WHY CHILOÉ
Few areas in Chile are blessed with so many top-quality birding places as Chiloé Island.
From extensive coastlines to bird-filled bays and estuaries through madly intricate river networks, the visiting birdwatcher can experience some of the finest destinations in Southern Chile. A few focused birding days in Chiloé can gather well over 100 species, highlighting goodies such as Kelp Goose, two species of penguins, the delightful Desmurs’s Wiretail, four different cormorants, Chilean Flamingo (fall and winter), Black-necked Swan, Flightless Steamer-Duck, Dolphin Gull, Snowy Crowned Tern, and many more.
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Throughout the world the theory of island zoogeography, or the distribution of animals, contends that mainlands always have richer diversity than nearby islands. This is not the case of Chiloe Island, whose excellent birdlife far exceeds the nearby fjords of N. Patagonia and the Southern Lake District around Puerto Montt. Chiloe’s rich combination of extensive coastline and complex wetlands is thought to be the reason why some boreal long distance migrants that skip most of Chile en route to wintering grounds in Tierra del Fuego (eg. Hudsonian Godwit, Red Knot) have important migrant populations here. In addition, many pelagic bird routes come very close to the island, which explains the abundance of albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters that may be observed from some of our lookouts. The diversity of birdlife gets richer yet when the temperate forest birds, such as the three species of much sought after Tapaculos, are included. Southern Chile’s Temperate (or Valdivian) Rainforest has been declared an Endemic Bird Area by Birdlife International and Chiloe is a prime example. If you consider all of these scenarios and then the fact that the island is famous for its stunning landscapes, charming local culture and friendly people, Chiloe is the perfect place to visit!