2025

Rio
Urubamba

Exploring the rio Urubamba banks and its upper basin in the department of Ucayali (central Peru) in search of the Selva Cacique, a very rare and little-known bird.

DETAILS .

Participants: Fabrice Schmitt, Raphaël Sané, Felipe de Groopte, Ombline Chabasseur, Lucero Odar.
Partners: Instituto Peruano de Herpetologia, Zeiss
Key results: The expedition was divided into two parts, beginning with a survey of the Upper Urubamba watershed at Abra Artilleria (2000 m altitude) and Kiteni (930 m) north of the Vilcabamba mountain range, followed by stops at four sites in the Lower Urubamba between Pongo de Mainique and Sepahua. More than 400 bird species were recorded, including the Selva Cacique, discovered at two new sites more accessible than the few previously known locations. Several other rare birds were also observed, along with 48 bat species and 11 other mammal species. Over 1150 records of 569 species were added to the online iNaturalist database (including several firsts for iNat and for Peru), including a potential new moth species.
Follow-ups: The habitat of the Selva Cacique has been specified (banks of medium-sized watercourses with more or less dense natural vegetation), which opens the way to further surveys along the Urubamba river and other nearby watercourses.