Well David, quite interesting though this is, that list of 702 species for the two lodges along the Manu Road in Peru (Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge and Manu Paradise Lodge) is certainly a fallacy. Both lodges are well in the subtropics, with no real lowland around it and, as you must know, the higher you go the fewer species you will encounter. I have had a closer look at the listed species, and quite a few of them were recorded from that site and from the tropical Manu lowlands, and from nowhere in between, though there are many places there that are very well covered (including Amazonia and Pantiacolla lodges).

As these lodges are mostly visited in combination with a trip to the Manu lowlands, following the Manu road and the Rio Madre de Dios, it is obvious that quite a few irresponsible people have listed species seen lower down in the lowlands, en route to the Manu lodges, under the name of the said lodges. When you go to the websites of the lodges, the Cock-of-the-Rock lodge gives a bird list of 222 species which, though perhaps a little low, will no doubt be more closely to the real figure.

The Peruvian Amazonian lowlands have, of course, many places with a huge bird list of up to 600 species. The highest more or less credible figure I have seen is that of Amazonia Lodge (the former Hacienda Amazonia) on the upper Rio Madre de Dios, which combines lowland forest and aquatic habitats with foothill forest. On eBird 662 species are listed for this lodge, though here too some species from lower down may have been included. The lodge’s website itself gives a rather credible list of 630 species within an altitudinal range of 500 to 1050m.

Best regards,

Paul Van Gasse

Kruibeke, Belgium

paul.van.gasse@telenet.be

Dear All,