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A Report from birdtours.co.uk

Argentina Nov-Dec 2001,

Miguel Angel Benedicto Calpe

Fauna watched on the trip

This is the complete list of the species seen during the trip, from 19th November to 6th December of 2001.

We can separate 5 zones on the trip distributed on the next days :

- Valdés Península : 19, 20, 21 and morning of 22 November.

- Glaciars Area : 22 afternoon, 23, 24, 25 and 26 of November.

- Torres del Paine : 27, 28, 29 and morning of 30 November.

- Tierra del Fuego : 1, 2, 3 and 4 of December.

- Buenos Aires : 5 and 6 of December.

Birds

As usual, there are species placed in almost every habitat visited. In this group we can find an old friend here in Europe, the House Sparrow. Another species introduced from Europe has been the Peregrine Falcon.

On the other hand, the fauna globalization doesn't work only in one way, so we could see in Buenos Aires the well known ( Barcelona is full of them ) Austral Parakeet.

In Valdés Península the most spectacular species were the simpathetic Magellanic Penguins seen in Punta Tombo in thousands and the elusive Lesser Rhea.

Pinguino de Magallanes ( Magellanic Penguin )

 

Ñandú ( Lesser Rhea )

On the other side, in the andean places it's wonderful to watch Geese distributed in their territories all over the plains..

Cauquén Común ( Upland Goose )

However, the king in this place is the Andean Condor, that flies without effort across the blue and always windy Patagonia's Sky.

Condor de los Andes ( Andean Condor )

In Tierra del Fuego the most spectacular was a couple of Magellanic Woodpecker searching for lunch in a forest of the island. They are the greatest woodpeckers of South-America and the most curious are the female.

Carpintero Negro Gigante ( Magellanic Woodpecker )

Finally, in Buenos Aires we could see both kind of Cardinal that are precious, the elegant Fork-Tailed Flycatcher, the Guira Cuckoo and some water-birds.

Pato Capuchino ( Silver Teal )

 

Benteveo ( Great Kiskadee )

 

The bird's guide used for the identification and listing has been "Birds of Southern South America and Antarctica" by Collins. In my opinion, its a very useful guide, easy to use and with good pictures.

No. Common Name Scientific Name

1

Rhea Lesser Pterocnemia pennata

2

Tinamou Elegant Crested Eudromia elegans

3

Grebe White-tufted Podiceps rolland

4

Grebe Pied-billed Podilymbus podiceps

5

Grebe Great Podiceps major

6

Petrel Southern Giant Macronectes giganteus

7

Penguin Magellanic Spheniscus magellanicus

8

Cormorant Olivaceous Phalacrocorax olivaceus

9

Cormorant Rock Phalacrocorax magellanicus

10

Cormorant King Phalacrocorax albiventer

11

Heron Striated Butorides striatus

12

Egret Great Egretta alba

13

Egret Snowy Egretta thula

14

Night-Heron Black-crowned Nycticorax nycticorax

15

Ibis Black-faced Theristicus melanopis

16

Flamingo Chilean Phoenicopterus chilensis

17

Swan Coscoroba Coscoroba coscoroba

18

Swan Black-necked Cygnus melancoryphus

19

Goose Kelp Chloephaga hybrida

20

Goose Upland Chloephaga picta

21

Goose Ashy-headed Chloephaga poliocephala

22

Duck Crested Lophonetta specularioides

23

Duck Spectacled Anas specularis

24

Wigeon Southern Anas sibilatrix

25

Pintail Brown Anas georgica

26

Teal Speckled Anas flavirostris

27

Shoveler Red Anas platalea

28

Teal Silver Anas versicolor

29

Duck Torrent Merganetta armata

30

Steamer-Duck Flightless Tachyeres pteneres

31

Steamer-Duck Flying Tachyeres patachonicus

32

Steamer-Duck White-headed Tachyeres leucocephalus

33

Pochard Rosy-billed Netta peposaca

34

Duck Ruddy Oxyura jamaicensis

35

Duck Lake Oxyura vittata

36

Condor Andean Vultur gryphus

37

Vulture Turkey Cathartes aura

38

Buzzard-Eagle Black-chested Geranoaetus melanoleucus

39

Harrier Cinereous Circus cinereus

40

Caracara Crested Polyborus plancus

41

Caracara Chimango Milvago chimango

42

Falcon Peregrine Falco peregrinus

43

Kestrel American Falco sparverius

44

Coot Red-gartered Fulica armillata

45

Coot White-winged Fulica leucoptera

46

Coot Red-fronted Fulica rufifrons

47

Moorhen (CommonGallinule) Gallinula chloropus

48

Jacana Wattled Jacana jacana

49

Oystercatcher American Haematopus ostralegus

50

Oystercatcher Magellanic Haematopus leucopodus

51

Oystercatcher Blackish Haematopus ater

52

Lapwing Southern Vanellus chilensis

53

Seedsnipe Least Thinocorus rumicivorus

54

Sheathbill Snowy Chionis alba

55

Skua Great Stercorarius skua

56

Skua Chilean Stercorarius chilensis

57

Gull Dolphin Leucophaeus scoresbii

58

Gull Brown-hooded Larus maculipennis

59

Gull Band-tailed Larus belcheri

60

Tern South American Sterna hirundinacea

61

Pigeon Picazuro Columba picazuro

62

Dove Rock Columba livia

63

Dove Eared Zenaida auriculala

64

Parrot Burrowing Cyanoliseus patagonus

65

Parakeet Austral Enicognathus ferrugineus

66

Parakeet Monk Miopsitta monacha

67

Cuckoo Guira Guira guira

68

Owl Burrowing Athene cunicularia

69

Flicker Field Colaptes campestris

70

Woodpecker Green-barred Colaptes melanochloros

71

Woodpecker Magellanic Campephilus magellanicus

72

Miner Common Geositta cunicularia

73

Woodcreeper Scimitar-billed Drymornis bridgesii

74

Earthcreeper Scale-throated Upucerthia dumetaria

75

Earthcreeper Straight-billed Upucerthia ruficauda

76

Cinclodes Dark-bellied Cinclodes patagonicus

77

Cinclodes Grey-flanked Cinclodes oustaleti

78

Cinclodes Bar-winged Cinclodes fuscus

79

Homero Rufous Furnarius rufus

80

Rayadito Thorn-tailed Aphrastura spinicauda

81

Canastero Cordilleran Asthenes modesta

82

Treerunner White-throated Pygarrhichas albogularis

83

Elaenia White-crested Elaenia albiceps

84

Diucon Fire-eyed Xolmis pyrope

85

Ground-Tyrant Ochre-naped Muscisaxicola flavinucha

86

Ground-Tyrant Dark-faced Muscisaxicola macloviana

87

Negrito Austral Lessonia rufa

88

Water-tyrant Pied Fluvicola pica

89

Tyrant Spectacled Hymenops perspicillata

90

Kiskadee Great Pitangus sulphuratus

91

Flycatcher Fork-tailed Tyrannus savana

92

Flycatcher Swainson's Myiarchus swainsoni

93

Martin Southern Progne elegans

94

Swallow White-rumped Tachycineta Ieucorrhoa

95

Swallow Chilean Tachycineta leucopyga

96

Swallow Blue & White Notiochelidon cyanoleuca

97

Wren House Troglodytes aedon

98

Gnatcatcher Masked Polioptila durmicola

99

Mockingbird Chalk-browed Mimus saturninus

100

Mockingbird Patagonian Mimus patagonicus

101

Thrush Rufous-bellied Turdus rufiventris

102

Thrush Austral Turdus falklandii

103

Cardinal Yellow-billed Paroaria capitata

104

Cardinal Red-crested Paroaria coronata

105

Seedeater Double-collared Sporophila caerulescens

106

Warbling-Finch Black-and-rufous Poospiza nigrorufa

107

Diuca Finch Common Diuca diuca

108

Sierra-Finch Grey-hooded Phrygilus gayi

109

Sierra-Finch Patagonian Phrygilus patagonicus

110

Sierra-Finch Mourning Phrygilus fruticeti

111

Sierra-Finch Carbonated Phrygilus carbonarius

112

Sparrow Rufous-collared Zonotrichia capensis

113

Siskin Hooded Carduelis magellanica

114

Siskin Black-chinned Carduelis barbata

115

Blackbird Unicoloured Agelaious ruficapillus

116

Blackbird Austral Cusraeus curaeus

117

Blackbird Yellow-winged Agelaius thilius

118

Cowbird Shiny Molothrus bonariensis

119

Meadowlark Long-tailed Sturnella loyca

120

Sparrow House Passer domesticus

Making a resume of species seen each day distinguishing total number of species and new ones in a day we obtain the next graphic.

Mammals and reptiles

As usually, the mammal and reptile watching is much more difficult than bird watching.

One surprise it's the great quantity of rabbits spread Argentina. They were brought by the europeans and they are replacing dangerously some of the indigenous species of the place, as Maras that are more difficult to see.

Mara

Another species introduced and well adapted in Tierra de Fuego has been the Beaver. Brought from Canada, its activities in rivers produces great changes in the environment and can be harmful. Because of its nocturnal life, we couldn't see them but we could see their haunts, places with multiple dams till 1,5 meters high and trees recently cut by their powerful jaws. Their constructions let them change their environment for their benefit.

The Guanaco is one of the species more seen thanks to the protection programs planned in the national parks. It have became a common animal and starts to be a problem for the cattle because it a competes for the same pastures as the sheep.

Guanaco

Another speace well adapted to the diferent climates of Patagonia because of their great versatility is the Grey Fox which we could see very near.

Grey Wolf

However, the stars of the trip were the Frank Whales we could see in Península Valdés. Although they weren't at the time of the most activity, there were still many females with their babys and they let us approach closely with the boat.

Also in Península Valdés it's spectacular to see the loberias and elefanterias so near and with the animals so quiet.

Loberia

On the other hand, it could be impossible to see some species of this region that aren't easy to see, like orcas, dolphins or puma. It will have to be in other occasion.

The list of the observed species is the following

No. Nombre Común

Nombre Científico

1

Frank Whales

Eubalaena australis

2

Seal Otaria flavescens

3

Sea Elephant Mirounga leonina

4

Grey Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus

5

Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus

6

Mara Dolichotis patagonum

7

Coipú Myocastor coypus

8

Cui Cavia pamparum

9

Guanaco Lama guanicoe

10

Mofeta Conepatus

11

Overo Lizard Tupinambis teguixin

12

Lake's Turtle Phrynops hilarii

 

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