated Finch Sicalis taczanowskii This nomadic species seems to usually be on the move day-to-day is easy to miss in northern Peru. It also seems to be subject to dramatic population swings. Yellow-breasted (or Cloud-forest or Northern Rufous-naped) Brush-Finch Atlapetes latinuchus This form was formerly lumped in Bolivian (or Bolivian Rufous-naped) Brush-Finch A. rufinucha, with the name Rufous-naped Brush-Finch being used for the enlarged species. Analysis of the various races of Rufous-naped and Slaty Brush-Finches concluded that the original Rufous-naped B-F was polyphyletic. Several of the northern races are very closely related to each other, and are grouped in A. latinuchus (ranging from Venezuela into northern Peru; however, not all northern races were looked at due to lack of sufficient material), while southern forms have been split off as separate species: Bolivian R-n B-F (or R-n B-F) A. rufinucha, Black-faced B-F A. melanolaemus and Vilcabamba B-F A. terborghi. Note that the name Rufous-naped Brush-Finch is now being used for both A. latinuchus (The Birds of Ecuador) and for A. rufinucha (both the SACC and the new Howard & Moore checklists). Baron’s Brush-Finch Atlapetes baroni This form is often lumped in Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch A. latinuchus (including by the SACC). Black-cowled Saltator Saltator nigriceps This form is sometimes lumped in Golden-billed Saltator S. aurantiirostris.


MAMMALS.

Sechura Fox Pseudalopex sechurae: Seen at Chaparri and Limon.

Tayra Eira barbara : Seen at Abra Patricia where it drinks from the hummingbird feeders.

Tayra drinking from hummingbird feeders at Abra Patricia (Eustace Barnes)

South American Sealion Otaria flavescens : Seen at Pucusana.

Guayaquil Squirrel Sciurus stramineus : Seen at Batan Grande and Limon.

PERU (NORTHERN) REP - Birdquest

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