Birdwatching in Argentina
Argentina is a large country, and probably has some of the most diverse habitat anywhere, with around 1000 species of birds, including 16 endemics recorded.
Birding Argentina is relatively easy, given the good motorways connecting all the major cities. Renting a car will give you the flexibility to see much of the country during a five to six week trip, and the opportunity to bird on the way. A number of local birdwatchers, as well as professional guides, are listed below and able to help you get the most out of each place you visit.
Starting in Buenos Aires, you can drive to the highlands of Cordoba and experience the pampas on the way. From there you can continue east and visit the Ibera marshes where the birdwatching is excellent. Then continue on to Iguazu and its famous waterfalls and rainforest, looking for birds like the Blond-crested Woodpecker and many types of Hummingbirds. Continuing west, you will again enter the pampas on the way to Jujuy and the Andes Mountains, where you will be able to see birds like Rufous-throated Dipper, Torrent Duck and King Vultures, to name a few. Driving south from there, you will stop in Tucaman and Salta before arriving in Mendoza. This area is the wine-producing area of Argentina, with its endless vineyards. It is also has great bird watching, and the Andean Condor with its 3m+ wingspan is a co mmon bird here. If you continue south, you will enter Patagonia with its beautiful lakes and glaciers. There you can find the magnificent Magellanic Woodpecker and many other birds. Turning back north, you will follow the Atlantic coastline and have the opportunity of seeing several species of Penguins and other seabirds. Returning to Buenos Aires, if you still want to bird, you can visit the Constanera Sur Reserve, located close to the old harbour and in the center of this very European city.
To save time and/or money you can also take overnight busses, and of course, domestic flights are available to all major cities. If you venture out on you own, it would of course, be best if you speak Spanish, but you can get along with only English.
In all the places you visit, you can find reasonably priced lodging in small inns and B&B’s. There are also good camping spots available in many places.
Local Birdingpal Contacts
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Local Birdwatchers Please note that most Birdingpals are serious birdwatchers. It is a privilege to contact them, and your message should reflect it. A local Pal does not get paid, but should he/she offer to take you out birding, using their own vehicle, it would be courteous to pay for the fuel. A lunch and/or a small gift would also be appropriate, something as simple as a souvenir of your country, or a pin from your local birding club. | ||||||
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| Initial | Last Name | Area | Available | Language |
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| D | De Gennaro | Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires | Weekend | Spanish/English |
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| A | Gonalez Alzaga | Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires | Anytime | Spanish/English |
| I am a Bird Adict so I will love to help anyone visiting BA. | ||||||
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| D | Hall | Bariloche, Buenos Aires | Weekend | Spanish/English |
| I live in a Conservation International hotspot, so declared for its temperate valdivian forest, which harbours several important birds, Des Murs Wiretail, two Tapaculos, 2 rare Hawks. | ||||||
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| G | Sferco | Mendiolaza, Cordoba | Anytime | |
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| S | Carlos | Calilegua/Jujuy/El Rey/Salta NP | Anytime | Spanish/English |
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| E | Sosa | Mendoza | Weekend | Spanish/English |
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| G | Cox | San Pedro, Misiones | Anytime | English/Spanish |
| I am an English ornithologist who went off to watch birds in Bolivia 23 years ago. I Have been working in tourism, conservation (Amboró National Park) and leading birding groups for over 10 years. I moved to the amazingly bird-rich area of the Araucaria Atlantic Forest of San Pedro very recently with my family. I am looking forward to learning the birds as well as hoping to continue leading groups here - to the many protected areas close by - and am also currently working as an ornithologist with a UN project to establish a new protected area in the dry Chaco of the north of Argentina. I will be very happy to answer anyone's questions regarding birds and where to watch them in Argentina or Bolivia, but please note, internet connections in San Pedro are VERY SLOW. I also travel a lot for my work at the moment so there may be up to a week's delay in response. One way round this is for anyone wishing to contact me to use the PERSONAL messenger service: www.personal.com.ar use pull-down menu at top of homepage and select "mensaje de texto" then enter my cel in the boxes provided: 3752 and 299502 you then write a message in the text box and send (there is a security key before the message is sent). This might not be so easy for anyone who does not speak Spanish but it is free, instantaneous, can be used anywhere and you receive the response from me on-screen. | ||||||
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| M | Baltuska | Sarmiento, Patagonia | Anytime | Spanish/English |
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| L | Dario | Esquel - Chubut, Patagonia | Anytime | |
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| G | Dellacanonica | Cipolletti, Rio Negro | Weekend | Spanish/English German |
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| C | Torlaschi | Puerto Deseado, Santa Cruz | Anytime | Spanish/English Italian |
| Puerto Deseado is a typical patagonian town. It´s surrounded by different natural marine reserves which gather a great biodiversity of wildlife, specially sea birds, in a small area. Endemic species like de red legged cormorant or rockhopper penguins can be sighted in their natural enviroment in the most relaxed way. Just come, have fun and enjoy your stay. Expert tour leaders will make of your trip an unforgettable experience. My name: Chantal Torlaschi, marine biologist and birdwatcher lover. I´ll be waiting for you, don´t miss us! | ||||||
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Professional Guides | ||||||
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| Initial | Last Name | Area | Available | Language |
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| S | Corbet | Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires | Anytime | Spanish/English French/Russian German |
| During my two trips to Argentina I had the pleasure birding with Sergio in the Buenos Aires area and the province of Corrientes. Being not only an excellent guide but also a great companion, I highly recommend his services. Knud Rasmussen. krkr(AT)sympatico.ca | ||||||
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| A | Earnshaw | Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires | Weekend | English/Spanish French |
| Alec Earnshaw an accomplished photographer knows the best hot spots in and around Buenos Aires, and the exciting area in the south of the province of Entre Rios, where Alec guided me during my last trip. You will not go wrong with his services. Knud Rasmussen. krkr(AT)sympatico.ca During a visit to Argentina in late 2006, we solicited the services of Alec Earnshaw to guide us in the province of Entre Rios north of Buenos Aires. - It was a very good choice, for not only is Alec a top notch birder who knows his birds and the territory intimately, he is also a delightful upbeat and patient person. Alec provided transportation as well as arranged for lodgings in the areas visited. Pierre Poulin, Real Bisson and Arne Rasmussen. Quebec, Canada. arne.rasmussen(AT)sympatico.ca | ||||||
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| D | Gallegos | Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires | Anytime | Spanish/English |
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| R | Manriquez | Puerto Madryn, Chubut | Anytime | Spanish/English |
| Rubén Manriques guided us (two birders) in Tierra del Fuego for four days in January 2008. The trip was well organized by him. The hotels were okay and not too expensive, just as we had wished. He knew the birds and most of the places where to find them. Mats Björklund. maija.rasanen(AT)fimnet.fi | ||||||
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| JC | Grosso | Punilla Valley, Cordoba | Anytime | English/Spanish |
| Juan Carlos an accomplished wildlife photographer and I birded the hills of Cordoba, and you will not go wrong with his services plus he is a great companion too. Knud Rasmussen. Toronto, Canada krkr(AT)sympatico.ca | ||||||
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| H | Casañas | Cordoba Hills, Cordoba | Anytime | Spanish/English |
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| G | Rivera | Cordoba | Anytime | Spanish/English |
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| F | Cornell | Jujuy | Anytime | Spanish/English |
| Francisco guided me during my second trip to Argentina and I can recommend him as a knowable and very pleasant guide, who knows where to find the local rarities around Jujuy. Less than half an hour into our tour he spotted Torrent Ducks and Rufous-throated Dippers both lifers for me plus many more birds. Knud Rasmussen. Toronto, Canada | ||||||
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| V | Guzman | Yala, Jujuy | Anytime | Spanish/English |
| Yala is close to the Parque Provincial El Potrero de Yala a Protected Area of Bioesfera de Las Yungas. Hotel Casona del Camino Real is surrounded by gardens, where many of the species of the region can be seen. | ||||||
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| D | Somay | Iguazu, Misiones | Anytime | Spanish/English |
| Visiting Iguazu and the National Park you can not go wrong if you hire Daniel Somay (if you can get him, since he is always busy) to show you the birds. As an ex park ranger he will find the birds. He did for me. Knud Rasmussen. krkr(AT)sympatico.ca | ||||||
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| E | Daniels | Ushuaia/Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia | Anytime | Spanish/English |
| I'm an enthusiastic birdwatcher and professional tour guide. As a birder I spent the last 10 years searching for the best places to find bird around Southern Patagonia. Tierra del Fuego Island and Patagonia are excellent to birdwatch and enjoy nature. | ||||||
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| R | Clark | Salta | Anytime | Spanish/English |
| There is a very nice private Reserve in the Cloudforest located just 15 minutes drive from Salta downtown. More than 20 kms of well maintained trails and more than 200 species of birds personally recorded here. | ||||||
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| M | Mosqueira | Salta | Anytime | Spanish/English |
| Birdwatching Guide on the NW of Argentina (Cloud Forest, Andes and Chaco).The National Parks in this area, are:El Rey, Calilegua, Los Cardones and El Huaico Reserve (just on the edge of the city on cloud forest). My daily fees is US$100. | ||||||
Local Information
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| Name | Description
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| Aves Argentinas | Birdlife partner |
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| Ribera Norte | Nature reserve |
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| Birding Hotspots around the world | Sites |
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| Alec Earnshaw's Birds and other wildlife of Argentina | Photos |
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| Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia | Argentina |
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| Local weather | Yahoo |
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| Electronic maps | MapQuest |
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| Find lowest prices for field guides, books, maps etc. | |
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| Field guides recommended by Birdingpals | |
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| Printable bird check list | |
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| Trip Reports from Argentina | |
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| Read a Birdingpal's Trip Report from Argentina |
Last update 17/05/2009