In April 2025, we led a trip to birding in Peru with good friends who are birders and photographers, between the Andes near the city of Lima and northeastern Peru (in the regions of San Martín and Amazonas), where we managed to record almost 600 species in fifteen days. The third part of this birding trip in Peru took us to the departments of San Martín and Amazonas, in search of the legendary Marvelous Spatuletail and Long-whiskered Owlet, among other endemic species.
Birding in Peru – Cordillera Escalera Regional Protected Area
The third part of the trip began in Tarapoto, and the main destination was the Cordillera Escalera Regional Conservation Area, an important conservation area with birds of significant interest. The main sightings included Koepcke’s Hermit, Paradise Tanager, Opal-crowned Tanager, and Golden-headed Manakin, among others.
Birding in Peru – Ikam Expeditions Reserve and surroundings of Moyobamba
We continued on our route and this time we were able to record some very interesting species in the Ikam Expeditions Reserve in Morro de Calzada and in the surroundings of Moyobamba. The notable birds recorded were: Rufous-crested Coquette, Great-billed Hermit, Rufous-sided Crake, Cream-colored Woodpecker, Painted Manakin, Zimmer’s Antbird, Masked Duck, among others.
Birding in Peru – Alto Mayo Protected Forest
We continue heading north, to cloud forests in the Alto Mayo Protected Forest, where we seek to observe more representative birds. The following species are particularly notable: Wire-crested Thorntail, Cinereous Tinamou, Golden-tailed Sapphire, Long-tailed Sylph, Peruvian Racket-tail, Ochre-fronted Antpitta, Rusty-tinged Antpitta, Crimson-bellied Woodpecker, among others.
Birding in Peru – Long-whiskered Owlet
We now continue in the area of the Whiskered Owl, in search of this unique species and others endemic to the area. The most representative species were: Collared Inca, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Johnson’s Tody-Flycatcher, Chestnut Antpitta, Long-whiskered Owlet, Cinnamon Screech-owl, among others.
Birding in Peru – Marvelous Spatuletail
We arrived in the land of the Marvelous Spatuletail and other species unique to Peru, in the Utcubamba Valley, Amazonas department. The main species recorded were: Marvelous Spatuletail, Coopery Metaltail, Pale-billed Antpitta, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Speckle-chested Piculet, Little Woodstar, Marañon Crescentchest, between others.
In this third part of the trip, 407 species were recorded in 9 days, and during the entire trip to birding in Peru, a total of 596 species were recorded in 16 days.
List of birds recorded (Part 3)
List of birds recorded (total trip)
If you want to make this trip birding in Peru could enter here:
Endemic birds of northern Peru (Huallaga, Mayo & Utcubamba valleys)
or Endemic birds of northern Peru
If you want to read the previous chapters about this birding trip in Peru, you can enter here:
Birding in Peru – Santa Eulalia, Lima (Part 1)
Birding in Peru – Scarlet-banded Barbet Expedition (Part 2)
