PO Box 9021, Wilmington, DE 19809, USA E-mail: font@focusonnature.com Phone: Toll-free in USA 1-800-721-9986  or 302/529-1876; Fax: 302/529-1085

In 2008, our 19th year for this tour!

In CHILE

Birding in a Beautiful Country

In Central & Southern Chile
for large and small and unusual birds,
from the sea to the mountains and in between.

Among the birds: 
Pintados and other Petrels, Albatrosses (we've seen as many as 9 species), Condors, 
Rheas & Rayaditos, Tapaculos, including a Turca & Huet–huets and a Chilia. 
Also: a Diucon and Diuca-Finches. The Diademed Sandpiper-Plover,
 and a number of birds either "Magellanic" or "Austral"

(tours: FON/CH-1A & 1B ’08)

tour: CH-1A: November 22 - December 1, 2008
in the Andes, a Pelagic Trip,
& the Lake District & Chiloe Island in the South


tour: CH-1B: December 1-5, 2008
extension in the Far-North,
from the Sea to the High Andes 


The Complete Tour (CH-1A & B): November 22 - December 5, 2008

Tours to be led by Armas Hill,
who has birded in Chile many times
since the first of all FONT tours,
which was in Chile in 1990. 

Links:
 
Birds during previous FONT tours in Chile  (with photos)  

Some Previous Chile Tour Highlights

Chilean Albatrosses & Other Seabirds

South American Mammals & Other Wildlife

Photo Gallery of Southern South America Birds

Itineraries  (prices follow):

Tour CH-1A: in Central & Southern Chile   

Sat: Nov. 22  Arrival in the morning in Santiago, Chile (after overnight flight departing North America, Fri, Nov.24).  From the Santiago airport, travel west, with some birding enroute, to Vina del Mar, along the Pacific Coast. Birding, that afternoon, along that coast will provide us with our first penguins (the Humboldt), along with pelicans, and an assortment of other seabirds and shorebirds. Among them: the distinctive Inca Tern, the subtle, yet attractive Gray Gull, Surfbirds (having come from Alaska), and the resident Chilean Seaside-Cinclodes. We’ll enjoy a wonderful seafood dinner, at the ocean’s edge, by the birds. Our overnight in Vina del Mar.

Sun: Nov. 23  A morning pelagic birding trip, on the ocean (to about 10 miles offshore). On this annual pelagic trip during previous tours, as many as 8 species of albatrosses have been seen, in addition to numerous other pelagic species. Not only will we see many oceanic birds, we will see them close to the boat, as our chumming will attract them well. (A complete list of the pelagic species seen on these trips is available from FONT, or can be found elsewhere in this web-site.) In the afternoon, we'll do some morning birding along the seacoast, particularly at a marsh where during our previous tours,  in addition to numerous waterbirds, we've seen Stripe-backed Bittern and nesting Many-colored Rush-tyrant. Overnight again in Vina del Mar. 

Mon: Nov. 24  Some of our birding, this day, will be in the Andes, a couple hours or so southeast of Santiago. We'll visit in the area of Reservoir el Yeso.  In this area of beautiful scenery, we'll see a number of high Andean birds. Among the birds there, we'll seek the rare and attractive Diademed Plover, that's been seen during 11 FONT tours since 1990. 
Another most-interesting bird in the area is the endemic Crag Chilia a denizen of cliff-sides. On the ground, there will be various ground-tyrants, the Gray-breasted Seedsnipe, and the Chilean tapaculo known as the Moustached Turca. In the overhead sky, we’re apt to see large Andean Condors soaring in the thermals. After a full-day of birding, mostly in the mountains, we'll overnight in a setting of hilly Chilean countryside southeast of Santiago.

Diademed Plover,
A photo taken during a FONT tour. 

Tue: Nov. 25  More birding, this day, in the mountains and hills east of Santiago. We'll ascend a paved road high into the Andes, where we should see more turcas and tyrants, and an assortment of finches and furnarids, in addition to such targets as the Giant Hummingbird, Dusky-tailed Canastero (a Chilean endemic), and Mountain Caracara. More condors should also be seen as we have another good day in the Andes. 
In the afternoon, we'll visit a fresh-water marsh near Santiago, where again, there will be waterbirds (numerous ducks & coots), and where we'll have a chance to the South American Painted-Snipe (a bird that can be hard to see, but we've seen it there more than once in the past). Overnight in Santiago.         

Wed: Nov. 26  Transfer in the morning to the Santiago airport for a flight, south, to Puerto Montt. We’ll begin our time in one of the most beautiful places anywhere, the "Lake District", with not just lakes, but striking snow-capped volcanoes, clear rushing streams, and lush green forests. This region is a northern, and forested, part of Patagonia. All of the natural features just mentioned (snow-capped mountain, rushing river, and native forest) occur in the fantastically scenic area of the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park. Our overnight accommodation will near the park, on the shore of Lake Llanquihue, close to forest where birds include the magnificent Magellanic Woodpecker. Nearby, along the river, pairs of Torrent Ducks reside. Often, this time of year, they are seen with their young ducklings.

Torrent Ducks, 
photo by Alan Brady, during a FONT Chile Tour.

Thu: Nov. 27  Most of this day we’ll be birding in the area of the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park. In addition to the woodpeckers and ducks just referred to, there will be various tapaculos (including the Chucao and the Huet-huet) in addition to an intriguing bird, the Des Mur's Wiretail. Overnight again along the shore of Lake Llanquihue.

Fri: Nov. 28  This day we'll go a few miles south of Puerto Montt to Chiloe Island. During our last tour, from the ferry to the island, there were shearwaters, terns, gulls, and pelicans in the sky. In the water, there were sea-lions and penguins propelling close to the boat. On Chiloe Island, we visited a penguin colony along the seacoast, where two species nest, the Magellanic and the Humboldt Penguins. In 2006, we visit that place again. Also at that picturesque spot are Rock Cormorants and Imperial Shags, Flightless Steamer-Ducks, and Kelp Geese. An interesting animal also occurs: the Marine Otter, a rare species related to the Sea Otter of North America.
On Chiloe Island, during our last tour, we had a "full-deck" of 3 species of oystercatchers: Magellanic, Blackish, and American. Chiloe is a rural and tranquil island that's good for birds, with an assortment of habitats. A bird there particularly deserves mention as it is a Chiloe namesake is the Southern Wigeon, that's often called, in the books, the Chiloe Wigeon. We'll overnight on Chiloe Island. 

Sat: Nov. 29  Most of this day will be spent birding on Chiloe Island, and particularly in the area of the national park, where there is a fine indigenous forest. In various habitats, this day we should see a number of birds (including some subspecies endemic to Chiloe). Of one particular species, there should be numbers, since as many as 25% of the world's Hudsonian Godwits winter on Chiloe Island. Our overnight will again be back along the shore of Lake Llanquihue.

Sun: Nov. 30  More birding in the area of the "Lake District", and in the forested western slope of the Andes. In those woodlands, we should have encounters with 2 or 3 (or maybe 4) species of tapaculos. In the air, we could see the rare Rufous-tailed Hawk (during our last tour, we saw one perched). On mountain lakes, we'll have a good chance to see Flying Steamer-Ducks and the rare Spectacled Duck. 
In lower country nearby, we should do well with two Chilean endemic birds, the Slender-billed Parakeet and the Chilean Pigeon. We did well with both during our last tour, finding flocks of both of these near-threatened species. This will be our last overnight by Lake Llanquihue, northeast of Puerto Montt, before having to leave, the next day, what's truly one of the most beautiful areas on Earth (especially when the Sun shines, which, to be candid, is not all the time).        

Andean Condor,
photo by Alan Brady during a FONT tour.

Mon: Dec. 1  Flight to Santiago, connecting with late-evening international flights departing Chile (arriving in North America the following morning, Tue, Dec. 2).
Or, for those continuing on the Far-Northern Chile Extension thru Dec. 8, a flight from Santiago, late in the day, to Arica. 

Tour CH-1B: in Far-Northern Chile

Mon: Dec. 1  From the Santiago airport, a late-day flight north to Arica, with overnight there, in Arica, by the Pacific Ocean. 

Tue: Dec. 2  A morning boat-trip on the ocean from Arica for pelagic birds. In the area, there are numbers of Inca Terns and Gray Gulls, and an assortment of pelagic species possible, including various storm-petrels, shearwaters, jaegers or skuas. In these waters, near Peru, the Peruvian Diving-Petrel also occurs.
In the afternoon, we'll ascend into the Andes to Putre, with birding enroute. Overnight in Putre.

Wed: Dec. 3  An early departure from Putre for Lauca National Park, a spectacular refuge for high Andean birds. At the lake, flamingos, coots, and ducks. In the habitat known as the "puna", some birds have that adjective, such as the Puna Tinamou, Puna Plover, and Puna Snipe.
In the afternoon, return to Putre. Birding continues through the day.
Overnight again in Putre.

Thu: Dec. 4  Most of another day for birding in areas of the Andes descending to the Pacific coast. In the afternoon, in Arica, we should see some nice hummingbirds: the rare and localized Chilean Woodstar, the Oasis Hummingbird, and the Peruvian Sheartail. During one of our previous tours near Arica, we saw, as many as 25 Peruvian Thick-knees. Our last overnight in Arica.

Fri: Dec. 5  (For those with a late-evening departure from Chile), after some final birding in the Arica area, and then a flight to Santiago, connecting with the international flight leaving the country. (For those with an afternoon departure from Chile), an early-morning flight from Arica to Santiago. 

Prices:

Tour CH-1A (in Central & Southern Chile): 
November 21 - December 1:  
US $2,995 per person.
Single supplement (when available): US $375.

Includes:  
All overnight accommodations.
Ground transportation within Chile. 
Meals: breakfasts & lunches (Nov. 23-Dec 1)
The pelagic trip from Valparaiso (near Vina del Mar).
Services of an expert birding leader, familiar with the birds and the localities.

Does not include:  
Air transportation to/from and within Chile. 
Dinners.
Drinks and any items of a personal nature. 
Airport taxes. 
Gratuities.

Tour CH-1B (in Far-Northern Chile): 
December 1-5:
US $1,395 per person, based upon double-occupancy.
Single supplement (when available): US $225.

Includes: 
All overnight accommodations.  
Ground transportation within Chile. 
Meal: breakfasts & lunches
The pelagic trip from Arica. 
Services of an expert birding leader, familiar with the birds and the localities.

Does not include: 
Air transportation to/from and within Chile.
Dinners 
Drinks and any items of a personal nature. 
Airport taxes. 
Gratuities.

A Combination of Tours CH-1A&B (in Central, Southern, & Far-Northern Chile): 
November 22- December 5:
US $3,990 per person, based upon double-occupancy.

A deposit of US $600 is required to reserve a place on the tour CH-1A&B.

A deposit of US $500 is required to reserve a place on the tour CH-1A.