Almost 10 percent of the existing birds on the entire planet live in our country. Pride and responsibility.

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The hornero is considered the national bird of the Argentine Republic. A survey carried out in 1928 determined that it was the bird that best represented Argentine values. Worker, home lover, faithful until death to a single partner and, as if that were not enough, ancestral militant of shared tasks in the domestic sphere. Everything in him, from his penchant for noble materials to build his home –such as the mud and roots of the Argentine countryside–, speaks of Argentina, from which he would never dream of emigrating.

Bird experts, however, have some doubts. It so happens that this bird, whose figure has been stamped since 2017 on the thousand-peso bills of our country, has a marked bias from central Argentina: it is typical of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, La Pampa and Entre Ríos; but not from other regions, such as Patagonia or the Northwest. So, they wonder, is it so correct that the hornero is the national bird of Argentina?

The land? The chingolo? The Sparrow? In the top five of Argentine bird species, we could include the Tobiano Grebe, the Gallito arena and the Chaco Canastero, birds with national identity and that only nest within the territorial limits. However, putting together a ranking can be as unfair as it is difficult due to the great variety of environments that the country has. So, how many species of birds are there in Argentina?

The bird species of Argentina

One thousand fifty-three species of birds are in Argentina. This is a more than important number. If, as stated by the Birds of the World platform, there are more than 10,700 species of birds distributed in 41 orders and 249 families in the world, our country has about 10% of global diversity with its 1,053 registered birds.

"Only Argentina has a greater variety of birds than, for example, the entire European continent," Juan José Bonanno, coordinator of the Community area of ??the NGO Aves Argentinas, tells us. And he adds: "The diversity of birds is explained by the geography of Argentina: its variety of climates and environments, which range from the extreme cold of Antarctica to the dryness of the Chaco region, passing through the tropicality of the Atlantic forest" .

Bonanno's precise information bears the stamp of an organization that is more than a hundred years old in our country. Aves Argentinas, whose splendid work we can see on its website, was born on July 28, 1916 as the Ornithological Society of Plata, from the hand of researchers and intellectuals integrated into the Museum of Natural History that worked in the Manzana de las Luces.

Bonanno explains that there are seventeen species of birds that are considered endemic to Argentina. That is: it is only possible to find them in our territory. The number of species, however, may be much higher due to the fact that there are birds that frequently enter what is geographically and politically Argentina, such as those that live in the north of the country, between the Atlantic forest and Brazil. .

In any case, those who spend their lives researching our birds do not hesitate to point out the ten most representative birds of Argentina. Let's see:

1. Chingolo (Zonotrichia capensis)

It is a bird that can be found throughout the national territory, in all environments and, furthermore, in almost the entire continent.

2. Hooded Grebe (Podiceps gallardoi)

An emblem of Patagonian conservation, this species inhabits lakes and lagoons on the high plateaus of the province of Santa Cruz. It was only discovered in 1974 and lives in both Chile and Argentina. Experts believe that it could become extinct in the next decade: its population has decreased by 80% in the last 25 years. It measures 28 cm, it is small and really precious. Bright white with a forehead of the same color, it has a black color on the neck that ascends the head ending in a yellow-reddish crest and red iris. We must take care of it!!!!

3. Andean condor (Vultur gryphus)

It is a species that has managed to recover from possible extinction. It can be seen in different environments: mountains, mountains and even in the sea to Tierra del Fuego. They are inhabitants of a large part of Latin America, always flying close to the Andes Mountains. Considered one of the largest flying birds in the world, it usually exceeds 3 meters in width in its wings, 142 cm in height and flies about 300 kilometers a day without stopping with speeds of 120 km per hour.

4. Collared Yetapá (Alectrurus risora)

In the natural grasslands of the Pampas region and in the Iberá Wetlands, northeast of Argentina, you can see this bird with such particular plumage, which inhabits southern Paraguay and northern Argentina. It measures up to 20 cm in length and has a long tail that in the male usually reaches 31 cm. They have a pinkish or yellowish bill. And it is a species considered vulnerable because of how badly man treats his environment.

5. Blue Dancer (Chiroxiphia caudata)

Bird of enormous singularity and elegance. Its display and color make it one of the most precious jewels of the Atlantic forest. It measures between 14 and 15.5 cm. The male is a beautiful deep blue color with a red crown and black head, wings, and outer tail feathers. The female is olive and usually has an orange forehead.

6. Hornero (Furnarius rufus)

It has been Argentina's national bird for almost 100 years and amazes everyone with its nest, to the point that from generation to generation, we have learned at school the domestic creativity of this hardworking bird. Distinguished inhabitant of the humid pampas, Santa Fe, La Pampa and Entre Ríos.

7. Torrent Duck (Merganetta armatta)

Beautiful bird that can be seen in the rivers and streams of southern Argentina, in very cold waters and always close to the Andes Mountains. They measure between 36 and 48 cm. And they swim upstream without any effort. Both sexes have a bright red bill.

8. Muitu (Crax fasciolata)

Considered an endangered bird due to poaching and habitat loss due to indiscriminate logging and alterations in watercourses, some populations remain in the forests of eastern Formosa and in the humid Chaco. They also live in eastern Bolivia, central Brazil, and Paraguay.

9. Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa)

This bird, which migrates across the entire American continent, is threatened: in order to feed and rest from its long journey, it usually stops at beaches. But these have become increasingly modified and polluted environments by man.

10. Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome)

It is one of the most striking penguin variants: characterized by the “punk” feathers on the head and the red eyes, this penguin is as aggressive as it is noisy. It is also the smallest of the crested penguins, at 55 cm tall and 3.35 kg in weight. It forms huge colonies in the south of our country and it is estimated that 3.5 million pairs live on earth.

Source: https://www.clarin.com/buena-vida/-cuantas-especies-de-aves-hay-en-la-argentina-_0_DoLHHZyAt.html