[Thomas Field]

Hello from Santiago, Chile. I'm actually from New Jersey, but I've been living in Chile for the past few years. I joined this site recently and am wondering if there are any other members here in Chile.

My wife and I do quite a bit of birding here. Heading west for 90 minutes and we are on the coast; 90 minutes or so heading east and we are high up in the mountains near the border with Argentina... so we have quite a variety of bird life here. On an average day, taking it easy, we usually see 40 to 50 species.

For those of you in the New Jersey area, I've also done lots of birding there. Especially I love seeing the snow geese migrations that pass through Brigantine Wildlife Refuge near Atlantic City.

Best wishes to all,
Thomas Field

[KCFoggin]

Hello Thomas and a warm welcome to you from those of us on staff here at BirdForum

I know the Atlantic City area quite well but I sure don't know anything about Chile. It must be beautiful.

Yes we do have some members from Chile and I am sure they will be catching up with you here on the board. Enjoy your time here.

[John N]

Hi,welcome to Birdforum.

[Larry Lade]

Hi Thomas,

From all the BirdForum Moderators and Administration, Welcome!

We are glad to have you join us in our appreciation of nature, especially wild birds.

We hope you find this site enjoyable and rewarding.

I have done some birding in NJ at the "brig", Cape May Point, Stony Harbor, etc. Have not been to South American (yet), but my wife and I have gone to Costa Rica on a two week birding trip several years ago.

[jedku]

Thomas,
Wow, you are lucky. I have wanted to bird the southern cone for a long time. Can you give us a list of a few common birds you see on the outskirts of Santiago? Also, please tell what field guide you recommend for Chile-Argentina.
Thanks,
Marc

[Fritz73]

Hi Marc:

For Chile I would recommend 'Birds of Chile' by Alvaro Jaramillo.

For Argentina you've got two possibilities:

'Birds of Argentina and Uruguay' by Naroski and Izurieta (I use this one)
'Birds of southern South America' a Collins Field Guide

[Thomas Field]

Hi Marc,

I would say that Fritz recommended three of the best field guides for the birds of the Southern Cone of South America. One other guide that I use quite a bit is 'Birds of Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego & Antarctic Peninsula' by E. Couve & C. Vidal.

You asked me what are some of the most common birds around Santiago. Here is my list of the 20 most common ones. I see them all from the patio of my apartment in the city.

1. Chimango Caracara (Milvago chimango)
2. Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis)
3. Rock Dove (Columba livia)
4. Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata)
5. Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus)
6. Green-backed Firecrown (Sephanoides galeritus)
7. Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail (Leptasthenura aegithaloides
8. White-crested Elaenia (Elaenia albiceps)
9. Tufted Tit-Tyrant (Anairetes parulus)
10. Rufous-tailed Plantcutter (Phytotoma rara)
11. Chilean Swallow (Tachycineta meyeni)
12. House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
13. Austral Thrush (Turdus falcklandii)
14. Chilean Mockingbird (Mimus thenca)
15. Common Diuca-Finch (Diuca diuca)
16. Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis)
17. Austral Blackbird (Curaeus curaeus)
18. Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis)
19. Black-chinned Siskin (Carduelis barbata)
20. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Here is what I would say are the next 50 most common birds found between Santiago and the coast. On almost any birding day, you can expect to see most if not all of these.

21. White-tufted Grebe (Rollandia rolland)
22. Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)
23. Great Grebe (Podicephorus major)
24. Silvery Grebe (Podiceps occipitalis)
25. Peruvian Booby (Sula variegata)
26. Peruvian Pelican (Pelecanus thagus)
27. Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus)
28. Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi)
29. Great Egret (Ardea alba)
30. Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
31. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
32. Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
33. Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
34. Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
35. Red Shoveler (Anas platalea)
36. Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera)
37. Chiloe Wigeon (Anas sibilatrix)
38. Speckled Teal (Anas flavirostris)
39. Yellow-billed Pintail (Anas georgica)
40. Lake Duck (Oxyura vittata)
41. White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus)
42. Harris’s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)
43. Variable Hawk (Buteo polyosoma)
44. American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
45. California Quail (Callipepla californica)
46. Plumbeous Rail (Pardirallus sanguinolentus)
47. Spot-flanked Gallinule (Gallinula melanops)
48. Red-gartered Coot (Fulica armillata)
49. White-winged Coot (Fulica leucoptera)
50. Red-fronted Coot (Fulica rufifrons)
51. American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus)
52. Blackish Oystercatcher (Haematopus ater)
53. White-backed Stilt (Himantopus melanurus)
54. Collared Plover (Charadrius collaris)
55. Rufous-chested Dotterel (Charadrius modestus)
56. Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)
57. Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
58. Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
59. Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
60. Surfbird (Aphriza virgata)
61. Brown-hooded Gull (Larus maculipennis)
62. Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus)
63. Grey Gull (Larus modestus)
64. Inca Tern (Larosterna inca)
65. Chilean Flicker (Colaptes pitius)
66. Dark-bellied Cinclodes (Cinclodes patagonicus)
67. Fire-eyed Diucon (Xolmis pyrope)
68. Patagonian Negrito (Lessonia rufa)
69. Yellow-winged Blackbird (Agelaius thilius)
70. Long-tailed Meadowlark (Sturnella loyca)

Best wishes,
Tom

[jedku]

Thomas and Fritz,
Thank you for the recommendations and the bird list.
Interesting to see the species that we also have in the neoarctic.
I will have to acquire one of those field guides.
Marc

[nancym]

Hi Tom:
I am also a New Jerseyite by birth, currently living in Michigan. My 23 year-old daughter is living for a year in Santiago, teaching English at DUOC as a volunteer with WorldTeach. She is very interested in the outdoors and birding. She has been trying to find a local chapter of the Audubon Society, or some other birding group where she might join in a birding trip or do some volunteering. But is not having much luck. DO you know of any such organization?
Thanks!
Nancy Mulder

Originally Posted by Thomas Field

Hello from Santiago, Chile. I'm actually from New Jersey, but I've been living in Chile for the past few years. I joined this site recently and am wondering if there are any other members here in Chile.

My wife and I do quite a bit of birding here. Heading west for 90 minutes and we are on the coast; 90 minutes or so heading east and we are high up in the mountains near the border with Argentina... so we have quite a variety of bird life here. On an average day, taking it easy, we usually see 40 to 50 species.

For those of you in the New Jersey area, I've also done lots of birding there. Especially I love seeing the snow geese migrations that pass through Brigantine Wildlife Refuge near Atlantic City.

Best wishes to all,
Thomas Field

[erizzo]

Hi Thomas, great to have another chilean in the forum. But I see I got here a bit late.
I live outside of Temuco and also see about 60 species on my property. It would be great to meet you or if youd like you could come down for some birding in the south.


Nancy:
Im sorry but in chile there is no audubon society but the closest thing we have is the chilean asociation of ornithology (unorch.cl)
or check on the page www.avesdechile.cl

[Alan henry]

Originally Posted by Thomas Field

Hello from Santiago, Chile. I'm actually from New Jersey, but I've been living in Chile for the past few years. I joined this site recently and am wondering if there are any other members here in Chile.

My wife and I do quite a bit of birding here. Heading west for 90 minutes and we are on the coast; 90 minutes or so heading east and we are high up in the mountains near the border with Argentina... so we have quite a variety of bird life here. On an average day, taking it easy, we usually see 40 to 50 species.

For those of you in the New Jersey area, I've also done lots of birding there. Especially I love seeing the snow geese migrations that pass through Brigantine Wildlife Refuge near Atlantic City.

Best wishes to all,
Thomas Field

Hi from the Falkland Islands


If you ever what to jump on that plane that leaves on a Saturday for a visit
you are quite welcome


Cheers

Alan