For an informative overview of all our Peru birding tours, see Peru: Field Guides Tours.

Marvelous Abra Patricia is located in one of the loveliest areas of Peru's northern Andes. On our short birding tour we are able to experience the beauty and excitement of an astonishing array of fabulous birds--surely the most marvelous of which (among the likely ones) is--well, the Marvelous Spatuletail, the most outlandishly ornamented of hummers! Frequenting the semi-humid montane scrub on the west side of the east slope, an adult male mirabilis is truly a wonder.

The drainages of the Alto Mayo and the Rio Chido that cut through sharp ridge lines along the northern Cordillera Oriental and part of the Cordillera de Colan are not as elevated as those around Abra Malaga in southeastern Peru, the massif noticeably less precipitous and rugged--less sublime, if you will. Yet the rolling beauty of these mountains, much of them unmolested as they fall away to the east, is captivating. The temperature is often perfect, and at this time of year we should experience the best the dry season has to offer in terms of pleasant birding and passable trails. After a night in Lima and Tarapoto (nobody said it was easy to get there!), we will spend the rest of our birding time at lodges in the Alto Mayo drainage and on the eastern lip of the Rio Chido drainage, thereby taking advantage of our proximity to these remote birding areas without having to camp.

Birds are plentiful here, an impressive variety of which are endemic, endangered, or threatened, a preponderance of which are scarce or lovely--or both. That of course makes the area thrilling. Species we'll target during our week-long immersion include such legendary ones as Royal Sunangel, Bar-winged Wood-Wren, Lulu's Tody-Tyrant, Ash-throated Antwren, Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Cinnamon Screech-Owl, and a bunch of fantastic antpittas. We even have a very remote chance of seeing the bizarre Long-whiskered Owlet--well, we will be staying at the Lodge by that name, located not far from the bird's recent sighting, for five no-doubt restless nights. Although we are highly likely to miss it (we will see other owls), missing rarities on this tour will not distract us, for there are many more widespread species to enchant us, enticing birds such as Orange-breasted Falcon, Golden-headed Quetzal, Lanceolated Monklet, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, White-throated Screech-Owl, Scarlet-breasted Fruiteater, Andean Cock-of-the-rock, and Red-hooded, White-capped, and Grass-green tanagers. And with Loddiges' luck, you working-stiffs who thought the Spatuletail was consigned to your retirement will owe Mitch and me big time!

VIDEO: Click here to see a wonderful piece by the BBC of a male Marvelous Spatuletail in action!

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Combo Tours
If you would like a longer birding holiday, some departures of this tour may be combined with:
MANU WILDLIFE CENTER, PERU
MOUNTAINS OF MANU, PERU