Behind a pair of binoculars there is always a passionate birder!

November 3, 2017

No doubt Peru is one of the most biologically and culturally rich countries in the world. Its immense biodiversity has made an important destination for many people that find the joy and happiness in nature that can only be found in places where there are few humans and the colors green and blue dominate the landscape. Among these nature lovers, there is a big group particularly attracted by colorful feathers, wings, and flying creatures: birds.

Birds are certainly attractive to human’s eyes, but rare, endemic or endangered birds are those heavily searched for by birdwatchers. These species are the reason why a birder will travel thousands of miles in order to see and appreciate some of these uncommon creatures in the world. Some birders’ aim is to add species to their lists, others encounter satisfaction on appreciating their beauty and surroundings, while others are fascinated by their natural history/ecology, migration patterns, and of course many are a mix of all or some of the descriptions above.

At Los Amigos, birding is a particular delight. Morning walks along terra firme habitat, contiguous to a patch of bamboo, and later on a walk to “Cocha Lobo” (an oxbow lake) will capture the concentration, ear and eyes of any birder. Every day there is a new encounter to behold! From a pair of blue and yellow macaws marking their dominance above the forest canopy, to the mournful whistles of the pavonine quetzal, to the primitive but always distinctive hoatzin! Undulated tinamous and a juvenile tiger heron are a few of the “resident visitors” in the Los Amigos backyard. With almost 600 bird species, there is no doubt that every day will have new discoveries and additions to birding lists.

Francis and Peter, two good friends from California, picked Los Amigos for their most recent birding trip this past August. After several decades of birding around the Neotropics, this was their first time in Amazonian lowlands. They acknowledged the high diversity of birds in the lowlands, but even though they were not aiming for a very long list they enjoyed ~330 species of birds (mostly seen but also a small percent heard). If you are a birder and are planning to visit Los Amigos this is one of Francis’ recommendations: “A word to the wise, however: while any length of visit here would be a delight, try not to be in a hurry. Even after a very enjoyable week here, we felt like we were just ready to begin, especially with the ant-phantoms of the bamboo”!

Francis and Peter, and their incredible local guide, Jose – all of their enthusiastic and friendly characters is dearly remembered here at Los Amigos!