Cock of the Rock - Peru or Ecuador? (1 Viewer)

[West End Birder]

Wonder if anyone can help me. Mrs West End Birder would like to see Macchu Pichu (I am not so keen but will do it) and Lake Titicaca. I would like to see Andean Condor and Cock of the Rock. The travel agency who we normally book through say that their supplier does not do a safari for CotR because the places are not so accessible.

Does anyone know of a guide or a day tour or whatever that would help? Or would I be better off going to Ecuador?

Thanks

Rob

 

[stuartelsom]

You can see them fairly easily along the river in Aguas Calientes, the nearest town to Macchu Pichu. I've seen them both up and downriver from the Inkaterra Hotel. They might not be lekking when you're there, but you should see them nonetheless. Check eBird for most recent hotspots.

Hope this helps

Stu

 

[West End Birder]

That's brilliant thank you - and convenient if near MP. We won't be going until next Feb / Mar.

Is it safe to walk there? (from humans and other things!)

 

[dandsblair]

We found it safe but

That's brilliant thank you - and convenient if near MP. We won't be going until next Feb / Mar.

Is it safe to walk there? (from humans and other things!)

We found it safe but they were doing a Spectacled Bear release programme nearby and we did see one, but it seemed scared of us.

Although we saw female CotR in hotel grounds down stream, much better sighting were at Cock of the Rock lodge between Paucartambo and Pilcopata. www.inkanatura.com could arrange trip to just here or all the way down to Manu.

Lost of easy places to see them in Ecuador near Mindo we found Angel Paz's place excellent.

 

[Maroon Jay]

check here: https://birdtripper.com/birding-hotspots-peru/

 

[West End Birder]

While I have some 'experts' on here (thanks for the info so far) what mammals are relatively easy to see in Peru? Any chance of Jaguar for example? While we are doing the touristy stuff I would like to do a 3 days 'safari' if any of you have any recommendations

Thanks

 

[Larry Sweetland]

I wouldn't be unkeen to go to macchu pichu. It might not be the best cock of the rock site ( though they're fairly easy to see there), but it's a really good birding site in general, well worth birding the forest round the site and top birding all the way back to town on foot.

 

[West End Birder]

Thank you everyone!

 

[kb57]

I started a similar thread earlier this year:

https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=372572

- ended up going to Jardin, Colombia (which was great btw) but you might find some of the responses helpful for Peru / Ecuador

 

[fbeeldens]

birding is indeed great around the site (Inca wren was fairly easy in the bamboo patches at the edges of the ruins). some nice tanager flocks also. We took the steps down from ruins to the river and regularly had small flocks coming through. The botanical garden at the foot (coming down from the ruins, just to the right of the road before you cross the bridge across the river going back to Aguas Calientes) netted us amongst other masked fruiteater. We had green-and-white hummingbird in the flower beds along the river, even in Aguas Calientes and both white-capped dipper and torrent duck on the river (often even within the stretch of river in Aguas Calientes itself.

KR,

filip

 

[kitefarrago]

The Inkaterra hotel in Aguas Caliente has fruit as well as hummingbird feeders, and they have quite nice gardens which turn into secondary forest. As non-residents we asked nicely whether they minded us having a look around and they were very accommodating.

Andrea

 

[Larry Sweetland]

The Inkaterra hotel in Aguas Caliente has fruit as well as hummingbird feeders, and they have quite nice gardens which turn into secondary forest. As non-residents we asked nicely whether they minded us having a look around and they were very accommodating.

Andrea

Agree, they let us in there too, and we saw some good birds (White-throated Quail-Dove, the southern split of Booted Racket-tail etc)

 

[fbeeldens]

On that note, as it's the gateway to Aguas Calientes, the hotel Pakaritampu grounds in ollantaytambo very regularly have bearded mountaineer foraging in their gardens (as well as a number of other species). Worth asking at the gate whether you can walk the gardens for a bit. the mountaineer is hard to miss as it's a good sized bird.