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White-winged Cinclodes Cinclodes atacamensis schocolatinus Juan Carlos Grasso

Birding in Cordoba

Between two big biomes, El Parque Chaqueño and El Espinal, lies Cordoba province, The first biome has warm weather, scarce rains and seasonal differences with a predominance of xerophytic scrub woodland dominated by quebrachos and algarrobos, called Chaco. This is great habitat for guans, tinamous, doves, seriemas, parrots and parakeets. The other biome, El Espinal, also has seasonal differences but its forests are less denses with more spiny trees, shrubs, cactus and grass. Among the avian residents are tyrants, doraditos, flycatchers, monjitas, cowbirds, saltators, cardinals and finches.

These environments and their species, had its origins in the biodiversity of life forms generated as a consequence of the evolution in the lands happening in the Central Argentinean Region 250 millions years ago. These volcanic events, without eruptions, determined geomorphological conditions of wavy terrain that subsequently created climate modifications settled by floral and fauna streams from differents sources, mainly tropical or subtropical.

The uprising of La Cordillera de los Andes and the folding up of the plains and the Pampas Mountain Range determining a ground profile of high narrow valleys which is appropriate for species such as xerophytics. In the northwest of the central area where Cordoba is today four parallels mountainous chains were formed that range from 1000m to 3000m and in the southeastern area a flat plain was formed - The Pampas.

Its Mediterranean conditions allowed an influx of a species from many different places of origin this in turn attracted an avifauna from distant points. The most significant influence on them was from the west with Andean, austral or antartic origins. The other migratory current was of tropical forms, especially in the northeast, where Brazilian and Paraguayan species predominate.

The pampas, valleys and mountains hold around 390 bird species thriving on diverse echosystems such as high forests, rock, grasslands, steppes and marshes, palmars, chaco forests, cactus deserts, big Salinas and large lakes; La Laguna de Mar Chiquita with one million hectareas of aquatic and marshy areas brilliant for local and migrants birds. Some early colonizers have speciated and are now endemic. Now Cordoba had many endemic species and subspecies of birds, such as Cinclodes, Agriornis, Asthenes, Xolmis, & Geositta.

A few birds are on the endangered list such as: Dinelli´s Doradito, Narosky´s Seedeater, Yellow Cardinal, Austral Rail or Specked Rail. There are only a modest handful or rarities and specialty birds such as Salinas Monjita, Black-crowned and White Monjita, Spot-winged Falconet, Two-banded Plover, Tawny-throated Dotterel, Dot-winged Crake or Red-tailed Comet.

Cordoba has an excellent road infrastructure that allow you to go very quickly to the better places for birds. A super site to start a birding itinerary is Villa Carlos Paz with 300 hotels of all categories 30 minutes from International Airport.