Birding Chile Lake District. A comprehensive birding and nature trip aim to explore Chile’s Lake District and Chiloe Island. This trip features in-depth visits to the lush temperate forests of the scenic Conguillio and Alerce Andino National Parks, where we will bird amid magnificent snow-capped volcanoes, ancient trees and blue lakes interspersed along the Andean foothills. Here we will look for the specialties and endemics of the lush Valdivian temperate Forest, a unique ecosystem and a world’s biodiversity hotspot. The woodlands of these protected areas will offer good chances to spot Chilean Pigeon, Rufous-legged Owl, Austral Parakeet, Magellanic Woodpecker and Rufous-tailed Hawk together with a variety of Patagonian songbirds such as Black-throated Huet-huet, Chucao, Ochre-flanked and Magellanic Tapaculos, Des Murs’s Wiretail, Fire-eyed Diucon, Patagonian Tyrant, Austral Blackbird and Black-chinned Siskin. During this trip we will also visit Chiloe Island and its productive coastal mudflats and marine habitats, where we will visit penguin colonies and sea lion rookeries. As a grand finale, we will set off from Puerto Montt on a very interesting pelagic trip in search of the recently described Pincoya Storm-Petrel plus other seabird specialties of southern Chile.
Birding Chile's Lake District
Forests, Lakes and Volcanos of Northern Patagonia
Next departures: Oct 22 - 26, 2025 | Oct 21 - 25, 2026
5-day trip from Puerto Montt, Chile | Group size: 3-7 guests
Itinerary in Brief
Day 1 • Flight to Temuco – O/N Temuco (2 nights)
Day 2 • Conguillio National Park – Llaima Volcano
Day 3 • Cerro Ñielol Nature Reserve – Drive to Puerto Montt – Alerce Andino National Park – O/N Puerto Montt (2 nights)
Day 4 • Ferry ride to Chiloe Island – Pelagic trip off Chiloe
Day 5 • Pelagic trip off Reloncavi Sound – Flight to Santiago – End of the trip
Trip Highlights
• Explore the majestic Araucaria forests of Conguillio National Parks
• Great temperate forest birding at Alerce Andino National Park for tapaculos plus other bird specialties
• Two boat trips off Chiloé Island and Puerto Montt for very interesting pelagic seabirds
• Visit Puñihuil isles to see two penguin species breeding together (Humboldt and Magellanic)
Trip Map
Detailed Itinerary and Activities
This trip starts in Santiago to catch an afternoon flight to the city of Temuco, gateway of northern Patagonia.
Overnight Conguillio National Park (Dinner)(Guide).
During the morning we will visit the slopes of the Llaima Volcano located east of Temuco, in the gorgeous Conguillio National Park. This protected area offers spectacular vistas and remarkable vegetation, including stands of the peculiar Chilean Pine (also known as Araucaria or Monkey-puzzle tree). These woodlands are reminiscent to pre-historic landscapes and we will have good chances of seeing the endemic Slender-billed Parakeet and Magellanic Woodpecker together with a variety of Patagonian songbirds such as Des Murs’s Wiretail, Fire-eyed Diucon, Patagonian Tyrant, Austral Blackbird and Black-chinned Siskin. The soils of the forests and volcano slopes show an attractive array of wildflowers including several species of ground orchids, anemones, geraniums and lady slippers.
Overnight Conguillio NP (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)(Guide).
We will visit Cerro Ñielol, a very interesting and well preserved urban nature forest where we will try to find the rare Rufous-tailed Hawk, Black-throated Huet-huet and Des Murs’s Wiretail.
We will drive towards Puerto Montt (41°S) and as we head south in clear skies we will admire a line of volcanos which form part of the section of the Andes; the most striking is no doubt Volcano ‘Osorno‘ and its almost perfect cone-shaped profile. The city of Puerto Montt is located at the very end of Chile’s central valley. The topography south of here starts to break out, forming the maze of archipelagos and channels known as the Patagonian Fjords. The grasslands, orchards and agricultural fields are ideal habitat for Black-faced Ibis, Chimango Caracara, Southern Lapwing, Chilean Flicker, Rufous-tailed Plantcutter, Common Diuca Finch and Grassland Yellow Finch. Today we explore the lush temperate rainforest of Alerce Andino National Park, located just one hour south of Puerto Montt. Here we will search for other Patagonian rainforest specialties including Chilean Hawk, Green-backed Firecrown, the skulking Black-throated Huet-huet, Ochre-flanked Tapaculo and White-crested Elaenia. Later, on route back to Puerto Montt, we will scan the intertidal mudflats in search of wintering flocks of Nearctic visitors such as Hudsonian Godwit, Red Knot and Sanderling; other common coastal birds include the stocky Flightless Steamer Duck, Black-necked Swan, American Oystercatcher, Brown-hooded Gull and the local Snowy-crowned (Trudeau’s) Tern.
Overnight Puerto Montt (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)(Guide).
We drive south to the ferry across the Chacao Channel. This short 30-minute journey offers great marine wildlife viewing opportunities and we are likely to see pods of Peale’s Dolphin, groups of South American Sea Lion and a great array of seabirds including Southern Giant Petrel, Sooty and Pink-footed shearwaters, Imperial and Red-legged cormorants, Peruvian Pelican and South American Tern. Once in the island we’ll take a scenic drive to the little fishermen’s cove of Puñihuil. Here we will circumnavigate the islets to see one of the few mixed breeding colonies of Humboldt and Magellanic penguins. Marine Otter, Magellanic Cormorant, Kelp Goose and Flightless Steamer Duck are all usually found here, too. If you are interested to spend more time at sea to have more opportunities for wildlife, we can arrange for a highly recommendable 3-4 hour boat trip to Metalqui Island. Pygmy Blue Whales, one of the races of the world’s largest living animal, are often seen from December until March; we also have other great pelagic prospects such as the poorly-known Subantarctic Shearwater, which probably nests in this rugged, densely forested coastline.
Overnight Puerto Montt (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)(Guide)
Early morning with the first light of the day, we will take a boat trip into the Reloncavi Sound to look for seabirds, particularly the recently discovered Pincoya Storm Petrel, a new species to science, overlooked during many years because of its strong similarities to sympatric Wilson’s Storm Petrels. The range of this species seems to be very local and restricted to the nearby waters south of Puerto Montt and between Chiloé Island and the Continent. (Breakfast, Lunch)(Guide). Birding Chile Lake District.
Dates & Rates
Scheduled Departures
Trip Code | CHL06 |
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Trip Length | 5 days, 4 nights |
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Dates | 2025 | October 22 - 26 |
2026 | October 21 - 25 |
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Price per person | TBA |
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Single Supplement | TBA |
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This trip starts at Temuco, Chile and ends at Puerto Montt, Chile.
The above price is per person in USD, based in double accommodation. Single supplement will be added if single accommodations are requested.
Private Tours
You Choose the Date! (Available from September through April). Departures from Temuco, Chile.
What the trip price includes/excludes
The trip price includes: All accommodations, meals and guide services as stated in the itinerary, private ground transportation during the tour, boat trip from Puñihuil, Chiloé and Puerto Montt, ferry fares to Chiloe Island and park entrance fees. Birding Chile Lake District.
The trip price excludes: Domestic flights, tipping, travel insurance, entrance tax to Chile, excess baggage charges, private excursions, à la carte dishes, snacks, drinks, laundry, telephone calls and anything else of a purely personal nature.
Do you want us to arrange your flights from Santiago to Temuco/Puerto Montt?
Domestic flights: Santiago (SCL) – Temuco (ZCO): 1 hour, 10 minutes; Puerto Montt (PMC) – Santiago (SCL): 1 hours, 30 minutes.
Tour Registration
To book this tour, please fill in our online registration form. We will process your booking and will send you a note with space confirmation and a transfer invoice with payment instructions within 24 hours. The transfer amount is 500 USD per person. Full payment of the tour fee is due 90 days prior to tour departure.
NOTE: Inquiries received on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays will be replied to during the following working day.
Cancellation Policy
Notice of cancellation can only be accepted IN WRITING from the person who signed the booking form and takes effect on the day such noticed is received by us.
Refunds are made according to the following schedule:
• If cancellation is made 120 days or more before departure date, the transfer amount minus 200 USD is refundable.
• If cancellation is made between 120 and 60 days before departure, the transfer is not refundable, but any payments covering the balance of the fee will be refunded.
• If cancellation is made less than 60 days before departure date, no refund is available.
This policy and fee schedule also applies to pre-trip and post trip extensions, as well as any transfers from one tour to another. We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance to protect yourself.
