La Rioja

La Rioja is a one of the twenty-three provinces of Argentina and is located in the west of the country. It is surrounded by the provinces of Catamarca to the north, Córdoba to the east, San Luis to the south and San Juan to the south and west as well as the nation of Chile to the west. It covers an area of 89,680 km² (34,630 square mile), but has a population of less than 400,000 people, the majority of whom live in the capital, also called La Rioja.

Its landscape is arid to semi-arid, and the dry climate is because it receives only around 200 mm of precipitation annually. The winters are short and the long summers very hot.

From the Andes at the west, with peaks of up to 22,293 feet (Monte Pissis), the province’s relief descents towards the sierras of the neighbouring dry Pampas zone. The Talampaya National Park is a dry red-soil canyon of the ancient extinguished Talampaya river, which contains many walls and rock formations that make it a tourist destination.

Talampaya National Park – ©HANNAN CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons

Agriculture is mostly limited by La Rioja’s dry, mountainous terrain and, like its cities, lays on the shore of the few permanent rivers and oasis that allow irrigation, with only 190 square kilometres of cultivated land. Vineyards, nuts and olive plantations are the most common, followed by cotton. The province’s main crop is the grape, and its associated wine production, specially around the second city, Chilecito, with a production of 8 million litres per year. Cattle (250,000 head) and goats (150,000 head) are secondary activities, particularly for their hides for leather. Clay is the main mining activity, although uranium is also extracted near El Colorado.

Birding La Rioja

This is a region with stunning landscapes and, for birdwatchers, it offers diverse habitats ranging from the Andean peaks and foothills to lush valleys. Talampaya National Park is a top tourist attraction famous for its monumental red sandstone cliffs and dry canyons, which is good habitat for arid-adapted species and the spectacular Andean Condor, as well as Burrowing Parrot and White-collared Swift.  Other possible bird of note are White-throated Cacholote, Elegant Crested-Tinamou and Diuca Finch. Famatina & Cañón del Ocre is anotDubhi Shapiroher high-altitude spot where you can bird as you ascend the Famatina mountain range. The dramatic Cañón del Ocre provides access to unique montane ecosystems. It holds high-altitude specialists like Andean Geese, miners, cinclodes, and various sierra-finches down the slopes. If you venture into the western mountains, look for Andean Flamingos, Giant Coots, Puna Tinamou, Puna Miner and Cordoba Cinclodes.

Laguna Brava Reserve – ©Silviaanac CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

El Cantadero near the provincial capital, offers a transition into more humid chaco and mountain woodlands. It can bhe good for Cream-backed Woodpecker, Black-legged Seriema, Crested Hornero, Hudson’s Black-Tyrant, and the Rusty-browed Warbling Finch.

The agricultural areas near Chilecito & Nonogasta hold different species.  The vineyards and olive plantations and riparian oases with nearby shrubby foothills along Route 40 offer good roadside birding. Look out for Many-coloured Chaco Finch, White-tipped Plantcutter, Golden-billed Saltator and Spot-backed Puffbird.

Chirau Mita Botanical Gardens – ©Roberto Fiadone CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Rufous Hornero (Argentina’s national bird) is ubiquitous around towns and parks. Andean Condors can frequently be seen riding thermals over canyon edges and mountain crests. The sparsely populated province is under-watched and offers much to the more adventurous travelling birder. The best time for birding is during the southern hemisphere spring and autumn (September to November and March to May). Summers are extremely hot (frequently exceeding 35°C to 40°C in the lowlands), while high winters can bring harsh, freezing winds to the highlands, so both times are best avoided. A 4WD vehicle is highly recommended if you plan to head into higher elevations like Famatina or the remote tracking routes of the high Andes.