Dark-bellied Cinclodes in Valdivia | Churrete patagónico | Birds of Chile

Dark-bellied Cinclodes (Cinclodes patagonicus; Churrete patagónico in Chilean, Stripebergkall in Norwegian) by the Sea Lion basking area on the Rio Calle-Calle running past downtown Valdivia. The bird alternated between foraging the riverbank and perching on the rail. The bird appeared used to pedestrian traffic and inquisitive - perhaps getting the occasional handout? To get shots at eye-level I lay the tripod head against the rail. Breeding is from September-December. These shots are from January 23.
This species feeds on small crustaceans and invertebrates. In the foraging shot at 4:08 the bird makes a sudden fast pivot. The slo-mo sequence shows two birds flying directly overhead. From the color and audio these birds were probably of the same species, which often feed in pairs. The roars of the South American Sea Lions (Otaria flavescensare) are heard in several clips. Meanwhile back on the floating dock (2:46), a sea lion puts a stop to a wrestling matching between two Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus). The scene from the bridge shows a group of Great Grebes (Podiceps major) actively paddling upriver, with neck folded back and head tucked under wing. Further upstream away from the city, a grebe can be seen swimming by the reeds on the far bank.
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[@knutfugl]

Congrats with this great observation, Clive. Very beautiful.
Wish you a pleasant December.
Best regards, Knut.

[@CliveBramham]

Cheers, Knut. I had 5 days in Valdivia. Lovely town surrounded by lots of beautiful countryside, and wild places like Parque Oncol. Reminiscent of Norway, but with some very different flora and fauna. All the best, Clive

[@featherdude]

A real tail flicker. Didn't know vultures wrestled- cute to watch.

[@CliveBramham]

Yeah the Vultures were funny. Siblings maybe.