SAN BERNADINO 

PARAGUAY

Region (Compass)
Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W ha topography msl 

Protected/registered status 

Best Time for visit (9-10th July, 2005)

Birding Site Guide

We visited this beautiful small town on the way back from San Rafael. It is about 50km from Asuncion and can be reached by bus via Ypacarai. There are several hotels, and we stayed at Hotel Balneareo on Asuncion which was G100,000 for a double. The town is very green and has many large trees and flowers with many hummers. A good area is on the hill where there is a platform with a big white statue. Around town, we birded 2 areas. La Gruta which is a private reserve 3km from town, back towards the main highway, buses pass along here. There is a big sign saying Fraccion La Gruta. Turn left here (coming from town) and drive to the end of the bumpy road. Go through the archway and ask permission to bird the forest at the big house. The other site near town we visited was the Ycaparai National Park. This area is further around the lake from the town. It is about 5km from town and best reached in a taxi. Ask to go to Rio Salado and get off where you see good habitat. Some water birds can be seen around the lake. Better wetland habitat maybe found further along but we didn't get there. I saw 60 species including 3 lifers. 

Species seen 

  • Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus
  • Whistling Heron Syrigma sibilatrix
  • Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
  • Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis
  • Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris
  • Yellow-headed Caracara Milvago chimachima
  • Chimango Caracara Milvago chimango
  • Limpkin Aramus guarauna
  • Wattled Jacana Jacana jacana
  • Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis
  • Large-billed Tern Phaetusa simplex
  • Picui Ground-Dove Columbina picui
  • White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi
  • Gray-fronted Dove Leptotila rufaxilla
  • Blue-winged Parrotlet Forpus xanthopterygius
  • Yellow-chevroned Parakeet Brotogeris chiriri
  • Scaly-headed Parrot Pionus maximiliani
  • Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana
  • Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani
  • Guira Cuckoo Guira guira
  • Striped Cuckoo h Tapera naevia
  • Glittering-bellied Emerald Chlorostilbon aureoventris
  • Gilded Sapphire Hylocharis chrysura
  • White-tailed Goldenthroat ? Polytmus guainumbi
  • White-barred Piculet Picumnus cirratus
  • Green-barred Woodpecker Colaptes melanochloros
  • Campo Flicker Colaptes campestris
  • Rufous Hornero Furnarius rufus
  • Greater Thornbird Phacellodomus ruber
  • Narrow-billed Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes angustirostris
  • Barred Antshrike Thamnophilus doliatus
  • Variable Antshrike Thamnophilus caerulescens
  • Sooty Tyrannulet Serpophaga nigricans
  • Bran-colored Flycatcher Myiophobus fasciatus
  • Cattle Tyrant Machetornis rixosus
  • Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus
  • Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis
  • Three-striped Flycatcher Conopias trivirgata
  • Gray-breasted Martin Progne chalybea
  • Thrush-like Wren Campylorhynchus turdinus
  • House Wren Troglodytes aedon
  • Masked Gnatcatcher Polioptila dumicola
  • Plush-crested Jay Cyanocorax chrysops
  • Rufous-browed Peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis
  • Masked Yellowthroat Geothlypis aequinoctialis
  • Golden-crowned Warbler Basileuterus culicivorus
  • Chestnut-vented Conebill Conirostrum speciosum
  • Ruby-crowned Tanager ? Tachyphonus coronatus
  • Burnished-buff Tanager ? Tangara cayana
  • Red-crested Finch Coryphospingus cucullatus
  • Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola
  • Red-crested Cardinal Paroaria coronata
  • Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis
  • Glaucous-blue Grosbeak ? Cyanoloxia glaucocaerulea
  • Screaming Cowbird ? Molothrus rufoaxillaris
  • Epaulet Oriole Icterus cayanensis
  • Red-rumped Cacique Cacicus haemorrhous
  • Scarlet-headed Blackbird Amblyramphus holosericeus
  • Hooded Siskin Carduelis magellanica
  • House Sparrow Passer domesticus Introduced


In all --- species of bird have so far been recorded. 

Other Fauna 

A total of -- species of mammals. 

There are -- recorded species of amphibians and reptiles. 

Flora 

Author: Charles Hesse

For more information on volunteering on bird study projects in Paraguay, or for customised bird tours to anywhere in Paraguay contact Paul Smith via his website Fauna Paraguay or by email toThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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