Manu Road – Part 1 (Andes and Cloud Forest)

Just over 900 bird species have been observed in my home continent of Europe – whilst over 1800 have been observed in the country of Peru (think about that)! One reason for this amazing diversity is the great variation in elevation from sea-level to the High Andes (at over 6,000m). One way to see this diversity in action is to travel the legendary Manu Road birding along the way.

So for the last 4 days we have been birding along the Manu Road with Wild Watch Peru. This single track road starts off at over 4,000m and descends through various habitats all the way into the Amazon Rainforest. In this first post I will focus on the upper half of the trip, the Andes and Cloud Forest.

Once again we did fantastically with our choice of guides in Luis and Simon. They were both great fun to be with but also excellent and knowledgeable birding guides. More than happy to recommend Wild Watch Peru if you are looking to bird in this wonderful area.

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We set off from Cusco early with some distance to cover but with time to stop for a few potential endemics along the way. At our first stop we added Bare-Faced Ground Dove, White-Crested Elaenia, Black-Backed Grossbeak and Blue-and-Yellow Tanager. But then two endemics came along at once. First, we had good views of the Chestnut-Breasted Mountain Finch. Then all of a sudden a hummingbird caught our eye and was confidently identified by Luis our guide as the Bearded Mountaineer, which eventually settled on a perch allowing a photo.

An hours drive later we added Rusty-Fronted Canastero as our third endemic of the morning.

We stopped for coffee (and cake) at a cafe that also had some hummingbirds. Here we added White-Bellied Hummingbird and Black-Throated Flowerpiercer. We also saw both the northern and southern versions of the Giant Hummingbird.

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Setting off again we soon saw two Variable Hawks flying above the road and then shortly after another (or possibly one of the earlier individuals) landed on a telegraph pole. This hawk allowed close views and seemed unperturbed by our presence.

At another stop we added Spectacled Redstart, Cinerous Conebill and a perched Violet-Throated Starfrontlet. Also present were two Spinetails, Creamy-Crested and Azara’s, and Mitred Parakeet.

Continuing further down the hill into the Cloud Forest the new birds were now coming quick and fast as we were in brand-new habitat for this trip. Pearled Treerunner, White-Throated Tyrannulet, Three-Stripped Hemispingus, along with three Mountain Tanagers – Hooded, Scarlet-Bellied and Chestnut-Bellied. A sulky Crowned Chat-Tyrant eventually allowed a few photos through the dense foliage.

The sightings continued to accelerate with Chestnut-Crested and Red-Crested Cotinga’s, Ochraceous-Breasted Flycatcher, Blue-Capped Tanager and Black-Faced Brushfinch. Too quick to photograph were Amethyst-Throated Sunangel, Marcapata Spinetail, Band-tailed Fruiteater, Sierran Eleania and, unfortunately named, Drab Hemispingus. By the end of our first day I had added 29 lifers, a wonderful total considering we had driven for much of the day to get into the Manu Road area.

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The next morning we were out with Luis again, it was cloudy so I left the camera for this period. I often feel a slight tension between photography and birding and it was lovely for a couple of hours to focus just on finding, identifying and watching the birds. We tracked a Variable Antshrike in the foliage. Heard (not saw) a Red-and-White Antpitta and later Yungas Manakin. Luis’s keen ears and then eyes found Ash-Browed and Azara’s Spinetails. Dusky-Green Oropendola along with Black-Goggled, Silver-Beaked, Yellow-Throated, Orange-Eared, Spotted and Saffron-Crowned Tanagers were all lifers!

After breakfast we headed out to the same area but this time I was armed with my Camera. I had great (best-ever) views of a Squirrel Cuckoo and Golden-Olive Woodpecker. Two quick to photograph were a pair of Solitary Eagles which we noticed just before they disappeared having been busy examining nearby bushes (always remember to look up!).

Moving into a nearby garden with some feeders provided great photo opportunities of many birds previously seen but not photographed. At the hummingbird feeders I added the wonderful Rufous-Booted Racket-Tail and Violet-Fronted Brilliant.

At the fruit feeders, Tanagers dominated with Silver-Beaked, Blue-Capped, Spotted, Golden-Naped, Blue-Necked, Golden-Eared, Saffron-Crowned and Golden all putting in appearances.

Below are some photos of some of the other birds present.

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We ended our time in the cloud forest with some traditional birding along the road.

But before we could get to the birds we noticed hundreds of butterflies on the road. They appeared to be licking up salt off the ground.

We then heard and saw a wonderful troop of Topspin’s Titi Monkeys (Grey Woolly Monkeys). Our guide (now Simon) found a like open tree that they would cross and we were delighted when indeed they did and we could fire off some photos.

Back to the birds our guide was scanning the hillside and soon put the scope on the wonderful Black-and-Chestnut Eagle. This bird actually hunts the monkeys we had just been watching. It was perched on the far side of the valley but kept moving from perch to perch so we saw it settled and in flight.

Out next sighting was a predator too but at a different scale, I managed to photograph the Versicoloured Barbet catching and eating a small insect. The Chestnut-Tipped Toucanet was another welcome sighting here.

Slightly further down the road we added Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (two males and a female), Lemon-Browed Flycatcher, Yellow-Throated Chlorospingus, Slate-Throated Redstart and Hepatic Tanager.

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All in all a great day and a half birding in the Andes and Cloud Forest of Manu Road. I had added a total of 51 lifers but the next couple of days would be even more productive – see part 2 here.