The fascinating thing about birds—and really, any animal on Earth—is how they can be found across the planet in an incredible range of habitats. Searching for them not only opens your eyes to the diversity of life but also gives you a perfect excuse to explore far-flung places you might never have considered visiting.
One species might thrive in canyons while another prefers rainforests. Some birds are found at high elevations, while others stick to sea level. Birds manage to fill a niche in nearly every corner of our planet. This concept might seem basic—because it is—but it’s worth reflecting on. Often, when we set out to find a bird, we know its general habitat, like “Yungas forest,” “steppe hillsides,” or a specific type of tree. But until we arrive, we don’t fully grasp what that habitat will feel like. Seeing it in person often brings an element of surprise, and I love that.
Even if you’re deeply familiar with a habitat like Yungas forest, a transition zone between the Andean highlands and the lowland Amazon rainforest; or steppe hillsides, a sloping grassland ecosystem with few trees, there’s so much variability that it’s nearly impossible not to be surprised in some way.
I might know what the habitat should look like, but if it’s somewhere I’ve never been before, it can still feel unexpectedly different. It’s a unique phenomenon, one that many world travelers know well—the thrill of discovering a place that surprises and excites you in ways you didn’t anticipate.
Of course, there’s also the other side of the coin: when you’ve built up an idea of a place in your mind, filled with excitement and anticipation, only to arrive and find it falls short of your expectations. But let’s not focus on that. Let’s focus on the magical moments—the ones where you arrive somewhere that’s nothing like what you imagined, yet somehow, it’s even better in all the ways that matter.
Los Colorados
I would not expect a Steinbach’s Canastero twitch to take my breath away, but as we arrived at Los Colorados and walked along the sandy dirt trails through steep, sun-drenched canyons, the scenery completely captivated me and truly did take my breath away. I was so mesmerized by the landscape that I nearly forgot why we were there in the first place. It was early morning so the temperature was slightly cool. It was the time of day where the rising sun just starts to illuminate the sides of the rusty red canyons. That morning is etched in my memory—I was filled with wonder and amazement, as I scrambled up the sides of the canyon, unable to take my eyes off the majestic mountains before me.
I wish we could have stayed longer because I could have spent days just being and as we left, I had to thank the cooperative Steinbach’s Canastero for bringing me here.
High Andes
We left to bird along the road to Parque Nacional los Cardones in the high Andes, but the fog was so thick that we could barely see a meter in front of the car, let alone take in the landscape. I couldn’t help but feel a bit cheated—robbed of the stunning views that most visitors to this area must surely enjoy. We were at a breathtakingly high elevation, surrounded by mountains, and I just knew the view down into the valley would have been picture-perfect. If only I could have seen it.
Small towns in Argentina, like many places in South America, are surprisingly quaint, each with its own unique and picturesque town square. We never knew in advance where we’d be staying, but finding accommodations was always easy.
We had arrived in the small town of Chicoana. Because it was lower in elevation, the temperature was quite warm (90°F or 32°C) in town. As we sat outside enjoying some ice cream from the local heladería, with Roger already tucked into bed for the night, we checked the weather forecast. The following day was expected to have a high of only 65°F (18°C) in town! We knew some less-than-ideal weather was moving in, but, as luck would have it, that was the day we were heading up into the mountains. Anyone who has ever been at a low elevation and gone up into a higher elevation, knows the weather intensifies. The cool temps in town would surely have been welcomed, but things are always exponentially worse the higher you go.
Sure enough, as we climbed, the fog thickened to the point where we could barely see the road, let alone any birds. But we’ve never let that stop us before. Although we dipped on Huayco Tinamou, we quickly found Maquis Canastero. After that, however, it was clear that no birds were brave enough to face the fog at this elevation. We decided to drive to the top of the mountain to target some of our higher-elevation species, hoping that by the time we reached the summit, we’d be above the clouds, past the “bad weather,” and that the fog would have cleared by the time we came back down.
This strategy kind of worked and at the top, Tawny-throated Dotteral and Puna Pipit were easy at the top of the plateau but seeing Least Seedsnipe required a bit of extra work. We worked our way back down, but the fog still hadn’t cleared, one might even say it got worse, but with a bit of extra effort we still found Zimmer’s Tapaculo and Straight-billed & Rock Earthcreepers among other targets. It’s not always easy, but sometimes you have no other choice but to try anyway!
On our way out we made a few stops along some more forested stretches of road picking up two rather scarce species, Dot-fronted Woodpecker and Sclater’s Tyrannulet. Luckily for us we walked away with no major misses. Argentina is a country full of mountains and spectacular views and even though I didn’t see any of the views in Parque Nacional los Cardones, I knew more good sights were to come.
This birding occurred on October 4, 20023
Sample eBird checklists: high elevation here and along the canyon here
For those interested in lodging, we stayed in the charming town of Chicoana, just outside the larger town of El Carril, at the delightful Bo Hotel. The property was beautifully maintained, with immaculate landscaping and vibrant flowers everywhere. At 26,000 pesos (about 33USD), it might sound pricey compared to other options, and it was one of the more expensive places we stayed during the whole trip, but it was absolutely worth it—a truly lovely place to unwind. Highly recommend!
Love your posts Melissa.
Thank you!