BIRDWATCHING

Manu: Peru's Manu Biosphere Reserve has the highest concentration of bird life on Earth. At the time of writing approximately, 925 species have been recorded. Ornithologists expect this figure to break the 1000 mark in the near future as remoter areas of the reserve are explored. There are a little under 9000 species of birds in the world, meaning Manu holds one in every nine species found on the planet. No other protected area on Earth contains so many birds. The mountainous region is accessed with high clearance vehicles with the final destination of Amazonia or Pantiacolla Lodge both of which hold over 500 species of birds. This is also the port of lowland Manu. Manu Wildlife Centre is the best lodge for birding and situated actually outside of the national park. It is the variety of microhabitats, including good bamboo areas as well as easily accessible terra firma and heliconia thickets, as well as an excellent canopy tower that makes this one of the top lodges on the continent. It is however quite expensive and you have to arrange for a boat to get there in advance, or fly in and out from Cusco to Boca.

Tambopata & Madre de Dios There are many more easily accessible lodges from Puerto Maldonado with much the same birds as Manu Wildlife Centre, but maybe not as birder friendly albeit less expensive. The most famous one - Explorer's Inn still holds the world record lodge list (close to 600 species) as well as the world record for a big day (Ted Parker and Scott Robinson 331 species). This reserve is an ecosystem that has had an unchanging evolution throughout thousands of years, housing one of the biggest variety of flora and fauna in the world. It is estimated that there are more than 1,000 bird species in the park and over 200 mammals. There are between 2,000 and 3,000 plant species, 10% of which are still unknown by scientists.

Abra Malaga (Cusco) Conservation of fragmented forest patches with extremely threatened birds is difficult. At Abra Malaga in south-east Peru in the Cusco department there is 10 hectare area of Polylepis woodland at 4000-4300m and some adjacent smaller patches. Among the critically threatened and endangered birds there are White-browed Tit-Spinetail Leptasthenura xenothorax, Royal Cinclodes Cinclodes aricomae and Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant Anairetes alpinus. The locality is very close to the road at the pass on the Cusco-Quillabamba road.