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Birding Chile's lowland marshlands & the Pacific Coast - Waterfowl and seabirds of Mediterranean Chile - www.fsexpeditions.com

 

Book this trip, reserve space now!Birding and nature photography tour visiting the lowland wetlands and the Pacific coast south of Valparaiso. On this tour you will discover the wealth of ducks and waterbirds of Chile plus a good sample of the specialties and endemics of the coastal region of Mediterranean Chile. This easy to moderate tour is suitable for cruise passengers with restricted time at the ports of call.

Full day tour (8-12 hours) from Santiago de Chile or Valparaiso | Daily departures from September 2011 through April 2012.

 

Chiloe Wigeon (Anas sibilatrix), Laguna El Peral NR, Central Chile © Enrique Couve - www.fsexpeditions.com

 

Lowland Marshlands & the Pacific Coast | Day Tour | Trip Code SCL03

Versión en Español / Spanish version


Early in the morning we will drive a short distance north of Santiago to visit some marshes. Here our targets will be South American Painted Snipe, Rosy-billed Pochard, White-cheeked Pintail and Cocoi Heron. Later on, we will head westward to visit the scenic Chile’s Pacific coast and the productive rocky coast north of Valparaíso. Here we shall search for the endemic Chilean Seaside Cinclodes and endemic seabirds of the Humboldt Current such as Red-legged and Guanay Cormorants, Peruvian Booby, Grey Gull and the stunning Inca Tern. During the afternoon we will visit the Maipo rivermouth and surrounding coastal wetlands, including the exceptional El Peral Nature Reserve, where we will concentrate in finding the cryptic-coloured Stripe-backed Bittern, the brood-parasitic Black-headed Duck and the striking Many-colored Rush-Tyrant. We will also have a chance to find the scarce and local Warbling Doradito.

 

PRICING & RATES


Day Tour: Available from August 2011 through May 2012.

 

Meet/Depart: Daily departures from Santiago or Valparaiso, Chile.

 

Duration: Approximately 8-12 hours | Pick-up time at the hotel / Valparaiso port 6-8am.

 

Rates 2011/2012:

Lowland Marshlands & The Pacific Coast (Full Day)
From Santiago or Valparaiso 
 # of guests
2 3 4+
 Price per person
$346 $271 $215

 

What the trip includes/excludes

The above prices are per person in US Dollars. All payments are in US Dollars.

The trip price includes: Private transportation and birding guide services during the tour, picnic lunch and snacks, and one bottle of mineral water. VAT of the tour is also included.

The trip price excludes: Tipping, travel insurance, à la carte dishes, alcoholic drinks, and anything else of a purely personal nature.

 

Tour Registration:

To book this tour, please complete the online registration form and pay a deposit of US$ 100 per person. Full payment of the tour fee is due 90 days prior to tour departure.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE

 

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 deposit less US$ 50 is refundable.

- If cancellation is made between 120 and 60 days before departure, the deposit is not refundable, but any payments covering the balance of the fee will be refunded.

- If cancellation is made fewer 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.

 

TRANSPORTATION

In our tours we only use authorized vehicles with professional drivers (your birding guide will not be driving!). We use comfortable and spacious vehicles such as the Mercedes Sprinter or similar. Each of our passengers will get a window seat.

The vehicles we use in our day tour in central Chile

 

SPECIES CHECKLIST

Birds and Mammals possible to be seen during this trip:

 

Tinamous | Tinamidae

Chilean Tinamou Nothoprocta perdicaria

 

Penguins | Spheniscidae

Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti

 

Grebes | Podicipedidae

Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps

White-tufted Grebe Rollandia rolland

Great Grebe Podiceps major

Silvery Grebe Podiceps occipitalis


Shearwaters & Petrels | Procellariidae

Antarctic Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus

Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus

 

Pelicans | Pelecanidae

Peruvian Pelican Pelecanus thagus

 

Gannets & Boobies | Sulidae

Peruvian Booby Sula variegata

 

Cormorants | Phalacrocoracidae

Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus

Rock Shag Phalacrocorax magellanicus

Guanay Cormorant Phalacrocorax bougainvillii

Imperial Shag Phalacrocorax atriceps

Red-legged Cormorant Phalacrocorax gaimardi

 

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns | Ardeidae

Cocoi Heron Ardea cocoi

Great Egret Ardea alba

Snowy Egret Egretta thula

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

Stripe-backed Bittern Ixobrychus involucris

 

Flamingos | Phoenicopteridae

Chilean Flamingo Phoenicopterus chilensis

 

Ducks, Geese & Swans | Anatidae

Black-necked Swan Cygnus melanocorypha

Coscoroba Swan Coscoroba coscoroba

Chiloe Wigeon Anas sibilatrix

Speckled Teal Anas flavirostris

Yellow-billed Pintail Anas georgica

White-cheeked Pintail Anas bahamensis

Silver Teal Anas versicolor

Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera

Red Shoveler Anas platalea

Rosy-billed Pochard Netta peposaca

Black-headed Duck Heteronetta atricapilla

Lake Duck Oxyura vittata

 

New World Vultures | Cathartidae

Black Vulture Coragyps atratus

Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura

 

Hawks, Eagles & Kites | Accipitridae

White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus

Cinereous Harrier Circus cinereus

Harris' Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus

Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle Geranoaetus melanoleucus

Variable Hawk Buteo polyosoma

 

Falcons & Caracaras | Falconidae

Chimango Caracara Milvago chimango

American Kestrel Falco sparverius

 

New World Quails | Odontophoridae

California Quail Callipepla californica


Rails, Gallinules & Coots | Rallidae

Plumbeous Rail Pardirallus sanguinolentus

Spot-flanked Gallinule Gallinula melanops

White-winged Coot Fulica leucoptera

Red-gartered Coot Fulica armillata

Red-fronted Coot Fulica rufifrons

 

Painted-Snipes | Rostratulidae

American Painted-snipe Rostratula semicollaris

 

Oystercatchers | Haematopodidae

Blackish Oystercatcher Haematopus ater

American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus

 

Avocets & Stilts | Recurvirostridae

Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus


Plovers & Lapwings | Charadriidae

Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis

Snowy Plover Charadrius alexandrinus

Collared Plover Charadrius collaris

Two-banded Plover Charadrius falklandicus

Rufous-chested Dotterel Charadrius modestus


Sandpipers & Allies | Scolopacidae

South American Snipe Gallinago paraguaiae

Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus

Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca

Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Surfbird Aphriza virgata

Red Knot Calidris canutus

Sanderling Calidris alba

White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis

Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii

 

Skuas & Jaegers | Stercoraridae

Chilean Skua Stercorarius chilensis

Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus

 

Gulls | Laridae

Band-tailed Gull Larus belcheri

Gray Gull Larus modestus

Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus

Brown-hooded Gull Larus maculipennis

Franklin's Gull Larus pipixcan

Elegant Tern Sterna elegans

South American Tern Sterna hirundinacea

Common Tern Sterna hirundo

Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea

Snowy-crowned Tern Sterna trudeaui

Inca Tern Larosterna inca

 

Skimmers | Rhynchopidae

Black Skimmer Rynchops niger


Doves & Pigeons | Columbidae

Rock Dove Columba livia

Chilean Pigeon Columba araucana

Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata

Picui Ground-Dove Columbina picui

 

Typical Owls | Strigidae

Austral Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium nanum

Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia

Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus

 

Nightjars & Allies | Caprimulgidae

Band-winged Nightjar Caprimulgus longirostris

 

Hummingbirds | Trochilidae

Giant Hummingbird Patagona gigas

Green-backed Firecrown Sephanoides sephaniodes

 

Woodpeckers & Allies | Picidae

Striped Woodpecker Picoides lignarius

Chilean Flicker Colaptes pitius

 

Ovenbirds | Furnariidae

Common Miner Geositta cunicularia

Crag Chilia (E) Chilia melanura

Chilean Seaside Cinclodes (E) Cinclodes nigrofumosus

Dark-bellied Cinclodes Cinclodes patagonicus

Gray-flanked Cinclodes Cinclodes oustaleti

Bar-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes fuscus

Thorn-tailed Rayadito Aphrastura spinicauda

Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail Leptasthenura aegithaloides

Wren-like Rushbird Phleocryptes melanops

Lesser Canastero Asthenes pyrrholeuca

Dusky-tailed Canastero (E) Asthenes humicola

White-throated Treerunner Pygarrhichas albogularis

 

Tapaculos | Rhinocryptidae

Moustached Turca (E) Pteroptochos megapodius

White-throated Tapaculo (E) Scelorchilus albicollis

Dusky Tapaculo (E) Scytalopus fuscus

 

Plantcutters | Phytotomidae

Rufous-tailed Plantcutter Phytotoma rara

 

Tyrant Flycatchers | Tyrannidae

White-crested Elaenia Elaenia albiceps

Tufted Tit-Tyrant Anairetes parulus

Many-colored Rush-Tyrant Tachuris rubrigastra

Warbling Doradito Pseudocolopteryx flaviventris

Patagonian Tyrant Colorhamphus parvirostris

Fire-eyed Diucon Xolmis pyrope

Great Shrike-Tyrant Agriornis livida

Dark-faced Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola macloviana

Austral Negrito Lessonia rufa

Spectacled Tyrant Hymenops perspicillatus

 

Swallows | Hirundinidae

Chilean Swallow Tachycineta meyeni

Blue-and-white Swallow Pygochelidon cyanoleuca

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

 

Wagtails & Pipits | Motacillidae

Correndera Pipit Anthus correndera

 

Wrens | Troglodytidae

House Wren Troglodytes aedon

Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis

 

Mockingbirds & Thrashers | Mimidae

Chilean Mockingbird (E) Mimus thenca

 

Thrushes & Allies | Turdidae

Austral Thrush Turdus falcklandii

 

Old World Sparrows | Passeridae

House Sparrow ( I ) Passer domesticus

 

Siskins, Crossbills & Allies | Fringillidae

Black-chinned Siskin Carduelis barbata

 

Buntings, Sparrows & Allies | Emberizidae

Gray-hooded Sierra-Finch Phrygilus gayi

Band-tailed Sierra-Finch Phrygilus alaudinus

Common Diuca-Finch Diuca diuca

Grassland Yellow-Finch Sicalis luteola

Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis

 

Troupials & Allies | Icteridae

Yellow-winged Blackbird Agelaius thilius

Long-tailed Meadowlark Sturnella loyca

Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis

Austral Blackbird Curaeus curaeus

 

MAMMALS

Degu Octodon degu

Nutria Myocastor coypus

Peale's Dolphin Lagenorhynchus australis

Southern Grey Fox Pseudalopex griseus

Marine Otter Lutra felina

Southern Sea Lion Otaria byronia

Last Updated on Thursday, 14 April 2011 15:42