Ramsar Site Salar de Surire in Chile, inland from Arica

in northern Chile: Natural Monument Salar de Surire

Natural Monument Salar de Surire was declared Ramsar Site # 873 for being one of the four most important places in Chile for nesting flamingos; the salar has thousands of birds with the shallow-water-feeding James' Flamingo being particularly evident. Some other interesting Surire-area birds are the Red-backed Sierra-Finch, the Puna Tinamou, the Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, and possibly you'll see one of Chile's newest birds, the Rufous-webbed Bush-Tyrant Polioxolmis rufipennis which Barb found feeding young in the Polylepis tarapacana copse pictured at the right.

Some of the Surire area mammals include vicuñas, llamas, alpacas, cuy, armadillo, fox, vizcachas, puma, and the extremely rare Andean cat Oreailurus jacobita.

alpacas on cushion bog near Natural Monument Salar de Surire

Phoenicoparrus jamesi at Ramsar Site Salar de Surire, Chile

Tours to Surire What's a Ramsar Site?

Puna Rhea, on the quick road to extinction?

Left: The Puna Rhea is commonly seen at Surire, often foraging close to the llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas. (After all, the name "Surire" refers to the rhea.....)

Above: On December 27 while camping at the Surire hot springs, Roland and Adele from Holland and Barb from Putre were delighted to be joined by 2 young flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis) who landed nearby, unconcerned by our proximity.

back to birding itineraries

About Tours

Nature Pages

Atacama culture, Altiplano wildlife, Coastal marine mammals: 5 days, 4 nights nature tour
Slice of the Andes for the Birds: 5 days for the birds in Lauca National Park