Over 500 birds live in Chile, and quite a few are endemic to the nation. The reason behind this is attributed to a degree of isolation caused by the Atacama Desert in the north, the Pacific Ocean in the west, and the Andes in the east.
The Andean Condor, widely considered the largest bird of prey in the entire world, is the national bird of Chile. Other endemic species include the Chilean Tinamou, the Juan Fernández Firecrown, and the Chilean Woodstar.
List of Common Birds Found in Chile
Native Birds
- American Oystercatcher
- Andean Condor
- Andean Goose
- Austral Blackbird
- Austral Parakeet
- Austral Pygmy Owl
- Austral Thrush
- Black-browed Albatross
- Black-chested Buzzard-eagle
- Black-faced Cotinga
- Black-faced Ibis
- Black-necked Swan
- Black-throated Flowerpiercer
- Black-throated Huet-huet
- Black Vulture
- Burrowing Parakeet
- Cattle Egret
- Chilean Barred Antthrush
- Chilean Flamingo
- Chilean Flicker
- Chilean Hawk
- Chilean Hawk-eagle
- Chilean Mockingbird
- Chilean Pelican
- Chilean Pigeon
- Chilean Puffbird
- Chilean Seaside Cinclodes
- Chilean Skua
- Chilean Swallow
- Chilean Tapaculo
- Chilean Tinamou
- Chilean Woodstar
- Chocolate-vented Tyrant
- Chucao Tapaculo
- Cinnamon-bellied Ground Tyrant
- Crag Chilia
- Crested Caracara
- Dark-bellied Cinclodes
- Des Mur’s Wiretail
- Diademed Sandpiper-plover
- Dusky Tapaculo
- Dusky-tailed Canastero
- Eared Dove
- Fire-eyed Diucon
- Giant Conebill
- Giant Hummingbird
- Great Kiskadee
- Green-backed Firecrown
- Grey-breasted Seedsnipe
- Grey-hooded Sierra-finch
- Humboldt Penguin
- Juan Fernández Firecrown
- Juan Fernandez Tit-tyrant
- Kelp Gull
- Least Seedsnipe
- Lesser Rhea
- Long-tailed Meadowlark
- Magellanic Horned Owl
- Magellanic Penguin
- Magellanic Plover
- Magellanic Tapaculo
- Magellanic Woodpecker
- Masafuera Rayadito
- Monk Parakeet
- Moustached Turca
- Neotropic Cormorant
- Ochre-naped Ground Tyrant
- Patagonian Forest Earthcreeper
- Patagonian Sierra-finch
- Patagonian Tinamou
- Patagonian Tyrant
- Peruvian Booby
- Red-backed Sierra-finch
- Red-crested Cardinal
- Ringed Kingfisher
- Ruddy-headed Goose
- Rufous Hornero
- Rufous-collared Sparrow
- Rufous-legged Owl
- Rufous-tailed Hawk
- Rufous-tailed Plantcutter
- Rusty-bellied Brushfinch
- Saffron Finch
- Scale-throated Earthcreeper
- Seaside Cinclodes
- Slender-billed Parakeet
- Snowy Egret
- Southern Caracara
- Southern Lapwing
- Stripe-headed Antpitta
- Thorn-tailed Rayadito
- Torrent Duck
- Tropical Kingbird
- Vermillion Flycatcher
- White-browed Ground Tyrant
- White-crested Elaenia
- White-throated Caracara
- White-throated Tapaculo
- White-throated Treerunner
- Yellow-billed Teal
- Yellow-bridled Finch
- Yellow-rumped Siskin
- American Golden-plover
- Andean Flamingo
- Andean Gull
- Andean Hillstar
- Andean Lapwing
- Andean Swift
- Andean Tinamou
- Arctic Tern
- Ashy-headed Goose
- Austral Rail
- Baird’s Sandpiper
- Band-winged Nightjar
- Bare-faced Ground Dove
- Belcher’s Gull
- Black-bellied Plover
- Black-headed Duck
- Blackish Oystercatcher
- Black Noddy
- Black Rail
- Black-winged Ground Dove
- Brown-hooded Gull
- Brown Noddy
- Chiloe Wigeon
- Chimney Swift
- Cinnamon Teal
- Collared Plover
- Common Gallinule
- Common Tern
- Coscoroba Swan
- Crested Duck
- Croaking Ground Dove
- Dolphin Gull
- Dot-winged Crake
- Elegant Crested-tinamou
- Elegant Tern
- Flightless Steamer-duck
- Flying Steamer-duck
- Franklin’s Gull
- Fuegian Snipe
- Giant Coot
- Golden-spotted Ground Dove
- Gray Gull
- Gray-hooded Gull
- Gray Noddy
- Greater Yellowlegs
- Great Grebe
- Groove-billed Ani
- Horned Coot
- Hudsonian Godwit
- Inca Tern
- James’s Flamingo
- Kelp Goose
- Killdeer
- Lake Duck
- Least Sandpiper
- Lesser Yellowlegs
- Magellanic Oystercatcher
- Magellanic Snipe
- Oasis Hummingbird
- Ornate Tinamou
- Pectoral Sandpiper
- Peruvian Sheartail
- Peruvian Tern
- Peruvian Thick-knee
- Picui Ground Dove
- Pied-billed Grebe
- Plumbeous Rail
- Puna Plover
- Puna Snipe
- Puna Teal
- Puna Tinamou
- Red-fronted Coot
- Red-gartered Coot
- Red Knot
- Red Phalarope
- Red Shoveler
- Rosy-billed Pochard
- Ruddy Duck
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Rufous-chested Dotterel
- Sabine’s Gull
- Sanderling
- Sandwich Tern
- Semipalmated Plover
- Semipalmated Sandpiper
- Silver Teal
- Silvery Grebe
- Slate-colored Coot
- Snowy-crowned Tern
- Snowy Plover
- Snowy Sheathbill
- Sooty Tern
- South American Tern
- Sparkling Violetear
- Spectacled Duck
- Spot-flanked Gallinule
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Spot-winged Pigeon
- Stilt Sandpiper
- Surfbird
- Swallow-tailed Gull
- Tawny-throated Dotterel
- Tschudi’s Nightjar
- Two-banded Plover
- Upland Goose
- Upland Sandpiper
- Western Sandpiper
- West Peruvian Dove
- Whimbrel
- White-cheeked Pintail
- White-collared Swift
- White-rumped Sandpiper
- White-sided Hillstar
- White-tufted Grebe
- White-winged Coot
- Willet
- Wilson’s Phalarope
- Yellow-billed Pintail
Non-native Birds
Some of the best birding sites in Chile include Torres del Paine National Park, Chiloé Island, and Lauca National Park. The best time to see these birds is from October to March when the weather is favorable, and birds can be seen performing mating rituals as most of their breeding seasons occur during this time.
