A few days ago I found myself with a few hours to kill in Buenos Aires so I headed down to the Reserva Ecologica on the Costanera Sur to see what was around. I spent a couple of hours there – it was swelteringly hot, and even the birds were taking cover. In the end I was defeated by the heat and humidity and retired hurt to my air-conditioned hotel.

I was too hot and bothered to keep a list (Scarlett, where are you when I need you?), so tried to reconstruct one when I sat down with a cold beer back in the hotel. I’ve probably missed out one or two sightings, but have included photos below where I was able to take one – some of course didn’t come out too well, and sometimes I just wasn’t fast enough to take the shot.

Thirty-five species on this outing if I counted right, with three species new to me: not bad for a short trip. The life-listers were the Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch (siete vestidos), the White-winged Becard (anambé común)  and the Grey-breasted Martin (golondrina domestica) – full descriptions below. A happy day, if a hot and sticky one – Buenos Aires really is a place to leave in the summer.

Below is the list (corrections gratefully accepted). Click on any photo for a captioned slide show or scroll down to see the complete list. For each species cited I have given the name commonly used in Argentina, the English name (in bold) and the Scientific name (in italics). I did not record numbers this time. All photos below were taken on the day.

PODICIPEDIFORMES
Podicipedidae
1) Macá Común White-tufted Grebe Rollandia rolland

SULIFORMES
Phalacrocoracidae
2) Biguá Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus

PELECANIFORMES
Threskiornithidae
3) Cuervillo de Cañada White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi

ANSERIFORMES
Anatidae
4) Sirirí Pampa White-faced Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna viduata

5) Pato Zambullidor Chico Lake Duck Oxyura vittata
6) Pato de Collar Ringed Teal Callonetta leucophrys

7) Pato Maicero Yellow-billed Pintail Anas georgica
8) Pato Barcino Yellow-billed Teal Anas flavirostris

CHARADRIIFORMES
Jacanidae
9) Jacana Wattled Jacana Jacana jacana

COLUMBIFORMES
Columbidae
10) Paloma Doméstica Feral Pigeon Columba livia

11) Paloma Picazuró Picazuro Pigeon Patagioenas picazuro

12) Torcaza Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata
13) Torcacita Común Picui Ground Dove Columbina picui

PSITTACIFORMES
Psittacidae
14) Cotorra Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus

CUCULIFORMES
Cuculidae
15) Pirincho Guira Cuckoo Guira guira

PICIFORMES
Picidae
16) Carpintero Real Green-barred Woodpecker Colaptes melanochloros

PASSERIFORMES
Tityridae
17) Anambé Común White-winged Becard Pachyramphus polychopterus

Tyrannidae
18) Pico de Plata Spectacled Tyrant Hymenops perspicillatus
19) Benteveo Común Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus
Furnariidae
20) Hornero Rufous Hornero Furnarius rufus

Hirundinidae
21) Golondrina Doméstica Gray-breasted Martin Progne chalybea

Mimidae
22) Calandria Grande Chalk-browed Mockingbird Mimus saturninus

Turdidae
23) Zorzal Colorado Rufous-bellied Thrush Turdus rufiventris

24) Zorzal Chalchalero Creamy-bellied Thrush Turdus amaurochalinus
Passeridae
25) Gorrión House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Icteridae
26) Tordo Renegrido Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis

Emberizidae
27) Chingolo Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis

Thraupidae
28) Yal Negro Mourning Sierra-Finch Phrygilus fruticeti

29) Diuca Común Common Diuca-Finch Diuca diuca
30) Sietevestidos Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch Poospiza nigrorufa

31) Jilguero Dorado Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola
32) Verdón Great Pampa-Finch Embernagra platensis
33) Corbatita Común Double-collared Seedeater Sporophila caerulescens

34) Cardenal Común Red-crested Cardinal Paroaria coronata

35) Pepitero de Collar Golden-billed Saltator Saltator aurantiirostris

My thanks to Alec Earnshaw for confirming some of my IDs. It was a good half-day’s birding, and a fitting end to my stay in Argentina. Back again in August 2015!