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Central Route Peru 2: Santa Eulalia, Lago Junín, Carpish and Unchong
June 17 @ 8:00 am June 26 @ 5:00 pm

CLOSED
This is a fabulous birding route in the Center of Perú, it starts in the Peruvian Coast, throughout valleys and plantations in the transition way to the highlands, part of this route go along by one of the highest roads of the World (Ticlio Pass), also we will look for Puna birds in high Andean lakes. Also we will observe great endemic birds in the rainforest in Carpish and Unchong. Generally, this route of birds is one of the most popular due to the great endemics found along this route and for the beautiful views that we will surely enjoy.
Day 0. Arrival to Lima
Reception at the Lima Airport and transfer to the hotel of your preference
Briefing.
Stay overnight at the hotel of your preference.
Day 1. Lima –Santa Eulalia Valley
We will begin the firt path by the Santa Eulalia Valley up to San Pedro de Casta, here we can see the Eared Dove, Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch, Mourning Sierra-Finch, Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch and others. We continue up to the Huachupampa town in the Santa Eulalia highlands, having a delicious breakfast by the cannyon, we will wait to see the Andean Condor, we expect to have the luck to watch this beautiful bird.
Then we will go down to the Utisha bridge, near this site we will be able to observe the Giant Hummingbird, Andean Tinamou, Sparkling Violetear, Purple-collared Woodstar, also we will be checking the sky looking for the birds of prey that usually are flying this site. Stay overnight at basic hotel in Huachupampa. (B, L, D)
Day 2. Santa Eulalia Valley – Marcopomacocha
Close to the bridge we will take the deviation to the right it will take us to the Marcopomacocha site, before arriving to this area we will make a stop at a small Polylepis forest by the highway and we will look for the White-cheeked Cotinga (E), continue our trip and arriving to High Puna site near Marcopomacocha we will look for species in the bogs such as Puna Snipe, Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Gray-breasted Seedsnipe and the White-bellied Cinclodes (E).
Some species that we will see along this trip are Black-necked Woodpecker(E), Black-winged Ground-Dove, Greenish Yellow-Finch, Bronze-tailed Comet, Oasis Hummingbird, Purple-collared Woodstar, Peruvian Sheartail, Mourning Sierra-Finch, Peruvian Sierra-Finch, Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant, Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch(E), White-winged Cinclodes, Canyon Canastero, Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail(E), Streaked Tit-Spinetail, Great Inca-Finch(E), Peruvian Pygmy-Owl, among other species.
In the afternoon we will arrive to La Oroya to stay in a basic hotel. (B, BL, D)
Day 3. Lago de Junín
Departure early in the morning to La Oroya, we will continue to Lago de Junin, we will spend the whole day to look for the famous Junín Grebe (E) who is categorized as critically endangered, also the Chilean Flamingo.
The Lago de Junin or Chinchaycocha is placed in the Pampas de Junín (Meseta del Bombón) this is a typically high Andes lake to 4000 m elevation, it is the second largest in Perú after Lake Titicaca, this is the habitat of many species of birds.
All the efforts we make will be compensated with the excellent birding sites we will have in this lake and its surroundings, it will be a fantastic day of birding with these amazing landscapes, in the green areas, rocky slopes and grassland we will look for species like Cinereous Ground-Tyrant, Taczanowski’s Ground-Tyrant, Bright-rumped Yellow-Finch, Plumbeos Sierra-Finch, White-winged Diuca-Finch, Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Dark-winged Miner, Black-breasted Hillstar, Correndera Pipit, Slender-billed Miner, Plain-breasted Earthcreeper, Bar-winged Cinclodes, Streak-throated Canastero, Andean Lapwing, Ochre-naped Ground-Tyrant, White-fronted Ground-Tyrant, Andean Swallow, Andean Flicker, Junin Canastero(E), Gray-breasted Seedsnipe, Mountain Caracara, Andean Goose and others.
In the afternoon, we will depart to Huánuco where we will stay overnight at a comfortable hotel. (B, BL, D)
Day 4,5 Huánuco – Carpish
Early in the morning we will leave Huanuco, we will have breakfast at the hotel or on the route depending on weather conditions.
We will go to the Carpish site ,many endemic birds were discover in this zone in Perú and where the LSU (Lousiana State University) had a camping where they developed field investigation, is one of the best cloud forests. Many observations took place in that zone before and after the Tunnel, we will also travel the Patty trail.
These habitats are totally different from that we saw some days before, this cloud forest is amazing because of the amount of species it offers, we will see Powerful Woodpecker , White-rumped Hawk, Tschudi’s Tapaculo, Large-footed Tapaculo, Rufous-vented, Tapaculo, Rusty-breasted Antpitta, Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant, Drab Hemispingus, Black-capped Hemispingus, Stripe-headed Brush-Finch, Peruvian Wren, Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Oleaginous Hemispingus, Black-eared Hemispingus, Rufous Spinetail, Golden-plumed Pararakeet, Scaly-naped Parrot, Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager, Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager, Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Hooded Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Band-tailed Fruiteater, Green-and-black Fruiteater, Striped Treehunter, Masked Fruiteater(E), Golden-headed Quetzal, Masked Trogon, Crested Quetzal, also we can see species like Smoky Bush-Tyrant, Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, White-eared Solitaire, Uniform Antshrike, Variable Antshrike, Long-tailed Antbird, Undulated Antpitta, White-tailed Tyrannulet, Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet, Citrine Warbler, Russet-crowned Warbler.
On the fist day(4), in the afternoon, we will return to Huánuco where we stay in a comfortable hotel.
On the second day(5) , we will spend all day birding on the Patty trail and stay overnight in Tingo María.(B,BL,D)
Day 6,7 Tingo Maria – Bosque de Unchong
In the morning, we will visit the Cueva de las Lechuzas in Tingo Maria where we look for the Oilbird and other species. In the city surroundingss we will find the Black-bellied(Huallaga) Tanager(E) and other no less important species like Military Macaw, Blue-headed Macaw , White-eyed Parakeet, Black-mandibled Toucan, Violaceous Trogon, White-tailed Trogon, Buff-rumped Warbler, Coraya Wren, Peruvian Warbling Antbird, Yellow-breasted Warbling Antbird, Rufous-crested Coquette, Dot-winged Antwren, Rusty-backed Antwren, Lafresnaye’s Piculet, Spot-breasted Woodpecker.
At mid-morning we will go to Bosque Unchong, this is a famous Elfin forest where various bird species were discovered in the 1970’s, we will travel by the road on the transport then the rest of the trip we will walk. We will camp in comfortable tents in the surroundings of this beautiful forest.(B, BL, D)
Day 8. Bosque de Unchong
We will spend all day in this forest, mainly in the highest part in which we will see beautiful species as Golden-backed Mountain-Tanager(E), Rufous-browed Hemispingus(E), Pardusco(E). In these rainforests we will look for the Bay-vented Cotinga (E) uncommon but if we have the luck we will be able to observe it.
In these forest we also can find the Coppery Metaltail(E), Sword-billed Hummingbird, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Rufous Antpitta, Brown-flanked Tanager, Ochraceous-breasted Flycatcher, Golden-collared Tanager, Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager, Chestnut-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Brown-flanked Tanager, Mountain Velvetbreast, White-chinned Thistletail, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Chestnut Antpitta, Swallow-tailed Nightjar, Bay Antpitta(E), among others. In the afternoon, we will leave Bosque Unchong to stay overnight at the hotel in Huánuco.(B, BL, D)
Day 9. Huánuco – Lima
Early in the morning we will leave to Lima, we have breakfast on the route and make several stops to see if we skipped any species, then we continue our way back to Lima. Stay overnight in a comfortable hotel in Lima. (B, BL, D)
Day 10. Villa Marshes and Airport
In the morning, after a delicious breakfast we will leave for Villa Marshes, we will spend all morning in this area.
Villa Marshes is an important RAMSAR site that was born due to the rising of sea water, and is the habitat of many species associated to the marine ecosystems such as Pied-billed Grebe, Great Grebe, Slate-colored (Andean) Coot, Puna Ibis, White-tufted Grebe, Cinnamon Teal, White-cheeked Pintail, Franklin’s Gull, Gray-hooded Gull, Neotropic Cormorant, Black-necked Stilt, Wren-like Rushbird, House Wren, Peruvian Meadowlark, Yellow-hooded Blackbird and many migratory species.
In the afternoon, we will go back to the hotel, at the suitable time we will depart to the Jorge Chavez Airport to take our flight home. Assistance at the Lima airport.(B, L).
