The Pampas Meadowlark (Leistes defilippii) sits on the meadow and look at the puddle in front of him. It is a hot day and he is really, really thirsty. When he see the water, he know he had to refresh himself.
The Pampas Meadowlark flies off a pole and land on the water. He dip his feet in and move them back and forth as if he is swimming. The tail wags, the plumage fluffs up. The bird takes a quick sip from the puddle. When the black and red bird bathes, the waves shimmer silvery in a silent glow. Its flapping of wings causes the drops to “explode”. Then he swims again, dives in and plays with the water. The bird bathes in the sunshine. So this is what it looks like when Pampas Meadowlarks have jointly chosen a puddle as a bathing opportunity.
The Pampas Meadowlark obviously enjoy the coolness of the water. Suddenly more birds appeared on the bank with Patagonian Mockingbirds (Mimus patagonicus) in between. You look at the puddle and see the Pampas Meadowlarks splashing in the water. One after the other then also begins to fly and splash into the water. Finally, when they are soaking wet and tired, all the birds fly back to land. A male Pampas Meadowlark sits on an old pasture post to dry. The black and red plumage is beautiful to admire.
After about 250 km I turned to Bahia San Blas. I thought this might be a good area for bird watching. The 66km alleged gravel road to the headland is a real off-road challenge. Potholes upon potholes. I need probably 2 hours. The peninsula turns out to be a true angler’s paradise. Therefore, despite the very poor condition of the roads, there are relatively many tourists. One hung a basking shark in the front yard. The pebble beach is not so productive, but as you can see, the interior of the peninsula is quite productive and I get some very nice bird photos.
The Pampas Meadowlark is unusual for the Meadowlarks genus in that it is the only species that has not adapted well to agriculture and human-induced environmental changes. Other blackbirds have become more common and some are even spreading as forests are cleared and agriculture takes over. With the Pampas Meadowlark it is exactly the opposite. It has become rare and is officially classified as endangered. Currently, the remaining distribution area of the Pampas Meadowlark is the southwestern province of Buenos Aires and here in particular the area around the peninsula of San Blas in the south of the province of Buenos Aires. The fact that this meadowlark needs high, “old” grassland and does not breed in agricultural areas or areas with intensive animal husbandry has a restrictive effect on the distribution of the Pampas Meadowlark. These natural meadows are becoming increasingly difficult to find and are easily converted for these purposes as agriculture intensifies.
When much of Argentina was a vast prairie of tall grass, the Pampas Meadowlark must have been one of the most common species in the region. However, it cannot coexist with intensive agriculture, nor will it breed in planted non-native grasses.
Pampas Meadowlarks move in small groups in search of food. Pampas Meadowlarks migrate in flocks of a few hundred outside of the breeding season; in the past there were thousands, which at the time even aroused the image of a marching army.
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