The Bird Photography Tour in Northeast Peru | Birds of Peru Tours

Birds of Peru Tours offers excellent opportunities to capture amazing photos of the staggering array of birds and other wildlife that can be found in Northeast Peru.  One of the outstanding bird species that you will encounter on this trip is the Marvelous Spatulatail which is perhaps the most exotic and limited in the range of all hummingbirds.  In addition to the spatulatail this trip affords opportunities to see and photograph a wide variety of other threatened and range-restricted birds, several of which are endemic to Peru as well as numerous colorful tanagers and hummingbirds that are more widespread.

The eastern foothills of the Andes offer some of the best opportunities for bird photographers in the Neotropics and it’s one of the most diverse locations for birding.  This means that whether you are taking photos or simply enjoying birds through your binoculars or spotting scope, you will be in the right place for stunning views of some truly amazing wildlife.

This route takes advantage of several excellent private preserves and lodges, including some with well-maintained hummingbird feeders visited by a dizzying variety of winged wonders.

The Cordillera Escalera Reserve is the first stop on the itinerary and is located near the city of Tarapoto. In this area, we frequently encounter species like the amazing Paradise Tanager alongside beauties like the Dotted Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Golden-collared Toucanet, and several species of manakins, fruit-eaters, and more.

After having explored the Tarapoto area we will make our way to the Alto Mayo Valley where we will be staying at a beautiful lodge on the outskirts of the city of Moyobamba.  At the Waqanki hummingbird feeders, we often have excellent chances at photographing the incredible Rufous-crested Coquette along with approximately twenty other species of hummingbirds.  We will also spend time along the Miskiyaquillo stream, where after a moderate walk we can find species like the whimsical Painted Manakin, the gorgeous Fiery-throated and Scarlet-breasted Fruiteater, and the Spot-backed Antbird, and more.

As we continue our birding adventure, we make our way to Abra Patricia, home of the world-famous Owlet Lodge.  Here we will have chances to photograph the over-the-top cute Long-whiskered Owlet; a truly iconic species.  There are also typically chances to find the lovely Cinnamon Screech-owl and the Rufous-banded Owl.  During our time in the area, we will make excursions to some nearby preserves including Fundo Alto Nieva & Huembo Center.

At Fundo Alto Nieva there are almost always opportunities for shy antpittas.  The feeders are frequented by a variety of tanagers and other birds as well as occasional visits by the elusive Royal Sunangel.  We will walk to trails of the reserve to obtain opportunities to see and photograph other rare species including the Johnson’s Tody-Flycatcher and the stunning Yellow-scarfed Tanager.

We wrap up the tour at Huembo Center where the star of the show is without question the tiny and appropriately named Marvelous Spatulatail.  If we can pry ourselves away from the spatulatail, Huembo Center also hosts a wide variety of other beautiful birds to enjoy.

This trip offers a seemingly endless variety of bird species and allows participants access to feeding stations for hummingbirds, tanagers, and Tinamous that are thoughtfully set up to provide excellent views and top-notch photography opportunities.  The Marañon Valley and Alto Mayo mountains, where this tour takes place, are home to numerous endemic bird species.  There is a high probability that we will encounter a mixed flock on almost every day.  This itinerary is just a starting point and Birds of Peru Tours is happy to customize it to include a variety of options to suit your personal goals.