March 03, 2016
I mentioned before that the seasons are changing here on Chiloé. It’s the beginning of Autumn which means fall birding!
We’ve been seeing two species every day during our last scans that we had seen only once each in February. They’re both Austral migrants - meaning they breed south of here and fly north to Chiloé to spend the austral winter. They’re two of our favorites here - in part because they’re new for us!
Gray-flanked Cinclodes
A cousin to the common breeder on Chiloé - the Dark-bellied Cinclodes (pronounced: sin-klo-days), the Gray-flanked breeds farther south at the southern tip of South America. They’re a complex migrant with at least some portion migrating north for the winter and that range from Chiloé north to central Chile at the coasts near Santiago. Little is actually know about the species in terms of its breeding biology, population size, etc., though it is thought to be declining. It’s a fairly difficult ID in my opinion, but G and I are getting better at spotting them. They’re a bit smaller and structurally smaller bodied than the Dark-bellied. They have a white vent and paler belly than the Dark-bellied Cinclodes as well. Both species utilize coastal habitats, though the Gray-flanked also commonly uses montane streams. They glean insects off the ground and are always found near water much like all Cinclodes.
Rufous-chested Dotterel
This is easily our favorite Chilean bird. They’re just adorable. We’ve written a bit about them already, but I couldn’t resist writing some more. Dotterel is another word for plover, and this is a medium-sized plover - a type of shorebird. This is another species that breeds in the southern tip of the continent as well as on the Falkland Islands. It breeds in tundra-like mossy moist steppe in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. They migrate north and utilize coastal areas post-breeding eating aquatic invertebrates along rocky coasts often in small flocks. In breeding plumage, the dotterel is unmistakeable and stunning. The males have a rufous red breast and chin separated from their pure white bellies by a thick black band. Luckily for us not all the males molt before flying north!
We scanned three bays today, but couldn’t find any green flags. Shoot! Hopefully we’ll have better luck tomorrow.
I mentioned before that the seasons are changing here on Chiloé. It’s the beginning of Autumn which means fall birding!
We’ve been seeing two species every day during our last scans that we had seen only once each in February. They’re both Austral migrants - meaning they breed south of here and fly north to Chiloé to spend the austral winter. They’re two of our favorites here - in part because they’re new for us!
Gray-flanked Cinclodes
A cousin to the common breeder on Chiloé - the Dark-bellied Cinclodes (pronounced: sin-klo-days), the Gray-flanked breeds farther south at the southern tip of South America. They’re a complex migrant with at least some portion migrating north for the winter and that range from Chiloé north to central Chile at the coasts near Santiago. Little is actually know about the species in terms of its breeding biology, population size, etc., though it is thought to be declining. It’s a fairly difficult ID in my opinion, but G and I are getting better at spotting them. They’re a bit smaller and structurally smaller bodied than the Dark-bellied. They have a white vent and paler belly than the Dark-bellied Cinclodes as well. Both species utilize coastal habitats, though the Gray-flanked also commonly uses montane streams. They glean insects off the ground and are always found near water much like all Cinclodes.
Rufous-chested Dotterel
This is easily our favorite Chilean bird. They’re just adorable. We’ve written a bit about them already, but I couldn’t resist writing some more. Dotterel is another word for plover, and this is a medium-sized plover - a type of shorebird. This is another species that breeds in the southern tip of the continent as well as on the Falkland Islands. It breeds in tundra-like mossy moist steppe in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. They migrate north and utilize coastal areas post-breeding eating aquatic invertebrates along rocky coasts often in small flocks. In breeding plumage, the dotterel is unmistakeable and stunning. The males have a rufous red breast and chin separated from their pure white bellies by a thick black band. Luckily for us not all the males molt before flying north!
We scanned three bays today, but couldn’t find any green flags. Shoot! Hopefully we’ll have better luck tomorrow.