Birdwatching in Esteros del Ibera

Birdwatching Esteros del Ibera, March 2007
R. Beunen
Birdwachting Esteros del Ibera
23 – 28 March 2007
In February and March 2007 we made a six-week trip to Argentina. At the end of this trip
we spent about 5 days in Esteros del Ibera. During these days we saw 152 species of bird.
We also saw a lot of other wildlife, including Capybaras, Caymans, Howler Monkeys, Pampa
and Marsh Deer, and Geoffroy’s Cat. The weather during the first days of our stay were
fine, it was somewhat clouded and therefore not as hot as during the last two days.
Most birdwatching was done around Carlos Pellegrini. We stayed one night in a hostel just
north of the bridge and 4 nights in Posada de la Laguna.
Friday 23 March
We arrived early morning in Corrientes where we could take the
11.00 h. bus to Mercedes. There is public transport from
Mercedes to Carlos Pellegrini but this takes a lot of time and the
only two busses leave in the morning (7.00 h. and 12.00 h.). The
best way, although more expensive, is to go by a 4x4. This costs
about 180-200 pesos for up to 4 people. The private transport
can be arranged at the bus station of Mercedes. It is a two hours
drive to Pellegrini and we arrived there just before sunset. The
trip takes you through the grassy areas and many species, like
Greater Rhea, Spotted Nothura, and some raptors, can be seen
along the road. We enjoyed the sunsets from the road close to
the tourist information. Also present was a beautiful Scarletheaded Blackbird.
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Birdwatching Esteros del Ibera, March 2007
R. Beunen
Saturday 24 March
The morning was spent along the road to the visitor centre south of the bridge and in the
small forest near the visitor centre. Although it gets warm very early we saw many birds.
In the bushes along the road and the bridge Green-winged Saltator, Sooty Tyrannulet, Unicoloured Blackbird, three species of kingfisher, and Large Elaenia, were present. In the
forest White-rimmed Warbler was really common. We also found Cream-backed
Woodcreeper, White-barred Piculet, and Golden-winged Cacique.
At the end of the morning we moved to Posada de la Laguna on the other side of the
village. Here we would spend the next four days.
In the afternoon we made a boat trip to the marshes west of the visitor centre. This was a
really nice trip, We saw Jabiru, Snail Kite, Yellow-headed Caracara, Large-billed Tern,
Rusty-Collared Seedeater, Anhinga. Thanks to Maximo, our guide, we had amazing views of
a Rufous-sided Crake.
Sunday 25 March
In the morning we made another trip to the visitor centre. This time we had a guided walk
here. Nevertheless we saw only a few birds. Green-backed Becard was new. After lunch I
made a walk along the road north of Pelligrini. It was too hot for most birds but I managed
to find some nice ones, like Checkered Woodpecker, Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper, and
Brown & Yellow Marshbird, which is very common in these marshy areas.
In the afternoon we made a boat trip along the reed beds south of the Posadas. We again
saw a Jabiru. Other birds include Roseate Spoonbill, Bare-faced Ibis, and Long-tailed
Reedfinch.
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Birdwatching Esteros del Ibera, March 2007
R. Beunen
Monday 26 March
Horse-back riding is another way to experience the marshy grasslands. The bumpy ride
does not allow for much bird watching. We saw South-american Snipe, Plumbeous Ibis, and
Gray Monjita during this trip.
In the afternoon Alejandro took us on a trip to look for the Strange-tailed Tyrant. The end
of March is not the best time to see this species because they have a very dull plumage and
most have lost their long tail. We saw about 10 birds, males and females, in the grasses
south of Pellegrini. One of the males still had a long tail-feather. This species prefers high
grass, something which has become rare due to grazing and burning. It was therefore good
to hear that an American had bought many hectares in the area to preserve the natural
values of Esteros del Ibera.
An attempt to find a Streamer-tailed Tyrant was fruitless, although we saw a hunting
Geoffroy’s Cat, a small version of a Jaguar. Just before dark a large flock of Nacunda
Nighthawk flew over the road.
Tuesday 27 March
This morning we went birding along the road north of Carlos Pellegrini. Here some of the
rarest birds of Argentina can be found. We found two Strange-tailed Tyrants, Red-winged
Tinamou, Black & White Monjita, Firewood Gatherer, Ochre-bellied Pipit, and Yellow-rumped
Marshbird. We also saw a small group of several Peach-fronted parakeets. This species is
not supposed to occur in Argentina, but I know of no other parakeet with an orange front
on the forehead. We failed to find Streamer-tailed Tyrant and Yellow Cardinal, birds that
could also be present here.
In the afternoon we made a new attempt and now we found a small family of Yellow
Cardinals which were foraging in the bushes. In a marshy area we found Lesser Grass-finch
and some Jabirus. On the way back we found a Scissor-tailed Nighthawk. Just before dinner
we heard a calling Tropical Screech-owl in the Bushes near the Posada.
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Birdwatching Esteros del Ibera, March 2007
R. Beunen
Wednesday 28 March
This was our last day. In the early morning I made
another useless attempt to find the Streamertailed Tyrant. Afterwards we took a canoe and
peddled along the lake for some hours. It was
really hot and there were not many birds. When
we came back we saw a group of White-eyed
parakeets in the garden of the posada. The rest of
the day we relaxed near the swimming pool and
packed our stuff. In the afternoon we drove back
to Mercedes from where we took a nightbus to
Buenos Aires.
More information about Esteros del Ibera
Esteros del Ibera: http://www.esterosdelibera.com/
Posada de la Laguna: http://www.posadadelalaguna.com/
raoulbeunen@hotmail.com
www.geocities.com/avg_w
List of species seen in Esteros del Ibera (152 in total)
Greater Rhea
Rhea americana
Glittering-bellied Emerald
Chlorostilbon aureoventris
Red-winged Tinamou
Rhynchotus rufescens
Blue-tufted Starthroat
Heliomaster furcifer
Spotted Nothura
Nothura maculosa
Tropical Screech-Owl
Megascops choliba
Southern Screamer
Chauna torquata
Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia
White-faced Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna viduata
Nacunda Nighthawk
Podager nacunda
Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschata
Scissor-tailed Nightjar
Hydropsalis torquata
Brazilian Teal
Amazonetta brasiliensis
Picazuro Pigeon
Patagioenas picazuro
White-barred Piculet
Picumnus cirratus
Spot-winged Pigeon
Patagioenas maculosa
Checkered Woodpecker
Picoides mixtus
Eared Dove
Zenaida auriculata
Little Woodpecker
Veniliornis passerinus
Ruddy Ground-Dove
Columbina talpacoti
Golden-breasted woodpecker
Colaptes melanochloros
Picui Ground-Dove
Columbina picui
Campo Flicker
Colaptes campestris
White-tipped Dove
Leptotila verreauxi
Cream-backed Woodpecker
Campephilus leucopogon
Limpkin
Aramus guarauna
Ringed Kingfisher
Megaceryle torquata
Rufous-sided Crake
Laterallus melanophaius
Amazon Kingfisher
Chloroceryle amazona
Giant Wood-Rail
Aramides ypecaha
Green Kingfisher
Chloroceryle americana
Purple Gallinule
Porphyrio martinicus
Smooth-billed Ani
Crotophaga ani
Solitary Sandpiper
Tringa solitaria
Guira Cuckoo
Guira guira
South American Snipe
Gallinago paraguaiae
Blue-crowned Parakeet
Aratinga acuticaudata
Wattled Jacana
Jacana jacana
White-eyed Parakeet
Aratinga leucophthalmus
Southern Lapwing
Vanellus chilensis
Peach-fronted Parakeet
Aratinga aurea
Large-billed Tern
Phaetusa simplex
Monk Parakeet
Myiopsitta monachus
White-tailed Kite
Elanus leucurus
Ashy-tailed Swift
Chaetura andrei
Snail Kite
Rostrhamus sociabilis
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Birdwatching Esteros del Ibera, March 2007
R. Beunen
Long-winged Harrier
Circus buffoni
Firewood-gatherer
Anumbius annumbi
Cinereous Harrier
Circus cinereus
Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper
Drymornis bridgesii
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
Narrow-billed Woodcreeper
Lepidocolaptes angustirostris
Savanna Hawk
Buteogallus meridionalis
Rufous-browed Peppershrike
Cyclarhis gujanensis
Black-collared Hawk
Busarellus nigricollis
Rufous-bellied Thrush
Turdus rufiventris
Roadside Hawk
Rupornis magnirostris
Creamy-bellied Thrush
Turdus amaurochalinus
Southern Crested Caracara
Caracara plancus
Chalk-browed Mockingbird
Mimus saturninus
Yellow-headed Caracara
Milvago chimachima
Black-capped Donacobius
Donacobius atricapillus
Chimango Caracara
Milvago chimango
House Wren
Troglodytes aedon
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
Masked Gnatcatcher
Polioptila dumicola
Anhinga
Anhinga anhinga
White-rumped Swallow
Tachycineta leucorrhoa
Neotropic Cormorant
Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Brown-chested Martin
Progne tapera
Whistling Heron
Syrigma sibilatrix
Grey-breasted Martin
Progne chalybea
Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
Tawny-headed Swallow
Stelgidopteryx fucata
Cocoi Heron
Ardea cocoi
Sand Martin
Riparia riparia
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Striated Heron
Butorides striatus
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
Ochre-breasted Pipit
Anthus nattereri
Rufescent Tiger-Heron
Tigrisoma lineatum
Hooded Siskin
Carduelis magellanica
Bare-faced Ibis
Phimosus infuscatus
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Zonotrichia capensis
Plumbeous Ibis
Theristicus caerulescens
Grassland Sparrow
Ammodramus humeralis
Roseate Spoonbill
Ajaia ajaja
Yellow Cardinal
Gubernatrix cristata
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Red-crested Cardinal
Paroaria coronata
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Yellow-billed Cardinal
Paroaria capitata
Wood Stork
Mycteria americana
Tropical Parula
Parula pitiayumi
Maguari Stork
Ciconia maguari
White-rimmed warbler
Basileuterus leucoblepharus
Jabiru
Jabiru mycteria
White-lined Tanager
Tachyphonus rufus
Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet
Camptostoma obsoletum
Hepatic Tanager
Piranga flava
Chaco Suiriri
Suiriri suiriri
Sayaca Tanager
Thraupis sayaca
Large Elaenia
Elaenia spectabilis
Purple-throated Euphonia
Euphonia chlorotica
Sooty Tyrannulet
Serpophaga nigricans
Red-crested Finch
Coryphospingus cucullatus
White-crested Tyrannulet
Serpophaga subcristata
Long-tailed Reed-Finch
Donacospiza albifrons
Warbling Doradito
Pseudocolopteryx flaviventris
Saffron Finch
Sicalis flaveola
Vermilion Flycatcher
Pyrocephalus rubinus
Grassland Yellow-Finch
Sicalis luteola
Grey Monjita
Xolmis cinerea
Lesser Grass-Finch
Emberizoides ypiranganus
White Monjita
Xolmis irupero
Great Pampa-Finch
Embernagra platensis
Black-and-white Monjita
Heteroxolmis dominicana
Blue-black Grassquit
Volatinia jacarina
Spectacled Tyrant
Hymenops perspicillatus
Rusty-collared Seedeater
Sporophila collaris
White-headed Marsh-Tyrant
Arundinicola leucocephala
Double-collared Seedeater
Sporophila caerulescens
Strange-tailed Tyrant
Alectrurus risora
Greyish Saltator
Saltator coerulescens
Yellow-browed Tyrant
Satrapa icterophrys
Green-winged Saltator
Saltator similis
Cattle Tyrant
Machetornis rixosus
Golden-billed Saltator
Saltator aurantiirostris
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Indigo Grosbeak
Cyanoloxia glaucocaerulea
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Golden-winged Cacique
Cacicus chrysopterus
Green-backed Becard
Pachyramphus viridis
Solitary Cacique
Cacicus solitarius
Variable Antshrike
Thamnophilus caerulescens
Epaulet Oriole
Icterus cayanensis
Rufous Hornero
Furnarius rufus
Unicolored Blackbird
Agelaius cyanopus
Chotoy Spinetail
Schoeniophylax phryganophila
Yellow-rumped Marshbird
Pseudoleistes guirahuro
Yellow-chinned Spinetail
Certhiaxis cinnamomea
Brown-and-yellow Marshbird
Pseudoleistes virescens
Little Thornbird
Phacellodomus sibilatrix
Scarlet-headed Blackbird
Amblyramphus holosericeus
Greater Thornbird
Phacellodomus ruber
Bay-winged Cowbird
Agelaioides badius
Wren-like Rushbird
Phleocryptes melanops
Shiny Cowbird
Molothrus bonariensis
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