LAGUNA DE ROCHA
URUGUAY
Region (Compass)
00o00´S/00o00´W ha topography msl
Protected/registered status
Best Time for visit (29-30th May, 2005)
Birding Site Guide
Laguna de Rocha can be accessed from Rocha or better from La Paloma. La Paloma is easily reached though by regular buses from Rocha. Both places have a number of places to stay. The cheapest place we could find in Rocha was Hotel Municial one block South of the plaza with a double for 420 including breakfast. From La Paloma there is a track to the lake but it doesn't seem passable in a car, instead take a turning a few kms north of La Paloma on Route 15. If walking from La Paloma it seemed about 10km. The track runs parallel with the beach but winds a bit. Some areas of dunes, scrub and small marshes had a few birds. Once you reach sight of the lake, you can either walk along the shore or follow the road along. Between the lake shore and the road are some good boggy areas. At the 'Cabito' or the point at the end there is a hide with a view over the lake and where it empties out into the sea. Here U saw several species of gull, tern and wading birds aswell as 40 or more Chilean Flamingos on the other side. Rufous-throated Sapphire was seen in the garden of a house on the way back that had many red flowers.
On another day, I walked from Rocha to the main Chuy-Montevideo highway turning right towards Montevideo and turning off where signed to Puerto de los Botes 5km away. Birding is quite good on this road in some marshy areas on the left where Giant Wood-Rail was seen. Grey Monjita was seen perched on a post a little further along. Puerto de los Botes is next to the river where you can walk along a little and explore some areas of reeds. I saw 89 species including lifers.
Species seen
- Spotted Nothura Nothura maculosa
- Great Grebe Podiceps major
- Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus
- Whistling Heron Syrigma sibilatrix
- Cocoi Heron Ardea cocoi
- Great Egret Ardea alba
- Snowy Egret Egretta thula
- Maguari Stork Ciconia maguari
- Plumbeous Ibis Theristicus caerulescens
- Bare-faced Ibis Phimosus infuscatus
- White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi
- Chilean Flamingo Phoenicopterus chilensis Near-threatened
- Southern Screamer Chauna torquata
- Black-necked Swan Cygnus melanocorypha
- Coscoroba Swan Coscoroba coscoroba
- Brazilian Teal Amazonetta brasiliensis
- Speckled Teal Anas flavirostris
- Yellow-billed Pintail Anas georgica
- Silver Teal Anas versicolor
- Lake Duck Oxyura vittata
- Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris
- Southern Caracara Caracara plancus
- Chimango Caracara Milvago chimango
- American Kestrel Falco sparverius
- Limpkin Aramus guarauna
- Giant Wood-Rail Aramides ypecaha
- Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
- Red-gartered Coot Fulica armillata
- American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus
- White-backed Stilt Himantopus melanurus
- Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis
- Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus
- Collared Plover Charadrius collaris
- Two-banded Plover Charadrius falklandicus
- Rufous-chested Dotterel Charadrius modestus
- South American Snipe Gallinago paraguaiae
- Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca
- Lesser Yellowlegs ? Tringa flavipes
- Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus
- Gray-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus
- Brown-hooded Gull Larus maculipennis
- Royal Tern Sterna maxima
- South American Tern Sterna hirundinacea
- Snowy-crowned Tern Sterna trudeaui
- Yellow-billed Tern Sterna superciliaris
- Black Skimmer Rynchops niger
- Picazuro Pigeon Patagioenas picazuro
- Spot-winged Pigeon Patagioenas maculosa
- Picui Ground-Dove Columbina picui
- White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi
- Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus
- Guira Cuckoo Guira guira
- Rufous-throated Sapphire Hylocharis
- Rufous-throated Sapphire Hylocharis
- White-throated Hummingbird Leucochloris albicollis
- Amazon Kingfisher Chloroceryle amazona
- Green-barred Woodpecker Colaptes melanochloros
- Bar-winged Cinclodes ? Cinclodes fuscus
- Rufous Hornero Furnarius rufus
- Wren-like Rushbird Phleocryptes melanops Only heard
- Chicli Spinetail ? Synallaxis spixi
- Freckle-breasted Thornbird Phacellodomus striaticollis Only heard
- Sooty Tyrannulet Serpophaga nigricans
- White-crested Tyrannulet Serpophaga subcristata
- Gray Monjita Xolmis cinerea
- White Monjita Xolmis irupero
- Dark-faced Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola macloviana
- Austral Negrito Lessonia rufa
- Spectacled Tyrant ? Hymenops perspicillatus
- Cattle Tyrant Machetornis rixosus
- Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus
- Blue-and-white Swallow Pygochelidon cyanoleuca
- House Wren Troglodytes aedon
- White-banded Mockingbird Mimus triurus
- Rufous-bellied Thrush Turdus rufiventris
- Creamy-bellied Thrush Turdus amaurochalinus
- Masked Gnatcatcher Polioptila dumicola
- Tropical Parula Parula pitiayumi
- Long-tailed Reed-Finch Donacospiza albifrons
- Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch Poospiza nigrorufa
- Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola
- Great Pampa-Finch Embernagra platensis
- Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis
- Yellow-winged Blackbird Agelaius thilius
- Bay-winged Cowbird Molothrus badius
- Brown-and-yellow Marshbird Pseudoleistes virescens
- Hooded Siskin Carduelis magellanica
- European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Introduced species
- House Sparrow Passer domesticus Introduced species
Other Fauna
A total of -- species of mammals.
There are -- recorded species of amphibians and reptiles.
Flora
Author: Charles Hesse
www.birdingsiteguide.com
