Natural Values

Wildlife

The Iberá Wetlands represent a unique site for wildlife in Argentina. Its large extensions and different proportions of alternating wild environments such as lagoons, rivers, marshes, swamps, scrublands, grasslands, savannas, forests, gallery forests, palm groves and submerged meadows form an amazing diversity of landscapes.

Iberá is currently famous for its great diversity and abundance of grassland and aquatic species. Striking birds such as herons, storks, ducks, southern screamers, spoonbills, kingfishers, cormorants, snake-birds, jacana, rails, plovers and flamingos stand out in the first group. Plenty of caimans, capybaras, otters, and even the largest population of marsh deer in Argentina are found in these wetlands.

Submerged grasslands are a unique environment and are mainly found on the Carambola stream at the mouth of the lagoons and at the source of the Corriente river. Hundreds of different kinds of invertebrates and fish, such as the distinctive dorado, take refuge in the long stems of plants that are rooted to the bottom such as the water hyacinth, the purslane and the cabombas. This easily seen aquatic fauna creates the visitors’ first impression of Iberá.

Iberá is also a significant haven for grassland wildlife as these environments are particularly well preserved in some sectors of the Iberá Provincial Park and the private reserves that surround it. Rare bird species such as seed finches, monjitas, ochre breasted pipit and the threatened strange-tailed tyrant, probably the world’s largest population, can be easily seen in these areas. Iberá also houses a large population of the mysterious maned wolf, whereas the largest pampas deer population of northern Argentina takes refuge on the private fields of the neighboring Aguapey region. Through a successful reintroduction project this rare deer, characteristic of well-preserved grasslands, has returned to the San Alonso hill located deep in the Iberá. The same has happened with the giant anteater, which already has restored its populations in Rincon del Socorro and in the San Alonso island. The greater rhea is another animal that helps the grasslands of the region come alive.

Some of the animal species that inhabit the Iberá. Click to enlarge.

Striking species such as the yellow cardinal, the crowned eagle, the charata, the abode magpie, the brocket deer and vizcacha live in the “espinal”, a little known savanna-like environment of the Iberá. Finally, the least known and least appreciated environment of Iberá are the forests where you can still see toucans, the odd pair of blue-fronted parrots, lineated woodpeckers, anambés, manakins and black howler monkeys. These forests, which were never abundant in the area, have experienced the greatest loss of native wildlife species such as the green-winged macaw and the bare-faced curassow amongst birds, and the tapir, the collared peccary and the ocelot amongst mammals.

In order for this region to achieve its maximum environmental and productive splendor, one of the major tasks is working to regain the ecological integrity of the Iberá jungles and forests through reintroduction and conservation projects.