Wild Patagonia & Southern Chile

Magellanic Woodpecker © Andrew Whittaker

Magnificent Andean and Patagonian scenery, from towering Valdivian Forests to world-famous Torres del Paine and Tierra del Fuego national parks, offering many wonderful southern tier birds, Pumas, a King Penguin colony, huge condors, and colorful blooming flowers—hallmarks of this fascinating tour to glorious Chile.

A Puma hunting Guanaco against a backdrop of snow-capped spires, the raucous antics of a King Penguin colony, a pair of huge Magellanic Woodpeckers in a towering southern beech forest, fine wines in comfortable hotels and lodges—where else but Chile!

This tour showcases the majestic scenery and abundant wildlife of southern Chile—a region widely recognized as among the most beautiful in the world. Mighty ice-capped peaks of the Andes dominate the topography, while the Pacific coastline teems with life. From Chiloé Island to wild Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, we will seek the special birds, mammals, and vivid landscapes for which Chile is so justly famous. Our visit takes place in the radiant southern spring, when the weather is good, colorful wildflowers abound, birds are in stunning breeding plumage and singing, and photographic opportunities abound.

From Santiago we’ll travel south to Puerto Montt, where the temperate forests of Chile’s Lake District and Alerce Andino National Park are home to an avifauna rich with endemic and range-restricted birds like Rufous-tailed and Chilean hawks, Slender-billed Parakeet, and Black-throated Huet-huet. We will pay an exciting visit to a mixed colony of Humboldt and Magellanic penguins, while a comfortable ferry crossing to Chiloe Island should yield such special seabirds as Black-browed Albatross, Red-legged Cormorant, Magellanic Diving-Petrel, and our first Southern Giant-Petrels.

Tierra del Fuego, South America’s Land of Fire, is the home of Imperial Cormorant, Magellanic Oystercatcher, and Dolphin Gull. In the wetlands between the wild sea and the giant walls of the Paine Massif, Ashy-headed, Upland, and endangered Ruddy-headed geese breed among hordes of other waterfowl. We’ll search for the highly sought and rare Magellanic Plover and colorful Rufous-chested and Tawny-throated dotterels. Magdalena Island is home to a thriving colony of Magellanic Penguins. Always a highlight is our opportunity to visit a large rookery of King Penguins, complete with fluffy chicks.

We’ll travel to Torres del Paine National Park, where Pumas are often seen at close range and are fearless due to the lack of hunting and persecution! Imagine observing them stalk their prey amid glistening glaciers, turquoise lakes, and hillsides ablaze with scarlet, orange, and yellow wildflowers. We will also enjoy herds of wild Guanaco, flocks of Lesser Rheas, and majestic Andean Condors.

Good to excellent accommodations and food; easy birding throughout; tour moderately paced with light physical demands that include easy walking on varied terrain but mostly on roadsides and flat trails; Puma excursions can entail optional short walks on rolling terrain; spring weather conditions mostly sunny and pleasant; however, if the spring is late, we could experience cold temperatures with snow. Patagonia is often cold and can be windy.

Tawny-throated Dotterel © Andrew Whittaker