ITINERARY
December 5th: Cusco to Piuray Lakes and Ollantaytambo. Hotel Pakaritampu.
December 6th: Ollantaytambo Hotel Pakaritampu to Abra Malaga- a full day birding roadside cloud forest, stopping at Canchayoc, Carrizales and San Luis. Afternoon return to our hotel in Olantaytambo.
December 7th: An early breakfast at Hotel Pakaritampu and after that up to the Abra Malaga Pass 4,316 mts to start our walk up the mountain. Then down through the Polylepis forest and the valley to find the road and back to Hotel Pakaritampu.
December 8th: Early breakfast and again up the road to Peñas and after that Ollantytambo for birding at the hotel garden. Then to Cusco airport for flights.
SPECIES LIST
TINAMOUS
Taczanowski ́s Tinamou – Nothoprocta taczanowskii. We saw above las Peñas one individual-great views for long time walking in an open area. VULNERABLE, Range Restricted.
DUCKS
Torrent Duck – Merganetta armata. We saw one female around las Peñas on a small river feeding - nice view.
Cinnamon Teal - Anas cyanoptera. Seen at Piuray Lakes, very common.
Yellow-billed Pintail - Anas georgica. Also seen at Piuray Lakes.
Puna Teal - Anas puna. Common at Piuray Lakes.
Yellow-billed Teal - Anas flavirostris. Common at Piuray Lakes. The SACC says “Hellmayr & Conover (1948a) and many earlier classifications treated andium (Andean Teal) as a separate species from A. flavirostris. Many authors, from Meyer de Schauensee (1970) to Dickinson (2003), have treated andium as a subspecies of A. flavirostris. Anas andium was considered a separate species from Anas flavirostris by Ridgely et al. (2001), and this was followed by Hilty (2003). SACC proposal passed to recognize andium as separate species. Jaramillo (2003) further suggested that the subspecies oxyptera may also deserve recognition as a separate species from A. flavirostris.
Ruddy Duck (Andean) - Oxyura ferruginea (jamaicensis). Seen at Huacarpay Lakes, quite common. 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.” However the IOC syas “Oxyura ferruginea is split from O. jamaicensis (Ridgely & Greenfield 2001; Jaramillo 2003); H&M recognize; SACC does not.
GREBES
White-tufted Grebe - Rollandia rolland. Seen at Piuray Lakes. Named for Master Gunner Roland of the French Corvette L’Uranie which circumnavigated the globe in 1817-1820.
Silvery Grebe – Policep occipitalis juninensis. Seen at Piuray Lake, two individuals. Fjeldsa & Krabbe (1990) and Jaramillo (2003) suggested that the northern Andean subspecies, juninensis, might merit recognition as a separate species from Podiceps occipitalis. Del Hoyo & Collar (2014) treated them as separate species. Proposal needed.
CORMORANTS
Neotropic Cormorant - Phalacrocorax brasilianus. Common at Piuray Lake.
IBIS & SPOONBILLS
Puna Ibis – plegadis ridgwayi. Seen at Piuray Lakes several individuals, on our way to Ollantaytambo.
Andean Ibis – Theristicus branickii. Two individual at Abra Malaga pass-nice views feeding in grassland.
RAILS & CRAKES
Common Gallinule - Gallinula galeata. Seen at Piuray Lakes, very common. Note that the New World form has been split from the Common Moorhen of Eurasia. Common Gallinule of Western Hemisphere is split from Common Moorhen on the basis of morphological, genetic, and vocal differences (Groenenberg et al 2008).
Slate-colored Coot - Fulica ardesiaca. Common at Piuray lakes; Called "Andean Coot" in Fjeldså & Krabbe (1990), Taylor (1996 and Ridgely et al. (2001) but other authors use Slate-colored Coot.
PLOVERS
Andean Lapwing. Vanellus resplendens. Very common at Piuray Lake and Abra Malaga.
SANDPIPERS AND SNIPES
Spotted Sandpiper – Tringa macularia. Saw three individuals at Piuray Lake.
GULLS & TERNS
Andean Gull - Chroicocephlus serranus. Very common at Piuray Lakes and throughout the Andes.
PIGEONS AND DOVES
Rock Pigeon - Columba livia. Common near human habitation.
Spot-winged Pigeon – Patagioenas maculosa. Seen at Piuray Lakes and commonly around Ollantaytambo.
Band-tailed Pigeon - Patagioenas fasciata. Common in the higher Cloud Forest, seen around Carrizales and San Luis.
Eared Dove – Zenaida auriculata. Common in the highlands. Numbers increasing rapidly.
Bare-faced Ground-Dove - Metriopelia ceciliae. Saw one at Pakaritampu hotel in the garden.
HUMMINGBIRDS
Sparkling Violetear - Colibri coruscans. Seen at Pakaritampu Hotel and Abra Malaga - great views.
Amethyst-throated Sunangel Heliangelus amethysticollis. Common in the higher cloud forest round the Carrizales and Canchayoc.
Black-tailed Trainbearer – Lesbia victoriae. Seen at Hotel Pakaritampu feeding in flowers in the garden. Lesbia – A woman of Lesbos. Victoriae – named for Victoire Mulsant, mother of French ornithologist Martial Mulsant.
Green-tailed Trainbearer – Lesbia nuna. Seen around Piuray village feeding in an Eucalyptus tree.
Bearded Mountaineer – Oreonympha nobilis. Seen at Hotel Pakaritampu in Ollantaytambo feeding in flowers and common. ENDEMIC.
Tyrian Metaltail – Metallura tyrianthina smaragdinicollis. Saw many between Peñas, canchayuc, Carrizales and San Luis. 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 Tire 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.
Shining Sunbeam – Aglaeactis cupripennis caumatonotus. Seen on two differents days and common around las peñas and Ecalyptus trees.
White-tufted Sunbeam – Aglaeactis castelnaudii. Seen at las Peñas - great views. Named for the impressive sounding Francois Luis Nompar Caumont Laporte Comte de Castelnau 1810-1880. ENDEMIC.
Olivaceous Thornbill – Chalcostigma olivaceum. Seen at Abra Malaga in the pass feeding on the ground on little orange flowers – the most terrestrial of Hummmingbirds - very nice view. Range Restricted.
Blue-mantled Thornbill – Chalcostigma stanleyi. At Las Peñas perched for long time only one individual. Named for Edward Henry Stanley 15th Earl of Derby (1826-1893). Range Restricted.
Sapphire-vented Puffleg – Eriocnemis luciani. Seen near Carrizales, one individual feeding in flowers and we got nice views.
Collared Inca – Coelige torquata. Saw one individual at San Luis, great views. Feeding on red flower for long time –here the cinnamon breasted race “Gould’s Inca”.
Violet-throated Starfrontlet – Coeligena violifer. Several seen around Canchayoc and Carrizales, good views.
Giant Hummingbird – Patagona gigas. Seen at Hotel Pakaritampu in the garden, great views – the world’s largest Hummingbird.
Sword-billed Hummingbird – Ensifera ensifera. One individual seen around Canchayooc feeding in the flowers.
White-bellied Hummingbird – Leucippus chionogaster. Common at Hotel Pakaritampu in the garden.
Green and White Hummingbird – Leucippus viridicauda. Seen at Hotel Pakaritampu in the garden feeding in vervane flowers. ENDEMIC.
WOODPECKERS & PICULETS
Andean Flicker – Colaptes rupícola. Seen at Piuray Lake and Abra Malaga.
Bar-bellied Woodpecker – Veniliornis nigriceps. Two individuals seen around Canchayoc - great views in a mixed flock.
CARACARAS & FALCONS
Mountain Caracara – Phalcoboenus megalopterus. Seen on our way from Ollantaytambo to Canchayuc. Common in the Andes and occupies the niche of true Crows in temperate zones.
American Kestrel – Falco sparverius. Common in the Andes.
Aplomado Falcon – Falco femoralis. Two individuals around Abra Malaga in flight.
ANTPITTAS
Undulated Antpitta – Grallaria squamigera. Heard only, around Canchayoc calling up the road from bamboo.
Stripe-headed Antpitta – Grallaria andicolus punensis. Seen at Abra Malaga in Polylepis forest – satisfying prolonged views. Here the subspecies punensis, which may deserve full species rank from the northern nominate form. Range Restricted.
Rufous Antpitta – Grallaria rufula occobambae. Heard only, many times around Canchayuc and Carrizales. Here the occobambae race which will be split into a separate species at some point – keep track of it.
TAPACULOS
Trilling Tapaculo – Scytolopus parvirostris. Heard only, many times in Abra Malaga around Cloud Forest. Scytalopus – from the Greek literally meaning “stickfoot”!
Diademed Tapaculo– Scytalopus schulenbergi. One seen near Polylepis forest, nice views at Abra Malaga. Named for US Ornithologist Thomas Schulenberg of Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Range Restricted.
OVENBIRDS
Streaked Tuftedcheek - Pseudocolaptes boissonneautii. Seen in the cloud forest, around Canchayuc – a bromeliad specialist.
Cream-winged Cinclodes - Cinclodes albiventris. Great views at Abra Malaga and common.
Royal Cinclodes – Cinclodes aricomae. Saw three individuals in Polylepis forest. Great views feeding on the ground – one of the very rare birds of Peru. CRITICALLY ENDANGERED, Range Restricted.
Puna Thistletail – Asthenes helleri. Saw one around the Canchayoc-great views in cloud forest at Abra Malaga. Named for Edmund Heller (1875-1944) US naturalist and collector who worked at the Field Museum of Natural History. Range Restricted.
Rusty-fronted Canastero – Asthenes ottonis. Seen down the Valley after the Polylepis. ENDEMIC.
Pearled Treerunner – Margarornis squamiger. Seen twice in mixed flock around Carrizales, great views.
Marcapata Spinetail – Cranioleuca marcapatae marcapatae. Seen around Canchayoc in bamboo forest at Abra Malaga. Named for the town of Marcapata not far from Cusco. VULNERABLE ENDEMIC.
Creamy-crested Spinetail – Cranioleuca albicapilla albicapilla. Seen at Las Peñas, two individuals. ENDEMIC.
Azara ́s Spinetail – Synallaxis azarae urubambae. Heard only, around San Luis.
White-Browed Tit-spinetail – Leptasthenura xenothorax. Seen at Abra Malaga in polilepys forest several times and nice views. CRITICALLY ENDANGERED ENDEMIC.
Tawny Tit-spinetail – Leptastenura yanacensis. Great views in Polylepis forest at Abra Malaga – barely enters Bolivia. NEAR THREATENED, Range Restricted.
Line-fronted Canastero - Asthenes urubambesis. Saw one in the Polylepis. Named for the river that runs past the Pakaritampu Hotel. Range Restricted.
Junin Canastero – Asthenes virgata. Saw several around peñas and at the Abra Malaga pass-great views perched on the rocks. ENDEMIC.
Streak-throated Canastero – Asthenes humilis. Seen at the Abra Malaga pass - two individuals near the road - great views.
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS.
White-throated Tyrannulet – Mecocerculus leucophrys. Common in the cloud forest around Canchayoc until San Luis.
Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant – Anairetes alpinus. Seen at Abra Malaga Polilepys forest, great views. ENDANGERED, Range Restricted.
Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant - Anairetes agraphia. Seen two times around Canchayuc and San Luis, great views. In mixed flocks. ENDANGERED ENDEMIC.
White-crested Elaenia – Elaenia albiceps urubambaensis. Seen at Hotel Pakaritampu in the gardens.
Sierran Elaenia – Elaenia pallatangae. Several times in the cloud forest at Abra Malaga.
Tawny-rumped Tyrannulet – Phyllomyias uropygialis. Saw one around Canchayoc in a mixed flock - great views.
White-banded Tyrannulet – Mecocerculus stictopterus. Common around Canchayoc and Carrizales in mixed flocks.
Cinnamon Flycatcher – Pyrrhosmyias cinnamomea. Common in the Cloud Forest around Carrizales and San Luis.
Rufous-webbed Tyrant – Polioxolmis rufipennis. Several individuals in the Polylepis forest at Abra Malaga, very good views. Range Restricted.
Rufous-breasted Chat-tyrant – Ochthoeca rufipectoralis. Fairly common at Abra Malaga.
Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant – Ochthoeca fumicolor. Seen in Polylepis forest and common.
SWALLOWS
Blue-and-white Swallow - Notiochelidon cyanoleuca. Common.
Brown-bellied Swallow - Notiochelidon murina. Seen at Abra Malaga in Canchayuc - common.
WRENS
House Wren – Troglodytes aedon. Common in the highlands, seen at Hotel Pakaritampu and Abra Malaga. Many authors (e.g., Hellmayr 1934, Pinto 1944, Phelps & Phelps 1950a) formerly treated Neotropical mainland populations as a separate species T. musculus; see also Brumfield and Capparella (1996); this treatment was followed by Brewer (2001) and Kroodsma & Brewer (2005). The Falklands population, T. a. cobbi, is treated as a species (Wood 1993), as was done by Brewer (2001), Mazar Barnett & Pearman (2001), Jaramillo (2003), and Kroodsma & Brewer (2005).
Mountain Wren – Troglodytes solstitialis. Saw two individuals around Carrizales in the cloud forest at Abra Malaga.
Inca Wren – Pheugopedius eisenmanni. Saw three individuals in cloud forest near the Canchayoc. ENDANGERED ENDEMIC.
THRUSHES AND SOLITAIRES
Great Thrush – Turdus fuscater ockenderi. The common Thrush of the higher Cloud Forest.
Chiguanco Thrush – Turdus chiguanco chiguanco. The common Andean Thrush, seen at Piuray Lake and Abra Malaga.
PIPITS
Paramo Pipit – Anthus bogotensis. Seen at Abra Malaga in the pass, two individuals and very good views.
TANAGERS AND ALLIES
White-browed (Black-capped) Hemispingus - Hemispingus (aricuaris) atropileus. Seen at San Luis in bamboo forest in Abra Malaga. The subspecies auricularis is distinct genetically and morphologically, and should presumably given taxonomic rank (Garcia- Moreno et al. 2001, Garcia-Moreno & Fjeldsa 2003). Proposal needed. ENDEMIC.
Oleaginous Hemispingus – Hemispingus frontalis. Seen around Pacchayoc in a mixed flock.
Superciliaried Hemispingus - Hemispingus superciliaris. Several seen around the San Luis in mixed flocks.
Parodi's Hemispingus – Hemispingus parodii. Seen around Carrizales. Six individuals and great views in a mixed flock at Abra Malaga. Named for Jose Parodi Vargas, Peruvian politician and landowner. ENDEMIC.
Drab Hemispingus – Hemispingus xanthophthalmus. Two individuals in a mixed flock around the Canchayoc in Cloud forest at Abra Malaga. Range Restricted.
Three-striped Hemispingus – Hemispingus trifasciatus. Several around the Canchayoc with mixed flocks at Abra Malaga.
Rust-and-yellow Tanager – Thlypopsis ruficeps. Seen near the Carrizales in cloud forest associated with mixed flocks. Range Restricted.
Rufous-chested Tanager – Thlypopsis ornata. Two individuals seen around Carrizales.
Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager - Anisognathus igniventris igniventris. Fairly common around Carrizales – common but spectacular.
Chestnut-bellied Mountain-Tanager – Debusia castaneoventris. Three individuals around the Canchayoc in the mixed flocks. Range Restricted.
Blue-capped Tanager – Thraupis cyanocephala. Fairly common in Cloud forest around Canchayoc and Carrizales in Abra Malaga.
Blue and Yellow Tanager – Pipraeidea bonariensis. Common in the Andes and the Cloud Forest.
Cinereous Conebill – Conirostrum cinereum cinereum. Common in the highlands.
White-browed Conebill – Conirostrum ferrugineiventre. Great views, seen at Canchayuc and common in mixed flocks. Range Restricted.
Blue-backed Conebill – Conirostrum sitticolor. Three individuals for long time around San Luis in a mixed flock.
Tit-like Dacnis – Xenodacnis parina. Seen around the Canchayoc, two individuals. Range Restricted.
Sayaca Tanager – Thraupis sayaca. Seen at Hotel Pakaritampu in Ollantaytambo, great views – 2 birds. Although common in much of South America, this is a surprise known from only a handful of records for Peru and this is the only second documented record. So rare that Barry came out the next day to twitch them!
Plushcap – Catamblyrhynchus diadema. Two individuals seen in canchayuc in a mixed flock for long time and very good views in the cloud forest at Abra Malaga.
Black-throated Flowerpiercer - Diglossa brunneiventris. Common in the Andes.
Masked Flowerpiercer - Diglossa cyanea. Fairly common in the Cloud forest around Carrizales and San Luis.
Rusty Flowerpiercer – Diglossa sittoides. Seen at Hotel Pakaritampu in the garden.
Peruvian Sierra-Finch – Phrygilus punensis. Seen near the Polylepis at Abra Malaga. Named for the Southern Peruvian Department of Puno. Range Restricted.
Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch – Phrygilus plebejus. A common drab Finch of the Andes.
Greenish Yellow-Finch – Sicalis olivascens. Seen well at the Hotel Pakaritampu, two individuals-great views.
Band-tailed Seedeater – Catamenia analis analis. Common in the Andes where there is some vegetation.
Plumbeous Sierra Finch – Phrygilus unicolor. Very common at the Abra Malaga Pass.
Band-tailed Sierra Finch – Phrygilus alaudinus. Saw one at Hotel pakaritampu on the old Inca wall.
White-winged Diuca Finch – Diuca speculifera. Seen at Abra Malaga Pass, several and good looks. Range Restricted.
Plain-colored Seedeater – Catamenia inornata. Seen around Peñas and common in the Andes.
INCERTAE SEDIS-2
Golden-billed Saltator – Saltator aurantiirostris. Seen several times at Hotel Pakaritampu and Abra Malaga.
NEW WORLD SPARROWS AND ALLIES
Cusco Brushfinch – Atlapetes canigenis. Saw only one individual around Carrizales, great view after looking for long time at Abra Malaga. ENDANGERED ENDEMIC.
Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonatrichia capensis. Only in the Andes. A pretty Sparrow.
CARDINAL GROSBEAKS
Black-backed Grosbeak – Pheucticus aureoventris. Seen at Hotel Pakaritampu in the garden and common.
NEW WORLD WARBLERS
Citrine Warbler – Myiothlypis luteoviridis striaticeps. Common in the cloud forest and seen around Canchayoc and Carrizales.
Slate-throated Redstart (Whitestart) – Myioborus miniatus. Common around Carrizales and San Luis at Abra Malaga.
Spectacled Redstart (Whitestart) – Myioborus melanocephalus. Saw one around Carrizales in Abra Malaga.
FINCHES
Hooded Siskin – Spinus magellanica urubambensis. Common in the Andes.
Black Siskin – Spinus atrata. Seen at Abra Malaga near the Polylepis forest feeding in the grassland.
Thick billed Euphonia – Euphonia laniirostris. Seen around San Luis, one individual.