Disclaimer: I’m no expert birdwatcher and have heretofore exhibited little interest in birding. However, staying for a couple days at the edge of Esteros del Ibará, a provincial park and wildlife sanctuary in northern Argentina, there were so many birds, and our hosts so eager about pointing them out, there was nothing for it but to go along and get excited about birds.

Here’s a list of what we saw in 2 days here (numbers correspond to the species listed in Aves de Argentina y Uruguay, or Birds of Argentina & Uruguay, gold edition).

74: Neotropic Cormorant (Biguá)

87: Great Egret (Garza Blanca)

93: Black-Crowned Night Heron (Garza Bruja)

96: Maguari Stork (Cigüeña Americana)

142: Brazilian Duck (Palo Cutirí)

218: Giant Wood-rail (Ipacaá)

246: Wattled Jacana (Jacana)

252: South American Stilt (Tero Real)

253: Southern Lapwing (Tero Común)

356: Monk Parakeet (Cotorra)

457: Amazon Kingfisher (Martín Pescador Mediano)

471: Field Flicker (Carpintero Campestre)

533: Rufous Hornero (Hornero)

691: Great Kiskadee (Benteveo Común)

696: Fork-Tailed Flycatcher (Tijereta)

801: Chalk-Browed Mockinbird (Calandria Grande)

867: Red-Crested Cardenal (Cardenal Común)

958: Screaming Cowbird (Tordo Pico Corto)

969: Scarlet-Headed Blackbird (Federal)

972: White-Browed Blackbird (Pecho Colorado)