This journey begins in Buenos Aires, an important hotspot, and includes the Paraná River Delta (north-west), the Atlantic coastline and mudflats at Punta Rasa (south-east), and several excellent birding hotspots in between.
With more than 400 wild species, abundant reserves and natural landscapes, Buenos Aires is a great Hotspot. Some of them quite common like Limpkin, Red-crested Cardinal, Harris's Hawk, Masked Gnatcatcher, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Glittering-bellied Emerald or Hooded Siskin. Other will required more time and searching to find them. This tour includes Pampa grasslands, different types of native forests (mainly riverbanks and "Espinal"), marine coast and wetlands.
In Ceibas, in the Delta, the second part of the tour after the city, it is possible to find species such as Southern Screamer, Savanna Hawk, Giant Wood-Rail, Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper, Rufous-Sided Crake, Blue-and.yellow Tanager, Scissor-tailed Nightjar, White Woodpecker, and several tinamous, herons, ibis, hummingbirds, storks, spinetails and seedeaters. Among the endemics, we will have good opportunities for both Reedhaunter species and two critical: Saffron-cowled Blackbird and Yellow Cardinal.
The third part of the trip will be towards the Sea Coast, starting at Punta Rasa, the geographical outer limit of La Plata river's estuary. It is the best place for northern migratory waders such as plovers and sandpipers, during our spring and summer (September to March). If you come during our fall or winter, you may instead find various southern migratory birds such as Snowy Sheathbill, Ruddy-headed Goose, Tawny-thinked Dotterel, or Chocolate-vented Tyrant.
This program can be very different in summer or winter. The area has the particularity of receiving migratory species from the north during the spring-summer, and migratory species from the south during the autumn-winter. The climate allows bird watching in this area throughout the year, but we will propose variations depending on the month, since some of the foci change a lot. For example, spring and autumn are the season of passage of migratory birds on the coasts, or in the central areas of the pampas, large flocks of southern geese gather in winter in places that are not of special interest to them during the summer. bird watching. These and other nature events offer opportunities at different times, and we will be proposing the best itinerary depending on the season.
Go here for a base model program to start imagining the tour
Day 0
Arribe in Buenos Aires, welcome dinner and resting after the trip. Night in Buenos Aires.
Day 1
On the first day we’ll start with the birds of Buenos Aires city. This morning we'll visit Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, a 360 hectares at 10 minute drive from downtown. There, in wetlands, shrublands and woods We will see not only the common ones like Rufous Hornero, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, White-rumped Swallow, Rufous-collared Sparrows, Southern-crested Caracara, but also very interesting species like Guira Cuckoo, Silver Teal, Rosy-billed Pochard or Nanday Parakeet among many others.
After lunch, we’ll visit several areas in north of the city, adding new species in our first birding Day.
Night in Buenos Aires
Day 2
On the morning we travel 2 hours from BA to Ceibas, Entre Ríos. During these 3 days you will see different environments: grasslands, wetlands, and dry forests. This area is a very good area for photography, with a very rich wildlife.
The first day we’ll be mostly at the savanna with scattered thorny trees and patches of humid grassland. The forest is the kingdom of the passerines, with pretty good opportunities for Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper, White-tipped Plantcutter, White-fronted Woodpecker, Red-crested Cardinal, Savanna Hawk or Brown Cacholote.
Miles of dirt roads allow easy birding, alternating walking and also spotting birds from the car. The area is abundant both in species and individuals, and with good levels of activity even in midday and every season.
Night in Ceibas
Day 3
This day in Ceibas we’ll visit the north side of one of the biggest deltas of the world: Paraná River Delta. The huge wetlands is a vast extension of marshes and streams, reedbeds and riverside forest. Diversity will be amazing, including herons, storks, ducks and target birds such as Yellow Cardinal, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Southern Screamer and Giant Wood-Rail.
After night could be possible and an Owling trip looking for nightjars and owls.
Night in Ceibas
Day 4
The third day in Ceibas will be focused in grasslands, allowing to find pampas specialities, like several species of Seedeater, Black-and-rufous Warbling-finches, Greater Rhea, Spotted Nothura and Firewood Gatherer.
Even when it’s hard to find it, the area preserves one of the last populations of Saffron-cowled blackbird and we can try to find it!
In the afternoon the southern area of Ceibas allows us to find native forests where we could add more species Long-winged Harrier, Curved-billed Reedhunter, Spot-flanked Gallinule, Brown-and-yellow Marshbird or Spectacled Tyrants.
Sunset with drinks and Nacunda Nighthawks
Night in Ceibas
Day 5
Beginning our return to the south we´ll explore the groves, wetlands and riverside forestsáround Villa Paranacito area, in search of Brazilian Teal, Bare-faced Ibis, Rufous-sided Crake, Double-collared Seedeaters, Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finches, Tufted-tit Spinetail and Vermilion Flycatchers
Returning to Buenos Aires city we’ll be there before dinner time
Night in Buenos Aires
Day 6
Morning departure driving southwards along the old Route 11, across the Pampas. We will stop at Punta Indio town, on the river coast, where we will focus in birds found in the Tala woods and grasslands, such as Hooded Siskin, Pale-breasted Spinetail, Green-barred Woodpecker, Chicli Spinetails, Burrowing Owls or Blue-and-yellow Tanager.
The area between the village of General Lavalle and San Clemente del Tuyú is very rich and varied in terms of habitats and birdlife. Today we will drive along a dirt road that connects several ranches (Cañadón del Palenque), ponds, streams and grasslands, where we could add Hudson’s Canastero, Greater Rheas, Spotted and Red-winged Tinamous, White-faced Ibis, Maguari Storks, Aplomado Falcon, Great Pampa Finches, White Monjita and many others.
Night in General Lavalle
Day 7
Today we will visit the mudflats, wetlands and shorelines around Punta Rasa, where the estuary of La Plata River joins the salty waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, creating an abundance of life that feeds millions of crabs and resident and migratory birds (both from Patagonia and from North America). Among many species we will see (depending of the month) Olrog’s Gulls, Chilean Flamingos, Greater Grebes, American Golden-plover, Collared Plovers, Hudsonian Godwits and more!
We will also explore the flooded grasslands in search of the elusive South American Painted -Snipe, the Bay-capped Wren-Spinetail and other species.
Night in General Lavalle
Day 8
Driving from BA to the Sea Coast in Mar del Plata, 400 km south of Buenos Aires, where we’ll stay 2 nights. There w
looking at the coastal birds that gather at the coast in Winter. There is one of our favorite HotSpots, Mar Chiquita: a coastal lagoon by the Atlantic. Mar Chiquita was designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO and a wildlife refuge. It could be possible to see Skimmers, Seagulls, Terns, Plovers, Ducks and Oystercatchers.
It’s also an important stopover and wintering site. About 18,000 shorebirds have been observed using the site annually and it is estimated that the total number of shorebirds exceeds 20,000 individuals per year.
Night in Mar del Plata.
Day 9
The second day we’ll spend some time at the coast where in winter, migrant species from South arrive, such as Snowy Sheathbill. If the weather allows, also could be possible a short outing out to sea, looking for the Southern Giant-Petrel.
Day 10
The next will be a search for the migratory geese in 3 Arroyos (3 hours from Mar del Plata) where 100% of one of the species is: the Ruddy-headed Goose. The other two: Upland and Ashy headed Goose are usually in big flocks. Also, could be possible other austral migrants as the Tawny-throated Dotterel and the Chocolate-vented Tyrant.
Before dinner we'll start the journey back to BA, because it’s a large distance!
Night (possible) in Azul.
Day 11
Coming back to Buenos Aires.
Birding back through the Pampas. It will be the longest day traveling by car from
Azul to Buenos Aires. Firewall Dinner (option Tango Dinner) and night in Buenos
Aires. End of trip.
Day 12
International Flights