Birding The Upper Satipo Road

The Manu Road is the most famous birding road in Peru, and it is probably neck and neck with Panama’s Camino del Oleoducto (Pipeline Road) as the most well-known in the Neotropics among birders and naturalists. The big appeal is that the road traverses a whole range of intact ecosystems along the humid and mega-diverse east slope of the Andes, from elfin forest above 3000 m to Amazonian lowlands at 400 m. Laura and I have plans to spend a good deal of time along the Manu Road later this summer.

Manu is not the only road that bisects excellent forest and other habitats along the eastern slope of the Andes. The Satipo Road is not as well known, and indeed, it is a much shorter road that doesn't pass through the same extent of intact habitat. The bottom of the road (the town of Satipo) sits at about 700 m in elevation, and the forest is relatively fragmented in the lower sections. However, excellent quality puna grasslands can be found at the top while unbroken elfin and montane forest is located below it. Satipo Road sees little traffic and a small car with low clearance can access the entire road, provided that one can drive with patience and a little creativity. 

Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Until recently, accommodations were nonexistent along Satipo Road and so most birders camped. Gunnar Engblom from Kolibri Expeditions is assisting the communities of Calabaza and Apaya, located around 2100 m elevation along the road, with starting an ecotourism project. The plan is to create a birding lodge of sorts. At the moment the accommodations are very basic – think four simple beds in a barren concrete building, outdoor toilets and cold showers – and in our experience are extremely overpriced given the conditions (we were charged $25 USD each (=$50 USD) per night). Typically, in central Peru one can find a good quality hotel good wifi, hot water and comfortable beds for around $15-20 USD per night. However, this gave us a place to stay near some of the best birding areas and we had no other options, so we didn’t complain too much. 

Our accommodations along the Satipo Road in Apaya, Junín, Peru

Our accommodations along the Satipo Road in Apaya, Junín, Peru

July 19, 2022

Luckily, the protests from the previous day appeared to have subsided, or at least they did not impact our route up and over the eastern ridge of the Andes. Most of the day was spent in the car, driving from Concepción to Calabaza, though we made a few birding stops. Near the top of the road we spent some time at Lagunas Pomacocha and Habasccocha, situated at around 4470 m in elevation. 

Laguna Habasccocha, Junín, Peru

It was quite chilly and very windy but the birding was great, with several species of ducks, two Chilean Flamingos, Andean Geese, and a large flock of Silvery Grebes. 

Crested Duck - Laguna Pomacocha, Junín, Peru

Chilean Flamingo - Laguna Pomacocha, Junín, Peru

Andean Duck - Laguna Pomacocha, Junín, Peru

Landbirds were scarce at this elevation but several Common Miners worked the rocky ground, the ubiquitous Cream-winged Cinclodes was along the edges of the lake and we spotted our first Andean Negrito in a marshy section. 

Common Miner - Laguna Pomacocha, Junín, Peru

We made a short midday stop at a site where others had eBirded some of the specialty birds of this region, including the recently described Jalca Tapaculo and the extremely range-restricted Eye-ringed Thistletail. Both of these birds are found at the treeline and the Jalca Tapaculo is known for the extremely un-tapaculo-like behavior of scampering over and perching on rocks. 

Muclio area, Junín, Peru

We heard a couple of thistletails and right before leaving, Laura spotted movement in a bush which morphed into a Jalca Tapaculo. We also enjoyed our first Moustached Flowerpiercer, a handsome little bird that we would see frequently at the right elevation. 

Jalca Tapaculo - Muclio area, Junín, Peru

Moustached Flowerpiercer - Muclio area, Junín, Peru

A little further down the road, two Mountain Caracaras were looking particularly photogenic. 

Mountain Caracara - Muclio area, Junín, Peru

Eventually, we passed the town of Toldopampa and started our descent towards the elfin forest. I made one stop for Junin Canastero (no dice), though a Striated Earthcreeper provided a decent photo subject. 

Striated Earthcreeper - Toldopampa, Junín, Peru

We drove down towards Calabaza, passing through beautiful montane forest. I was tempted to stop to bird this area, but we needed to reach Calabaza in decent time. Besides, we would bird this area properly the next morning. Laura and I rolled into town and found Juan, a birding guide who Gunnar had connected us with, and who was opening and prepping the building where we were staying. Laura and I had plans to hire Juan for one of our days in Calabaza, to visit the nearby Andamarca Valley with him. 

Laura and I birded for half an hour around the building where we would be staying, hearing our first Bay Antpitta and finding some common species for the elevation. 

July 20, 2022

It had been a chilly night but with dawn came the promise of tantalizing bird possibilities. Laura and I drove back up the Satipo Road, stopping at a particular bridge (Puente Carrizales) in elfin forest that is home to several unique, high-elevation bird species of the area: Eye-ringed Thistletail, Junin Antpitta and Fire-throated Metaltail among them. 

Puente Carrizales, Junín, Peru

I was thankful for my decision to bring my long johns and toque for this trip, since the car’s thermometer read 3 degrees Celsius upon our arrival. Laura and I bundled up and headed out – besides, lifers would warm us up!

A Golden-headed Quetzal was a surprise find, surely near its elevational limit here. 

Golden-headed Quetal - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

It took us almost no time at all to find two Fire-throated Metaltails. This species has a narrow elevational range and is only found in central Peru. 

Fire-throated Metaltail - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

While we were looking at the metaltails, a few tanagers up ahead caught our attention. We were floored to see that they were Golden-collared Tanagers! 

Golden-collared Tanagers - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

This beautiful species is found in the eastern Andes from central Peru to central Bolivia and it isn’t often reported along Satipo Road. What a beaut!

Golden-collared Tanager - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

The birding continued to be strong as the sun slowly warmed the landscape. We heard a Junin Antpitta (it wouldn’t come out to play), listened to a Tschudi’s Tapaculo (ditto), and tracked down a pair of Eye-ringed Thistletails which we actually observed. This was some sweet redemption after yesterday’s heard-only experience with the thistletails. Photography was a bit of a challenge with these skulkers, though...

Eye-ringed Thistletail - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Eye-ringed Thistletail - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

We slowly made our way back down the road, stopping every 100 m or so of elevation change. This was a successful tactic and the lifers kept coming. 

Ochraceous-breasted Flycatcher - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Steremnia monachella - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Peruvian Wren - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Some of the species were familiar ones to us from previous trips, such as this Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager. 

Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

The Slaty Brushfinches here are a candidate for a future split, often referred to as Taczanowski’s Brushfinch.

Slaty Brushfinch - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

The Superciliaried Hemispinguses were a bit confusing since I wasn’t aware of this subspecies which is quite grayscale. The ones we have seen further north are very yellow. 

Superciliaried Hemispingus - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

The road followed a beautiful river valley for its length. During one stop, we found a pair of White-capped Dippers. The subspecies in this part of the Andes is almost completely black with just a white cap and throat. 

White-capped Dipper - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

It was around this time that our day went downhill in a hurry. I’m not sure the exact reason why – perhaps I had left the lights on – but we quickly discovered that the car’s battery was dead. This was a big problem given the lack of traffic along the road. Typically, I prefer to rent a vehicle with a manual transmission, in part because it affords the possibility of a push-start in case of a dead battery. But this time, the rental agency had given us an automatic. We had no jumper cables; our our hope was that a vehicle containing cables eventually passed us along the road. 

After fifteen minutes a moto taxi heading east passed us, so Laura hopped in with them to head to town where she might find help. I stayed at the car, hoping to procure assistance there while Laura tried in town. Eventually, a Toyota Hilux passed me and so I flagged it down. The three occupants were a father and his two adult children, and his 18-year-old son, Fran, happened to be a mechanic. They did not have jumper cables, and neither of us had wrenches either to remove the truck’s battery to connect to mine. We decided that the next best plan would be to tow my car down the mountain to Calabaza. They left to find a rope, returning twenty minutes later. 

Bomarea sp. - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Once the rope was fastened between the vehicles we rode down the mountain together, the Hilux pulling my dead Corolla, taking care not to bump the vehicles into each other given the very short length of rope. The hour-long ride in the Corolla with Fran gave me ample opportunity to practice my Spanish.  Laura was waiting for us in town, having arranged assistance with a truck that could head up towards me in three hours’ time once they finished some other business, but fortunately we did not have to wait this long given the new friends I had made. Once in town, Fran and the others found some tools, removed the Hilux’s battery, connected it to mine using wrenches as conductors, and the Corolla fired up. Success! We thanked them profusely, gave them some money due to the extra time and gas they spent, and then bought them lunch before they went on their way! 

Laura and I spent the last couple of hours in the late afternoon birding a stretch of road just up the hill from Calabaza. We added a few more lifers, including a flock that contained a Dusky-green Oropendola and several beautiful White-collared Jays. 

White-collared Jay - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

I've got a thing for beautiful montane jays, and these ones fit the bill!

White-collared Jay - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

White-collared Jay - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

This Booted Racket-tail also provided a nice photoshoot. The birds on the eastern slope of the Andes show buffy “boots”, unlike the gleaming white puff-legs shown by birds on the western slope. 

Booted Racket-tail - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Booted Racket-tail - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Booted Racket-tail - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Below are a few other bird photographs from our afternoon birding sesh. 

Collared Inca - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Rufous-tailed Tyrant - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Capped Conebill - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Common Chlorospingus - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Montane Woodcreeper - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Flame-faced Tanager - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Crimson-mantled Woodpecker - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

Speckle-faced Parrots - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

We rolled back into town and met Juan at the accommodations. He pointed out a vocalizing Leymebamba Antpitta and the three of us tracked down a Blue-banded Toucanet. It had been a very busy (and somewhat stressful) day, but in the end I had found 14 new bird species, and Laura had seen close to 20!

Blue-banded Toucanet - Satipo Road, Junín, Peru

The next morning, Laura, Juan and I had plans to drive into the Andamarca Valley for a day of birding. This dry valley is home to quite a few unique birds found only here.

Bog Slogging For Rare Andean Birds

July 18, 2022

It had been a busy few days with too much driving and so Laura and I slept in until 7 AM before commencing the day's activities. Previously, we had explored the lower and mid elevations of the Santa Eulalia Valley but today's plan would be to put on our rubber boots and seek out some of the region's hardiest birds - those which eke out an existence at 4500 m. 

Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

As we navigated the long lines of slow trucks up the road towards Paso Marcopomacocha (try saying that five times fast), we noticed some sleet in the air. Fortunately, it had cleared up when we arrived. 

Before reaching the bog that is home to many of our target species, I stopped the car periodically for any sign of life. Bird diversity is low at these elevations, and the vast majority of species are clad in drab grays and browns to blend in well to their rocky, bunch-grass vegetated environs. We noticed four species of ground-tyrants: Cinereous, Taczanowski's, Puna and White-fronted. The latter two were new for me, while all four were lifers for Laura since it was her first visit to the Andes south of the Equator. 

Cinereous Ground-Tyrant - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

White-fronted Ground-Tyrant - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

I stopped the car when a Dark-winged Miner flew over. This localized species is relatively common at Paso Marcopomacocha, but its global range only includes the high alpine habitats of central Peru. While the miner did not reappear, I startled a pair of Streak-throated Canasteros. Given their colouration, it is no surprise that they vanish almost completely when they skulk into a tuft of bunchgrass. 

Streak-throated Canastero - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

We paused to eat our peanut butter and banana sandwiches next to a small creek which was draining water from a glacier somewhere upslope. I wandered off and heard a Junin Canastero singing, but it would not come any closer or show itself. Hopefully, we will be able to obtain views of this localized endemic when we visit Lake Junin in upcoming days. Some of the other birds next to the watercourse included several sierra-finches, a pair of handsome Glacier Finches, and the ubiquitous Cream-winged Cinclodes. 

Plumbeous Sierra-Finch - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

Glacier Finches - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

This little rodent was busy chowing down on the seed heads of grasses outside of its little cave. I still need to figure out exactly what it is. I do know this - it was super cute. 

Feeling a little nicer with food in our stomachs, we drove the remaining distance up to the bog. The landscapes are just incredible at this elevation. Some may find the scenes bleak, but I can't get enough of them. 

Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

Herds of alpaca graze the level areas, preventing the bunchgrass from growing more than an inch or two in height. Few birds are found here, since the bunch-grass denizens stick to the slopes where the alpacas do not forage. 

Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

Excitement was in the air as we donned our toques and rubber boots and headed out into the bog. These nutrient rich wetlands are home to several unique or rare species. One that we were hoping to see was the Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, or DSP. This odd shorebird looks vaguely snipe-like, but it is actually more closely related to plovers. It resides in high alpine bogs and creeks in the Andes, from central Peru south to central Chile and Argentina. The other main target bird we were seeking was the White-bellied Cinclodes, a beautiful and critically endangered bird that numbers in the hundreds, and only lives in certain bogs in central Peru. 

 Bog at Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

Laura wasted no time at all in spotted the DSPs! A pair kept an eye on us as they went about their business. We enjoyed them for a few minutes but took care not to approach too closely, as this is the main bog that birders visit. 

Diademed Sandpiper-Plover - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

Mere seconds after Laura noticed the DSP, I caught a glimpse of a dark hummingbird blast past. Fortunately, it remained in the area which allowed us to observe our first Olivaceous Thornbill!

Olivaceous Thornbill - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

It seems incredible that a hummingbird species can survive at these elevations, considering that the temperatures plummet below freezing every night of the year, reaching 10 degrees Celsius during the warmest afternoons. It has a close relationship with a type of pink flower that grows in these bogs called Gentianella carneorubra. It seemed to feed exclusively on this type of gentian. 

Olivaceous Thornbill and Gentianella carneorubra - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

Olivaceous Thornbill and Gentianella carneorubra - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

Gentianella carneorubra - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

Despite its drab appearance, the hummingbird showed an elaborate, colourful gorget when the light hit it just right.

Olivaceous Thornbill - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

As we walked the perimeter of the bog, we occasionally ran into other birds. Most were White-fronted Ground-Tyrants and Cream-winged Cinclodes, but we also noted our first Puna Snipes, a Slender-billed Miner, some Andean Geese, Andean Lapwings and more. 

Andean Lapwing - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

We had been seeing Cream-winged Cinclodes everywhere but the very similar White-winged Cinclodes was being elusive. Finally, we found one at the edge of a boggy area. 

White-winged Cinclodes - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

The Puna Snipes had, in typical snipe fashion, remained completely invisible before exploding upwards beneath our feet. Finally, one decided to walk away from us instead of blasting off, allowing me to take a few photos that I was happy with. 

Puna Snipe - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

One would be forgiven for assuming that there are no woodpeckers in this habitat given, you know, the lack of trees. But the Andean Flicker does well up here, searching for insects on the ground.

Andean Flicker - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

Two species of seedsnipe reside here as well. In the Andes, these birds occupy a similar niche that ptarmigans fill in the northern hemisphere, but this is a good example of convergent evolution since seedsnipes are actually a type of shorebird. We struck out with Rufous-bellied though we found a small group of very skittish Gray-breasted Seedsnipes. They did not allow us to approach too closely for better looks. Can you spot the seedsnipe in this photo?

Gray-breasted Seednsipe - Paso Marcopomacocha, Lima, Peru

Our other main target was not cooperating and so we had to cut our losses with the White-bellied Cinclodes. We drove straight to the nearby Ticlio Bog for our last shot at this species. 

Pantano Ticlio, Lima, Peru

Pantano Ticlio, Lima, Peru

The Ticlio lake and surrounding boggy environs ar not as scenic as the bog we had just explored, simply because it is located next to a highway. In Peru (and indeed, all around the world) humans take it upon themselves to dump their garbage into bogs, down forested slopes, and into any other natural areas adjacent to highways. We really are a lovely species. 

With enough walking we were able to get away from the discarded plastic, diapers, and construction waste. I headed towards a tight group of alpacas. Perhaps the White-bellied Cinclodes were hanging out near them?

Alpacas - Pantano Ticlio, Lima, Peru

As I scanned off in the distance with my binoculars, I noticed a bird with a gleaming white belly contrasting with a chestnut back. The cinclodes! We were thinking of giving up soon, too!

White-bellied Cinclodes - Pantano Ticlio, Lima, Peru

We watched the pair for a while as they worked the edge of a boggy area. Light sleet was falling and they were not in the least bit perturbed. They truly are beautiful, not quite what you would expect for a cinclodes. 

White-bellied Cinclodes - Pantano Ticlio, Lima, Peru

The White-bellied Cinclodes is listed as Critically Endangered by Birdlife International, with an estimated population of less than 250 mature individuals. They are only found in a small group of bogs found high in the central Peruvian Andes, and are absent from large swaths of seemingly suitable habitat. Their habitat requirements appear to be rather precise: mineral-rich wetlands between 4430 m - 5000 m in elevation with a high number of cushion plants (including Distichia sp.).

White-bellied Cinclodes - Pantano Ticlio, Lima, Peru

Threats to this species are varied, and all result in degradation of their boggy habitats. Removal of peat for use in mushroom farming and for private gardens; the draining of wetlands; overgrazing by sheep, llamas and alpacas; and contamination by mining companies appear to be some of the biggest threats. There is a very real chance that this species will be extinct in several decades. It was a little bittersweet to spend time with this pair, knowing how close to the brink they are. 

White-bellied Cinclodes - Pantano Ticlio, Lima, Peru

That afternoon we made the long drive over to the town of Concepción, located in the inter-Andean valley and close to the eastern slope of the Andes. We broke up the drive by taking a few minutes to stretch our legs near the Río Mantaro. Dozens of swallows were hawking insects over the river; our first Andean Swallows. 

Río Mantaro, Junín, Peru

Andean Swallow - Río Mantaro, Junín, Peru

Andean Swallow - Río Mantaro, Junín, Peru

Of course, nothing ever seems to go to plan when we travel in Latin America. Today's adventure was that the road to Concepción was not passable since a roadblock had been enacted.by the locals. We later found out that this was happening across the country, in protest of the high fuel prices. Luckily, we were able to find a hotel on our side of the roadblock. The next day we had plans to travel east over the mountains, along the Satipo Road. We were hoping to spend a few days birding the incredible forests on the humid east side of the Andes, along with the dry Andamarca Valley. Fingers crossed that the roadblocks do not impede our progress.