FAUNA
The diversity of plant species make Reserva Achalay home to a great variety of birds. So far, we have registered over 144 species, which represent aproximately 37% of the total provincial bird fauna, and more than 14% of birds found in Argentina (which add up to around 1000 species).
Achalay is home to several typical and emblematic birds of the Paraná Delta ecoregion, including: herons; bare-faced and white-faced ibis; roseate spoonbill; diverse species of ducks and grebes (“divers”); and many species commonly found in scrublands and river marshes, including curve-billed reedhaunter, wren-like rushbird, spix’s spinetail, rufous-capped antshrike, sooty tyrannulet, rusty-collared seedeater and unicoloured blackbird.
Within the riverside forests, live the dusky-legged guan, yellow-billed cardinal, checkered woodpecker, red-eyed vireo, rufous-browed peppershrike, golden-crowned warbler, greyish saltator, epaulet oriole, and solitary cacique.
Finally, among Achalay’s birds the scarlet-headed blackbird (Amblyramphus holosericeus) is almost always easy to spot, despite being categorised as a nationally vulnerable species.
We also have registered mammals which are characteristic of this ecoregion such as the Hidrochaerus hydrochaeris, the Myiocastor coypus, the Cavia aperea and the Oncifelis geoffroyii.
Among the reptiles and amphibians the Hypsiboas pulchellus, Pseudopaludicola falcipes, Leptodactylus latrans, Pseudis sp, Rhinella fernandezae, Rhinella arenarum, and the Erythrolamprus miliaris all inhabit the reserve.
Observed Bird Species
- Pied-billed grebe (Podylimbus podiceps)
- Great grebe (Podiceps major)
- Snakebird or Darter (Anhinga anhinga)
- Neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus)
- Cocoi heron (Ardea cocoi)
- Rufescent tiger heron (Tigrisoma lineatum)
- Whistling heron (Syrigma sibilatrix)
- Great egret (Ardea alba)
- Snowy egret (Egretta thula)
- Western cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis)
- Striated heron (Butorides striata)
- Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
- Maguari stork (Ciconia maguari)
- Bare-faced ibis (Phimosus infuscatus)
- White-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi)
- Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)
- Southern screamer (Chauna torquata)
- Coscoroba swan (Coscoroba coscoroba)
- Black-necked swan (Cygnus melancoryphus)
- Yellow-billed teal (Anas flavirostris)
- Red shoveler (Anas platalea)
- Silver teal (Anas verrsicolor)
- Rosy-billed pochard (Netta peposaca)
- Brazilian teal (Amazonetta brasiliensis)
- Great black hawk (Buteogallus urubitinga)
- Harris’s hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)
- Snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis)
- Long-winged harrier (Circus buffoni)
- Rufous-thighed hawk (Accipiter erythronemius)
- Roadside hawk (Rupornis magnirostris)
- Savanna hawk (Buteogallus meridionalis)
- Southern crested caracara (Caracara plancus)
- Chimango caracara (Milvago chimango)
- Aplomado falcon (Falco femoralis)
- Dusky-legged guan (Penelope obscura)
- Limpkin (Aramus guarauna)
- Giant wood rail (Aramides ypecaha)
- Grey-necked wood rail (Aramides cajanea)
- Plumbeous rail (Pardirallus sanguinolentus)
- White-winged coot (Fulica leucoptera)
- Red-fronted coot (Fulica rufifrons)
- Common gallinule (Gallinula galeata)
- Spot-flanked gallinule (Porphyriops melanops)
- Wattled jacana (Jacana)
- Southern lapwing (Vanellus chilensis)
- Lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
- South American snipe (Gallinago paraguaiae)
- Grey-headed gull (Chroicocephalus cirrhocephalus)
- Brown-hooded gull (Chroicocephalus maculipennis)
- Kelp gull (Larus dominicanus)
- Spot-winged pigeon (Patagioenas maculosa)
- Picazuro pigeon (Patagioenas picazuro)
- Rock dove (Columba livia)
- Eared dove (Zenaida auriculata)
- Picui ground dove (Columbina picui)
- White-tipped dove (Leptotila verreauxi)
- Monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monacha)
- Dark-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus melacoryphus)
- Ash-colored cuckoo (Coccycua cinerea)
- Smooth-billed ani (Crotophaga ani)
- Guira cuckoo (Guira guira)
- Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus)
- Striped owl (Pseudoscops clamator)
- Tropical screech owl (Megascops choliba)
- Scissor-tailed nightjar (Hydropsalis torquata)
- White-throated hummingbird (Leocohloris albicollis)
- Glittering-bellied emerald (Chlorostilbon lucidus)
- Gilded sapphire (hylocharis chrysura)
- Ringed kingfisher (Megaceryle torquata)
- Green kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana)
- Campo flicker ( Colaptes campestris)
- Green-barred woodpecker (Colaptes melanochloros)
- Checkered woodpecker (Veniliornis mixtus)
- White woodpecker (Melanerpes candidus)
- Narrow-billed woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes angustirostris)
- Rufous hornero (Furnarius rufus)
- Buff-winged cinclodes (Cinclodes fuscus)
- Curve-billed reedhaunter ( Limnornis curvirostris)
- Sulphur-bearded spinetail (Cranioleuca sulphurifera)
- Yellow-chinned spinetail (Certhiaxis cinnamomea)
- Wren-like rushbird (Phleocryptes melanops)
- Spix’s spinetail (Synallaxis spixi)
- Frecle-breasted thornbird (Phacellodomus striaticollis)
- Rufous-capped antshrike (Thamnophilus ruficapillus)
- White-winged becard (Pachyrhamphus polychopterus)
- Spectacled tyrant (Hymenos perspicillata)
- Streaked flycatcher (Miodynastes maculatus)
- Black-crowned monjita (Xolomis coronata)
- Cattle tyrant (Machetornis rixosa)
- Yellow-browed tyrant (Satrapa icterophrys)
- Great kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus)
- Tropical kingbird (Tyrannus malancholicus)
- Fork-tailed flycatcher (Tyrannus savana)
- Swainson’s flycatcher (Myiarchus swainsoni)
- Bran-colored flycatcher (Myiophobus fasciatus)
- Mottle-cheeked tyrannulet (Phylloscartes ventralis)
- Scarlet flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus)
- Warbling doradito (Pseudocolopteryx flaviventris)
- Sooty tyrannulet (Serpophaga nigricans)
- White-crested tyrannulet (Serpophaga subcristata)
- White-bellied tyrannulet (Serpophaga griseiceps)
- Small-billed elaenia (Elaenia parvirostris)
- Camptostoma obsoletum (Camptostoma obsoletum)
- Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)
- Grey-breasted martin (Progne chalybea)
- Brown-chested martin (Progne tapera)
- White-rumped swallow (Tachycineta leucorrhoa)
- Blue-and-white swallos (Notiochelidon cyanoleuca)
- House wren (Troglodytes aedon)
- Chalk-browed mockinbird (Mimus saturninus)
- Creamy-bellied thrush (Turdus amaurochalinus)
- Rufous-bellied thrush (Turdus rufiventris)
- Masked gnatcatcher (Polioptila dumicola)
- Red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceus)
- Rufous-browed peppershrike (Cyclarhis gujanensis)
- Diademed tanager (Stephanophorus diadematus)
- Sayaca tanager (Thrupis sayaca)
- Red-crested cardinal (Paroaria coronata)
- Yellow-billed cardinal (Paroaria capitata)
- Double-collared seedeater (Sporophila coerulescens)
- Rusty-collared seedeater (Sporophila collaris)
- Saffron finch (Sicalis flaveola)
- Rufous-collared sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis)
- Black-capped warbling finch (Poospiza melanoleuca)
- Black-and-rufous warbling finch (Poospiza nigrorufa)
- Greyish saltator (Saltator caerulescens)
- Hepatic tanager (Piranga flava)
- Golden-crowned warbler (Basileuterus culicivorus)
- Tropical parula (Parula pitiayumi)
- Yellothroat (Geothlypis aecquinoctialis)
- Solitary cacique (Cacicus solitarius)
- Epaulet oriole (Icterus cayanensis)
- Screaming cowbird (Molothrus rufoaxillaris)
- Shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis)
- Grayish baywing (Agelaioides badius)
- Unicoloured blackbird (Agelasticus cyanopus)
- Chestnut-capped blackbird (Chrysomus ruficapillus)
- Yellow-winged blackbird (Agelasticus thilius)
- Bran-and-yellow marshbird (Pseudoleistes virescens)
- Scarled-headed blackbird (Amblyrhamphus holosericeus)
- White-browed meadowlark (Sturnella superciliaris)
- House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
- Common starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
- Hooded skin (Sporagra magellanica)
