Flamingos of the Atacama

This half-day bird watching excursion is led by a naturalist guide and conservationist who surveys the local population of avifauna. It is the shorter of her two birding tours, staying at the same elevation as San Pedro — which makes it a good choice for when you’re still acclimatizing, or for travelers who would rather watch birds than spend a full day on the road. After leaving San Pedro, you drive south to Jere Canyon (Quebrada de Jere) and walk through orchards, where oasis birds gather: Tamarugo Conebills, Chiguanco Thrushes, Cream-winged and White-winged Cinclodes, Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetails. The second part takes place at Atacama Salt Flat's Chaxa Lagoon, where you encounter three of the world's six flamingo species — Andean, Chilean and James — along with migratory and resident shore birds such as Puna Plovers and Andean Avocets. There is usually a bonus stop at Tambillo Forest. The tour runs mornings in summer (October–March) and afternoons in winter (April–September).

The half day pairs two landscapes that couldn't be more different: a green oasis threaded with fruit trees, and the white salt flat where the flamingos wade. Covering both locations in a morning allows you to see how the world's driest desert supports life at both extremes. Valeria takes it at an unhurried pace, with plenty of time to watch rather than tick species off a list. She is a genuine authority on the local ecosystem — a working conservationist who has logged nearly 1,200 bird species of her own — and she balances quiet observation with the kind of context that makes what you are seeing more interesting. At Jere Canyon you learn how an oasis functions in a desert that barely sees rain. At Chaxa you get close to the flamingos — the birds most people come to the Atacama hoping to see — without the crowds of the standard circuit tours. The optional stop at Tambillo Forest can turn up burrowing owls and Scale-throated Earthcreepers.

Valeria Heindl is a naturalist and conservationist who has lived in San Pedro de Atacama for over a decade, building deep roots in the community while running her tour business. Her expertise runs across the region's natural history — its geology, flora and wildlife, and in particular its birds — and is grounded in active conservation and environmental education work. She has taken part in the Flamingo and Shore Birds Survey, the Diademed Sandpiper-Plover Survey, and an ongoing CONAF raptor monitoring project in the Moon Valley, and has trained through Chile's ROC bird-observer network in bird physiology, pelagic birds, and shorebird conservation. On her own expeditions she has now recorded 1,195 bird species — close to a tenth of the world's total.

Camera. Sturdy footwear/hiking boots. Sunscreen (essential), sunglasses, and suncap. Due to variable weather conditions (all seasons), dressing in layers is advised. Down jacket/windbreaker are mandatory. Gloves, beanie hat, and liners/thermals during winter (June-September). ** Sightings of specific species cannot be guaranteed. ** If you would prefer a full day that also visits the high Altiplano wetlands, book "Birds of the Desert" instead.