Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
river in the world. Weather conditions are hot and humid year-round, with most precipita-
tion falling between December and May.
Wildlife
Peru is home to countless ecosystems and
boasts a spectacular variety of plant and animal
life. It is one of only a dozen or so countries in
the world considered to be 'megadiverse.'
Wildlife enthusiasts come to see Peru to see a
rainbow of birds, as well as camelids, freshwa-
ter dolphins, butterflies, jaguars, anacondas,
macaws and spectacled bears - to name but a
few.
Wildlife-Watching
Spots
Birds
Peru has more than 1800 bird species - that's
more than the number of species found in North
America and Europe together. From the tiniest
hummingbirds to the majestic Andean condor,
the variety is colorful and seemingly endless;
new species are discovered regularly.
Along the Pacific, marine birds of all kinds
are most visible, especially in the south, where
they can be found clustered along the shore.
Here you'll see exuberant Chilean flamingos,
oversized Peruvian pelicans, plump Inca terns sporting white-feather mustaches and
bright-orange beaks, colonies of brown boobies engaged in elaborate mating dances, cor-
morants, and endangered Humboldt penguins, which can be spotted waddling around the
Islas Ballestas.
In the highlands, the most famous bird of all is the Andean condor. Weighing up to
10kg, with a 3m-plus wingspan, this monarch of the air (a member of the vulture family)
once ranged over the entire Andean mountain chain from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego.
Considered the largest flying bird in the world, condors usually nest in impossibly high
mountain cliffs that prevent predators from snatching their young. Their main food source
2 CAÑÓN DEL COLCA (
CLICK HERE
)
3 ISLAS BALLESTAS (
CLICK HERE
)
4 PARQUE NACIONAL HUASCARÁN (
