Machu Picchu A Bird Sanctuary
The eastern slopes of the Andes are home to the world-famous Machu Picchu Preserve. The reserve is a tropical habitat with extremely high biodiversity, boasting nearly 10% of Peru’s total species.
This includes more than 400 species of birds and a whopping 700 species of butterflies.
If that’s not impressive enough, the area also includes roughly 400 species of orchids!
The sanctuary encompasses an area of 329.5 square kilometers of land and offers a multitude of opportunities for exploration.
Birds of Peru Tours is happy to share their expertise and extensive experience in the reserve to help your visit to the area is a joyful and enlightening one.
There area a number of reasons for the high biodiversity in the Machu Picchu Reserve.
The area has a large altitudinal variation which results in several different temperature zones. These microclimates are separated by high mountain ridges, resulting in geographic isolation and speciation. The abundance of rainfall in the area means that there is an abundance of resources for plants and animals to thrive. Each sheltered valley is home to difference subspecies in close proximity to each other.
There are few places on Earth that offers the abundance that the Machu Picchu Reserve does so why not start planning your visit now?
Birds of Peru Tours is ready to share the bounty of this special place with you with options to visit spectacles such as a lek of the iconic Andean Cock-of-the Rock; one of the world’s most spectacular birds. Its radiant colors and fascinating courtship display made it an easy choice for Peru’s national bird.
If you are into photography, Birds of Peru Tours knows what you need to achieve breath-taking photos of not only the Cock-of-the Rock but the other winged Jewels of Peru as well not the least of which include the Torrent Duck, Masked Fruiteater, Inca Wren and White-bellied Hummingbird. There are also a staggering number of colorful tanagers to keep you in avian delight.
To reach this special area we will travel first by train from Cusco to Aguas Caliente, a small town where we will spend the night before visiting the archeological site the next morning. This is the area where Cesar Bollatty, founder of Birds of Peru Tours studied tourism and worked both along the Inca Trail as well as the famous archaeological site. The result is an extensive knowledge of numerous excellent places to find birds meaning you will never be disappointed as you travel with us.