Birding Buenos Aires

When researching birding in the Buenos Aires area, I found a reserve along the South Atlantic Ocean to be the top spot. When I told Daddy, he ended up booking an apartment for us within walking distance!

Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur is a well-loved park with wide trails for hiking, biking and running, but it's the abundant wildlife and variety of habitats that got me excited. Its forests, marshes, lakes, coastal and urban areas have drawn more than 300 species of birds to this park. I spent three days birding here and found 97 species!

Unfortunately they don't open the gates until 9am, but so much wildlife is visible from the sidewalk, I easily spent an hour here before even entering the gate. 

Silver Teal (above)  Rosy-billed Pochard (below)

Snowy-crowned Tern

These Maguari Storks were a delightful find, and I was able to see them fly a few times.

 White-tufted Grebe

A couple cute Cardinals:  Red-Crested (above)  and Yellow-billed (below)

Golden-crowned Warbler (above)  Rufescent Tiger-Heron (below)

Every day was different. There were birds I saw only once in the three visits, and others I saw every time, but every visit was exciting. Oh, and one quarter of the park is currently closed while they are working on adding new boardwalks that go over the lakes and thru the forest. Once those open, this place will be even more full of possibilities. I spotted a group of Grayish Baywings feeding in the grasses under trees near the entrance.

Here's the Southern Screamer I found! We'd seen one at Parque das Aves in Brazil a week earlier, so this was exciting to find one in the wild!

Gray-cowled Wood-Rail (above and left)  Wattled Jacana (right)

Masked Gnatcatcher

Three vibrant Vermilion Flycatchers, two males and a female, are birds that can also be found in the United States.

 Blue-billed Black-Tyrant (above)  Checkered Woodpecker (below)

There are a few places in the park where you can reach the coast, the Rio de la Plata, which is an inlet reaching the South Atlantic Ocean. Spotted an Argentine Black and White Tegu just off the trail.

Crested Caracara (above)  Picazuro Pigeon (below)

Harris's Hawk (above)   Monk Parakeet (below)

I was able to hear the Black-capped Warbling-Finch sing for awhile. (above)  A Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, below, entertained me by finding food and taking it into the nest cavity seen in the second photo. That bill is sooo long!

Golden-billed Saltator (above)

LOVE this place! Three days of birding here wasn't enough!