One of the most popular spectacles for visiting birders is that of the rainforest macaw licks, where parrots and macaws congregate to feed on the mineral-rich clays essential to their diet. The rainforest also offers the spectacle of mixed feeding flocks of up to 70 species, each represented by a single pair and perhaps one or two young, who band together to protect themselves from predatory falcons or hawks.

The Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary, with an altitudinal range from 1,725 m to over 6,000 m, is home not only to famous archaeological remains, but also to over 400 species of birds. Nearer to Cusco, the Malaga Pass and Lake Huacarpay also offer interesting, shorter bird watching excursions.

In northern Peru, the Tumbes National Park has been recognised as one of the country’s most important birding destinations. Its unique range of habitats, from dry equatorial forest to Pacific tropical forests, mangroves and beaches, means that there is a high incidence of highly localised species, and because many areas are relatively unexplored in birding terms, it is thought that more species have yet to be discovered.

South of Lima, the coastal desert Paracas National Reserve is anything but an arid wilderness. Famed for its fertile seas and marine fauna, it is also the destination for some 215 migratory bird species, which rest at its lakes during their long annual journey.