Two guests and I went, during the afternoon, to the Mandor Valley excursion. As we walked on the railway tracks I heard very loud noises. It was the first time I had ever heard them like that but I could imagine it was a bird. We all began to look through the branches to identify the bird that was singing. Suddenly there it was the “Andean Cock of the rock” (Rupicola peruviana). There were two couples. The males were singing and dancing, showing of their typical display. They moved their heads and wings and sang very loud. The females were on the side looking at them in silence. We were very excited. All of us stayed there for a long time watching, learning about their courtship. This experience made of our Mandor excursion a wonderful one.

- Yashira Bejar -

April has been a special month for the “Andean Cock of the Rock” (Rupicola peruviana). Every morning at around 10:00am the “Andean Cock of the rocks” came close to the Ecocenter, they perched at high branch close to our window and stayed there for half an hour or so. Sometimes the females come also and stayed in the same place. They like to eat fruits of Yanali and Moena trees. One time a female flew very low and perched in a Fuchsia bush. We thought she was injured but when we got closer it flew away very quickly. We then realized it was only looking for some fruits. We have seen them flying from over the mountain on the opposite bank of the river, which is why we think they are nesting there.

- Katia Masias -

Some of the interpreters went very early on a bird watching excursion; it was a very good climate for birding. We saw many tanagers like the Blue-necked Tanager (Tangara cyanicollis), Saffron-crowned Tanager (Tangara xantocephala lamprotis), Silver-backed Tanager (Tangara viridicollis viricollis) and more. Then we saw some very loud Dusky green oropendolas (Psarocolius atrovirens). There were three of them at the top of one tree. But the highlight of the day was close to the river. All of us were standing on the terrace behind the Restaurant looking at some flycatchers like the Streak-necked Flycatcher (Mionectes striatiocollis) when suddenly we saw a big bird perching on the electric wire. It was the Highland Motmot (Momotus aequatorialis). We could see him clearly. It stood there for about 10 minutes and then flew closer to us to catch an insect. We stood only 2 meters away and could see how it ate the big insect. After eating the bug it stayed for a while on the rock swinging its tail from side to side. At the end it made a characteristic sound and flew away. This made our day.

- Katia Masias -

It was a cloudy morning when the interpreter Marco Huaman took a Birdwatching walk with a group of guests. Despite the climate there was good activity. They had seen many tanagers, flycatchers and even a torrent duck. They went into the orchid garden looking for bigger birds, when suddenly Marco saw a bird perched on a higher branch. It was green, had a yellow breast and red bill. It was the first time Marco had seen this bird. He looked in his book and identified the bird as the Masked Fruiteater. The bird stayed for approximately 5 minutes on the same branch until it flew onto a higher branch.

- Marco Huamán / Assistan Intérpreter ITMP -

Carmen Soto, resident biologist at Inkaterra Machu Picchu, began an orchid walk excursion. At approximately 11:15am they where on the first trail of the orchid garden when Carmen saw the Masked Fruiteater on a Pacae tree (Inga adenophylla) eating some fruits. It was camouflaged behind some leaves allowing it to stay for a long time on the same spot. All the guests were able to see it. They continued with the excursion when, close to the tee house, they saw another bird. It was also a big bird, he was brown and had a long tail, and quickly Carmen identified it as the Squirrel Cukoo. He was perched also on a Pacae tree; it stayed for a few minutes on the same branch and then flew onto another tree.

- Carmen Soto / Resident Biologist at ITMP -

The interpreter Andres Casas was guiding a nature walk with two guests when Teodoro (gardener) told him he had seen a bear. The bear was climbing the mountain on the other side of the river. Andres ran to tell the guests and interpreters who where at the Ecocenter so they could see it as well. The bear was climbing different trees, looking for bromelias to feed on. When it found a bromelia it used the claws to take all the leaves away and continued to eat the the plant. At the end many people from the Inkaterra staff joined the group to see the bear.

- Andres Casas -

Dennis Osorio and the interpreter Ingrid Rabitsch went on a bird watching training tour. They were looking at a mixed flock of birds. There were many birds; some tanagers, warbles, flycatchers and even a Quetzal that flew away very fast. Suddenly Dennis saw a bird perched on a closer branch; it was a bird he had never seen. He tried to identify it with the “Birds of Machu Picchu” book but he didn’t found it. He wrote all the characteristics he could see. When they got back to the Ecocenter they looked for the bird in the “Birds of Peru” book and that is when they realized it was the Rufous casiornis, an austral migrant that is very uncommon in Machu Picchu.

- Dennis Osorio and Ingrid Rabitsch -

Dennis Osorio, two travelers, the interpreters Ingrid Rabitsch and Katia Masias went for Bird watching along the railroad tracks. They were looking at a mixed flock on a tree on the other side of the river. Suddenly Dennis spotted the Masked Fruiteater perched on a branch eating some fruits. It was very far and was moving a lot so it was difficult for the others in the group to see it.

- Dennis Osorio and Katia Masías -