The 2960-hectare Abra Patricia-Alto Nieva Private Conservation Area is a bird-watcher’s paradise managed by the Association of Andean Ecosystems (ECOAN). More than 300 species call this area home, 23 of which are considered globally threatened. There are a half-dozen named trails in the reserve. None of them are particularly long, but all offer perfect conditions for observing the native birds.
The conservation area is located about 40 minutes east of Pedro RuÃz on the road to Moyobamba. ECOAN maintains two lodges in the area: the Owlet Lodge on the main Anra Patricia site and the Huembo Lodge, 50km west in the direction of Pedro RuÃz.
This is a fabulous spot to enjoy mountainous cloud forest that has never seen the swipe of a chainsaw. Although an obvious favorite of bird-watching tour groups – who come to see such endemic species as yellow-scarfed tanager, Lulu’s tody-flycatcher and the extremely rare long-whiskered owlet – it’s also the best place to see the critically endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey.
