NORTHWEST
ARGENTINA
with Eduardo Patrial!
December
2
- 17, 2021
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your space!
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Famed
for its attractive
unspoiled scenery, the
northwest of Argentina
offers the birder a
wealth of rare and
spectacular
birds. From the beautiful
Yungas Cloud forests
to tumbling mountain
streams, Monte Desert,
Cacti Scrubland, Altiplano
and high Andean Grasslands,
you will not only be
entranced by the outstanding
beauty of this country,
but also have access
to many
endemic
and much sought after
species.
Starting
off in Tucumán
and Tafí del
Valle we will search
for the rare Tucumán
Mountain Finch. Here
many exciting species
await us including
the
superb Rufous-throated
Dipper.
In a
unique area of ‘monte
desert’ we
will look for
the
endemic White-throated
Cacholote and
the elusive and
poorly known Sandy
Gallito, a
large cryptic
desert
tapaculo. We
will look for
Burrowing Parrot
and Moreno’s
Ground-Dove
and then explore
Los
Cardones National
Park before
heading
to
Salta. Cream-backed
Woodpecker,
Red-tailed
Comet and Rufous-bellied
Mountain Tanager
are on tap
before
we head
to Chaco habitat
and a whole
new range
of
species. Black-legged
Seriema, Quebracho
Crested
Tinamou, Many-colored
Chaco Finch
and Black-bodied
Woodpecker
all live in
the Chaco
and
we will
endeavor
to find
all
of these.
Continuing
on through the Humahuaca
Valley and on to Calilegua
National Park, we will
survey
a variety of lakes, mossy
forests and Andean peaks
where we can add numerous
other species like
Puna Plover, three species
of Flamingo, White-throated
Antpitta, and with luck
even a Yungas Screech-Owl.
If water conditions are
good, the very rare Horned
Coot is also possible!
Finally,
we ascend the Yavi Valley
in search of the range
restricted Citron-headed
Yellow Finch, Rufous-backed
Sierra Finch, and the
fabulous Diademed Sandpiper
Plover!
Join Eduardo Patrial and Sunrise Birding to experience the best birding in northwest Argentina!
Photos: Rufous-throated Dipper & Sandy Gallito (Photos by Steve Bird)
ITINERARY
Day
1 • Travel
to Buenos Aires, Argentina
Plan
to arrive today in
Buenos
Aires, Argentina (Airport
code: BAI).
We
will
then
spend the night in an
airport hotel prior to
a domestic flight early
the next morning. Because
of the varying flight
schedules today is just
an arrival day. Night
Buenos Aires (No meals
included today as we
do not know everyone’s
arrival times).
Day
2 • Domestic
flight to Tucumán
- Tafí del
Valle
This
morning we will take a
domestic flight to the city
of Tucumán
and from there we drive
through Rio Los Sosa Valley
to Tafí del
Valle, birding along
the
way. In the lowlands,
we will keep a look out
for the charming
Rufous-throated
Dipper, Rusty-browed
Warbling
Finch and Torrent
Duck,
before continuing our
climb past the Yungas
Cloud forest to arrive
at Tafí del
Valle. The spectacular
and unique Yungas
Cloud forest supports
one of the greatest
biological diversities
in the Neotropics.
It harbors a wide
variety
of forests and woodlands,
each hosting its own
and unique community
of flora and fauna,
and
all varying according
with their altitudinal
ranges. Wildlife is
abundant in this humid
environment.
Ferns, bromeliads
and other epiphytic
plants are particularly
stunning here, and
they cover every single
corner of the forest.
This biological
treasure is well protected
within the boundaries
of several national
parks and nature reserves,
and we plan to explore
it thoroughly. It
is here where we will
have good chances
to see one of the most
colorful Argentine
endemic birds,
the Yellow-striped
Brush-Finch.
Night Tafí del
Valle (B, L, D)
Day
3 • Tafí del
Valle
Today
should prove to be an exciting
birding-packed day as we
bird various altitudes.
We start the day by ascending
the El Infiernillo pass
until we are high above
the tree line, often seeing
Burrowing Owl and the sweet
looking
Black Siskin sitting on
fence posts as we slowly
climb. We will stop for
short
walks at a couple
of high-altitude sites
in search of a mouth-watering
list of target species.
These include two Argentinean
endemics, the Moreno’s
Ground Dove and Tucumán
Mountain Finch. Other
birds include Andean
Flicker which is pretty
common and likes to sit
atop boulders. This is
also usually where we
should see our first
Andean
Condor and with luck
we might also
encounter Cinereous Harrier.
Among
the Andean grasslands
up around 10,000 feet
we will look for species
including Ornate
Tinamou,
Andean Lapwing, Gray-hooded
Parakeet, Black-billed
Shrike-Tyrant, Slender-billed
Miner, Scale-throated
and the near-endemic
Buff-breasted Earthcreepers,
White-winged Cinclodes,
Hellmayr's Pipit, Wedge-tailed
Hillstar, the endemic
White-browed Tapaculo,
Cordilleran and Puna
Canastero, Short-tailed
Finch, and have more
chances
for the delightful
Yellow-striped Brush-Finch.
After
what will likely have
been
an amazing morning,
we head after lunch
to a small lake where
we hope to see Andean
Goose, Andean Coot,
Andean Gull, and others.
We will then continue
back to the Cloud forest
to clean up on species
we may have missed.
Night
Tafí del
Valle (B, L, D)
Day
4 • Tafí del
Valle - Cafayate
This
morning we will set off
around the western side
of the Sierra de Aconquija
and continue north through
Argentine wine country
to the small town of
Cafayate in the Province
of Salta. We will cross
through the dry, high
Andean pass of “El
Infiernillo” on
our way there, and
a diversity of dry Andean
habitats, making frequent
stops along the road
to search for a great
variety of birds. The
Monte Desert, with
its large cacti, hold
Sandy Gallito and White-throated
Cacholote
and these are our major
targets. We’ll
also look for Elegant
Crested-Tinamou, Burrowing
Parrot,
White-tipped Plantcutter,
Greenish Yellow
Finch,
Steinbach´s
Canastero, Cinnamon
Warbling-Finch,
Ringed Warbling
Finch, White-browed
Brushfinch, Band-tailed
Sierra Finch and
White-banded Mockingbird
plus the noisy,
active Greater
Wagtail-Tyrant.
Night: Cafayate
(B, L, D)
Day
5 • Cafayate – Cabra
Corral

We continue our exciting journey that traverses the spectacular scenery of wine country, looking for more Burrowing Parrots, two species of tit-spinetail, several different canastero’s including the endemic Steinbach’s
Canastero, Golden-billed
Saltator, and as always,
many others such as Chaco
Earthcreeper, Spot-winged
Pigeon, Blue-and-yellow
Tanager, White-banded Mockingbird,
Black-crested Finch, White-crested
Tyrannulet, White-fronted Woodpecker and Black-legged Seriema.
In the afternoon, we will drive through the vineyards of Cafayate, enjoying the stunning views of Quebrada de las Conchas, towards Cabra Corral. As we bird the transitional forest in a canyon formed by the Juramento River, we’ll be looking for sought-after denizens of this arid region, including Sandy Gallito, Crested Gallito, Spot-winged Falconet, Red-legged Seriema, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, and many others.
Night: Cabra Corral, Coronel Moldes (B, L, D)
Day
6 •
Los
Cardones
National Park - Salta
As
we head for Los Cardones
National Park, the scenery
arguably gets even better
(if that is possible)!
We might see our first
Red-tailed Comet and
White-sided Hillstar,
plus Rufous-bellied Mountain
Tanager which is one
of
our
main
targets. We should add
further parrots to our
list and these might
include Scaly-headed
Parrot
and Grey-hooded Parakeet.
A high-altitude bird
that we really hope will
cooperate is Zimmer’s
Tapaculo, alongside
Rock
Earthcreeper and Rufous-banded
Miner. We then drive
to our next hotel, which
happens to have some
good Yungas birds in
and around the garden.
We can enjoy late-afternoon
drinks
on the balcony, and
the next morning we’ll
try and find the majestic Cream-backed
Woodpecker,
Smoke-colored Pewee,
Rough-legged Tyrannulet,
White-bellied Hummingbird,
the beautiful Plush-crested
Jay, Golden-winged
Cacique, and Gray-necked
Wood Rail. Night:
Hotel Selva Montana,
Salta. (B, L, D)
Day
7 • Salta
- Chaco
Today
we bird a completely new habitat,
where a diverse array of new birds
awaits us. There is a long list
of immensely sought-after species,
such as Black-legged Seriema,
Red-legged Seriema, tinamous including
the spectacular-looking Quebracho
Crested Tinamou, Chaco Chachalaca
(in the late afternoons we may
see them along the road), Ultramarine
Grosbeak, Many-colored Chaco Finch,
Black-bodied Woodpecker, spectacular
woodcreepers
such
as Red-billed Scythebill, Scimitar-billed
Woodcreeper, Great Rufous Woodcreeper
and their smaller relative, Narrow-billed
Woodcreeper. Chaco Puffbird will
hopefully be added to our list
at some point. We will need luck
on our side to find Spot-winged
Falconet, but much easier are
Lark-like Brushrunner, Crested
Hornero, the sometimes skulky
Crested Gallito, Chaco Earthcreeper,
and some new parrots that add
splashes of color. As always,
there are far more birds than
we can mention here, but pretty
much these two days of the trip
are very productive
in terms of adding a great many
high-quality species to our growing
bird list. We will try for Chaco
Owl one
night. Night: Chaco (B, L, D)
Day
8 • Chaco
- Calilegua
This is another day looking for specialties of the thorny habitats of the Chaco woodlands. Among the many species we might encounter are Greater Rhea, Tataupa Tinamou, Bicolored Hawk, Blue-crowned Parakeet, Striped Cuckoo, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Blue-tufted Starthroat, Spot-banded Puffbird, Chaco Earthcreeper, and many others. From here we drive to Calilegua National Park, looking for birds we may have previously missed. Calilegua National Park is a stunning destination for birding. It protects an important Yungas Cloud forest habitat. Our hotel is located very close to the park’s entrance and will give us the chance to spot some interesting birds before dark.
Night: Calilegua (B, L, D)

Day
9 • Calilegua
National Park
Today,
we
spend an entire day in Calilegua
National Park and we have a long
list of tantalizing birds to find.
The steep, forested slopes are
home to birds like Black-and-white
Hawk-Eagle, Black-and-chestnut
Eagle, Solitary Eagle, Bat
Falcon,
Dusky-legged Guan, Golden-collared
Macaw, Speckled Hummingbird, Blue-capped
Puffleg, Slender-tailed Woodstar,
White-bellied Hummingbird, Blue-crowned
Trogon, Golden-olive Woodpecker,
Great Rufous Woodcreeper, Black-banded
Woodcreeper, Giant Antshrike,
Sclater’s
Tyrannulet, White-throated Antpitta,
Mountain Wren, Brown-capped Redstart,
Spotted Nightingale-Thrush, Glossy-black
Thrush, Rusty-browed Warbling
Finch, Fulvous-headed and White-browed
Brushfinches, Crested Oropendola,
Golden-winged Cacique and Yungas
Pygmy Owl. Night: Calilegua (B,
L, D)
Day
10 • Calilegua
National Park - Yala
Today
will be our second day
birding in the lush region
of Calilegua National
Park. Over the last few
years a pair of Harpy
Eagles has been seen
many times from the upper
roads of the park, but
we would have to be more
than lucky to encounter
this awesome raptor.
Other species here should
include Blue-crowned
Trogon, Plush-crested
Jay, Toco
Toucan,
Dot-fronted Woodpecker,
Streaked Xenops, and
the rare White-browed
Tapaculo. In the afternoon
we will drive from
Calilegua to
Potrero
de Yala Provincial
Park, another wonderful
transitional Yungas
habitat. Night: Yala
(B, L, D)
Day
11 • Yala
Today
we can spend time scouring
the rivers for the gorgeous
Rufous-throated Dipper
and possibly Torrent
Duck. Nearby forest edges
are a good place for
Red-faced
Guan which is
one
of our major targets
which
can be tricky, but with
persistence we hope to
find it. Also in this
area are Streak-throated
Bush Tyrant, Yungas Dove,
Chilean Elaenia, Giant
Wood Rail and Spot-breasted
Thornbird. In the evening
we will check a site
for the spectacular Lyre-tailed
Nightjar and also Yungas
Screech Owl which are
sometimes not too difficult
to find on the outskirts
of town. Night: Yala
(B, L, D)
Day
12 • Yala
- Tilcara
Today
we drive higher along
the Humahuaca Valley,
birding the puna salt
lakes and highland-lake
habitats as we approach
the town of La Quiaca
on the Bolivian border
at 12,000 feet (3658 meters).
We’ll
bird the dry valley along
the way, looking for Lesser
Rhea, Andean Condor, Mountain
Caracara, Mountain Parakeet,
Andean Swallow, Rufous-banded
and Puna Miners, Puna
Yellow Finch, Andean Negrito,
Brown-backed Mockingbird,
Black-hooded Sierra Finch,
and Black Siskin.
Passing
the Laguna de los Pozuelos
National Park, a huge
Altiplano lake, where
we have our first chance
to see Andean Coot, Puna
Teal, Puna Ibis, Andean
Avocet, Puna Plover,
and three species of Flamingos that
include Chilean, Andean,
and James’s.
If water conditions are
favorable we may be in
luck and find the very
rare Hooded Coot. Overnight:
La Quiaca (B, L, D)
Day
13 • La
Quiaca - Yavi
From La Quiaca we drive to Tilcara and then continue driving northward (and higher), passing some lakes, where we have further chances to see Andean Coot, Puna Teal, Puna Ibis, Andean Avocet, Puna Plover, all three species of Flamingos - Chilean, Andean, and James’s, Andean Goose, Cordilleran Canastero, and even Burrowing Owl.
Overnight: Yavi (B, L, D)
Day
14 • Yavi
Yavi
is a small hamlet that is home
to the very range-restricted Citron-headed
Yellow Finch and early morning
is the best time to look for this
rare bird. We’ll
also bird the highland valleys
above, looking for Red-backed
Sierra Finch. Here we’ll
also have a chance for Mourning
Sierra Finch, Puna and Bright-rumped Yellow
Finches,
Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, Cream-winged
Cinclodes, Spot-winged Pigeon,
Tawny-throated Dotterel and others.
The star bird we’ll
be looking for here is the Diademed
Sandpiper-Plover.
Overnight: Yavi (B, L, D)

Day
15 •
Yavi - Jujuy
From Yavi we ascend to over 12,000 feet (3657 meters) above sea level, searching for further specials such as Lesser Rhea, Puna Tinamou, Puna Yellow-Finch, and others.
Overnight: Jujuy (B, L, D)
Day
16 • Jujuy – End
of Tour
Flight from Jujuy to connect with international departure in Buenos Aires (B)
Tour Leader: Eduardo Patrial plus local guides.
Photo below: Many-colored Chaco Finch by Steve Bird.