Birds of Chile: Birding: Temuco

Parque Nacional Cerro Ñielol

Cerro Ñielol National Park is situated right in the city of Temuco, and can be reached by taxi or bus. Its within walking distance of Avenida Caupolicán (Pan American Highway). My suggestion would be to take a taxi to the top parking area and walk from there, its easier to walk down than up! You will be asked to pay a small entrance fee if the guards are there. You can bird from the main road, but there are access trails that allow for a more intimate visit to the forests. Don't hesitate to ask the guards for directions, they may even have maps available. I have never experienced any dangerous situations here, even though it is basically a city park, but be careful. At night this may not be an entirely safe place, but once again I have not encountered any problems. There is a nice museum near the top which has several stuffed birds and information on the trees and ecology of the park. One staff member worth trying to get a hold of is Basilio Guiñez, a good friend of mine and certainly the bird expert of this park. He lives at the base of the park but does not work at the park any longer, in any case the local park people may know if he is around. He may be able to help with specific birds, but really there is not anything up here that will be so elusive that you won't be able to find for yourself given that you get to the appropriate habitat.
Cerro Ñielol Park is largely composed of disturbed or regenerating Nothofagus (Southern Beach) forest with ample patches of Chusquea bamboo which is important for several species of birds. Note that due to migration, bird abundance at the park changes depending on the season and some species may only be present during certain times of the year. The really attractive part of this park is that several of the southern Chilean specialties are common here without having to visit a far off area, one does not need a rental car to bird this site. These are some of the more interesting species to be found here:

CHILEAN TINAMOU **ENDEMIC**
small numbers are present at the highest part of the park, around the bases of the transmission antennas.

CHILEAN (BICOLORED) HAWK
a winter visitor, and relatively common.

RUFOUS-TAILED HAWK
This rare species may be more common than is currently known, but in danger of habitat loss throughout its range. This hawk is sometimes seen soaring over the west and north areas of the park but it is greatly outnumbered by the more common Red-backed Hawk.

CHILEAN PIGEON
Common in the park, particularly in the winter. Abundance fluctuates somewhat erratically.

SLENDER-BILLED PARAKEET ** ENDEMIC**
Flocks are to be found visiting the park in the winter, they are absent during the summer. Numbers fluctuate depending on food supplies.

AUSTRAL PYGMY-OWL
Common throughout the year.

RUFOUS-LEGGED OWL
Has been sighted foraging on beetles at the lights up near the restaurant at the top level of the park. It is not known if the species is a permanent resident or not.

MAGELLANIC WOODPECKER
This species is absent from the park, so don't get your hopes up. The nearest sights to Temuco are forest at Los Paraguas/Conguillio National Park and Volcan Villarica National Park.

DES MUR'S WIRETAIL
Common where Chusquea bamboo is to be found.

WHITE-THROATED TREERUNNER
Uncommon in the park, perhaps more common in winter.

BLACK-THROATED HUET-HUET
Common in the park, can be quite easy to see with a bit of luck.

CHUCAO TAPACULO
Common and relatively easy to see if you put in the time.

OCHRE-FLANKED TAPACULO
Uncommon, look for it in Chusquea bamboo, perhaps the toughest of the tapaculos to get a look at while visiting Ñielol.

MAGELLANIC TAPACULO
Common, easy to see if you track down its "pee-teee pee-tee" call, and often responds to spishing. They nest on banks, often the mud banks of the forest trails you are walking on. Look for a round hole in the mud, and excited birds.

PATAGONIAN TYRANT
Absent in the summer but numerous in winter and as a migrant. You will wonder why this species is thought of as uncommon if you visit in fall migration.

PATAGONIAN SIERRA - FINCH
Uncommon, listen for its monotonous song.

Lago Budi, Puerto Saavedra.

Lago Budi and the surrounding marshes, and ocean are full of birds. This is one of those places where you never know what could show up, and given enough looking you will find something interesting here. There are several ways to bird the area, one is as a day trip from Temuco. You will need to go to the rural bus terminal (Terminal Rural) and get the first bus to Puerto Saavedra, if I recall correctly the first leaves at 0700 but there may be an earlier one. One way its about 65 km to Puerto Saavedra, but the trip takes at least 1.5 hours. You will have to ask when the last bus leaves for Temuco. I have always done this as a day trip and had ample time to bird but if you are so inclined there are cheap hotels at Boca Budi where you can spend the night. I would recommend an overnight stay for those that are not rushed. Make sure that you go all the way to the end of the bus line, to Boca Budi, don't get off at Puerto Saavedra as it is several km. before the good birding. At Boca Budi take the main road that goes up the hill and south to the proper mouth of Lake Budi. It will curve and meander a bit before it descends towards the lake shore. Here there are a few more houses, and perhaps a place to sleep but I can't confirm this. Along the road Ochre-flanked Tapaculos commonly call from blackberry tangles. There is a little pond on the right side about half way along, look for Yellow-winged Blackbirds, swallows, coots etc. Once you are at the mouth walk up the cobble river bed, which is usually dry, and approach the lake. You can also cross south to the other side of the dry river bed, get up on the hill and do some seawatching, sometimes dolphins can be seen from here as well. The island you will see many miles offshore is Mocha Island, one of the two Pink-footed Shearwater colonies in the world.

Birds at Lake Budi mouth:

MAGELLANIC PENGUIN
Seawatching

BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS
Seawatching

GREY-HEADED ALBATROSS
Seawatching

SOOTY SHEARWATER
Seawatching

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER
Seawatching

WHITE-CHINNED PETREL
Seawatching

PERUVIAN BOOBY
Seawatching

PERUVIAN PELICAN
Seawatching

NEOTROPIC CORMORANT

RED-LEGGED SHAG
Seawatching

WHITE-FACED IBIS
On lake. Local and rare in Chile.

BLACK-FACED IBIS
Fields near Puerto Saavedra.

SOUTHERN WIGEON
On lake.

YELLOW-BILLED PINTAIL
On lake.

SPECKLED TEAL
On lake.

SILVER TEAL
On lake, perhaps more common in winter. A reasonably rare bird in Chile.

CINNAMON TEAL
On lake.

RED SHOVELER
On lake.

ROSY-BILLED POCHARD
On lake.

RED-BACKED HAWK
Common.

RED-FRONTED COOT
On lake, look in reeds.

WHITE-WINGED COOT
On lake.

RED-GARTERED COOT
On lake.

TWO-BANDED PLOVER
Look in the dry river bed where they probably breed. Also winters in reasonable numbers.

'CHILEAN' SNOWY PLOVER
Look in the dry river bed.

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER
On the beach.

WHITE-BACKED STILT
On lake, breeds here.

GREATER AND LESSER YELLOWLEGS
Along lake shore, also in estuary by Puerto Saavedra.

HUDSONIAN GODWIT
On lake, this is a good place to see this local species.

WHIMBREL
Mainly on beach.

BAIRD'S SANDPIPER
Look on the beach and lake.

PARASITIC JAEGER
Seawatching

CHILEAN SKUA
Seawatching

GREY GULL
Seawatching

KELP GULL
Common.

FRANKLIN'S GULL
Common in summer.

BROWN-HOODED GULL
Common.

ELEGANT TERN
Seawatching, also there is a large roosting flock in the estuary just north of Boca Budi.

SNOWY-CROWNED TERN
On lake.

SOUTH AMERICAN TERN
Seawatching

BLACK SKIMMER
Look on lake, or estuary by Boca Budi/ Puerto Saavedra.

COMMON MINER
Sandy areas at south end of lake, also sandy areas on hillsides by the sea.

SCALE-THROATED EARTHCREEPER
Hillsides by the sea.

MAGELLANIC TAPACULO
Along road leading to Lago Budi.

OCHRE-FLANKED TAPACULO
Along road leading to Lago Budi. Look in Blackberry tangles

RUFOUS-TAILED PLANTCUTTER
Along road leading to Lago Budi.

SPECTACLED TYRANT
In marshes before arriving at Puerto Saavedra.

Note that Lago Budi can also be visited from the east side. One can access it via Puerto Domiguez, there are buses to the town but I don't have information on their route or schedule. At this end of the lake one can see lots of waterfowl, including Black-necked Swans.