Northeast Argentina Nov 09—20, 2007
Posted by Steve Hilty
Steve Hilty
Steve Hilty is the senior author of A Guide to the Birds of Colombia, and the recently published Birds of Venezuela, both by Princeton University Press. Other credits inclu...Related Trips
This can be described as a trip of contrasts—wide-open spaces in the pampas, dense bamboo-laden forests in Iguazú, and one of the world's most spectacular waterfalls. And, there were equally impressive avian contrasts—flightless rheas with ostrichlike demeanor, and screamers, swans, and waterfowl aside tiny birds with such unlikely names as Firewood-Gatherer and Many-colored Rush-Tyrant. In the dense forests of Iguazú there were aracaries, Toco Toucans, and finely attired Plush-crested Jays, all in sharp contrast to the many foliage-gleaners, tyrannulets, and more somber dress of forest understory species.
The pampas region was unseasonably cold and windy and, surprisingly, the cold weather continued northward into Corrientes, although our intrepid group enjoyed much warmer weather in Misiones. The pampas, with its sweeping horizons, vast estancias, cattle, and great numbers of waterfowl and large birds, provided the theme for the first part of our trip. In Corrientes our group enjoyed an opportunity to mingle with barefoot gauchos, meet the owner of an estancia, and lunch in the open air under the spreading branches of trees at the ranch compound. Here, also, we found perhaps the oddest and one of the rarest of all flycatchers, the Strange-tailed Tyrant, whose name hints at its unusual adornments. Imagine a small airplane towing a banner and you have an idea of the appearance of this bird in flight. An unscheduled visit to a marsh near Pousadas provided views of rare Saffron-cowled Blackbirds and other species new to the group. Anyone who has turned the pages of an Argentina field guide will know that the Corrientes region hosts many unusual seedeaters, and we enjoyed fine studies of six species—a good number—including the scarce Chestnut Seedeater.
At Iguazú, everyone will have their favorite image of the region, perhaps of swifts swirling in the mist of the falls, rainbows shimmering above swirling water, the sheer volume of water, or perhaps the smaller falls that flank the main falls. One of our birding days at Iguazú was hampered by rain, but the first and last days were spectacular, with great views of birds of forest interior and forest edge. For me, the number of foliage-gleaners we saw in the Iguazú area was remarkable, as well as our views of the Rufous Gnateater, the pair of Blond-crested Woodpeckers, and diminutive Eared Pygmy-Tyrants; Plush-crested Jays decorating a tree at the visitor center; Green-headed Tanagers; Swallow-tanagers; and the palms with up to a hundred nests of Red-rumped Caciques. From Buenos Aires to the pampas and the mists of Iguazú, this trip should provide memories of an exciting country and a bird fauna to match.