CHAPARRI ECOLODGE SAMPLE BIRDING ITINERARIES

Below are included some recommended sample birding itineraries based around Chaparri EcoLodge. The lodge is situated just over an hours drive from Chiclayo and an hour from Bosque de Pomac (using a route that does not require returning to Chiclayo).

THE 1 NIGHT BIRDING SPECIAL
This can be included in almost any tour itinerary in the region and can be used instead of a night in Chiclayo. A visit to Bosque de Pomac can easily be included en route to Chaparri or on leaving the second day. This itinerary gives efficient birders a very good chance to see most of the specialities that Chaparri has to offer including White-winged Guan, Tumbes Tyrant, Black-faced Ibis, Andean Condor, Rufous Flycatcher, Sulphur-throated Finch and many more of the Tumbesian endemics.

Day 1
Arrive Chiclayo and transfer to Chaparri. Collect local guide in Chongoyape and bird Tinajones reservoir en route to the lodge – highlights can include Great Grebe, Black-faced Ibis, Chilean Flamingo, waders and other waterbirds. Arrive in Chaparri for lunch and settle into the cabins. In the afternoon walk the “Huachuma” trail searching for Tumbesian endemics and other birds. In the evening a night birding walk along the main track for Scrub Nightjar, Pacific Pygmy-Owl and West Peruvian Screech-Owl.

Day 2
Early morning near the lodge and watching the hummingbirds bathing in the stream. Breakfast and depart birding the lower areas for Tumbes Tyrant, Rufous Flycatcher, Cinereous Finch, Peruvian Thick-knee, Sulphur-throated Finch en route. With boxed lunch. Alternatively stay until after lunch and then depart.

THE 2 NIGHT BIRDING SPECIAL
This itinerary is slightly more relaxed than the 1 night programme and allows better chances for rarer species such as Ochre-bellied Dove, Solitary Eagle etc.

Day 1
Arrive Chiclayo and transfer to Chaparri. Collect local guide in Chongoyape and bird Tinajones reservoir en route to the lodge – highlights can include Great Grebe, Black-faced Ibis, Chilean Flamingo, waders and other waterbirds. Arrive in Chaparri for lunch and settle into the cabins. In the afternoon walk the “Huachuma” trail searching for Tumbesian endemics and other birds.

Day 2
An early breakfast and a walk across to the Pavas valley taking you through 4 kilometres of varying terrain with good chances for both arid open area species such as Sulphur-throated Finch and Andean Tinamou as well as birds of the wooded valleys such as Ochre-bellied Dove and seasonally Black-and-White Tanager. One can return on the same route, or walk another 4 km in the lower areas. or be collected by vehicle from the base of Pavas valley. In the afternoon birding the lower areas of Chaparri valley for Tumbes Tyrant , Cinereous Finch and other endemics.

Day 3
Early morning near the lodge and watching the hummingbirds bathing in the stream. Breakfast and depart birding the lower areas for Rufous Flycatcher, Peruvian Thick-knee, Sulphur-throated Finch en route. With boxed lunch. Alternatively stay until after lunch and then depart.

THE 3 NIGHT BIRDING SPECIAL
This itinerary includes a wider variety of habitats than the 1 and 2 night programmes and allows better chances for rarer species such as Ochre-bellied Dove, Solitary Eagle as well as a full day exploring higher elevations on the road to Tocmoche allowing good chances for finding other endemics such as Rufous-necked Foliage-gleaner, Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner, Piura Chat-Tyrant, Three-banded Warbler and Grey-and-gold Warblerm about an hours drive away, and more Andean species at higher elevations. The road remains relatively unexplored ornithologically and it is certain much more remains to be found.

Day 1
Arrive Chiclayo and transfer to Chaparri. Collect local guide in Chongoyape and bird Tinajones reservoir en route to the lodge – highlights can include Great Grebe, Black-faced Ibis, Chilean Flamingo, waders and other waterbirds. Arrive in Chaparri for lunch and settle into the cabins. In the afternoon walk the “Huachuma” trail searching for Tumbesian endemics and other birds.

Day 2
An early breakfast and a walk across to the Pavas valley taking you through 4 kilometres of varying terrain with good chances for both arid open area species such as Sulphur-throated Finch and Andean Tinamou as well as birds of the wooded valleys such as Ochre-bellied Dove and seasonally Black-and-White Tanager. One can return on the same route, or walk another 4 km in the lower areas. or be collected by vehicle from the base of Pavas valley. In the afternoon birding the lower areas of Chaparri valley for Tumbes Tyrant, Cinereous Finch and other endemics.

Day 3
An early breakfast (or boxed breakfast) and departure for the Tocmoche road to bird the higher and more humid elevations in search of other Tumbesian endemics and Andean species.

Day 4
Early morning near the lodge and watching the hummingbirds bathing in the stream. Breakfast and depart birding the lower areas for Rufous Flycatcher, Peruvian Thick-knee, Sulphur-throated Finch en route. With boxed lunch. Alternatively stay until after lunch and then depart.

Other Key Birding Areas that can be easily reached from Chaparri EcoLodge include:

Bosque de Pomac
The best site for Peruvian Plantcutter and other Prospois woodland species including Tumbes Swallow.

Punta Eten
A mainland seabird colony that can hold good numbers of Peruvian and some Blue-footed Boobies with smaller numbers of Guanay Cormorants. Humboldt Penguin, Inca Tern, Red-legged Cormorant and Blackish Oystercatcher all occur regularly but are rare. The local council is now protecting the site and it is likely birding will continue to improve.

Puerto Eten wetlands
A large coastal lagoon and area of freshwater marshes. Chilean Flamingos are regular here in large numbers along with a good variety of wetland birds. White-tufted Grebe, Wren-like Rushbird, and Many-coloured Rush-Tyrant reach their northern distributional limit here.

Pimentel
The pier and coast at Pimentel provide good sea-watching with Waved Albatross being regular in the early morning and late afternoon year round. To the north end of the beach a small marshy area is good for waders and a large tern flock can often be found roosting on the beach and can include hundreds of Elegant Terns.