Birds that you can see in Peninsula Valdés

There are more than 180 species of birds that pass in their migrations in flocks, or live all year round in Península Valdés. Some can be seen from the viewpoints and the coast of the peninsula, others must be sought in specific places where they enjoy absolute solitude, such as Isla de los Pájaros, Caleta Valdés and Punta Norte.

Below we mention the most characteristic species of the region and those that are usually seen more easily:

This bird is characterized by being an excellent swimmer, it can dive up to 80 meters. They feed on fish, crustaceans and mollusks. You will be able to distinguish it by its striking blue eyes and its black plumage. In Peninsula Valdés it is easy to find them throughout the year in the rocky areas of Puerto Pirámides, Caleta Valdés and Isla de los Pájaros. The Imperial Cormorant consumes a large quantity of anchovies, hake and some species of silverside. Recent studies have shown that it feeds both in shallow coastal waters and in waters around 70 meters away from the coast more than 8 kilometers. This bird is the main producer of guano in Patagonia (substrate resulting from the accumulation of excrement, it is a highly effective fertilizer due to its high content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). Currently, guano is mined in only a few colonies in Chubut and Santa Cruz. Guanera exploitation continues to be carried out manually as decades ago. The nests of this species are also made with guano and they build them in the rocky areas, forming a cone. They nest in colonies and maintain the same nest and pair each year.

The Magellanic penguins are named after the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, whose crew first spotted them while sailing off the tip of South America. This flightless seabird can be found on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the continent, mainly in Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands.

The Magellanic penguin is one of the 18 species of penguins in the world, it is distinguished by its black body and white abdomen, characteristic of opposite tonalities that allow it to avoid predators while swimming. Seen from above, the black of the penguin's rear blends with the dark ocean and, from below, its white belly is camouflaged by the light from the sky. Penguins' bodies are ideal for swimming thanks to their streamlined shape that tapers at both ends, their webbed feet and long fins help them paddle at high speeds. The oily feathers are to keep you warm in your body. Adult Magellanic penguins can weigh up to 6 kilos and be almost 50 centimeters tall. The males and females look the same, although the males are slightly larger.

Magellanic penguins are creatures of habit. Not only do they mate for life, but they also return to the same nesting ground from which they hatch their young during each breeding season, which runs from September to mid-April. Generally, penguin colonies settle in coastal areas and seek to build their nests in places where shrubs and other types of vegetation can provide protection.

Male penguins arrive at the habitat first to take the nesting site, also known as a burrow, while females arrive a few days later. They lay an average of two eggs per reproductive season. Both penguins raise their chicks together in the nest until they are big enough to search for food on their own. Towards the month of February the chicks reach enough weight to become independent, they only return to their colonies at 4 or 5 years to reproduce.

When the breeding season comes to an end, they migrate north for the winter to warmer climates in Peru and Brazil, where they can usually be found swimming hundreds of kilometers from shore. For some, this migratory journey can be 6437 kilometers.

Adults have a high survival rate (90%) while the youngest during the first year is very low (20%). The average life of this bird in its natural habitat is 10 to 20 years.

As for food, they look for their food in the ocean: anchovies, sardines and silversides.

In Peninsula Valdés is the renowned penguin colony of Estancia San Lorenzo, 75 kilometers from Puerto Pirámides. Place to which this species returns year after year due to the greater concentration of fish and marine life in the waters near the coast.

This penguin rookery is experiencing huge growth year after year, about 270,000 penguins are found between September and February. A very interesting way to get to know it is with the penguin excursion to Estancia San Lorenzo. Where together with naturists and park rangers you will have the possibility of knowing the entire colony, the routes of these birds and the nesting areas. You will be able to walk among the adult penguins and get to know all the flora and fauna of the area. The season to do this excursion is from September to March.

The Giant Petrel (Macronectes giganteus) has an incredibly streamlined shape and as its name confirms it is large. The distance between the tips of the extended wings reaches 2 meters. An adult male can weigh up to 5 kilos. A characteristic of these birds are the nostrils, located in the upper part of the beak in the form of a single nasal tube. During their reproduction period they lay a single egg and both parents take turns in the incubation and subsequent feeding of the chick by regurgitation.

It has an excellent sense of smell and this characteristic helps it find food on the coast, it does not always eat the carrion of dead sea lions and elephant seals. It also feeds on penguin chicks, other birds, eggs, and sometimes kills penguins for food. In the sea they eat the waste thrown by fishing boats ¨the fish unwanted for consumption¨.

It is the most abundant species of bird on the coasts of Peninsula Valdés, especially in the Punta Norte and Caleta Valdés areas. It can measure up to 60 centimeters in length, the body is white and the wings are black. It is installed throughout Patagonia as far as Tierra del Fuego. It also reaches the Falkland Islands, South Atlantic Islands and Antarctica. They lay up to three eggs, nest, and return to the same area every year. It feeds on intertidal resources, although its behavior is very opportunistic, and it also receives food from humans. Due to this, the growth of the populations of kelp gulls has grown a lot in recent years. They feed in open-air dumps, carrion, insects, grains, small fish and Whales! Here we explain this peculiar practice that you can easily see on whale watching excursions.

In the last decade, the right whale was affected by the attack of kelp gulls that they found in their skin and fat, proteins that they apparently find delicious. Over the years, the technique that only a few seagulls had developed was learned by new generations, making attacks more and more frequent and altering the behavior of these giant cetaceans that are uncomfortable with the pecking of their bodies and that often makes them not want to surface and take other techniques to do it like "El Galeón". It consists of leaving the head out, curving the rest of the body and taking only the tail fin out of the water, minimizing the area of ??the body exposed on the surface at the mercy of new pecks, they also try to get the seagulls off by swimming, being submerged for longer or sometimes jumping. All these evasive techniques generate in the whale a greater consumption of energy and reserves.

This 14-inch long bird has a distinctive dark brown head, matching the white and gray feathers that cover the rest of the body. The beaks and legs are red. It can be found all year round in Península Valdés in the coastal areas. The reproductive courtship begins in October, the chicks hatch in November and leave the nest in February.

It is one of the 3 species of terns that nest on the sea coast of Argentina and of course, they could not be absent in Peninsula Valdés. In December the reproductive season begins and they can already be seen flying over the shoals and cliffs. Every year they nest in different places, they tend to choose quiet coastal areas, they are very sensitive to disturbances. The fish dominate their diet, their fishing technique is to dive into the sea to catch their prey.

The Shoveler Duck (Anas platalea) can be seen in the coastal areas of Peninsula Valdés. It also lives in Tierra del Fuego up to the Mesopotamian region (Between Rivers and Corrientes). It is a robust, short-necked diver with a wide, black, shovel-shaped bill. The plumage is very colorful, with a dark green head, a white breast, and a brown abdomen. Unlike the female, the male has light eyes. The Shoveler Duck is a valued bird, it measures about 40 centimeters and changes its plumage during courtship or nuptial season. Another feature is the light blue feathers that form the wing covers.

It is a bird of South America. Of the 2 species that exist, one nests in Chilean and Argentine Patagonia, including the Falkland Islands. It inhabits freshwater lakes and marine coasts. In Peninsula Valdés it can be seen in spring because it is the brood season. Females of this species lay 5 to 8 eggs and incubation lasts 30 days. Newborn ducklings can be seen chasing after their mother as long as they do not detach from her. They feed on mollusks, invertebrates and algae. They measure between 50 - 60 centimeters and weigh about 1 kilo. During the winter they move north along the coasts reaching the center of Chile and Argentina.

The Corn Duck (Anas georgica) is typical of South America, it lives from southern Brazil to southern Patagonia. It is seen in freshwater lakes and also on the marine coast. It has an important range in terms of habitat preference. This species nests far from water and the nests are bowl-shaped, shallow and covered in down. Flocks can be found in the lagoons that form after heavy rains.

It is a coastal animal that can be seen frequently in Peninsula Valdés. They can be seen alone or in pairs, swimming near the coast, it is not common to see it in flocks, or out of the water. It has a long, red neck. The head is black and the belly is white. It is a bird that does not migrate, so it is possible to see it all year round diving near the coast, looking for fish or small crabs in the Nuevo and San José Gulfs.

It is an eagle that can be seen throughout the Valdés Peninsula. Males are up to 48 centimeters long and the female is slightly larger, reaching 52 centimeters. It has gray dorsal plumage and the ventral in adults is white. Its most outstanding feature is a black stripe at the end of the tail. The young specimens maintain their striped, brownish-spotted plumage and their yellow legs for two years. It feeds on small mammals such as the hare. Also of various birds, it includes reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates in its diet. Its method of hunting consists of flying in a circular way over the prey and throwing itself diagonally over it, striking it with its powerful legs from the back.

The construction of the nest is carried out by both members of the couple, they like trees with pinches, that is why in this region they preferably nest in Los Molles, although they also do it in the light poles. The nest is large, almost a meter in diameter and is made of sticks. The male feeds the female during incubation and after the chicks are born (in December) she will take care of the latter. Popular belief says that if you are traveling and come across a Ñanco head-on, it bodes well for the remainder of the trip or the day. If it crosses your back, it means that you have to be careful on the way until you reach your destination.

The Moorish Eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus) is a bird of prey that lives in South America from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego. It is diurnal and a small number of this species lives in the Valdes Peninsula on the Island of the Birds. In general, they are solitary animals, but some also live in pairs. They nest on ledges of cliffs that are difficult to access by land and their nests are large platforms of sticks and branches, where the female lays 2 eggs in October and the chicks hatch in late November, early December. In February the young are already big enough and awake to leave the nest. Among their diet are rodents and other small mammals. They also hunt small birds like the Loica.

The Choique (Rhea pennata) is a large bird that is almost always seen on the gravel roads of Península Valdés, especially towards Punta Norte. It is one of the two "American ostriches". Unlike its African relative, it has three fingers instead of two. It is a great corridor of the Patagonian steppes, reaching 1.10 meters. It has legs and a long neck. The head is small, the wings and the tail are feathered but not stiff. The color of his neck and torso is brownish gray. They can be seen in groups, they are polygamous and the male is the one who incubates and takes care of the huge creamy eggs with great care. The nest is prepared on the ground, the females come and lay eggs, from which the "charitos" will be born, which follow their father for most of the summer. These birds cannot fly and use their wings as stabilizers. They can be seen most of the day searching for food. It is a herbivorous species.

The Tricolor Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) is a migratory bird that comes from the Northern Hemisphere. Its name is due to the colorful plumage that it displays during the summer (white, brown and gray). They can be seen in lagoons going around in circles, they do it to attract prey with the small whirlpool they generate while they catch them with their heads underwater. This bird is 23 centimeters long, has lobed legs and a long, thin, straight, black bill. The female is gray and brown above, has white underparts and a reddish neck. It is very common to see it on the Island of the Birds and in Caleta Valdés.

It is a migratory bird that arrives in Puerto Pirámides in spring. It has a sweet and pleasant song that it emits when it flies or is perched, usually they walk in groups. It is possible to see them in different places in America, since it travels thousands of kilometers throughout the entire continent. At the time of migration, they can travel a distance of 12,000 kilometers, this species particularly migrates to Peru, averaging 200 kilometers per day. They are insectivorous and feed during the day.

It is a kind of particular behavior. It is a walking land bird, which only in case of pursuit takes a short flight, prefers to hide and remain motionless, blending in with the local vegetation. Take frequent powder baths to groom yourself. The female of the Martineta Copetona has a stable male harem and the incubation of the eggs is carried out by the males. The cycle begins one at a time, the female lays 14 eggs (maximum) in the nest of a male. After spawning, it begins to visit another male's nest. Thus until completing between seven and eight nests in the reproductive season. A remarkable fact is that if one of the males loses any number of eggs by predation, the female first makes up for the loss, and then continues to care for other males.

The Calandria (Mimus Patagonicus) is a native bird of America, it has an incredible song because of the melodious and varied repertoire, added to an innate ability to imitate sounds. Its plumage on the back is grayish to ocher, the neck and chest are a lighter gray. In Puerto Pirámides they can be seen singing on the bushes and in the summer when the Yuyín bears fruit, they can be seen eating these red balls, similar to that of the Piquillín. In their diet there are also insects, they fly after butterflies and moths. They can be found throughout the Valdés Peninsula, especially in Punta Norte and Caleta Valdés.

This bird can be seen in the Valdes Peninsula in the spring and summer months (September to March). It is a species that has its mate for life and they nest on cliffs. Both dig a deep cave with their legs to deposit between 2 and 5 eggs, which hatch until the end of December, when the chicks hatch. These Parrots are very showy and have 7 colors in their plumage (green, red, light blue, white, black, gray and orange). In Peninsula Valdés they are seen in flocks of 10 or 20 individuals. They are very loud, they chatter all the time. Its diet is based on shoots and fruits of shrubs.

The Loica or Chest Colorado, lives in open places within the Valdes Peninsula. In spring and summer is the breeding season, they live in pairs and make their nests on the ground. The female lays 3 or 4 eggs. It is very common to see them in the bushes of the dunes of Puerto Pirámides. They feed on fruits, insects and seeds. These birds are considered a good omen.

The Yal Carbonero is a bird that could be confused due to its similarity to a sparrow or a chingolo. The male at the time of courtship changes the color of its plumage and becomes darker, differentiating itself from the female that maintains its gray color. They can be seen in the dunes area in Puerto Pirámides and in Punta Norte. It is a curious bird and it does not scare easily, so you will surely be able to enjoy it up close.

The Common Oystercatcher (Haemantopus palliatus) is a bird that likes solitary Patagonian beaches, lives in pairs and does not like to be disturbed. It has a brown back, yellow eyes and a red eye ring. It can reach more than 40 centimeters in length and weighs 700 grams. It has a long, reddish bill. They nest and lay their eggs meters from the tide line.

It has brown wings above and in flight you can see its white inner feathers. In Puerto Pirámides, on the beach of Las Cuevas, 2.5 kilometers from the town, you will be able to see them safely. When you get closer do not panic! It will begin to chirp very loudly to warn the rest of the birds that there is danger in the area.