VENT. Southern Argentina: Spring Magic in Patagonia 12/2/2025-12/16/2025

ebird.org/tripreport/450439

After a twenty-five-year hiatus, it was a truly phenomenal experience for me to visit Argentina’s magical southern tier again. Our revamped Southern Argentinian itinerary took us steadily south, through a tremendous variety of habitats. We began in the famous pampas grasslands and rich marshes, followed by low Monte deserts, the towering Andes, coastal mudflats, Patagonian forests, tremendous glacial fields, and finally the wild expanse of the remote Patagonian steppe.

Perito Moreno Glacier © Andrew Whittaker

Throughout our travels, we were surrounded by breathtaking scenery as we enjoyed spectacular birding and amazing wildlife moments. Our travels resulted in a list of 260 bird species, including almost all of the possible endemics and near-endemics.

Burrowing Parakeets © Andrew Whittaker

Our adventure began in bustling Buenos Aires, famous for its passionate tango and steaks; for us, the city meant birding Costanera Sul Reserve. Here in the city center, wetlands and secluded forest trails offered a perfect introduction, with a respectable 75 bird species observed. We enjoyed a good selection of waterfowl, most notably Rosy-billed Pochard, Silver Teal, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, and, best of all, an amazing concentration of 19 Masked Ducks. Massive Southern Screamers with young also stole the show, along with a neat Spot-flanked Gallinule. Other species of interest included the colorful Nanday Parakeet, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Checkered and Green-barred woodpeckers, Black-backed Water-Tyrant, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, and the lovely Black-and-rufous Warbling Finch.

Leaving the capital, we entered the great expanse of pampas grasslands with their iconic gaucho cowboys. We were here for the birds, and wow, did they produce! A close encounter with the rare Bearded Tachuri was outstanding. Sought-after boreal migrants included flocks of Buff-breasted Sandpiper, American Golden Plover, Hudsonian Godwits, and even a lone Swainson’s Hawk. The rich marshes were also alive, and we had good luck with the range-restricted Bay-capped Wren-Spinetail; we also heard Dot-winged Crakes. Just as noteworthy were crippling views of Stripe-backed Bittern, Coscoroba and Black-necked swans, Maguari Stork, Plumbeous Rail, Sulphur-bearded and Curve-billed reedhaunters, Freckle-breasted Thornbird, Many-colored Rush Tyrant, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Warbling Dorodito, Grass Wren, Brown-and-yellow Marshbirds, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Great Pampa-Finch, and much more.

Camouflaged Stripe-backed Bittern © Andrew Whittaker

Next up were the calm seas off Mar Del Plata, where an exciting morning’s pelagic boat trip turned up countless White-chinned Petrels, Black-browed Albatross, and a handful of Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses. Other pelagics included a Westerland Petrel, Southern and Northern giant-petrels, delicate Wilson’s Storm-Petrels, and a few Cape Verde, Manx, and Great shearwaters. We also found many South American Terns and both Parasitic and Pomarine jaegers, while the sheltered harbor held breeding-plumaged Great Grebes and a large colony of basking Southern Sealions.

The next morning, before our flight, we had stellar looks at flocks of gorgeous Burrowing Parakeets, the endemic White-throated Cacholote, Patagonian and Sharp-billed canasteros, Patagonian Mockingbird, and Diuca Finch. We arrived in the afternoon in Trelew, gateway to the famous Valdes Peninsula, where we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner of fresh seafood.

The endemic White-throated Cacholote © Andrew Whittaker

Over the next two days, we had a real blast exploring the fascinating coastal region of the Valdes Peninsula, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to unique birds and mammals. A fabulously calm day greeted our boat excursion on the bay, where we enjoyed amazingly close studies of endangered Southern Right Whales, including a female and calf, as well as the much-wanted Snowy Sheathbills. The desert held several comical Patagonian Mara, while beaches were home to giant snorting Southern Elephant Seals in molt. The cute Patagonian Cavy touched our hearts. A carefully constructed wooden boardwalk gave us access to a colony of countless thousands of Magellanic Penguins, a sight just as awe-inspiring as our mega-close studies of a pair of the endemic White-headed Steamer-Duck.

The endemic White-headed Steamer-Duck © Andrew Whittaker

Other significant observations included the striking Elegant Crested-Tinamou, Darwin’s Nothura, Cinereous Harrier, Magellanic and Imperial cormorants, Dolphin Gull, Blackish Oystercatcher, the endemic Carbonated Sierra Finch, Rusty-backed and Black-crowned monjitas, Band-tailed Earthcreeper, Lesser Shrike-Tyrant, and Short-billed Pipit.

Elegant Crested-Tinamou © Andrew Whittaker

Birding the town’s park and pool, we searched through the waterfowl to find Crested and Lake ducks, Red Shoveler, Yellow-billed Pintail, and Yellow-billed Teal. Our patient watching truly paid off with a pair of the uncommon Black-headed Duck, a real oddball. This is the only duck known to be an obligate brood parasite, often laying its eggs in the nests of gulls or even Snail Kites. A nice surprise was a large flock of very tame Chilean Flamingos offering mega views.

Chilean Flamingo © Andrew Whittaker

Next up was a flight inland to the famous ski resort of Bariloche, nestled into the charming foothills of the snow-capped Andes. This starkly different scenery was the backdrop to a new set of birds, too. The grounds of our delightful hotel held flocks of striking Ashy-headed Geese, Chiloe Wigeon, Austral Parakeet, and Patagonian Sierra Finch. At the top of everyone’s wish list, the mighty Magellanic Woodpecker gave us stunning looks, as did a responsive Austral Pygmy Owl and a White-throated Treerunner.

Birding in the towering forests of Southern Beech was fun. We taped out Black-throated Huet-huet, many Thorn-tailed Rayaditos, and the charming Chucao, Magellanic, and Ochre-flanked tapaculos. An exciting ski lift ride took us higher into the mountains for specialists such as the rare Patagonian Forest Earthcreeper, White-browed Ground-Tyrants, Fire-eyed Diucon, and our first Andean Condor. Equally noteworthy were superb looks at White-throated Hawk, Chilean Flicker, the odd Des Murs’s Wiretail, Green-backed Firecrown, and Black-chinned Siskin.

Adjacent to the airport, we had great looks at Least Seedsnipe, Austral Canastero, and Hellmayr’s Pipit before saying goodbye to this wonderful area and flying south to Calafate. When we arrived at our delightful lodgings, we found the gardens ablaze with every imaginable color of lupine. Our much-anticipated afternoon excursion to one of the world’s most spectacular glaciers, Perito Moreno, in Los Glaciares National Park, was truly sensational. A Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle even soared over the park’s wooded entrance. Arriving at the headquarters, we were met by an awe-inspiring vista, an ever-shifting icy landscape jarred by explosive cracking as sheets of calving ice crashed into the turquoise waters.

Calafate’s impressive lagunas and muddy inlets were alive with birds as we searched the secluded pebble beaches. Shorebirds ran around on the mud among the Upland Geese and Chilean Flamingos; Baird’s Sandpipers were the most abundant, but there were also a few Magellanic Oystercatchers. The blue waters held Red-gartered and White-winged coots, Andean and Lake ducks (side by side), and our first Flying Steamer-Ducks. John spotted our first Magellanic Snipe, which gave great views. The grasslands were frequented by feeding Black-faced Ibis and agile pairs of Austral Negrito.

After a good amount of searching, I finally spotted the Patagonian holy grail, a pair of Magellanic Plovers, the only species in the family Pluvianellidae. These birds delighted us with their odd display, chests puffed out as they zigzagged their way along the beach side by side. Simply WOW!

Displaying Magellanic Plovers © Andrew Whittaker

A stunning Rufous-chested Dotterel and Patagonian Yellow-Finch landed right in front of us, trying to steal the show among a few White-rumped Sandpipers. A search of several remote pools rewarded us with hunting Cinereous Harrier, lovely Silvery and White-tufted grebes, the odd dusky Black-crowned Night Heron, Coscoroba and Black-necked swans with cygnets, Plumbeous Rail, Lesser Yellowlegs, Chilean Swallow, Spectacled Tyrants, and striking Long-tailed Meadowlarks. At the eleventh hour, I thankfully spotted the very uncommon Spectacled Duck—a pair not in the water but resting on the bank.

A secluded foothill valley with a stream and stunted vegetation harbored a nice collection of species, among them a responsive colorful male Rufous-tailed Plantcutter, the rare Great Shrike-Tyrant, Scale-throated Earthcreeper, Cordilleran Canastero, Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail, Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Austral Blackbird, and Cinnamon-bellied Ground-Tyrants.

We enjoyed sharing southern Argentina’s wildlife, and hope that we cross paths again birding on one of my many exciting VENT tours worldwide.

Happy birding to you on our simply amazing planet!

Abrazos,

Andy

A complete list of the birds recorded on our tour can be found at: ebird.org/tripreport/450439

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