ABRA PORTACHUALO, HUASCARAN NATIONAL PARK 
PERU

ANCASH (Compass)

Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W ha topography msl 
Protected/registered status 
Best Time for visit (27th March, 2006)

 

Birding Site Guide

This site is also within the Huascaran National Park but takes longer to get to. Take a combi from Yungay towards Yanama which leave round the corner from the Llanganuco ones at 7:30. After the 2nd lake, the road winds up a very steep slope to the pass (Abra Portachuela) at (roughly) km 45 and down the other side. Following the directions in Valqui, I got off at 10km further down near the first patches of Polylepis. Before this, the road passes 3 small lakes and the paramo here had Plain-crowned Ground-Tyrant, Many-striped Canastero and Plain-breasted Earthcreeper. At km55, cut accross the grass towards a valley to your right (facing downhill). You will see the lush Polylepis in the valley as you get closer. I walked up the valley along the edge of the forest scanning the tops of the trees. I found White-cheeked Cotinga fairly easily by checking bunches of red infloresces where it seemed to be feeding on berries. Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant was also found easily in this spot. Back at the road, walk another 2km down the road to km57 and check the scrub on the steep bank to your right (next to the road). This was a good spot for Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch. Tit-like Dacnis was also common here. The journey took almost 2 and half hours in a 'combi' arriving at 10:30. The same vehicle goes back at 2:30-3pm and costs 10s each way. This only leaves 4 hours to look around but should be sufficient. I saw 22 species including 3 lifers. 


Species seen

  • Crested Duck Anas specularioides
  • Shining Sunbeam Aglaeactis cupripennis Photographed
  • Black Metaltail Metallura phoebe Endemic
  • Andean Flicker Colaptes rupicola Photographed
  • Plain-breasted Earthcreeper Upucerthia jelskii Photographed
  • Bar-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes fuscus
  • White-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes atacamensis Possibly seen
  • Many-striped Canastero Asthenes flammulata
  • White-cheeked Cotinga Zaratornis stresemanni Endemic Vulnerable Photographed
  • Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant Anairetes alpinus Endangered Photographed
  • D'Orbigny's Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca oenanthoides
  • Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca rufipectoralis
  • Plain-capped Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola alpinus
  • Brown-bellied Swallow Notiochelidon murina
  • Great Thrush Turdus fuscater
  • Tit-like Dacnis Xenodacnis parina Photographed
  • Plumbeous Sierra-Finch Phrygilus unicolor Photographed
  • Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch Phrygilus plebejus
  • Plain-tailed Warbling-Finch Poospiza alticola Endemic Endangered Photographed
  • Plain-colored Seedeater Catamenia inornata
  • Rufous-eared Brush-Finch Atlapetes rufigenis Endemic
  • Thick-billed Siskin Carduelis crassirostris


Other Fauna 
A total of -- species of mammals. 

There are -- recorded species of amphibians and reptiles. 

Flora 

Author: Charles Hesse

 

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