Argentine Republic

Rufous Hornero Furnarius rufus ©Charles J Sharp - Creative Commons Website
Birding Argentina

Argentina is the second largest country in South America home to around 1000 species. With a wide variety of biomes, it projects from the cold and temperate climates of Patagonia up north, to the tropic of Capricorn. The Andes cordillera runs along the western edge, declining gradually to the east into the pampas plains to finally end on the extensive Atlantic coastline.About a dozen species are endemics and another thirty near endemic or endemic breeders. This can be added to several specialties for which Argentina is the best place to look, and the spectacular ones such as Rheas, Seriemas, Penguins, Tapaculos and numerous weird waders such as Diademed Plover, Painted Snipe, Magellanic Plover, Seedsnipes and Sheathbills. The tropical north holds Toucans, Trogons, Tanagers, Antbirds, Manakins and Hummingbirds.

Birding in Argentina is comparatively easy compared to other South American countries. It’s a totally modern country, slightly European in atmosphere, with good infrastructure and safe to travel in. The challenge is the sheer size of the country, and the birding strategy applied must always take this into consideration. In four-five weeks it is possible to include all corners of Argentina: Two weeks for the south, and the other divided between Northwest and Northeast. The choice would be highly dependent on the birder’s experience in the region, but it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that Argentina is perfect to start your South American list: within the diverse avifauna of the Neotropical region, most of the bird families and many genera are represented within Argentina’s diverse geography. So it’s ideal for learning the groups and working your way up north into other tropical countries, where too many species are sometimes overwhelming and difficult to retain.

Airlines cover the whole country and, alternatively, there is an extensive system of long-distance buses. Road conditions are generally good, but travelling distances are usually big and some of the best birding areas are only reachable with 4×4 vehicles, so, even low budget birding in Argentina turns out more expensive than in many other Latin American countries due to the generally higher cost of living.For people who prefer travelling in a group together with professional leadership, many of the top birding tour operators have years of experience in the country and visit all the main birding spots. Particularly in key areas, it’s convenient to have help from local birding specialists as they will save time (and money) pinpointing the precise areas for certain species, which is the case of the Endangered Hooded Grebe in Patagonia.The southern summer is the right time for travelling to Argentina. Springtime between October and January is probably the best, but all the other months are fine for the northern half of the country. In contrast, you should avoid travelling to the south in wintertime.

The birding regions comprise of the following:

Buenos Aires

The capital, is a great place to make base after a long flight, as there are excellent birding areas nearby, including the famous Costanera Sur Nature Reserve. See Neotropical Birding Club (link) and The Urban Birder (link) sites for articles regarding the area. The typical habitats are those of the Pampas plains and the nearby Plata and Paraná rivers. The woods and savannas of the adjacent province of Entre Rios are spectacular with Otamendi National Park lying on the way. On the other hand, a 280 km trip to the south leads to San Clemente and Punta Rasa areas, on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. A pelagic trip can be organized close by. The whole area is an excellent introduction to Argentina, with species such as Greater Rhea, Coscoroba and Black-necked Swans, Southern Screamer, Rosy-billed Pochard, Giant Wood-Rail, Olrog’s Gull, Painted Snipe, Chequered Woodpecker, Guira Cuckoo, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Rufous Hornero, Straight-billed and Curve-billed Reedhaunters, Spectacled Tyrant, Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch, Red-crested Cardinal, Great Pampa-Finch, Ultramarine Grosbeak, Scarlet-headed Blackbird.From here you will continue your trips to either south or north Argentina.

The South

Includes the vast region of steppes and south-beech forest known as Patagonia, from Bahía Blanca on the coast and Bariloche in the Andes, down to Tierra del Fuego. The famous Valdes Peninsula and the Glaciers of Santa Cruz are here. Approximately half of the endemics can be found in the region, as well as nearly 60 specialties which are only shared with adjacent Chile. Some examples of exclusively Patagonian birds are Patagonian Tinamou, Magellanic Penguin, Hooded Grebe, Imperial Shag, Black-faced Ibis, four species of Geese and all the Steamer-Ducks, Bronze-winged Duck, Chilean Hawk, Rufous-tailed Hawk, White-throated Caracara, Austral Rail, Blackish and Magellanic Oystercatchers, Magellanic Plover, White-bellied Seedsnipe, Snowy Sheathbill, Dolphin Gull, Chilean Pigeon, Austral Parakeet, Rufous-legged Owl, Austral Pygmy-Owl, Green-backed Firecrown, Striped Woodpecker, Chilean Flicker, Magellanic Woodpecker, Short-billed Miner, Dark-bellied Cinclodes, Des Murs’Wiretail, Thorn-tailed Rayadito, Austral Canastero, Black-throated Huet-huet, Chucao Tapaculo, Ochre-flanked Tapaculo, Magellanic Tapaculo, Patagonian Tyrant, Fire-eyed Diucon, Chocolate-vented Tyrant, Great Shrike-Tyrant, Ochre-naped Ground-Tyrant, Rufous-tailed Plantcutter, Austral Thrush, Patagonian Sierra-Finch, White-bridled Finch, Yellow-bridled Finch, Patagonian Yellow-Finch, Austral Blackbird, Black-chinned Siskin.

Endemic birds in this region include Chubut Steamer Duck, Sandy Gallito, White-throated Cacholote, Patagonian Canastero, Rusty-backed Monjita and Carbonated Sierra-Finch.Bahía Blanca and San Antonio Oeste are two key areas for finding endemics, typical of Monte scrub and grassland specialties such as Pampas Meadowlark, Chaco Pipit and Yellow Cardinal. Adjacent coastal habitats are good for gulls, terns and waders.Peninsula Valdés and Punta Tombo are probably the best known areas in coastal Patagonia, as they hold the largest Magellanic Penguin colony and other excellent birding areas, as well as several marine mammals including Orcas, Southern Right Whales, Southern Sea Lions and Southern Elephant Seals.Bariloche is located at the same latitude but nestled in the Andes range. A city with a typical alpine atmosphere, it is a perfect base to explore the south-beech forest and high Andes habitats.Santa Cruz province comprises the extreme south of the continent and is home for some of the most sought after birds, including the Hooded Grebe, discovered in 1974, the Austral Rail rediscovered in 1998, and the very elusive Patagonian Tinamou.On the island of Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia is an excellent birding area and the gateway to Antarctica, as many expedition cruises leave from there. It is therefore not uncommon for many Antarctica travellers to take advantage of the long trip and add some birding in Argentina before or after the cruise.

The North

Close to the tropic of Capricorn, a cross section from West to East cuts through an extraordinary succession of habitats, from the high Puna Altiplano in the northwest to the north-eastern Atlantic rainforest, and all that’s in between: the Yungas Cloudforest, the Monte Scrub, the Dry and Wet Chaco and the Iberá Marshlands. It’s not surprising then, that this is the country’s area with the highest diversity and building up a 500 species list is not uncommon on a three week trip.

The North-West includes the Andes Altiplano, home of the Puna habitats and high Andean lakes, the mountain forest or Yungas Cloudforest and the dry valleys, home to the endemic Monte scrub. The area is particularly important for endemics, since all the following can be found in the area: Moreno’s Ground Dove, Sandy Gallito, White-browed Tapaculo, Buff-breasted Earthcreeper, White-throated Cacholote, Steinbach’s Canastero and Yellow-striped Brush-Finch. This region is also the best place to look for near endemic Tucuman-Mountain Finch, and the rare Rufous-throated Dipper and Red-faced Guan.The North East comprises three areas where the bird diversity reaches its highest point: the massive wetland system of Iberá, the humid savannas of the Chaco and the rain forest of Iguazú falls on the border with Brazil. There are no endemics in the area, but several specialties and many spectacular birds, such as Jabiru Stork, Black-fronted Piping-Guan, five species of toucans, Black-collared Hawk, Yellow-breasted Crake, Large-billed Tern, Sickle-winged Nightjar, Spot-backed Antshrike, Speckle-breasted Antpitta, Spotted Bamboowren, Strange-tailed Tyrant, Blue Manakin, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow and numerous tanagers.

Tucuman province is usually the starting point of the trips to the northwest mountains, offering a good sample of forest, grasslands and dry valleys. Working your way north, you will pass through the beautiful landscapes of Salta province where one can virtually encounter all the habitats of the region: Yungas, Monte, Chaco and High Andes.Calilegua National Park is probably the best site for cloudforest species, as it ranges from 800m to 1600 m and you can encounter species from every different forest type.Humahuaca Gorge, a world heritage site in the northernmost Jujuy Province, is where you reach the Puna Altiplano, a magic place to look for plentiful passerines and the most fascinating water birds such as Horned and Giant Coots, James’s, Andean and Chilean Flamingos, Andean Goose, Puna Plover, Andean Avocet and many others.Cordoba province is a great choice if you want to add some days previous to your north-western trip, as you can score three more endemics: Cordoba and Olrog`s Cinclodes and Salinas Monjita. The mountains and flatlands of the area hold excellent areas with plenty of habitats ranging from Chaco woodlands, desert scrub and highland grasslands, home to Spot-winged Falconet, Black-bodied Woodpecker, Chaco Puffbird, Chaco Owl, Scissor-tailed Nightjar and Black-and-chestnut Warbling-Finch.Mendoza province, although not commonly visited by the majority of birding trips, has the highest mountains in America, with the Aconcagua peak reaching 6962 m. A main highway leads directly into central Chile, which can be used not just for birding in both regions, but also for tasting some of the best wines in the world!

Iberá marshes are one of the greatest wetland ecosystems of the world. Comparable to the llanos of Venezuela and the Brazilian Pantanal, it is protected on most of its extension and holds an incredible and diverse wildlife. Jabiru Stork, Crested Doradito, Black-and-white Monjita, Strange-tailed Tyrant, Ochre-breasted Pipit, Saffron-cowled Blackbird and numerous Seedeaters of the enigmatic Sporophila group are some of the bird examples to look for here.The Grand Chaco is an area of woods and wet savannah where hard wood forests intermingle with palm groves, marshes and grasslands. The Chaco is an excellent place to look for a variety of birds on each of the mentioned environments. Red-legged Seriema, Black-hooded Parakeet, Chaco Chachalaca and Golden-green Woodpecker are some examples of typical Chaco denizens.Iguazú falls and Misiones province holds the largest patch of Atlantic rain forest, an ecosystem which formerly spread continuously into neighbouring Brazil and Paraguay. This is, without doubt, one of the birder’s paradises of Argentina and an absolute must in South America. With a province list of 500 species and 400 just in the Iguazú national park, it would be difficult to choose the right bird examples, but perhaps a swarm of 5000 Great-dusky Swifts swarming above the roaring mist of the falls would give you an idea of the area’s potential? Other good birding areas lie south of the national park, which can be reached on a day trip or on a (highly recommendable) extended time in the area.

Top Sites
  • National and Provincial Parks

    - Argentina has many National and Provincial Parks dotted throughout the country. All of them are excellent for birding. Each park protects very different natural environments, assuring a wide variety of bird species. Most are also beautifully scenic. Touring these parks will take you to the cloudforests of Calilegua in the north-western province of Jujuy, the dry and wet regions of the Chaco, the andean forests near Bariloche and Esquel, the palm-belt near Colon in Entre R
  • Other Top Sites:

    Costanera Sur Nature Reserve, Otamendi Nature Reserve, Entre R
  • Puerto Madryn

    Puerto Madryn, in Patagonia, is a good base from which to explore both the coast and the steppe. From here many tours offer day trips to Punta Tombo, the largest Magellanic Penguin colony, or to see the curious wildlife of the Vald
  • Rainforests of Misiones

    The rainforests of Misiones support a vast diversity of birds, while also offering a chance to see the spectacular Iguaz
Contributors
  • Introduction - German Pugnali, Hernan Casañas & Patsy Wharton

    | op@seriematours.com

    Website
  • Gunnar Engblom [Top Sites]

    | kolibriexp@telefonica.net.pe

    Website
Number of Species
  • Number of bird species: 1005

    (As at May 2019)
Endemics
  • Number of endemics: 16

    Non-passerines: White-headed steamer-duck Tachyeres leucocephalus, Bare-eyed ground dove Metriopelia morenoi, Passerines: Sandy gallito Teledromas fuscus, White-browed tapaculo Scytalopus superciliaris, Cordoba cinclodes Cinclodes comechingonus, Olrog's cinclodes Cinclodes olrogi, Patagonian canastero Pseudasthenes patagonica, Steinbach's canastero Pseudasthenes steinbachi, White-throated cacholote Pseudoseisura gutturalis, Salinas monjita Xolmis salinarum, Rusty-backed monjita Xolmis rubetra, Yellow-striped brushfinch Atlapetes citrinellus, Monte yellow-finch Sicalis mendozae, Carbonated sierra finch Porphyrospiza carbonaria, Cinnamon warbling finch Poospiza ornate, Tucuman mountain finch Poospiza baeri
Checklist
  • Checklist

    iGoTerra Checklist
    Fatbirder Associate iGoTerra offers the most comprehensive and up to date birds lists on the web
  • Checklist

    Acuerdo de Campos de Hielo
    Fatbirder Associate iGoTerra offers the most comprehensive and up to date birds lists on the web
Useful Reading

  • Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Argentina

    | By Juan Mazar Barnett & Mark Pearman | Lynx Edicions | 2001 | 164 pages, 3 b/w maps, tables | English & Spanish | ISBN: 9788487334320 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Birds of Argentina and Uruguay - A field guide

    | By Tito Narosky, Dario Yzurieta & Hector Rivarola | Vazquez Mazzini Editores | 2011 | Edition 16 | Paperback | 432 pages, colour photos, colour illustrations, colour distribution maps | English & Spanish | ISBN: 9789879132272 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Birds of Argentina and the South-West Atlantic

    | Mark Pearman & Juan Ignacio Areta | Christopher Helm | In Publication 2020 | Paperback | 896 pages, 150 plates with colour illustrations; 100 maps | NB This book has been in preparation for over ten years and its publication date keeps slipping | ISBN: 9780713645798 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Illustrated Handbook of the Birds of Patagonia

    | (Argentine Antarctica and Islands of the Southern Atlantic) | CJ Kovacs, Ors Kovacs, Zsolt Kovacs & Carlos Mariano Kovacs | Museos Ornitologico Patagonico | 2005 | Hardback | 364 pages, Colour illustrations, maps | ISBN: 9789872248413 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birding Aps
  • Aves Argentinas

    Apple iOS | Android
    | Aves Argentinas | Requires Android 4.1 and up | 255.6 MB | Requires iOS 8 or later | Spanish |

    Aves Argentinas brings you this new application looking at some of the amazing aspects of life, courtship, migration, nesting, food and songs of the 365 most common and emblematic bird species of our country. 1500 photos, songs, information and maps.
Useful Information
  • National Bird

    Rufous Hornero Furnarius rufus
Organisations
  • Aves Argentinas

    Website
    La Argentina posee climas y ambientes naturales diversos, desde selvas h
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

Guides & Tour Operators
  • Argentinean Birdwatching Guide

    Tour Operator
    Argentina is the eighth largest country in the world with many climate conditions and habitats. Currently its bird list exceeds 1050 species with 390 of them thriving in Central Region where I lived. This area is home for many endemic and endangered birds and each year, in summer, is visited for migrant birds from Northern Hemisphere and north of South America changing in winter with birds coming from Patagonia. I think Cordoba is the best place for to begin knowing birds in this big country. I
  • Birding Ecotours

    Tour Operator
    Argentina is blessed with some amazing scenery and birds to go with it. The northwest has some fantastic birding, with high Andes Puna down to cloud forest, where several endemic and regional specialties can be found, like Moreno
  • Clark Expeditions

    Tour Operator
    Birdwatching, Natural-History, Adventure and Wildlife Expeditions - We are a small tour-company with main office in Salta province, in the Andean North of our country. Totally devoted to the Ecotourism and Nature-based Expeditions, our programs include Wildlife Safaris to the National Parks, Trekking and Natural-History Tours, all over northern Argentina. We specialise in Birdwatching Tours, which we operate at the highest quality throughout southern South America including some of the most important areas often with the most difficult access, in the Paraguayan Chaco, the Brazilian Pantanal, the Amazonian and Yungas forests of Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. We cater to both, individuals with tailor-made itineraries and groups being operated by overseas companies.
  • Francisco Cornell - Jujuy Birding

    Tour Operator
    Francisco, is a local birding guide based in Jujuy (near the Bolivian and Chilean borders), who can take you to the best birding sites in the Argentina's North West, as well as help you find and identify the birds of this region. The Argentina's NW hosts very different and contrasting life zones such as the dry Chaco, the Yungas cloud forest (eg. Calilegua NP), the Monte, the Puna (eg. Lake Pozuelos), and the High Andes, counting over 600 bird species, so it offers great opportunities for birding. Mailto:franciscocornell@gmail.com
  • Juan Carlos Grasso- Argentinean Birdwatching Guide

    Tour Operator
    Argentina is the eighth largest country in the world with many climate conditions and habitats. Currently its bird list exceeds 1050 species with 390 of them thriving in Central Region where I lived. This area is home for many endemic and endangered birds and from here there are many routes at the best points in the other provinces of our country. I
  • Luis Horacio Segura - Professional Tour Guide

    Tour Operator
    Professional Tour Guide of the Province of Chubut, Argentina. Birdwatching Tour Leader for Argentina and neighbor countries.
  • Magellanic Nature Tours

    Tour Operator
    Our Target is to give you everything you need to be able to see and photograph your favorite birds in Argentina. I offer Birdwatching tours and photographic safaris in Buenos Aires, Corrientes (Marshlands), Misiones (Iguazu Falls), Chubut, Santa Cruz, Tierra del Fuego. Develop tailor-made programs
  • Rockjumper Birding Tours

    Tour Operator
    Argentina encompasses an incredible array of habitats, ranging from lowland rainforests to alpine deserts, Pampas grasslands to thorny woodlands, and the vast Iber
  • Seriema Nature Tours

    Tour Operator
    Seriema Nature Tours is company based in Argentina, which focuses in Birding Tours and Natural History Tours. Since 1991, our directors and guides have been leading and organizing trips throughout southern South America
  • Trogon Tours

    Tour Operator
    Trogon Tours is the official nature travel company of Birding Argentina, the leading birding and nature specialists for southern South America since 2001
Trip Reports
  • 2014 [01 January] - Dustin Marsh - Ibera Marshes via Ituzaingo

    Report
    …The previous day was hot and humid, and this day was cloudy, windy, cool and with occasional rain. Not the best birding conditions. However, we were still able to see quite a good number of species as we drove about the roads traversing the marshes. Waterbirds such as Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Maguari Stork, Wood Stork, Black-crowned Night Herons and White-Necked Herons were abundant…
  • 2014 [03 March] - Richard Webster & Gustavo Bautista - Santa Marta

    PDF Report
    …The same open area was birded initially where saw woodpeckers and a flycatcher et cetera prior to walking the same trail but this time to its end and again seeing little. The exception was a couple of White- tipped Doves and a pair of White-rimmed Warblers….
  • 2014 [11 November] - Dave Stejskal & Willy Perez - Northwestern Argentina

    PDF Report
    ...The Chaco was possibly the hardest place for us on the trip, but there was a lot of good birding to had nevertheless. Highlights were Stripe-backed Antbird and a possible split, the "Red-billed" Scythebill found here. In the Yungas we were especially lucky with nightbirds, including a perched Rufous Nightjar. The Montane Forest Screech-Owl was the winner the first night, it was soon surpassed the next night when a Lyre-tailed Nightjar gave us a fantastic show....
  • 2014 [11 November] - Dave Stejskal - Southern Argentina

    Report
    ...a migrant flock of extraordinary Tawny-throated Dotterels, the strange Patagonian Cavy or Mara, dozens of giant Southern Elephant Seals lounging on the beaches at the eastern end, distant Orcas feeding in a protected lagoon, close flyby giant-petrels -- both Northern and Southern -- riding the onshore winds, endemic Rusty-backed Monjitas, local Patagonian Yellow-Finches, and so much more. A little farther north, in southern Rio Negro Province near the small seaside town of Las Grutas, our efforts there over a couple of days produced some rarely seen birds, namely White-throated Cacholote, Sandy Gallito, Straneck's Tyrannulet, Hudson's Black-Tyrant, Black-crowned Monjita, White-banded Mockingbird, Carbonated Sierra-Finch, and Cinnamon Warbling-Finch...
  • 2015 [07 July] - Catherine McFadden - Atlantic Forest

    Report
    At that time we had decided that we would return someday to bird the Atlantic forest region of eastern Brazil, a rapidly disappearing habitat that is home to an astounding 180 or so endemic species. Cathy's plans to attend an international conference near Sao Paulo in June 2015 now provided us with the perfect opportunity to tack on a two week birding trip plus a visit to Iguazú Falls, a site we'd long wanted to see. Early July (mid-winter in the southern hemisphere) is not, however, the optimal time to bird the Atlantic forest. Many species are not calling prior to the start of the breeding season, some endemics (Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Black-legged Dacnis, Frilled Coquette) are absent, and others (White-bearded Antshrike, Slaty Bristlefront) simply don’t seem to respond to tape at this time of year. On the plus side, the temperatures are very pleasant (especially along the coast where it can be beastly hot in summer), and the weather is supposed to be dry. Or so we were told.
  • 2015 [10 October] - Luis Segura - Northern Argentina

    PDF Report
    ...Walking along the riverside and the lakeshore, wemanaged to find some wonderful birds including Straneck’sTyrannulet, White-tipped Pluntcutter, Blue-crownedParakeet, Tawny-headed Swallow, White-wingedMockingbird, Checkered Woodpecker and great views ofCrested Gallito. A small marshy patch was home to WattledJacana and a Plumbeous Rail pair with two chicks. Finally,Black-necked Swan, Great Grebe and White-tufted Grebewere also present on the lake...
  • 2015 [11 November] - Andrés Vásquez - Northwest Argentina

    PDF Report
    Northwest Argentina is an incredible place and a wonderful birding destination. It is one of those locations you feel likeyou are crossing through Wonderland when you drive along some of the most beautiful landscapes in South Americaadorned by dramatic rock formations and deep-blue lakes. So you want to stop every few kilometers to take picturesand when you look at those shots in your camera you know it will never capture the incredible landscape and thebreathtaking feeling that you had during that moment....
  • 2015 [11 November] - Bob & Susan French

    PDF Report
    ...We used no guides on this trip, so we inevitably missed some birds, and spent a lot more time finding some species than we would have with a guide with stakeouts. But Argentina is certainly one of the better places for birding on your own, and we thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Add in fabulous scenery,good food and wine, and good infrastructure, and it makes for a very enjoyable birding trip...
  • 2016 [10 October] - Pablo Petracci

    PDF Report
    ...we got our first good views of Buff-winged Cinclodes, Rufous-fronted Thornbird, Brown-capped Whitestart and Rusty-browed Warbling Finch and very close views of Rufous-throated Dipper....
  • 2016 [12 December] - Phil Thompson

    PDF Report
    ...many Crested Gallito calling, Crested Hornero, BrownCachalote, Many coloured Chaco Finch, White fronted Woodpecker, Stripe-crowned spinetail, Short billed canastero, Ringed Warbling Finch, Black-crested Finch, Tufted Tit Spinetail....
  • 2017 [01 January] - Geoff Upton - Chile, Easter Island & Argentina

    PDF Report
    ...new species including rosy-billed pochards, silver, speckled and ringed teal, coscoroba swans, great and white-tufted grebes, whistling and white-necked herons, rufescent tiger-heron, white-winged and red-fronted coots and a southern screamer...
  • 2017 [02 February] - : Fernando Medrano – Chile to Patagonia

    PDF Report
    We have seen 156 species, of which these are highlights: Stripe-backed Bittern, Diameded Sandpiper Plover, Chestnut-throated Huet-huet, Chucao tapaculo, Whitethroated tapaculo, Magellanic Plover, Ruddy-headed Goose, Dolphin Gull, Aplomado Falcon, Lesser Rhea and Hooded Grebe.
  • 2017 [02 February] - Marcelo Padua & John Coons - Chile & Argentina

    Report
    Our tour produced some great avian treats, such as Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper, Many-colored Chaco-Finch, White-fronted Woodpecker, and some nice Argentine endemics such as Sandy Gallito, Band-tailed Earthcreeper, and Steinbach’s Canastero.
  • 2017 [09 September] - Birding Ecotours - Chris Lotz

    PDF Report
    My friend Bill Heck and I liked the idea of heading to Argentina for some birding, so why not? It really was that easy: we booked our flights, and the next thing we were there in Argentina, birding (it’s as simple as that). Our schedule did have some constraints, though – we only had about two weeks available, so we chose a manageable part of this large country, the northwest. And we were only able to do this in September due to other commitments later in the year; while this meant missing some of the more widespread migrants (too early), and thus a shorter overall bird list, we nevertheless managed to see the large majority of the “real” targets, i.e. the localized birds tough to find outside of northwest Argentina and southern Bolivia. We started the trip in Tucuman and finished it in San Salvador de Jujuy. We traversed the famous wine-growing region of Argentina, with its amazingly diverse and spectacular scenery. Since we had to fly via Buenos Aires and had a few hours there before and after the main trip, we also saw quite a few of the species common around this huge city of 16 million people (but not occurring in north-west Argentina).
  • 2018 [05 May] - Dick Meijer

    PDF Report
    The perfectly organized Jaguar–safari in the Pantanal – professionally guided by Ben Freitas (benbirder@gmail.com), an excellent birder – was obviously the highlight of our trip producing Jaguar and Ocelot and 17 other species of mammal, as well as 189 species of bird.
  • 2018 [10 October] - Willy Perez

    Report
    This trip offered many opportunities, with a fantastic landscape and a big variety of habitats, and we were able to bird in all of them with no complications. In the Altiplano, Pozuelos was full of birds, with the 3 Flamingos, Andean Avocets and the busy Puna Plover, all for nice looks.
  • 2022 [01 January] - Daniel Branch - Yungas & Andes

    PDF Report
    ...The species that we feared would require the most effort was the Rufous-throated Dipper Cinclus schulzii, but the birds are known to breed near the road at the top of the valley, so this was the area we searched...
  • 2022 [02 February] - Rob Jansen

    PDF Report
    Argentina – Atlantic Coast Bird & Mammal
  • 2022 [03 March] - Rob Jansen - NE Argentina

    PDF Report
    ...The main targets here are Straight-billed Reedhaunter and Curve-billed Reedhaunter. The latter was found quite easily on the first 100m after the curve...
  • 2022 [04 April] - Dick Meijer - NW Argentina

    PDF Report
    ...We succeeded in finding all seven endemic species possible in our itinerary: Bare-eyed or Moreno’s Ground-Dove, Sandy Gallito, White-browed Tapaculo, White-throated Cacholote, Steinbach’s Canastero, Yellow-striped Brushfinch and Monte Yellow-Finch and three of the six possible endemic breeders: Straneck’s Tyrannulet, Black-crowned Monjita and Whitebanded Mockingbird. Despite considerable efforts the also possible endemic breeders Lesser Shrike-Tyrant, Chaco Sparrow and Cinnamon Warbling-Finch could not be found...
  • 2022 [07 July] - Gilles Delforge - NW Argentina

    PDF Report
    ...Based on the information available (ebird and Birds of Argentina), it seemed that most of the endemics or near-endemics were theoretically present in winter on the classic NW itinerary (with a few exceptions like Rotschild’s Swift, Dinelli’s Doradito or Hudson’s Black Tyrant)...
  • 2022 [10 October] - Colin Reid - Buenos Aires & Iguazu

    PDF Report
    ...No obvious pickup at the airport so I wandered outside for a smoke and saw a Variable Hawk soaring around pretty low immediately overhead - I think it was a juvenile. There were a few Hirundine sp, which I think were probably either Grey-breasted or Brown-chested Martins but the light was pretty shit so sp not called...
  • 2022 [10 October] - Jacob Roalef - Northwest Argentina

    PDF Report
    The tour was very successful as it connected with many endemic and near-endemic species along with regional specials and migrants, summing up to a great trip list. Avian highlights included Red-legged Seriema, Red-faced Guan, Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, Sandy Gallito, Moreno’s Ground-Dove, Spot-backed Puffbird, Black-crowned Monjita, White-browed Tapaculo, Steinbach’s Canastero, White-throated Cacholote, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Montane Forest Screech-Owl, James’s, Chilean and Andean Flamingos, Tucuman Mountain Finch, Cream-backed Woodpecker, Giant Coot, Red-tailed Comet, Rufous-throated Dipper and Andean Tinamou.
  • 2022 [11 November] - Jeff Hopkins - Northern Pamp[as

    PDF Report
    ...After that, the lifers came in fast and furious. Marcelo heard a Bay-capped Wren-spinetail, and while looking for that a Warbling Doradito* popped up. After that we saw a little grey flycatcher which a little bit of tape confirmed as a White-crowned Tyrannulet*. Right after that, a pair of Screaming Cowbirds* flew by. Marcelo pointed out a distant Brownand-Yellow Marshbird*...
  • 2022 [12 December] - Hans Matheve - Northern Argentina

    Report
    ...The remaining part of the morning was spent here and we managed to find several of its specialties: Black-legged Seriema (several heard and eventually one seen...
  • 2023 [03 March] - Peter Cartwright - Strobel Plateau

    PDF Report
    ...This compromised the birding, but we still saw 10+ Lesser Rhea, a Black-faced Ibis, 2 Variable Hawk, a Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, 8 Least Seedsnipe, c43 Tawny-throated Dotterel, 2 Short-billed Miner (and many Miner sp. probably also this species), 3 Scale-throated Earthcreeper, a Cordilleran Canastero, a Cinnamon-bellied Ground Tyrant, a Greater Yellow or Patagonian Yellow Finch (that I couldn’t identify to a species given the brief view), and a Diuca Finch; as well as 75+ Guanaco, and a Greater or Patagonian Armadillo (that I couldn’t identify to a species)...
  • 2023 [09 September] - Eduardo Ormaeche - Brazil & Argentina

    PDF Report
    During this fantastic two-week birding tour, we recorded numerous fantastic species including Hyacinth Macaw, Sungrebe, Sunbittern, Greater Rhea, Jabiru, Roseate Spoonbill, Agami Heron, Zigzag Heron, Helmeted Manakin, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Green-headed Tanager, Black Jacobin, Great Dusky Swift, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Red-billed Scythebill, Rufous-capped Motmot, Surucua, Black-throated and Blue-crowned Trogons, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, White-eyed Foliage-gleaner, Black-fronted Piping Guan, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, Blond-crested Woodpecker, Common and Great Potoos, Toco Toucan, Whiterumped and Fulvous Shrike-Tanagers, and many others. In addition to our birding encounters, we had a variety of mammals, including four of Brazil’s ‘Big Five’: Jaguar, Giant Anteater, Lowland Tapir and Giant (River) Otter. This was a superb trip for birders, wildlife enthusiasts and adventurous travelers alike.
  • 2023 [11 November] - Chris Lotz - Iguazú & Pantanal

    PDF Report
    Some of the many highlights of this trip were five Jaguar (two close-up pairs during boat trips and one at night from the lodge), three Giant (River) Otter, good views of a Giant Anteater, playful Lowland (Brazilian) Tapir, the planet’s largest parrot, Hyacinth Macaw and five parakeet species, a day-roosting Great Potoo with its baby, eleven hummingbird species, many of them close-up at a hummingbird garden, Sungrebe, Sunbittern, a great many waterbirds including some charismatic ones like Boat-billed Heron (mini shoebill!), some close-up owls, all five kingfisher species, numerous woodpeckers, Toco Toucan, Red-legged Seriema, closeup Bat Falcon, confiding Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Plush-crested Jay, luminously dazzling Orange-backed Troupial, numerous spectacular tanagers, and lots more...
Other Links
  • Aves Pampeanas

    Facebook Page
    Guia de Aves de la llanura pampeana argentina con descripciones, fotos, dibujos y sonidos de mas de 500 especies
  • Aves de Argentina

    Website
    Birds of Argentina
  • Aves del NOA

    Website
    Sitio sobre Aves, funa en general y flora del Noroeste Argentino
  • Birds of Argentina

    Website
    Systematic and Taxonomy - En este blog quiero compartir con ustedes toda la admiraci
  • Freebirds

    Website
    Photographic guide to birds of Argentina, Chile & Uruguay
  • Observando Aves en Bariloche

    Website
    Registro de observaciones de aves en Bariloche
  • Wikiaves

    Website
    El Proyecto WIKIAVES tiene como prop
Blogs
  • Daniel Aves

    Blog
    Argentinian birder
  • Patagonia

    Blog
    Flora, fauna and geography of the southern end of South America
Photographers & Artists
  • Artist - Heidi Lots

    Gallery
    Heidi is a self-taught artist born in Argentina - South America with German ancestors, now living in Germany..
  • Aves Argentinas

    Gallery
    Fotografias de Aves - Bird Photographs from Argentina and beyond
  • Image Natural

    Gallery
    Wildlife Images
  • Mis Fotos de Aves

    Gallery
    fotos de aves de las distintas regiones de mi pa
  • Pajaros Argentinos

    Gallery
    Aves que habitan en Argentina. habitat, fotos, comportamiento, cantos, etc
  • Photographer - Alec Earnshaw

    Gallery
    Welcome to my site! Check out my photos of birds, mammals, reptiles, butterflies, other insects, etc. Also check out my trip reports, paintings & videos. Thank you for visiting!
  • Photographer - Hernan Tolosa - Aves de Argentina

    Gallery
    Birds of Argentina by Hernan Tolosa of BA province
  • Photographer - James Lowen

    Gallery
    Here are a selection of my photographs, all taken since 2005. Most are of wildlife, taken in the UK, the Seychelles, Antarctica or - our new home - South America

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