Owlet Lodge at Abra Patricia Reserve – Peru

About

The Abra Patricia Reserve is located in northern Peru within the Peruvian Yugas forest. This forest spans along the eastern part of the Andes. This abundantly diverse bird habitat is one of the best in the world. It is home to the Marvelous Spatuletail, White-bellied Woodstar, Sword-billed Hummingbird amongst many other bird species ready to be photographed by nature photographers. The Alliance for Zero extinction has made Abra Patricia a priority site for bird conservation, especially for the Ochre-fronted Antpitta and Long-whiskered Owlet. These birds are endangered because of ongoing deforestation and small habitat. In addition to birds, the critically endangered Yellow-Tailed Woolly Monkey calls this reserve home.

In order to protect the biodiversity, Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) and American Bird Conservancy opened this reserve in 2005. They have since expanded Abra Patricia to an additional reserve called Huembo, which is home to the Marvelous Spatuletail. Before the conservation efforts began, 60% of the Peruvian Yungas in the region were compromised to illegal woodcutting and burning. Currently, these two sites have 25,113 acres of land dedicated to bird conservation and of other wildlife. This reserve is proud to create tree nurseries, local jobs, and protecting watersheds and forests.

With Abra Patricia Reserve being a popular birding destination, ECOAN and American Bird Conservancy opened Owlet Lodge over 15 years ago. The lodge is a great place to lay your head after a long day of birding and nature photography. With four trails directly connected to the lodge, every day is a new adventure for birders and ornithologists alike.

Owen traveled to Abra Patricia Reserve in March 2018.