Combine this tour with the Ultimate Argentina Raptor Safari,
16-31 January 2016

Southern Patagonia is the last frontier for wildlife watching. In these remote confines of the world prey and predator unfold the everyday drama of life. Torres del Paine National Park, in southern Chile, has been voted the Eighth Wonder of the World in 2013 (5 million votes on VirtualTourist.com). With the iconic backdrop of the granite torres (“towers”), shocking azure-colored lakes, mighty glaciers and hypnotic waterfalls, the park boasts robust populations of Guanacos—once South America’s most widely distributed and abundant camelids.

Where there is prey there are predators, and the top predator in Torres del Paine is the Puma or Mountain Lion. The largest Pumas on the planet occur here, and an extensive net of roads and great visibility makes Torres del Paine one of the best places to watch them in the wild. Many scavengers, including Turkey Vultures, Southern Crested, White-throated, and Chimango Caracaras attend the puma kills—often guanaco carcasses.

If the ground belongs to the puma, the skies belong to the gigantic Andean Condor, and we should see many and up close. Another charismatic raptor, the Black-chested Buzzard Eagle is ubiquitous in the park. Three species of falcons can be seen here as well, namely the American Kestrel, the Aplomado Falcon, and the majestic Peregrine Falcon.

Further north lies the “lakes district” in Northern Patagonia. Here we will explore the ecotone between the Patagonian steppe and a unique ecosystem: the southern beech forest—one of the finest examples of temperate rainforests. Dotted with glacial lakes, these forests are the breeding grounds of White-throated and Rufous-tailed Hawks.

Tour starts and ends in Buenos Aires—a world-class tourist destination on its own right. Starting here will allow us to have a taste of the raptor life in the wet grasslands of the eastern Pampas. Here we will target White-tailed and Snail Kites, Roadside Hawk, Long-winged Harrier, and, with a little luck, Bay-winged Hawk.

Make a difference!

®, L.L.C. will make a financial contribution to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary for every member that signs up for this tour. Join us on this tour and make a lasting contribution to raptor conservation.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1

9 January

Arrival at Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini International Airport (IATA code: EZE). Early arrivals (landing before 10.00 AM) will go on a half-day drive to look for raptors including White-tailed and Snail Kites, Roadside Hawk, Long-winged Harrier, Chimango and Crested Caracara, and perhaps Bay-winged Hawk. Picnic lunch. Those arriving after 10 AM will be driven and checked in our hotel, eat lunch and take the rest of the day to relax. Dinner and overnight in Ezeiza.

Day 2

10 January

Fly to El Calafate. Drive to Torres del Paine National Park stopping for raptors, including Andean Condor, Variable Hawk and Black-chested Buzzard Eagle. Dinner and overnight in Torres del Paine.

Days 3–5

11–13 January

Today and the two next days we will work the Torres del Paine National Park—arguably South America’s finest—searching for Raptors & Pumas. Pumas, like most cats, are more active either at night or at twilight. This means that we will wake up around 4.30 AM, have a cup of coffee, go out to the field around 5 AM, look for Pumas for 2-3 hours, then have a field breakfast around. We will look for raptors from then on through noon. Around 1-2 PM we will be back in our hotel to eat a well-deserved lunch. After lunch we will have 3-4 hours of free time. We highly recommend devoting this time to take a siesta (nap)—these will be long days and short nights! Those with stamina will be welcome to walk around and bird the trails nearby. Our hotel here sits on a small island on lake Pehoe and vistas of the massif and surrounding landscape are superb. Dinner will be around 7.00 PM.

We will drive in comfortable 4WDs or vans, depending on group size. The search is conducted driving on dirt roads (mostly rather smooth) and making frequent stops to pan the landscape with binoculars. Sometimes a moderate hike is necessary, though it is not unusual to see Pumas from the very vehicles.

Day 6

14 January

One last quest for Pumas early in the morning. Then breakfast and checkout. Drive back to El Calafate. Lunch en route to El Calafate. Catch our flight to Bariloche in the afternoon. Check in our hotel in Bariloche. Dinner and overnight in Bariloche.

Day 7

15 January

After eating breakfast we will drive the “Road of the Seven Lakes”, where we will target Chilean, Variable, and White-throated Hawks. Picnic lunch at a Rufous-tailed Hawk nesting area. We should see both adults and juveniles (if it was a successful nesting attempt) soaring overhead. We may visit an Andean Condor roost, depending on timing and the results we have had in Torres del Paine. Dinner and overnight in Bariloche.

Day 8

16 January

After breakfast and we will pay a visit to a nesting site of Chilean Hawk. Back to Bariloche, checkout, and catch our flight back to Buenos Aires. Check in at hotel. Eat dinner in Buenos Aires with the Ultimate Argentina Raptor Safari group and splice both tours, or prepare for heading back home next day from Ministro Pistarini International Airport.

Target Species

Common Name

1. Andean Condor
2. Turkey Vulture
3. Black Vulture
4. White-tailed Kite*
5. Snail Kite*
6. Cinereous Harrier
7. Long-winged Harrier*
8. Chilean Hawk
9. Bay-winged Hawk*
10. Roadside Hawk*
11. White-throated Hawk
12. Rufous-tailed Hawk
13. Variable Hawk
14. Black-chested Buzzard Eagle
15. Chimango Caracara
16. White-throated Caracara
17. Southern Crested Caracara
18. American Kestrel
19. Aplomado Falcon
20. Peregrine Falcon

MAMMALS

1. Puma
2. Culpeo Fox
3. South American Gray Fox
4. Guanaco

*To target this species your international flight must land before 10:00 AM on Day 1. Refer to the Day-by-day Itinerary for further information.

​Latin name

1. Vultur gryphus
2. Cathartes aura
3. Coragyps atratus
4. Elanus leucurus
5. Rostrhamus sociabilis
6. Circus cinereus
7. Circus buffoni
8. Accipiter chilensis
9. Parabuteo unicinctus
10. Rupornis magnirostris
11. Buteo albigula
12. Buteo ventralis
13. Geranoaetus polyosoma
14. Geranoaetus melanoleucus
15. Milvago chimango
16. Phalcoboenus albogularis
17. Caracara plancus
18. Falco sparverius
19. Falco femoralis
20. Falco peregrinus

MAMMALS

1. Puma concolor
2. Lycalopex culpaeus
3. Lycalopex griseus
4. Lama guanicoe

Suggested Field Guides

Erize, F., M. Rumboll, and J. Rodríguez-Mata. 2006. Birds of South America: Non-Passerines: Rheas to Woodpeckers. Princeton University Press, New Jersey.

Ferguson-Lees, James, and David A. Christie. 2005. Raptors of the World. Paperback Edition. Princeton University Press, New Jersey.

Jaramillo, A. 2003. Birds of Chile. Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford.

Narosky, T., and D. Izurieta. 2004. Birds of Argentina & Uruguay: a Field Guide. Vázquez Mazzini Editores, Buenos Aires.

Tour Map

Tour Guide

Puma Tracker

Puma tracker is Roberto Donoso. Roberto needs little introduction: he is the best puma tracker available today. He is also an accomplished photographer, and works with most of the reputable wildlife watching and touring companies. He lives in Punta Arenas and has been guiding nature tours in the region since before year 2000.

Tour Showcase

Terms

, L.L.C. reserves the right to alter this itinerary as necessary, or to cancel the tour prior to departure, with full refund to participants.

, L.L.C. or its agents may decline to accept or retain any person as a member of this tour at any time.

No smoking will be permitted while with the group, either when indoors or in the field.

Travel medical insurance is strongly recommended.

All passengers will be required to sign a hard copy of the Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk form upon meeting with the tour leader in Buenos Aires.

No participants will be allowed in the group without a signed copy of the Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk form.

Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk Form
(including Terms)