Alto Mayo & Abra Patricia Birding Tour

• Five-day tour goes from Montane Amazon Rainforest around Tarapoto to Andean Cloud Forest. 

• Includes world-renowned birding at Alto Mayo & Abra Patricia.

• Links nicely to the excellent birding & archaeology in Chachapoyas region.

Alto Mayo & Abra Patricia: 5-Day Itinerary Outline:

Day 1: Arrive Tarapoto. Overnight at Tucan Suites.
Day 2: Drive to Moyobamba. Quebrada Mishquiyacu & Morro de Calzada birding. Overnight at Wakanki Reserve.
Day 3: Moyobamba - Alto Nieva - Abra Patricia. Overnight at Owlet Lodge.
Day 4: Abra Patricia birding. Overnight at Owlet Lodge.
Day 5: Abra Patricia birding in morning. Return to Tarapoto or continue to Gocta in afternoon.

Alto Mayo & Abra Patricia Birding 5-Day itinerary:

Day 1: Tarapoto: Arrival & Ricuricocha Lagoon (Dinner)

On arrival in Tarapoto, we will welcome you and help you settle in to your comfortable accommodation.

Depending on your arrival time, there may be time for birding at Ricuricocha Lagoon.

Dinner and overnight at Tucan Suites, or similar. 

Possible birds: Black-bellied Whistling Duck; Comb Duck; Speckled Chachalaca; Least Grebe; Great Egret; Limpkin; Striated & Cocoi Heron; Pearl & Snail Kite; Purple Gallinule; Wattled Jacana; Blue Ground-dove; Canary-winged Parakeet; Red-stained Woodpecker; Straight-billed Woodcreeper; Barred Antshrike; Rusty-fronted Tody-flycatcher; crakes & rails.

Day 2: Tarapoto - Moyobamba (All Meals)

We depart early this morning to drive westwards to Moyobamba.

We make a stop on route at an Oilbird roost site under Quiscarrumi Bridge.

We then continue to Wakanki Reserve where we can view up to 15 species of hummingbirds.

We have lunch here, followed by an afternoon walking trail at Quebrada Mishquiyacu, in the company of a local guide.

In the late afternoon, we go to Morro de Calzada, an isolated forested hill, where we stay until after dusk looking for Rufous Nightjar and other nocturnal species. 

Dinner and overnight at Wakanki Lodge. 

Possible birds: Oilbird; White-eyed Parakeet; Russet-backed Oropendola; White-necked Jacobin; Rufous-crested Coquette; Sapphire-spangled Emerald; Green & Brown Violetears; Long-billed Starthroat; Golden-tailed Sapphire; Great-billed, Black-throated & Rufous-breasted Hermits; Fiery-capped Manakin; Yellow-bellied Tanager; Short-tailed Hawk; Chestnut-bellied Seedfinch; Lafresnaye’s Piculet; Rufous Motmot; Coraya Wren; Long-tailed Tyrant; Rufous Nightjar; other possible nightjars.

Day 3: Moyobamba - Abra Patricia (All Meals)

Heading westwards out of Moyobamba early this morning, we stop at Yacumama, just off the main highway, but still a great place to spot Point-tailed Palmcreeper and Russet-crowned Crake. 

As we continue westwards, making stops along the way, the road climbs steadily into the Andean cloud forest, until we reach a pass at 2,300m (7,546 ft).

This is where the Alto Nieva Private Reserve, familiar among birders as a site for some highly prized species, most notably the Long-whiskered Owlet, is located.  

Adjacent to Alto Nieva is the Abra Patricia Private Conservation Area, where our accommodation - Owlet Lodge - is situated.

Built in 2007, the lodge has pleasant spacious rooms and excellent food. An observation tower allows views into the canopy and the surrounding hill forest.

We aim to arrive at Owlet Lodge by mid-afternoon, allowing us time before dinner to explore some of the trails that lead directly from the lodge into the cloud forest. 

Dinner and overnight at Owlet Lodge, Abra Patricia.

Possible birds: Point-tailed Palm Creeper; Russet-crowned Crake; Lyre-tailed Nightjar; Cinnamon Flycatcher; Speckle-chested Piculet; Great Thrush; Barred Becard; Lulu’s Tody-Tyrant; Rufous-naped Brush-finch; Pearled Tree-runner; various cloud forest hummingbirds, high altitude tanagers & flower piercers. 

Day 4: Abra Patricia (All Meals)

We spend all day in and around Abra Patricia, one of Peru's premier birding sites, with multiple trails and observation points accessible by foot or a short drive away.

We will seek out numerous species of interest, such as the elusive Long-whiskered Owlet and the rare Royal Sunangel. 

Dinner and overnight at Owlet Lodge, Abra Patricia.

Possible birds: Chestnut, Ochre-fronted, Rusty-tinged & Rusty-breasted Antpittas; Black-throated & Lulu’s Tody-Tyrant; Long-tailed Antbird; Flame-faced, Saffron-crowned, Metallic Green, Yellow-scarfed, Grass Green, Red-hooded & Silver-backed Tanagers; Green, Black, Scaled & Scarlet-breasted Fruiteaters; Sickle-winged Guan; Striped Treehunter; Chestnut-crested Cotinga; Long-whiskered Owlet; Common Potoo; Lyre-tailed & Swallow-tailed Nightjar; Ecuadorian Pied-tail; Golden-headed Quetzal; Jet Manakin; Ornate Flycatcher; Johnson's Tody-Flycatcher; Speckle-chested Piculet; Grey-tailed Piha; Rufous-rumped Antwren; Marble-faced, Spectacled & Variegated Bristle-tyrants; Cinnamon Screech & White-throated Screech Owl; White-throated Quail-Dove; Crimson-bellied & Crimson-mantled Woodpeckers; White-faced Nunbird; Rufous-capped Thornbill; Long-tailed Sylph; Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Emerald-bellied Puffleg, Booted Racket-tail, Sword-billed Hummingbirds; Royal Sunangel; Spotted Barbtail; Rufous Spinetail, Variable Antshrike; Rufous-vented Tapaculo; Yellow-cheeked & Barred Becards; Pale-eyed Thrush; Sharpe's & Chestnut-breasted Wrens; Bar-winged Wood-Wren; Blue-winged & Lacrimose Mountain-Tanagers; Bluish, Masked & White-sided Flowerpiercers.

Day 5: Abra Patricia: End Tour (Breakfast)

We will spend the morning birding at Abra Patricia, before transferring back to Tarapoto, or onward to Gocta ... for further natural and cultural discoveries, such as our Northern Andes & Marañon Endemics 6D tour.

Possible birds: As yesterday, White-faced Nunbird; Royal Sunangel; Bar-winged Wood-Wren; Equatorial Greytail; Red-hooded, Yellow-throated, Vermilion, Golden, Golden-eared and White-capped Tanagers.

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