Manu National Park (Birds and Other Creatures)

Abstract

Mnu National Park (a few ears hack also declared a ational Biosphere Reserve) is truly a world treasure. It is located less than 100 miles north of the extremely interesting city of Cuzco, the capitol of the ancient Inca empire.

The lowland area along the eastern edge of the Andes is the most biologically diverse that our planet contains. Two and one half acres of ground there may well contain over 200 species of trees alone.

Four Million Acres

One Thousand Species of Birds Manu National Park comprises approximately 4,000,000 acres. This makes it a little hit larger than the state of Connecticut. It is the only park in the world which contains more than 1,000 species of hirds, 1,200 species of butterflies and 200 species of mammals.

It must he kept in mind that the cloud forest and lowland rain forest, unlike the Africa savannas where from a Range Rover you can ohserve huge herds of herhivorous mammals and big cats and other carnivores, the majority of rain forest birds prefer the high canopy 100 to 150 feet a hove the forest floor and the mammals and other hird species must he viewed at close range through dense and dark vegetation. On average only about 5% of the sun's light reaches the forest floor.

This ohviously requires some special thought as to how best to see the most. One successful technique in the lowland forest is to simply stand or sit still and quiet near a game trail and view the forest residents as they approach you. A better way is to find a high point from which you can overlook the surrounding forest canopy. Ideally, there will be one or more blooming or fruiting trees visible in the near vicinity. Such a site is tremendously rewarding particularly during the first two hours after dawn and the last two hours before dusk. Manu National Park has numerous such vantage points though not really convenient to the lodge. Mirador 1 and Mirador 2, as well as a small wooden observation platform at the top of a cliff about a mile from the Manu Lodge, are good spots. During the wet season the viewing platform at the Moriche palm grove is a good place to watch the Red-bellied and Blue and Gold Macaws feeding on the ripe palm fruits. This latter area is a swamp during the rainy season but that is when the palms are fruiting and the birds congregate.

Also well worth while are excursions on the oxbow lakes. The canoes, being quite silent and capable of slow movement, allow easy and clear view of the many Hoatzins, Red-capped Cardinals, various herons, egrets, spoonbills, jacanas, ducks and hummingbirds, as well as toucans, aracaries and macaws as they fly over. From the canoes you may also see the highly endangered giant river otters, 70 pounds and six feet long, and if you are lucky a jaguar, tapir or giant anteater on a sand bar. The only mammals that appear in large groups are the Squirrel, Capuchin, Spider and Howler Monkeys. The other monkey species, Dusky Titi, Saddleback Tamarin, Emperor and Pigmy Marmosets are solitary or travel in small family groups.

The park has three distinct zones, each a unique ecosystem unto itself. The Puna Grassland extends from the snow line in the Andes down to 11, 500 feet. The most unique and obvious bird in this zone is the huge and spectacular Andean Condor. There are also Mountain Caracaras and several species of hummingbirds. In all three zones the numerous hummingbirds proved very difficult and in most cases impossible for me to identify due to adverse lighting and in the cases of most females, their similar colors.

The mid-zone of the park is the Cloud forest. It's elevation extends from 11,500 to 4,000 feet. This is where the beautiful Crested and Goldenheaded Quetzals and the Andean (Scarlet) Cock-of-the- rock are seen. In addition, I saw the Blue-crowned Trogon at 5,600 feet elevation, as well as flowerpiercers, hummingbirds and many, many beautiful tanagers including the Orange-eared.

The lowland forest (Rain forest) extends from 4,000 feet to the lowest elevations of the park, approximately 1,000 feet. Many accessible and popular locations in this zone have bird lists approaching 500 species. However, if you spent an entire season of concerted birding I think you would be lucky to record half that number.

In the cloud forest, and lowland rain forest in particular, what looks quite uniform to most of us is in fact a great variety of microhabitats. Each species of tree and patch of plants, heliconia grove, bamboo thicket, etc., hosts its own specific group of birds.

Manu National Park protects 11% of all bird species on our planet! This is 200 species more than occurs in all of the United States and Canada combined.

The average human population in Manu including the two Machiguenga villages and the few scattered families of Machiguenga Indians together with the very few and reclusive MashcoPiro and Yaminahua Indians (who try to avoid contact with anyone from the outside and are very rarely seen) is about 500. The Indian population is about 400 of that total.

For human use purposes, the park is divided into three different areas or zones. A narrow strip of land along the Alto Madre De Dias river is referred to as the Cultural Zone. This allows the few families who were living there before the establishment of the park to continue there. However no new or additional development is permitted.

The next is the Reserved Zone.

Tourists are permitted in the Cultural and Reserved Zones. A maximum of 500 visitors per year are currently permitted in the Reserved Zone. The remaining 80% of the park is restricted to the few indigenous people and a very limited number of properly accredited scientists who are actively participating in legitimate research. There are two biological research stations in this zone, Cocha Cashu station and Machiguenga Collpa station.