Moving from Lima to Cusco for our Classic Andes and Manu Road tour, we will take in the scenic Apurimac River valley - the source of the mighty Amazon, the world’s largest river system - in search of some highly localised and rarely seen endemics including Apurimac Spinetail and Apurimac Brushfinch. A full day up the might Abra Malaga will take our breath away – quite literally! The remnant patches of polylepis forest host both Tawny and endemic, White-breasted Tit-Spinetails, exhibitionist Stripe-headed Antpitta, endemic Junín Canastero, Puna Tapaculo, Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant, Blue-mantled Thornbill, and Red-rumped Bush Tyrant.

Returning to Cusco, we climb the famous Manu Road before descending the eastern Andean slopes, birding through temperate zones and montane cloud forest, offering chances for an incredible variety of exceptional species, including Cerulean-capped and Yungas Manakins, Rufous-capped Thornbill, Crested and Golden-headed Quetzals, Blue-banded Toucanet, Spotted Barbtail, the outrageous Amazonian Umbrellabird, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Inca Flycatcher, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Golden-eyed Flowerpiercer and Peruvian Piedtail. We will also visit an Andean Cock-of-the-rock lek, where numerous males sometimes congregate and perform their strange mating ritual! With persistence, night birding in this area might yield the uncommon Napo and Rufescent Screech Owls, Rufous-banded Owl, Lyre-tailed Nightjar and possibly even Andean Potoo.