Paraguay Tours

Birds, Nature, Wildlife

PARAGUAY, one of the most fiercely traditional of South American countries, is really two countries in one. Split broadly in half by the Paraguay River it offers the unique opportunity to combine the speciality birding of the dry, arid Chaco with the subtropical birding of the lush, humid east in one tour. Chronically understudied and undervisited, every trip into the field offers the potential for discovery – no fewer than 65 species have been added to the country list in ten years and many more no doubt await the keen-eyed birder.

Visiting the arid High Chaco means leaving life´s little luxuries behind, but the rewards are well worth the effort. At the Central Chaco Lagoons we´ll be looking for Black-legged Seriema, Quebracho Crested-tinamou, Black-bodied Woodpecker and Chaco Owl amongst the other specialities adapted to this hostile environment. On the way we´ll pass through the lush Low Chaco a haven for waterbirds, such as Jabiru and Scarlet-headed Blackbird, as well as more secretive rarities like Dinelli´s Doradito.

In the humid east of Paraguay, the Mbaracayú Forest Reserve protects some of the last remaining Atlantic Humid Forest on earth. This endangered habitat-type is home to a fascinating endemic avifauna that includes globally-threatened species such as Black-fronted Piping-guan, as well as countless toucans, tanagers, antbirds and parakeets. The reserve is also one of the three known locations worldwide for the critically endangered White-winged Nightjar. This is a bird of cerrado habitat - a unique scrubby grassland that itself is rapidly vanishing. We´ll get another shot at the nightjar at Laguna Blanca, home to other cerrado goodies such as the diminutive Lesser Nothura, the near threatened White-banded Tanager and the little known Black-throated Saltator. The southern flooded grasslands are the place to see big ticks such as Ochre-breasted Pipit, Saffron-cowled Blackbird, Many-coloured Rush-tyrant and the endangered White-collared Seedeater. Here we´ll be based at the tranquil Hotel Tirol, a favourite of the King of Spain, and set amongst luxurious humid forest that is itself a haven for birds. To round off the tour we´ll visit the Bahia de Asunción, located a stone´s throw from the comfort of the capital city, but an internationally important site for migrant waders and waterbirds.

For a break from the birding visits to the ruins of the ancient Jesuit missions can be arranged, or perhaps you´d like to learn more about Paraguay´s turbulent and charismatic past with a historical tour of Asunción? If the present day is more your bag, you might prefer the Itaipú Dam, dubbed one of the seven wonders of the modern world, or shop til you drop in Ciudad del Este the “Supermarket of South America”. For those that just want to revel in the beauty of nature the unforgettable Iguassu Falls, arguably nature´s greatest spectacle, is just a short hop away.

Tours can be arranged to suit your own tastes or requirements and will aim to give you a flavour of the rich cultural heritage of Paraguay. 

Tour leader is Paul Smith, a Paraguay-based, English zoologist, author of the forthcoming, first-ever English-language Field Guide to the Birds of Paraguay. For more information send an email titled “Paraguay Tours” to pdspdspds@aol.co.uk  and please check out the Fauna Paraguay page:   www.faunaparaguay.com/tours.html   

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