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This quartet of King Penguins looked like they were welcoming us to the colony. It was very cool to see the adults and chicks; they look so different! Photo by guide Willy Perez.

Our 2019 Chile tour was a complete success. Chile is like visiting four different countries at once; the habitats, the landscape views, the sea, and the birds change so much through the tour. Our itinerary is designed to see all of these incredible changes, and we did! We went from the southern tip of the country where penguins occur to the far north close to the border with Peru and Bolivia.

Our introduction to the beauty and magic of Chile came when we flew from Santiago to Punta Arenas. Some of us were able to see the Torres del Paine peaks and the Grey Glacier from the plane. While we were down south, we crossed the Strait of Magellan to set foot on Isla Grande de Tierra Del Fuego, with its vast and flat terrain. In the south, our main focus was to look for any bird with the word “Magellanic,” “Patagonian,” “Austral,” or even “Flightless” in its name--these are all unique things from this part of the world. We were lucky to see many of these, such as Magellanic Plover and the (Magellanic) Great Horned Owl. But the winner in the “Magellanic” group was the Woodpecker. In fact, four among our group chose this as one of the favorite birds of the tour. We first saw the red-crested male, then the striking female eventually appeared as she searched for food. It was a magical moment. The pair of Torrent Ducks we spotted were also exciting, but for me, looking for the Flightless-Steamer Ducks was a highlight. It took a bit of work, but we did see them!

The Lagos (lakes) and the temperate forest with the giant Nothofagus trees were incredible. The second part of our trip took us to this more wet and lush Valdivian forest, where more rain falls regularly and bamboo appears suddenly in the landscape. This is home to some of the most stunning tapaculos. Some of the best for us were the huet-huets, especially the Chestnut-throated that we watched taking food to its nest.

The volcanos in Chile were as active as they could be, with frequent eruptions and a big roar once in a while. And our pelagic trip in Valparaiso was superb, with five species of albatrosses, including the majestic Royal.

Central Chile near Santiago was very dry during our visit, and there were some significant fires between Valparaiso and Santiago, but these didn't stop us from birding. Our two days visiting the mountains near Santiago provided us with many unique birds, such as Crag Chilia, Moustached Turca, and a last-minute Creamy-rumped Miner and White-throated Tapaculo!

The Altiplano in the far north was kind to us; we visited Chungara Lake, and the desert was as impressive as ever. The weather in the Altiplano was perfect, and the birds were even better. Ornate and Puna tinamous and Gray-breasted and Rufous-bellied seedsnipes are just a few to mention. The desert is not home to many birds, but there were prizes, and for some we had to work a bit. The very well-hidden Peruvian Thick-knee and the Slender-billed Finch were joys to find.

We covered the country tip to tip and, most importantly, we saw many incredible birds while enjoying the landscape. There were so many super birds that our group liked on the trip: King Penguins, not just one but many of them, even the fluffy chicks; many Andean Condors; and the stunning Diademed Sandpiper-Plovers. Chile is not a country with many hummingbirds, but when you see a Chilean Woodstar or Peruvian Sheartail the numbers don't matter anymore -- these birds are just special!

We saw many colorful birds, such as Inca Tern, Roseate Spoonbill, and Many-colored Rush-Tyrant, and the two “bridled” finches showed us their own special beauty. It was difficult to decide which was the best among the three species of tit-tyrants, but Tufted was more ornate than any of the others. It was also wonderful seeing the Lesser Rhea dad with about 15 chicks. (I consider myself lucky, as I only have two, ha!)

The whole trip was full of great memories and good times--the birds, the scenery, and of course, the great company of our group. My thanks to all of you for joining me on our visit to the longest country in the world, where you really can actually see tapaculos!

All the best,

Willy

KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

Magellanic Plovers made us work a little bit, but it was worth it to get such great looks at these interesting birds. Photo by guide Willy Perez.

Another of the "Magellanics" that we saw was the Magellanic Woodpecker. While this female does not have the brilliant red crest of the male, she is quite elegant in her black, white and tiny bit of red. Photo by guide Willy Perez.

We really enjoyed watching the Moustached Turca; it was one of eight tapaculo species that we saw, and provided one of the best experiences for the group. Photo by guide Willy Perez.

This tour does not feature a high number of hummingbirds, but the gorgeous male Chilean Woodstar that we found sure made up for that! What a beauty! Photo by guide Willy Perez.

Our Moustached Turca looks a bit shy in this photo, but it stayed out in the open for quite a long time... for a tapaculo! Photo by guide Willy Perez.

The Great Horned Owl that we saw in Tierra del Fuego is sometimes called the Magellanic Great Horned Owl. It's lighter in color, and a bit smaller, although you can't tell that looking at this imposing specimen. Photo by guide Willy Perez.

Lago Chungara was a great place to stop for lunch! How often do you get to eat in surroundings like this? Photo by guide Willy Perez.

This Diademed Sandpiper-Plover and its youngster posed nicely for guide Willy Perez at Las Termes.

Inca Terns are just beautiful, and we got to see them well. Some of them even perched on the walls of our hotel in Vina. Photo by guide Willy Perez.

This pair of Torrent Ducks was snoozing when Red spotted them, but that allowed us to get a good look at them. They are gorgeous, and fit in nicely with the rushing water of the river to make a very pretty picture. Photo by guide Willy Perez.

A White-bridled Finch posed majestically on top of a small rock for us; he blends in well with the background otherwise! Photo by guide Willy Perez.

One of the experiences we had was crossing the Magellan Channel to Tierra del Fuego; looks like a happy bunch, even if it was kind of chilly on the boat! Photo by guide Willy Perez.

This Aplomado Falcon seems rather annoyed at a butterfly that was buzzing nearby. Photo by guide Willy Perez.

Our Flightless Steamer-Duck looks very satisfied in this image; we had to work for this one, too, but it was worth it! What an interesting and colorful duck. Photo by guide Willy Perez.

Torres Del Paine provided a wonderful backdrop for a formal group photo; it's not often you can have a picture made in such a place! Photo by guide Willy Perez.

A nice male White-sided Hillstar showed well for us at Farellones. Photo by guide Willy Perez.

Here is the group watching the Magellanic Plovers. Photo by guide Willy Perez.

Commerson's Dolphins are quite striking small whales that we saw on one of our boat trips. Photo by guide Willy Perez.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Also we saw some animals that are not on the list, like

-Maule Tuco Tuco, Ctenomys maulinus

-Chillan's Lizard, Liolaemus chillanensis

-Chilean Iguana, Callopistes maculatus

-Atacama Lava Lizard, Microlophus atacamensis

Totals for the tour: 277 bird taxa and 19 mammal taxa