Peru’s northern forests are closer to the equator and have many different birds from the south around Cusco and Manu. There are a number of endemic species only found in the north, the most famous being the Marvelous Spatuletail hummingbird, in the Utcubamba River Valley near Chachapoyas.

Some places, like Tingana Nature Preserve and Morro de Calzada near Moyobamba, you can only access with local guides. Others, like the trail to Gocta Falls, are easy to do on your own.

The northeast of Peru is entirely lowland rainforest and the easiest way to access it is by flying to Iquitos. To go birding from Iquitos, you will travel by boat because the city is effectively on an island, with only a few roads to nearby towns. Most birders go to a lodge or on a river cruise in the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve.