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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 - Cuzco
Birds in Lake Titicaca and
Puno
Birds in Colca Valley -
Arequipa
Birds in Tambopata
Birds in Amazon River, Iquitos and Pacaya Samiria
Birds in Tarapoto
Birds in Tumbes
Birds in Coast of Peru
Birds in Lima
Birds of Galapagos
Islands
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