Top 20 Most Common Bird in Cusco

The rufous-collared Sparrow is a small songbird known for its pleasant vocalization and numerous "dialects." The songs peak at dawn and some individuals can sing continuously for half an hour. Found in a wide range of habitats and comfortable around humans, this ground-feeding bird is easily approachable. On the other hand, it's aggressive towards other birds that enter its territory. Individuals have their favorite perching spot where they appear repeatedly.

The Chiguanco thrush (Turdus chiguanco) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is found in Ecuador and the Altiplano. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland and heavily degraded former forest.

The sparkling violetear is the largest violetear at 13 to 15 cm (5–6 in) long. Male birds weigh 7.7 to 8.5 grams (0.27 to 0.3 oz) while females weigh from ounces 6.7 to 7.5 grams (0.24 to 0.26 oz). This hummingbird resembles the lesser violetear, but that species generally prefers more humid habitats, is obviously smaller and lacks the distinct purple-blue chest-spot and gorget of the sparkling violetear. According to one study, it has the smallest mean blood-air barrier thickness (0.183 µm) and the highest mass-specific respiratory surface area in birds (87 cm²/g).

The rock Pigeon is a wild ancestor of all domestic and feral pigeons, inhabiting coasts, cliffs, and caves. Pairs nest in rock crevices, often mating for life. They are known for their ability to fly very long distances to return to their homes, navigating using the sun's position and the earth's magnetic fields. Thanks to this ability, pigeons were used as messengers, particularly during World Wars I and II.

The Peruvian sierra finch (Phrygilus punensis) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in western Bolivia and Peru where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.

The spot-winged pigeon (Patagioenas maculosa) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and heavily degraded former forest.

Hooded siskins are 10 to 14 cm in length. The male is largely green above and yellow below with a black head. It has a narrow yellow collar and a yellow rump. The tail is black with yellow sides to the base and the wings are black with a broad yellow band. Females are duller with a green-brown head, yellow-green breast and sides and a whitish belly. The twittering song may be uttered from a perch or in flight. It is varied and fast, and may contain imitations of other birds.

The most widely-spotted dove of South America, the small eared Dove thrives in high altitudes. You can find this dove in the scrubland of areas that are around 4500 meters above sea level. Their easy association with humans has made them acclimate more easily to urban environments and rising human population levels.

The cinereous conebill (Conirostrum cinereum) is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. The term cinereous describes its colouration. It is found in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.

The golden-billed saltator (Saltator aurantiirostris) is a species of saltator in the family Thraupidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay; also the regions of the southern pantanal, along the Paraguay River. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.

The black-throated flowerpiercer (Diglossa brunneiventris) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in the northern Andes (mainly in Peru but also in Colombia, western Bolivia and far northern Chile). Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.

A large woodpecker, it grows to a length of about 32 cm (13 in). It has a long tail, rounded wings (noticeable in flight) and a long powerful beak. The head and throat are largely white or buff, marked by a black crown and nape and a dark malar stripe, tinged reddish in the male in some subspecies. Body upper parts are boldly barred in black or dark brown and buff. The upper wings are brown and slightly barred and the under wings are yellowish. The tail coverts are white with slight brown barring, the upper tail is blackish with fine barring at the sides and the under tail has buff edges. Underparts are cream or buff with some darker speckling, the breast sometimes being tinged with orange. The beak is black, the iris yellowish and the legs grey, pink or buff.

Watch out for the small yet aggressive house Wrens; they are extremely territorial and think nothing of harassing other birds and their nestlings if they want to take their spot! They have been known to kill nestlings and even adult birds to get a nest hole they want. Once house Wrens lay eggs, the nest needs to stay below 100 degrees and above 65 degrees or the eggs will not survive—this could be the reason they are so particular about their nesting spots.

The band-tailed seedeater (Catamenia analis) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland and heavily degraded former forest.

The american Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is the smallest falcon in North America, but also the most common. It can also be found in South America and usually hunts from the ground rather than in the air. The female is allowed to choose their mates when on the breeding ground, so the males attract them with dances and displays.

In Bolivia, the giant hummingbird is known in Quechua as burro q'enti, the Spanish word burro referring to its dull plumage. Members of P. gigas can be identified by their large size and characteristics such as the presence of an eye-ring, straight bill longer than the head, dull colouration, very long wings (approaching the tail tip when stowed), long and moderately forked tail, tarsi feathered to the toes and large, sturdy feet. There is no difference between the sexes. Juveniles have small corrugations on the lateral beak culmen. The subspecies are visually distinguishable. P. g. peruviana is yellowish brown overall and has white on the chin and throat, where P. g. gigas is more olive green to brown and lacks white on the chin and throat. The giant hummingbird occasionally glides in flight, a behavior very rare among hummingbirds. Its elongated wings allow more efficient glides than do those of other hummingbirds. The giant hummingbird's voice is a distinctive loud, sharp and whistling "chip".

At 45–48 cm (18–19 in) long, it is large for a black-headed gull (it is the largest gull with that kind of plumage in the Americas). It is the largest species in the genus Chroicocephalus and has a dark hood, a pale grey back and a pattern of black and white on its primaries.

The Puna ibis (Plegadis ridgwayi) is a species of bird in the family Threskiornithidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Its natural habitats are swamps, marshes and lakes, and most of its range is in the Andean highlands, including the puna, but locally it occurs down to sea level. It has been domesticated by the Uru people for meat and eggs.

The blue-and-yellow tanager (Rauenia bonariensis) is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is found in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, extreme northern border Chile, and Andean Peru and Ecuador. Some southern region birds migrate northeastwards in the austral winter into eastern Bolivia and northeastern Argentina; also Paraguay where the birds are only migratory non-breeding residents. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest. This species was formerly placed in the genus Thraupis. It was moved to Pipraeidea based on the results of a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014. It was moved to Rauenia based on the study published in 2020. It is monotypic in that genus.

The white-browed chat-tyrant (Ochthoeca leucophrys) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is found in the Puna grassland. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.