The late Theodore Parker
III, famous American field ornithologist once said “Peru
offers ‘bird-enthusiasts’ more than any other country in
the world… Being here is like being a child visiting a
huge store filled with new and fascinating toys”. He was
right.
Peru possesses an
extraordinary ornithological diversity. New species are
continually being discovered every year in its
cloud-forests and Amazon jungles, as well as in its
rugged mountains and inter-Andean valleys. At last
count, there were 1.710 registered species (close to 20%
of the world’s total), of which more than 300 are
endemic. Furthermore, Peru holds the record for the most
species in a single place (650 in the area surrounding
the
Explorer’s
Inn lodge, located in the jungles of
Tambopata)
and the record for the highest number of species seen in
a single day (361 in the area surrounding the Biological
Station of Cocha Cashu, in
Manu).
For birdwatchers, Peru is a
true paradise. It is filled with species dwelling in
unique and fragile habitats, large migratory birds
arriving from the most remote parts of the world and
with species that, having disappeared in other
countries, flourish in unexplored corners of the
country. These giant flocks are a fundamental element in
the life cycles of the sea, jungle and Andean
lakes.
The Birds of
Peru
Imagine a country with 1,804
species of birds…. A country with more bird species than
found in all of North America and Europe combined. Home
to 120 endemic species that cannot be found anywhere
else in the world! Imagine traveling through the land of
the Incas, among locals dressed in colorful woven
fabrics. Here at the birthplace of the potato, visit
with the people of ancient traditions, savour tasty
cuisine, mingle in lively markets and see sophisticated
folk art- just to name a few of the country's
unmistakable allure.
Visualize waking up in the
morning to ear-deafening noise of thousands parrots and
macaws - an unforgettable cacophonic experience as they
arrive each morning for their daily supplementary diet
of mud. Picture yourself seeing a beautiful male
Andean
Cock-of-the-Rock with the backdrop of the Inca
fortress of
Machu
Picchu, or having a close encounter with a huge
Andean Condor as it soars above the majestic
Colca
Canyon. Experience the heart-stopping image of a
male Marvelous Spatuletail hauling his coin-sized tail
discs or moving thru a bog at 14,000 feet to find a
smart White-bellied Cinclodes, one of only 28
individuals known to exist in the world, and all of them
in Peru.
Glimpsing through the shrouds
of mist in Cordillera Azul you may spot the splendid
Scarlet-banded Barbet, which avoided detection for years
and only recently has been discovered. Peru is "the
country to explore", a country in which no fewer than 42
new species of birds have been described to science in
the last 30 years. In the white-sand forest of
Allpahuayo-Mishana
alone, a reserve only minutes from the
City
of Iquitos, three new species have been identified.
Peru is the land of vast
biodiversity - of the 104 life zones known in the world,
84 occur in Peru. A complete mosaic comprises almost
every type of habitat imaginable from the deserts and
dry forests of the coast to the Puna grassland and
snow-capped mountains of the Andes, and the multitude of
types of forests within the Amazonian lowlands. Peru is
blessed with an abundance of life forms, mammals,
reptiles, amphibians, fish, butterflies, trees, cacti,
orchids, and the list goes on.
To ensure the preservation of
this natural wealth, the country has set aside 13% of
its national territory as protected areas, forming a
network of 58
reserves
and natural sanctuaries. A recent up-surge in
environmental awareness in the country has led to the
formation of grass roots conservation initiatives with
encouraging results. Coastal lagoons are being
reclaimed, and rivers and streams are being cleaned. The
community of Santa Catalina de Chongoyape has declared
34,000 hectares of its land as "Chaparri Ecological
Reserve". In this dry forest you may encounter
White-winged Guan, a species long thought to be extinct
but thanks to a major conservation effort is making a
remarkable comeback. (PromPeru)
Why
Peru?
It’s
the ultimate Birding
experience
Peru is the birdiest country
in the world. Peru ties Colombia with over 1800 species
of birds, more than 85% of which are permanent
residents. Peru is second only to Brazil in the number
of endemic birds and second only to Indonesia in the
number of bird species with restricted geographical
ranges. Several rainforest lodges in Peru offer superb
birding, each with a list of over 550 species! In 1982 a
team of birders in Manu in southeastern Peru established
the current world record “big day” when they recorded
331 species while only walking and paddling canoes.
Peru is truly a land of
superlatives: From the world’s richest oceanic current,
to the world’s highest and most extensive tropical
mountains, to the rainforests of the world’s largest
river, Peru is a country of unparalleled diversity. With
87 of the world’s 104 climate zones, Peru encompasses
both the driest desert and the second wettest locality
on the planet.
The time has come to witness
Peru’s unrivalled diversity of birds - from exotic
hummingbirds (118 species), cotingas (33 species), and
antbirds (142 species), to flocks of hundreds of
macaws
at clay licks, mixed species flocks of over 60
species, and rare endemics like the White-winged Guan
and the flightless Junin Grebe.
"Peru is home to more than
1,800 bird species, 120 of which are found nowhere else
in the world. At least five new species have also been
discovered as of this year and are still waiting
official scientific description.
The diversity
of bird species in Peru, O'Neill said, stems from its
ecological and geographical diversity. On the coast, the
Pacific Ocean laps at parched desert. Inland, dry forest
and scrubland rise to the snowcapped Andes. Toward the
east, cloud forests spill into the Amazon
Basin"
John Roach
PERU BIRD-WATCHING TOURS 2009
-
Birds
in Machu Picchu 1
-
Birds
in Machu Picchu 2
-
Tanagers
in Machu Picchu
-
Andean
birds in Lake Titicaca 1
-
Andean
birds in Lake Titicaca 2
-
Andean
birds in Lake Titicaca 3
-
Andean
Condor - Colca Canyon, Arequipa
-
Andean
birds in Colca Canyon, Arequipa - Eagles, hawks,
kestrels
-
Andean
birds in Colca Valley and Colca Lodge -
Arequipa
-
Andean
birds in Bofedales Pampa Toqra - NR Salinas Aguada
Blanca, Arequipa
-
Macaw
Clay Lick - Tambopata Candamo 1
-
Macaw
Clay Lick - Tambopata Candamo 2
-
Amazon
birds in Tambopata River 1
-
Amazon
birds in Tambopata River 2
-
Amazon
birds in Tambopata River 3
-
Amazon
birds in Tambopata River 4
-
Amazon
birds in Tambopata 1
-
Amazon
birds in Tambopata 2
-
Amazon
birds in Tambopata - Anhingas, Cormorants, Egrets
& Herons
-
Amazon
birds in Tambopata - Band-tailed Manakin
-
Amazon
birds in Tambopata - Flycatchers, Sparrows and
Wrens
-
Amazon
birds in Tambopata - Lemon-throated Barbets
-
Amazon
birds in Tambopata - Macaws and Parrots
-
Amazon
birds in Tambopata - Orioles and
Oropendolas
-
Amazon
birds in Tambopata - Tanagers and Euphonias
-
Amazon
birds in Tambopata - Trogons and Cuckoos
-
Amazon
birds in Tambopata - Vultures, Ospreys, Hawks &
Falcons
-
Amazon
birds in Tarapoto 1
-
Amazon
birds in Tarapoto 2
-
Amazon
birds in Tarapoto 3: Yellow-tufted
Woodpecker
-
Amazon
birds - Iquitos area
-
Amazon
birds in Pacaya Samiria National Reserve 1
-
Amazon
birds in Pacaya Samiria National Reserve 2
-
Amazon
birds in Pacaya Samiria National Reserve 3
-
Amazon
birds in Pacaya Samiria National Reserve 4
-
Amazon
birds in Pacaya Samiria National Reserve 5
-
Amazon
birds in Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
6
-
Birds
in coastal marshes in Peru 1
-
Birds
in coastal marshes in Peru 2
-
Birds
in coastal - Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes
-
Garden
Birds in Lima
-
Garden
Birds in Lima - Vermillion Flycatcher
Recommended
Links:
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
