Birds from The End of the World

Arrival at Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport. Immediate transfer to our hotel in the San Telmo district to freshen up, drop off our bags, and visit one of South America’s most productive urban bird reserves. La Costanera del Sur, located on the northeastern edge of the Argentine capital, is wedged between the bustling city and the La Plata River. Over 340 bird species have been reported in the forests and wetlands of this urban birding paradise.

Return to the hotel before dinner in town and overnight stay in a comfortable hotel.

Morning transfer to Jorge Newbery National Airport in Buenos Aires for our flight south. Our destination is Trelew, on the northern edge of Argentina's Patagonia region. This city is the gateway to Peninsula Valdés, an internationally important Ramsar Site. We’ll start birding right away on the road leading to the Valdés Wildlife Reserve. Here the birdlife mixes with the local fauna in the middle of a low and sparse steppe, beaten by the Atlantic winds. After passing the National Park checkpoint, we’ll continue birding along the Carlos Ameghino Isthmus.

Arrival in Puerto Piramides in the late afternoon to settle into our next accommodation.

Dinner and overnight stay in a charming hotel in the bay of Puerto Piramides.

Thanks to the meeting of two great marine currents - one warm from Brazil and the other cold from Antarctica - the peninsula’s waters are very rich and attract many birds and marine mammals. We will look for some localized endemic species on the cliff tops above the port before traveling along the east coast to Punta Delgada and Punta Cantor. Here, large colonies of Southern Elephant Seals mingle with Maned Sea Lions, attracting the attention of pods of Killer Whales. The steppe areas are home to mammals Guanaco, Maras, skunks, and two species of armadillo, as well as several endemic small mammals. Thanks to the presence of the latter, several birds of prey can also be observed here.

This morning, it will be time to change ecosystems. We will look for the Rusty-backed Monjita, the Band-tailed Earthcreeper, and the Patagonian Canastero along the road leading to our next observation area. Located in the Gulf of San José, "Isla de los Pájaros" (Bird Island)  is home to many species. We will look for any species we’re still missing between coastline, beaches, scrubby vegetation, and tidal zones. We will then head back to Trelew to visit another site of great interest: "Laguna del Ornitólogo.” Although this lake may not look like much at first glance, the species present are remarkable and can be seen in impressive numbers.

This last morning, we will explore the urban lagoon of Chiquichano, located close to our hotel, where we may find some unusual species like Black-headed Duck, Coscoroba Swan, and Many-colored Rush Tyrant. Early afternoon transfer to Trelew airport for our flight to El Calafate via Buenos Aires.

Arrival at El Calafate airport, pick up of our rental car and short drive to our hotel.

Dinner and overnight in a charming hotel near Lake Nimez.

In the early morning, we will head to one of the most emblematic national parks in the south of the country: Los Glaciares. Straddling the border with neighboring Chile, this glacial area offers the most spectacular scenery in the country. Declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1981, this sanctuary is home to beech forests surrounded by rocky outcrops, where the majestic Andean Condor dwells. We will also enjoy the scenery with a photo session overlooking the Perito Moreno glacier.

In the middle of the afternoon we will head back to the town of El Calafate. Dinner and overnight stay in El Calafate.

We will depart early in the morning and head north. The long Andean road leading to Cardiel Lake crosses vast stretches of steppe as magical as it is desolate. We will explore these areas throughout the journey for some rare species. The arid steppes and vast forests of southern Patagonia are home to a variety of wildlife, specially adapted to the unique conditions of this extreme land. We’ll arrive at our accommodation in the middle of the afternoon. Around our accommodation, we will also try to observe another rare species, the Austral Rail. This bird was thought to be extinct but was rediscovered in the 1990s.

Today, we have an important mission: to find one of the rarest species in the country, the Hooded Grebe. This bird's population has fallen by 80% over the last 30 years, making it a critically endangered species. It begins its breeding season on the basaltic lagoons of the high Andes in Argentina in October. Its courtship is in complete contrast to its rather quiet behavior during the rest of the year. The dancing display of this bird is intense and laborious and is often compared to an aquatic tango. The Strobel Lake plateau is an isolated region of barren desert steppes dotted with small lakes, and we will explore different lagoons to try to observe some individuals. The last census reported only 400 pairs, which unfortunately placed it on the sad list of the 10 rarest birds in the world, making it one of Patagonia’s most sought-after species. 

Dinner and overnight in a fisherman's lodge.

This morning’s birding depends on which species we are still missing: we can either work on those missing birds, or we can explore new areas around the accommodation, where we will look for Lake Duck, Chilean Flamingo, White-tufted Grebe, Upland Goose, Magellanic Plover, and Two-banded Plover. Afterwards, we will travel to El Chalten. We will cross large areas of puna and grassy steppes along the long Patagonian road, where we will try to observe some new species. We will also take advantage of this long journey to focus on photographing the local fauna and landscapes.

Arrival in El Chalten in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay in El Chalten.

Today, we will discover the magical Patagonian landscape and the iconic Fitz Roy (3405m), the most famous of the jagged peaks towering above El Chalten. The sharp relief of these rocky ridges surrounded by glaciers, known as Nunataks, gives an idea of these areas’ climatic past under the perpetual influences of glacial erosion. We will explore the black beech forests at the foot of this large nature reserve in search of forest birds.

Dinner and overnight stay in El Chalten.

In the early morning, we will go to a viewpoint near El Chalten to observe the flight of the Andean Condor, which nests nearby. We will then take the road to Bahia Tunel near Lake Viedma to observe some aquatic species before continuing to El Calafate, where we will spend the night. We will make several stops along the Patagonian road to capture images of the beautiful landscapes and local fauna, particularly large groups of Lesser Rheas, guanacos, and maras.

Arrival at the end of the day in the town of El Calafate. Dinner and overnight stay in El Calafate.

This morning, we'll visit  Nimez Lagoon on the edge of El Calafate. This huge urban lagoon is directly connected to Lake Argentino. It functions as a buffer zone for the conservation of many interesting species. We will have lunch near the lagoon before heading back to the airport to fly to the end of the world. After a two-hour flight we arrive in Ushuaia, the southernmost city on the continent. Once called Terra Australis Incognita, the region of Tierra del Fuego has been made famous by the most intrepid explorers, notably Hernando de Magallanes, Robert Fitz Roy, and Charles Darwin.

Early evening arrival in the southern capital. After a short transfer to our hotel, we will have dinner in a traditional restaurant. Overnight stay in Ushuaïa.

We cannot visit these southern lands without visiting one of the continent’s most dramatically beautiful national parks. The landscapes here are breathtaking. The thunderous waterfalls, the ancient forests shriveled by time, the towering mountain peaks, and their vast glaciers give the setting a cinematic feel. The sub-Antarctic beech forests are home to many interesting species, including the mighty Magellanic Woodpecker and tiny Austral Pygmy Owl.

Dinner and overnight stay in Ushuaia.

Today, we will explore the Martial Glacier. Located close to the city, it is the most important source of freshwater in Ushuaia, hence the importance of conserving these nearby ecosystems. On foot or by cable car, we will explore the trails and coniferous forests at the foot of this glacial cirque, which overlooks the bay and the Beagle Channel.

Return to the city of Ushuaia in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay in Ushuaia.

We will finish this birding tour with a visit to the Bahia Encerrada urban nature reserve. Located a few steps from our hotel, it is home to several new species that are easy to photograph. The afternoon will be dedicated to cultural discoveries as we explore the world’s southernmost city. Situated at the foot of the Eastern Cordillera, this small town founded in 1884 is also the only Argentinean port located on the Pacific Ocean because, according to some geographers, the Beagle Channel is the tip of this immense ocean. Over time, Ushuaia has evolved from a military outpost to a thriving tourist destination. We will make the most of this by visiting museums, gift shops, and local attractions. 

After this relaxing day, we will fly to Buenos Aires to catch our international flight back home.