Birdwatching in Esteros del Ibera
Transcription
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. 1 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. 2 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. 3 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/ [email protected] 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 4 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 5