With almost a thousand species of birdsthat inhabit very diverse natural environments and of singular beauty, Argentina is a true paradise for lovers of bird watching, an activity that awakens all the senses.
Flamingos, Andean condors, toucans, penguins, rheas, swans... National and provincial parks and countless private reserves are home to these and other species and make upthe Natural Route, a project promoted by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Argentina to promote nature tourism in a sustainable way.
About half of the bird species recorded in Argentina inhabit the province of Misiones, in the extreme northeast of the country, where nature unfolds its charms in places such as the Iguazu Falls, the Moconá Falls and the Yabotí biosphere reserve.
In addition to learning from nature, bird watching reduces anxiety and stress.
A dense jungle hides from toucans, hummingbirds, dancers, tanagers and yacutingas to waterfall swifts and eagles.
"Tourism, both national and foreign, sees Misiones as a unique place worldwide, where there are species and sites of enjoyment of nature very important," says Sergio Moya, who is dedicated to disseminating through social networks -where he has thousands of followers- impressive images, in video and photo, of various species of birds that inhabit Misiones.
From patience to surprise
Moya, a 36-year-old electronic engineer and university professor, has spent almost half of his life contemplating nature, with a special focus on birds.
Observation requires patience and silence. Photo Hugo Giraudo
Over the years it has become a true reference for those who go out to "birding", as bird watching is colloquially called.
For Moya, it is vital that those who embark on this adventure do so with the utmost respect: cause the least possible impact on the environment, do not abuse the use of speakers to reproduce sounds that call the birds, do not approach the nests or move branches on the whim of wanting to take the "perfect photo".
As an expert, he recommends beginners to previously study the physiognomy and song of the birds that could potentially be seen in that environment, choose the most appropriate times for sighting – usually very early in the morning or at sunset – and know how to be patient.
Because with patience you see really amazing things, such as the very unusual sighting in Yabotí of a golden crested eagle and a widow eagle, together and about to faceeach other, a unique moment that Moya managed to capture in a photo he will never forget.
Beginners are advised to study the physiognomy and song of birds that could be seen.
Learning
Bird watching is a true school: it exercises the senses, helps to have another perspective of life and to look at the environment beyond one's navel.
"This activity sharpens your eyesight, makes you work the focusing muscles of sight, keeps your visual system active and the auditory system is amplified. All the senses work," says Moya.
Birds also offer "vital lessons," such as that it is possible to keep singing and flying even in the midst of adversity.
A group of observers in Mina Clavero, Córdoba. Photo Juan Machuca
"I learned that you have to enjoy life. It seems that birds are always happy, but this is not always the case. The birds are like the emblem of freedom and it seems that they are only flying and singing, but there are times that they are also doing it when the jungle is being set on fire," says Moya.
Birding has also taught him to become aware in the front row of the damage to the ecosystem -deforestation, fires, poaching-, but also to discover and value the "good things", those public and private initiatives of conservation and recovery of the forest.
Maca tobiano, an endangered species endemic to Patagonia
"This changed my life because it is a super healthy activity, which gives you a lot of satisfaction with very little. I want people to do it and that's why I take pictures, film and share it," he says.
Natalia Kidd / EFE
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