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UPDATED INFORMATION - BIRDS OF CHILE

On this page I plan to update the information in our book by detailing new species reported for Chile, as well as reports of rarities or vagrants and finally suggested changes that should be made to the text and plates of Birds of Chile.

New Species for Chile

WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL (Pelagodroma marina). Details in Johow,F. 2000. Confirmación de la Golondrina de Mar de Ceja Blanca (Pelagodroma marina) en Aguas Chilenas. Bol. Chil. Ornit. 7: 28-29. Two crashed with a boat on Feb. 26, 2000 west of Alejandro Selkirk Islands. One survived and was photographed, the other died and was deposited in the collection of the National Musem in Santiago. This species is illustrated in the first of the Falkland/South Georgia plates (Plate 95) with a note on its recent confirmation from Chilean waters.

BROWN PELICAN (Pelecanus occidentalis).

Brown Pelican (right) with Peruvian Pelican, Lluta River, Arica area. Feb. 10,2004. A. Jaramillo

First detected in Chile in January 2004 by David VanderPluym in Arica (details to be published elsewhere). During a Field Guides Tour to Chile we were able to find a minimum of 4 individuals on Feb 8 and 10, 2004 with Peruvian Pelicans. The photo shown below the great difference in size between these two species. There are other plumage and structural features which aid in the separation of these two species, and I plan to set up a web article outlining how to solve this identification problem.

SWAINSON'S HAWK (Buteo swainsoni). Manuel Marin (2000. El aguilucho langostero Buteo swainsoni un nueva especie que se debe agregar a la lista de aves Chilenas. Bol. Chil. Ornit. 7: 26-27) reports a specimen from Alejandro Selkirk Island as well as a specimen from the mountains of Curicó. There are no recent observations of this species from Chile.

DUNLIN (Calidris alpina). Mark Pearman (Birdquest) reports a non-breeding adult Dunlin (Calidris alpina) from the Lluta River mouth. Nov. 2003. Details to be published elsewhere.

SPOT-WINGED PIGEON (Columba maculosa).

Spot-winged Pigeon, Putre, I Region. Nov. 15,2004. A. Jaramillo

On the evening of Februay 17, 2003 in Putre, I Region a flock of seven Spot-winged Pigeons were observed by A. Jaramillo. They landed distantly and could not be photographed. However field notes and a poor sketch were made. This furnishes the first sighting in Chile. Barbara Knapton of Putre saw the species at a later date, and it was also reported by European birders. There were up to 12 in Putre in November of 2004, and some good photos were taken. The species appears to have become regular in Putre, I guess we should be on the lookout for nesting!

BLACK-BACKED GROSBEAK (Pheucticus aureoventris). Reference is Johow, J.C. 2000. Primer registro de Pheucticus aureoventris (Passeriformes, Emberizidae) para Chile. Bol. Chil. Ornit. 7:34. Observed on December 16, 1998 in Socoroma, I Region. Photos were taken but they did not accompany the article. Then in February of 2000 Loreto, Miranda Salinas observed a male at the mouth of the Lluta River, north of Arica (Salinas,L.M. 2000. Avistamiento de Pheucticus aureoventris (Passeriformes, Emberizidae) en la desembocadura del Río Llhuta, I Región de Chile. Bol. Chil. Ornit. 7: 37). No photos were given, but a rough description of the bird is given in the article. I must admit that upon hearing rumours of this sighting in Socoroma, we thought it pertained to an escaped cagebird. However this species is a migrant and common in the Bolivian side of the Andes, the second observation lends more weight to the wild vagrant hypothesis in our minds.

SAFFRON FINCH (Sicalis flaveola). This species is mentioned in the introduction to Sicalis on Pg. 204 of Birds of Chile. The information came late in the production of the book, so no illustration was included. Jorge Ruiz (http://www.hualamo.cl/) details his discovery in the following article: Ruiz, J. 2002. Registros de Sicalis flaveola: Un Nuveo Residente Para Chile. Bol. Chil. Orntit. 9:30-32. The species is common in the towns of Pucón and Villarica, IX Region. It is unclear if these birds colonized on their own or were introduced from Argentina. A photo by Ruiz can be viewed at Aves de Chile.

BALTIMORE ORIOLE (Icterus galbula). Torres-Mura et al. (2003. Regisro del Turpial Norteño, Icterus galbula (Aves: Icteridae) en Calama, II Región, Chile. Not. Men. Mus. Hist. Nat. 351: 9 - 12) saw and photographed a male Baltimore Oriole in Calama between 22 and 25 of June, 2002. The article includes a black and white photo of the bird. This is a highly migratory oriole but is an unexpected addition to the avifauna of Chile. Given the date and the southern location, its occurrence is consistent with mirror image migration, in other words it went south instead of north during the boreal spring.

Recent Reports

Mark Pearman (Birdquest) reported a Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) from Laguna El Peral, V Region, November 2003. A Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) was at Socoroma, I Region, Nov. 2003.

A Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) was observed and photographed by Alvaro Jaramillo at the mouth of the

juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper, Maipo River mouth, V Region. Oct. 15,2003. A. Jaramillo

Maipo River (V Region) on Oct. 15, 2003. This bird was in faded juvenile plumage and had begun its moult into the first basic (first winter) plumage. This individual was flocking with a small number of Baird's Sandpipers (Calidris bairdii).I don't know that there are any confirmed records south of here in Chile. The species is regularly observed at the Lluta River Mouth near Arica, little is known about this species' status south of there although it has been reported from Coquimbo. Marin 2004 (Lista comentada de las Aves de Chile) summarizes the published reports and specimen evidence for occurrence in Chile. However. he does give a false impression of rarity, as this species is a regular component of northern Chile's avifauna. The issue is that most observations are unpublished.

A Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis)

adult Sandwich Terns (one sleeping), Maipo River mouth, V Region. Jan. 28,2004. A. Jaramillo

was located and photographed at the mouth of the Maipo River, V Region by Alvaro Jaramillo and Gonzalo Gonzalez on Jan. 23, 2004. This bird was a basic (winter) adult with fresh primaries. Returning to the same site with a Field Guides tour, a total of 3 adults were found and photographed on Jan. 28! Gonzalo mentioned that he had seen and photographed this species here in previous years. This is also where Manuel Marin has reported them from (Marin. 2002. Nuevo avistamiento del Gaviotin de Sandwich Sterna sandvicencis en la zona central de Chile. Bol. Chil. Ornit. 9: 26-28). This species appears to be regular in small numbers in Chile.

Hellmayr's Pipit (Anthus hellmayri).

Hellmayr's Pipit, Victoria, IX Region. Feb. 6,2004. A. Jaramillo

The status of this species is slowly becoming more clear as sightings increase. Marin's checklist gives a good overview of the specimen data, most of which had not been commonly known before his summary. Observations in Victoria by Field Guides tours both in February of 2003 Feb. 2004 and singing on territory in Nov. 2004 confirm that it is regular there, and almost surely breeding. Jaramillo has also observed and photographed this species east of Lican Ray and Daniel Martinez secured great shots of one of several individuals in the highlands east of Chillan. Steve Howell noted that he has detected it on several occasions in Chile. It is becoming clear that this pipit is a regular and perhaps even common species from as far north as Chillan and perhaps as far south as Chiloe (Olrog specimen). The difficult separation from the more common and widespread Correndera Pipit (Anthus correndera) has masked the true status of this species in Chile. The fact that it was collected largely in the Lonquimay Valley during the time of active collecting in Chile and not elsewhere suggests that it has only recently spread to Chile as more open habitats have been created through forest clearing.

Other sightings include: Warbling Doradito (Pseudocolopteryx flaviventris), Jan. 28, 04. Maipo River Mouth. This is an extremely rare species in Chile. Please report all sightings. A Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) was observed briefly on an Arica pelagic on Feb. 9, 2004. A Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla) was seen heading south immediately outside of the entrance to the port of Arica on Feb. 9, 2004.

Updates to Plates and Text.

Pg. 50. Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel. Simeone et al. 2003. Rev. chil. hist. nat. v.76 n.2 Santiago jun. 2003 Report a nesting colony of at least 8 nests on Isla Grande, off Caldera (III Region). These birds were incubating in February, suggesting an earlier breeding season than we report for the Peruvian population. This is the first nesting record for Chile.

Pg. 66. Little Blue Heron. Carles Pedrós-Alió reports an adult and juvenile, and a single adult on November 12 and 15 respectively from the city of Antofagasta. This is after not seeing them during visits in 1999, 2002 and 2003. These observations suggest they have colonized or started to colonize the area. Rather than a question mark, our map should probably show the distribution down to at least Antofagasta. This species has been known to be expanding its range.

Pg. 81. Andean Swallow. Carles Pedrós-Alió reports a flock of 20, at Laguna Tebinquiche, north section of the Salar de Atacama, II Region on November 3, 2003. These observations suggest the range on our map should extend down to this part of Chile.

Pg. 105. Plate 39. Magellanic Plover. Further views of more juveniles has led us to conclude that the juvenile has orange-pink legs, not yellow as illustrated.

Pg. 118. Least Seedsnipe. The species is known from coastal dunes, from Talcahuano/Penco north to Punta Cocoi, 30km south of Cobquecura (VIII Region). This part of the distribution was inadvertently left out of the map. Quite likely the coastal distribution is continuous north to the V Region, but more records are needed. Thanks to Francisca Monsalve for her record from Punta Cocoi, and for noting this issue.

Comparación de dos poblaciones de Geositta rufipennis

1) Grupo rufipennis: Argentina y Bolivia. Laderas orientales de los Andes, y sierras. Canto es uniforme, despacio (pocas notas por segundo).
2) Grupo fasciata: Chile y Argentina. Chile y regiones alto andinas Argentinas (por ejemplo Mendoza sobre los 2500m). Rango septentrional en Argentina, ¿no se? En Chile llega hasta Antofagasta, pero en la cordillera de la costa más que en los Andes. Rango sureño también desconocido, pero colegas que conocen las diferencias entre vocalizaciones de estas dos formas me dicen que en Calafate se escucha el grupo fasciata. Biogeograficamente esto es lógico, y seguro que se confirmara que el grupo rufipennis no llega muy al sur, pero fasciata si.

Aquí encontraran un mp3 comparando voces de las dos formas. Primer canto es grupo rufipennis de Mendoza, cerca de Uspallata. Segundo es fasciata de Farellones (Andes de Santiago), Chile. Después tenemos notas de contacto, primero rufipennis de Mendoza, segundo fasciata de Farellones.