Birding in Manu Road and Andes Foothill 6d/5n

Morning birding along the upper Manu Road targeting the rare **Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan (*Andigena hypoglauca*)**, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Marcapata Spinetail, and Golden-collared Tanager. As we descend through the subtropical mist forest, we encounter dazzling mixed flocks with dozens of tanagers, woodcreepers, and flycatchers. In the late afternoon, we visit the San Pedro lek to watch up to 20 male **Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks** in full courtship frenzy.

• **Meals**: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• **Overnight**: Bamboo Eco-Lodge in San Pedro (1,400 m).

We spend a full day birding the middle section of the Manu Road, one of the richest bird corridors on Earth. Target species include the bizarre **Amazonian Umbrellabird (*Cephalopterus ornatus*)**, Crested Quetzal, Golden-headed Quetzal, Versicolored Barbet, Blue-banded Toucanet, Speckled Hummingbird, and Violet-fronted Brilliant. Mixed canopy flocks bring Paradise Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Green-and-gold Tanager, and Golden Tanager right overhead.

• **Meals**: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• **Overnight**: Bamboo Eco-Lodge in San Pedro.

We bird our way down to the foothill zone (500 m–800 m), targeting Lanceolated Monklet, Black-backed Tody-Flycatcher, and Wire-crested Thorntail. Arriving at the Alto Madre de Dios River, we cross by boat to explore **Machuwasi Lake** on wooden balsa rafts, adding Horned Screamer, Hoatzin, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant, and Black-capped Donacobius to our list. Night birding introduces Common Potoo, Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, and Black-banded Owl.

• **Meals**: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• **Overnight**: Foothill Rainforest Lodge (550 m).

At dawn, we observe parrots and parakeets at a mineral-rich river clay lick. We dedicate the morning to birding dense *Guadua* bamboo patches, searching for bamboo specialists: Bamboo Antshrike, White-cheeked Tody-Tyrant, Flammulated Pygmy-Tyrant, Dot-winged Antwren, and Manu Antbird (*Cercomacra manu*). In the afternoon, we photograph dozens of hummingbird species at lodge feeders, including Rufous-crested Coquette, Gould's Jewelfront, and Koepcke's Hermit.

• **Meals**: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• **Overnight**: Foothill Rainforest Lodge.

We take an early birding walk along foothill trails to search for any missed targets such as Sunbittern, Fasciated Tiger-Heron, or White-eared Jacamar. We board our private vehicle for the scenic drive back up the Manu Road, stopping at select elevation bands to review our bird list. We cross the high pass of Acjanaco and arrive back in Cusco by late afternoon (around 6:00 PM).

• **Meals**: Breakfast, Lunch
• **Drop-off**: Hotel in Cusco.