Santa Eulalia Canyon

Our Santa Eulalia Canyon tour is a full day in the dry Andean foothills just 90 minutes east of Lima, and one of the most rewarding day trips for central-Peru endemics anywhere near the capital. From the edge of the coastal desert we follow the Santa Eulalia road up the canyon, climbing from around 800 metres to roughly 2,700 metres through a fast-changing mosaic of habitats — river gorge, columnar-cactus slopes, dry riverside woodland and arid montane scrub. Each band of elevation swaps one set of birds for another, and the endemics come thick and fast; it is a long but hugely productive day, run at an easy pace with an expert guide.

The canyon is the classic site for a cluster of Peruvian endemics found almost nowhere else on a Lima day trip. The cactus slopes and rocky gorges hold the smart Great Inca-Finch and the endemic Black-necked Woodpecker, while flowering trees and scrub draw the tiny Bronze-tailed Comet and Black Metaltail — two endemic hummingbirds — alongside Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail, Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch and, on the arid slopes, Thick-billed Miner and Raimondi's Yellow-Finch. Peruvian Sheartail, Oasis and Amazilia Hummingbirds, Bare-faced Ground Dove and Pacific Pygmy-Owl round out the specialities.

The Río Santa Eulalia runs clear and fast along the canyon floor, and a scan of the white water can turn up Torrent Duck riding the rapids. Overhead the thermals bring raptors — Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Variable Hawk and, with luck, the Andean Condor that gives one of the canyon's viewpoints its name. Mixed flocks of Peruvian Sierra-Finch, Band-tailed Seedeater, Golden-billed Saltator and tanagers work the scrub, and the dramatic desert-mountain scenery and clean light make it a superb day for photography.

Our free Santa Eulalia Canyon checklist — compiled from the road's eBird hotspots below 2,700 metres — runs to 160 species with eight Peruvian endemics marked, the honest record of what the lower and mid canyon holds. It is a long expedition day with a fair amount of driving on winding mountain roads, but the transfers are part of the adventure, each one opening a new suite of birds, and we have you back in Lima by late afternoon. Birders chasing the higher-elevation specialities — White-cheeked Cotinga, Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch and the Polylepis endemics above 2,700 metres — should ask about our two-day Santa Eulalia tour, which targets the upper end of the valley.