The Bahuaja Sonene National Park and Tambopata Candamo Reserve are located in the Southeast Amazon rainforest of Peru.
Both holds one of the highest rate of biodiversity than any other tropical rainforest in the world, with world records of 33 different species of ants in a single tree, 1200 species of butterflies, 152 species of dragonflies and 600 species of birds. It has no rival anywhere in the world.
This forest lies at the foothills of the Andes and possess different types of habitats such as the splendid terra-firme forest, oxbow lakes, bamboo patches and varzea areas that harbor many species of birds that will be waiting for us.
Our company will take you to sail through the Tambopata and Madre de Dios rivers, spending several nights at different and strategic amazon lodges like no other birding company does in order to have the best set of birds.
We will start the tour visiting Posada Amazonas, a lodge which holds a 30 meters tall scaffolding tower, which will add a whole new dimension to our Amazon birding experience.
Then we will visit other lodges such as the famous Explorers-Inn, where 30 years ago the late Ted Parker III started the first ornithological research of the area.
We will also remain some nights at Eco-Amazonia to explore the lowest Madre de Dios River and some Varzea forest before finally visiting the biggest known parrot and macaw clay lick in the world.
Your Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival in the city of Lima. Transfer to our Hotel.
Day 2: Today we will have an early flight to the amazon town of Puerto Maldonado, a small city located at the confluence of the rivers Tambopata and Madre de Dios, both tributaries of the Amazon river.
Our first destination will be Posada Amazonas Lodge. The river trip to the lodge along the Tambopata River will provide the first set of bird species such as the White-winged and White-banded Swallow, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Russet-backed Oropendola, Black Caracara, Greater Yellow-headed Vulture, Lineated Woodpecker, Cobalt-winged Parakeet and others.
If we are lucky, we may see some wildlife during the trip like Yellow-spotted Turtles, Spectacled Caimans and the Capybara, the largest rodent of the world.
We will spend the rest of the day birding around the lodge, looking for species such as Moustached Wren, Warbling Antbird, White-flanked Antwren, Collared Trogon, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Swallow-wing, Thrush-like Wren, Cuviers Toucan and more. Overnight Posada Amazonas.
Day 3: We will visit the famous 30 meters tall canopy tower from where we will focus on small canopy species that are difficult to see from the ground. Birds include the Black-faced and Yellow-belliedDacnis, Green Honeycreeper, Paradise, Green-and-gold, Blue-grey, White-winged Shrike, Flame-faced, Yellow-bellied and Tanagers. The view from the canopy tower should provide views of large raptors including seldom seen Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle and Harpy Eagle.
Later, we will explore some of the terra-firme trails, trying for other species like Undulated Tinamou, Starred Wood-Quail, Ruddy Spinetail, Black-capped Parakeet, Chestnut-shouldered Antwren, Black-faced Anthrush, Plain-winged Antshrike, and many more. Overnight in Posada Amazonas.
Day 4: A short trip will take us to the Tres Chimbadas oxbow lake where we will look for some of the Bamboo specialists such as the endemic White-cheeked Tody-Tyrant, Ornate Antwren, Manu Antbird, Rufuos-headed Woodpecker and Peruvian Recurvebill. If we are lucky, we may see Pavonine Cuckoo along this trail.
The oxbow lake have a resident family of Giant River Otters and with some luck, we may see them and also several species of other birds like King Vulture, Cocoi Heron, the strange-looking Hoatzin, and more. Overnight in Posada Amazonas.
Day 5: Today we will have a 7 hour river trip to our next destination, the Tambopata Research Center inside the Bahuaja Sonene National Park. This lodge is located at the base of the Andes, being the most remote of lodges in the area with surroundings virtually untouched by mankind and therefore attractive to wildlife lovers. The river trip may provide views of Great-black Hawk, Capped Heron, Hook-biled Kite, Giant Cowbird, Pale-eyed Blackbird, Pied Lapwing, Amazon and Yellow-billed Terns and the gorgeous Orinoco Goose.
Once at the lodge, we will explore some of the trails looking for Yellow-billed Nunbird, Scarlet-hooded Barbet, Orange-headed Tanager, Fine-barred Piculet, White-throated Jacamar, White-lined Antbird, Tropical Screech-Owl and more. There will be opportunities to see Black-spider Monkeys and White-lipped Peccaries. Overnight in T.R.C
Day 6: We will have an early start to wait for the parrots and macaws at the clay lick. Before leaving for the Clay Lick, we may focus on watching the river banks for a chance to spot Jaguar. The set of parrots here include views of Blue-headed, Mealy, Yellow-crowned, Orange-cheeked, White-bellied Parrots, Dusky-cheeked, White-eyed and Tui Parakeets and large macaws like Scarlet, Red-and-green, Red-bellied, Blue-and-yellow and with luck, Blue-headed Macaw.
We will also try for the tiny Amazonian and Dusky-billed Parrotlet. We will spend the rest of the day birding along the trails looking for birds like Rufuos-breasted Piculet, Purus Jacamar, Blue-throated Piping-Guan, Agami Heron and more. Overnight in T.R.C
Day 7: Today we will sail back down the river to spend one night at Explorers-Inn lodge. We will look for Palm Tanager, Striolated Puffbird, Black-tailed Trogon, Lemon-throated Barbet, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Blue-crowned Motmot, Violaceous Jay, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Pale-legged Hornero, Spix’s Guan, Speckle Chachalaca and more. Overnight in Explorers-Inn.
Days 8 - 11: Full days birding around Explorers-Inn lodge may provide some species hard to see at any other lodges like the Musician and Moustached Wrens, Pale-winged Trumpeter, Pavonine Quetzal, Rufuos-capped Anthrush, Great Antshrike, Plain-winged Antwren, Undulated and Great Tinamou, Semicollared Puffbird, Broad-billed and Rufuos Motmot, Black-fronted and White-fronted Nunbird, Band-tailed and Fiery-capped Manakins, Wedge-billed, Strong-billed and Plain-brown Woodcreepers, White-throated Antbird, Scaly-breasted Wren and many more.
Day 12: Last day at Explorers-Inn, we will be transfer to Eco-Amazonia Lodge on the lowest Madre de Dios river. We will look for species like Buff-breasted Wren, Long-billed Woodcreeper, the elusive Festive Coquette hovering on the flowers around the clearing and many more.
Days 13 - 14: Full days birding around Eco-Amazonia looking for the rare Black-faced Cotinga, but also some varzea species like Varzea Mourner, White-eyed Attila, Plum-throated Cotinga, Silvered Antbird, Amazonian Streaked Antwren, Masked Crimson-Tanager, Black-collared Hawk and the elusive Point-tailed Palmcreeper.
We will bird from the 11 meters canopy platform located over a swamp. Birding here may provide good views of Horned Screamer, Wattled Jacanas, Snail Kite, Cuviers Toucan, and with a lot of luck, we could see the legendary Anaconda. Owling may produce views of Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, Amazonian Pygmy-Owl, Black-banded Owl and Great Potoo.
Day 15: We will take our flight back to Lima. Transfer to the hotel or connect to international flight.
Extension: Pampas de Heath (Savannah)
If you would like to have a super Tambopata Birding Experience, we may add 4 days of birding in the Heath Lodge, located in the amazon savanna just in the Peruvian-Bolivian border and approximately 4 hours by boat from Eco-Amazonia.
This lodge is located near the only ecosystem of savanna in Peru, which is the northern geographical range of the Chaco or Argentinean Pampas.
We expect to see some of the savanna specialists such as the White Woodpecker, Toco Toucan, Red-billed and Small-billed Tinamous, Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch, Red-shouldered Macaw, the rare and localized Peach-fronted Parakeet, Green-tailed Goldenthroat, Spot-tailed and Sccisor-tailed Nightjar, Grassland Sparrow, Huson-black Tyrant, Cinereous-breasted Spinetail and more.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Includes:
* All Transfers
* Domestic Flights
* Airport Taxes
* Private Bird Guide
* Local Guides
* All River Transportation
* Posada Amazonas
* Explorers-Inn
* T.R.C
* Eco-Amazonia Lodges
* All Meals in the Lodges
* Snacks
* Hotel in Lima
Excludes:
* Phone Calls and Internet Access
* Laundry Service
* Tipping
* Souvenirs
* Meals in Lima
* Alcoholic and Soda Drinks
Also see tour packages in:
South America
Peru
Birdwatching
National Parks
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