The Villa Carmen Biological Station and Birding Lodge is located where the Andes meets the Amazon in southeastern Peru. More than 500 bird species can be found at Villa Carmen, making it a great destination for birders on its own or as part of a route combining other sites on the Manu road. The reserve features extensive trails for birders and a lovely lodge and dining facility.
Birds to look for include bamboo specialists like the Peruvian Recurvebill and Manu Antbird, species of outlying ridges like the Cinnamon-faced Tyrannulet, and charismatic species like Hoatzin, Military and Blue-headed Macaws. Hairy-crested Antbirds are often seen following antswarms. Nightime also offers opportunities to see and hear several species of nightjars, owls, and potoos.
Villa Carmen Biological Station is managed by the Amazon Conservation Association (ACA) in Peru, spans 7,600 acres, and boasts more than 25 miles of trails spanning a wide variety of habitats including old-growth forest, secondary forests, streams, rivers, and attractive waterfalls. American Bird Conservancy worked with ACA to purchase the land for the reserve in 2010 and build tourism infrastructure on site. Tourism profits are reinvested by ACA into reserve management and conservation projects.
The station also neighbors several indigenous Wachiperi and Machiguenga communities as well as the Haramba Queros Wachiperi Conservation Concession, established with assistance from Amazon Conservation as the first conservation concession in Peru run by an indigenous community. As part of your itinerary, we can book tours to the Santa Rosa de Huacaria or Queros Wachiperi indigenous communities.