A White-throated Caracara (Phalcoboenus albogularis) flies along the sparsely overgrown slope through the blowing snow-shower. Finally the bird takes a seat on light, stony sand. The white-throated caracara seems to look into the vastness of Patagonia. A nice picture.
Patagonia is a country of contrasts. Patagonia, the storm-swept south end of the South American continent, captivates travelers with ist rough charme. The further south you go and the narrower the country, the wider and more endless the landscape seems to become. Suddenly, rugged mountains protrude from the plain like fangs. Scraps of cloud hunt across the sky.
The views of the rock and ice landscapes of famous mountain ranges such as Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre and the Torres del Paine are breathtaking. The turquoise-blue glacial lakes below form a perfect contrast. The often changing weather and strong wind are a constant companion in Patagonia and add to the roughness of this area.
Blue glaciers shimmer in the soft light of the south, their ice crunches, cracks and cracks. So in Argentina’s probably most beautiful national park “Los Glaciares” with the imposing glacier “Perito Moreno” and its ice towers up to 70 m high.
From these, huge chunks of ice keep falling into “Lago Argentino”. This extraordinary natural wonder is a real treat. Barren areas of grass stretch to the horizon, seemingly unspectacular, but hardly any viewer can escape their strange fascination.
Only rarely does the wing beat of an Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) or the bright screech of a Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) mix with the incessant howling of the wind, lonely poplars protect the few houses. The next neighbor lives far away behind the horizon
In parts of southern Chile and Argentina, winter might come with heavy snowfalls. In Patagonia and the southern Andes in particular, several centimeters of snow fell every winter. Traffic in towns like Punta Arenas are often severely impaired and then numerous flights will be canceled. The reason for the heavy snowfall is often a low-pressure area off the east coast of Argentina. Snowy weather conditions in the south of Argentina and Chile are not uncommon due to the cool sea climate. Winter is in the southern hemisphere from the beginning of June to the end of August.
It is known that the White-throated Caracara on the Isla Grande in Tierra del Fuego congregates in large numbers on garbage dumps. There the bird picks up carrion, e.g. dead guanacos and cattle carcasses. There are plenty of them at the garbage bins; here you can also hunt small rodents. He also goes to places where sheep are slaughtered. Nevertheless, it is quite possible to meet white-throated caracaras in Patagonia’s great, wide open nature. His habitat is particularly open mountain slopes and wide open areas up to sea level.
In order to meet the growing demand for top images of the rarer species of Palaearctic Bird-lens.com has specifically made trips to remote places like Tierra del Fuego in Patagonia. This is to do everything to ensure excellent photos not only of the Birds of the Western Palearctic . The yield of pictures also of rare birds is very good. There are other nice images of birds, that you will find behind the tab “Picture Shop“. Just give bird-lens.com a notice if you need a picture of a bird which is not online.