Nature

Nature of Paraguay

Paraguay has no coastline, but it has the nature of an entire continent. Within its borders you'll find the Chaco, the southern tip of the Pantanal, the Cerrado, the last remnants of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest and the great marshes of the south. This is home to the jaguar, the giant armadillo, the maned wolf and the Chacoan peccary, or taguá, a species known only from fossils until 1975, when scientists confirmed it was still alive in the Chaco. More than 700 bird species have been recorded here. Many of these landscapes are under threat, and traveling with local guides is one way to help protect them. It pays to follow the seasons: the pink lapacho (tajy) in bloom at the end of winter, the bellbird calling in spring, and flamingos on the Chaco's salt lagoons.

700species

Paraguay has more than 700 recorded bird species (Guyra Paraguay cites “700+”; the South American Classification Committee's list counts 694 confirmed species, depending on the criteria used). A single trip can combine birds of the Atlantic Forest, the Dry Chaco, the Cerrado, the Pantanal and the southern grasslands. The Bay of Asunción and the Chaco's salt lagoons are stopovers for shorebirds arriving from North America. Many species are threatened, so going with local guides also supports their conservation.

Season: The best time overall is spring (September to November): resident birds are singing and breeding, the bellbird rings out in the eastern forests, and migrants arrive from North America, staying until April. Winter (June to August) is the most comfortable season for the Chaco: it's less hot, the roads are dry, birds gather at waterholes, and flamingos and swans appear on the salt lagoons. In summer the Chaco tops 40 °C and rains can cut off dirt roads. Whatever the season, head out at dawn.

Bay of Asunción and Banco San Miguel (Asunción): 269 species recorded, with migratory shorebirds from North America just steps from the historic center.
Parque Guasu Metropolitano and the Asunción Botanical Garden: good viewing of common birds and waterbirds without leaving the city.
Central Chaco salt lagoons (Laguna Capitán and Laguna Chaco Lodge): Chilean flamingo, coscoroba swan, spoonbills, ducks and shorebirds.
Teniente Enciso National Park and Fortín Toledo (Boquerón): Dry Chaco specialties such as the black-legged seriema.
Mbaracayú Forest Nature Reserve (Canindeyú): some 400 species, with bare-throated bellbird, black-fronted piping guan, toucans and, in its Cerrado grasslands, the rare white-winged nightjar.
San Rafael (Itapúa and Caazapá): some 400 species across Atlantic Forest and grasslands, the country's first Important Bird Area (IBA).
Laguna Blanca (San Pedro): 283 species recorded in the Cerrado, with grassland and savanna birds.
Itaipú reserves such as Tatí Yupí (Alto Paraná): Atlantic Forest birds with well-maintained trails.
Paraguayan Pantanal (Bahía Negra and Tres Gigantes): herons, jabirus, kingfishers and waterbirds in abundance.
Lake Ypoá and the Ñeembucú marshes: waterbirds and birds of flooded grasslands, with southern screamers and roseate spoonbills as regulars.

Rhea americana

Greater rhea

ñandu

The largest bird in the Americas: it can't fly, but it runs at great speed across grasslands and savannas.

Jabiru mycteria

Jabiru

tujuju

The largest stork in the Americas: white, with a black head and an unmistakable red collar.

Ramphastos toco

Toco toucan

tukã

The largest toucan, with a huge orange bill; it frequents forests, savannas and even gardens.

Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus

Hyacinth macaw

gua'a hovy

The world's largest flying parrot, an intense cobalt blue; in Paraguay it is scarce and found only in the north.

Procnias nudicollis

Bare-throated bellbird

guyra campana

Paraguay's national bird since 2004. Its metallic call rings through the Atlantic Forest.

Phoenicopterus chilensis

Chilean flamingo

Pink flocks on the salt lagoons of the Central Chaco, an unexpected spectacle in the heart of Paraguay.

Harpia harpyja

Harpy eagle

taguato ruvicha

The largest eagle in the Southern Hemisphere, a hunter of monkeys in the forest canopy; extremely rare in Paraguay.

Chauna torquata

Southern screamer

chahã

The noisy sentinel of the marshes: it cries “chajá” and warns everyone when someone approaches.

Nyctibius griseus

Common potoo

urutau

The bird that disguises itself as a branch and sings at night with a lament that gave rise to legends.

Platalea ajaja

Roseate spoonbill

ajaja

A pink bird with a spoon-shaped bill that “sweeps” the mud of the marshes for food.

Amazona aestiva

Turquoise-fronted amazon

A green parrot with a blue forehead and yellow face, heavily targeted by the pet trade.

Pipile jacutinga

Black-fronted piping guan

jakutinga

A black forest guan with a white face and red-and-blue wattle, a threatened jewel of the Atlantic Forest.

Tips

Bring binoculars and log what you see on eBird or Merlin: data from visitors helps local science.
For the deep Chaco, the Pantanal and remote parks, hire local guides or baqueanos (backcountry guides), travel by 4x4 with spare water and fuel, and notify the park rangers in advance. Many areas have no cell signal.
The best time for the Chaco is May to September. In summer the heat tops 40 °C and rain makes dirt roads impassable.
Use insect repellent, long sleeves and closed shoes: there are mosquitoes, ticks and venomous snakes such as the yarará. Watch where you step and don't put your hands into holes.
Before traveling, check current vaccination recommendations (for example, yellow fever outside Asunción) and protect yourself against dengue.
Don't buy wild animals, skins, feathers or parrots: wildlife trafficking is one of the biggest threats and is prohibited under the wildlife law (Law 96/92).
On Chaco roads, drive slowly at dawn and dusk: anteaters, foxes, armadillos and even pumas cross the road and are killed by vehicles.
Sport and commercial fishing have an annual spawning closed season: it usually starts in early November and runs until late December (until late January in waters shared with Brazil). Check the dates published by MADES before you go and get a fishing license.
Between August and October the risk of wildfires is high, especially in the Chaco and the Pantanal: don't light fires outside designated areas.
If you pass through Indigenous communities, ask permission before entering or taking photos, and whenever possible buy crafts directly from the people who make them.
To see the lapachos in bloom, plan your trip between July and September. In Asunción, the streets and squares turn pink and then yellow.