El Calafate or Iguazu Falls (1 Viewer)

[Manolito]

Thanks for that. If its Andy Lawson that you are referring to having put a post out with an offer, its Andy that I'm going with. He is wanting to do Patagonia for a week before we head on the cruise from BA. I think some guys were looking at doing Iguazu and others down at El Calafate but I have never done South America and wanted to get the most out of the week.
So, it sounds like Iguazu Falls area has far more to offer by the sounds of it.

Den, distances in Patagonia are huge! Spending an entire week in El Calafate would mean a waste of time. If you are willing to do some travelling, you can see Hooded Grebe, Magellanic Plover and Austral Rail among other species. Santa Cruz state (where Calafate is located) has one of the lowest species count in Argentina and that's where Iguazu wins if you want to get a big amount of new species but you can see those same species in Brazil if you are planning a trip in the future.

If it's a numbers v scarcity/ quality, there's only one winner.

I'm keen to see as much new stuff as possible but I'm also aware that this is a great opportunity to see some species, that I won't get the chance of again for this price!

Indeed

Doesn't the cruise have stop-offs in Ushuaia and Puntas Arenas? If so, I'd suggest trying to hire a local bird guide with a van at each destination and try to maximise your time ashore at these locations. You can see a decent number of Patagonian birds in even a few hours as it's generally open habitat. I saw condor and white-bellied seedsnipe just outside Ushuaia.

That's another interesting thing to do if the cruise is stopping in Ushuaia. Andean Condor, White-breasted Seedsnipe and Yellow-bridled Finch are relatevily easy to find, plus the species that can be seen in the forest/ National Park. Sadly 4 hours won't be enough to see them as you risk yourself to miss the cruise.

Yes please!

Could you email it to [email protected]??


Matt Eade's list suggests that most species seen at El Calafate/ El Chaten aren't seen at Tierra Del Fuego. As such, a Patagonia extension is best for me as I'd rather share (expensive) car hire costs targeting species in a part of the World that I'm already visiting. Note that very few Patagonian species are on the Falklands: If we do Volunteer Point, which we should, then there will only be an hour or two for other species.

I can share with you a checklist made by myself for my clients.
The birds that can't be seen in Tierra del Fuego and can be seen in El Calafate/ El Chalten, are those that aren't able to cross the Strait of Magellan (and the endemic species I mentioned before).