Living in Peru : your everyday companion

(LIP-jl) -- The cloud forests of Peru's Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary are home to a host of incredible creatures which often remain invisible to hikers. Come with us and discover the secrets of their lair.

It was a dizzying gorge, more than 100 meters deep, plunging straight down to the river. Between the moss and the orchids, thousands of yellow-leafed epiphytic plants clung to the rock walls while the white foaming torrent pounded on the rocks below. The roar of the waterfall was deafening, drowning out the birdsong.

Huddled on a narrow ledge, we watched the river rush through the canyon, whose rock walls have been polished by centuries of continuous erosion. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a pair of shapes make headway against the current, practically effortlessly. Every now and then, they halt at one of the vast polished boulders, before pushing off again into the swirling currents, as if defying the mighty Vilcanota River.

It is a pair of torrent ducks (Merganetta armata), one of the most extraordinary creatures to inhabit the mountain rivers. Commonly found in any highland body of water at altitudes over 1,000 meters, these birds, which will only live in clean, pollution-free water, have been doted by nature with the astounding ability to swim through the wildest rapids, making them their undisputed habitat.

The apparent risk of living in such an environment is compensated for by access to abundant food, for which there is no competition: the larvae of thousands of insects amongst the rocks, submerged in water rich in oxygen. Another species, albeit smaller, shares the rapids in search of smaller insects and larvae. This is the water blackbird (Cinclus leucocephalus), a tiny black-and-white bird no bigger than a sparrow which has literally learned to swim underwater in search of food.

As quickly as they arrived, the ducks flutter upriver. We decide to stay beside the river to photograph the dazzling variety of wildflowers. A purple fuchsia brims over with nectar for the ever-hungry hummingbird. The tiny bird will pollinate each flower with the pollen that clings to its feathers.

In another bulb, a pair of emerald green beetles appear to struggle clumsily inside the brightly hued flower. A little further away, fruit has proved to be irresistible for legions of colorful butterflies, while a slight movement amongst the leaves points to the presence of caterpillars, which in appearance look like something out of science fiction.

The forest is also home to two other creatures, as beautiful as they are elusive: the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) and the pudú or sachacabra (Pudu mephistopheles). The spectacled bear is South America's only bear species, and lives out a vegetarian existence hidden deep in the cloud forest; the sacahacabra is a species of dwarf deer which stands just 30 centimeters high. The animal waits for sundown before setting off in search of shoots and fallen fruit, hidden by the undergrowth, making it invisible to predators.

Dancing cocks

As we head away from the river and stride down the railway line, the song of hundreds of birds fills the air. The damp, heavy air of the forest is ideal for carrying the clucks and trills ... and the birds are fully aware of it. This is why they let rip their territorial cries with unexpected force to defend their territory or show off to possible mates.

The area around the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel boasts the extraordinary sighting of 116 bird species to date, although the figure is constantly swelled by additions noted by visiting birdwatchers. The area is visited by everyone from the vast condors, which without ever flapping their wings wheel down from the frigid Andean heights to gaze upon the steamy tropical jungle, to the tiny birds known locally as tangaras, whose shimmering colors would make dancers in Andean festivals green with envy.

Every color under the sun

The hummingbirds are a special case in point. The abundance of flowers in this region has given rise to up to 14 different species, each of them doted with a long, thin beak designed to sip the nectar from certain plant species. Hummingbirds range from some as tiny as an insect, adapted to stripping the nectar from tiny flowers, to others which are larger than most birds, the only species capable of getting at the nectar in bellflowers.

The local flora is just as varied. Trees such as the pisonay (Erythrina falcata) and highland q'euña (Polylepis racemosa), with its boughs ablaze with scarlet flowers, appear to bubble with life. Botanists will find each of these trees is a natural showcase of extraordinary proportions: vines and bromeliads fight it out for every inch of space along the branches, while orchids, moss and lichen huddle together, making the branches look as if they were wrapped in a damp, green overcoat.

This is the heart of the Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary, just minutes away from the famous Inca citadel and the cozy Hotel El Pueblo, where we are staying this time. As night sets in, the stars seem to shine brighter here than elsewhere.

Only the creaking of the eucalyptus distracts our gaze from the river, which is bathed in silver moonlight. Tomorrow we will have to leave bright and early in a bid to catch a glimpse of one of the most striking inhabitants of this region ... a veritable symbol of the Andean cloud forest.

The new day brings surprises

We have come to the right place. The vegetation is dense and it is hard to believe we are just a mile from the hotel. We sit down on the grass to wait. Suddenly, we spot a fleeting figure before it vanishes amongst the branches. A ball of fire that leaves first-time visitors open-mouthed. Then two more appear. Finally, three bright-red figures appear, outshining everything else around them, hopping from branch to branch in an odd dance and making a peculiar sound, in an apparent bid to attract a mate.

The cock-of-the-rocks (Rupicola peruviana), Peru's national bird, is the mysterious inhabitant of the forest which delights visitors with its mating dance. This is a lek, a Swedish term used by scientists to describe sites where certain bird species perform mating dances; a dance floor of sorts, where the males come daily to compete for the favors of the females watching nearby.

Few species have developed such complex methods of exhibition. Hopping and fluttering amongst previously chosen branches, the cocks move in vertical and horizontal circles before stopping to sing a snatch of birdsong and flutter their wings. Then they take flight gain and show off the silver feathers on their backs. It is an incomparable natural spectacle where only one will come out as the winner. Finally, the female will accept one of the males, and the delighted chosen bird will be driven to fresh heights of dancing frenzy, while the female looks on impassively.

This scene is one of many to be discovered in the forests of the sanctuary. Machu Picchu is much more than just a set of impressive archaeological ruins. It is also a natural refuge for hundreds of species and an open book on the dynamics of Nature for those who wish to study it.

The best place to start off on a journey of discovery into the natural wonders of Machu Picchu is the Hotel El Pueblo. Located less than a mile from the town of Aguas Calientes and developed along the lines of the organic architectural concepts of Frank Lloyd Wright, the hotel runs trips for nature lovers that run from a hike through a spectacular 5 kilometer natural greenhouse, which teems with 189 species of orchids, to swimming in a waterfall along the Alcamayo River. Other attractions include the Butterfly Project, the botanical garden of native fruit trees and medicinal plants, the tea plantation and bird watching.