54 birdwatchersdigest.com • January/February’ 17 • bird Watcher’sdigest
the marsh, which were filled to
the brim with waterfowl, grebes,
and coots. One of the most
unique birds present was a pair
of secretive black-headed ducks.
This species is the only obligate
brood parasite among waterfowl, laying its eggs in nests
of other species. Interestingly,
black-headed ducks will lay eggs
in the nests of a wide variety of
species, including coots, gulls,
terns, and even raptors!
In the evening, we continued to Parque Nacional La
Campana. Cerro La Campana,
which was famously climbed
by Charles Darwin during the
second voyage of the Beagle,
loomed in the distance. Coastal
central Chile is dominated by a
Mediterranean climate, which
translates into mild, rainy winters
and warm, dry summers similar
to those in southern California.
This climate supports a distinct
vegetation community of low
trees and shrubs locally known
as matorral. The matorral, along
with its endemic plants and
animals, is under threat from
development and agriculture. The
national park protects one of the
largest remaining swaths of this
unique habitat. The steep, brushy
hills and forested valleys are
home to six Chilean endemics,
and all of them can be observed
along the park’s trail system.
The endemic Chilean mock-
ingbird is a well-marked species
with a large white eyebrow. Like
many members of its clan, it is
bold and easily seen. The remain-
ing five endemics are skulkers,
making for some challenging and
exciting birding. Three are tapac-
ulos, staples of South American
birding and best described as
rodents with wings as they creep
mouselike through the densest
tangles. Fortunately, two species
are unusually large and well-
patterned for the family. The
white-throated tapaculo prefers
the dense scrub clinging to the
hillsides, whereas the moustached
turca bounces along rocky slopes
on a set of huge feet. The dusky
tapaculo follows the usual plain
appearance of the tribe and hides
among dense streamside thickets.
The national park is also the
stronghold of an endemic oven-
bird, the dusky-tailed canastero.
This brown, streaky bird can be
quite acrobatic among the shoul-
der-high shrubbery.
Along fields beyond the border of the park, it is possible
to hear the short whistle of the
Chilean tinamou, but seeing one
of these shy birds requires great
luck. Within one long day, the
endemic birds were in the bag
and we managed to see a few
additional species, including the
large Chilean pigeon, outsized
giant hummingbird, and fast
Chilean hawk. It was also not
uncommon to run into a feisty
pair of diurnal Austral pygmy-
