Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Photographs on this web-site were taken by Paul Smith, Hemme Batjes, Regis Nossent,
Alberto Esquivel, Arne Lesterhuis, Rebecca Zarza, José Luis Cartes and Hugo del Castillo and are used with their permission.
SHORT BREAK LAGUNA BLANCA
Laguna Blanca counts on pristine cerrado and some incredible birding. The cerrado is one of the fastest-disappearing habitats on earth, yet it is doing so quietly and along with it are disappearing the unique community of birds and animals that inhabit it - an extraordinary total of 14 globally-threatened birds occur on this 2000ha estate. Cerrado is of particular interest to birders because of a serious of restricted-range, highly-threatened species that inhabit it and these will be our targets during this short break. Expect 150-180 species on this short trip, amongst them some of Paraguay´s biggest ticks!
We begin our trip in Asunción and en route to Laguna Blanca we´ll make a stop over at Arroyos and Esteros, a great place to observe the charismatic but highly-threatened Strange-tailed Tyrant. There a host of other wetland birds here too, Maguari Stork, countless herons, Rusty-collared and Tawny-bellied Seedeaters, Crested Doradito, Long-tailed Reedfinch, Limpkin and many more. Once the ticks start to try up here we´ll continue on to Laguna Blanca, our base for the next three days. Our accommodation is in the ranch house, sitting on a white sand beach on the shores of a crystal clear lagoon. The lagoon attracts birds, there are Ash-throated Crake and Azure Gallinule in the reedbeds, whilst during the southbound migration rare seedeaters such as Chestnut, Dark-throated and Marsh may be seen. Circling over the lagoon look out for Hook-billed Kite, King Vulture, Plumbeous and Swallow-tailed Kites amongst other raptors.
Though there is some degraded humid forest here that we will check out (Helmeted Woodpecker, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow and Black-throated Trogon have been recorded here), our main focus will be on the cerrado. The cerrado is a patchwork of microhabitats each with its own bird communities. For example in sensu strictu cerrado (bushes but no grass) we might expect Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant, the near threatened White-banded Tanager, cerrado endemic Black-throated Saltator, Lesser Elaenia, Red-crested Finch, and Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant. In cerradón (cerrado forest) we´ll look out for Rufous Casiornis, Purplish Jay, Undulated and Tataupa Tinamous, Scaled Dove, Scaly-headed and PileatedParrot and Rusty-backed Antwren. Campo sucio cerrado (open fields with scattered islands of forest) is great for cerrado endemic Curl-crested Jay, White-rumped Monjita, Small-billed and Red-winged Tinamous, White-rumped Tanager, Greater Rhea, the endangered Crowned Eagle and Campo Flicker. Campo limpio is cerrado in its purest forms, dominated by tall, wavy grasses that create an optical illusion on the eye and inhabited by some of the most sought after species of all. Here we will look for cerrado specialities such as Plumbeous Seedeater and Red-legged Seriema, as well as globally-threatened birds like Sharp-tailed Grass-Tyrant, Bearded Tachuri, Black-masked Finch and the diminutive Lesser Nothura - this being the only known location for this bird outside of Brazil.
The action keeps going after dark, Laguna Blanca being one of the top nightbirding spots in the country. Top of everybody´s wish-list is the endangered White-winged Nightjar, a bird known from only three localities on earth, two of them in Paraguay. But there are plenty of other nightbirds here too Little, Rufous and Scissor-tailed Nightjar for example, Pauraque, Common Potoo, Tropical Screech-Owl, Burrowing Owl, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl - the list goes on and on. We´ll also see mammals on our night drives, various armadillos, Crab-eating Fox, Grey Brocket Deer and Collared Peccary amongst the most commonly seen, but there is also a chance of Maned Wolf.
WHAT DOES IT COST?
The cost includes pick up and return to an Asunción hotel, transport to Laguna Blanca, accommodation, food and non-alcoholic drinks and guiding fees.
This is a minimum three-day trip for a minimum of 2 people:
Price: 320 EUROS per person for a minimum of 3 days each additional day 115 EUROS per person
