Chile: Fuegian Snipe & Juan Fernandez

Day 1: Arrivals into Punta Arenas International Airport (PUQ). We’ll spend the afternoon looking for Flying and Flightless Steamer Ducks, Magellanic Oystercatcher, Imperial Cormorant, Upland Goose, Chilean Skua, and the splendid Dolphin Gull. The tiny Austral Negrito is sure to be found as well, and hopefully Magellanic Woodpecker. If time permits, we’ll drive to the Estancia San Juan, where the endangered Ruddy-headed Goose breeds. Along the coast, we’ll also be looking for Kelp Goose, to complete the collection of all five Chilean geese! Night in Punta Arenas.

Day 2: Early morning departure to drive to Punta Carrera, from where we will board the ferry to the island of Carlos III. The journey from our point of embarkation to our accommodation at the beautiful WhaleSound ecocamp will take approximately eight hours. We will arrive during the afternoon, being the first international birding group privileged to land here. There will be time for some initial exploration into the habitat of our main target - the elusive Fuegian Snipe. One of the rarest and least-known birds in the world, it has been seen by very very few people, mostly researchers spending long periods in this far-flung region. Our local guide is one of these researchers, and as such, knows exactly where we need to go. 

Day 3-4-5: We will dedicate three full days (if necessary!) to finding Fuegian Snipe. Leaving at first light each morning, we will hike towards the wetlands and spend the entire morning searching for this mythical species. We will have lunch back at the camp and then head out for another excursion in the afternoon as required. However, if the weather is fair, we shouldn't need too much time to succeed, given the bird is quite common on Carlos III.

Once the main objective of the trip is achieved, we will explore the surroundings of Francisco Coloane Marine Park and Kawesqar National Park. Colonies of Magellanic Penguin, Imperial Cormorant, and Rock Cormorant are all impressive, with Common Sea Lions and Southern Fur Seals in abundance. We’ll also look for other emblematic species such as the Striated Caracara, Magellanic Diving Petrel, South American Tern, Black-browed Albatross, Antarctic Giant Petrel, and Chilean Skua, among others. Nights at WhaleSound Ecocamp.

Day 6: After breakfast and some final birding on the island, we will take the ferry back to Punta Arenas, arriving in the late afternoon. Night in Punta Arenas.

Day 7: We will catch a morning flight back to Santiago. Given current flight times, we estimate to land in Santiago by lunchtime, and afterwards, time permitting, we will visit a couple of coastal locations where endemics such as Dusky-tailed Canastero, Chilean Seaside Cinclodes, and Dusky Tapaculo occur, among other species. Night in Santiago.

Day 8: Today, we take a two-hour charter flight over the Pacific Ocean to the Juan Fernandez Islands. Unlike the somewhat irregular commercial flights, it is very rare for charter flights to be delayed or cancelled. Landing on Robinson Crusoe, a 45-minute boat ride transports us to the town of Juan Bautista, located on the other side of the island. We’ll pass a Juan Fernandez Fur Seal colony and be able to watch schools of fish in the crystal-clear water. We can expect an excellent seafood lunch before beginning our explorations!

Day 9: Early this morning, we will board our first pelagic. Particular effort will be focused on the two rare specialties here: Masatierra Petrel and Stejneger’s Petrel. More common is the breeding endemic Juan Fernandez Petrel, plus Kermadec Petrel and Pink-footed Shearwater. We may also see White-faced and Black-bellied Storm Petrels. After returning to shore, we’ll spend the afternoon walking the foothills of El Yunque in Juan Fernandez National Park, where the dazzling Juan Fernandez Firecrown and fantastic Juan Fernandez Tit-tyrant are quite common. We should have plenty of time to enjoy observing and photographing these two special endemics.

Day 10: We intend to spend the majority of the day on another pelagic in search of the same species as yesterday. The evening will be for relaxing and enjoying a nice dinner to celebrate our off-the-beaten-track adventure.

Day 11: Morning birding on our way back to Robinson Crusoe Airstrip before catching a midday flight back to Santiago, where the tour ends this afternoon. Those continuing on the extension will stay overnight near the airport. Instead of the extension, some may wish to join the main Chile 2026 tour, which also begins the next day.