Laguna Capitan

Laguna Capitán is one of a group of saline and brackish lagoons in the central Chaco near the Mennonite colonies, shallow pans in the thorn scrub whose salinity and water level swing with the season, and they are the reason the area is on the birding map: Chilean flamingos feed on them in numbers along with black-necked stilts, avocets, coscoroba swans, ducks and waders, with the lagoons acting as a stopover on the flyway. The surrounding dry Chaco holds its own bird list. A small lodge run in connection with the Mennonite cooperative provides accommodation and access, and the neighbouring lagoons Chaco Lodge and Ganso can be worked from the same base.

What you actually see

• Flamingos - the Chilean flamingos feeding on the saline pans.
• The lagoon group - the shallow salt pans in the thorn scrub.
• Waders and waterfowl - the stilts, avocets and ducks using the lagoons.
• Dry Chaco scrub - the thorn vegetation around the water.

When to go

May to September in the cooler dry months, when bird numbers concentrate on the shrinking water; summer heat in the Chaco is severe. Water levels vary and lagoons can dry out entirely in some years.

Honest expectations

Lagoons dry completely in some seasons and the birds go with them; checking conditions before travelling is worthwhile. Accommodation is a simple lodge. Roads are unsurfaced and difficult after rain. A scope is needed.

Nearby

Loma Plata lies southwest; Filadelfia is west.