Birdiest
country:
Peru is the birdiest country in the world: It harbors
over 1800 species of birds and with more than 85% of them
being all time residents. It is second only to Brazil
in number of endemic birds and second only to the “islands”
of Indonesia in the number of species with restricted
geographical ranges(as defined by Birdlife). Some lodges
in the Peruvian eastern lowlands are hardly equaled anywhere
in the number of species on their lists: several with
over 550 species! In 1982 a team of birders in southeastern
Peru, broke a world record, with 331 species of birds
in a single day without the use of motorized vehicles,
all within paddling and walking distance.
A
country of contrasts:
Peru is the country with most contrasts in the world:
From the world’s richest oceanic currents, over
the world’s highest tropical mountain chain to the
basin of the world’s largest river, Peru is a land
of unparalleled contrasts. With 87 of the 104 climates
of the world, Peru encompasses both, the driest desert
and the second wettest locality on the planet. Such a
diversity of climates and wealth of natural resources
has not only produced the unparalleled diversity of birds,
but is also responsible for the amazingly rich history
of human cultures and civilizations of which the Incas
are only the best known..
Peru
is safe to visit:
The economy and the politics of Peru are more stable now
than ever. Peru has the second most stable economy in
South America, only after Chile, and with already 25 years
of democratic transitions Also, the last 3 governments
have realized that tourism, the smokeless industry, has
an enormous potential for a country with these wealth
of natural and historical resources. There have been several
policies implemented specifically in order to make it
a safe and predictable place for tourism. Everybody knows
by now that each happy tourist back home means many more
to come.
The
time has definitely come to witness Peru’s unrivalled
diversity of birds (1840 species). From exotic hummingbirds
(118 species), colorful cotingas (33 species), to enigmatic
antbirds (142 species) and macaws at clay-licks, mixed
species flocks of over 30 commingled species, and endemics
like the White-winged Guan and the Junin flightless Grebe. |