Winter 2009 - Lima to Montevideo - Birding Trip Report - Part 5 of many - Tambopata Reserve Home » Forums » Birding » Trip Reports

Save the rainforest, eat Brazil nuts! Brazil nuts grow on large
castana trees in the rainforest. Asians have tried to grow these
trees in Asia, but they failed; the trees have a very specific
pollenation process involving local insects. I am sad to report in
Brazil they burn the rainforest and preserve the castana trees, but
one tree is still better than none.

The two large protected areas near Puerto Maldonado are Manu and
Tambopata, which is a buffer zone to Peru's Bahuaje-Sonene National
Park, a park connected to Bolvia's Madidi. Tambopata as I understand
it is being evaluated to decide if it will become a protected area, or
free game for loggers and developers, or something in between. Madidi
is protected by Bolivia, but Bolivia is a very poor country with an
unstable government and Madidi has been under constant pressure from
loggers and oil companies. All four mentioned areas have basically
the same wildlife, so the most important to visit from the
conservation point of view is Madidi and Tambopata. Manu is the most
popular, and is in no danger of disappearing.

We lucked out and got our best price from the fanciest lodge, and our
own bird guide, Juan Carlos. Liberatador Tambopata Lodge has almost
all the conveniences of a hotel outside of the jungle including hot
water. The office has Internet that can be use for short periods of
time for a fee. Juan Carlos has been with Liberatador for seven years,
and knows every bird sound (animal sound actually) in the jungle.

From the wildlife viewing perspective, our tripped was blessed from
the outset. At the guard stataion we saw a Black Caiman, a species
that was once close to extinction. A little further down the river we
half a dozen Red-and-Green Macaws at a clay lick on the side of the
river. The famous clay lick in this area was a day or two further
down the river, and not part of this tour package. Capybara (large
rodents) were seen on the shore before we even reached the lodge.
We also passed a native family on a tiny canoe with a giant log. We
had to completely stop our boat or else we would have tipped them.

The areas of the Amazon basin at the foothills of the Andes are the
most biodiverse in the world, and that was easy to see when I compared
this area to the rain forest in south central Brazil. On our trip we
encountered many animals and birds the guides told us are less
frequently if not rarely seen. In the oxbow lake at the end of the
first day's hike, we encountered one of the rarest animals in the rain
forest, the Giant River Otter. And on our walk to the lake a Rainbow
Boa crossed the path.

As we left the protected area, a group of people ran onto the trail in front
of us, and off into the distance, with a big sack. Juan Carlos told us that
locals gather nuts from the forest, but in general hunting and logging is not
happening in Tambopata now.

The birdlife was amazing as well. I don't have the equipment
photography in the tall rainforest, such as a 600mm lens, nor was I
able to find good locations such as places to hide in the short amount
of time I was there. In retrospect, standing under the covered bridge
at the lodge might have been the best play to maximize photos. Having
said this, we did see many birds that Juan Carlos told us are rarely
seen, including a species of Barbet, and an uncommon Trogon, I don't
keep bird lists, but we saw from afar countless small and medium sized
birds. Trogons, Quetzals, Nunbirds, Hummingbirds, Chachalacas, Macaws
and Parrots were abundant. A Hoatzin and Anhinga were seen at the
oxbow lake, and I found a group of five Pale-winged Trumpeters on a
walk alone. Otherwise not many large birds, such as raptors or
guans (1 seen from afar), were seen.

I strongly encourage a visit to Tambopata. Please read the previous section
about Puerto Maldonado. You can do a turn-key tour by air from Lima or Cuzco, or
travel by bus as a backpacker, as my wife and I did.