ITINERARY
March 26th: Travel day from Cusco to Abancay (Department of Apurimac) with some birding stops above Abancay Town and below (on the Andahuaylas road), over-looking the Pachachaca River. In the evening owling by the Pachachaca bridge. Overnight at Abancay.
March 27th: Abancay to Limatambo with birding in the morning above Abancay and on the Huanipaca road. After lunch we drove to Limatambo where we had the AMAZING surprise of a Buff-fronted Owl in the hotel garden. Overnight at the Limatambo Guesthouse.
March 28th: A few more pictures of the Buff-fronted Owl before breakfast (great views and pictures) plus a second view of Koepcke’s (Apurimac) Screech-Owl. After breakfast we went to the Soraypampa road where we got great views of Vilcabamba Tapaculo. We travelled back to Cusco in the afternoon.
THE BIRDLIST
Family: TINAMIDAE - TINAMOUS
Taczanowski’s Tinamou - Nothoprocta taczanowskii. It required some mountain climbing above Abancay to finally see one walking away very close from us and another one seen from the vehicle running away from us on the Huanipaca road. VULNERABLE, Range Restricted.
Family: ANATIDAE - DUCKS
Torrent Duck - Merganetta armata. One female seen near Limatambo as we were coming back from Abancay to Limatambo; how on earth does this species cope “acoustically” by living in such torrential waters?
Family: PHALACROCORACIDAE - CORMORANTS
Neotropic Cormorant – Phalacrocorax brasilianus. Common on the Apurimac River.
Family: ARDEIDAE - HERONS
Cattle Egret – Bubulcus ibis. Common.
Family: THRESKIORNITHIDAE - IBIS
Puna Ibis – Plegadis ridgwayi. Seen on our way back to Cusco from Limatambo.
Family: ACCIPITRIDAE - HAWKS & EAGLES
Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle – Geranoaetus melanoleucus. Seen on 3 different days at three different localities.
Variable Hawk - Geranoaetus polyosoma. A common one around Abancay.
Family: LARIDAE – GULLS
Andean Gull - Chroicocephalus serranus. One seen on the Apurimac River on our to Limatambo from Abancay.
Family: COLUMBIDAE – PIGEONS AND DOVES
Spot-winged Pigeon - Patagioenas maculosa. Common – seen all three consecutive days.
Eared Dove – Zenaida auriculata. Common.
White-tipped Dove - Leptotila verreauxi decipiens. Very common around Limatambo.
Family: CUCULIDAE - ANIS
Groove-billed Ani - Crotophaga sulcirostris. Common in the Apurimac valley.
Family: STRIGIDAE – TROPICAL OWLS
Koepcke’s (Apurimac) Screech-Owl - Megascops koepckae hockingii. Fantastic views after suffering a little bit at Pachachaca bridge in the early start but after a while it behaved really well. We got good pictures and also saw another one as a very nice bonus to the next specie at Yoga Limatambo near Limatambo town. ENDEMIC.
Buff-fronted Owl – Aegolius harrisi. A really WONDERFUL surprise “not expected of course” near Limatambo Town. This is what I was hearing from my room and said to CG making comment that this bird call outside our rooms was some....Pygmy Owl sp. I went to hear the bird call and as I paid more attention I said to myself "that call doesn’t sound familiar to me I had better go outside and make sure who it is!" so I grabbed my spotlight and my recording equipment and went out to look for it before saying anything to anyone, and BINGO! There it was, a beautiful bird calling with total tranquillity and I got good recording to ensure its play-back. I then went to get the rest of the group and and we all got great pictures. So we saw it that evening and the next day in the morning before breakfast. Just awesome!
Family: APODIDAE - SWIFTS
Andean Swift – Aeronautes andecolus. Seen on two consecutive days around the bridge that divides Apurimac and Cusco State on the Apurimac River.
Family: TROCHILIDAE - HUMMINGBIRDS
Sparkling Violet-ear - Colibri coruscans. Quite common throughout the trip in the first two days.
White-bellied Hummingbird - Leucippus chionogaster. Seen at Yoga Limatambo at the feeders.
Shining Sunbeam - Aglaeactis cupripennis caumatonotus. A few seen at Soraypampa road.
White-tufted Sunbeam - Aglaeactis castelnaudii. Seen on two consecutive days; at Huanipaca road and seen really well at Soraypampa road – a Peruvian ENDEMIC.
Great Sapphirewing - Pterophanes cyanopterus. One female seen on the Huanipaca road.
Sword-billed Hummingbird – Ensifera ensifera. A female one seen really well on the Soraypampa road.
Purple-backed Thornbill - Ramphomicron microrhynchum. 2 seen on the Huanipaca road at lunch time.
Tyrian Metaltail - Metallura tyrianthina. Common, seen on the three consecutive days - Named after the color Tyrian purple; Variously known as Royal purple, Tyrian purple, purple of the ancients, this ancient dyestuff, mentioned in texts dating about 1600 BC, was produced from the mucus of the hypobranchial gland of various species of marine mollusks, notably Murex. Although originating in old port of Tyre in modern day Syria (hence the name), man's first large scale chemical industry spread throughout the world. With the decline of the Roman Empire, the use of the dye also declined and large scale production ceased with the fall of Constantinople in 1453. It was replaced by other cheaper dyes like lichen purple and madder.
Family: BUCCONIDAE – PUFFBIRDS
White-eared Puffbird - Nystalus chacuru. Heard only, on the Andahuaylas road.
Family: PICIDAE – WOODPECKERS
Andean Flicker - Colaptes rupicola. Quite common the first two days above Abancay.
Family: FALCONIDAE - CARACARAS
Mountain Caracara- Phalcoboenus megalopterus. Common.
American Kestrel - Falco sparverius. Common.
Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus. Seen on the second day at Huanipaca road.
Family: PSITTACIDAE - PARROTS
Mitred Parakeet - Aratinga mitrata alticola. Great views in the Apurimac canyon at the roosting area – seen on two consecutive days.
Family: GRALLARIDAE – ANTPITTAS
Undulated Antpitta - Grallaria squamigera. Heard only.
Stripe-headed Antpitta - Grallaria andicolus punensis. One seen above Abancay - here the subspecies punensis which may deserve full species rank from the northern nominate form. Range Restricted.
Family: RHINOCRYPTIDAE - TAPACULOS
Vilcabamba Tapaculo - Scytolopus urubambae. NO other Tapaculo behaves like this one – simple incredible views of the last one from a total of 2 at Soraypampa road. ENDEMIC.
“Ampay” Tapaculo - Scytlalopus sp. nov. Seen on two consecutive days; one above Abancay and another one and better views along the Huanipaca road. This is one of a complex of “above tree-line" Tapaculos that need to be worked on forming a complex with the already described Vilcamaba Tapaculo to the north of the Apurimac River, Puna Tapaculo farther north over the Urubamba River and other un-described forms in the Departments of Ayacucho, Junín and Lambayeque. ENDEMIC.
Family: FURNARIIDAE - OVENBIRDS
Cream-winged Cinclodes - Cinclodes albiventris. Common throughout the trip; Jaramillo (2003) suggested that the albiventris group might warrant recognition as a separate species from Bar-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes fuscus. Unfortunately, Chesser's (2004a) sampling did not include populations of C. fuscus from the Andes north of Argentina. Sanín et al. (2009) sampled C. fuscus from throughout its range and found that it was polyphyletic, with various populations more closely related to C. olrogi, C. oustaleti, C. comechingonus, and C. antarcticus. SACC proposal passed to elevate the albiventris and albidiventris groups to species rank. As for English names, Jaramillo (2003) proposed Cream- winged Cinclodes for C. albiventris and Buff-winged Cinclodes for C. fuscus, and Jaramillo (see proposal 415) proposed Chestnut-winged Cinclodes for C. albidiventris; these are used here tentatively until formal SACC action.
Apurimac Spinetail - Synallaxis courseni. Wonderful views on the Huanipaca road and also at Soraypampa road. VULNERABLE ENDEMIC.
Creamy-crested Spinetail - Cranioleuca albicapilla albicapilla. Common endemic on this trip – great views above Abancay, Huanipaca road and Soraypampa road. ENDEMIC.
Rusty-fronted Canastero - Asthenes ottonis. Quite good views at Huanipaca road. ENDEMIC.
Pale-tailed Canastero - Asthenes huancavelicae usheri. Heard only, at Huanipaca road. ENDEMIC.
Junin Canastero - Asthenes virgata. Great views near the pass on our way in to Abancay. ENDEMIC.
Family: TYRANNIDAE – TYRANT & FLYCATCHERS
Sierran Elaenia - Elaenia pallatangae. 1 seen above Abancay.
Tufted Tit-Tyrant - Anairetes parulus. Seen every location in this trip.
Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant - Ochthoeca rufipectoralis rufipectoralis. One seen well on the Huanipaca road.
White-browed Chat-Tyrant - Ochthoeca leucophrys. Seen every day.
Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant - Agriornis montana. 1 seen at the Huanipaca road.
Rufous-webbed Tyrant - Polioxolmis rufipennis. Seen also on the Huanipaca road. Range Restricted.
Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant - Muscisaxicola rufivertex. Very good views at Huanipaca road at our lunch spot.
Puna Ground-Tyrant - Muscisaxicola juninensis. Only one seen at Huanipaca road.
Family: COTINGIDAE - COTINGAS
Red-crested Cotinga - Ampelion rubrocristatus. Common above Abancay, Huanipaca road and on the Soraypampa road.
Family: HIRUNDINIDAE – SWALLOWS
Brown-bellied Swallow - Notiochelidon murina. Common above Abancay.
Family: TROGLODYTIDAE - WRENS
Puna Wren - Cistothorus minutus. Heard only.
Family: TURDIDAE – THRUSHES & SOLITAIRES
Chiguanco Thrush - Turdus chiguanco chiguanco. Common.
Great Thrush - Turdus fuscater ockenderi. Common.
Family: THRAUPIDAE – TANAGERS & ALLIES
Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager - Anisognathus igniventris. Seen on two consecutive days above Abancay.
Black-throated Flowerpiercer - Diglossa brunneiventris. Quite commonly seen on the second day.
Tit-like Dacnis - Xenodacnis parina. Very good views of 2 on the second day above Abancay. Range Restricted.
Cinereous Conebill - Conirostrum cinereum cinereum. Common on the Soraypampa road.
Peruvian Sierra-Finch - Phrygilus punensis. Common – seen at every locality. Range Restricted.
Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch - Phrygilus plebejus. Seen on the second day and also on the Soraypampa road.
Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch - Poospiza caesar. Very good destination to see this Peruvian endemic – seen at every locality, 7 in total. ENDEMIC.
Plain-colored Seedeater - Catamenia inornata. Common above Abancay.
INCERTAE SEDIS
Golden-billed Saltator - Saltator aurantiirostris. Another common bird above Abancay, seen on two consecutive days.
Family: EMBEZERIDAE – NEW WORLD SPARROWS
Rufous-collared Sparrow - Zonatrichia capensis. Common.
Apurimac Brush-finch - Atalaptes forbesi. Very good views of this Peruvian endemic at every locality – above Abancay, Huanipaca and Soraypampa road – 8 in total. VULNERABLE ENDEMIC.
Family: CARDINALIDAE – CARDINAL GROSBEAKS
Several tanager species (genus Piranga for example) and certain grosbeak species are now placed in this family. Awaiting news regarding their English (vernacular) names.
Black-backed Grosbeak - Pheucticus aureoventris. 2 seen on the second day above Abancay.
Family: ICTERIDAE – ORIOLES & BLACKBIRDS
Mountain Cacique - Cacicus chrysonotus. This was a BIG surprise for me to find this bird in an unusual habitat – 2 seen in the Apurimac valley near the Cunyac bridge (on the Apurimac River) on our way back from Abancay to Limatambo.
Family: FRINGILLIDAE - FINCHES
Hooded Siskin - Spinus magellanica. Seen at the Pakaritampu Hotel and on the west slope of Abra Malaga.