u/iechega

Early in the morning, I spotted them soaring high in the sky, riding the warm rising currents. I grabbed my camera, ran to the elevator, went up to the next level of the condominium, and suddenly found myself with about six of these beautiful Turkey Vultures flying very close by. What a privilege!
Many people find these birds unpleasant, but I think they are beautiful.

🇬🇧 Turkey Vulture
🔬 Cathartes aura
🇪🇸 Gallinazo de cabeza roja
🗺️ La Encontrada, Cañete, Peru
🗓️ October 2026

Some hummingbirds catch your eye with their colors. Others with their size or the shape of their tail. And then there is the Rufous-crested Coquette, which seems to have decided to wear all its extravagance on top of its head.
The Rufous-crested Coquette (Lophornis delattrei) is a tiny jewel of the tropical forests. The male sports a spectacular crest of long, slender rufous feathers that he can raise and display, completely transforming his appearance.
Despite its unmistakable looks, photographing it well is not always easy. It is tiny, restless, and can quickly move from one flower to another, forcing you to react in seconds. But when it finally perches and raises that extraordinary crest, everything changes.
These photos were taken at Inkamazonia, Cusco, Peru, where I had the opportunity to observe it up close and capture different views of one of the most distinctive hummingbirds I have ever photographed.

🇬🇧** Rufous-crested Coquette
🔬 Lophornis delattrei
🇪🇸 Colibrí de Cresta Ruf**a
🗺️ Inkamazonia, Cusco, Peru
🗓️ 2026

🇬🇧White-browed Antbird, White-lined Antbird, Moustached Wren
🗺️ Pico de Hoz, Pilcopata, Cusco 🇵🇪
🗓️ Agosto 2026

A childhood dream finally comes true.
I first learned about the Harpy Eagle through reading—if I remember correctly, in the very first issue of the Bruguera Encyclopedia of Animal Life, which was sold at Monterrey, a supermarket that no longer exists. I was about 10 years old, and that brief encounter with this extraordinary bird left a powerful impression on me that stayed with me throughout all these years.

Forty-six years later, I finally had the chance to see one. Not the adult bird I had hoped to find, but its chick, just one week before it began practicing its first short flights around the nest.
Photographing this spectacular bird was an unforgettable experience. (Photo taken from a hide about 30m from nest)

🇬🇧 Harpy Eagle
🔬 Harpia harpyja
🇪🇸 Águila Arpía
🗺️ Somewhere upstream from Shintuya, Madre de Dios
🗓️ August 2026

Hi! I'm still posting photos! Here is a curious King Vulture snooping around my presence in the Pico de Hoz hide. A sneak peek of the excellent session with this specimen that gave me so many shots!

🇬🇧King Vulture
🔬Sarcoramphus papa
🇪🇸 Buitre Real
🗺️ Pico de Hoz, Pilcopata, Cusco
🗓️ Agosto 2026

I hope I get to cross paths with this Masked Flowerpiercer again somewhere around Wayqecha. I photographed it in August 2023 during a visit to Manu National Park, in the dim forest light that brought out its bluish plumage and striking reddish eye against the shadows. Some birds stay with you long after the encounter—and make you hope for another one.
🇬🇧 Masked Flowerpiercer
🔬 Diglossa cyanea
🇪🇸 Pinchaflor Enmascarado
🗺️ Wayqecha en el Parque Nacional del Manu
📅 Agosto de 2023

Two Black-capped Donacobius sharing the same branch at Machuwasi oxbow lake. They stayed close together, each turned toward the other, almost as if they were having a quiet conversation. I especially liked being able to frame them both, with their bright yellow eyes standing out against the warm tones of their plumage and the soft green background.

I hope to see these birds next week!

🇬🇧 Black-capped Donacobius
🔬 Donacobius atricapilla
🇪🇸 Donacobio
🗺️ cocha Machuwasi
📅 2023

Two Peruvian Pelicans glide effortlessly above Poza La Arenilla, carried by the ocean breeze. In the background, Lima’s skyline fades into the winter haze, a reminder that this natural refuge continues to thrive in the shadow of one of South America’s largest cities. Moments like this highlight the remarkable contrast between wildlife and the urban landscape, sharing the very same horizon.

🇬🇧 Peruvian Pelican
🔬 Pelecanus thagus
🇪🇸 Pelícano peruano
🗺️ Poza La Arenilla, La Punta, Callao
📅 Julio de 2026

A subject doesn’t always need to fill the entire frame. In this photograph, I wanted to include the habitat where it naturally blends in. Its subtle plumage allows it to disappear among the grasses with remarkable ease, and that’s part of what makes watching this species so rewarding. Sometimes, showing the environment tells a richer story than a tight close-up ever could.

🇬🇧 Variable Seedeater
🔬 Sporophila corvina
🇪🇸 Semillero variable
🗺️ Sachatamia Lodge, Mindo, Ecuador
📅 2025

At Mashpi-Amagusa, this Rose-faced Parrot paused on a branch as a light drizzle fell around us. It lifted one foot, then tilted its head and studied me with that pale eye framed by its rosy face and dark crown. From such a close distance, its green plumage revealed warm yellow tones and subtle flashes of blue across the wings.

🇬🇧 Rose-faced Parrot
🔬 Pyrilia pulchra
🇪🇸 Lorito carirrosado
🗺️ Mashpi-Amagusa en Mindo Ecuador
📅 2025

At Mashpi-Amagusa, this Rose-faced Parrot paused on a branch as a light drizzle fell around us. It lifted one foot, then tilted its head and studied me with that pale eye framed by its rosy face and dark crown. From such a close distance, its green plumage revealed warm yellow tones and subtle flashes of blue across the wings.

🇬🇧 Rose-faced Parrot
🔬 Pyrilia pulchra
🇪🇸 Lorito carirrosado
🗺️ Mashpi-Amagusa en Mindo Ecuador
📅 2025

Of all the tanagers I have seen, the Gray-and-gold Tanager is certainly one of the most beautiful. I photographed it leaning over a moss-covered branch, looking down, with its delicate mix of gray, white, black, and golden tones standing out against the soft forest background. Seeing this species, native to Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama, at Sachaguatusa filled me with both wonder and a deep sense of calm.

🇬🇧 Gray-and-gold Tanager
🔬 Poecilostreptus palmeri
🇪🇸 Tangara doradagrís
🗺️ Sachaguatusa en Mindo Ecuador
📅 2025

Photographing birds in cloud forests comes with a unique challenge: there is rarely enough light.

While photographers struggle to keep shutter speeds high enough, birds continue moving constantly. Slower shutter speeds often result in motion blur, while faster settings force us into very high ISO values and increased image noise. Fast lenses help, but they are expensive and often heavy to carry through the mountains.

Fortunately, modern mirrorless cameras have changed the game. Improved high-ISO performance, combined with today’s noise reduction software, makes it possible to save images that would have been unusable only a few years ago.

This photograph of a Peruvian Wren was taken near the Carpish Tunnel in Huánuco. It may not be a perfect image, but it perfectly captures the challenges—and rewards—of bird photography in Andean cloud forests.

🇪🇸 Cucarachero Peruano
🇬🇧 Peruvian Wren
🔬 Cinnycerthia peruana
📍 Túnel Carpish, Huánuco, Perú
📅 2023
📷 500 mm • f/7.1 • 1/500 s • ISO 12800

Some birds stand out because of their colors. The Fork-tailed Flycatcher stands out because of its silhouette. With its elegant forked tail and habit of perching high above the ground, it is one of South America’s most recognizable birds.

I photographed this individual near Iquitos in 2026, patiently scanning its surroundings before launching into the air after insects.

Interestingly, males can grow tails far longer than those of females, making them one of the species’ most striking features.

🇬🇧 Fork-tailed Flycatcher
🔬 Tyrannus savana
🇪🇸 Tijereta Sabanera
📍 Iquitos, Loreto, Perú 🇵🇪

The subject here is a Diademed Plover, photographed in the high Andean wetlands along the road to Marcapomacocha, in the mountains of Lima, Peru. I could have filled the frame with the bird, but that would have told only part of the story.

By leaving space around the subject, its true home comes into view: high-altitude wetlands, a mosaic of water, grasses, and small vegetated islands stretching across the landscape. It is a harsh environment—cold, windy, and exposed—yet one of the most fascinating ecosystems in the Andes.

I find myself increasingly drawn to this kind of environmental photography. It is not only about the bird, but also about the place that shaped it. To understand a species, we must first understand the landscape it calls home.

🇬🇧 Diademed Plover
🔬 Phegornis mitchellii
🇪🇸 Chorlito Cordillerano
📍 Marcapomacocha, Lima, Perú 🇵🇪
📅 2026

Hidden among the Andean scrub of San Lorenzo de Huachupampa, this small treasure appeared: the Rusty-bellied Brushfinch, a Peruvian endemic that quietly moves through dense shrubs and vegetation.

It may not seem flashy at first glance, but taking a closer look reveals how special it truly is. The contrast between its grayish chest, rusty belly, and dark facial pattern gives it a unique character, especially during those brief moments when it steps into the open before disappearing back into cover.

In places like Huachupampa, birds always seem more connected to the landscape. The mountain chill, the mist, and the silence make encounters like this feel even more intimate and unforgettable.

🇬🇧 Rusty-bellied Brushfinch
🔬 Atlapetes nationi
🇪🇸 Matorralero de Vientre Rojizo
🗺️ San Lorenzo de Huachupampa, Lima, Perú 🇵🇪
📅 2026

Leaving Lima behind for a moment, we travel to Moyobamba, where the Tahuishco viewpoint gifted us with remarkably close encounters with this tiny Lafresnaye’s Piculet.

Despite their small size, these piculets carry all the attitude of a true woodpecker. They move quickly through branches and trunks, inspecting every corner for insects while the sunlight highlights the intricate patterns of their plumage. Up close, it’s impossible not to admire the details: the delicate white spots on the head, the barred underparts, and the golden tones that appear under the right light.

Tahuishco is always surprising because it reminds us that unforgettable birding moments don’t always require venturing deep into the rainforest. Sometimes all it takes is a small patch of forest and the patience to let nature come to you.

🇬🇧 Lafresnaye’s Piculet
🔬 Picumnus lafresnayi
🇪🇸 Carpinterito de Lafresnaye
🗺️ Mirador de Tahuishco, Moyobamba, Perú 🇵🇪
📅 2025

These past few weeks have been quite stressful, leaving me with little time or energy to plan trips or head out into the field. So the little free time I’ve had has gone to the birds visiting my feeder, like this trusting West Peruvian Dove that has slowly grown comfortable with my presence.

The funny thing is that the more time you spend observing everyday birds, the more details you begin to notice. In this case, the close distance allowed me to experiment with shorter focal lengths and appreciate textures, colors, and expressions that are usually lost when photographing from farther away. That striking blue skin around the eye has always been one of the most fascinating details of this species.

Sometimes you don’t need to travel hundreds of kilometers to reconnect with nature. Even in the middle of stress and routine, a few visits from balcony birds can remind us why we started birdwatching in the first place.

🇬🇧 West Peruvian Dove
🔬 Zenaida meloda
🇪🇸 Cuculí
🗺️ Miraflores, Lima, Perú 🇵🇪
📅 2026

Some bird encounters stay with you forever. This Puna Thistletail crossed my path along the breathtaking Abra Málaga road in Cusco back in 2023.

Its tiny body seemed to puff up against the Andean cold while raising that extraordinary tail like a flame in the misty mountain forest. These fleeting, silent moments are the reason I always return to the field.

🇬🇧 Puna Thistletail
🔬 Asthenes harterti
🇪🇸 Cola-de-cardo de la Puna
🗺️ Abra Málaga, Cusco, Perú 🇵🇪
📅 2023