Bird photography tour
Trip overview
Río Gallegos is one of the southernmost cities of the South American Continent and it houses more than 120 species of birds. It is located at the confluence of the Río Gallegos and Chico rivers, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.
These rivers form a rich estuary where the tides condition biodiversity. Wide marshes are developed on its south coast covered with Sarcocornia sp. and Suadea spp. Grassland and shrubs occupy the higher terrains.
Patagonian, Nearctic, and Antarctic birds can be found in this mosaic of environments and many of them entail a particular interest for both conservation and birding such as Ruddy-headed Goose, Hooded Grebe, Magellanic Plover, Red Knot and Austral Canastero.
Therefore, the entirety of Río Gallegos estuary is an IBA (BirdLife International) and it is also recognized as an International Important Site of the WHSRN.
Tour details
Río Gallegos bird highlights - Number of species expected: 50 - 55.
Lesser Rhea, Ruddy-headed Goose, Flying Steamer-Duck, Chiloe Wigeon, Chilean Flamingo, Tawny-throated Dotterel, Rufous-chested Dotterel, Two-banded Plover, Magellanic Oystercatcher, Whimbrel, Hudsonian Godwit, Red Knot, Baird's Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Magellanic Snipe , Least Seedsnipe, South American Tern, Magellanic Penguin, Southern Giant-Petrel, Cinereous Harrier, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Short-eared Owl, Peregrine Falcon (South American, including the “pallid” form), Band-tailed Earthcreeper, Austral Canastero, Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Chocolate-vented Tyrant, Chilean Swallow, Patagonian Yellow-Finch, White-bridled Finch.
Mammal highlights
Guanaco, South American Gray Fox, Humboldt’s Hog-nosed Skunk and Dwarf Armadillo.
Itinerary
06 AM: Hotel pick-up. Transfer to Ea. Condor (RP1) in search of the Tawny-throated Dotterel, Rufous-chested Dotterel, Chocolate-vented Tyrant and White-bridled Finch.
10 AM: Transfer to Punta Loyola and Shorebirds Provincial Reserve. Search for migratory shorebirds and pelagic birds.
12 PM: Lunch.
01 PM: Transfer back to Río Chico (an urban reserve area) and look for the threatened Ruddy-headed Goose and Austral Canastero.
03:30 PM: Transfer to Laguna Ortiz (an urban reserve area) and visit to the city´s coast.
06 PM: Transfer back to the meeting point. Drop off. End of the tour.
Notes
Itinerary can be changed due to force majeure and accommodation availability.
More information
Habitats
Sea coast, marshes, lagoons, shrublands, grasslands
(Argentine Sea and Magellanic Steppe)
Climate
Cold, semi-arid
Tour category
Bird photography
Max group size
4 + 1 local guide (ask for larger groups)
Physical requirements
The physical difficulty of this tour is low (easy to moderate terrain).
Recommended equipment
Woolly hat, cap, sunscreen (+30), polarized sunglasses, warm and waterproof clothing, trekking shoes.
Tour includes
This tour includes:
-
All ground transportations in a private car
-
Guided services
-
Spotting scope: Vortex Diamondback HD 65mm
-
Box lunch
-
Drinking water for refill private bottles
Tour does not include
It does not include:
-
Flight tickets
-
Alcoholic drinks
-
Personal insurances
-
Tips or anything not mentioned in this page
Departures
This tour is available anytime from October to March. It requires previous reservation.
Price
If you want a quote for this tour, please send an email to: info@southernpatagoniatours.com
Combined with
This tour can be combined with:
-
Hooded Grebe tour (4 days / 3 nights)
-
Patagonian forest tour (4 days / 3 nights)
-
Monte León and Makenke NP’s (4 days / 3 nights)
