Text and photos by Nick Athanas

This itinerary will hopefully feature in future Tropical Birding tours. If you would like us to arrange a private trip for you, just let us know and we will put something together.

3 October - Macará to Olmos
After the surprisingly easy border crossing, we had a long drive through the desert to Olmos.  Iain insisted on eating seafood the night before, which he is allergic to, so we had many short stops along the way. This gave us the chance to bird the arid scrub and woodland, finding the first of many species restricted to the Tumbesian Endemic Bird Area (EBA). The most exciting find was a pair of nesting Tumbes Swallows near the city of Piura. This is a rarely-seen species and it was only luck we found it: The only reason we stopped here was because a bicycle race was blocking the highway! Pacific Parrotlets (photo right) were also nesting in the same bamboo structure. Further along towards Olmos there were sections of nearly pristine desert that were quite productive, with Cinereous Finch, Tumbes Sparrow, Parrot-billed Seedeater, Superciliated and Fasciated Wrens, White-edged Oriole, and Pacific Pygmy-Owl. Eventually we reached Olmos, stopping in at the White-winged Guan breeding center, where a captive breeding program is underway. We arranged a trip the following morning into Quebrada Limón, one of the few spots where wild guans can still be found. A night drive through woodland here produced a Striped Owl (though only Iain saw it well) and a Peruvian Thick-knee.

4 October - Quebrada Limón and Batán Grande
We departed Olmos shortly past 4:00am for the long, bumpy drive to Quebrada Limón. Without 4WD and high clearance this road would be impassable. It involves driving along, and sometimes through, a rocky riverbed. The land here is all owned by the community, so you have to hire a guide to proceed up the canyon. While the people still exploit the land, the habitat here is better than in most other areas. It was about a 30 minute hike up to the area where the White-winged Guans are found, then about another hour to actually see them. While the guide knew where to find the guans, he was hopeless at pointing them out. He was walking so fast up the trail that he was continually scaring the guans ahead of him and none of us were seeing them. At one point he walked right by one that I spotted and finally saw well. Eventually we had to yell at him to stop and we went on ahead at a slower pace and saw them well. While the guans were the main target here, the area was good for other Tumbesian birds like White-headed Brush-Finch, White-tailed Jay, Pacific Elaenia, Tropical (Tumbes) Pewee, Speckle-breasted Wren, Black-capped Sparrow, and Gray-and-gold Warbler. Our guide knew of a day roost of a West Peruvian Screech-Owl, and we paused to take some photos of it.

We arrived back in Olmos around noon, packed up, and headed south to Chiclayo. Along the way we stopped at a reserve near the town of Batán Grande. The reserve exists to protect some archeological sites and the forest is still (ab)used by the locals, but it still supports a population of the endangered Peruvian Plantcutter which we saw well.

5 October - Rafán and the drive to Cajamarca.
About 25 km south of Chiclayo is the traditional site for Peruvian Plantcutter, a patch of dune woodland not far from the ocean near the desolate village of Rafán. The area is so dry it's hard to believe anything can live there, but we saw a fair number of birds. Along with more plantcutters, we saw Coastal Miner, Short-tailed Field-Tyrant, Rufous Flycatcher, Peruvian Sheartail, Cinereous Conebill, as well as some of the more common ones.

After Rafán, I couldn't resist a short detour to the Pacific Ocean. José, having grown up in the Amazon,  had never seen the ocean in his life! I don't think he was too impressed, though he did like seeing the Peruvian Pelicans and Kelp Gulls. After a lunch on some strange fish whose name I don't remember (and frankly don't want to) we headed back up into the mountains to the city of Cajamarca. Unfortunately the whole roadside has almost been totally cleared of natural vegetation so we didn't see much along the way. A White-browed Chat-Tyrant in a small patch of native scrub was about the only bird of note.

6 October - Gray-bellied Comets and Great Spinetails
We devoted the whole day to finding two of the hardest birds of the Marañon EBA. Thanks to Al Begazo we had good directions to a site along the Río Chonta northwest of Cajamarca where Gray-bellied Comets were recently found nesting. After a few hours of searching we eventually saw two males of this very impressive hummingbird. The river was also good for a number of other birds that are more common farther south, including White-winged Cinclodes, Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail, Peruvian Sierra-Finch, Black Metaltail, and Black-throated Flowerpiercer. A Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle (right) landed right over us next to a steep cliff. After an early lunch we set off down the long, bone-shaking road to San Marcos, one of the only known areas where Great Spinetail can be found regularly. Along the way we found a pair of Black-necked Woodpeckers perched on some strange rock formations. We were lucky with the Great Spinetails, finding a cooperative pair minutes after getting out of the car despite it being the hottest time of the day. There was a flurry of activity shortly thereafter and we saw Spot-throated Hummingbird, Andean Tinamou, and White-winged Black-Tyrant before enduring the long drive back to Cajamarca.

7 October - Down to the Marañon
Between the great birds and awesome scenery, this was perhaps my favorite day of the trip. We started early, driving up into the more humid highlands east of Cajamarca. Most of this area has been turned into farmland, but we spent a few hours in the morning birding what seemed like the largest patch of remaining native vegetation. We managed to coax into a view a couple of Rufous Antpittas of the race cajamarcae which may be a distinct species. Golden-billed Saltators sang from the treetops, and a rare Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch worked the trees upslope. A Black Metaltail joined the more common Tyrians, and Shining Sunbeams and Great Sapphirewings occasionally zipped by. After a hot cup of coffee whipped up on the camp stove, we drove on towards the town of Celendín. Mountain Caracaras drifted over the hills and several short stops gave us Rufous-webbed Tyrant, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, and Many-striped Canastero before finally reaching Celendín. After lunch we found the road to the Marañon river, and once we reached the edge of the canyon we had to stop and admire the view of the river at the bottom, over 2000 meters down from where we stood. Even though the river was only a few kilometers away, it took hours to drive the narrow road as it zigzagged back and forth down the steep canyon. This is not a road you drive fast as there is almost always a sheer drop-off just a meter or two away! Part-way down the canyon we stopped near Hacienda Limón, the site for two of the more local Marañon endemics: Gray-winged Inca-Finch and Chestnut-backed Thornbird. We found both along the same 200 meter stretch of road and continued down the canyon, wanting to get to the bottom before dark. One more surprise was still at hand as we found a spectacular Buff-bridled Inca-Finch hopping around next to the road about a half-hour before dusk. We continued through the beautifully lit desert toward the edge of the river, finding a nice campsite just as it was getting dark. Refreshed by a dip in the cool water, we cooked up a spaghetti dinner and settled in for the night. It was so hot we thought it would be a good idea to sleep out under the stars - which was fine until around 9:00pm when hordes of mosquitoes materialized out of nowhere and made for a very uncomfortable night.
 

A view of the Marañon canyon, including parts of the amazing road.

8 October - Up the other side.
After a quick but buggy and unsuccessful search up the west side of the canyon for Yellow-faced Parrotlet, we stopped at the bridge near the town of Balsas. Some fruiting trees near the river were popular with the Marañon Thrushes, Purple-throated Euphonias, and Yellow-tailed Orioles. José spotted a Peruvian Pigeon flying by and eventually we scoped one on the cliff face. Continuing up the equally impressive east side of the canyon, we found a flock of Yellow-faced Parrotlets almost as soon as we found some undisturbed desert. Shortly thereafter we found a cute Bare-faced Ground-Dove (left), then settled in for a long, sinuous drive up the road. Eventually the air became cooler and we started seeing patches of humid temperate forest. Unfortunately this whole area has been indiscriminately razed for agriculture despite the fact that the soil is unsuitable for just about everything. In the few forest patches that remain we found Moustached Flowerpiercer, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Drab Hemispingus,Highland Elaenia, Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant, and other more common birds. Finally we reached the pass, called "Abra Barro Negro", and started dropping down to the Utcubamba river valley. Along the way we passed several good-sized forest patches where we found Coppery Metaltail and the very rare Russet-mantled Softtail. Past the town of Leymebamba we found a delightful little lodge called "Estancia Chillos", where we had a well deserved good-night's sleep. Birding along the road nearby was productive, with White-bellied Hummingbirds and Rusty Flowerpiercers visiting flowering Inga trees, and Baron's Spinetails and Speckle-breasted Wrens lurking in the bushes.

9 October - Not so marvelous Spatuletails...
The car wouldn't start this morning, and the alarm went crazy, but we managed to push start it successfully. We had to take a detour to the small city of Chachapoyas to have someone look at it. Of course is started up fine at the mechanic's shop! I asked him to disconnect the car alarm (I hate them anyway) since I thought that may have been the problem, and we continued on. One stop along the Río Utcubamba produced a cute Speckle-breasted Piculet, then it started raining and we continued on to the town of Pomacochas, home of the fabled Marvelous Spatuletail. We almost immediately found a female, and eventually located two others, but despite hours of looking we never did turn up a male. The females are nice, but they just can't compare to the unbelievably gaudy male. Disappointed, we carried on to town to find a hotel.

10 October - Abra Patricia
The car wouldn't start again this morning! Fortunately we had parked on a hill so it wasn't a big problem. Apparently the cold night was more than the battery could take and it had finally given up the ghost. We had to hill- or push-start it for the next day and a half until we could get to a city that sold car batteries. Good thing I don't have an automatic...

An hour's drive brought us to the mountain pass known by birders as "Abra Patricia". This area supports some unique stunted ridge-top forests that are home to some of the rarest and least known birds in Peru. Perhaps the most wanted bird here is the Long-whiskered Owlet, only described in 1977 and seen very few times since (and only with mist nets). Its voice is still unknown - unless there is truth to a rumor that it was finally recorded a few months ago!

We spent a few hours birding the road near the ridge where the owlet was first discovered and found a huge mixed flock. The highlights were Inca Flycatcher, Rufous-crested Tanager, and Yellow-throated Tanager. Nearby in some bamboo we found Lulu's Tody-Tyrant, which was recently split from Rufous-crowned. Later in the day we returned to this area and found a male Royal Sunangel, a species restricted to these ridge-top forests and only described back in 1979. Closer to the pass we saw Emerald-bellied Puffleg and played hide-and-seek with a Rusty-tinged Antpitta, but the antpitta won. Apart from a couple of good flocks, this area was generally very quiet, possibly due to sunny weather.

The forest in this area is still quite extensive, even close to the road. It will not stay that way unless measures are taken to protect it. There were many large areas that were in the process of being cleared. One woman we talked to said that she has 1200 hectares of forest for sale for only 250,000 Soles, the equivalent of $60 per hectare, or $25 per acre!! We will certainly be looking for individuals or foundations willing to buy and protect this forest.

We spent an uncomfortable night sleeping on the floor of an abandoned restaurant owned by the woman who was selling the land. A better option would be to stay at the hotel in Pomacochas and just drive early to the pass.
 

Lots of forest still remains in the Abra Patricia area, but...

...this will be it's fate unless it's protected soon.

11 October - Abra Patricia to Nuevo Cajamarca
We started the morning by birding a logging trail near the owlet ridge. Again, things were fairly quiet, though we did see Peruvian Rufous-vented Tapaculo and Bar-winged Wood-Wren. Lower elevations along the road above the town of Afluente were very productive, and we stopped for quite a few mixed flocks. There were huge numbers of tanagers such as Golden-eared, Orange-eared, Paradise, Green-and-gold, Spotted, and Blue-necked. Other birds included Ashy-headed Tyrannulet, Ecuadorian Piedtail, Lined Antshrike, and Lemon-throated Barbet. During the middle of the day we decided it would be a wise idea to drive onto the next city and replace the car battery before we got ourselves into a place we couldn't push our way out of. That turned out to be easy enough and we also checked into a hotel before heading back to the forest. We found a few more flocks that afternoon, seeing a beautiful White-eared Solitaire to finish off the day.

12 October - Over the pass and back to the Marañon
Something we ate the day before did not agree with us, and a fair amount of bad beer the previous evening did not help either! It was a very uncomfortable morning, though we did get excited over the pair of Red-ruffed Fruitcrows that joined an Amazonian Umbrellabird in a fruiting tree. I was a wreck by then and Iain had to take over the driving for the rest of the day. By early afternoon we were back down in the arid Marañon valley and I finally recovered enough to find some Little Inca-Finches in some good-looking desert west of the town of Bagua Grande. We carried onto the city of Jaén and had some time to bird north of the city before dark. This turned out to be really productive and we located Chinchipe Spinetail, Common Thornbird, Marañon Slaty-Antshrike, and Marañon Crescentchest without too much difficulty.

13 October - Tamborapa and Porculla Pass
I was almost fully recovered by the morning and we drove north of Jaén for about an hour to look for Marañon Spinetail along a side road north of the village of Tamborapa. There was some nice habitat along this road and we did get a brief look at a silent spinetail along with all the other birds we had seen north of the city the previous afternoon. Also in the area we heard Tataupa Tinamou but had no luck seeing it. A flock of 15 Military Macaws flew over at one point, which was a bit unexpected!

After checking out of the hotel we continued west over the low pass known as Abra Porculla, and back down into the Tumbesian area. We had one main target, the localized Piura Chat-Tyrant. We had a site for it near a village just down from the pass, and we finally located a driveable track up behind a ridge to some arid scrub that was less disturbed than most of the surrounding area. We were on the verge of giving up after a long and fruitless search when Iain finally spotted one and we all saw it. Some of the other birds around here were Black-cowled Saltator, Bay-crowned Brush-Finch, Three-banded Warbler, and Elegant Crescentchest. This marked the end of a very successful trip. The rest of the day was spent driving back to the city of Piura, from which it was only a two hour drive the next morning to the border. We made it back to Quito safely, though certainly exhausted!

This is the complete bird list for the trip, only including birds recorded in Peru. The taxonomy and nomenclature follow Clements' A Checklist of Birds of the World (2000 edition with updates), which is almost identical to the new field guide. I try to include a comment for all the endemics, restricted range species, and other sightings of special note.

TINAMOUS
Hooded Tinamou (Nothocercus nigrocapillus) - Only José got a glimpse of this one flying across the road at Abra Patricia. It called a few times shortly afterwards.
Tataupa Tinamou (Crypturellus tataupa) (H)
Andean Tinamou (Nothoprocta pentlandii) - We nearly trod on one in arid scrub above San Marcos...
PELICANS
Peruvian Pelican (Pelecanus thagus)
CORMORANTS
Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus)
HERONS, EGRETS AND BITTERNS
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea)
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Striated Heron (Butorides striatus)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
IBIS AND SPOONBILLS
Puna Ibis (Plegadis ridgwayi) - One individual flew over us on the Cajamarca-Celendin road - later I saw a flock of distant ibises that were presumably the same species.
NEW WORLD VULTURES
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Greater Yellow-headed Vulture (Cathartes melambrotus) - One soaring over us below Afluente at around 1200 m. Seems like an unusually high elevation for this species...
HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES
Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus)
Pearl Kite (Gampsonyx swainsonii) - A few perched on wires between Macará and Olmos.
Harris's Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)
Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus)
Roadside Hawk (Buteo magnirostris)
Variable Hawk (Buteo polyosoma)
FALCONS AND CARACARAS
Mountain Caracara (Phalcoboenus megalopterus) - Common in highlands along the Cajamarca-Celendin road.
Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway)
Laughing Falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans) (H)
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis) - I saw one soar over the ridge along the Río Chonta.
GUANS, CHACHALACAS, CURASSOWS
White-winged Guan (Penelope albipennis) - This was our main target in Quebrada Limón. We eventually saw a group of 2-3 birds fairly well. This bird is considered to be in critical danger of extinction, though a captive breeding program has been initiated and seems to be going well.
RAILS, GALLINULES AND COOTS
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
AVOCETS AND STILTS
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)
THICK-KNEES
Peruvian Thick-knee (Burhinus superciliaris) - Iain managed to get the spotlight on a flying bird while we were in the car one evening near Olmos.
PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS
Andean Lapwing (Vanellus resplendens)
SANDPIPERS
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia)
GULLS
Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus)
Andean Gull (Larus serranus)
PIGEONS AND DOVES
Rock Dove (feral) (Columba livia)
Band-tailed Pigeon (Columba fasciata)
Peruvian Pigeon (Columba oenops) - Nice looks of flying and perched birds from the bridge in Balsas.
Plumbeous Pigeon (Columba plumbea) (H)
Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata)
Pacific Dove (Zenaida meloda)
Ecuadorian Ground-Dove (Columbina buckleyi)
Croaking Ground-Dove (Columbina cruziana)
Bare-faced Ground-Dove (Metriopelia ceciliae) - One of our favorites of the trip! We saw several while climbing up the endless east side of the Marañon canyon.
White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi)
PARROTS
Military Macaw (Ara militaris) - This was a surprise! We saw 15 flying birds on the road we birded NW of Tamborapa. While we didn't get any color on it, the call was consistent with Military, and no other species should occur here.
Red-masked Parakeet (Aratinga erythrogenys) - Seen and heard regularly in the coastal lowlands and in the Marañon valley.
White-eyed Parakeet (Aratinga leucophthalmus)
Pacific Parrotlet (Forpus coelestis)
Yellow-faced Parrotlet (Forpus xanthops) - Several small flocks in nice desert habitat on the east side of the Marañon Canyon above Balsas.
Blue-headed Parrot (Pionus menstruus)
Scaly-naped Parrot (Amazona mercenaria) (H)
CUCKOOS
Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana)
Smooth-billed Ani (Crotophaga ani)
Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris)
Striped Cuckoo (Tapera naevia)
OWLS
West Peruvian Screech-Owl (Otus roboratus) - Our local guide knew of a day roost in Quebrada Limon. Great looks in broad daylight.
Peruvian Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium peruanum)
Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
Striped Owl (Pseudoscops clamator) - Only Iain managed to get a decent look at this one near the guan breeding center north of Olmos.
NIGHTJARS
Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis)
Scrub Nightjar (Caprimulgus anthonyi) - A few near the guan center. We may have seen this at Rafán too, but didn't see it well enough to distinguish it from Band-winged Nightjar which also occurs in the area.
HUMMINGBIRDS
Gray-chinned Hermit (Phaethornis griseogularis) - One in arid scrub NW of Tamborapa. I usually see this one in humid forest, so it seemed strange to find it here...
Green-fronted Lancebill (Doryfera ludovicae)
Green Violet-ear (Colibri thalassinus)
Sparkling Violet-ear (Colibri coruscans)
Violet-headed Hummingbird (Klais guimeti)
Spot-throated Hummingbird (Leucippus taczanowskii) - Quite common throughout the Marañon drainage.
White-bellied Hummingbird (Leucippus chionogaster) - Very common in the Utcubamba valley, especially around flowering Inga trees.
Amazilia Hummingbird (Amazilia amazilia)
Andean Emerald (Agyrtria franciae)
Ecuadorian Piedtail (Phlogophilus hemileucurus) - One responded well to playback above Afluente.
Speckled Hummingbird (Adelomyia melanogenys)
Chestnut-breasted Coronet (Boissonneaua matthewsii)
Shining Sunbeam (Aglaeactis cupripennis)
Mountain Velvetbreast (Lafresnaya lafresnayi)
Bronzy Inca (Coeligena coeligena)
Collared Inca (Coeligena torquata)
Great Sapphirewing (Pterophanes cyanopterus)
Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas) - Several along the Río Chonta NW of Cajamarca.
Purple-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus viola) (?) - I thought I saw one at the Spatuletail site at Pomacochas, but it may not occur in this area. I only saw it briefly so it should be regarded as questionable.
Royal Sunangel (Heliangelus regalis) - Great looks at a male coming to some yellow flowers at the traditional site near the owlet ridge below Abra Patricia.
Emerald-bellied Puffleg (Eriocnemis alinae) - Several seen well right at the pass at Abra Patricia.
Black-tailed Trainbearer (Lesbia victoriae)
Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina)
Coppery Metaltail (Metallura theresiae) - One female seen in a forest patch on the east side of Abra Barro Negro.
Black Metaltail (Metallura phoebe) - One seen just after the Gray-bellied Comet along the Río Chonta, and another seen the next day along the road from Cajamarca to Celendín.
Gray-bellied Comet (Taphrolesbia griseiventris) - One of the birds of the trip! 2 birds seen extremely well at a known side along the Río Chonta northwest of Cajamarca.
Long-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus kingi)
Marvelous Spatuletail (Loddigesia mirabilis) - Well, we saw it... too bad we didn't get a male. We saw at least three different females. Two were at the lower bridge over the Río Chido below Pomacochas, the third was near a shop above the upper bridge.
Oasis Hummingbird (Rhodopis vesper) - At least one female (or eclipse male) west of Abra Porculla in some degraded arid scrub.
Peruvian Sheartail (Thaumastura cora) - Several, including one stunning male, at Rafán.
Short-tailed Woodstar (Myrmia micrura) - A few in the arid coastal lowlands. Never a full adult male, though. For some reason they are very hard to come by.
TROGONS AND QUETZALS
Masked Trogon (Trogon personatus)
Crested Quetzal (Pharomachrus antisianus) (H)
Golden-headed Quetzal (Pharomachrus auriceps)
KINGFISHERS
Ringed Kingfisher (Ceryle torquata)
Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana)
BARBETS
Lemon-throated Barbet (Eubucco richardsoni) - One male in a mixed flock above Aluente. We saw this very well, it was certainly not a Versicolored Barbet, which most other groups find in this area.
TOUCANS
Emerald Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus prasinus)
Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan (Andigena hypoglauca) (H)
Black-mandibled Toucan (Ramphastos ambiguus) (H)
WOODPECKERS
Speckle-chested Piculet (Picumnus steindachneri) - One in gallery forest along the Río Utcubamba NW of Chachapoyas. Another in quite different habitat in humid cloud forest at Abra Patricia.
Scarlet-backed Woodpecker (Veniliornis callonotus)
Smoky-brown Woodpecker (Veniliornis fumigatus)
Golden-olive Woodpecker (Piculus rubiginosus)
Crimson-mantled Woodpecker (Piculus rivolii)
Black-necked Woodpecker (Colaptes atricollis) - A pair in some strange rock formations between Cajamarca and San Marcos.
Andean Flicker (Colaptes rupicola)
Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus) (H)
OVENBIRDS
Coastal Miner (Geositta peruviana) - Several strutting around in the sand around Rafán.
White-winged Cinclodes (Cinclodes atacamensis) - Around 4 of this handsome species along the Río Chonta NW of Cajamarca.
Pale-legged Hornero (Furnarius leucopus) - AKA Pacific Hornero.
Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail (Leptasthenura pileata) - One seen along the Río Chonta, several more in forest patches between Cajamarca and Celendín.
Rufous Spinetail (Synallaxis unirufa) (H)
Azara's Spinetail (Synallaxis azarae)
Dark-breasted Spinetail (Synallaxis albigularis)
Marañon Spinetail (Synallaxis maranonica) - Just one seen briefly NW of Tamborapa. They certainly were not vocal the morning we were there.
Chinchipe Spinetail (Synallaxis chinchipensis) - Quite common in arid scrub around Jaén and Tamborapa.
Great Spinetail (Siptornopsis hypochondriacus) - Terrific views of a responsive pair at a well-known site NW of San Marcos.
Baron's Spinetail (Cranioleuca baroni) - Seen in two quite different habitats. First in temperate forest patches between Cajamarca and Celendín, then in scrub next to the Río Utcubamba.
Many-striped Canastero (Asthenes flammulata)
Russet-mantled Softtail (Phacellodomus berlepschi) - We lucked out on this one, immediately finding a vocal pair in a mixed flock at its known site in a forest patch SW of Leymebamba.
Common Thornbird (Phacellodomus rufifrons) - Common in woodland and scrub around Jaén and Tamborapa. These represent an isolated race (peruvianus) restricted to lower elevations in the Marañon Valley.
Chestnut-backed Thornbird (Phacellodomus dorsalis) - It took a bit of effort but we finally located a pair just up the road from where we saw the Gray-winged Inca-Finches on the west side of the Marañon Canyon above Balsas.
Streaked Xenops (Xenops rutilans)
Montane Foliage-gleaner (Anabacerthia striaticollis)
Streaked Tuftedcheek (Pseudocolaptes boissonneautii)
Black-billed Treehunter (Thripadectes melanorhynchus)
Lineated Foliage-gleaner (Syndactyla subalaris) (H)
Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner (Philydor rufus)
WOODCREEPERS
Plain-brown Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla fuliginosa)
Olive-backed Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus triangularis)
Streak-headed Woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes souleyetii)
Montane Woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes lacrymiger)
Red-billed Scythebill (Campylorhamphus trochilirostris)
TYPICAL ANTBIRDS
Collared Antshrike (Sakesphorus bernardi) - Common in arid areas on the west slope. José also saw one in the Marañon valley north of Jaén.
Lined Antshrike (Thamnophilus tenuepunctatus)
Uniform Antshrike (Thamnophilus unicolor)
Maranon Slaty-Antshrike (Thamnophilus leucogaster) - Fairly common in arid woodland in the Marañon valley N of Jaén.
Rufous-capped Antshrike (Thamnophilus ruficapillus) - A nice pair seen in scrubby forest on the west side of Abra Barro Negro.
Yellow-breasted Antwren (Herpsilochmus axillaris)
Long-tailed Antbird (Drymophila caudata)
Blackish Antbird (Cercomacra nigrescens)
ANTTHRUSHES AND ANTPITTAS
Barred Antthrush (Chamaeza mollissima) (H)
Chestnut-crowned Antpitta (Grallaria ruficapilla) (H)
Rusty-tinged Antpitta (Grallaria przewalskii) (H) - So close... We played with one for a while on a trail at Abra Patricia, and Iain thought he saw its beak at one point.
Rufous Antpitta (Grallaria rufula) - Good looks at two along the Cajamarca-Celendin road. This race, cajamarcae, probably represents a distinct species.
Chestnut Antpitta (Grallaria blakei) (H) - Heard along the same trail as our Rusty-tinged Antpitta, but unresposive.
TAPACULOS
Elegant Crescent-chest (Melanopareia elegans) - One seen along the road up to the Piura Chat-Tyrant site west of Abra Porculla.
Marañon Crescent-chest (Melanopareia maranonica) - Iain's favorite bird of the trip, and it truly is stunning. We saw one north of Jaén and another one near Tamborapa.
Rufous-vented Tapaculo (Scytalopus femoralis) - Usually called Peruvian Rufous-vented Tapaculo. We found a resposive individual along a trail near the owlet ridge below Abra Patricia.
White-crowned Tapaculo (Scytalopus atratus) (H)
PLANTCUTTERS
Peruvian Plantcutter (Phytotoma raimondii) - One seen at Batán Grande, and several more seen the following morning at Rafán. This species is considered endangered since it is known from only a few sites of high fragmented forest, most of which is unprotected.
COTINGAS
Red-crested Cotinga (Ampelion rubrocristata)
Green-and-black Fruiteater (Pipreola riefferii)
Red-ruffed Fruitcrow (Pyroderus scutatus) - One of our favorites. We saw a pair feeding at a fruiting tree with the next two species just above Afluente.
Amazonian Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus ornatus) - An impressive male seen with the fruitcrows.
Andean Cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruviana)
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet (Camptostoma obsoletum)
Mouse-colored Tyrannulet (Phaeomyias murina) - The races we saw are sometimes split as Tumbesian Tyrannulet (e.g. in the Ecuador field guide).
Pacific Elaenia (Myiopagis subplacens) - Several in Quebrada Limon.
Gray-and-white Tyrannulet (Pseudelaenia leucospodia) - A drab little flycatcher with a neat punk "hairdo". Common in scrub in the arid coastal plain.
Yellow-bellied Elaenia (Elaenia flavogaster)
White-crested Elaenia (Elaenia albiceps)
Highland Elaenia (Elaenia obscura)
Sierran Elaenia (Elaenia pallatangae)
Torrent Tyrannulet (Serpophaga cinerea) - Oddly, the only place we saw this one was along the Río Chonta, where it was very common.
Streak-necked Flycatcher (Mionectes striaticollis)
Inca Flycatcher (Leptopogon taczanowskii) - Numerous sightings of this Peruvian endemic in the Abra Patricia area.
Ecuadorian Tyrannulet (Phylloscartes gualaquizae) - Three birds responding to playback near Afluente.
Black-capped Tyrannulet (Phyllomyias nigrocapillus)
Ashy-headed Tyrannulet (Phyllomyias cinereiceps)
"Golden-faced" Tyrannulet (Zimmerius sp. (chrysops?)) - Common from Afluente up to around the owlet ridge. There's a bit of confusion here. These birds certainly look like Golden-faced Tyrannulets, but they call very differently. Their calls are similar to those of race flavidifrons, which is sometimes split as Loja Tyrannulet, but it isn't quite the same.  Some people think these birds are Peruvian Tyrannulets. I am not familiar with that species, but Peruvian Tyrannulets are supposed to have yellow underparts whereas these birds showed no trace of yellow. For the moment I am calling them Golden-faced but they could represent some undescribed taxon.
White-tailed Tyrannulet (Mecocerculus poecilocercus) (H)
Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet (Mecocerculus minor) (H)
White-banded Tyrannulet (Mecocerculus stictopterus)
Black-crested Tit-Tyrant (Anairetes nigrocristatus) - A spectacular one near the Río Chonta. In good plumage they are stunning.
Tufted Tit-Tyrant (Anairetes parulus)
Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant (Euscarthmus meloryphus)
Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant (Lophotriccus pileatus)
Lulu's Tody-Tyrant (Poecilotriccus luluae) - Recently split from Rufous-crowned Tody-Tyrant. They were quite common in and near bamboo around Abra Patricia.
Common Tody-Flycatcher (Todirostrum cinereum)
Flavescent Flycatcher (Myiophobus flavicans)
Bran-colored Flycatcher (Myiophobus fasciatus)
Cinnamon Flycatcher (Pyrrhomyias cinnamomea)
Cliff Flycatcher (Hirundinea ferruginea)
Smoke-colored Pewee (Contopus fumigatus)
Tropical Pewee (Contopus cinereus) - The race we saw are sometimes regarded as a seperate species, Tumbes Pewee.
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)
Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus)
Piura Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca piurae) - Our main target in the Abra Porculla area. We eventually found it at a known site in partially disturbed montane scrub west of the pass. The whole area has been badly trashed. This species may be in serious trouble.
Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca rufipectoralis)
Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca fumicolor)
White-browed Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca leucophrys) - Several seen in forest patches east and west of Cajamarca.
Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant (Myiotheretes striaticollis) (H)
Smoky Bush-Tyrant (Myiotheretes fumigatus) (H)
Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant (Agriornis montana)
White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant (Agriornis andicola) (?) - I may have seen one of these between Cajamarca and San Marcos, but I did not get close enough to be 100% sure. The habitat certainly seemed good for it.
Rufous-webbed Tyrant (Polioxolmis rufipennis) - One seen in a cow pasture along the Cajamarca-Celendin road.
Short-tailed Field-Tyrant (Muscigralla brevicauda) - A few near Rafán.
Rufous-tailed Tyrant (Knipolegus poecilurus)
White-winged Black-Tyrant (Knipolegus aterrimus) - One at the Great Spinetail site NW of San Marcos. At or near the northern limit of its range.
Rufous Flycatcher (Myiarchus semirufus) - We saw a pair at Rafán, but nowhere else. If it requires the same sort of habitat as the plantcutter, perhaps it should be considered threatened as well.
Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Myiarchus tuberculifer)
Sooty-crowned Flycatcher (Myiarchus phaeocephalus) - Iain saw one in Quebrada Limón.
Brown-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrannulus) - Several seen in the Marañon valley north of Jaén. This species will probably turn up in Ecuador before long.
Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus)
Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua)
Social Flycatcher (Myiozetetes similis)
Lemon-browed Flycatcher (Conopias cinchoneti)
Golden-crowned Flycatcher (Myiodynastes chrysocephalus)
Baird's Flycatcher (Myiodynastes bairdii) - Fairly common in the arid coastal lowlands.
Streaked Flycatcher (Myiodynastes maculatus)
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus)
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) - One seen right near the pass at Abra Patricia. Maybe it was lost...
Barred Becard (Pachyramphus versicolor)
SWALLOWS
Gray-breasted Martin (Progne chalybea)
Tumbes Swallow (Tachycineta stolzmanni) - One of the best surprises of the trip. We found a nesting pair just outside of Piura on the road to Olmos. They were nesting in hollow bamboo beams of an unfinished building. This species is very hard to find throughout its small range.
Blue-and-white Swallow (Pygochelidon cyanoleuca)
Brown-bellied Swallow (Notiochelidon murina)
White-banded Swallow (Atticora fasciata)
Southern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx ruficollis)
Chestnut-collared Swallow (Petrochelidon rufocollaris) - We saw a big flock over the village of Rafán.
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
DIPPERS
White-capped Dipper (Cinclus leucocephalus)
WRENS
Fasciated Wren (Campylorhynchus fasciatus) - A common and noisy bird west of the Andes and in the lower parts of the Marañon valley.
Gray-mantled Wren (Odontorchilus branickii)
Sharpe's Wren (Cinnycerthia olivascens) - Often called Sepia-brown Wren.
Speckle-breasted Wren (Thryothorus sclateri) - Seen in Quebrada Limón (race paucimaculatus) and several times in the Marañon valley (race sclateri).
Superciliated Wren (Thryothorus superciliaris) - Common in undergrowth of deciduous forest west of the Andes.
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
Mountain Wren (Troglodytes solstitialis) (H)
Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis)
White-breasted Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucosticta) (H?) - I assume this was the species I heard singing near Afluente, since it is probably below the range of the next to species.
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucophrys)
Bar-winged Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucoptera) - Several birds along a trail near the owlet ridge below Abra Patricia. It occurs sympatrically with the previous species. This happened to be my 3000th life bird.
MOCKINGBIRDS AND THRASHERS
Long-tailed Mockingbird (Mimus longicaudatus)
THRUSHES
Andean Solitaire (Myadestes ralloides)
White-eared Solitaire (Entomodestes leucotis) - A nice surprise in a mixed flock near the bridge below Afluente. A real beauty.
Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush (Catharus fuscater) (H)
Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus)
Pale-eyed Thrush (Platycichla leucops)
Chiguanco Thrush (Turdus chiguanco)
Great Thrush (Turdus fuscater)
Plumbeous-backed Thrush (Turdus reevei) - A few in arid woodland in Quebrada Limón and north of Olmos.
Marañon Thrush (Turdus maranonicus) - One at Balsas and a few more in the Utcubamba valley.
Black-billed Thrush (Turdus ignobilis)
GNATCATCHERS
Tropical Gnatcatcher (Polioptila plumbea) - Common in arid scrub west of the Andes (race bilineata) and in the Marañon valley (race maior). The latter race is often spit off as Marañon Gnatcatcher.
CROWS AND JAYS
Green Jay (Cyanocorax yncas) - Sometimes called Inca Jay.
White-tailed Jay (Cyanocorax mystacalis) - We saw lots of these in Quebrada Limón, but nowhere else.
White-collared Jay (Cyanolyca viridicyana) - One group in a forest patch west of Leymebamba, another group below Abra Patricia.
OLD WORLD SPARROWS
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
VIREOS AND ALLIES
Brown-capped Vireo (Vireo leucophrys)
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)
Rufous-browed Peppershrike (Cyclarhis gujanensis)
FINCHES, SISKINS, CROSSBILLS
Hooded Siskin (Carduelis magellanica)
Olivaceous Siskin (Carduelis olivacea)
Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria)
WOOD WARBLERS
Tropical Parula (Parula pitiayumi)
Masked Yellowthroat (Geothlypis aequinoctialis) - Including one at 2500 meters on the east side of the Marañon canyon above Balsas... Never seen one that high before, but maybe they are spreading because of the massive deforestation that has taken place.
Slate-throated Redstart (Myioborus miniatus)
Spectacled Redstart (Myioborus melanocephalus)
Gray-and-gold Warbler (Basileuterus fraseri) - Quebrada Limón.
Citrine Warbler (Basileuterus luteoviridis)
Black-crested Warbler (Basileuterus nigrocristatus)
Russet-crowned Warbler (Basileuterus coronatus)
Three-banded Warbler (Basileuterus trifasciatus) - A few in very disturbed scrub west of Abra Porculla.
Three-striped Warbler (Basileuterus tristriatus)
BANANAQUIT
Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola)
TANAGERS AND ALLIES
Cinereous Conebill (Conirostrum cinereum)
Capped Conebill (Conirostrum albifrons)
Magpie Tanager (Cissopis leveriana)
Grass-green Tanager (Chlorornis riefferii)
Common Bush-Tanager (Chlorospingus ophthalmicus)
Yellow-throated Bush-Tanager (Chlorospingus flavigularis)
Black-capped Hemispingus (Hemispingus atropileus)
Oleaginous Hemispingus (Hemispingus frontalis)
Drab Hemispingus (Hemispingus xanthophthalmus) - We saw a few individuals of this plain endemic in mixed flocks on either side of Abra Barro Negro.
Rufous-chested Tanager (Thlypopsis ornata)
Buff-bellied Tanager (Thlypopsis inornata) - We saw this species quite frequently in the Marañon drainage in a wide variety of habitats and elevations.
Rufous-crested Tanager (Creurgops verticalis) - A surprisingly common member of mixed flocks near the owlet ridge below Abra Patricia.
White-shouldered Tanager (Tachyphonus luctuosus)
Hepatic Tanager (Piranga flava)
Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)
White-winged Tanager (Piranga leucoptera)
Huallaga Tanager (Ramphocelus melanogaster) - I was the only one who saw this one as it flew across the road on the way back to the hotel, east of Aguas Verdes.
Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus)
Blue-capped Tanager (Thraupis cyanocephala)
Blue-and-yellow Tanager (Thraupis bonariensis)
Hooded Mountain-Tanager (Buthraupis montana)
Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager (Anisognathus igniventris)
Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager (Anisognathus somptuosus)
Yellow-throated Tanager (Iridosornis analis) - One was foraging in a mixed flock near the owlet ridge below Abra Patricia.
Fawn-breasted Tanager (Pipraeidea melanonota)
Purple-throated Euphonia (Euphonia chlorotica)
Orange-bellied Euphonia (Euphonia xanthogaster)
Orange-eared Tanager (Chlorochrysa calliparaea)
Paradise Tanager (Tangara chilensis)
Green-and-gold Tanager (Tangara schrankii)
Golden Tanager (Tangara arthus)
Golden-eared Tanager (Tangara chrysotis)
Saffron-crowned Tanager (Tangara xanthocephala)
Flame-faced Tanager (Tangara parzudakii)
Spotted Tanager (Tangara punctata)
Bay-headed Tanager (Tangara gyrola)
Metallic-green Tanager (Tangara labradorides)
Blue-necked Tanager (Tangara cyanicollis)
Beryl-spangled Tanager (Tangara nigroviridis)
Blue-and-black Tanager (Tangara vassorii)
Silver-backed Tanager (Tangara viridicollis)
Golden-collared Honeycreeper (Iridophanes pulcherrima)
Black-faced Dacnis (Dacnis lineata)
Blue Dacnis (Dacnis cayana)
BUNTINGS, SEEDEATERS, ALLIES
Red-crested Finch (Coryphospingus cucullatus) - Often called Red Pileated-Finch. Quite common along the roads north of Jaén in the morning.
Peruvian Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus punensis) - Many along the Río Chonta NW of Cajamarca.
Band-tailed Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus alaudinus) - A pair in the Marañon canyon west of Balsas.
Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus plebejus)
Cinereous Finch (Piezorhina cinerea) - Quite common in arid woodland and scrub north of Olmos.
Gray-winged Inca-Finch (Incaspiza ortizi) - We saw a pair of this localized species near the "usual" site west of Balsas in the Marañon Canyon.
Buff-bridled Inca-Finch (Incaspiza laeta) - My favorite bird of the trip! We saw them in beautiful desert habitat on both sides of the Marañon canyon.
Little Inca-Finch (Incaspiza watkinsi) - A pair (at least) responded to a pygmy owl recording in some surprisingly undisturbed desert west of Bagua Grande.
Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch (Poospiza alticola) - We spotted one of these in a mixed flock in a forest patch along the Cajamarca-Celendin road. A good find!
Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina)
Black-and-white Seedeater (Sporophila luctuosa) - A singing male in the desert north of Jaén. Seems like a strange place to find one based on my experience.
Parrot-billed Seedeater (Sporophila peruviana) - Large flocks roamed the arid scrub north of Olmos.
Chestnut-throated Seedeater (Sporophila telasco)
Band-tailed Seedeater (Catamenia analis)
Plain-colored Seedeater (Catamenia inornata)
Dull-colored Grassquit (Tiaris obscura)
Rusty Flowerpiercer (Diglossa sittoides)
White-sided Flowerpiercer (Diglossa albilatera)
Moustached Flowerpiercer (Diglossa mystacalis) - Another of my favorites of the trip. We saw this handsome bird a few times in forest patches west of Abra Barro Negro.
Black-throated Flowerpiercer (Diglossa brunneiventris)
Deep-blue Flowerpiercer (Diglossopis glauca)
Bluish Flowerpiercer (Diglossopis caerulescens)
Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola)
Rufous-naped Brush-Finch (Atlapetes rufinucha) - The new field guide renames this "Cloud-forest Brush-Finch".
Bay-crowned Brush-Finch (Atlapetes seebohmi) - One seen in very disturbed habitat west of Abra Porculla.
White-winged Brush-Finch (Atlapetes leucopterus) - Small numbers in Quebrada Limón and west of Abra Porculla. This race, dresseri, often shows very little rufous color on the crown.
White-headed Brush-Finch (Atlapetes albiceps) - Several in Quebrada Limón.
Black-capped Sparrow (Arremon abeillei) - Iain saw one while taking a rest in Quebrada Limón.
Tumbes Sparrow (Aimophila stolzmanni) - Surprisingly, just one, in arid scrub north of Olmos.
Yellow-browed Sparrow (Ammodramus aurifrons)
Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis)
SALTATORS, CARDINALS AND ALLIES
Streaked Saltator (Saltator striatipectus)
Buff-throated Saltator (Saltator maximus)
Slate-colored Grosbeak (Saltator grossus)
Black-cowled Saltator (Saltator nigriceps) - We found a pair at the Piura Chat-Tyrant site west of Abra Porculla.
Golden-billed Saltator (Saltator aurantiirostris)
Golden-bellied Grosbeak (Pheucticus chrysogaster) - Usually called Southern Yellow-Grosbeak.
BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, GRACKLES, ETC.
Peruvian Meadowlark (Sturnella bellicosa)
Scrub Blackbird (Dives warszewiczi)
Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis)
Giant Cowbird (Molothrus oryzivorus)
Yellow-tailed Oriole (Icterus mesomelas)
White-edged Oriole (Icterus graceannae) - Common in the arid coastal plain.
Yellow-rumped Cacique (Cacicus cela)
Russet-backed Oropendola (Psarocolius angustifrons)