Birdwatching in the Esteros

The Iberá wetlands hold over 360 bird species, with a high proportion of South American endemics and range-restricted specialities. For birders, this is one of the premier destinations on the continent — combining the diversity of a tropical wetland with the access that only boat-based guiding can provide.

Key target species include the jabiru (the Americas' largest flying bird), the sunbittern, the southern screamer, multiple kingfisher species, roseate spoonbill, and an extraordinary variety of herons and egrets. In the savannah and gallery forest edges, greater rhea and maguari stork are visible from vehicles. The esteros' speciality, the strange-tailed tyrant, requires knowing the right flooded grasslands and the right season. Serious birders typically spend three to five days to work through the habitat types — lagoon edges, floating islands, savannah, and gallery forest each hold different assemblages.

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The strange-tailed tyrant (Alectrurus risora) is a small flycatcher that looks entirely unremarkable from a distance — until the male spreads its tail to reveal two immensely elongated outer feathers that trail behind it like streamers in the wind. The species is classified as vulnerable globally, with one of its last strongholds in the Iberá. Local guides know the specific flooded grasslands where displaying males can be found from September to December.

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