The aim of this short trip was to see White-masked Antbird at San Lorenzo, Loreto and the recently discovered Plataforma Antbird at Flor de Cafe, San Martin. White-masked Antbird was previously known from a 1937 specimen and remained unknown until its rediscovery in 2001. The Plataforma Antbird was discovered by Josh Beck in July 2016.

After our arrival in Lima we headed south along the Pan American Highway to search for day roosting Lesser Band-tailed Nightjar without any luck and we were soon back in the airport heading to Tarapoto. The following morning we flew to San Lorenzo in a 6 seater Cessna and we soon fighting of the mosquitoes searching for the White-masked Antbird. Despite seeing it every day it was not until the final morning where I managed to see it in full unobscured view.

Other notable species encountered during the 3 days at San Lorenzo were – Lunulated Antbird,  Razor-billed Curassow, White-crowned Manakin, White-breasted Wood Wren, White-shouldered Antbird.

The road up to Flor de Cafe was as bad as we expected but we soon made it up to the village and headed out along the trail to where we saw a Plataforma Antbird after hearing it calling much to my relief. I went back the following morning and saw it again in the same area and spent about half an hour with it as it crept and leaf tossed around on the dark forest floor. Several other good birds were seen – Scarlet-banded Barbet 1 briefly, ‘Long-tailed’ Woodcreeper – potentially a split, Yungas Manakin, Chestnut-tipped Toucanet, Spotted Nightingale Thrush, Scarlet-breasted Fruiteater, Blue-rumped Manakin, Black-throated Hermit, Golden-collared Honeycreeper and a few overwintering North American visitors like Swainson’s Thrush, Blackburnian and Canada Warblers and several Western Wood Pewees.

The last morning we looked around some lowland ponds near to Tarapoto were I found 2 White faced Whistling Ducks which are a local rarity.

Chestnut-throated Seedeater

Grassland Yellow finch

Vermillion Flycatcher

Black-capped Donacobias

White-masked Antbird habitat

Lunulated Antbird

Lunulated Antbird

Rio Marañon

San Lorenzo airstrip

San Lorenzo

Plataforma Antbird

Plataforma Antbird

Long-tailed Woodcreeper

Golden-collared Honeycreeper female

Golden-collared Honeycreeper female

Tropical Parula

Rufous Booted Raquet-tail

Green and Gold, Bay-headed, Blue-necked Tanagers and Golden-collared Honeycreeper

Golden-faced Tyrannulet

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl

Blackburnian Warbler

Yellow-tufted Woodpecker

Rose-fronted Parakeet

Bronze-green Euphonia

Western Wood Pewee

Screaming Piha

Blue-crowned Manakin

Flor de Cafe

Flor de Cafe

Flor de Cafe

Flor de Cafe

Flor de Cafe

Flor de Cafe

Flor de Cafe

Flor de Cafe

Species list

White-throated Tinamou
Little Tinamou
Tataupa Tinamou
Wattled Guan heard only
White-faced Whistling-Duck
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Comb Duck
Speckled Chachalaca
Razor-billed Curassow
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Cattle Egret
Striated Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Swallow-tailed Kite
Plumbeous Kite
Rufous-sided Crake
Gray-necked Wood-Rail
Purple Gallinule
Common Gallinule
Limpkin
Black-necked Stilt
Southern Lapwing
Collared Plover
Wattled Jacana
Spotted Sandpiper
Yellow-billed Tern
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Plumbeous Pigeon
Ruddy Pigeon
Ruddy Ground-Dove
Ruddy Quail-Dove
White-tipped Dove
West Peruvian Dove
Eared Dove
Hoatzin
Squirrel Cuckoo
Striped Cuckoo
Greater Ani
Smooth-billed Ani
Band-bellied Owl
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
Common Pauraque
White-collared Swift
Gray-rumped Swift
Fork-tailed Palm-Swift
Black-throated Hermit
Planalto Hermit
Black-throated Mango
Speckled Hummingbird
Booted Racket-tail
Gray-breasted Sabrewing
Fork-tailed Woodnymph
Golden-tailed Sapphire
Collared Trogon
Amazon Kingfisher
Black-fronted Nunbird
Yellow-billed Nunbird
Bluish-fronted Jacamar
Scarlet-crowned Barbet
Scarlet-banded Barbet
Gilded Barbet
Versicolored Barbet
Chestnut-tipped Toucanet
White-throated Toucan
Yellow-tufted Woodpecker
Little Woodpecker
Spot-breasted Woodpecker
Rufous-headed Woodpecker
Black Caracara
American Kestrel
White-winged Parakeet
Cobalt-winged Parakeet
Rose-fronted Parakeet
Barred Antshrike
Lined Antshrike
Blackish Antbird
Plataforma Antbird
Foothill Antwren
White-flanked Antwren
Yellow-breasted Antwren
White-shouldered Antbird
White-masked Antbird
Lunulated Antbird
Spot-backed Antbird
Chestnut-crowned Gnateater
Short-tailed Antthrush
Olivaceous Woodcreeper
Long-tailed Woodcreeper
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
Strong-billed Woodcreeper
Straight-billed Woodcreeper
Plain Xenops
Streaked Xenops
Golden-faced Tyrannulet
Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant
Common Tody-Flycatcher
Yellow-breasted Flycatcher
White-throated Spadebill
Cliff Flycatcher
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
Drab Water Tyrant
Great Kiskadee
Social Flycatcher
Streaked Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Scarlet-breasted Fruiteater
Screaming Piha
Yungas Manakin
Blue-crowned Manakin
Blue-rumped Manakin
White-crowned Manakin
Brown-capped Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue-and-white Swallow
White-banded Swallow
Southern Rough-winged Swallow
White-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Gray-mantled Wren
House Wren
Coraya Wren
White-breasted Wood-Wren
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren
Black-capped Donacobius
Spotted Nightingale-Thrush
Swainson’s Thrush
Black-billed Thrush
White-necked Thrush
Tropical Parula
Blackburnian Warbler
Three-striped Warbler
Canada Warbler
Slate-throated Redstart
Magpie Tanager
White-lined Tanager
Silver-beaked Tanager
Masked Crimson Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Palm Tanager
Blue-necked Tanager
Blue-browed Tanager
Bay-headed Tanager
Golden-eared Tanager
Saffron-crowned Tanager
Green-and-gold Tanager
Golden Tanager
Swallow Tanager
Purple Honeycreeper
Golden-collared Honeycreeper
Saffron Finch
Grassland Yellow-Finch
Bananaquit
Buff-throated Saltator
Grayish Saltator
Yellow-throated Chlorospingus
Common Chlorospingus
Yellow-browed Sparrow
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager
White-winged Tanager
Oriole Blackbird
Shiny Cowbird
Yellow-rumped Cacique
Russet-backed Oropendola
Bronze-green Euphonia
Orange-bellied Euphonia
Blue-naped Chlorophonia
Olivaceous Siskin
House Sparrow