We pick you up early at 06:00 AM from your Cusco hotel for a full day of birding.

Huacarpay Lakes: Our first stop is Huacarpay Lakes, surrounded by Inca ruins. We’ll scan the wetlands for high Andean waterfowl and waders, including:

• Puna, Yellow-billed, and Cinnamon Teal
• Andean Duck, White-tufted Grebe, and Slate-colored Coot
• Specialties: Wren-like Rushbird, Many-colored Rush-Tyrant, Puna Ibis, and Andean Negrito.
• Raptors: Aplomado Falcon, Cinereous Harrier, and Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle.

High Andean Slopes: Crossing the high pass above Huancarani, we’ll look for the endemic Bearded Mountaineer feeding on Tree Tobacco. We’ll also search for the endemic Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch, Creamy-crested Spinetail, and Andean Hillstar.

Ajcanacu Pass: At the last Andean pass, if weather permits, we’ll gaze out over the Amazon basin.

Accommodation: We arrive at Wayqecha Cloud Forest Birding Lodge (2,800m) for lunch. The lodge features renovated cabins with private bathrooms and hot showers.

• Evening: Optional talk on ACCA scientific research.

Overnight: Wayqecha.

We wake to a varied dawn chorus and check the lodge feeders for the elusive Urubamba Antpitta.

Cloud Forest Birding: We spend the day exploring the trails and the pristine Manu Road. We’ll listen for the Red-and-White Antpitta and scan for mixed flocks containing:

• Mountain Cacique, Blue-and-black Tanager, and Ochraceous-breasted Flycatcher.
• Endemics: Marcapata Spinetail and Fulvous Wren.
• Hummingbirds: Gould’s Inca, Violet-throated Starfrontlet, and Amethyst-throated Sunangel.

Canopy Walkway: A highlight of the station is the canopy walkway, which rises over 40 meters above the forest floor. From this vantage point, we’ll look for:

• Masked Trogon, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, and Andean Swallow.
• Nightlife: As dusk falls, we’ll search for Rufous-bellied Nighthawk and Swallow-tailed Nightjar.

Overnight: Wayqecha.

Morning Session: We start the morning exploring the gardens once more to pick up any missing hummingbird species.

Return Journey: After breakfast, we begin the drive back to Cusco. We’ll stop frequently to bird and enjoy the views, looking for Andean Guans and Scaly-naped Parrots.

• Arrival: We arrive in Cusco early in the afternoon.

End of Tour.