Your birding guide will be meeting you at your hotel in Punta Arenas or at the docks, in case you are a cruise passenger. Right after, you will be heading south along the coastal road in direction to San Juan Bay. On route we will survey some freshwater ponds where we will be rewarded by a wealth of waterbirds including Great and White-tufted Grebes, Crested Duck, Chiloe Wigeon, Yellow-billed Teal, Yellow-billed Pintail, Red-gartered and White-winged Coots, among several others. Cinereous Harrier, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle and Aplomado Falcon are sometimes seen hovering in these places in search of its prey; carrion-eaters such as Chimango and Southern Caracaras will be a common sight throughout the day as well. Magellan straits birding tour
At San Juan Bay we will explore the southern beech (Nothofagus) forests searching for some of its specialties including Austral Parakeet, Thorn-tailed Rayadito, White-throated Treerunner, Magellanic Tapaculo, Patagonian Sierra-Finch, Austral Blackbird and the striking Magellanic Woodpecker. From the shoreline, we will be scanning the waters of the Magellan Straits; it is very likely that we will see Black-browed Albatrosses, Southern Giant Petrels, Flightless and Flying Steamer-Ducks, Chilean Skuas, Dolphin, Kelp and Brown-hooded Gulls as well as South American Terns. Peale’s Dolphins, South American Sea Lion and Southern Fur Seal are potential marine mammals to observe today. Also, there is a great chance that we will see all the southern Chloephaga geese species, including Upland, Kelp. Ashy-headed and the local and scarce Ruddy-headed Goose.
Later, we will head back to Punta Arenas and explore in direction north-west towards the scenic area of Rio Verde, the beginning of the western Patagonian Fjordland. Our main goal here will be to see Andean Condors literally soaring above the Fitz Roy Channel. Black-necked Swans, Imperial Cormorant and Magellanic Oystercatcher are usually seen here. Back to Punta Arenas, we will be driving across the steppe and we will stop along the way for Chilean Flamingo and Guanaco, the wild ancestor of the Llama.
Note: Your guide will bring a spotting scope for your use during the trip. Magellan straits birding tour
