RIO CHONTA
PERU
CAJAMARCA (Compass)
Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W ha topography msl
Protected/registered status
Best Time for visit (12th June, 2006)
Birding Site Guide
This is an easily accessibly site from Cajamarca for the endangered endemic Grey-bellied Comet. I tried to follow the instructions in the Valqui guide and got totally lost. Instead of going via Banos del Inca, it is far easier via the airport towards Combayo. Colectivos and combis leave from around 194 Jiron Revilla Perez, a continuation of Jiron del ..... starting at the corner of the plaza. The ride takes about 50 minutes and costs just 2s. The first 20 minutes or so is paved then it is a gravel road. Ask to get off at Chicche where there is a small hydroelectric power station. From there it is just a few hundred metres until good habitat. Just before the first house on the left there is a dry stream bed coming down and a little hill with a big rock. Both these have some small trees with pink and yellow flowers where I saw the comets feeding. I also saw one at the bottom of the hill perched on a low branch catching insects like a flycatcher. I also saw Green-tailed Trainbearer here and Torrent Tyrannulets are easily seen on the river. The owner of this property was called Florentino Cortez. He asked for a few soles for some food which I was happy to give him. I saw 21 species including 1 lifer.
Species seen
- Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
- American Kestrel Falco sparverius
- Sparkling Violet-ear Colibri coruscans
- Green-tailed Trainbearer Lesbia nuna
- Gray-bellied Comet Taphrolesbia griseiventris Endemic Endangered
- Purple-collared Woodstar Myrtis fanny Possibly seen
- Andean Flicker Colaptes rupicola
- Baron's Spinetail Cranioleuca baroni Endemic
- Torrent Tyrannulet Serpophaga cinerea
- Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant Anairetes flavirostris
- White-browed Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca leucophrys
- Blue-and-white Swallow Notiochelidon cyanoleuca
- House Wren Troglodytes aedon
- Great Thrush Turdus fuscater
- Peruvian Sierra-Finch Phrygilus punensis
- Band-tailed Seedeater Catamenia analis
- Black-throated Flowerpiercer Diglossa brunneiventris
- Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis
- Golden-billed Saltator Saltator aurantiirostris
- Golden-bellied Grosbeak Pheucticus chrysogaster
- Peruvian Meadowlark Sturnella bellicosa
Other Fauna
A total of -- species of mammals.
There are -- recorded species of amphibians and reptiles.
Flora
Author: Charles Hesse
www.birdingsiteguide.com
