Carpish Cloud Forest

Carpish is the ridge the road crosses between Huánuco and Tingo María at around 2,700 metres, and it is one of the classic birding stops in central Peru - a band of stunted, moss-heavy cloud forest that is in fog most of the time, holding tanagers, antpittas, quetzals and a long list of montane species, several of them restricted to this part of the eastern Andes. Orchids and bromeliads cover everything. The birding is done from the road and from short trails leading off it, particularly near the old Carpish tunnel, which the modern highway has partly bypassed. The forest here is not formally protected as a national area and clearing for farming has taken a lot of it, with conservation efforts working through private and community initiatives instead. The road itself is heavily used by trucks and the weather is consistently wet and cold.

What you actually see

• The cloud forest - stunted, moss-covered woodland in near-permanent fog.
• The birds - tanagers, antpittas and quetzals, several range-restricted.
• The old tunnel - the historic crossing point and the best-known access.
• The epiphytes - orchids and bromeliads covering trunks and branches.

When to go

May to September has less rain, but fog is the normal state here in any month. Dawn for birds. Half a day from the road, two days with a guide for a serious list.

Honest expectations

Fog frequently reduces visibility to a few metres and can ruin a day's birding. Roadside birding means truck traffic and noise. No facilities on the pass. The forest is unprotected and visibly cleared in places.

Nearby

Tingo María is north-east; Huánuco is south-west.