Argentina - Tour Destination | Rockjumper Birding Tours

tour name & date for 2010	Best of Argentina - Buenos Aires to Iguazu: 2 - 12 Oct (11 days) 1 SPACE REMAINING Patagonia Extension: 12 - 17 Oct (6 days) 5 SPACES REMAINING
tour cost 2010	Best of Argentina - Buenos Aires to Iguazu: US$3,050 pp, US$335 ss Patagonia Extension: US$1,625 pp, US$160 ss
top birds	Darwin's Rhea, Southern Screamer, Black-fronted Piping Guan, Giant Wood Rail, Sickle-winged Nightjar, Strange-tailed Tyrant, Sandy Gallito

The vast nation of Argentina spans 2,500 miles from north to south, encompassing a wide range of biomes. Our Argentina tour is an overland adventure through the north that, combined with our Patagonia extension, offers the very best of this bird-rich country. Within the boundaries of Buenos Aires, we begin in teeming Costanera Sur Nature Reserve and thereafter head northwards to the subtropical rainforests of Iguazú Falls, en route covering an incredible diversity of sites. We explore endless pampas grasslands before crossing the Paraná River to reach Entre Ríos province’s thorny woodlands and wet grasslands. Moving on, we bird the vast Iberá marshes and, in Misiones province, we search the last remaining patches of native Araucaria forest. We then enter the Urugua-í State Park where many restricted birds of hill forest occur and finally we conclude our adventure at the mighty, rainforest-cloaked Iguazú Falls. Some of our innumerable targets include Straightbilled Reedhaunter, Great Pampa-Finch, Saffron-cowled Blackbird, White Woodpecker, Vinaceous-breasted Amazon and Canebrake Groundcreeper.

Our Patagonia extension takes in some of the most spectacular scenery and mammalrich areas of Argentina. The wind swept steppes and endless shores of the Atlantic side of mighty Patagonia teem with wildlife, and a large proportion of Argentina’s endemic birds occur. We visit the Valdés Peninsula, home of the sea-lion hunting Orcas, and the world’s largest nesting colony of Magellanic Penguins at Punta Tombo (up to 700,000 birds present!). Argentine endemics that we target include Chubut Steamer-Duck, Patagonian Canastero, Rusty-backed Monjita, Sandy Gallito and White-throated Cacholote. This is the realm of the Southern Right Whale and other mammals we can expect include armadillos, Guanaco and Mara.

This tour covers the most essential sites in the southern portion of Argentina and gives a splendid overview of the breath-taking scenery, mind-blowing birding and excellent mammal viewing that this exceptional part of the world offers.

tour name & dates 2011	Best of Argentina - Buenos Aires to Iguazu: 2 - 12 Oct (11 days) Patagonia Extension: 12 - 17 Oct (6 days)
tour cost for 2011	Best of Argentina - Buenos Aires to Iguazu: US$3,350 pp, US$350 ss Patagonia Extension: US$1,950 pp, US$160 ss
max group size 2011	8 & 1 Rockjumper leader
tour leader 2010 & 2011	Luis Segura
habitats covered	open grassland, marshlands, gallery forest, rainforest, shorelines, steppes
climate	cool and sometimes windy conditions with high sun exposure, possible rain
tour pace & walking	easy pace with some longer walks
accommodation	comfortable hotels and lodges
ease of birding	undemanding with a few difficult species
no. of species expected	Best of Argentina: 300+; Patagonia: 100+
top mammals	Killer Whale, Southern Right Whale, Capybara, Black-and-gold Howler Monkey
other attractions	Iguazu Falls, Valdes Peninsula, Punta Tombo Penguin Colony, Ibera marshes
photographic opportunities	excellent