Welcome to Birdquest
SOUTHERN & CENTRAL ARGENTINA
Saturday 6th November - Sunday 28th November 2010
Matt Denton
Argentina is a country of epic proportions, famous for its vast plains, high mountains and wild scenery. Its birds are both spectacular and diverse, but to really get its most hidden gems, it is necessary to drive it, sail it, and walk it. We covered long distances by road (c6,000km), and faced different weathers ranging from the heat of the dry Chaco to the freezing winds of the Patagonian steppes. This year our trip was a bit unusual, and we had to rely on Matt to cover the second half of the trip following Luciano’s mother’s sudden illness. Despite this being Matt’s first time in Patagonia, the tour went amazingly well. In fact, we got more species in this trip than on any other trip to Southern and Central Argentina since 2004. We recorded a total of 341 bird species, including some of the rarest Pampas specialties, such as Straight-billed Reedhaunter and the highly endangered Pampas Meadowlark; all Córdoba endemics or near-endemics, namely Cordoba and Olrog’s Cinclodes, Cordoba’s Canastero, the Salinas Monjita and the Black-bodied Woodpecker; and the Patagonian big five: Patagonian Tinamou, Hooded Grebe, Ruddy-headed Goose, Austral Rail, and White-bellied Seedsnipe. The tour included an excellent sample of the Argentinean avifauna, including two species of rheas, six species of tinamous, all four possible species of geese, 20 species of ducks (including all three possible species of Steamers, the odd Black-headed, and the seldom seen Spectacled Duck), four species of grebes, two species of penguins (Magellanic and Gentoo), many seabirds (with cormorants, shags, shearwaters, diving-petrels, storm-petrels, albatrosses and petrels), Andean Condors, several raptors (including the localized Spot-winged Falconet), three species of caracaras, Snowy Sheathbills, Rufous-chested and Tawny-throated Dotterels, three species of oystercatchers, Magellanic Plovers, six species of parrots (including the enigmatic Burrowing Parrots and Austral Parakeets), the outstanding Red-tailed Comet and eight species of woodpeckers. Passerines also behaved pretty well, and we found 37 species of Furnariids, with their attractive names: miners, earthcreepers, eremobius, cinclodes (five species), reedhaunters, rushbirds, rayaditos, tit-spinetails (three species), canasteros (five species), thornbirds, firewood-gatherers, cacholotes, treerunners… Apart form this set of superb birds, we also got great views of amazing creatures such as Crested Gallito, Olive-crowned Crescentchest, Hudson’s Black-Tyrant, three species of ground-tyrants (including Cinnamon-bellied), three shrike-tyrants, two species of plantcutters, three species of pipits, six species of Sierra-Finches, Yellow-bridled and Black-throated Finches, Long-tailed Reed-Finch, four species of warbling-finches, and up to 12 species of blackbirds. And not to forget the amazing landscapes we encountered, with snowy peaks, glaciers, and endless solitude, filled with the lovely Maras, Guanacos, Elephant Seals, skunks, Southern Right-Whales, and the beautiful Commerson’s Dolphins… Certainly a trip to remember, where culture, great food, great (and inexpensive) wine, fantastic birds, and the finest scenery of South America will merge into wonderful memories.
