The famous Malaga Pass offers the unique opportunity to bird one of the rarest and threatened ecosystems on earth, the Polylepis Woodlands. Polylepis is a genus comprising 28 recognized shrub and tree species, endemic to the mid- and high-elevation regions of the tropical Andes. This group is unique to the rose family and predominantly wind-pollinated, polylpepis woodlands are biological systems characterized by having restricted distribution, so they are of great ecological, systematic and biogeographic interest. Birding is done at the Thastayoq Reserve where highly restricted andean species are found several of them endemic to this hábitat.
Highlights
Bird one of the most threatened ecosystems on earth
Learn from close the various efforts to protect this key hábitat as we visit the Thastayoq Interpretation Center at 14,200 ft
Admire the every-day life of peoples of the andes as we drive our way to the Malaga pass
Chase alpaca and llama herds as we make our way to the trail head at the Malaga Pass
Full Day
Early start, drive along the Cusco-La Convencion road as the pass is reach a short walk is requiered to get to the patch of Polylepis, a 4-5 hours easy hike down to valley floor is necessary to explore this unique andean habitat and its highly habitat-specialized birds, unfortunately this endemic andean habitat is quickly disappearing because of selective cutting for fire-wood. The birds we expect to find include Ash- breasted Tit-Tyrant (near-endemic), Royal Cinclodes (endemic), White-browed Tit-Spinetail (endemic), Tawny Tit-Spinetail, Striped- headed Antpitta, Giant Conebill, Cordilleran Canastero, Black Siskin, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, Lined-fronted Canastero, Tit-like Dacnis, Blue-mantled Thornbill, Thick-billed Siskin, Andean Condor, Andean Lapwing, Mountain Caracara and others, depending on the time of year various ground-tyrant can be found on the paramo. At the end of our hike we meet our transport in one the bends of the road and continue our drive back to Cusco or the Urubamba Valley depending on your location.
