SCHEDULE
October 17th: Group assembles in Lima, most of us coming off Iquitos tours.
October 18th: All day drive to Concepcion over Ticlio pass along the Central Highway with a brief stop for lunch at some Lakes, then onto our splendid hotel in Concepcion 3250 meters and our first Pisco Sours.
October 19th: Parihuanca Road. Over Hauaytapallana pass at 4597 m. (Huyata is Quechua for Andean Goose) to above Chilifruta for specialties. Birding around Chilfruta 3330 -2550 m. and above and back to Concepcion for the night.
October 20th: Satipo Road to Apalla. We stopped for breakfast at Comas at 3200 meters then onto Toldopampa (pass 4300m) and then some fine birding at Puente Carrizales and below before continuing to our interesting accommodation at Calabaza/Apalla – a community project a step above camping as it was raining hard. It also had a flush loo (with a door!).
October 21st: We birded the 2600 -2300 m zone on the Satipo road above Calabaza, went over the pass and birded at 3700 meters before continuing back to our welcome hotel at Concepcion stopping briefly at Lake Pomacocha at 4350 meters.
October 22nd: Concepcion – Lake Junin (Chinchaycocha) (4100m). Morning on the lake for Junín Flightless Grebe. Breakfast at the San Pedro de Pari church and then onto an overview for lunch and finally to busy Huanuco (1900m) having been delayed by roadworks.
October 23rd: Carpish Tunnel trail in the morning (2704m) and after lunch we walked a new track we had spotted but it was hot and sunny, some late afternoon birding on the Carpish Tunnel trail and back to Huanuco.
October 24th: Full day along the Paty trail 2503-2213 m with lunch and snacks packed by our crew. We then travelled to Tingo Maria where we checked into our tropically warm hotel – pool and all. Night Tingo Maria.
October 25th: Torrential rain all night and morning – we stayed in bed but made a late morning visit to the Oilbird cave and spent a delightful hour or so looking at the Oilbirds in a spectacular cave. In the afternoon as a complete change some Amazonian birding along the track. Night in Tingo Maria.
October 26th: Back to the Crapish Tunnel briefly and then meeting our 4 x 4 back up travelled to Churrabamba and Cochabamba and up in our 4 x 4’s to the trail head at Bosque Unchog. Reyes Rivera, the discoverer of the Golden-backed Mountain Tanager, helped us pack our gear into camp with help from his arrieros and mules. Night in camp.
October 27th: Early start and all day at Bosque Unchog 3600-3100m Delightful weather and scenery. Overnight camp.
October 28th: Morning at Bosque Unchog 3700-3300m. We split into two groups with mixed results. In the afternoon we retraced our steps to Huánuco.
October 29th: Huánuco – Carhuaz via La Union and Huaraz. Road greatly improved since our last visit and we had a nice stop at the little visited Inca ruins of Huánuco Viejo. Afternoon lunch and later some birding in the Carpa valley and stopped to see one of the world’s largest flowering plants – Puya Raimondi. Night in Carhuaz at our family run very pleasant hotel.
October 30th: Huascaran NP all day. Breakfast at the “Cotinga trail’ (3740m -3700 m). Leaving Yurac Corral 3700 meters we lunched at the park entrance and then late afternoon into more arid habitat near Pueblo Libre. Overnight Carhuaz.
October 31st: Huascaran NP (3360m) Breakfast at Yurac Corrla and then to Puertochuello pass at 4700 meters for photo ops, lunch on the other side and an afternoon walk down the Maria Josepha trail (3690-3425m). Overnight Carhuaz.
November 1st: Huaraz – Lima. Stop at Conococha Lake for breakfast and then a short stop at 2200 meters on the west slope. We lunched at Laguna Paraiso and then drove to Lima and the Hotel Manhattan.
THE BIRDS
TINAMIDAE
Brown Tinamou Crypturellus obsoletus. Heard only. Heard along the Paty trail (ochraceiventris). The exclusively Neotropical tinamous are one of the most primitive families and they retain certain reptilian features, such as their blood proteins and the shape of the palate, which are similar to those found in the dinosaur Tyrannosaurus. Another interesting fact is that Tinamous are one of the few bird families that are believed to have reversed sex roles. Apparently, most of the singing is done by the females, and in most if not all species the incubation is carried out by the male.
Undulated Tinamou Crypturellus undulatus. Heard only.
Taczanowski’s Tinamou Nothoporocta taczanowski. Heard only. Range Restricted.
ANATIDAE
Andean Goose Chloephaga melanoptera. Repeated good views, the largest in the genus.
Torrent Duck Merganetta armata. 5 seen on our day down to Chillifruta on the Pariahuanca road.
Crested Duck Lophonetta specularioides. We saw the yellow-eyed race alticola. The SACC says “Lophonetta specularioides is often (e.g., Hellmayr & Conover 1948a, Johnsgard 1979) placed in Anas, but see Johnson & Sorenson (1999) for return to monotypic Lophonetta, as in Meyer de Schauensee (1970) and Blake (1977).”
Yellow-billed (Speckled) Teal Anas flavirostris. Regular encounters at high elevations. This is now a split form Andean Teal – Anas andium (Ridgely et al 2001, Hilty 2003, SACC). Birds we saw belong to the altiplano form oxyptera, differing from nominate flavirostris of southern South America in size and coloration. The two might best be considered species. Jaramillo (2003) suggested that the subspecies oxyptera may also deserve recognition as a separate species from A. flavirostris. The SACC suggest a change of the English name to Yellow-billed Teal and this has been followed by the IOC.
Yellow-billed Pintail Anas georgica. Fairly common in the highlands.
Puna Teal Anas puna. Common at many highland sites.
White-cheeked Pintail Anas bahamensis.. At least 1000 on Laguna Paraiso.
Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera. Common at Laguna Paraiso and a few on Conococha Lake.
Andean (Ruddy) Duck Oxyura (jamiacensis) ferruginea. A most handsome stifftail, seen at several high Andean lakes (nominate). The SACC says “Andean populations of Ruddy Duck (O. jamaicensis) have often (e.g., Hellmayr & Conover 1948a, Siegfried 1976, Sibley & Ahlquist 1990, AOU 1998, Ridgely et al. 2001, Jaramillo 2003) been treated as a separate species, O. ferruginea ("Andean Duck" or "Andean Ruddy-Duck"). However, see Adams and Slavid (1984), Fjeldså (1986), and McCracken & Sorenson (2005) for rationale for treating them as conspecific, as done previously (e.g., Blake 1977, Johnsgard 1979), and then followed by Fjeldså & Krabbe (1990) and Carboneras (1992f). Siegfried (1976) and Livezey (1995) considered ferruginea to be more closely related to O. vittata than to O. jamaicensis, but McCracken & Sorenson (2005) showed that this is incorrect.” Go and chew that one over! In short it is split from O. jamaicensis (Ridgely & Greenfield 2001; Jaramillo 2003); H&M recognize this, SACC does not and so presumably Clements will not.
CRACIDAE
Speckled Chachalaca Ortalis guttata. 4 seen at Tingo Maria.
Andean Guan Penelope montagnii. 5 seen along the Paty trail and on the Satipo road, here belonging to the race plumosa which shows a silvery eyebrow. Penelope is the name of the wife of Ulysses, King of Ithaca, but why this name was bestowed on this genus of Neotropical guans is unknown.
PODICIPEDIDAE
White-tufted Grebe Rollandia rolland. Two races of this smart grebe were encountered.
Great Grebe – Podiceps major. Around 20 on the sea and on Laguna Paraiso.
Silvery Grebe Podiceps occipitalis. Good looks at this Grebe on Lake Junín, providing good comparison with the next species. The subspecies here is the northern and high-elevation juninensis, which in plumage is closer to Junín Grebe than to the southern, nominate race. Two species are probably involved and the SACC says - Fjeldså & Krabbe (1990) and Jaramillo (2003) suggested that the northern Andean subspecies, juninensis, might merit recognition as a separate species from Podiceps occipitalis.
Junín Grebe - Podiceps taczanowskii. We all obtained excellent close-ups of this endemic flightless Grebe – 4 in total. The species is named after Wladyslaw Taczanowski, a 19th century Polish Ornithologist who wrote Ornithologie du Pérou (he has several species and subspecies named after him). Junín Grebe is confined to Lake Junín in the highlands of Junín, west-central Peru. It was extremely abundant in 1938, and the population was probably well over 1,000 birds in 1961. In the early and mid-1980s there were c.250 birds, but only 100 were counted in 1992, falling to around 50 in 1993. New extrapolations in early 1995, using a different methodology, estimated 205 individuals. The 1995- 1996 and 1996-1997 breeding seasons were unsuccessful, but two broods apparently fledged in 1997-1998. In August 1998, over 250 Podiceps sp. were found in 4 km of the lake (suggesting a total of 350-400 birds) and all those identified (over 20) were P. taczanowskii. Counts in late 2001 suggested a total population of c.300 birds, though this extrapolation from line transects may be overly optimistic, especially as counts in 2001 suggested a population of less than 100. Even if correct, this estimate is of total individuals following a good breeding season, and the number of mature individuals is likely to be far smaller, perhaps half as many. At present, the current global population is best estimated at between 100 and 300 individuals. You need a boat to see this bird. CRITICALLY ENDANGERED ENDEMIC.
PHOENICOPTERIDAE
Chilean Flamingo Phoenicopterus chilensis. About 1500 birds at Lake Junín (Chinchaycocha is the correct Inca name for this lake), apparently the northernmost breeding locality of this species. Around 1500 on Laguna Paraiso NEAR THREATENED.
SULIDAE
Peruvian Booby Sula variegate. 10+ seen off the Pacific shore.
PHALACROCORACIDAE
Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus. A minimum of a hundred birds were seen along the Pacific shore and some in the highlands.
Guanay Cormorant Phalacrocorax bougainvillii. Only 1 seen on the pacific shore. Named after Vice-Admiral Louis Antoine Baron de Bougainville (1729-1811) French soldier, navigator and mathematician. NEAR THREATENED.
PELECANIDAE
Peruvian Pelican Pelecanus thagus. Common off the Pacific shore. NEAR THREATENED.
ARDEIDAE
Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax. Scattered sightings of this cosmopolitan species especially on Junín Lake, here of the race hoactli.
Great Egret Ardea alba. Formerly placed in either Egretta or the monotypic genus Casmerodius. Called Western Great Egret after the split of Ardea modesta (Eastern Great Egret) from A. alba (Sheldon 1987, Collar 2007, Christidis & Boles 2008).
Snowy Egret Egretta thula. Around 7 of this graceful heron were observed. ‘Thula’ is an Araucano (Chilean) Indian name for the Black-necked Swan, erroneously given to the Snowy Egret!
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis. This widespread species was observed in the Pacific lowlands and some in the highlands. It only colonized the Americas from the Old World in the 20th century, one of the most striking examples of avian range expansions in historic times. Largely a terrestrial feeder, reports of stomach contents have shown that grasshoppers are their main prey item.
THRESKIORNITHIDAE
Puna Ibis Plegadis ridgwayi. Large numbers at high elevations, including some great close-ups. Also around 20 on the coast – this species has only become a regular visitor to the coast in the last 20 years.
Andean (Black-faced) Ibis Theristictus (melanopis) branickii. Around 14 seen at Huanuco Viejo Ruins and common on the trip at other locations. The SACC says “Theristicus melanopis is often (e.g., Hellmayr & Conover 1948a, Meyer de Schauensee 1970, Blake 1977, Hancock et al. 1992) considered conspecific with T. caudatus. However, it (with branickii) was considered a separate species by Steinbacher (1979), Fjeldså & Krabbe (1990), Matheu & del Hoyo (1992), Ridgely et al. (2001), etc., but no explicit rationale has been published [?]; they form a superspecies (Steinbacher 1979). Sibley & Monroe (1990) considered branickii as separate species ("Andean Ibis") from melanopis; anecdotal observations (Vizcarra 2009) suggest that the two taxa segregate where they occur sympatrically during non-breeding season. Proposal? The IOC does split Andean Ibis.
CATHARTIDAE
Black Vulture - Coragyps atratus. A couple of birds were noted near Huánuco, two more were seen in the Ancash part of the Rio Fortaleza valley, and larger numbers were found in the Pacific lowlands. After the opinions of a few 19th century taxonomists were long ignored, recent genetic studies have indicated that New World vultures are modified storks and don’t belong with the raptors; an excellent example of convergent evolution.
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura. Small numbers of this scavenger were found below 2000 m. Birds here belong to resident forms, and what is currently known as the wide-ranging Turkey Vulture may consist of more than one biological species.
Greater Yellow-headed Vulture Cathartes melambrotus. One seen at Tingo Maria.
Andean Condor Vultur gryphus. One flew by the glaciers of the Cordillera Blanca.
ACCIPITRIDAE
Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus. One at the Carpish tunnel.
Cinereous Harrier Circus cinereus. 1 immature at Lake Junín.
Plain-breasted Hawk Accipiter ventralis. One at Bosque Unchog. The SACC says “Accipiter striatus was treated as four species in Sibley & Monroe (1990), Thiollay (1994), and Ridgely & Greenfield (2001): velox of N. America, chionogaster of Middle America, ventralis of the Andes, erythronemius of lowland southern South America); Pinto (1938) and Hellmayr & Conover (1949) considered erythronemius (including ventralis) to be a separate species from A. striatus, and Friedmann (1950) and Stiles & Skutch (1989) considered chionogaster and erythronemius as separate species from A. striatus. [split almost certainly good, but no published data support this split; check Storer (1952). [According to HBW account author Rob Bierregaard, through correspondence with Tom Schulenberg, no published data support this split and he was basically forced to comply with species taxonomy given to him.] Ferguson-Lees & Christie (2001) did not follow this split and provided rationale against following it. Proposal needed” So IOC splits SACC says it’s just a Sharp-shinned Hawk!
Harris’s Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus. Good spotting from the bus.
Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle Geranoaetus melanoleucus. Just one. Recent genetic data suggest that this species, in spite of its unique shape and jizz, better belongs in Buteo.
Variable Hawk Geranoaetus polyosoma. Buteo polyosoma includes B. poecilochrous, (Puna Hawk) currently recognized by some but which SACC treats as conspecific. The form seen in the inter-montane valleys and Lomas de Lachay was polyosoma and the big broad winged birds in the High Andes were poecilochrous, (Puna Hawk).
RALLIDAE
Plumbeous Rail Pardirallus sanguinolentus. Commonly seen at lunch at Lake Junín.
Common Gallinule -Gallinula galeatus. We saw the large race garmani in the highlands. Small numbers were also found near the coast, here of the smaller race pauxilla. Note that this species is a recent split from Common Moorhen of the old world (Gallinula chlorops) on the basis of morphological, genetic, and vocal differences (Groenenberg et al 2008).
Andean (Slate-colored) Coot Fulica ardesiaca. Over 2000 birds were estimated to be present in the small section of Lake Junín we covered and perhaps the same again on Lake Paraiso, and a few were encountered elsewhere.
Giant Coot Fulica gigantean. 9 near Ticlio pass on the first day, Common at Lake Conococha near Huaraz and on the aptly named Patococha in the Carpa valley.
CHARADRIIDAE
Andean Lapwing Vanellus resplendens. Numerous encounters of this splendid species at high elevations and the noisiest bird around our tents at Bosque Unchog where two pair entertained us daily. I have been watching them and their ancestors for 30 years!
Back-bellied (Grey Plover) Pluvialis squatarola. 7 counted at Laguna Paraiso. The IOC says “The committee decided to select one spelling for each variant word (between American and English spelling), because to state these words in the alternative in every case would produce a cumbersome list. But the committee encourages each author and publisher to select whatever spelling of these words is deemed appropriate (since that would undoubtedly happen anyway). The spellings selected by the committee represent a compromise. Grey is used because far more taxa have traditionally used that spelling than gray. The list likewise adopts the British spelling of sombre, sabre, sulphur, mitre, ochre, and moustache, and the American spelling of color and racket. This tilt to the British side is justified by the fact that both spellings of every one of these variant words is considered correct in typical American dictionaries, such as the unabridged Merriam-Webster Dictionary. We hope this solution will find favor with most users of the list.
Puna Plover Charadrius alticola. One seen well along the shores of Lake Junín by Jan.
Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus. A few at Laguna Paraiso.
Snowy Plover Charadrius alexandrius. Around 10 at Laguna Paraiso.
MATOPODIDAE
Blackish Oystercatcher Haematopus ater. 2 seen on the rocks at Laguna Paraiso.
American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliates. 4 along the coast at Laguna Paraiso.
LOPACIDAE
Puna Snipe Gallinago andina. Great looks at the bog at Marcopomacoha and a couple more at Lake Junin The SACC says “Species limits in New World Gallinago have been fluid and controversial, and not based on explicit analyses. Many authors (e.g., Peters 1934, Pinto 1938, Hellmayr & Conover 1948b) have considered paraguaiae, magellanica, and andina to be conspecific. Additionally, Gallinago paraguaiae was considered conspecific with G. [gallinago] delicata by Phelps & Phelps (1958a), Meyer de Schauensee (1970), and Blake (1970). Fjeldså and Krabbe (1990) placed magellanica with paraguaiae, making this species G. magellanica. Any arrangement of species limits in these taxa is based largely on anecdotal data, and this group is badly in need of formal study, especially given that differences in displays and vocalizations among paraguaiae, magellanica, and andina have been reported (Jaramillo 2003).
Andean Snipe Gallinago jamesoni. The wonderful pre-dawn display sounds of this species were heard several times at Bosque Unchog. However looks at 1 flushed bird were to be had in the same area. Named after William Jameson, Scottish zoologist and collector based in Quito 1826-1873.
(Hudsonian) Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus hudsonicus. 4 at Laguna Paraiso. Zink et al. (1995) proposed a return to earlier classifications (e.g., Ridgeway 1919) that considered New World hudsonicus to be a separate species from Old World populations based on genetic distance. Although plumage pattern also differs substantially, vocalizations are evidently very similar, in contrast to the many allotaxa in the Scolopacidae treated as separate species.
Spotted Sandpiper Actittis macularia. 2 on the coast.
Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuc. A few here and there.
Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes. Two at Lake Junín.
Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla. 10+ at Laguna Paraiso.
Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla. 2 at Laguna Paraiso.
Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii. 100 on Lake Junín.
Wilson’s Phalarope Steganopus tricolor. 4+ at Laguna Paraiso and huge numbers on Lake Junín 800+?
Belcher’s Gull Larus belcheri. Common along the coast. Larus belcheri and L. atlanticus were formerly (e.g., Meyer de Schauensee 1970, Blake 1977) considered conspecific, but Devillers (1977) provided rationale for treatment as separate species, and this treatment has been followed by most authors, e.g., Sibley & Monroe (1990), Burger & Gochfeld (1996), and AOU (1998); they form a superspecies (Sibley & Monroe 1990). Named for Sir Edward Belcher, British naval explore of the pacific coast of America 1825- 1828.
Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus. Another common gull along the Pacific coast. For those of you visiting southern Africa - note that the subspecies found along the coast there has now been proposed to be a different species, the Cape Gull L. vetula.
Franklin’s Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan. Several dozen at El Paraiso just arrived from North America.
Grey Gull Leucophaeus modestus. A few on the Pacific shore. Nests inland in the desert.
Grey-hooded Gull Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus. Common on the coast. The genetic data of Crochet et al. (1999) and Pons et al. (2005) indicate that Larus as currently constituted is polyphyletic, and that resurrection of Chroicocephalus for a group of species that includes L. cirrocephalus, L. serranus, L. ridibundus, and L. maculipennis is necessary to maintain Larus as monophyletic; this would represent a partial return to the classification of Ridgway (1919), which also included L. pipixcan and L. atricilla in Chroicocephalus.
Andean Gull Chroicocephalus serranus. Regular sightings at higher elevations. Called Kellwa in native Quechua.
Elegant Tern Thalasseus elegans. 2 or so on the Pelagic at El Paraiso. NEAR THREATENED.
NCHOPIDAE
Black Skimmer- Rynchops niger. 2 at El Paraiso. A Trans Andean migrant.
UMBIDAE
Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata. Regular sightings of this montane forest species. A widespread species, ranging from British Columbia (Canada) down into northern Argentina, though the southern races crissalis, roraimae and albilinea (= the one we saw) are sometimes regarded as a separate species, White-necked Pigeon C. albilinea. Also note that recent research has shown that the genus Columba is paraphyletic, with New World taxa being more closely related to Streptopelia than to Old World Columba pigeons. This is consistent with differences between New World and Old World Columba in terms of morphology, serology and behavior. The suggestion was made to place all New World forms in the genus Patagioenas, and the AOU recently adopted this change.
Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata. A frequently seen open country species recorded almost daily. Here the race hypoleuca, with white tail tips.
West Peruvian Dove Zenaida meloda. Common along the coast. A species of arid areas ranging from western Ecuador into northern Chile. The melancholic song is very different from that of the White-winged Dove Z. asiatica, from which it has been split.
White-throated Quail-Dove Geotrygon frenata. Heard and in one case seen by some on the Paty trail.
Croaking Ground-Dove Columbina cruziana. Common along the coastal strip but also in the Rio Santa valley in Ancash.
Black-winged Ground-Dove Metriopelia melanoptera. This distinctive ground-dove (here of the nominate race) was seen at Lake Junín.
ULIDAE
Squirrel Cuzco Piaya cayana. One or two seen at Tingo Maria.
Greater Ani Crotophaga major. One near Tingo Maria.
Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani. A few sightings near Tingo Maria.
IGIDAE
Great (Lesser) Horned-Owl Bubo (magellanicus) virginianus. One flushed off the road pre-dawn on the way to La Union.
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium brasilianum. One at Tingo Maria.
ATORNITHIDAE
Oilbird Steatornis caripensis. Many hundreds in the Oilbird cave at Tingo Maria. Although it forages by sight, the Oilbird is one of only a few birds, and the only nocturnal one, known to navigate by echolocation in sufficiently poor light conditions, using a series of sharp audible clicks for this purpose. It also produces a variety of harsh screams while in its caves. Entering a cave with a light especially provokes these raucous calls; they also may be heard as the birds prepare to emerge from a cave at dusk.
CAPRIMULGIDAE
Swallow-tailed Nightjar -Uropsalis segmentata. Heard only, at Bosque Unchog.
APODIDAE
Andean Swift Aeronautes andecolus. 2 of the race parvulus mostly on the west Andean slope.
Neotropical Fork-tailed Palm Swift Tachornis squamata. Common near Tingo Maria.
TROCHILIDAE
With some 330 currently recognized species, these amazing birds form one of the largest avian families in the New World, surpassed only by the tyrant-flycatchers (Tyrannidae), the latter comprising over 370 species. Amazing little creatures, hummingbirds have a resting heart rate of 1000 beats per minute (compare this to the average human rate of around 60-80 beats per minute!). This carries tremendous amounts of oxygen and energy to the relatively massive breast muscles. In addition, birds have to have a huge lung capacity in order to keep up with the large amounts of oxygen needed. Their respiratory system is so highly developed that they can actually breathe in and out at the same time.
White-browed Hermit – Phaetornis stuarti. At Tingo Maria.
Pale-tailed Barbthroat Threnetes leucurus. At the nest at Tingo Maria.
Amethyst-throated Sunangel Heliangelus amethysticollis. Repeated encounters with this smart Cloud forest hummer. Here the race decolor, with a deep violet throat.
Speckled Hummingbird Adelomyia melanogenys. 4 along the Paty trail feeding in flowering bushes.
Long-tailed Sylph Aglaiocercus kingi. Seen along the Paty trail, here of the southern race smaragdinus. Named after Rear Admiral Philip Parker King (1791- 1856), British marine surveyor, collector and traveler in the American tropics.
Bronze-tailed Comet Polyonymus caroli. Good observations in the Huascaran National Park. A localized endemic.
Andean Hillstar Oreotrochilus estella. A female seen by some in the Huascaran National Park.
Black-breasted Hillstar Oreotrochilus melanogaster. 2 birds were seen at Lake Junín. A very pretty Hummer! ENDEMIC.
Black-tailed Trainbearer Lesbia victoriae. 4 seen in total. From the Greek Lesbias – A woman of Lesbos.
Coppery Metaltail Metallura theresiae. The most frequently seen endemic at Bosque Unchog, and truly stunning. Here the nominate race, named after Princess Therese of Bavaria (1850-1925). A catch up for Rosemary! ENDEMIC.
Fire-throated Metaltail Metallura eupogon. One of our most wanted and good scope views at Carrizales. Greek – Eu = Good. Pogon = Beard. ENDEMIC.
Black Metaltail Metallura phoebe. Very common at Quebrada Llanganuco where this species was amazingly common and granted many good views as it fed on the plentiful mistletoe flowers. ENDEMIC.
Tyrian Metaltail Metallura tyrianthina. A handful of sightings of the blue-tailed race smaragdinicollis. Named after the color Tyrian purple; variously known as Royal purple, Tyrian purple, purple of the ancients, this ancient dyestuff, mentioned in texts dating about 1600 BC, was produced from the mucus of the hypobranchial gland of various species of marine mollusks, notably Murex. Although originating in old port of Tyre in modern day Syria (hence the name), man's first large scale chemical industry spread throughout the world. With the decline of the Roman Empire, the use of the dye also declined and large scale production ceased with the fall of Constantinople in 1453. It was replaced by other cheaper dyes like lichen purple and madder.
Sapphire-vented Puffleg Eriocnemis luciani. One seen near Comas. Named for J. Lucian Buquet (1807-1889) French entomologist.
Emerald-bellied Puffleg Eriocnemis alinae. One on the Paty trail. Named for Aline Bourcier wife of French naturalist and tochilidist Jules Bourcier.
Shining Sunbeam Aglaeactis cupripennis. Common. Here the southernmost race caumatonotus.
Bronzy Inca Coeligena coeligena. 1 individual along the Paty trail.
Collared Inca Coeligena torquata. In the Carpish Mountains – here the white breasted form. The orange breasted form farther south Gould's Inca Coeligena inca is considered conspecific with Collared Inca C. torquata (SACC 2004)In Roman mythology, Diana (lt. "heavenly" or "divine") was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals.
Violet-throated Starfrontlet Coeligena violifer. Sightings of the race dichroura along the Paty trail and near Chjillifruta.
Rainbow Starfrontlet Coeligena iris. 2 on the Maria Josefina trail in the Huascaran National Park.
Mountain Velvetbreast Lafresnaya lafresnayi. Leader only.
Great Sapphirewing Pterophanes cyanopterus. Seen at Bosque Unchog –the world’s second largest Hummer.
Fawn-breasted Brilliant Heliodoxa rubinoides. Two on the Paty trail.
Giant Hummingbird Patagona gigas... and this one is the largest one of all! We also saw large numbers in the Huascaran National Park (peruviana).
Purple-collared Woodstar Myrtis fanny. 3 at Pueblo Libre were all in female or eclipse plumage.
Spot-throated Hummingbird Leucippus taczanowskii. Excellent views of this modestly attired endemic at Pueblo Libre much to Wally’s relief. ENDEMIC.
White-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia chionogaster. One only.
Amazilia Hummingbird Amazilia amazilia. 2 along the coast.
TROGONIDAE
Golden-headed Quetzal Pharomachrus auriceps. Heard only.
Amazonian Trogon Trogon ramonianus. The subspecies ramonianus and caligatus were formerly (e.g., Cory 1919, Pinto 1937) considered separate species from Trogon violaceus, but Peters (1945) considered them all conspecific. Ridgely & Greenfield (2001) considered caligatus of Middle America and northwestern South America to be a separate species from Trogon violaceus (Violaceous Trogon), and this was followed by Hilty (2003); SACC proposal to recognize this split did not pass because of insufficient published data. Genetic data (DaCosta & Klicka 2008) indicate that caligatus is basal to a group that includes Amazonian T. violaceus, T. curucui, and T. surrucura (and that Amazonian violaceus may be paraphyletic with respect to the latter two species). SACC proposal passed to recognize caligatus as a species. SACC proposal passed to recognize ramonianus as a separate species from T. violaceus which is now a Guianan Shield Endemic – Guianan Trogon.
Masked Trogon Trogon personatus. A pair of the nominate race performed beautifully along the Paty trail.
MOMOTIDAE
Amazonian Motmot Momotus momotus. Heard only.
GALBULIDAE
Bluish-fronted Jacamar Galbula cyanescens. One seen at Tingo Maria.
BUCCONIDAE
Black-fronted Nunbird Monasa nigrifrons. 5 at the oilbird cave.
RAMPHASTIDAE
Black-mandibled Toucan Ramphastos ambiguus. Seen on the Paty trail.
Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan Andigena hypoglauca. Heard at the tunnel and then good looks on the Paty Trail. NEAR THREATENED.
Chestnut-eared Aracari Pteroglossus castanotis. Heard only.
PICIDAE
Lafresnaye’s Piculet Picumnus lafresnayi. Four seen at Tingo Maria.
Little Woodpecker Veniliornis passerinus. 2 at Tingo Maria.
Yellow-vented Woodpecker Veniliornis nigriceps. One of this temperate forest woodpecker on the Paty trail.
Golden-Olive Woodpecker Piculus ribiginosus. A pair on the Paty trail.
Crimson-mantled Woodpecker Piculus rivolli. One seen well on the Satipo Road. Named for another Frenchman Francois Victor Massena Prince d’Essling and Duc de Rivoli –ornithologist and collector 1795-1863.
Andean Flicker Colaptes rupicola. A smart, largely terrestrial woodpecker of high elevations, encountered on numerous occasions. Two races were seen, cinereicapillus northward and puno southward.
FALCONIDAE
Black Caracara Daptrius ater. 4 at Tingo Maria.
Mountain Caracara Phalcoboenus megalopterus. This handsome high Andean falcon featured as the most often encountered raptor on the tour.
American Kestrel Falco sparverius. Regular sightings of this widespread open country species, which likely has benefited from centuries of habitat destruction in the Peruvian Andes.
Aplomado Falcon Falco femoralis. Excellent looks at 1 bird above Toldopampa.
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrines. Two seen near Lima on the first and last days.
Orange-breasted Falcon Falco deiroleucus. A male and a female on the Paty trail –this seems to be a regular stakeout!.
PSITTACIDAE
Blue-headed Parrot. Some flew overhead near the Oilbird cave.
Speckle-faced Parrot Pionus tumultuosus. 2 at the Paty trail.
Scaly-naped Parrot Amazona mercenarius. 10+ at breakfast at the head of the Paty trail.
White-eyed Parakeet Psittacara leucophthalmus. 63 counted at the Tingo Maria Oilbird cave.
Blue-headed Macaw Primolius couloni. 4 fly overs at the Tingo Maria Oilbird cave.
THAMNOPHILIDAE
Plain-winged Antshrike Thamnophilus schistaceus. A nicely responsive bird at Tingo Maria.
Pygmy Antwren Myrmotherula brachyura. One seen, others heard at Tingo Maria.
Streak-headed Antbird Drymophila straticeps. Numerous (especially by voice, but 2 birds showed very well) in Chusquea bamboo along the Carpich Tunnel trail. The article in Condor “AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO SPECIES- LEVEL SYSTEMATICS REVEALS THE DEPTH OF DIVERSIFICATION IN AN ANDEAN THAMNOPHILID, THE LONG-TAILED ANTBIRD” By Morton L. Isler, Andrés M. Cuervo, Gustavo A, Bravo, and Robb T. Brumfield In part says “we propose the following taxonomic positions and English names for members of the complex. Regarding the English names, we have rejected the inclusion of “long-tailed” in the names, as proposed by Cory and Hellmayr (1924), because the names would become too cumbersome. The sequence reflects the estimated phylogeny:
Drymophila klagesi Hellmayr and Seilern, 1912—Klages’s Antbird. Eastern and northern Venezuela, Serranía de Perijá, and northern Eastern Andes in Norte de Santander, Colombia (includes klagesi, aristeguietana, and Norte de Santander study groups; clade A).
Drymophila hellmayri Todd, 1915—Santa Marta Antbird. Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia (includes hellmayri; clade B).
Drymophila caudata (Sclater, 1854)—Long-tailed Antbird.
Eastern Andes from Santander (west of the Chicamocha Canyon) to Caquetá and Huila, Colombia (includes Santander and Upper Magdalena study groups; clade C).
Drymophila striaticeps Chapman, 1912—Streak-headed Antbird. The Western and Central Andes of Colombia south through Ecuador (both slopes) and Peru (eastern slope) to northwestern Bolivia in La Paz (includes striaticeps, occidentalis, peruviana, and boliviana; clade D).
Peruvian Warbling Antbird Hypocnemis peruviana. 3 seen near Tingo Maria.
Spot-winged Antbird Schistocichla leucostigma. One seen at Tingo Maria. Ridgely & Tudor (1994) and Zimmer & Isler (2003) suggested that the formerly broadly defined Schistocichla leucostigma probably consisted of more than one species. Braun et al. (2005) provided evidence that the Tepui taxon saturata deserves species rank. SACC proposal passed to treat saturata as a species. Isler et al. (2007) further showed that the taxa humaythae, brunneiceps, and rufifacies, currently treated as subspecies of P. leucostigma, also warrant species rank. SACC proposal passed to revise species limits. So now 5 species:
Schistocichla leucostigma Spot-winged Antbird
Schistocichla humaythae Humaita Antbird
Schistocichla brunneiceps Brownish-headed Antbird
Schistocichla rufifacies Rufous-faced Antbird
Schistocichla saturata Roraiman Antbird
Chestnut-tailed Antbird Myrmeciza hemimelaena. 2 seen near Tingo Maria.
GRALLARIIDAE
Undulated Antpitta Grallaria squamigera. At Bosque Unchog. Commonly heard and one seen well by most.
Stripe-headed Antpitta Grallaria andicola andicola. This one was quite easy. 6+ seen at various localities throughout the tour of the nominate race.
Bay Antpitta Grallaria capitalis. Nice looks on the Carpish Tunnel trail. One of the hardest Grallaria to see. ENDEMIC.
Rufous Antpitta Grallaria rufula obscura. Heard only. The endemic race obscura at Bosque Unchog. The ‘Rufous Antpitta’ complex will likely fall apart into a number of species. A possible English name for ‘G. obscura’ could be ‘Fulvous Antpitta’.
Chestnut Antpitta Grallaria blakei. Nice looks on two consecutive days in the Carpish Mountains. NEAR THEATENED ENDEMIC.
Rusty-breasted Antpitta Grallaricula ferrugineipectus. Nice one by Silverio on the Paty trail.
SCYTALOPIDAE
Trilling Tapaculo Scytalopus parvirostris. Heard only. Numerous by voice along the Paty trail. Scytalopus etymologically comes from the Greek language which literally means “stickfoot”, referred to their strong and thick feet.
Rufous-vented Tapaculo Scytalopus femoralis. Another common voice along the Paty trail (mainly below the range of Trilling Tapaculo, though with some overlap) and one coaxed into view. ENDEMIC.
Neblina Tapaculo Scytalopus altirostris. The higher-elevation Tapaculo at Bosque Unchog, and tricky to see but we did manage one extremely well. ENDEMIC.
“Millpo” Tapaculo Scytalopus sp. nov. An as yet un-described species we searched for and saw well along the Satipo road. This Tapaculo has been known for over 25 years and was collected near Millpo in Pasco department. It is mentioned in Birds of the High Andeas by Fjeldså and Krabbe which published in 1991. ENDEMIC.
Junin Tapaculo Scytalopus gettyae. Barry tried hard for this on the Satipo road and we were rewarded with good views of one. Only described in June 2013. The new species is named gettyae after Caroline Marie Getty in honor of her long term dedication to nature preservation. She has devoted significant time and effort to conservation, serving on boards for numerous organizations, including the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). ENDEMIC.
Ancash Tapaculo Scytalopus affinis. Two responded well to playback in the Huascaran National Park. Very small range in the Cordillera Blanca. ENDEMIC.
Tschudi’s Tapaculo Scytalopus acutirostris. The most widespread Tapaculo on the tour, showing well at the Carpish Tunnel. Heard at a number of other localities. Seen at Chillfruta. ENDEMIC.
FURNARIIDAE
Coastal Miner Geositta peruviana. One of this Peruvian endemic at Laguna Paraiso. The genus name literally means ‘nuthatch of the earth’. ENDEMIC.
Common Miner Geositta cunicularia. About 8 birds were seen in barren puna country in Junín department. Race juninensis.
Buff-throated Woodcreeper Xiphorynchus guttatus. 2 near the Tingo Maria Oilbird cave.
Montane Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes lacrymiger. Several at Carpish in mixed flocks. Lacrymyger is Latin “tear gathering” referring to the spotting.
Streaked Xenops Xenops rutilans. One on the Paty trail.
Streaked Tuftedcheek Pseudocolaptes boissonneautii. A bromeliad specialist, showing particularly well along the Carpish trail (auritus).
Pale-legged Hornero Furnarius leucopus. At Tingo Maria.
Buff-breasted Earthcreeper Upucerthia validirostris. Many encounters with this species in the highlands. Although the jelskii subspecies group (Plain-breasted Earthcreeper) has been considered separate species from U. validirostris in most recent classifications (e.g., Meyer de Schauensee 1970, Ridgely & Tudor 1994, Sibley & Monroe 1990), evidence for their treatment as such is weak (Remsen 2003). Earlier classifications treated them as conspecific (e.g., Cory & Hellmayr 1925, Peters 1951). A report of sympatry in southern Bolivia (Cabot 1990) is based on a misidentification (Remsen 2003). Genetic data (Chesser et al. 2007, Fjeldsa et al. 2007) confirm that they are sister taxa but weakly differentiated (Derryberry et al. 2011). Areta & Pearman (2009, 2013) found no differences in their voices. Areta & Pearman (2013) proposed that they be treated as conspecific. SACC proposal passed to treat them as conspecific. SACC proposal passed to use the English name Buff-breasted Earthcreeper for broadly defined U. validirostris.
Striated Earthcreeper Geocerthia serrana. A very smart endemic with many on the upper Satipo road and 4 at Llanganuco lakes. ENDEMIC.
Wren-like Rushbird Phleocryptes melanops. At Lake Junin whilst searching for Grebes and at Laguna Paraiso.
Cream-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes albiventris. The most frequently encountered member of this genus, here of the races longipennis and rivularis, both having whitish wing bars (but still not as contrasting as the wing bars on the next species). This is split from Cinclodes fuscus Bar-winged Cinclodes which now does not exist and is split as follows: Buff-winged Cinclodes C. fuscus, Cream-winged Cinclodes C. albiventris & Chestnut-winged Cinclodes C.albidiventris . (Sanin et al 2009, SACC).
White-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes atacamensis:. A few seen in three different localities always near running water.
Lineated Foliage-gleaner Syndactyla subalaris. One played hide and seek on a sunny afternoon at Carpish.
Pearled Treerunner Margarornis squamiger. Numerous encounters in high-elevation mixed flocks (peruvianus).
Tawny Tit-Spinetail Leptasthenura yanacensis. 2 seen very well above and beyond Portochhuello pass in the Huascaran National Park. This species is thought to have a moderately small population which is highly fragmented within its moderately small range. It is likely to be declining owing to ongoing habitat loss and degradation. It is currently considered Near Threatened, and should be carefully monitored for future changes in the rate of decline. NEAR THREATENED.
Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail Leptasthenura pileata. We encountered this species at the Llanganuco lakes, here of the race cajabambae which has the rusty crown streaked with black. ENDEMIC.
White-browed Spinetail Hellmayrea gularis. Nice looks of one at Bosque Unchog. Named for Carl Edward Helmeyer (1878-1944) German/US Ornithologist.
Streak-fronted (Mantaro) Thornbird Phacellodomus (sp.nov) striaticeps. We descended a bit to see this and finally saw a pair of this soon to be described taxon. Paul Coopmans told me of a Thornbird that Dan Lane and others from LSU had found near Pariahuanca in the Mantaro drainage. Hadoram’s photograph may be the first ever publically available of a bird in the wild. ENDEMIC.
White-chinned Thistletail Asthenes fuliginosa. Seen well at Bosque Unchog. Birds here belong to the endemic race plengei, one of two subspecies found south of the Marañon. With Mouse-coloured Thistletail S. griseomurina squeezed in between the range of these and the nominate further north, more than one species may be involved. Genetic work has indicated that the genus Schizoeaca should be merged with Asthenes.
Eye-ringed Thistletail Asthenes palpebralis. Unbelievable close-ups at of very responsive birds along the Satipo road. A Peruvian endemic with just a small range in Junín department. Southward it is replaced by Vilcabamba Thistletail S. vilcabambae. ENDEMIC.
Pale-tailed Canastero Asthenes huancavelicae sp.nov. Another Peruvian endemic obliging very well on arrival and then to Pygmy Owl tape at Pueblo Libre. Birds here belong to an un-described, highly localized and cinnamon-tailed race. Note that Pale-tailed Canastero, Dark-winged Canastero A. arequipae and Rusty-vented Canastero A. dorbignyi were all lumped together as Creamy-breasted Canastero A. dorbignyi at some stage. While there seems to be variation in both plumage and vocalizations in this complex, A thorough taxonomic analysis of all these forms is badly needed. Asthenes huancavelicae is split from A. dorbignyi (Fjeldså & Krabbe (1990, Ridgely & Tudor 1994); SACC needs analysis to reconsider. ENDEMIC.
Canyon Canastero Asthenes pudibunda. I am sure this is what we saw near Yurac Corral. Range Restricted.
Streak-throated Canastero Asthenes humilis. This unusually greyish canastero of bleak high Andean country was seen on several occasions.
Streak-backed Canstero Asthenes wyatti. Two seen along the Parihuanca road. Nmaed for Claude Wyatt (1842-1900) English ornithologist and collector in Colombia.
Line-fronted Canastero Asthenes urubambensis. Good looks at Bosque Unchog. Almost an endemic. NEAR THREATENED.
Many-striped Canastero Asthenes flammulata. Several sightings (and good response to the tape) of the southernmost race taczanowskii at Bosque Unchog.
Baron’s Spinetail Cranioleuca baroni. Another smart endemic. This one was common near the Llanganuco lakes (nominate). Another Peruvian endemic, though evidence for the Baron’s (or Southern Line-cheeked) Spinetail vs. Line-cheeked (or Northern Line-cheeked) Spinetail C. antisiensis split as proposed in e.g. Ridgely & Tudor seems to be exceptionally weak. The closest populations, geographically, of C. antisiensis and C. baroni are more similar to one another than they are to other subspecies within their respective ‘species’, and drawing a line between these two is arbitrary, even though the extremes differ radically. ENDEMIC.
Creamy-crested Spinetail Cranioleuca albicapilla. Fantastic response to playback, and we couldn’t have had any better views of this lovely endemic, here of the nominate race. Unlike Synallaxis spinetails, members of this genus are typically arboreal, often favouring vine tangles in mid-storey and sub canopy. ENDEMIC.
Marcapata Spinetail - Cranioleuca marcapatae weskeii. Heard by all and seen by Rosemary on the Satipo road. Dan Lane pointed out that these birds were practically identical to weskei race of Marcapata Spinetail in Cusco and Barry Walker has seen intermediates in the southern Vilcabamba Mountains. More analysis needed here. ENDEMIC.
Rufous Spinetail Synallaxis unirufa. A species with a strong affinity for Chusquea bamboo, seen well along the Paty trail and at the Carpish tunnel.
Azara’s Spinetail Synallaxis azarae. A widespread Spinetail, also seen along the Paty trail (infumata). However the one recorded at Chilifruta sounds crazily different and I would think needs to be a different taxon. Named for the Spaniard Brigadier General Felix Manuel de Azara (1742-1821) who commanded the Paraguayan/Brazilian frontier.
TYRANNIDAE
Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet Tyrannulus elatus. Heard only.
Sierran Elaenia Elaenia pallatangae. The race intensa was along the Satipo road, and scattered birds were found elsewhere.
Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma obsoletum. Two birds near Yungay. A taxonomic mess, with more than one species certainly being involved.
White-throated Tyrannulet Mecocerculus leucophrys. A typical species of temperate forest and the tree-line, common and conspicuous at Bosque Unchog. Here the race brunneomarginatus.
White-banded Tyrannulet Mecocerculus stictopterus. Fairly common in mixed flocks in the Carpish Mountains.
Black-crested Tit-Tyrant Anairetes nigrocristatus. Several encounters with this very cute little flycatcher in the Cordillera Blanca Polylepis. Range Restricted.
Tufted Tit-Tyrant Anairetes parulus. Scattered encounters with the race aequatorialis in more humid areas.
Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant Uromyias agraphia. Family party of 4 of this endemic at the at the Carpish Tunnel. ENDEMIC.
Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant Pseudotriccus ruficeps. One along the Carpish trail in the Chusquea bamboo. Cute little guy!
Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant Euscarthmus meloryphus. Responded to owl tape at Pueblo Libre.
Peruvian Tyrannulet Zimmerius viridiflavus. Numerous by voice along the Paty trail, with 3 birds showing well in response to playback. The genus is named in honor of John Zimmer (1889-1957), a US ornithologist who (among other works) wrote the monumental Studies of Peruvian Birds (1931). ENDEMIC.
Streak-necked Flycatcher Mionectes striaticollis. A few sightings along the Paty trail (palamblae). Flycatchers in this genus are unusual in being frugivorous rather than insectivorous. Hence, like many Cotingas and Manakins, they also have lek systems.
Sepia-capped Flyctacher - Leptopogon amaurocephalus. One at Tingo Maria.
Many-colored Rush-Tyrant Tachuris rubrigastra. We found this multi-colored reed dweller on Lake Junín, apparently the northernmost high Andean breeding locality.
Black-throated Tody-Tyrant Hemitriccus granadensis. Heard only. On the Carpish trail but would not show.
Yellow-browed Tody-Fkycatcher - Todirostrum chrysocrotaphum. One at Tingo Maria.
Olive-faced (Yellow-breasted) Tolmomyias Tolmomyias viridiceps. Two seen at Tingo Maria. Tolmomyias viridiceps is split from T. flaviventris (Ridgely & Greenfield 2001; Hilty 2003); SACC needs proposal. One of Wally’s wants!
Flavescent Flycatcher Myiophobus flavicans. One on the Paty Trail.
Cinnamon Flycatcher Pyrrhomyias cinnamomea. Fairly common along the Paty trail and at the Carpish tunnel (nominate).
Cliff Flyctacher Hirundinea ferruginea. 2 at Tingo Maria.
Ochraceous-breasted Flycatcher Nephelomyias ochraceiventris. Two of these cuties at Bosque Unchog.
Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans. Here the race angustirostris, more than one species possibly being involved.
Smoke-colored Pewee Contopus fumigates. One of the race ardosiacus was noted along the Paty trail.
Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus. Only 1 male at Pueblo Libre.
Andean Negrito Lessonia oreas. Numerous around Lake Junín. Others on Patococha lake in Huascaran National Park.
Rufous-tailed Tyrant Knipolegus poecilurus. One near the clearing along the Paty trail.
White-winged Black-Tyrant Knipolegus aterrimus. A pair near Chilifruta.
Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola maculirostris. One sighting of this minute, rock loving ground- tyrant.
Puna Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola juninensis. A couple at Yurac Coral in Huascaran National Park.
Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola rufivertex. Four at Yurac Corral.
Taczanowski’s Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola grisea. In the Cordillera Blanca.
Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant Agriornis montana. Regular sightings of the subspecies insolens at high elevations.
Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant Myiotheretes striaticollis. Several seen.
Rufous-webbed Tyrant Polioxolmis rufipennis. Three along the upper reaches of the Satipo road. Formerly either placed in Myiotheretes or Xolmis, but the new monotypic genus Polioxolmis was proposed for this species in the mid- eighties.
Jelski’s Chat-Tyrant Silvicultrix jelskii. Two on the Maria Josefina trail in Huascaran NP. Konstanty Jelskii was a Polish zoologist explorer and curator of the Lima museum 1874-1878.
Slaty-backed (Maroon-belted) Chat Tyrant Ochthoeca (thoracia) cinnamomeiventris. Garcia-Moreno et al. (1998) suggested that the plumage and genetic differences between subspecies groups north and south of the Maranon should be recognized at the species level, with Ochthoeca thoracica the name for the southern species. Ridgely & Tudor (1994) reported that there are also vocal differences that would support this split. Ridgely & Greenfield (2001) and Hilty (2003) further recognized Venezuelan nigrita as a separate species from O. cinnamomeiventris, as done by Cory & Hellmayr (1927); see Zimmer (1937b) for the rationale for treating them all as conspecific based on plumage pattern, the treatment followed by Fitzpatrick (2004). Proposal needed.
Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca rufipectoralis. A regularly encountered chat-tyrant. In Ancash and Huanuco we encountered the race centralis, while in Junín we saw tectricialis.
Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca fumicolor. The most frequently seen chat-tyrant of treeline, here of the race brunneifrons, more than one species possibly being involved (cf. Ridgely & Tudor, Vol. II).
D’Orbigny’s Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca oenanthoides:. At last 3 pair were seen. Alcide d’Orbigny was a 19th century French naturalist and collector who spent over half a decade in South America. In addition to birds he assembled specimens of many life forms, as well as a large collection of fossils. The latter led him to determine that there were many geological layers, revealing that they must have been laid down over millions of years. This was the first time such an idea had ever been suggested.
White-browed Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca leucophrys. Three sightings of this dry-country chat-tyrant.
Grey-capped Flycatcher Myiozetetes granadensis. 2 at Tingo Maria.
Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus. A few at Tingo Maria.
Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua. One at Tingo Maria.
Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus. A few in the foothills in the Huanuco valley and at Tingo Maria.
COTINGIDAE
Green and Black (Huanuco) Fruiteater Pipreola riefferii tallmanorum. One seen after some effort by Silverio – this distinctive subspecies probably deserves species rank.
Band-tailed Fruiteater Pipreola intermedia. Nice look at a responsive pair on the Paty trail.
Barred Fruiteater Pipreola arcuata. 5+ including cracking males showed at close range alongside the track at the Carpish tunnel (viridicauda).
Masked Fruiteater Pipreola pulchra. Great looks at a male and 2 females completed our grand slam of Paty trail Fruiteaters! ENDEMIC.
White-cheeked Cotinga Zaratornis Stresemanni. Great looks at this Peruvian endemic at Quebrada Llanganuco. THE trail paid off again. Only described in the late 60’s. The generic name comes from the type locality – Bosque Zarate not far from the central highway. Stresmanni comes from Erwin Freidrich Stresemann the German ornithologist and collector. ENDEMIC, VULNERABLE.
Bay-vented Cotinga Doliornis sclateri. Fabulous looks of four at Bosque Unchog. A Bosque Unchog speciality. Named for British ornithologist and collector Philip Lutley Sclater (1829-1913) who has lots of birds named after him. VULNERABLE ENDEMIC.
Red-crested Cotinga Ampelion rubrocristata. Repeated good views of this widespread Andean Cotinga.
PIPRIOLIDAE
Jet Manakin Xenopipo unicolor. One seen by Jan in a mixed flock on the Satipo road – not seen by leaders.
TITYRIDAE
Barred Becard Pachyramphus versicolor. One on the Paty Trail and one on the Satipo road.
White-winged Becard Pachyramphus polychopterus. One at Tingo Maria.
VIREONIDAE
Rufous-browed Peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis. Heard only.
Red-eyed (Chivi) Vireo Vireo (chivi) leucophrys. 2 at Tingo Maria.
CORVIIDAE
White-collared Jay Cyanolyca viridicyana. 2 on the Satipo road.
Green (Inca) Jay Cyanacorax yncas. Heard only.
Violaceous Jay Cyanacorax violaceous. In the lowlands at Tingo Maria.
HIRUNDINIDAE
Blue-and-white Swallow Pygochelidod cyanoleuca. The most frequently encountered hirundine.
Brown-bellied Swallow Orchelidon murina. Many good looks at this high elevation swallow (nominate).
Andean Swallow Orchelidon andecola. Several sightings. Birds here belong to the race oroyae, named after the mining town of La Oroya.
Southern Rough-winged Swallow - Stelgidopteryx ruficollis. At Tingo Maria.
Purple Martin - Progne subis. One at Puente Carrizales by Jan.
Bank Swallow Riparia riparia. A few here and there especially at Laguna Paraiso. The SACC says: Called "Sand Martin" or "Common Sand-Martin" in Old World literature and in Ridgely & Tudor (1989), Turner & Rose (1989), Sibley & Monroe (1990), and Ridgely & Greenfield (2001). SACC proposal to change to "Sand Martin" did not pass. SACC proposal to add to "Sand Martin" as an alternative name did not pass.
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica. Regular sightings throughout. The New World populations of Hirundo rustica were formerly (e.g., Ridgway 1904) treated as a separate species, H. erythrogastra, from Old World populations.
Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota. In Carpish and Laguna Paraiso.
TROGLODYTIDAE
House Wren Troglodytes aedon. Numerous and widespread. Here found up to much higher elevations than in e.g. Ecuador.
Mountain Wren Troglodytes solstitialis. Regular separate days in the Carpish Mountains and on the Satipo road.
Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis. Excellent looks at the race graminicola, one of the South American subspecies that seem to be quite different from the North American stellaris group. Vocal differences are quite obvious and several species are likely involved but the details remain to be worked out.
Peruvian Wren Cinnycerthia peruana. This melodious songster was seen daily at the Paty Trail and the Carpish Tunnel. ENDEMIC.
‘Mantaro Wren’ Pheugopedius sp. nov. Superb views of this vociferous Pheugopedius wren in Chusquea bamboo on the higher slopes above the Rio Mantaro along the Pariahuanca road after some hard work. The spotting below is reminiscent of that found on the underparts of some races of the geographically quite remote Plain-tailed Wren P. euophrys but the voice is quite different from the latter (especially compared to the southernmost race schulenbergi), and moreover our birds had some faint barring on the tail. The song is not unlike that of Inca Wren T. eisenmanni (so far only known to occur farther south, in the Vilcanota and Vilcabamba mountains on both sides of the Urubamba valley) but the latter has plain underparts and is found in an area separated from where we were by the deep Apurimac Valley, a major biogeographic barrier. So for now I tentatively regard this taxon as a new species to science, though collection of specimens, detailed comparisons and preferably also genetic analysis are needed to really determine the taxonomic status of this new form. Note the genus change the SACC says “Genetic data (Mann et al. 2006) indicate that the broad genus Thryothorus is polyphyletic, and that true Thryothorus is not found in South America; Mann et al. (2006) recommended recognition of three genera for South American taxa by resurrecting two from the synonymy of Thryothorus (Pheugopedius and Thryophilus)”. ENDEMIC.
Grey-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucophrys. Common along the Paty trail, and we called in a couple.
CINCLIDAE
White-capped Dipper Cinclus leucocephalus. Great looks at these wonderful birds at several localities. Always a crowd pleaser! This species does not dip! Feeds above the surface only.
TURDIDAE
White-eared Solitaire Entomodestes lecotis. Great looks at four individuals on the Paty trail.
Chiguanco Thrush Turdus chiguanco. Numerous and widespread, mainly in drier areas. Note that a detailed study of the Chiguanco/Great Thrush complex is needed to determine exactly how many species-level taxa exist. The name comes from the Quechua “Chiwanco”.
Great Thrush Turdus fuscater. Another common thrush, this one mainly being found in more humid mountainous areas.
Hauxwell’s Thrush - Turdus hauxwelli. One vocal and seen at Tingo Maria. J Hauxwell was an English collector in Peru and Brazil. Died 1854.
Glossy Black Thrush Turdus serranus. Two birds on the Paty trail and a pair feeding on the ground.
Black-billed Thrush Turdus ignobilis. Common at Tingo Maria.
MIMIDAE
Long-tailed Mockingbird Mimus longicaudatus. Common on the Pacific slope of the Andes.
MOTACILLIDAE
Short-billed Pipit Anthus furcatus. 2 seen at Lake Junín. Birds here belong to the Andean race brevirostris.
Paramo Pipit Anthus bogotensis. Common near our camp at Bosque Unchog.
Yellowish Pipit Anthus lutescens. 3 seen at Laguna Paraiso. Here the near-endemic race peruvianus, isolated on the Pacific coast of Peru and northern Chile. Note that the song of this form is totally different (observations P. Coopmans and A. Jaramillo) and that species status for this form is probably warranted. (‘Peruvian Pipit’ would be the most obvious English name).
THRAUPIDAE
White-capped Tanager Sericossypha albocristata. Heard only, at the Carpish Tunnel.
White-browed Hemispingus Hemispingus auricularis. Several sightings in mixed flocks along the Paty Trails. A Peruvian endemic recently split from Black-capped Hemispingus H. atropileus (though the new Peru field guide does not follow this split). The SACC says “The subspecies auricularis is at least as distinct genetically and morphologically, and should presumably given equal taxonomic rank (García-Moreno et al. 2001, García-Moreno & Fjeldså 2003). Hemispingus auricularis is split from H.atropileus (García- Moreno & Fjeldså 2003); SACC needs proposal. ENDEMIC.
Superciliaried Hemispingus Hemispingus superciliaris. Good views of one with a big mixed flock near the Carpish tunnel. Here the all-grey race insignis.
Black-eared Hemispingus Hemispingus melanotis. One on the Satipo road. Another hemispingus of the race berlepschi. Note the IOC says - Hemispingus ochraceus (Western Hemispingus – west slope of Andes in SW Colombia and W Ecuador) is split from H.melanotus (Ridgely & Greenfield 2001); SACC needs proposal. Hemispingus piurae (Piura Hemispingus – Exterme SW Ecuador and NW Peru) is split from H.melanotus (Ridgely & Greenfield 2001, García-Moreno & Fjeldså 2003).
Rufous-browed Hemispingus Hemispingus rufosuperciliaris. Stunning looks at 2 thanks to Silverio’s perseverance!! The smartest of all Peruvian hemispingi,. VULNERABLE ENDEMIC.
Drab Hemispingus Hemispingus xanthophthalmus. Many in a mixed flock at the Carpish Tunnel.
Grey-hooded Bush Tanager Cnemoscopus rubrirostris. We saw the black billed chrysogaster subspecies in a mixed flock at the Carpish Tunnel. The southern subspecies chrysogaster was considered a separate species from Cnemoscopus rubrirostris.
Rufous-chested Tanager Thlypopsis ornate. Scattered sightings.
Brown-flanked Tanager Thlypopsis pectoralis. Excellent views of this upper Huallaga valley endemic at the Carpish Tunnel. ENDEMIC.
Pardusco Nephelornis oneilli. Good views of this endemic at Bosque Unchog and seen daily. Very playback responsive. Named after Dr. John O’Neill, ornithologist and artist who designed many of LSU’s expeditions to Peru which resulted in well over a dozen species new to science that were described in the last few decades. John is also one of the authors and artists of the Peru field guide. ENDEMIC.
Huallaga Tanager Ramphocelus melanogaster. Nice looks at this endemic in a Cecropia tree at the Oilbird cave. ENDEMIC.
Hooded Mountain-Tanager Buthraupis Montana. 2 of this very smart mountain tanager, here of the race cyanonota, at the Carpish Tunnel.
Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager - Cnemathraupis aureodorsalis. Probably the hardest Unchog specialty to see and we struggled but 3 birds were repeatedly seen on our last morning there. Sibley & Monroe (1990) considered Buthraupis eximia and B. aureodorsalis to form a superspecies. Sedano & Burns (2010) confirmed that they are sister species but also found that they are sister to Chlorornis riefferii. SACC proposal passed to remove from Buthraupis and to resurrect the genus Cnemathraupis for them. ENDEMIC.
Grass-green Tanager Chlorornis riefferii. 4 seen along the Paty Trail.
Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus lacrymosus. Regular sightings in the Paty trail/Carpish/Satipo road area (nominate).
Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus igniventris. Another really good looking tanager that was frequently seen (ignicrissus).
Chestnut-bellied Mountain Tanager castaneoventris. A few seen on the Satipo road – tends to stay lower than other Tanagers like the former. Range Restricted.
Golden-collared Tanager Iridosornis jelskii. Several of these most handsome tanagers were present in mixed flocks at Bosque Unchog.
Yellow-scarfed Tanager Iridosornis reinhardti. Individuals of this skulking Tanager seen on consecutive days with mixed flocks at Bosque Unchog and on the Satipo road. This beautiful endemic is name for Danish ornithologist Johannes Theodore Reinhardt (1816-1882). ENDEMIC.
Blue-grey Tanager Thraupis episcopus. Common near Tingo Maria showed two white wing bars, typical for Amazonian races.
Blue-capped Tanager Thraupis cyanocephala. Several sightings of the nominate race along the Paty trail.
Blue-and-yellow Tanager Pipraeidea bonariensis. Small numbers were found at several localities. Named after Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital. The southernmost ranging Tanager.
Fawn-breasted Tanager Pipraeidea melanonota. One on the Satipo road.
Paradise Tanager Tangara chilensis. At Tingo Maria – does not occur in Chile!
Saffron-crowned Tanager Tangara xanthocephala. Regular sightings of the yellow-crowned race venusta along the Paty trail.
Flame-faced Tanager Tangara parzudakii. Good views of this stunner along the Paty trail (nominate).
Blue-and-black Tanager Tangara vassorii. 2 seen along the Paty trail. And 4 on the Satipo road.
Tit-like Dacnis Xenodacnis parina. This showy and very noisy species was found to be abundant in mixed Polylepis/Gynoxis woodland near the Llanganuco lakes (petersi).
Cinereous Conebill Conirostrum cinereum. Regular sightings. We saw two races, littorale and nominate.
White-browed Conebill Conirostrum ferrugineiventre. One near Carrizales.
Blue-backed Conebill Conirostrum sitticolor. Several in mixed flocks.
Giant Conebill Oreomanes fraseri. A total of 8 and wonderful views in Polylepis woodland Quebrada Llanganuco. This pleased Wally! Though at present the Giant Conebill is only regarded as near-threatened, its numbers must have dwindled considerably as the amount of Polylepis forest must have declined tremendously over the last few centuries, and this habitat is nowadays highly fragmented. NEAR THREATENED.
Moustached Flowerpiercer Diglossa mystacalis. Many superb views of this very handsome nectarivore of high elevations. Flowerpiercers are nectar thieves, as their name suggests piercing the flowers at their base without performing any pollination duties.
Black-throated Flowerpiercer Diglossa brunneiventris. Regular sightings of the nominate race.
Masked Flowerpiercer Diglossopis cyanea. Many observations.
Plushcap Catamblyrhynchus diadema. Two seen in Carpish.
Peruvian Sierra-Finch Phrygilus punensis. Frequent sightings of the race chloronotus. Named for the town of Puno on Lake Titicaca.
Mourning Sierra-Finch Phrygilus fruticeti. A few seen in Ancash.
Plumbeous Sierra-Finch Phrygilus unicolor. This one was seen regularly at very high elevations (inca).
Band-tailed Sierra-Finch Phrygilus alaudinus. 2 at the Huanuco Viejo Inca Ruins.
Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch Phrygilus plebejus. Regular sightings of this rather drab bird. Here the nominate race.
White-winged Diuca-Finch Diuca speculifera. 2 only at either end of the trip.
Rufous-backed Inca-Finch Incaspiza personata. One seen well by all at the park entrance at Lake Llanganuco after some searching. ENDEMIC.
Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch Poospiza alticola. Excellent looks at 3 birds moving through Polylepis woodland and singing below the Llanganuco lakes. A lovely Peruvian endemic, which has been given ‘Endangered’ status by Birdlife International. ENDANGERED ENDEMIC.
Collared Warbling-Finch Poospiza hispaniolensis. One seen at Pueblo Libre. Range Restricted.
Bright-rumped Yellow-Finch Sicalis uropygialis. Good numbers were found at Marcapomacocha, around Lake Junín where they nest in the eves of houses. (sharpei).
Blue-black Grassquit Volatinia jacarina. A few seen at Tingo Maria.
Band-tailed Seedeater Catamenia analis. Numerous.
Plain-colored Seedeater Catamenia inornata. Common at higher elevations.
Bananaquit Coereba flaveola. 2 at tingo Maria.
INCERTA SEDIS
Recent data shows these guys belong with the Tanagers.
Buff-throated Saltator Saltator maximus. 2 at Tingo Maria.
Golden-billed Saltator Saltator aurantiirostris. Scattered sightings (albociliaris).
EMBERIZIDAE
Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis. Numerous and widespread.
Gray-browed Brush-Finch Arremon assimilis. The relationships among the forms assigned to the atricapillus and torquatus groups are controversial, with virtually no relevant data available. Wetmore et al. (1984), Paynter (1970a), and Remsen & Graves (1995) treated the atricapillus group as conspecific with B. torquatus largely because of the intermediate phenotypes shown by subspecies such as tacarcunae and costaricensis. Hellmayr (1938), Meyer de Schauensee (1966), Sibley & Monroe (1990), and Ridgely & Tudor (1989) treated them as two species because of the close geographical approach of nominate atricapillus and B. t. assimilis without signs of gene flow. Donegan et al. (2007) found B. [t.] atricapillus and B. [t.] assimilis to replace one another elevationally in the East Andes of Colombia (Santander and Boyaca departments), without any evidence of hybridization, suggesting that treatment of this complex within a single species is not supportable. Sibley & Monroe (1990) considered B. torquatus and B. atricapillus, along with Middle American B. virenticeps, to form a superspecies. Buarremon virenticeps was considered conspecific with B. torquatus by Paynter (1970a) and Wetmore et al. (1984), but was treated as a separate species by Paynter (1978), AOU (1983, 1998), and Ridgely & Tudor (1989). Cadena & Cuervos (2010) analysis of voice, plumage, and genetics in the group indicates that as many as eight species should be recognized in this complex. SACC proposal passed to revise species limits.
Tricolored Brush-Finch Atlapetes tricolor. Good views along the Paty trail. Note that the widely disjunct race crassus (found on the western slope of the Andes in Ecuador and Colombia) has been split off as a different species, the Choco Brush-Finch. ENDEMIC.
Rufous-eared Brush-Finch Atlapetes rufigenis. Excellent views of this smart endemic at Quebrada Llanganuco. NEAR THREATENED ENDEMIC.
Slaty Brush-Finch Atlapetes schistaceus. Regular sightings of the race taczanowskii.
Black-spectacled Brush-Finch Atlapetes melanopsis. Stunning views of 4 individuals at different times throughout the morning near Chillifruta. Originally described as A. melanops, this species is an endemic of the Rio Mantaro valley, and was only recently discovered and described by Thomas Valqui. ENDANGERED ENDEMIC.
Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch Atlapetes nationi. Yet another Peruvian endemic, this one only occurring in the department of Lima. It showed beautifully in the Santa Eulalia valley. ENDEMIC.
Common Bush Finch Chlorospingus Chlorospingus opthalmicus. Common in the Cloud Forest on the Satipo Road.
CARDINALIDAE
Golden Grosbeak Pheucticus chrysogaster. 2 of the nominate race near Cochabamba. This was on our list as Golden-bellied Grosbeak.
Blue-black Grosbeak Cyanocompsa cyanoides. One at Tingo Maria.
PARULIDAE
Tropical Parula Setophaga pitiayumi. One on the Satipo Road.
Citrine Warbler Myiothylpis luteoviridis. This melodious species was a regular feature in cloud and elfin forest habitats through much of the trip. Here the race striaticeps.
Black-crested Warbler Myiothylpis nigrocristatus. 3 were found in tall Polylepis woodland below the Llanganuco lakes, here near the southern end of the species’ range.
Buff-rumped Warbler Myiothylpis fulvicauda. 2 at Tingo Maria.
Three-striped Warbler Basileuterus tristriatus. 2 along the Paty trail and 2 on the Satipo Road.
Spectacled (Redstart) Whitestart Myioborus melanocephalus. A lovely bird, delightfully common in montane forest habitats throughout the trip Here the black-capped nominate race.
ICTERIDAE
Dusky Green Oropendola Psarocolius atrovirens. Seen on two days along the Satipo road.
Russet-backed Oropendola Psarocolius angustifrons. At Tingo Maria.
Yellow-rumped Cacique Cacicus cela. Common at Tingo Maria.
Southern Mountain Cacique Cacicus chrysonotus. The northern (leucoramphus) and southern (chrysonotus) groups of subspecies were treated as separate species by Blake (1968b), but most classifications have treated them as a single species (e.g., Hellmayr 1937, Meyer de Schauensee 1966, 1970, Ridgely & Tudor 1989, Fjeldså & Krabbe 1990; and usually as Cacicus leucoramphus, an error, because chrysonotus has priority) because specimens near the contact zone show some signs of gene flow (Hellmayr 1937, Bond 1953). However, see Jaramillo & Burke (1999) for possible reasons for ranking them as species; this was followed by Ridgely & Greenfield (2001), Hilty (2003), and Fraga (2011). Powell et al. (2014) found that the two were deeply divergent genetically, more so than some Cacicus treated as species. SACC proposal pending to treat leucoramphus as a separate species.
Yellow-billed Cacique Ambylycercus holosericeus. Seen by some at the Carpish Tunnel.
Peruvian Meadowlark Sturnella bellicosa. One seen on a drive.
Scrub Blackbird Dives warszewiczi. A prominent bird along the west slope of the Andes, here of the southern race kalinowskii.
Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis. 6 on our last day on the coast.
FRINGILLIDAE
Thick-billed Siskin Carduelis crassirostris. Half a dozen in the Polylepis at Llanganuco lakes of an un-described subspecies. Range Restricted.
Hooded Siskin Carduelis magellanica. Regular encounters. West slope birds were likely referable to the more yellow paula, birds elsewhere to the endemic peruana.
Black Siskin Carduelis atrata. Some groups seen at high altitude localities. Very smart bird.
Thick-billed Euphonia Euphonia laniirostris. 2 at Tingo Maria.
White-lored (Golden-bellied) Euphonia Euphonia chrysopasta. 2 at Tingo Maria.
PASSERIDAE
House Sparrow Passer domesticus. Only in La Oroya and Lima. In South America introduced to Chile and Argentina, from whence it spread northward.