Birds of Chile

Birds of Chile Birdwatching Guide

Compiled by C.Apablaza, S. Alvarez. D.Correa and L. Hormazábal.

AUSTRAL THRUSH Turdus falklandii

Its head is black while its tail is gray, with white feathers on the belly. Its legs are yellow or orange and its beak somewhat lighter.

It lives in fields, meadows, gardens, squares and city parks. They eat worms, snails or other softbodied animals and ripe fruit.

MANY COLORS RUSH TYRANT Tachuris rubrigastra

They live in the wetlands in shallow water grasslands, on the banks of the lagoons, in the rivers and several in swamps.

The nests are made from late August to December.

They are made with cloth made of strips of moistened reeds and sometimes horsehair, forming a cup with a pointed end at the bottom, and tied to one or more branches of cane, we tie them in such a way that in case of an eventual increase in the water level it is pushed up, preventing it from submerging. They are tiny, the female lays 2 to 3 yellowish eggs with a slightly darker blunt pole; These measure about 16 x 13 cm. Incubation lasts between 14 and 19 days.

SHINY COWBIRD, Molothrus bonariensis

The range of this bird is around South-america and some places of north-america, we can find in the great part South-american continent except wild amazon and Andes mountains. Also they are seen in Cuba and carivean Island. In Chile we find them from Coquimbo Region to Los lagos region, they Frecuents urban sector especially Parks, or in the field like landscape

ASTRAL RAIL Rallus antarcticus

It inhabits marshy fields, shores of lakes with rushed areas and reed beds.9 Little is known about feeding; one stomach contained a mass of partially digested Trichoptera Limnophilus meridionalis, 10 Its diet is probably not very different from a species similar to the Virginia rail, Rallus limicola, its diet consisted of slugs, snails, small fish, insect larvae, and earthworms.

SHORT EARED-OWL Asio flammeus

This bird can be found in different open habitats, ranging from lowland marshes to the Andean Altiplano at a maximum altitude of 4000 meters (13123 ft). Like other harriers it nests on the ground. It is usually considered to be sedentary, and may migrate during April and May and returning to breeding grounds between September and October.

Its diet is variable, due to a wide range and variety of habitats.

Its usual prey are small rodents and birds, notably chicks of coots and waders, reptiles, amphibians and insects.

BLACK NECKED SWAN Cygnus melancoryphus

Fresh and salt water from lakes, laggons, Canals, river mouths in general, calm and protected water, with Little or not current of shallow depth, that allows the growth of submerged plants. they get Food preferably on aquatics plants, wich they obtain by sumerging the head or up to half the body to reach them. There are references to birds that have gone out to look for food in meadows. It also eats mollusks, aquatic insects and their larvae and fish eggs.