Birding in Machu Picchu, Abra Malaga and Huacarpay Lake
4D/3N
- Departure
From Cusco returns to Cusco
- when
All year around
- Difficulty
Moderate
- type
Private service
- wheater
Machupicchu average temperature from 12–24ºC
overview
This birding tour offers an exploration of one of the world’s wonders, Machu Picchu, where we will delve into its elfin, mountain, and cloud forest ecosystems. Participants will have the opportunity to observe various bird species, including the Masked Fruiteater, Band-tailed Fruiteater, as well as several cotingas and trogons. Following our time at Machu Picchu, we will travel to Abra Malaga, located in the Vilcanota Cordillera. This enchanting area features paramo, mountain, and cloud forests, where we will seek out the Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Giant Conebill, and White-bellied Hummingbird within the polylepis forest. As we venture lower, we will encounter stands of bamboo chusquea, where we can look for the Marcapata Spinetail, Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant, and Inca Wren. The tour will conclude with a visit to Huacarpay Lake, a prime location for targeting species such as the endemic Bearded Mountaineer, Rusty-fronted Canastero, Creamy-crested Spinetail, and the striking Many-colored Rush Tyrant, along with other remarkable bird species
daily summary
Day 1
Cusco – Ollantaytambo – Machu Picchu
We will pick you up early from your hotel, we will drive to Poroy Train Station, Them, we will take the train to Aguas Calientes Pueblo for about 4 hours, during the middle day we are going to look for some endemics species like, Inca Wren Masked Fruiteater, Variable Antshrike, Plain Xenop, Streaked Xenop, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch, Highland Motmot, Musician Wren, Golden-Olive Woodpecker, Crimson Mantled Woodpecker, Black Streaked Puffbird, Masked Trogon, Buff-Tailed Sicklebill. In the Urubamba River, we will look for
Torrent Ducks and White-capped Dipper and Others. White-tipped Swifts will be flying overhead. We are going to spend the night at the Hotel.
Highlights:
1. Train Journey to Aguas Calientes: Early pickup from your hotel, followed by a scenic 4-hour train ride to Aguas Calientes Pueblo.
2. Endemic Species Observation: Search for unique bird species, including the Inca Wren, Masked Fruiteater, and Highland Motmot, throughout the day.
3. River Wildlife Viewing: Explore the Urubamba River for Torrent Ducks and White-capped Dippers, while keeping an eye out for White-tipped Swifts overhead.
Day 2
Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo
This day very early we will take the bus to Machupicchu archeological site, in 2 hours we will visit all the complex, then we will have a great chances to see many birds species like White-Bellied Hummingbird, Green and white Hummingbird, Collared Inca, Ocellated Piculet, Mottle-Cheeked-Tyrannulet, Sclater’s Tyrannulet and some others species. During the afternoon we are going to descend by bus to Aguas Calientes, and then we will catch the Train to Ollantaytambo, there is the intermontane Valley habitat, and we might see Bearded Mountaineer, Torrent Tyrannulet, Black Phoebe, Giant Hummingbird, We spend the night at the hotel in Ollantaytambo.
Highlights:
1. Visit Machu Picchu: Early morning bus ride to the archaeological site, exploring the complex.
2. Birdwatching Opportunities: Observe diverse bird species, including the White-Bellied Hummingbird, Collared Inca, and Ocellated Piculet during your visit.
3. Train Journey to Ollantaytambo: Descend to Aguas Calientes and take the train to Ollantaytambo, spotting species like the Bearded Mountaineer and Giant Hummingbird along the way.
Day 3
Ollantaytambo – Abra Málaga – Carrizales – Cusco
We are going to depart early by bus for 1 hour to Abra Malaga, (4316 mt) the habitat is the Grassland Paramo and Polylepis forest we will look for Royal Cinclodes, Cordilleran Canastero, Bright-Rumped Yellow Finch, White-Winged Duica Finch, Junín Canastero, White-Tufted Sunbeam, Stripe-Headed Antpitta, with a good luck we might the majestic Andean Condor flying overhead, continuing down road to Carrizales we will look for Cusco-Brush Finch, Parodis Hemispingus, Marcapata Spinetail and some others species, At late afternoon we will drive back to Cusco, arriving approximately 6:00 pm, night at the hotel in Cusco.
Highlights:
1. Visit to Abra Malaga: Begin with a 1-hour bus ride to Abra Malaga (4316 m), exploring the Grassland Páramo and Polylepis forest.
2. Birdwatching: Search for unique species such as Royal Cinclodes, Bright-Rumped Yellow Finch, and the majestic Andean Condor.
3. Exploration and Return: Look for Cusco-Brush Finch and other species in Carrizales before heading back to Cusco, arriving around 6:00 PM.
Day 4
Cusco - Huacarpay Lake
Huacarpay is a great place for watching birds, especially some endemics ones, this Lake is
located at 40 minutes driving from Cusco, where the habitat is marsh, wetland, we will look for Bearded Mountaineer,
Many-Colored Rush Tyrant, Wren-like Rushbird, Cinereous Harrier, many species of ducks, teals, Crakes and some ones that we missed, Birding activities will be in the morning, then we will drive back to Cusco.
Highlights:
1. Birdwatching at Huacarpay Lake: Explore this prime birdwatching location, just 40 minutes from Cusco city, featuring marsh and wetland habitats.
2. Target Endemic Species: Search for unique birds such as the Bearded Mountaineer, Many-Colored Rush Tyrant, and Wren-like Rushbird.
3. Diverse Wildlife Observation: Enjoy various species of ducks, teals, and crakes during morning birding activities before returning to Cusco.
Tour Includes:
- Private tourist bus
- Rubber boots
- Rain poncho
- Duffle bag for personal belongings
- All accommodations.
- Bird-Specialist guide
- Mineral water all the time
- First aid kit
- 3 meals per day included a vegetarian option
- Snacks
What you need to take:
- Good Birding- binocular (you could rent with us, we have 10×42)
- Camera with extra batteries, if you like taking pictures take telephoto lens of 400mm
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- Repellent with a minimum of 30-40% DEET
- Daypack
- Pocket money
- Water bottle
- Sun hat
- Long-sleeved T-shirt
- Cotton thick socks
- Dark color clothes