In the country, of the 1,100 species of birds surveyed by the Aves Argentinas association, more than 500 inhabit the Misiones jungle. The majority is hidden within the extensive green mantle, of dense foliage, heterogeneous in textures, tones and geometries, which contrasts with the red earth of Misiones and the northeast of Corrientes.
A route where it is possible, but not certain, to see them is Panoramic 101, which connects the border cities of Puerto Iguazú, in the extreme northwest of Misiones, with Bernardo de Yrigoyen, in the eastern province, and which allows you to appreciate a good part of the Missionary Green Corridor, crossing the Iguazú National Park and the Yacuí and Urugua-í provinces, where gigantic rosewood and palm trees abound, the fruits of which the small arasari feeds on.
Other destinations for bird watching in the north of the Misiones jungle are Foerster Provincial Park and reserves such as Puerto Península.
In these latitudes the silent yacutingas in danger of extinction coexist, similar to a large chicken, jet black in color, with patches and a prominent crest, both white, red stripes on its neck and light blue beak, and the common urutaú or bird ghost, extremely difficult to spot if the human eye is not trained, since its feathers are confused with the bark of trunks and dry branches, and it perches motionless for hours at the end of the branches.
Birds occupy a central place in popular culture, some with pain, such as the story behind the ghost bird, whose melancholic song, similar to human crying, represents the agony of a woman who died while waiting up a tree for her brother. would return to look for it, or the legend of the hummingbird, which says that if a specimen approaches, a deceased relative will tell you that it is fine.
There are 17 species of hummingbirds, of all sizes and colors, that inhabit the Misiones jungle. Some can beat their wings 80 times per second, reach 72 kilometers per hour if they are flying in a dive, and up to 1,200 heartbeats per minute, 10 times more than what a human being can withstand.
Heritage of the region are also the blue and orange dancers, sought after for their extraordinary dances during collective courtship, 11 species of woodpeckers, waterfall swifts, crested eagles, an extensive list of jungle owls and colorful tanagers.
Towards the south and east of Misiones, in the area of the Yabotí Biosphere Reserve, which encompasses the Esmeralda, Salto Encantado and Moconá provincial parks, the endangered wine-breasted parrot and the blue magpie live, both in forests. of araucarias, on which they feed.
The other bird watching circuit most in demand by tourists, especially foreigners, is the yungas, a majestic green tapestry that covers mountains, ravines and valleys crisscrossed by rivers and streams, and that extends through Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán and , marginally, by Catamarca.
The combination of abundant summer rains, the almost permanent fog that covers the Yungueño landscape and the different levels of altitude generates four different environments in a few kilometers: the foothill and montane jungles, the montane forest and the high altitude grassland.
Jujuy is one of the destinations that offers the possibility of spotting specimens that are very difficult to find in other locations, such as the surucuá aurora, a close relative of the quetzal and a work of art that combines the orange of its belly with touches of green and blue on the back and a black tail with white horizontal stripes, which can be found in Calilegua National Park.
This park, the only one in Yunga that has a section of foothills jungle, is a refuge for another 400 species of birds, among which the burgo stands out, with a striking turquoise hood on its head, a body in which Greens and yellows converge and an attractive green tail that ends in two elongated light blue feathers with a brown tip.
About 110 kilometers southeast of Calilegua, among mountain ranges, is the small town of El Fuerte, distinguished as the national capital of the emblematic alder parrot, unmistakable for its high-pitched cry and red forehead, as well as a small area of its wings. .
There are also several species of parrots and, especially, one of the green macaw, which has a population of some individuals in the Acambuco Provincial Park, in the north of Salta, a province that brings together a quarter of the country’s species, while in the center , El Rey National Park is a safe bet to find red-footed chunas and various waterfowl.
In Tucumán, the Aconquija National Park lies on the mountain range of the same name and is framed in a heterogeneous landscape, which brings together snow-capped peaks of up to 5,500 meters, meadows, grasslands, forests and jungles, where it is possible to spot the Andean condor, the monterita serrana and the kite hummingbird, which not only attracts your attention for its colorful iridescent plumage, but also for having an exceptionally long tail.
To learn about the 50 national parks and natural reserves that exist in Argentina with circuits and trails ideal for bird watching, go to www.argentina.gob.ar/parquesnacionales.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
