birdwatchingbirdwatching

in argentina

CC h u b u t h u b u t

Birds!!!Birds!!!

At Southern Cross Tours we are committed to the preservation of nature in all its forms. However, we have chosen to emphasise on the protection of avian species.

In line with the above, we have oriented our efforts toward two

subjects: The Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa) The wetlands of Trelew (Laguna del Ornitólogo) Both topics have been the subject matter for a local scholar with amply

deserved merits. Doctor Gustavo Pagnoni has devoted a great deal of his life to

research about birds. The Red Knot In 1987, with renown scientist Theunis Piersma, he started work about life and behaviour of the Red Knot, an endangered species that lands regularly in Valdes Peninsula, and the information collected along several years’ dedication has served many others to continue learning about the species.

The Red Knot

Every year, thousands of these birds migrate from the Isle of Baffin, north of Canada, to Cape San Sebastian, Tierra del Fuego, south of Argentina, covering a distance of about 33,000,000 km.

These enormous flocks stop at certain strategic spots to feed on the eggs of a crab at places like Delaware or Valdes Peninsula, where they look for molluscs.

However, along their long journey from one end of America to the other, human influence is affecting their normal life. It is either fishing, or oil pollution or the various other ways in which mankind disturbs other species. Regrettably, this situation has been reducing their population in important numbers year after year, while local governments look on.

On the northern bank of the river Chubut, in Patagonia, some 25 km from the point where the water pours into the South Atlantic Ocean, there lie some five lagoons, covering about 800 hectares (1920 acres) filled with a mixture of water percolating from surrounding hills, and human detritus that have been downloaded since the early 1970s.

Such scenery is the ideal situation to host thousands of avian species of various families, some of which migrate while others are permanent residents.

After quite some time and a tremendous solitary work, Dr. Pagnoni managed to undertake a survey, which included not merely writing an inventory of an assortment of classes and species but also exploring other aspects like the changes operated by human influence.

Birds of Chubut

Birds of Salta

Birds of Iberá

Birds of Córdoba

Tour Guides

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Southern Cross Tours is committed to:

- Preservation of nature - Responsible tourism - Reliable service

Visit our website www.argentina-tours.us Thank you.