Argentina 10: Our final blog on our Argentina birding trip from 1995. I have also included a number of butterflies with the odd animals etc.
During the 3 weeks trip, we identified a total of 436 species, of which the majority were new species for us.
Iguazu National Park Butterflies etc
JFC and David watching butterflies at some puddles.
Some of the amazing butterflies seen at Iguazu National Park
Dragonfly at Iguazu National Park.
Spider at Iguazu National Park.
Deer at the Yala River
Monitor Lizard at Iguazu
Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch - Phrygilus plebejus plebejus
Ash Breasted Sierra-Finch near Humahuaca.
Found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru with its natural habitats are tropical dry shrubland or high-altitude grasslands. In the non breeding season, it can be found in large flocks. On our trip we found it very common on the drive to Lago Pozuelos with 100 seen on the 15th and 200 seen in the vicinity of Laguna Larga and the return drive to Humahuaca. six were seen above Tafi del Valle on the 22nd
.Grey-hooded Sierra-Finch - Phrygilus gayi
Adult Male Grey Hooded Sierra-Finch near Cafayate.
Three subspecies. Its range is the Andean slopes of Chile and Argentina, south to Tierra-del Fuego (where it is rare and possibly only a summer visitor). We recorded ten on the drive to Lago Pozuelos on the 15th and eight were seen at Laguna Larga on the return drive on the 16th.
Black-hooded Sierra-Finch - Phrygilus atriceps
Male Black Hooded Sierra-Finch near Lago Pozuelos.
Range is in the high Andes, mostly above 3,000 m in S. Peru, W. Bolivia, N. Chile and N.W.Argentina.
During our trip ten were seen on the drive to Lago Pozuelos on the 15th and eight were seen at Laguna Larga and the return drive on the 16th.
Mourning Sierra-Finch - Phrygilus fruticetti fruticetti
Adult Male Mourning Sierra-Finches near Humahuaca.
Three subspecies. Present in the Andes from N. Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Casual to Tierra del Fuego. Mostly at 2,000 to 4,000 m, but can occur at sea-level in S. Argentina. We recorded two towards Humahuaca on the 14th, twentyfive whilst driving to Lago Pozuelos on the 15th and fifteen in the vicinity of Laguna Larga on the 16th. Also four were seen above Tafi del Valle on the 22nd.
Stripe-capped Sparrow - Aimophila strigiceps dabbenei
Striped Capped Sparrow near Yala
Two subspecies. Its range N. Argentina along the base of the Andes to S.W. Paraguay. We recorded twelve seen above Yala on the 14th, eight at Palomites on the 19th and three near Salta on the 24th.
Rufous-collared Sparrow - Zonotrichia capensis
Rufous Collared Sparrow near San Clementine.
The common Sparrow of South America.
Rusty-browed Warbling-Finch - Poospiza erythrophrys erythrophrys
Rusty-browed Warbling-Finch in the Yala National Park.
Two subspecies. Its a fairly small range in the Andes from W. Boliva and N.W.Argentina mostlt at 1,200 to 2,100 m. We recorded ten at Yala NP on the 14th and one at San Lorenzo on the 24th.
Hooded Siskin - Carduelis magellanica
Female Hooded Siskin
Twelve subspecies. Covers a large range in South America including Argentina. We recorded small numbers on 11 dates although absent at Iguazu. Just a daily maximum of 8 was recorded.
Red-rumped Cacique - Cacicus haemorrhous affinis
Red Rumped Cacique at Iguazu National Park.
Three subspecies. Small in South America. We only saw it at Iguazu NP where it proved common around the car park in the early morning being seen on all six days with a daily maximum of 20.
Brown-and-yellow Marshbird - Pseudoleistes virescens
Brown and Yellow Marshbird at Punta Rasa.
Range; N.E.Argentina, Uruguay and extreme S. Brazil. Mostly below 300 m. Locally common in and around marshes and in adjacent moist grasslands and ploughed fields. We recorded forty seen on the drive to San Clemente on the 11th, eighty at Punta Rasa on the 12th, sixty at Campo del Tuyu and twenty on the drive to Attalaya on the 13th.
