Birding the Patagonian Steppes in Wintertime, Far South Exp

Last Friday May 11th, three members of our team, Rodrigo Tapia, Claudio F. Vidal and Sebastián Saiter, went out to bird the Patagonian Steppes of San Gregorio, northeast from Punta Arenas, Magallanes, in the southern reaches of Chilean Patagonia, in the shores of the Straits.

Along the dirt road that runs across the vast grasslands, we could see the first snowfalls and noticed the low temperatures, albeit without the proverbial almost-always-present strong winds that sweep this extensions in Spring and Summer.

It wasn´t too long before we started spotting the first birds, several Patagonian endemics, resident and migratory species gathered in their non-breeding season.

Several flocks of Common Miner, Geositta cunicularia were present along the roadsides, as was an interesting mixed flock of both Yellow- and White-bridled Finches, Melanodera xanthogramma barrosi & Melanodera melanodera princetoniana feeding on the few remaining seeds they can find in the grasses emerging from under the snow in these overgrazed pastures. Several scattered flocks of Tawny-throated Dotterel, Oreopholus ruficollis were here and there, getting ready to leave north towards Argentina in their annual migration.

Yellow-bridled Finch (Melanodera xanthogramma), immature male / © Sebastián Saiter, Far South Exp (Digiscoping)

Several other species find shelter in the scrub of Calafate, Berberis microphylla and Mata verde, Chiliotrichum diffusum, like the Band-tailed Earthcreeper, Ochetorhynchus phoenicurus, Austral Canastero, Asthenes anthoides, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Zonotrichia capensis and Grey-Hooded Sierra Finch, Phrygilus gayi, among others. One of the highlights was a couple of flocks of the always sought-after, Patagonian endemic White-bellied Seedsnipe, Attagis malouinus, quite tame despite our presence, going about their business feeding on the ground and blending admirably with it due to their wonderfully cryptic plumage on which they depend to go unadverted before predators in the snowy plains.

White-bellied Seedsnipe (Attagis malouinus) / © Rodrigo Tapia, Far South Exp

In one of the several wetlands and bogs we surveyed, we found a family group of Silver Teal, Anas versicolor and a few Chilean Flamingo, Phoenicopterus chilensis, among other waterfowl.

Silver Teal © Rodrigo Tapia, Far South Expeditions

Silver Teal (Anas versicolor) / © Rodrigo Tapia, Far South Exp

A few mammals were also present, we spotted Southern Grey Fox, Pseudalopex griseus, Patagonian Hairy Armadillo, Chaetophractus villosus and a big winter herd of Guanaco, Lama guanicoe grazing in the vast expanse of land.

Tawny-throated Dotterel © Rodrigo Tapia, Far South Expeditions