Birding sites within a day's travel of Buenos Aires (1 Viewer)

[StevePreddy]

Hi

I'm off on a six week trip at the end of the year - three weeks in Argentina, then three weeks at sea visiting the Falklands, South Georgia and the Antarctic pensinsula.

I'm spending my first week based in Buenos Aires, and am looking for advice on birding sites within easy reach of the city - either as a day trip or as an overnight stay. In Buenos Aires itself I'll no doubt be making a few visits to Costanera Sur, so what I'm particularly looking for are sites outside the city which support species not found at that reserve. Advice on how to get there would also be appreciated - I guess that public transport or hiring a guide are the two obvious options as I'm told driving in Buenos Aires requires nerves of steel. Guide recommendations are very welcome too if there are particular species / sites where a guide would be beneficial.

Thanks

Steve

 

[opisska]

Nah, people are being overly dramatic, driving there is fine. You won't be driving much inside BA anyway, just catch a highway, get out of the city. And it's really the best way to get to birds, because a lot of places around are "large swath of private agricultural land accessible from a road going through it", so birding with a car is what you wanna do - drive around, stop when it looks good or notice birds. I did some walking around on Otamendi reserve, which now according to maps is suddenly a national park? But the best was just driving around around Ceibas, on the few accessible roads there (basically any road on google maps, there are not too many) and it was insane how many birds were there.

 

[opisska]

Btw. if all goes fine, I am gonna land in BA next Saturday morning

 

[Manolito]

Indeed, Otamendi is Ciervo de los Pantanos National Park. Ceibas is another place you need to go.
In case you want to hire a guide, I’ll go with Marcelo Gavensky from Natural Birding.

I’ll be spending Christmas in BA. If you are there, we can do some birding and grab a beer

 

[lgonz1008]

This website might help you find some hotspots within Buenos Aires and areas around it: Birding Buenos Aires - Urban Reserves

 

[pbjosh]

As others have mentioned the obvious spots are Othamendi (the road traversing the reserve) and Ceibas/Las Perdices. A bit further afield is San Clemente del Tuyu for some special birds.

I am happy to give quite a bit more info, feel free to ask, but trip reports and eBird hotspots will give you a good general impression.

Otamendi used to have a reputation for being slightly unsafe (robbery). I haven’t heard of problems in years but being a bit careful is warranted. Particularly I would not bird the first ~200m after passing the sketchy shack and train tracks. Wait until after the first curve when that is all out of sight. I’ve not had a problem and have birded there solo many times, but I always stay reasonably close to the car and keep my eyes open just in case.

As mentioned Ceibas / Las Perdices is basically a network of dirt roads and very birdy. It can be impossible to get very far if it is muddy however, just FYI.

San Clemente del Tuyu can get you Dot-winged Crake, Humboldt’s Canastero, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Bay-capped Wren-Spinetail and more, and sometimes some great waders. One of my favorite spots if not my favorite in BA province.

 

[StevePreddy]

Thanks everyone for all those replies - extremely helpful