CHILE TOUR REPORT 2024

15 / 16 November - 2 / 7 / 8 December

by Mark Pearman

Of a record-breaking total of 302 species seen, highlights included all eight species of tapaculo, from the striking White-throated and giant Moustached Turca to the elusive huet-huets and  skulking Ochre-flanked and Dusky Tapaculos. As usual, we enjoyed a clean sweep on all of the mainland Chilean endemics among which Crag Chilia and Slender-billed Parakeet stood out. Our endeavours to see the Critically Endangered Chilean Woodstar also met with success when we first found a female on a nest, and eventually had repeated views of a superb male. Chile is also renowned for its unusual waders, even though they all occur in Argentina as well. First on the agenda was the stunning Diademed Sandpiper-Plover at over 4000 metres in the picturesque Lauca National Park easily found in its usual territory. In the south we enjoyed the enigmatic Magellanic Plover, Tawny-throated and Rufous-chested Dotterels but seeing all four species of seedsnipe on one tour really took us to another level. No tour to Chile could be complete without one or more pelagic trips into the famous Humboldt Current. Of our three pelagics, the northern one produced fantastic looks at hundreds of Markham’s Storm Petrels while central Chile allowed us views of what has recently been described as a new species: the Andean Storm Petrel. Meanwhile, the ferry crossing to Tierra del Fuego provided us with the recently split Fuegian Storm Petrel. Other major highlights included the iconic Magellanic Woodpecker, which took us many days and walking to find, both of the equally stunning White-bridled and Yellow-bridled Finches, such fantastic ovenbirds as Des Murs’s Wiretail and White-throated Treerunner, and the unforgettable Puna Tinamou, alias the walking bush. Two new extensions were added to this year’s tour, one for the enigmatic Horned Coot and Red-backed Sierra Finch at high altitude in the Atacama Desert, and the other for the highly sought-after White-bellied Seedsnipe. Securing point blank views of all of these goodies, as well as three Puma helped to make this tour one of the best I remember in well over 20 years of tours to Chile.

The tour began with a visit to some high Andean lakes above the town of San Pedro de Atacama. With increasing numbers of Vicuña, a miniature cousin of the llama, we connected with a pair of Lesser Rheas of one of the “Puna” forms, probably garleppi. Our first lake stop was teaming with a fantastic ensemble of Andean waterbirds. The light was good, the birds were very close and we had arrived before the tourist wagon. All three flamingo species were present with a hundred James’s and four hundred Andeans which was a mega eye-opener and the tour had only just started. The localized and bizarre Horned Coot was our main target and we managed fifteen with two pairs attending nests. Giant and Andean Coots were common as were Silvery Grebes, Andean Geese, Puna and Yellow-billed Teals, Andean Gulls, Andean Negritos, four smart Andean Avocets and a distant Puna Plover. Cordilleran Canastero, Cream-winged Cinclodes and Black-hooded Sierra Finch were all singing from a rocky slope.

Other lake stops provided us with Puna Ibis, a singing male Grey-breasted Seedsnipe and a foraging group of seven Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe which was just as well as they were not to be found elsewhere on the tour. Greenish Yellow Finch and Ash-breasted Sierra Finch proved to be common while small numbers of Ochre-naped, Cinereous and Rufous-naped Ground Tyrants were appreciated along with a surprise Black-fronted Ground Tyrant, usually found much further south. Our second major target was the localized Red-backed Sierra Finch which we first found on some distant rocks, but eventually had one scavenging at our feet. Here too we studied the bizarre Mountain Viscacha, a giant chinchilla.

The long drive to Iquique was punctuated by a stop for a roadside Mountain Caracara and a few Least Seedsnipe in the middle of the barren Atacama. Once on the coast we began to grasp the magnitude of the Grey Gull population with their immaculate appearance and strange mewing, as Peruvian Boobies dived at high speed into the ocean. A few stops provided us with Kelp and Belcher’s Gulls, Peruvian Pelican, Cinnamon Teal, White-cheeked Pintail, Common Gallinule, Red-fronted and White-winged Coots, Blackish and American Oystercatchers, Ruddy Turnstone, Little Blue Heron and somewhat surprisingly, a pair of Spot-billed Ground Tyrants right on the coast.

A search through the picturesque port of Iquique soon after dawn turned up a Spotted Sandpiper and only fleeting views of Chilean Seaside Cinclodes while throngs of smart Inca Terns adorned colourful ship decks, masts, ropes, piers, even tires and were just about everywhere. We set sail on our pelagic in calm waters, as is pretty much always the case in Iquique. Half an hour from port and we started to get to grips with numerous Peruvian Diving Petrels. Then we steamed through a sea zone favoured by Red-necked Phalaropes with a minimum of 116 counted by Frank, our experienced counter.  Sooty Shearwaters were common and we also saw Pink-footed Shearwater, White-chinned and a Westland Petrel, Southern and Northern Giant Petrels, Black-browed, Salvin’s and two Buller’s Albatrosses, a couple of Humboldt Penguins, a Franklin’s Gull and two Long-tailed Skuas. The highlights were undoubtedly the storm petrels with around 700 Markham’s, over a thousand Elliot’s and two Wedge-rumped. Back on dry land, the endemic Chilean Seaside Cinclodes was now a priority for the late afternoon along with Surfbird which proved easy to find. Being a Sunday the beaches were heaving with people and it was hard to get away from the crowds, or find a rocky section unexposed to wind. Perseverance paid off and eventually everyone caught up with the cinclodes.

Our visit to Reserva Nacional Tamarugal gave us multiple looks at the localized Tamarugo Conebill, with, as is usual, the first being found as soon as we stepped out of the bus. There are hardly any other birds at this location and after briefs looks at our first Scale-throated Earthcreeper we were on our way. The Critically Endangered Chilean Woodstar was way up there on our target list for the entire trip and today we had a decent chance in several oasis strips in the barren Atacama. As Andean Swifts screeched overhead we quickly got to grips with the rather common, yet localized Slender-billed Finch, the Peruvian form of White-crested Elaenia, Cinereous Conebill, a pair of very smart Pied-crested Tit-Tyrants and Oasis Hummingbird, ubiquitous Vermilion Flycatcher, plus our first Variable and Harris’s Hawks. Suddenly, John got us on to a nesting Chilean Woodstar which appeared to be incubating and rarely left her nest. In the next oasis strip we managed to find two pairs of Peruvian Sheartail, two more female woodstars and the now obligatory Oasis Hummingbird, plus brief views of a Chestnut-throated Seedeater. Would we ever see a male Chilean Woodstar, or would we have to be content with our numerous looks at females?

On to the Lluta river mouth, the no.1 hotspot in northern Chile, and the spectacle of Grey Gulls and Elegant Terns was shocking enough. As several Peruvian Meadowlarks sang from bush tops, the lagoons held Common Gallinule, Grey, American Golden and Semipalmated Plovers, Greater Yellowlegs and unusually large numbers of Willet, plus a Least Sandpiper, Black Skimmers and a surprise Gull-billed Tern while Frank managed a Peruvian Tern in flight amongst a mass of Elegant Terns. Our attempts to see Tschudi’s Nightjar, an Atacama speciality, was a definite no show at two localities, but we did manage great looks at eight splendid Peruvian Thick-knees.

Driving up the Lluta Valley, a stop at some hummingbird feeders provided us with more looks at Oasis Hummingbird, Peruvian Sheartail and eventually a fine male Chilean Woodstar, a great result! Here too we enjoyed Croaking Ground Dove and Andean Ibis, a species that has only recently descended from the high Andes into alfalfa fields. Further on, Rufescent Flycatcher and Pacific Pygmy Owl showed well and we also connected with vagrant Fork-tailed Flycatcher and two Eastern Kingbirds.  Once above 3000 metres the Andean shrubsteppe was alive with birds and we quickly found Bare-faced Ground Dove, Aplomado Falcon, Streak-backed Tit-Spinetail, both Dark-winged and Canyon Canasteros as well as plentiful numbers of Mourning Sierra Finch. There was little activity at the Polylepis grove although we did manage both Hooded and the localized Thick-billed Siskin.

Soon after dawn the Putre Canyon was alive with Spot-winged Pigeons, Andean Hillstars, many Giant Hummingbirds, Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant, Band-tailed Seedeater, Black-throated Flowerpiercer and Blue-and-yellow Tanager. The localized White-throated Earthcreeper played hard to get but we eventually tracked one down and also found Buff-breasted Earthcreeper for comparison. The old road to Lauca produced an Ornate Tinamou, two Black-billed Shrike-Tyrants, White-browed Chat-Tyrants, Yellow-rumped Siskin and Plumbeous Sierra Finch. In the afternoon we made a first visit to the scenic Lauca National Park with 6000-metre-tall snow-capped volcanoes that straddle the border with Bolivia. The enigmatic Diademed Sandpiper-Plover has often been considered the star bird of Chile. This contrasts with Peru, Bolivia and Argentina where time is precious for finding so many other species that DSP is usually of less concern. Fortunately, there are various well-known territories at Lauca that have stood the test of time. The tiring hike at well over 4000 m. a.s.l. was well worth the fantastic views of two adults and a juvenile. But that wasn’t all, as we added great looks at two Puna Snipe on the deck, plus many White-fronted and Puna Ground Tyrants as well as Andean Swallows. Prioritizing tougher species is certainly the way to go at Lauca, so next we covered a fair distance to reach a Puna Tinamou site, where our driver immediately spotted the “walking bushes”. We were treated to prolonged looks at this tricky species and more views of the Puna form of Lesser Rhea before retreated back to Putre with a Black Siskin en route.

In the morning, we made a final visit to Lauca National Park, this time reaching 4660 metres in order to mop up some outstanding species. After getting to grips with Puna Miner, Lake Chungara held White-tufted Grebe and Andean Lapwing and we were able to upgrade our looks at Puna Plover with seven found close by. A nearby bog held many Andean Flickers and a final stop produced many Glacier Finches, the rare White-throated Sierra Finch and the odd looking Bolivian Big-eared Mouse. A stop on the road back to Arica produced the Atacama Desert grisescens form of Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail and an unexpected pair of Taruca, a rare deer of the Andes. Back at the Lluta river mouth we found nothing new and dipped again on Tschudi’s Nightjar at a third site. Ouch!

Before dawn, we travelled to the airport for the early flight to Santiago. The feeling of optimism was understandably very low for Tschudi’s Nightjar, but we still had some limited minutes to look for this elusive species that can only now be seen on this tour. As the clock ticked down, we quickly searched a barren area close to the runway where I suddenly heard a very distant bird and managed to pull it in for PB-WAV also known as point blank – walk-away views. What an amazing turn of fate given that we had already checked in for the flight but had not gone through security, and were now watching a snazzy male Tschudi’s Nightjar!

Central Chile presented a new box full of goodies with its coastal lakes, estuaries and chaparral woodland. Today we had a full agenda and lost no time in reaching the Maipo Estuary with its brand-new visitor centre; I wondered if I was in the same place that I had been visiting for over twenty years that was usually full of storm line rubbish and biting insects. Now we just checked-in like you would at an airport, had covered lunch tables, elevated boardwalks, modern hides and a look-out tower. Our main quarry here was the Ticking Doradito, a bird with a very small range in Chile and a huge breeding range in Argentina, but there you go. After a short walk, there it was singing away and giving very obliging views. Soon we added Coscoroba Swan, Collared Plover, White-tailed Kite, Cinereous Harrier, Snowy-crowned Tern, a Royal Tern in a dense flock of Elegant Terns, Fire-eyed Diucon, Austral Negrito, Spectacled Tyrant, the strange Rufous-tailed Plantcutter, Chilean Mockingbird, Austral Thrush, Yellow-winged Blackbird and Grassland Yellow-Finch. Our next stop delivered Great Grebe, White-faced Ibis, Black-necked Swan, Red Shoveler, Lake Duck, Brown-hooded Gull, Red-gartered and Red-fronted Coots, Wren-like Rushbird, Chilean Elaenia, Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Chilean Swallow, Black-chinned Siskin and Long-tailed Meadowlark.

Next, we stopped at a small reedbed along a river which is a classic site for Stripe-backed Bittern and in no time at all we enjoyed protracted scope studies of this little stunner.  The day was producing an important list of birds, but we still had more to pack in, and soon we were descending into a steep forested canyon. It was here that our driver, Rodo, first produced his bizarre wooden whistle which not only went into his mouth but also up his nostrils. His imitations of the endemic White-throated Tapaculo were good enough to fool the bird but the views were brief and not for everyone while some only saw it in flight. Then it went back to its highly skulking nature and would not show well. Here too we added several forest species including Chilean Pigeon, Striped Woodpecker, the ubiquitous Thorn-tailed Rayadito while the endemic Dusky-tailed Canastero was obliging.

Leaving the port of Valparaiso on our second pelagic we almost immediately entered dense fog with very limited visibility and spent hours hoping that it would lift or that we would break through the other side. That didn’t happen and eventually we had to backtrack and head along the edge of the fog where the birding became productive, helped by chumming. Sooty and Pink-footed Shearwaters were common, and we added small numbers of Red Phalarope, Peruvian Diving Petrel, Salvin’s and Black-browed Albatross, White-chinned Petrels, a Westland Petrel and some managed a fly-past Masatierra Petrel. Wilson’s-type storm petrels were common and photographs prove them to be the newly-described Andean Storm Petrel which was confirmed by the first author of the new species. Back towards port both Guanay and Red-legged Cormorants were present in numbers.

Access in the morning to our birding destination was blocked by an unexpectedly padlocked gate. Just as we were contemplating a plan of action, a Chilean Tinamou appeared in front of the gate and wandered around for some time allowing great views while we used the bus as a hide. This was just as well as we would not see this endemic again, and it also gained us valuable time. Then we managed to greatly upgrade our White-throated Tapaculo experience with some scope studies of this very smart endemic. Adding the nominate form of Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail, we spent a long time in search of Dusky Tapaculo to no avail, but eventually connected with our first Moustached Turca, another great endemic and one of the largest of all tapaculos. Moving on to Batuco Lake we added Chiloe Wigeon and the stunning Many-colored Rush Tyrant. An exploratory visit into the Andes above Santiago produced Chilean Flicker, Black-winged Ground Dove and a roosting Magellanic Horned Owl.

We were back on the Farallones road in the morning with an extensive target list. The endemic Crag Chilia was a top priority and this time we scored straight away, with many scope views of this smart rock-loving ovenbird. The rocky meadows were alive with Scale-throated Earthcreeper, Rufous-banded Miner, Buff-winged and Grey-flanked Cinclodes, White-browed and Black-fronted Ground Tyrants while Greater Yellow Finch was notably common. At a particular slope we waited a long time in the hope of seeing White-sided Hillstar and were eventually rewarded with a fine male. In the meantime, we added Sharp-billed Canastero and John located a Great Shrike-Tyrant which provided many scope studies of this usually tricky species. The roof of the ski resort was adorned with more than twenty Andean Condors which was a sight to see, although the locals and tourists milling around the place were completely unaware. We had unfinished business in finding the localized Creamy-rumped Miner and eventually connected with four of them, while also watching the antics of a Coruro in its burrow. This small black prairie dog-like rodent is endemic to central Chile, belongs in a monotypic genus and was only the second time we have seen it. On the way back to Santiago we connected with a surprise pair of Black-faced Ibis, the now overdue Band-tailed Sierra Finch and, amazingly, yet another Great Shrike-Tyrant.

After a few hours’ drive southwards, we were back on the case of the endemic Dusky Tapaculo but suffered another dip out. We were reaching the southern edge of its range and were running out of sites and time. The picturesque Maule Valley beckoned and soon we were watching the magnificent Spectacled Duck and a colony of Burrowing Parrots, literally at the same time. These macaw-like parrots are only restricted to a couple of valleys in Chile and represent an endemic subspecies, byroni. Moving on to Alto Vilches we stopped at an old, long shot, huet-huet site. Little was happening except for adding our first Dark-bellied Cinclodes. Then, just as we were about to leave, a dark bird was seen briefly by a cavity and disappeared into vegetation. Before we knew it, we were treated to amazing views of the glorious Chestnut-throated Huet-huet and that was before we had even gotten to the forest. Winners! Our comfortable hotel had feeders that were attracting many Green-backed Firecrowns which was good value.

The forest with its giant Coihues Nothofagus dombeyi was magnificent. One of our first new birds was the handsome White-throated Treerunner performing nicely. Austral Parakeets obliged with perched views and soon we added Patagonian Sierra Finch. We had to work a little for Patagonian Tyrant which also performed well. A Magellanic Tapaculo showed well and we also saw another Chestnut-throated Huet-huet, but only briefly, not that this was important anymore. Meanwhile Chucao Tapaculo proved elusive today in that the understory was too dense and the bird outwitted us. There was no sign at all of Rufous-legged Owl at a stake-out.

In the morning, we went straight back to the Chucao territory and nailed it. Gorgeous! There was no sign of Magellanic Woodpecker either day so we just had to swallow that, knowing there would be more chances. We had a long drive ahead of us, and unfinished business with Dusky Tapaculo. There was one last chance and that was a long shot, by a bridge. There was no response for a good twenty minutes and it was looking very grim when suddenly it was bleating out its call like a crazy car alarm. And there it was! We all managed multiple looks at the tapaculo from the bridge. Job done, another result, and we were on our way. In the late afternoon we arrived at our hotel with many endemic Slender-billed Parakeets along the entrance track, providing us with great scope studies. An exploratory visit to the forest had little to no activity, although we did manage a smart pair of Torrent Ducks. Our Rufous-legged Owl nightmare continued tonight with heavy rain and wind.

Soon after dawn, we tracked down our main target, the Patagonian Forest Earthcreeper which, true to form, was singing from the top of a Monkey Puzzle Araucaria araucano, native in this area. Nearby, we came across the amazing Des Murs’s Wiretail, one of very few birds with only six tail feathers and two of those are rudimentary. Still no sign of Magellanic Woodpecker but it was time to drive to Temuco. After checking into the hotel, we went straight to Cerro Ñielol National Park only to find that there was a nationwide strike by National Park wardens and park guards and that this would continue for the next day as well. There was no way they were letting us in and our visit to Temuco was a waste of time, or was it!? Looking at online maps we set out to find a way in through a rear entrance. The only tracks lead us into scrappy habitat where immediately we heard several Ochre-flanked Tapaculos singing but within extremely dense cover. We gave it a good try, but it was just too dense, and then rambled around the place unable to get to any decent forest. We had to come up with a new plan which was to cut a hole in dense vegetation large enough to hold two or three people at a time, and play in the tapaculo with a speaker suspended on a tripod leg. This worked extremely well, enabling eyeball views of the rusty flanks, yellow feet and that oddball broad-based gallinule-like bill. Winners! That night we had, arguably, the best meal of the tour, and with nothing more to keep us in Temuco we left early for Puyehue where we scoped a couple of soaring White-throated Hawks, had great looks at the skulking Black-throated Huet-huet and upgraded our views of Chucao Tapaculo with PB-WAV. After hours of searching, we were still drawing a blank on that big woodpecker and it would have to wait. At night we had yet another Rufous-legged Owl nightmare where, after finding the bird in dense forest after considerable time and effort, the group misunderstood Rodo, thinking he had seen it, and in the mayhem the bird flew off, only to be seen by me and Rob in flight.

In the morning, a lovely walk in splendid forest produced the now overdue Austral Pygmy Owl, but where was that damn woodpecker?! We spent hours on it, and finally, finally, FINALLY, we came face to face with a lethargic male Magellanic Woodpecker. It never made a sound, except for foraging taps. We enjoyed the beast for a good long while, and then made haste to Puerto Montt. En route we enjoyed more perched Slender-billed Parakeets, but a South American Grey Fox begging for tourist scraps in a carpark was a sad sight to see. We spent most of the following day in a yacht patrolling the Golf of Ancud and Isla Huar in the hope of seeing Pincoya Storm Petrel which was not to be. We did manage many Arctic Skuas and two Pomarine Skuas plus six Magellanic Penguins. The seafood lunch and welcoming captain and crew made up a little for the lack of birds. Not to be beaten, we gave it our best in the morning by making four crossings of the Chacao Channel (not to be confused with Chucao Tapaculo) between the mainland and Chiloe Island, and again there was still no sign of a Pincoya. The, as yet, undescribed Chiloe Steamer Duck made its presence known, and upon one landing at Pargua we were treated to a parading Ringed Kingfisher of the distinctive, and bizarrely small, Patagonian race stellata. Landing in our final hub of Punta Arenas, we checked the seafront on the way to the hotel finding two Flying Steamer Duck, while getting to grips with Upland Goose plumages and our first looks at  Magellanic Oystercatcher.

In the morning, we boarded a large car ferry that would take us to Porvenir in Tierra del Fuego. A  Fuegian Steamer Duck was scoped before we left port and then we enjoyed Dolphin Gulls and  Chilean Skuas on the crossing. Wilson’s-type storm petrels here are now split definitively split as Fuegian Storm Petrel of which we saw ten or more. Now on Isla Grande, Tierra del Fuego we headed south to a regular spot for the rare continental form of Ruddy-headed Goose. Breeding had been highly successful this season (not so in Argentine Tierra del Fuego though) and we managed ten adults and thirteen chicks although did see a South American Grey Fox lying in wait. Soon we reached Bahia Inutil and set out in reasonable wind to the King Penguin colony. It was a marvellous spectacle as usual with 115 penguins counted including some downy young. Here too we added a pair of Two-banded Plover before heading to higher ground. Next on the agenda was Rufous-chested Dotterel and, with increasing numbers of Guanaco, we found six superb dotterels, our first Chocolate-vented Tyrant, a couple of Least Seedsnipe, two Austral Canasteros, Cinnamon-bellied Ground Tyrant, displaying Magellanic Snipe and an awesome male White-bridled Finch.

In the morning, we visited various sites for the enigmatic and certainly unusual looking Magellanic Plover and on the third attempt found a lone adult which gave protracted views. Recent surveys have revealed that the global population may only consist of 330 mature adults which is astonishing and worrying at the same time. At the ferry port we added Patagonian Yellow Finch which appeared to be nesting in a wall. Back on the mainland we encountered nine Elegant Crested Tinamou, obliging Band-tailed Earthcreeper and, with increasing numbers of Lesser Rhea, added three Tawny-throated Dotterels before reaching Torres del Paine.

Heading off before dawn with our Puma coordinator and a tracker in place, before we knew it, we were looking at a mother and two large cubs at very close quarters, walking away and occasionally looking back at us. The experience was short-lived because these pumas had been hunting all night and just wanted to rest in thick scrub. Once hunkered down, all we could see was an ear and after a wait, we decided to head off in search of Austral Rail. After an initial attempt we walked to a semi-open area of rushes and obtained repeated looks at this tiny rail, once thought to be extinct but rediscovered in 1998. Here too, we added the pallida form of Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail. In the afternoon we headed to Sierra Baguales, a range that straddles the border with Argentina. A Patagonian Mockingbird obliged at a usual site, but it took quite a search to catch up with our main target, the very smart Yellow-bridled Finch.

The extension to the extension was a trek up Monte Tarn for White-bellied Seedsnipe, in a completely different league from other seedsnipe due to the remoteness of its breeding habitat.  First we headed south on the Panamericana with our local guide Ricardo to where the road ends abruptly with a sign indicating Fin del Camino. En route we finally caught up with Ashy-headed Goose in good numbers and were surprised to see eighteen more Ruddy-headed Goose. The initial part of the trek was steep and soon involved traversing numerous tree roots in a dense forest. Once we broke above the tree line, we crossed an expanse of sphagnum bogs and then hiked up to the summit. A lone White-bellied Seedsnipe obliged at point blank range, almost at the summit and fulfilled all of our expectations. The bird was tame as they usually are and allowed over 30 minutes of viewing before it flew off, calling. On our descent we enjoyed a displaying Dark-faced Ground Tyrant and two fine male Magellanic Woodpeckers, reaching our vehicle seven hours after setting off. Finally, we caught up with a pair of Kelp Goose on the way back to Punta Arenas, a scarce species in these parts.

TOP BIRDS OF THE MAIN TOUR

1^st Magellanic Woodpecker

2^nd Diademed Sandpiper-Plover

3^rd Chestnut-throated Huet-huet

4^th Chilean Woodstar

5^th Markham’s Storm Petrel

6^th Moustached Turca

7^th Puna Tinamou

8^th Glacier Finch & Tamarugo Conebill

10^th Tschudi’s Nightjar

TOP BIRDS OF THE POST-TOUR EXTENSION

1^st Yellow-bridled Finch

2^nd Magellanic Plover & Austral Rail

4^th King Penguin

5^th Fuegian Steamer Duck

SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED DURING THE TOUR

Species marked with the diamond symbol (◊) are either endemic to the country or local region or considered ‘special’ birds for some other reason (e.g., it is only seen on one or two Birdquest tours; it is difficult to see across all or most of its range; the local form is endemic or restricted-range and may in future be treated as a full species). Conservation threat categories are taken from BirdLife. EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable, NT = Near Threatened.

The species names and taxonomy used in the bird list follows Gill, F., Donsker, D., & Rasmussen, P.(Eds). 2024. IOC World Bird List (v14.2).

Where the subspecies seen is/are known, these are often given in parentheses at the end of the species comment.

Species that were only seen on the main tour extension are marked with (X).

Species that were only seen on the pre-tour extension are marked with (PrX).

Species that were only seen on the post-tour extension are marked with (PoX).

BIRDS 

Lesser Rhea (Darwin’s R)  Rhea [pennata] pennata  (X)
Lesser Rhea (Puna R)  Rhea [pennata] tarapacensis 
Ornate Tinamou  Nothoprocta ornata
Chilean Tinamou ◊  Nothoprocta perdicaria  Endemic
Elegant Crested Tinamou  ◊  Eudromia elegans 
Puna Tinamou  ◊  Tinamotis pentlandii 
Coscoroba Swan ◊  Coscoroba coscoroba
Black-necked Swan ◊  Cygnus melanocoryphus
Flying Steamer Duck ◊  Tachyeres patachonicus  (X)
Fuegian Steamer Duck ◊ (Flightless SD)  Tachyeres pteneres  (X)
“Chiloe Steamer Duck” ◊  Tachyeres sp. nov.  Endemic
Torrent Duck  Merganetta armata 
Andean Goose  Chloephaga melanoptera
Upland Goose ◊  Chloephaga picta  (X)
Kelp Goose ◊  Chloephaga hybrida  (PoX)
Ashy-headed Goose ◊  Chloephaga poliocephala  (PoX)
Ruddy-headed Goose ◊  Chloephaga rubidiceps  (X)
Crested Duck  Lophonetta specularioides
Bronze-winged Duck (Spectacled D) ◊  Speculanas specularis  NT
Puna Teal  Anas puna 
Red Shoveler ◊  Anas platalea
Cinnamon Teal  Anas cyanoptera
Chiloe Wigeon ◊  Anas sibilatrix
White-cheeked Pintail  Anas bahamensis 
Yellow-billed Pintail   Anas georgica
Yellow-billed Teal (Speckled T) Anas [flavirostris] flavirostris
Yellow-billed Teal (Inca T) Anas [flavirostris] oxyptera
Andean Duck ◊  Oxyura ferruginea
Lake Duck ◊  Oxyura vittata
California Quail (Intr) Calipepla californica
Band-winged Nightjar  (Siku N)   Systellura [longirostris] atripuntatus  Heard-only.
Tschudi’s Nightjar ◊ Systellura decussata
Andean Swift  Aeronautes andecolus
Green-backed Firecrown ◊  Sephanoides sephaniodes
Andean Hillstar  Oreotrochilus estella
White-sided Hillstar ◊  Oreotrochilus leucopleurus
Giant Hummingbird  Patagona gigas
Oasis Hummingbird ◊  Rhodopis vesper
Peruvian Sheartail ◊  Thaumastura cora
Chilean Woodstar ◊  Eulidia yarrellii  CR Six seen, including a male at feeders, and a female on a nest.
Feral Pigeon (Rock Dove)  Columba livia
Spot-winged Pigeon  Patagioenas maculosa albipennis
Chilean Pigeon ◊  Patagioenas araucana
Picui Ground Dove  Columbina picui
Croaking Ground Dove  Columbina cruziana
Bare-faced Ground Dove  Metriopelia cecilae
Black-winged Ground Dove  Metriopelia melanoptera 
Eared Dove  Zenaida auriculata
West Peruvian Dove ◊ Zenaida meloda 
Austral Rail ◊ Rallus antarcticus   VU  Fantastic views.
Common Gallinule  Gallinula galeata
Red-fronted Coot  Fulica rufifrons
Horned Coot ◊  Fulica cornuta  NT  At least 15 with some active nests.
Giant Coot  Fulica gigantea 
Red-gartered Coot  Fulica armillata
Andean Coot  Fulica ardesiaca
White-winged Coot  Fulica leucoptera
Pied-billed Grebe  Podilmbus podiceps
White-tufted Grebe  Rollandia rolland
Great Grebe  Podicephorus major
Silvery Grebe  Podiceps [occipitalis] occipitalis                                                                                                                    
   Silvery Grebe  Podiceps [occipitalis] juninensis  NT
Chilean Flamingo  Phoenicopterus chilensis  NT
Andean Flamingo ◊  Phoenicopterus andinus  VU
James’s Flamingo ◊  Phoenicopterus jamesi  NT
Peruvian Thick-knee  Burhinus superciliaris  VU
Magellanic Plover ◊  Pluvianellus socialis  (X)  VU  Walk-away views.
Magellanic Oystercatcher ◊  Haematopus leucopodus  (X)
Blackish Oystercatcher  Haematopus ater
American Oystercatcher  Haematopus palliatus
White-backed Stilt  Himantopus melanurus
Andean Avocet  Recurvirostra andina 
Grey Plover  Pluvialis squatarola  VU
American Golden Plover  Pluvialis dominica
Tawny-throated Dotterel  Oreopholus ruficollis   (X)
Rufous-chested Dotterel (R-c Plover) ◊  Charadrius modestus  (X)
Diademed Sandpiper-Plover ◊  Phegornis mitchellii   NT Stunning as ever with three seen.
Semipalmated Plover  Charadrius semipalmatus
Southern Lapwing  Vanellus chilensis
Andean Lapwing  Vanellus resplendens 
Collared Plover ◊ Anarhynchus collaris
Puna Plover ◊ Anarhynchus alticola
Two-banded Plover ◊ Anarhynchus falklandicus  (X)
Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe  Attagis gayi  (PrX)
White-bellied Seedsnipe  Attagis gayi  (PoX)  A new bird for this tour, well-earned after an adventurous trek.
Grey-breasted Seedsnipe  Thinocorus orbignyianus
Least Seedsnipe  Thinocorus rumicovorus  (X)
Hudsonian Whimbrel  Numenius hudsonicus 
Hudsonian Godwit  Limosa haemastica  VU
Puna Snipe  Gallinago andina
Magellanic Snipe ◊ Gallinago magellanica
Wilson’s Phalarope  Phalaropus wilsoni  (X)
Red-necked Phalarope  Phalaropus lobatus
Red Phalarope  Phalaropus fulicarius
Spotted Sandpiper  Actitis macularius
Lesser Yellowlegs  Tringa flavipes  VU
Willet  Tringa semipalmata inornatus
Greater Yellowlegs  Tringa melanoleuca  NT
Ruddy Turnstone  Arenaria interpres 
Surfbird  Aphriza virgata
Sanderling  Calidris alba
Baird’s Sandpiper  Calidris bairdii
Least Sandpiper  Calidris minutilla  NT
White-rumped Sandpiper  Calidris fuscicollis  VU (X)
Semipalmated Sandpiper  Calidris pusilla  NT
Black Skimmer  Rynchops niger
Peruvian Tern  Sternula lorata  Non-leader. EN
Gull-billed Tern  Gelochelidon nilotica  A long-staying individual near Arica was new for Chile.
Inca Tern ◊  Larosterna inca  NT
Snowy-crowned Tern  Sterna trudeaui
South American Tern  Sterna hirundinacea
Elegant Tern  Thalasseus elegans  NT
Royal Tern   Thalasseus maximus  Seen within a dense flock of Elegant Terns. Second or third for Chile.
Andean Gull  Chroicocephalus serranus
Brown-hooded Gull  Chroicocephalus maculipennis
Grey Gull ◊  Leucocephalus modestus
Dolphin Gull ◊ Leucophaeus scoresbii  (X)
Franklin’s Gull  Leucophaeus pipixcan 
Belcher’s Gull ◊ Larus belcheri
Kelp Gull  Larus dominicanus
Long-tailed Jaeger  (L-t Skua)  Stercorarius longicaudatus
Parasitic Jaeger (Arctic Skua)  Stercorarius parasiticus
Pomarine Jaeger (P Skua)  Stercorarius pomarinus 
Chilean Skua ◊  Stercorarius chilensis
King Penguin ◊ Aptenodytes patagonicus  (X)
Humboldt Penguin ◊  Spheniscus humboldti   VU
Magellanic Penguin ◊  Spheniscus magellanicus
Fuegian Storm Petrel  Oceanites chilensis  (X)  Seen in the Magellan Straits. Recently split from Wilson’s Storm Petre O oceanicus.
“Andean Storm Petrel” ◊  Oceanites barrosi   Birds photographed on our Valparaiso pelagic were confirmed to represent this form by the authors of this newly described (2023) species, the validity of which remains unconfirmed at the time of writing.
Elliot’s Storm Petrel ◊  Oceanite gracilis
Buller’s Albatross  Thalassarche bulleri 
Salvin’s Albatross  Thalassarche salvini  VU
Black-browed Albatross  Thalassarche melanophrys
Wedge-rumped Storm Petrel  Hydrobates tethys
Markham’s Storm Petrel  Hydrobates markhami  NT
Southern Giant Petrel  Macronectes giganteus
Northern Giant Petrel  Macronectes giganteus
Masatierra Petrel  Pterodroma defilippiana   Non-leader. VU
White-chinned Petrel  Procellaria aequinoctialis   VU
Westland Petrel  Procellaria wetlandica  EN
Sooty Shearwater  Puffinus griseus  NT
Pink-footed Shearwater  Puffinus creatopus  VU
Peruvian Diving Petrel ◊  Pelecanoides garnotii  NT
Magellanic Diving Petrel ◊  Pelecanoides magellani
Peruvian Booby  Sula variegata
Red-legged Cormorant  Phalacrocorax gaimardi  NT
Neotropic Cormorant  Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Rock Shag ◊  Phalacrocorax magellanicus
Guanay Cormorant  Phalacrocorax bougainvillii  NT
Imperial Shag (Blue-eyed Cormorant) ◊ Phalacrocorax [atriceps] atriceps
Imperial Shag (King C) ◊  Phalacrocorax [atriceps] albiventer (X)
Black-faced Ibis ◊  Theristicus melanopis
Andean Ibis ◊  Theristicus branickii   Six in the upper Lluta Valley.
White-faced Ibis  Plegadis chihi
Puna Ibis  Plegadis ridgwayi 
Stripe-backed Bittern  Ixobrychus involucris 
Black-crowned Night Heron  Nycticorax nycticorax
Little Blue Heron  Egretta caerulea
Snowy Egret  Egretta thula
Great Egret  Ardea alba
Western Cattle Egret  Bubulcus ibis
Cocoi Heron  Ardea cocoi
Peruvian Pelican  Pelecanus thagus  NT
Andean Condor  Vultur gryphus  VU
Black Vulture  Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture  Cathartes aura
Osprey  Pandion haliaetus
Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle  Geranoaetus melanoleucus
White-throated Hawk ◊  Buteo albigula 
Burrowing Owl  Athene cunicularia 
Pacific Pygmy Owl (Peruvian PO) ◊ Glaucidium peruanum
Austral Pygmy Owl ◊  Glaucidium nana 
Short-eared Owl  Asio flammeus
Lesser Horned Owl (Magellanic HO) ◊ Bubo magellanicus  (X)
Rufous-legged Owl ◊  Strix rufipes  Seen only in flight by some.
Ringed Kingfisher  Megaceryle [torquata] stellata
Striped Woodpecker ◊  Veniliornis lignarius
Chilean Flicker ◊  Colaptes pitius
Andean Flicker Colaptes rupicola
Magellanic Woodpecker ◊  Campephilus magellanicus
Mountain Caracara  Phalcoboenus megalopterus
Crested Caracara  Caracara plancus
Chimango Caracara  Milvago chimango
American Kestrel  Falco sparverius
Aplomado Falcon  Falco femoralis
Peregrine Falcon  Falco peregrinus cassini
Monk Parakeet (Intr)  Myiopsitta monachus
Austral Parakeet ◊  Enicognathus ferrugineus
Slender-billed Parakeet ◊  Enicognathus leptorhynchus
Burrowing Parrot ◊  Cyanoliseus patagonus byroni
Common Miner  Geositta [cunicularia] hellmayri
Puna Miner  Geositta punensis
Short-billed Miner ◊  Geositta antarctica Non-leader.
Rufous-banded Miner (Trilling M)  Geositta [rufipennis] fasciata
Creamy-rumped Miner ◊ Geositta isabellina
White-throated Treerunner ◊  Pygarrhichas albogularis
Straight-billed Earthcreeper  Ochetorhynchus ruficaudus Non-leader.
Band-tailed Earthcreeper ◊  Ochetorhynchus phoenicurus  (X)
Crag Chilia ◊  Ochetorhynchus melanura  Endemic
Wren-like Rushbird  Phleocryptes melanops
Scale-throated Earthcreeper  Upucerthia dumetaria
Patagonian Forest Earthcreeper ◊ Upucerthia saturatior 
White-throated Earthcreeper ◊  Upucerthia albigula
Buff-breasted Earthcreeper  Upucerthia validirostris 
Buff-winged Cinclodes ◊ Cinclodes fuscus
Cream-winged Cinclodes  Cinclodes albiventris
Grey-flanked Cinclodes ◊  Cinclodes oustaleti oustaleti
White-winged Cinclodes  Cinclodes atacamensis
Dark-bellied Cinclodes ◊  Cinclodes patagonicus
Chilean Seaside Cinclodes ◊  Cinclodes nigrofumosus  Endemic
Thorn-tailed Rayadito ◊  Aphrastura spinicauda
Des Murs’s Wiretail ◊  Sylviorthorhymchus desmursii 
Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail  Leptasthenura [aegithaloides] aegithaloides
   Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail  Leptasthenura [aegithaloides] grisescens
   Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail  Leptasthenura [aegithaloides] pallida
Streak-backed Tit-Spinetail  Leptasthenura striata
Dark-winged Canastero  Asthenes arequipae
Austral Canastero ◊  Asthenes anthoides  (X)
Cordilleran Canastero  Asthenes modesta
Sharp-billed Canastero  Asthenes pyrrholeuca
Canyon Canastero ◊  Asthenes pudibunda 
Dusky-tailed Canastero ◊  Pseudasthenes humicola  Endemic
Chestnut-throated Huet-huet ◊  Pteroptochos castaneus
Black-throated Huet-huet ◊  Pteroptochos tarnii 
Moustached Turca ◊  Pteroptochos megapodius  Endemic
White-throated Tapaculo ◊  Scelorchilus albicollis  Endemic
Chucao Tapaculo ◊  Scelorchilus rubecula 
Ochre-flanked Tapaculo ◊  Eugralla paradoxa
Dusky Tapaculo ◊  Scytalopus fuscus  Endemic
Magellanic Tapaculo ◊  Scytalopus magellanicus
White-crested Elaenia (Peruvian E) Elaenia [albiceps] modesta
Chilean Elaenia  Elaenia chilensis
Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant ◊  Anairetes reguloides
Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant  Anairetes flavirostris
Tufted Tit-Tyrant ◊ Anairetes parulus
Ticking Doradito ◊ Pseudocolopteryx citreola 
Rufescent Flycatcher ◊ Myiophobus rufescens
Many-coloured Rush Tyrant  Tachuris rubrigastra
Vermilion Flycatcher  Pyrocephalus obscurus
Spot-billed Ground Tyrant  Muscisaxicola maculirostris
Puna Ground Tyrant  Muscisaxicola juninensis
Cinereous Ground Tyrant  Muscisaxicola cinereus
White-fronted Ground Tyrant  Muscisaxicola albifrons
Rufous-naped Ground Tyrant  Muscisaxicola rufivertex
White-browed Ground Tyrant  Muscisaxicola albilora
Cinnamon-bellied Ground Tyrant  Muscisaxicola capistrata  (X)
Black-fronted Ground Tyrant ◊  Muscisaxicola frontalis  One above San Pedro might extend the Chilean breeding range northwards.
Andean Negrito  Lessonia oreas 
Austral Negrito ◊  Lessonia rufa
Spectacled Tyrant  Hymenops perspicillata
Fire-eyed Diucon ◊  Pyrope pyrope
Chocolate-vented Tyrant ◊  Neoxolmis rufiventris  (X)
Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant  Agriornis montanus 
Great Shrike-Tyrant ◊ Agriornis lividus 
D’Orbigny’s Chat-Tyrant  Ochthoeca oenanthoides
White-browed Chat-Tyrant  Ochthoeca leucophrys
Patagonian Tyrant ◊  Colorhamphus parvirostris
Fork-tailed Flycatcher  Tyrannus savana  A vagrant at Molinos.
Eastern Kingbird  Tyrannus tyrannus  Two at Molinos were vagrants.
Rufous-tailed Plantcutter ◊  Phytotoma rara
Sand Martin (Bank Swallow)  Riparia riparia
Chilean Swallow  Tachycineta meyeni
Blue-and-white Swallow  Pygochelidon cyanoleuca
Andean Swallow  Orochelidon andecola
Barn Swallow  Hirundo rustica
American Cliff Swallow  Petrochelidon pyrrhonota  Non-leader.
Southern House Wren  Troglodytes musculus
Chilean Mockingbird ◊  Mimus thenca
Patagonian Mockingbird ◊  Mimus patagonicus  (X)
Chiguanco Thrush  Turdus [chiguanco] chiguanco
Chiguanco Thrush (Coal Black T)  Turdus [chiguanco] anthracinus 
Austral Thrush ◊  Turdus falcklandii
House Sparrow  Passer domesticus
Correndera Pipit  Anthus correndera
Black-chinned Siskin ◊  Carduelis barbata
Hooded Siskin  Spinus magellanica
Black Siskin  Spinus atrata
Yellow-rumped Siskin ◊  Spinus uropygialis
Thick-billed Siskin ◊  Spinus crassirostris
Rufous-collared Sparrow  Zonotrichia capensis
Peruvian Meadowlark ◊  Sturnella bellicosa
Long-tailed Meadowlark  Sturnella loyca
Shiny Cowbird  Molothrus bonariensis
Austral Blackbird ◊  Cureus cureus
Yellow-winged Blackbird  Agelaius thilius
Mourning Sierra Finch  Phrygilus patagonicus
Band-tailed Sierra Finch  Phrygilus alaudinus
Chestnut-throated Seedeater  Sporophila telasco
Slender-billed Finch ◊  Xenospingus concolor  NT
Tamarugo Conebill ◊  Conirostrum tamarugense
Cinereous Conebill  Conirostrum cinereum
Grassland Yellow-Finch  Sicalis luteola
Patagonian Yellow Finch ◊  Sicalis lebruni  (X)
Greenish Yellow Finch  Sicalis olivascens
Greater Yellow Finch ◊  Sicalis auriventris
Grey-hooded Sierra-Finch  Phrygilus gayi
Patagonian Sierra Finch  Phrygilus patagonicus
Black-hooded Sierra-Finch  Phrygilus atriceps
White-bridled Finch ◊  Melanodera melanodera  (X)
Yellow-bridled Finch ◊  Melanodera xanthogramma  (X)
Ash-breasted Sierra Finch  Geospizopsis plebejus
Plumbeous Sierra Finch  Gewospizopsis unicolor
Red-backed Sierra Finch ◊  Idiopsar dorsalis
White-throated Sierra Finch ◊  Idiopsar erythronotus
Glacier Finch ◊  Idiopsar speculifer
Band-tailed Seedeater  Catamenia analis 
Black-throated Flowpiercer  Diglossa brunneiventris
Blue-and-yellow Tanager  Thraupis bonariensis
Diuca Finch  Diuca diuca

MAMMALS
Puma Puma concolor (X) A female with two well grown cubs at Torres del Paine.
Culpeo Fox Lycalopex culpaeus
South American Grey Fox Pseudalopex griseus
South American Sea Lion Otaria byronia
Guanaco Lama guanicoe
Vicuña Vicugna vicugna
North Andean Huemul (Taruca) Hippocamelus bisulcus
Sei Whale Balaenoptera borealis (X)
Peale’s Dolphin Lagenorhynchus australis
European Hare Lepus europeus Introduced.
European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus Introduced.
Northern Mountain Viscacha Lagidium viscacia
Coruro Spalacopus cuanus Endemic. Los Farallones.
Coypu (Nutria) Myocastor coypus
Bolivian Big-eared Mouse Auliscomys boliviensis Las Cuevas, Lauca NP.

REPTILES
Small Pacific Iguana  Microlophus theresioides  Mouth of Rio Loa etc.
Brilliant Iguana  Liolaemus alticola  One at Lauca NP.
Black-green Tree Iguana  Liolaemis nigroviridis  One at Farallones.
Leopard Iguana  Liolaemus Leopardinus  One at Farallones.