PERU (northern), JULY 2022

Unlike our trip to the central highlands, this trip does not feature the splendor of the high Andes. Instead, we will visit gorgeous thorn scrub and dry forest habitats and ascend to cloud forests atop two spines of the Andes, which are much lower here, seldom reaching elevations above 2,500 m. The lodges are wonderful, from Chaparrí to Huembo to Owlet to Waqanki. We’ll have great chances to see iconic Peruvian endemics that include White-winged Guan, Koepcke’s Hermit, Marvelous Spatuletail, Long-whiskered Owlet, Ochre-fronted Antpitta, Chinchipe Spinetail, Peruvian Plantcutter, Johnson’s (Lulu’s) Tody-Flycatcher, Rufous Flycatcher, Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Black-bellied Tanager, and Little Inca-Finch. We’ll also search for various near-endemic Marañon specialties and subspecies such as Collared Antshrike, Northern Slaty Antshrike, Marañon Crescentchest, Marañon Spinetail, Speckle-breasted Wren, and Black-capped Sparrow. Owls seen well during our last trip included Peruvian Screech-Owl, Peruvian Pygmy-Owl, Long-whiskered Owlet, Striped Owl, and Stygian Owl. We also saw more than 50 species of hummingbirds, more than 50 species of tyrant flycatchers, nearly 70 species of tanagers and their allies, and a broad spectrum of cracids, doves, trogons, puffbirds, toucans, parrots, antbirds, furnariids, manakins, wrens, and wood-warblers. Aside from one longish hike for the owlet, the walks are short, the pace is fairly easy, and the drives are not overly long. The food is excellent at the lodges and at one of the restaurants we frequent in Tarapoto. The tour cost includes round-trip flights between Lima and Tarapoto.