Cusco Birdwatching på Balcón del Diablo (Halfday)

The Flight of the Condor...it's taken a few days to process my experience with Andean Condors, now I think I'm willing to share. It was an experience itself to get to the small village of Comunidad de Chonte from Cusco involving a 2 hour paved road trip followed by another hour on single lane dirt switchback road. Once this point was reached it was another 3km, 1 hour hike high in the Andes, about 3 500m altitude. The hike was a narrow cattle path on the edge of the mountain, crossing several landslips... finally at the point we scan the valley below and the mountain peaks above! Sitting enjoying the sun on top of a peak a long way off we spot our first Condor who was content to chill in the sunshine. Ok time for our hydration and sandwich ( provide as part of the trip)to see if anymore will soar through. First bite, my eyes spy a big bird coming through the valley... sandwich dropped, camera ready. I needn't have rushed. For the next 30 mins we witnessed not 1 but 6 Condors flying and circling low above us, so close when my camera card filled my phone could take photos. My guide Jose who has done documentaries on the awe inspiring birds, was extremely excited too as this was the largest number in one visit he'd seen, not only that their pattern of flight above us he had not witnessed before either. For those that have stayed with the story God provided for Andrew too who was with me and really wanted to see a Condor in the wild, unfortunately he got sick on the trip up and had to rest with our driver at the car...but God provides...we saw both a Condor soaring and a hummingbird resting on a close wire( largest and smallest flighted birds) together near where we had to leave the car. We also got many endemic birds along the way in the morning. I felt quite safe with our driver along the roads. I know this was not the cheapest tour for Condors from Cusco, but when I had only one day, one chance so wanted to go with someone who knew the quiet, almost secret place of the Condor! We were the only ones out there experiencing them here, no tour buses or groups just the 3 of us and the birds! I'm pleased that money from our tour also goes to education of locals about the value of the environment and the birds they are blessed to have.

Definitely one of the best international bird watching experiences I've had. We ended up seeing about 25 species of birds over 2 hrs with some being endemic. My guide was super knowledgeable not only about the native birds but the general inca history of the region. The hike itself wasn't too strenuous, but at 12k altitude any uphill walking can be tricky especially if you're not fit. The entire experience of being picked up from my hotel, driven to the location and driven back to my hotel was first class. If I'm ever back in Peru I'll use their services for bird watching.

My wife and I decided at the last minute to go on a nursing trip for our last day in Cusco. It’s important to mention that Peru is a true birding paradise with one of the largest number of species in Central/South America We connected with José who took us on a morning tour 30 minutes out of Cusco We had a wonderful time, José is extremely knowledgeable on not only birds but fauna, flora and historia. He’s a great spotter, I think we saw some 30 different species on the tour We highly recommend them

Our birding tour at Balcon del Diablo was fantastic! We saw endemic species and many others, including Peruvian Pygmy Owls, Andean Flickers, and Andean Geese. Our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful with bird identification. The scenery was also beautiful. We highly recommend this tour that is just minutes away from Cucso.

We have been travelling through Latin America for the past two months, and without a doubt this morning was one of highlights of our entire trip. Jose is an expert at finding and showing the birds, but even moreso he has a contagious enthusiasm for bird watching that is a joy to be around. If you're a hard-core bird watcher, Jose is the one you want to book with -- but even if you have zero bird watching experience, you should still book in this morning tour.. it might just spark a new hobby for you!

Wish I could give 100 stars!! We had a packed week of birding-- doing several of the excursions-- and added so many hummingbirds,... song birds,... shore birds,.. birds of prey and endemic birds to our life list. We mixed in a ton of other adventures too-- city tours of Lima and Cusco... Cristo Blanco,... Inca Trail,.. and glorious Machu Picchu where we were blessed with a rainbow-- WOW!! But, the stars of the show were our guides-- Jose Luis & Cristina weaved in the history, culture and lifestyles of the kind, gracious and hardworking Peruvian people. Even when we had a flight cancelation before pur return, they helped us navigate... welcomed us into their home,.. cooked a delicious meal,... and drove us to the airport. Felt like we were saying goodbye to familia!! This was a life-changing adventure.

Thoroughly enjoyed 3+ hours with Jose who with his knowledge and experience enabled me see several of the Cusco endemics. I have birded in several countries and can say without hesitation that Jose and Machu Pichu birding are truly amongst the best. Serendipitously we also chanced on a super rare Pampa cat during our wanderings looking for birds !! Have posted some of my photographs from the visit.

The views were incredible and the birding was stellar, even in the winter season! Our guide Yadier was awesome. All of our communication with Jose was fantastic. Ended up with 26 species on a very cold winter morning, so we were more than pleased! The tour also lasted longer than we booked which was a great treat. We saw 4 endemics. There were Incan ruins along the trail (and a few alpacas) which were an additional bonus!

Wonderful experience. We took several tours with Jose Luis Lescada. We did the a combination of cultural and birdwatching tours including the 4D/3N Cusco Birdwatching and the 3D/2N Manu Road. The tours including the great cultural experiences of visiting archeological sites, attending a fantastic cooking class in Cusco led by Cristina and of course bird watching. We definitely recommend Peru Unique Destinations as Jose and team will tailor your experience based on your taste and needs. We learned a great deal about Inka history as well as Peruvian culture. In addition, we saw over 150 unique species of birds including several endemic species. We spent 10 days and Jose Luis and team took care of transportation, accommodations, guides, and several meals. Jose and team are fluent in English and will make your stay in Peru unforgettable.

I had a great morning birding at Balcon del Diablo with Jose Lescano last week on my last day in Cusco. Jose picked up me up at my hotel near the Plaza Mayor at 6:30pm, and we arrived at the site by 6:50pm. Over the next 2.5 hours, we saw 25 species, with especially good looks at Shining Sunbeam, Creamy-crested Spinetail, Tit-like Dacnis, Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant, Ash-breasted Sierra Finch, Chestnut-breasted Mountain Finch, and others. I was back at my hotel before 10am. The habitat at the site reminded me of the Presidio in San Francisco, with hilly terrain dominated by shrubs and eucalyptus. Although the site is quite close to Cusco, I never would have found it myself if I had not hired a guide. More importantly, I would not have known where to walk once I arrived. I highly recommend hiring Jose Lescano for this tour. In addition to this tour, I also hired Jose for the (excellent) Hummingbirds of the Sacred Valley excursion the previous day, which I reviewed separately.