The Heart of Chile 2018
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Home Tours Guides News About Us FAQ Contact Us Field Guides Tour Report The Heart of Chile 2018 Jan 27, 2018 to Feb 10, 2018 Marcelo Padua & Marcelo Barreiros For our tour description, itinerary, past triplists, dates, fees, and more, please VISIT OUR TOUR PAGE. See this triplist in printable PDF format with media only on page 1. Salvin's Albatross was just one of the amazing birds we saw on the pelagic trip out of Valparaiso. Photo by guide Marcelo Barreiros. Chile is an extraordinary country with an incredible diversity of habitats and breathtaking sceneries but what makes this great country so diverse is exactly what makes exploring Chile such a difficult task. The country is over 2600 miles long and on average 170 miles wide, a geography dictated by the Andes Mountains and for that reason exploring the country from north to south is a monumental task. We have decided to offer this introductory tour to Chile focusing in the central area of the country and its endemics. We started things off in the gorgeous town of Puerto Varas overlooking the Osorno volcano and the Llanquihue Lake. From there we were able to explore Chiloe Island and enjoy great looks at Kelp Goose, Magellanic Cormorant and both Humboldt and Magellanic Penguins. Our tour continued northwards to the Nothofagus forests of the lake district, where we explored both the forest and high Andean habitats, enjoying great looks at Yellow- bridled Finch, Dark-faced Ground-tyrant and White-browed Ground-tyrant feeding around snow fields in a volcano crater, while the in forests below our hotel we enjoyed great looks at Magellanic Woodpeckers, the wonderful Black-throated Huet-huet, Rufous-legged Owl and many others. After a brief stop at Temuco we flew north to Santiago where our birding in Matorral habitat was as productive as it gets as we found many of Chile’s central endemics with great looks at Chilean Tinamou, Crag Chilia, White-throated Tapaculo and Dusky-tailed Canastero but the true highlights during our stay in Santiago came from our incursions to high Andean habitats where we got great views of Andean Condor and the scarce Diademed Sandpiper-plover which we saw remarkably well. The last days of our tour were divided between the forests of Altos de Lircay and the coastal town of Vina del Mar. In the first we had great looks at Chestnut-throated Huet-huet and more Green-backed Firecrowns than you could shake a stick at and great numbers of White-throated Treerunners and Thorn-tailed Rayadito. We also took advantage of our proximity to the Maule Lake to enjoy looks at thousands of water fowl. In the coast we lodged ourselves in the lovely Oceanic hotel with Inca Terns, Chilean Seaside Cinclodes and Gray Gulls as our neighbors. We also enjoyed a pelagic trip from the neighboring town of Valparaiso that, although too long, was very productive with great looks at Salvin’s, Black- browed and Royal Albatrosses along with White-chinned Petrels, Buller’s Shearwater and Northern and Southern Giant-Petrels. This tour was everything we hoped it would have been. A lovely sample of Chile’s birds with great weather, fabulous food and unforgettable scenery. Thanks for joining us and we hope to see you all again on a trail somewhere. -Marcelo Padua and Marcelo Barreiros. Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 1 KEYS FOR THIS LIST One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant One of the highlights of the tour was this Diademed Sandpiper-Plover! Photo by guide Marcelo Barreiros. BIRDS Tinamidae (Tinamous) CHILEAN TINAMOU (Nothoprocta perdicaria) – One of the hardest birds to get on this tour! Great looks of at least four birds on the way to Farellones mountain. [E] Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl) BLACKNECKED SWAN (Cygnus melancoryphus) – Many birds on the ferry station at Chiloe island. ANDEAN GOOSE (Oressochen melanopterus) – When we visited the Yeso reservoir a flock of geese flew by as we prepared to walk out to look for the Diademed Sandpiperplover. At the time we identified them as Upland Geese but Jeanette's photo revealed that although there was one Upland Goose in the group, the majority of them were Andean Geese. Another great bird that was identified thanks to Jeanette's great photos. UPLAND GOOSE (Chloephaga picta) Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 2 KELP GOOSE (Chloephaga hybrida) – Great looks during our boat trip at Chiloe Island. FLIGHTLESS STEAMERDUCK (Tachyeres pteneres) – We saw a few individuals during the ferry crossing over the Chacao canal. CRESTED DUCK (Lophonetta specularioides) – Six birds seen in the scope at Yeso area. SPECTACLED DUCK (Speculanas specularis) TORRENT DUCK (Merganetta armata) – Bob spotted a female on the way down from the Yeso reservoir. Great spot, man! CINNAMON TEAL (Spatula cyanoptera) – A couple individuals seen well at Batuco wetlands and later on the Maule lake. One of three species of Oystercatcher we saw on the tour, this is the American Oystercatcher. Photo by guide Marcelo Barreiros. RED SHOVELER (Spatula platalea) CHILOE WIGEON (Mareca sibilatrix) – A beautiful duck, seen a few times on the tour. YELLOWBILLED PINTAIL (Anas georgica) YELLOWBILLED TEAL (FLAVIROSTRIS) (Anas flavirostris flavirostris) – Very similar to the Yellowbilled Pintail and often seen side by side, but easily distinguishable by its darker head and different profile in the water. LAKE DUCK (Oxyura vittata) – Several individuals on the Maule lake. Odontophoridae (New World Quail) CALIFORNIA QUAIL (Callipepla californica) – These birds were introduced in Chile 50 years ago and now are pretty much widespread over the open fields. Podicipedidae (Grebes) WHITETUFTED GREBE (Rollandia rolland) – Seen a few times on the tour. PIEDBILLED GREBE (Podilymbus podiceps) GREAT GREBE (Podiceps major) – Recognizable from afar by their long neck; in the middle of hundreds of ducks and teals on the Maule lake. Spheniscidae (Penguins) HUMBOLDT PENGUIN (Spheniscus humboldti) – A single bird seen with hundreds of Magellanic Penguins in the colonies. A big group of Magellanic Penguins warming up on the Penguins Island. Photo by guide Marcelo Barreiros. Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 3 MAGELLANIC PENGUIN (Spheniscus magellanicus) – We had a few birds during the Chacao canal crossing and great looks of the colonies in a boat trip on Chiloe Island. Diomedeidae (Albatrosses) SALVIN'S ALBATROSS (Thalassarche salvini) – This was the most common Albatross seen during the pelagic trip at Valparaiso. BLACKBROWED ALBATROSS (Thalassarche melanophris) – Seen from the distance during the Chacao canal crossing and fantastic looks later, on the pelagic trip, including young birds. ROYAL ALBATROSS (NORTHERN) (Diomedea epomophora sanfordi) – One of the largest Albatross in the world, this guy has over 3.5m wingspan! Two birds seen on the pelagic. Procellariidae (Shearwaters and Petrels) SOUTHERN GIANTPETREL (Macronectes giganteus) – Distinguished from the Northern Giantpetrel by the beak point color, which is reddish on this one and grayish for the Northern one. NORTHERN GIANTPETREL (Macronectes halli) – We had one bird flying really fast close to the boat on the pelagic trip. Its identification came after the fact, when a photo from Jeanette confirmed suspicion that it was a Northern Giantpetrel. PINKFOOTED SHEARWATER (Ardenna creatopus) – Great looks during the pelagic trip, including a bird seated on the water close to us. BULLER'S SHEARWATER (Ardenna bulleri) – Relative similar to Pinkfooted Shearwater, this bird has much more white on the back. SOOTY SHEARWATER (Ardenna grisea) – Probably the most common Shearwater seen on the pelagic trip. PERUVIAN DIVINGPETREL (Pelecanoides garnotii) The Magellanic Cormorant is one of the most beautiful of the cormorants. Photo by guide Marcelo Barreiros. Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 4 Hydrobatidae (StormPetrels) WILSON'S STORMPETREL (Oceanites oceanicus) – Nice looks at these fast little birds flying close to the water. Sulidae (Boobies and Gannets) PERUVIAN BOOBY (Sula variegata) – Common on the pelagic trip. Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags) REDLEGGED CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax gaimardi) – Beautiful Cormorant, with the white patch on the head. NEOTROPIC CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) MAGELLANIC CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax magellanicus) – We saw a few birds during the ferry crossing to Chiloe island. GUANAY CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax bougainvillii) – Great looks in the scope on the Oceanic Rock, at Viña del Mar. IMPERIAL CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax atriceps atriceps) – Several individuals seen at Puerto Varas and from the ferry, crossing the Chacao canal. Pelecanidae (Pelicans) PERUVIAN PELICAN (Pelecanus thagus) – Gorgeous huge bird seen really close to the boat on the pelagic trip. Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) COCOI HERON (Ardea cocoi) GREAT EGRET (Ardea alba) Participant Jeanette Shores got this wonderful image of a soaring Andean Condor. Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 5 SNOWY EGRET (Egretta thula) CATTLE EGRET (Bubulcus ibis) BLACKCROWNED NIGHTHERON (DUSKY) (Nycticorax nycticorax obscurus) Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills) WHITEFACED IBIS (Plegadis chihi) BLACKFACED IBIS (Theristicus melanopis) – Common in agricultural fields especially on the first half of the tour. Cathartidae (New World Vultures) BLACK VULTURE (Coragyps atratus) TURKEY VULTURE (Cathartes aura) ANDEAN CONDOR (Vultur gryphus) – Majestic bird. It's a pleasure to see these birds flying over the Andes. Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) WHITETAILED KITE (Elanus leucurus) – Nice looks in the scope for a few minutes during a nice stop on the mouth of Maipu river, on the way to Viña del Mar. CINEREOUS HARRIER (Circus cinereus) – A single bird seen flying over the fields in Chamiza area. This Plumbeous Rail put on a nice show for us as it high-stepped along the edge of a pond.