Birding Northern Chile – altiplano and desert valleys

Early in the morning we will fly from Santiago to the city of Arica, very close to the Peruvian border. This first portion of the far North of Chile is known as the “Big North”, containing the vast Atacama Desert and the high altitude Andean steppe, or Altiplano.

Although located in the driest desert on earth, our birding will start here in Arica’s surroundings. Good birding is only possible here because of rivers and small water courses fed by the runoff from the High Andes, creating fertile valleys and well-cultivated flood plains that form rich oasis in this harsh environment.

Our most important target species in this area will be the hummingbirds: Oasis Hummingbird, Peruvian Sheartail and the endemic, but Critically Endangered, Chilean Woodstar (world population estimated at 350 individuals). To look for this little stunner of an endemic we will drive south to the Camarones Valley where the largest remaining population of the Chilean Woodstar occurs.

In this same valley participants will be able to see other highlight species like Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant, Tamarugo Conebill and the newly-described-for-Chile Raimondi’s Yellow-Finch.

After lunch, we will return to Arica and bird along the coastline at the estuary of one of the most important rivers in the region, the Lluta River. The main target species here will be shorebirds: Killdeer, Snowy Plover, American and Blackish Oystercatchers, Surfbird, Willet and a good selection of Gulls and Terns.

This day’s schedule starts with an enjoyable 6-hour pelagic trip. Sailing into the Humboldt Current will allow visitors to spot many sub-Antarctic species of seabirds and warm water Petrels.

During our navigation it is possible to see Salvin’s, Buller’s and Black-Browed Albatross, Northern Giant-Petrel, White-Chinned and Westland Petrel, Sooty Shearwater, Elliott´s Storm-Petrel, Markham’s Storm-Petrel, Peruvian Diving Petrel, Humboldt Penguin, Chilean Skua and Swallow-tailed Gull. More coastal species may include Red-Legged and Guanay Cormorants, the splendid Inca Tern, Peruvian Boobies and Peruvian Pelican.

A tasty lunch at a restaurant on the beach will be waiting for the group after the pelagic trip. Later, with birding stops along the way, the plan considers heading to the farmland areas outside Arica and then to the town of Putre. On route we will be searching for some specialties like the Peruvian Thick-knee, West Peruvian Dove, Croaking Ground-Dove, Groove-billed Ani, Burrowing Owl, Andean Swift, Peruvian Elaenia (the northern form of White-crested Elaenia), Vermilion Flycatcher, the local race of Bran-Coloured Flycatcher (a strong candidate for a future split), Cinereous Conebill, Chestnut-throated Seedeater, Blue-Black Grassquit, Slender-billed Finch and Peruvian Meadowlark and much more.

During the afternoon, after an intensive birding day, we will arrive in the beautiful town of Putre, 3.500 m.a.s.l. (11.483 ft). Putre will be the gateway for next day’s adventures in higher elevation Andean ecosystems.

In the heart of the Altiplano of the ‘Big North’ and about 50 kilometers away from Putre we’ll reach the Lauca National Park, a place of outstanding natural beauty. It was declared part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) in 1981. The massive snow-capped volcanoes, Pomerape and Parinacota, soar to over 6,300 m.a.s.l.  (20,670 ft) and are a perfect backdrop reflecting in the deep blue water of Chungara and Cotacotani Lakes, both, important attractions of the park. The highlight of this excursion is the dazzling Chungara Lake, the highest altitude lake in the world.

Some of the high altitude specialist birds present in this habitat are: Andean Grebe (the local form of Silvery Grebe), Puna Teal, Giant Coot, Andean Gulls, along with many more broadly distributed species of ducks. While driving up to the lakes we will search in the high altitude bogs for the stunning and difficult-to-find Diademed Sandpiper-Plover. Other target birds for this area are: Puna Rhea, Andean Flicker, White-winged Cinclodes, Black Siskin, Puna Tinamou, Puna Ibis, Andean Goose, Mountain Caracara, Andean Lapwing, Puna Plover, Andean Avocet, Puna Miner, Puna and White-fronted Ground-Tyrants, Andean Negrito, White-winged Diuca-Finch and White-throated Sierra-Finch.

The lakes in the park are also the home to large groups of Flamingos, and with some luck we will be able to spot all three species: Chilean, Andean and Puna (James’s). After a day of soaking in the wide-open vistas and fascinating high-altitude birds we’ll return our lodge in Putre.

We’ll spend the morning around the small Andean village looking for Bare-faced Ground-Dove, White-throated Earthcreeper, Yellow-billed Tit Tyrant, Canyon and Dark-winged Canastero, Blue-and-Yellow Tanager, Cream-winged and White-winged Cinclodes, Streaked Tit-Spinetail, D’Orbigny’s and White-Browed Chat-Tyrants, Chiguanco Thrush, Black-throated Flower-Piercer, Golden-billed Saltator, Black-hooded and Ash-breasted Sierra-Finches, Greenish Yellow-Finch, Band-tailed Seedeater, and Spot-winged Pigeon. Along the alfalfa field on the outskirts of the village we’ll also look for the secretive, but vocal, Ornate Tinamou. Around midday we’ll drive slowly down the windy mountain road back to Arica looking for any birds we may have missed on the way up to Putre. Night in Arica.

This morning we’ll have one more chance to look for anything we’ve missed around Arica, visiting the Lluta Estuary or hummingbird sanctuaries. We’ll board a midday flight back to Santiago. Night in Santiago.