WHERE TO GO BIRDING IN PERU

Tarapoto in the northwest of Peru offers a good base for birding nearby sites. You can get to Tarapoto by road when birding Abra Patricia or fly to/from Lima. 16 kms south of Tarapoto is the small village Juan Guerra and just south of the village is rio Huallaga. Just before the bridge a dirttrack branches off to the left and follows the river. Birding here can be good with the local race of Northern Slaty-antshrike, Bluish-fronted Jacamar, Tataupa Tinamou, Plain-breasted Ground-dove, Pheasant Cuckoo, Mishana tyrannulet, Chestnut-throated Spinetail, Rufous Casornis and Stripe-necked Tody-tyrant among the possibilities.

Another 60 kms further south on a poor road takes you to Quebrada Upaquihua which has better habitat than Juan Guerra but similar birds, though some are easier to see here.

Going east from Tarapoto takes you onto the road to Yurimaguas.  There is excellent foothill forest along the road up to the tunnel at about 1000 m. There is a waterfall along this part and many tourists come here to swim in the waterfall. There also some restaurants along the road that offers a good place to bird from while having a lunch-break. Many good birds have been seen here. Orange-breasted Falcon, Red-crowned Parakeet, Koepke´s Hermit, Chestnut-tipped Toucanet, Ruddy Foliage-gleener, Golden-headed- and Fiery-capped manakins, Blackish Peewe, Plumbeous Euphonia, Dotted Tanager and Short-billed Honeycreeper. Keep birding on the other side of the tunnel where there is a Cock-of-the-Rock lek.

In the valley below is a new Biological station at km 34, that has been build mainly for frog-researchers. This area is the best in Peru for frogs with 93 species recorded (apr 05) including several new to science. Many good birds lives in the valley too but trails are poor and often goes through degraded habitat. Birds seen here includes Chestnut-headed Crake, Scarlet-shouldred Parrotlet, Black-throated Brilliant, Lanceolated Monklet, Yellow-billed Jacamar, Tawny-throated Leaftosser, White-plumed Antbird, White-browed Purpletuft, Short-billed Honeycreeper and Yellow-shouldered Grosbeak. Some three kms further down the road is an obvious view-point from where the Scarlet-shouldred Parrotlets can be seen coming to a clay-lick. The road further towards Yurimaguas surely have much to offer although the habitat along the road is degraded but this area is very poorly birded. Reportedly there is an area with 'white sand' 21 kms before Yurimaguas which could be interresting to explore.