Birdwatching

 

Guacamayo (Photo Aníbal Solimano/PromPerú)

Imagine a country with 1,804 species of birds: that is, more bird species than found in all of North America and Europe combined.

Visualize waking up in the morning to the raucous cries of thousands of parrots and macaws - an unforgettable cacophonic experience as they arrive each morning for their daily supplementary diet of mud.

Picture yourself seeing a beautiful male Andean Cock-of-the-Rock with the backdrop of the Inca fortress of Machu Picchu, or having a close encounter with a huge Andean Condor as it soars above the majestic Colca Canyon. Experience the heart-stopping image of a male Marvelous Spatuletail hauling his coin-sized tail discs or moving thru a bog at 14,000 feet to find a smart White-bellied Cinclodes, one of only 28 individuals known to exist in the world, and all of them in Peru. Or imagine your delight as you glimpse through the shrouds of mist in the Cordillera Azul, and spot the splendid Scarlet-banded Barbet, which avoided detection for years and was discovered only recently.

Home to 120 endemic species that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, Peru is "the country to explore", a country in which no fewer than 42 new species of birds have been described to science in the last 30 years. In the white-sand forest of Allpahuayo-Mishana alone, a reserve only minutes from the City of Iquitos, three new species have been identified.

It is a true paradise for birdwatchers, packed with species dwelling in unique and fragile habitats, migratory birds arriving from as far as the North Pole and Patagonia, and with species that, after becoming extinct elsewhere, prosper in almost inaccessible corners of the country.

 Peru is the land of vast biodiversity - of the 104 life zones known in the world, 84 occur here. A complete mosaic comprises almost every type of habitat imaginable, from the deserts and dry forests of the coast to the Puna grassland and snow-capped mountains of the Andes, and the multitude of types of forests within the Amazonian lowlands. Peru is blessed with an abundance of life forms, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, butterflies, trees, cacti, orchids, and the list goes on. 

King Vulture in Madre de Dios (Photo Michael Tweddle/PromPerú)

To ensure the preservation of this natural wealth, the country has set aside 13% of its national territory as protected areas, forming a network of 58 reserves and natural sanctuaries. A recent up-surge in environmental awareness in the country has led to the formation of grass roots conservation initiatives with encouraging results. Coastal lagoons are being reclaimed, and rivers and streams are being cleaned.

The community of Santa Catalina de Chongoyape, for example, has declared 34,000 hectares of its land as "Chaparri Ecological Reserve". In this dry forest you may encounter White-winged Guan, a species long thought to be extinct but thanks to a major conservation effort is making a remarkable comeback.

Source: PromPerú (Comission for the Promotion of Peru) et al.