Скачать или смотреть Birding in The Patagonian Steppe

There are more than 100 bird species on the Patagonian steppe, that without taking into account the ones living on aquatic environments. Probably the most representative and the easiest to identify is the Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata), a big flightless bird with long and strong legs. Lesser Rhea belong to the ratites, a group of birds that lost the ability to fly, so they lack the characteristic big breastbone of the flying birds. Biologically, they are a very ancient group originate in the Gondwana super-continent. The African ostrich and the emu in Australia also belong to this group.

Another typical bird of the arid environments are the tinamous. In Patagonia we can find the elegant-crested Tinamou (Eudromia elegans) and the Patagonian Tinamou (Tinamotis engoufi). In wetlands, we can find also seedsnipes, which move in small groups among the short vegetation. The most common is the least seedsnipe (Thinocorus rumicivorus). The burrowing parrot (Cyanoliseus patagonus), lives on the shrubby steppes where they feed on the bushes fruits.

As far as birds of prey are concerned the Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus) stands out but also Red-backed Hawk (Buteo polyosoma), Cinereous Harrier (Circus cinereous), Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) and Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) can be found.

The steppe host a good number of ovenbirds, a family of dull-colored insectivore birds found in Mexico, Central and South America. Miners (Geositta spp.), Earthcreepers (Upucertia spp.), Canasteros (Asthenes spp.), White-throated Cacholote (Pseudoseisura gutturalis) and Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail (Leptasthenura aegithaloides) they all belong to this group. A different family of insectivore birds are the tyrant flycatchers, with several species on the Patagonian steppe like the Shrike Tyrants (Agriornis spp.), the Chocolate-vented Tyrant (Neoxolmis rufiventris), the Rusty-backed Monjita (Neoxolmis rubetra) and the Ground-Tyrants (Muscisaxicola spp.). The latter are usually seen on the high-altitude Andean steppes.

Another bird family present on the steppe are the Emberizidae, which feed mainly on seeds and grains so they have a suitable thick cone-shaped bill. Common Diuca-Dinch (Diuca diuca), Patagonian Yellow-Finch (Sicalis lebruni), Gray-hooded Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus gayi) and Mourning Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus fruticeti) belong to this group. Other prominent birds of the Patagonian Steppe are the Patagonian Mockingbird (Mimus patagonicus), the Correndera Pipit (Anthus correndera) and the Long-tailed Meadowlark (Sturnella loyca).

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