[email protected] Tour Manager/Leader: Florencia Ocampo Montevideo, Uruguay. Major Tour 15 days Uruguay is a small country in Southern South America. It is approximately 600 km long both from north to south and from east to west. In spite of this tiny territory, many different environments can be found in the land: the Pampas, the Atlantic Forest, savannas, wetlands, ocean coasts, countless water courses, grasslands, ravines, several hill ranges, palm tree forests, and many others. This richness of landscapes results in a great diversity of bird species that can be seen easily, in a short time and in short distances. The territory is also an important feeding and breeding destination for many migrant species that come in summer and winter, from the north and south of the continent. Furthermore, Uruguay is underexplored by science; biologists are still finding new species of flora and fauna and quite a few new bird species have been recorded just in the last few years. Rufous Hornero. By Bill Pohley (pohleyphoto.com). On this tour you will visit the most important hot spots for birdwatching. Every National Park and the majority of the Important Bird Areas in Uruguay are included in this Major Tour birdingwithme.com [email protected] Tour Manager/Leader: Florencia Ocampo Montevideo, Uruguay. itinerary. Two of the principal 13 destinations on this tour are recently explored by science: Rincón de Franquía and Paso del Centurión. These are relatively new protected areas where biologists have recently begun to research on flora and fauna. Many new bird species have been recorded in these areas since the last 3 years until now. By the end of the tour can be seen over 250 bird species. Glittering-bellied Emerald (pohleyphoto.com) Bird list: Anhinga, Greater Ani, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Variable Antshrike, Southern Beardless- Tyrannulet, Crested Becard, Green-backed Becard, White-winged Becard, Stripe-backed Bittern, Chestnut-capped Blackbird, Chopi Blackbird, Saffron-cowled Blackbird, White-browed Blackbird, Yellow- winged Blackbird, Great Black-Hawk, Blue-billed Black-Tyrant, Crested Black-Tyrant, Lark-like Brushrunner, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Brown Cacholote, Golden-winged Cacique, Solitary Black Cacique, Red-rumped Cacique, Short-billed Canastero, Chimango Caracara, Southern Caracara, Yellow- headed Caracara, Red-crested Cardinal, Yellow Cardinal, Yellow-billed Cardinal, Rufous Casiornis, Bar- winged Cinclodes, Red-fronted Coot, Red-gartered Coot, White-winged Coot, Neotropic Cormorant, Bay- winged Cowbird, Screaming Cowbird, Shiny Cowbird, Red-and-white Crake, Rufous-sided Crake, Ash- colored Cuckoo, Dark-billed Cuckoo, Guira Cuckoo, Squirrel Cuckoo, Striped Cuckoo, Crested Doradito, Warbling Doradito, Eared Dove, Rock Dove, White-tipped Dove, Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Highland Elaenia, Large Elaenia, Olivaceous Elaenia, Small-billed Elaenia, Yellow-billed Elaenia, Purple- throated Euphonia, Golden-rumped Euphonia, Aplomado Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Red-crested Finch, Saffron Finch, Firewood-gatherer, Chilean Flamingo, Campo Flicker, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Brown- crested Flycatcher, Cliff Flycatcher, Euler's Flycatcher, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Fuscous Flycatcher, Short- crested Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, Suiriri Flycatcher, Swainson's Flycatcher, Variegated Flycatcher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner, Magnificent Frigatebird, Common Gallinule, Spot- flanked Gallinule, Masked Gnatcatcher, Rufous Gnateater, Hudsonian Godwit, American Golden-Plover, European Goldfinch, Lesser Grass-Finch, Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch, Blue-black Grassquit, Great Grebe, Major Tour birdingwithme.com [email protected] Tour Manager/Leader: Florencia Ocampo Montevideo, Uruguay. Pied-billed Grebe, White-tufted Grebe, European Greenfinch, Indigo Grosbeak, Ultramarine Grosbeak, Picui Ground-Dove, Ruddy Ground-Dove, Dusky-legged Guan, Brown-hooded Gull, Grey-headed Gull, Kelp Gull, Cinereous Harrier, Long-winged Harrier, Bicolored Hawk, Crane Hawk, Harris's Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Savanna Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Cocoi Heron, Striated Heron, Whistling Heron, Rufous Hornero, Gilded Hummingbird, White-throated Hummingbird, Blue-tufted Starthroat, Glittering- bellied Emerald, Bare-faced Ibis, Buff-necked Ibis Ibis, White-faced Ibis, Wattled Jacana, Plush-crested Jay, American Kestrel, Tropical Kingbird, Amazon Kingfisher, Green Kingfisher, Ringed Kingfisher, Great Kiskadee, Snail Kite, White-tailed Kite, Southern Lapwing, Limpkin, Brown-and-yellow Marshbird, Yellow- rumped Marshbird, Brown-chested Martin, Grey-breasted Martin, Common Miner, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Black-and-white Monjita, Black-crowned Monjita, Grey Monjita, White Monjita, Austral Negrito, Common Nighthawk, Nacunda Nighthawk, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Band-winged Nightjar, Little Nightjar, Scissor-tailed Nightjar, Spotted Nothura, Variable Oriole, Osprey, Barn Owl, Burrowing Owl, Great Horned Owl, American Oystercatcher, Great Pampa-Finch, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Monk Parakeet, White-eyed Parakeet, Tropical Parula, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Picazuro Pigeon, Spot- winged Pigeon, Yellow-billed Pintail, Correndera Pipit, Short-billed Pipit, Collared Plover, Rosy-billed Pochard, Common Potoo, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant, Plumbeous Rail, Spotted Rail, Long-tailed Reed-Finch, Curve-billed Reedhaunter, Straight-billed Reedhaunter, Greater Rhea, Wren-like Rushbird, Many-colored Rush-Tyrant, Golden-billed Saltator, Green-winged Saltator, Greyish Saltator, Baird's Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Upland Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Southern Screamer, Long-tufted Screech-Owl, Tropical Screech-Owl, Dark- throated Seedeater, Double-collared Seedeater, Marsh Seedeater, Rusty-collared Seedeater, Red-legged Seriema, Hooded Siskin, Black Skimmer, Common Snipe, House Sparrow, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Grassland Sparrow, Chicli Spinetail, Chotoy Spinetail, Sooty-fronted Spinetail, Stripe-crowned Spinetail, Sulphur-bearded Spinetail, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Roseate Spoonbill, Black-necked Stilt Stilt, Maguari Stork, Wood Stork, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Blue-and-white Swallow, Rough-winged Swallow Southern, Tawny-headed Swallow, White-rumped Swallow, Black-necked Swan, Coscoroba Swan, Blue- and-yellow Tanager, Chestnut-backed Tanager, Diademed Tanager, Fawn-breasted Tanager, Hepatic Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Brazilian Teal, Ringed Teal, Silver Teal, Yellow-billed Teal, Common Tern, Large- billed Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Snowy-crowned Tern, Sout, American Tern, Yellow-billed Tern, Freckle-breasted Thornbird, Greater Thornbird, Creamy-bellied Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Red-winged Tinamou, Tufted Tit-Spinetail, Ochre-faced Tody-Flycatcher, Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant Surucua Trogon, Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet, Sooty Tyrannulet, White-crested Tyrannulet, Cattle Tyrant, Spectacled Tyrant, Yellow-browed Tyrant, Red-eyed Vireo, Black Vulture, Lesser Yellow- headed Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Golden-crowned Warbler, White-browed Warbler, Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch, Black-capped Warbling-Finch, Red-rumped Warbling-Finch, Black-backed Water-Tyrant, White-faced Whistling-Duck, Chiloe Wigeon, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Planalto Woodcreeper, Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper, Cream-backed Woodpecker, Green-barred Woodpecker, White Woodpecker, White-fronted Woodpecker, White-spotted Woodpecker, Chekered Woodpecker, White-browed Woodpecker, Mottled Piculet, White-barred Piculet, Giant Wood-Rail, Grey-necked Wood-Rail, House Wren, Bay-capped Wren-Spinetail, Grassland Yellow-Finch, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Masked Yellowthroat. Major Tour birdingwithme.com [email protected] Tour Manager/Leader: Florencia Ocampo Montevideo, Uruguay. Itinerary Day 1: Pick up at the agreed time and location. Driving for 4 hours (from Montevideo Capital City) to the first accommodation in the Department of Paysandú, in the west of the country. Stops at several birding spots on the way. lunch halfway at a local restaurant located near the shores of the Black River (Río Negro), the only one that flows across the country from east to west. Once at the Estancia we will have a walk to some birding spots in the property. Dinner and overnight at the Estancia. Snail Kite and Rufous-capped Antshrike (pohleyphoto.com) Some birds to be seen in Santa Lucía Wetlands: Campo Flicker, White Woodpecker, Green- barred Woodpecker, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Masked Yellowthroat, Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch, Masked Gnatcatcher, Monk Parakeet, Rufous-sided Crake, Wattled Jacana, Spectacled Tyrant, Wren-like Rushbird, Plumbreous Rail, Brazilian Teal, Great Grebe, White- tufted Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Red-gartered Coot, Chiloe Wigeon, Giant Woodrail, Snail Kite, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Gilded Hummingbird, Grey-breasted Martin, Brown-chested Martin, Blue-and-white Swallow, White-rumped Swallow. Day 2: Birding around the Estancia before breakfast time. After breakfast, 20 minutes driving to the National Park, entering through the Russian colony San Javier. Birding in native woods and along the shores of the Uruguay River until lunch time. Lunch at a local restaurant in the Russian colony San Javier. Optional traditional Russian dishes. After lunch, birding in marshes and grasslands. Back at the Estancia, birding in the surroundings of the property. Major Tour birdingwithme.com [email protected] Tour Manager/Leader: Florencia Ocampo Montevideo, Uruguay.