Animals in Argentina
Hornero
Furnarius rufus
The hornero is Argentina's national bird and one of the most familiar birds in the country. It was chosen in 1928, when the newspaper La Razón asked schoolchildren which bird should represent Argentina. The survey had the support of the ornithological society now called Aves Argentinas, and the hornero won the vote ahead of the Andean condor and the southern lapwing. It is a small, reddish brown bird that walks on the ground hunting insects and worms in parks, fields, plazas and roadsides. Its name comes from horno, the Spanish word for oven, because each pair builds a round mud nest that looks like an old clay oven, with a curved inner wall that shelters the eggs. Nests sit on fence posts, trees and streetlights, and the male and female often sing loudly together.
Wildlife in Argentina
Argentina is the eighth largest country in the world, and most of it is open land. About a third of its people live in and around Buenos Aires, so beyond the capital the country quickly turns into long empty roads, ranches and wild places. From north to south it crosses almost every climate in South America: subtropical forest and waterfalls at Iguazú, hot dry plains in the Chaco, the thin cold air of the Andean highlands, the mild grasslands of the Pampas and the wind and ice of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Because it lies in the Southern Hemisphere, its seasons are the reverse of North America, and January is the height of summer.
The land shaped the way Argentines live. The Pampas gave rise to the gaucho and to cattle ranching, and in the late 1800s sheep ranches spread across the Patagonian steppe. Protecting nature came early too: Nahuel Huapi, created in 1934, is the oldest national park in the country, and today Los Glaciares and Península Valdés are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In recent years the Iberá Wetlands have become home to one of the most ambitious rewilding projects on the continent, where species lost for decades are coming back.
Tourism follows the same map. Visitors come for Iguazú Falls, the Perito Moreno Glacier near El Calafate, the lakes around Bariloche and the whale season at Puerto Madryn, and Ushuaia is the main port for cruises to Antarctica. Wildlife follows these contrasts: wild cats and colorful birds in the northern forests, camelids and flamingos in the mountains, and whales, penguins and sea lions along the Atlantic coast.
Most Dangerous Animals in Argentina
Argentina is a safe country for wildlife watching, and serious incidents with animals are rare. The main risk is venomous snakes, which live mostly in the warm north and in rural areas of the center. Most bites happen to farm workers in tall grass or crop fields, not to travelers on marked trails. Argentina produces its own antivenom, and bites can be treated well when people reach a hospital quickly. Wearing boots, watching where you step and never trying to handle a snake prevent almost every case. Large constrictor snakes also live in the northern wetlands, but they are not venomous and avoid people.
Wild cats live in the northern forests and across Patagonia, yet attacks on people are extremely rare, and for ranchers they are mostly a problem for sheep and goats. In the wetlands of the northeast, caimans rest along the shores and slip into the water when someone comes near; they should never be fed. Wild pigs brought from Europe can charge when cornered, especially mothers with young. On the coast, whales, seals and sea lions are best watched from marked viewpoints or from boats with licensed guides, since large males can be aggressive on the beach. In general, keeping your distance, never feeding wild animals and following park rules is all it takes to stay safe.
Top 10 Animals in Argentina
Argentina's best known animals live in very different corners of the country. The orca is famous at Península Valdés, where from about March to May a few orcas slide onto the beaches of Punta Norte to grab young sea lions, a way of hunting seen in very few places on Earth. The cougar lives almost everywhere, from the northern forests to the Patagonian steppe, and sightings are most common in the open country of Patagonia. The jaguar is much rarer, with about 250 left in the country, mostly in Misiones, the Yungas and the Chaco, plus a growing new population in Iberá.
The capybara is easy to see in Iberá and in the Paraná Delta, where it even grazes on lawns in gated neighborhoods near Buenos Aires. Iberá is also the best place to look for the maned wolf, a tall, red canid that hunts at dusk in the grasslands, while the ocelot and the boa constrictor keep to the forests and dry woodlands of the north. The llama is the domestic animal of the Puna, seen with herders in Jujuy and Salta. Two famous animals came from abroad: red deer, released for hunting in La Pampa around 1906, now roams the forests of Neuquén, where its roars fill Lanín National Park in the fall rut, and beaver, freed in Tierra del Fuego in 1946, has spread across the island and damaged its native forests.
Ocelot
Leopardus pardalis
In Argentina, the ocelot, often called gato onza, lives in the northern forests: the Atlantic Forest of Misiones, including Iguazú National Park, the dry Chaco forests and the Yungas cloud forests of Salta and Jujuy. Camera traps recently recorded one in the northern forests of Santa Fe for the first time. It shares these forests with jaguars, tapirs and margays. Clearing for soy, cattle and pine plantations is the main threat. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hare
Lepus europaeus
The European hare was released in Argentina in 1888 by European settlers in Santa Fe province and spread across most of the country, from the Pampas to the Patagonian steppe and the Andean foothills. It is considered an invasive species that competes with native grazers such as the mara and damages crops. Argentina also became a major exporter of hare meat to Europe, and hares are widely hunted. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Red Deer
Cervus elaphus
The red deer, known in Argentina as ciervo colorado, is not native: Pedro Luro brought it from the Carpathians to La Pampa around 1906, where Parque Luro is now famous for the brama, the autumn rut of March and April. Later releases spread it through the Andean forests of Neuquén and Río Negro, where it damages the native forest and competes with the endangered huemul, so national parks run control programs. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Wild Boar
Sus scrofa
Wild boars are not native to Argentina. Pedro Luro brought European boars to his hunting estate in La Pampa around 1906, and from there and later releases in Neuquén and Entre Ríos they spread along rivers to much of the country. Today they damage crops, pastures and native grasslands and are hunted as an invasive species. Pumas prey on them in some areas. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Beaver
Castor canadensis
Beavers are not native to Argentina. About 20 were brought from Canada to Tierra del Fuego in 1946 for a fur industry that never took off, and with no predators they spread across the whole island. Their dams have killed large areas of lenga and ñire forest, which do not grow back from the stump. Argentina and Chile agreed in 2008 to try to eradicate them, and pilot projects have removed more than 1,000.
Cougar
Puma concolor
The cougar roams Argentina from the subtropical forests of Misiones in the north to the windswept plains and mountains of southern Patagonia, although it does not live on the island of Tierra del Fuego. It is the country's second largest wild cat after the jaguar, and it hunts guanacos, deer and smaller animals depending on the region. Though classified as Least Concern overall, hunting pressure and habitat loss threaten local populations across several provinces.
Anteater
Myrmecophaga tridactyla
In Argentina the giant anteater, also called yurumí, lives in the north, in the Chaco, Formosa, Salta, Misiones and Corrientes, but it is probably gone from Córdoba and Entre Ríos. It had disappeared from the Iberá Wetlands, where Rewilding Argentina has released more than 100 since 2007, and some have even crossed into southern Brazil. Roads, fires and hunting are its main threats. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Armadillo
Dasypus novemcinctus (complex of four species)
In Argentina, the nine banded armadillo lives in the north and northeast, from Jujuy and Salta to Misiones, Corrientes, Entre Ríos and northern Buenos Aires. It shares the country with many other armadillos, such as the mulita, the peludo and the tiny pichiciego, which reach the dry center and Patagonia. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Capybara
Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
In Argentina, capybaras are widespread across the Litoral region, particularly in the wetlands of the Paraná Delta and the Iberá Wetlands in Corrientes. They thrive along riverbanks and flooded grasslands, forming social groups that graze on aquatic plants and grasses. Classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, they face localized pressure from habitat loss and hunting but remain common across their Argentine range.
Guanaco
Lama guanicoe
Argentina is home to the vast majority of the world's guanacos, with Santa Cruz, Chubut and Río Negro as their stronghold on the Patagonian steppe. La Payunia, in Mendoza, hosts the largest known guanaco migration, with tens of thousands of animals. As sheep numbers fell, guanacos recovered, and Santa Cruz now harvests them under a 2019 national plan, while live shearing offers a gentler option. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Jaguar
Panthera onca
In Argentina, where it is called yaguareté and is a National Natural Monument since 2001, the jaguar survives in three areas: the Yungas forests of Salta and Jujuy, the Chaco, and the Atlantic Forest of Misiones around Iguazú. It vanished from Corrientes, but a reintroduction project in Iberá has released jaguars there since 2021, and cubs are now born in the wild. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Llama
Lama glama
In Argentina llamas are raised in the Puna of the northwest, in Jujuy, Salta and Catamarca, a high, treeless plateau that shares its landscape with the Bolivian altiplano. Local families keep them for wool, meat and transport, and agricultural censuses show llama numbers rising since the late 1980s. In these highlands llamas share the land with wild vicuñas, while the guanaco is the wild camelid of Patagonia. IUCN status: not evaluated.
Mara
Dolichotis patagonum
The Patagonian mara lives only in Argentina, from the Monte scrub of Catamarca to the steppes of Santa Cruz. Locals call it liebre patagónica, but it is a rodent related to the capybara. Pairs stay together for life and leave their pups in shared dens. Good places to see it are Península Valdés and Lihué Calel. Farming, overgrazing and hunting are shrinking its range. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Opossum
Didelphis spp. (6 species)
Argentina's most common opossum is the white eared opossum, the comadreja overa, which lives across the north and center of the country down to the Pampas, often in gardens, parks and roofs of towns and cities. In the humid forests of Misiones, the Brazilian common opossum and the common opossum add more species. All are nocturnal and eat fruit, insects, eggs and small animals. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Tapir
Tapirus spp.
In Argentina, the lowland tapir, locally called anta, lives in the north: in the Atlantic Forest of Misiones, including Iguazú National Park, in the forests of the Chaco in Formosa, Chaco and Salta, and in the Yungas cloud forests of Salta and Jujuy. It is considered threatened in the country, where forest clearing, roads and poaching have left small, separate populations. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
South American Gray Fox
Lycalopex griseus
Called the zorro gris in Argentina, the South American gray fox lives in the west and south of the country, from the Andean foothills and the dry Monte scrub to the whole Patagonian steppe and Tierra del Fuego. It hunts rodents and introduced hares, eats fruit and carrion, and is often seen at dusk along Patagonian roads. It was heavily hunted for its fur in the past. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Huemul
Hippocamelus bisulcus
In Argentina, only a few hundred huemuls survive, about 400 by one estimate, in scattered groups along the Andes of Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut and Santa Cruz, in parks such as Los Alerces, Lago Puelo, Perito Moreno and Los Glaciares near El Chaltén. Since 1996 the species has been a National Natural Monument, the highest legal protection in the country. Livestock, dogs, red deer and fires threaten it. IUCN status: Endangered.
Maned Wolf
Chrysocyon brachyurus
The maned wolf reaches the southern edge of its range in northern Argentina, particularly in the Chaco and Corrientes provinces. It roams open grasslands and scrublands at dawn and dusk, hunting small animals and foraging for fruit. Agriculture and road traffic pose serious threats here. Argentina lists the species as vulnerable at the national level, and conservation efforts focus on protecting remaining savanna habitat.
Marsh Deer
Blastocerus dichotomus
Argentina's largest marsh deer population lives in the Iberá wetlands of Corrientes, where boat trips often find them among floating plants. The second is in the Paraná Delta, where hunting caused a sharp decline and Ciervo de los Pantanos National Park was created in 2018. Smaller groups survive in Formosa, Chaco and the Paraná islands, and several provinces protect it as a natural monument. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Pampas Deer
Ozotoceros bezoarticus
Argentina's pampas deer survive in a few isolated spots: Samborombón Bay in Buenos Aires, the south of San Luis, the Aguapey area of Corrientes and a small group in Santa Fe, with new herds reintroduced in Iberá since 2009. Fewer than 2,500 adults remain, and the country lists it as Endangered. It is a provincial natural monument in all four provinces. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Vicuña
Vicugna vicugna
In Argentina the vicuña roams the high puna of Jujuy, Salta, Catamarca, La Rioja and San Juan, often near salt flats and lagoons. It lives in family groups led by one male. Once hunted to near collapse, it recovered under protection, and communities now shear wild herds alive in chakus. In San Juan, a mange outbreak spread by llamas nearly wiped out the herds of San Guillermo after 2014. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Brocket Deer
Mazama, Subulo and Passalites spp.
Argentina has three brockets. The gray brocket, or guazuncho, is the most widespread, living in the Chaco woodlands and the forests of the north and center. In Misiones, the Atlantic Forest holds the southeastern red brocket and the tiny pygmy brocket, one of the rarest deer in the country. Clearing of forests for farming and cattle, hunting and stray dogs are the main threats. IUCN status: varies by species.
Jaguarundi
Herpailurus yagouaroundi
In Argentina, where it is called yaguarundí or gato moro, the jaguarundi lives in the north and center of the country, from the Atlantic Forest of Misiones and the Yungas of Salta and Jujuy to the Chaco, Corrientes and the dry woodlands farther south. It hunts by day for rodents, birds and lizards. Forest clearing in the Chaco and attacks on poultry are its main problems here. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Blackbuck
Antilope cervicapra
In Argentina the blackbuck is an introduced species. It arrived in 1906 to stock hunting estancias, and today herds live free in parts of Buenos Aires and La Pampa provinces, where the open pampas resemble the plains of India. It has even reached protected areas such as Bahía Samborombón, one of the last refuges of the pampas deer, where it competes for grassland, and it is hunted on game estancias. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Margay
Leopardus wiedii
Argentina is the southern edge of the margay's range. It lives in the Atlantic Forest of Misiones and the Yungas cloud forests of Salta and Jujuy, and records from 2012 to 2019 added Corrientes. This tree cat, with ankles that turn 180 degrees, shares those forests with the ocelot and the jaguarundi. Clearing of native forest is its main threat. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Caiman
Caiman spp.
Argentina has two caimans, both called yacaré. The yacare caiman lives in the marshes of the northeast, from Formosa and Chaco to the Iberá, and the broad snouted caiman, or yacaré overo, reaches further south, to Santa Fe and Entre Ríos. In the Iberá both are easy to see on boat trips. Projects that raise young from wild eggs and release them helped the yacaré overo recover after decades of hunting. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Rattlesnake
Crotalus and Sistrurus (about 40–50 species)
In Argentina, the cascabel (Crotalus durissus terrificus) lives in the dry forests and grasslands of the north and center, from the Chaco and Santiago del Estero to Córdoba and San Luis. It is the only rattlesnake in the country. Its venom is strongly neurotoxic because of crotoxin, and bites can cause paralysis and kidney failure, but the anti crotalic serum made in Argentina is very effective. IUCN status: varies by species.
Yellow Anaconda
Eunectes notaeus
The yellow anaconda, called curiyú in Argentina, is one of the country's largest snakes. It lives in the wetlands of the northeast, especially the Iberá marshes and the Paraná and Paraguay rivers, from Formosa and Chaco to Santa Fe and Entre Ríos. Since 2002 Formosa has regulated its harvest. It is not venomous and avoids people. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Boa Constrictor
Boa constrictor
In Argentina the boa constrictor is represented by the lampalagua, or Argentine boa, a dark subspecies of the dry Chaco and the Monte that reaches Córdoba, San Luis and Mendoza, the southern edge of any boa. It lives in dry woodland and shelters in vizcacha burrows. Decades of hunting for its skin put it in CITES Appendix I, and forest clearing is its main threat. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Black browed Albatross
Thalassarche melanophris
Argentina's Patagonian coast and the waters of the South Atlantic within its exclusive economic zone are important foraging areas for the black browed albatross. The species is frequently encountered following fishing vessels operating out of Argentine ports. Bycatch in the country's squid and finfish trawl and longline fisheries has been identified as a significant threat, and Argentina has been involved in regional efforts to adopt mitigation measures. IUCN status: Least Concern.
King Penguin
Aptenodytes patagonicus
King penguins are rare in Argentina. Since 2017 a small number of pairs have settled on Isla Martillo, near Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego, among a much larger colony of Magellanic penguins, so seeing one there takes some luck. Standing up to 95 cm tall, they are the second largest penguins in the world. They do not build nests, instead balancing their single egg on their feet beneath a warm fold of skin. They feed on lanternfish and squid in the cold waters of the South Atlantic. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Macaroni Penguin
Eudyptes chrysolophus
Macaroni penguins do not breed in Argentina, but they use its waters outside the nesting season. After raising their chicks on islands farther south and east, they spend about six months at sea, and some forage in the cold South Atlantic off the Argentine coast during the winter. They rarely come ashore here, so most sightings are from ships far offshore. Look for the golden orange crest. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Cape Petrel
Daption capense
Off the Argentine coast, the Cape Petrel is a regular visitor to the waters of Patagonia and the South Atlantic, particularly during the non breeding season. It is frequently seen from vessels traveling between the mainland and the Falkland Islands. The cold, productive waters of the Argentine Sea provide rich feeding opportunities. The species does not breed on Argentine territory but is a characteristic bird of the region's offshore environment. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Brown Skua
Stercorarius antarcticus
In Argentina, the brown skua breeds along parts of the Patagonian coast and in Tierra del Fuego, where the Falkland subspecies nests on open coastal ground near seabird colonies. It takes eggs and chicks and harasses other seabirds into dropping their food. Outside the breeding season, more brown skuas from the southern islands visit the waters of the Argentine Sea. Here it shares the coast with the similar Chilean skua. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
The barn owl is one of the most widespread birds of prey in Argentina and can be found across a wide range of habitats, from open farmland to the edges of towns and cities. It hunts mainly at night, using its exceptional hearing to locate rodents in complete darkness.
Scarlet Ibis
Eudocimus ruber
The Scarlet Ibis reaches the southern edge of its range in Argentina, appearing occasionally in the northeastern wetlands of the Mesopotamia region, particularly around the Paraná River delta. Its blazing red plumage, earned through a diet rich in carotenoid crustaceans, makes it unmistakable among wading birds. Sightings here are irregular, and the species is considered a rare visitor rather than a permanent resident.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
The peregrine falcon is found across Argentina, from the rocky Patagonian coast to the Andean foothills and the vast Pampas. Some populations are resident year round, while others arrive as migrants from the north during the austral winter. It hunts shorebirds and pigeons with its signature high speed dive, and pairs often nest on cliff faces in the Andes. Its IUCN status is Least Concern.
Andean Condor
Vultur gryphus
The Andean condor soars over the whole length of the Argentine Andes, from the northern puna to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, and Argentina holds some of its largest populations. It rides thermals for hours without flapping, scanning for carrion. It is the emblem of Quebrada del Condorito National Park in Córdoba, and Argentina's conservation program has released more than 200 condors across South America. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Flamingo
Phoenicopteridae (6 species)
Argentina hosts Chilean, Andean, and Puna flamingos across its northwestern salt flats and Patagonian coastal wetlands. The Puna region near Jujuy and Salta holds important breeding colonies. Farther south, the Chilean flamingo appears in Patagonian estuaries and coastal lagoons. The Mar Chiquita salt lake in Córdoba province is another vital site, supporting some of the largest flamingo concentrations in the country.
Harpy Eagle
Harpia harpyja
In Argentina, the harpy eagle lives only in the province of Misiones, at the southern tip of its range, in the Atlantic Forest along the border with Brazil. It is one of the rarest birds in the country. Several nests were found there in the 2000s, and in 2024 a young eagle was photographed in the Yabotí Biosphere Reserve, the first breeding record in more than 20 years. Locally it is called harpía. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Hornero
Furnarius rufus
The rufous hornero has been Argentina's national bird since 1928, a fitting symbol for a country where it thrives from the Pampas grasslands to the edges of Patagonia. It builds its iconic mud nest on fence posts, tree branches, and even rooftops across the country. Comfortable around people, it is one of the most familiar birds in both rural farmland and busy city parks. Its IUCN status is Least Concern.
Magellanic Penguin
Spheniscus magellanicus
Argentina is home to the largest continental colony of Magellanic penguins in the world at Punta Tombo, in Chubut, where around 200,000 pairs arrive each spring to breed. Pairs return to the same burrow year after year, raising two chicks together. Oil pollution and shifts in fish populations caused by warming seas have put pressure on several colonies along the Argentine coast, and the number of pairs at Punta Tombo has fallen over recent decades, making conservation efforts especially important here.
Monk Parakeet
Myiopsitta monachus
The monk parakeet is native to Argentina, where it thrives across the open woodlands and scrublands of the Pampas and Chaco regions. It is one of the most familiar birds in the country, often seen in parks and farmland. Its large communal nests, built from sticks, are a striking sight on utility poles and trees. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Rhea
Rhea americana
The greater rhea is the largest bird in the Americas, standing up to 1.5 meters tall. In Argentina it lives in the Pampas, the Chaco and the Espinal, from the north down to Río Negro, often alongside cattle. Farther south, in Patagonia, lives the lesser rhea, or choique. Argentine birds have declined with farming and hunting. Rheas with white plumage are sometimes seen here. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Southern Lapwing
Vanellus chilensis
The southern lapwing is one of Argentina's most familiar birds, found from the Pampas grasslands to Patagonian fields and city parks. Argentines know it as the tero, famous for its piercing cry and the bold way it dives at anyone who nears its nest. It thrives on farms, riverbanks, football fields and city squares alike, a clear sign of how well it has adapted to life next to people. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Toco Toucan
Ramphastos toco
In Argentina, the toco toucan lives across the north of the country, from Misiones and Corrientes to the Chaco, Formosa and the forests of Salta and Jujuy. Around Iguazú Falls it is often seen flying over the river and the forest edge, and it visits orchards and towns for fruit. Called tucán grande in much of Argentina, it has been expanding south in recent decades into areas where it was not seen before. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bellbird
Procnias nudicollis
Misiones province in northeastern Argentina holds the only bare throated bellbirds in the country, in the tall humid forests of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest, one of the last large remnants of this forest in Argentina. The male's metallic call carries far through the canopy. The species is considered Endangered in Argentina and depends on protecting and connecting the forest patches that remain. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Southern Caracara
Caracara plancus
The southern caracara, known here as the carancho, is one of the most familiar birds in Argentina. It lives in almost every part of the country, from the Pampas and the Chaco to the Patagonian steppe and Tierra del Fuego. It is often seen on fence posts, walking through pastures or eating roadkill beside the highway. Many farmers like that it cleans up dead animals, but some sheep ranchers in Patagonia see it as a threat to their lambs.
Rufous bellied Thrush
Turdus rufiventris
In Argentina, the rufous bellied thrush, known as the zorzal colorado and in the north also as chalchalero, is a familiar bird from the Mesopotamia and the Yungas foothills to the parks and plazas of Buenos Aires. It adapts well to both native woodland edges and city green spaces. Its warm brown back and vivid orange belly make it easy to spot, and its clear, fluting song is a classic sound of Argentine mornings. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Black necked Swan
Cygnus melancoryphus
In Argentina, the black necked swan inhabits wetlands across a broad range of the country, from the Pampas region to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. It favors shallow lakes, lagoons, and coastal marshes where aquatic vegetation is abundant. Argentina holds some of the largest numbers in South America, estimated at about 50,000 birds. Wetland loss driven by agriculture and urban expansion remains a concern. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern.
Lesser Kiskadee
Philohydor lictor
Argentina marks the southern edge of the lesser kiskadee's range, and here it is a scarce bird that takes patience to find. Known locally as benteveo pico fino, it looks like a smaller, slimmer version of the familiar benteveo común, with a long, thin bill. It stays low along slow rivers, lagoons, and marshes, sallying out from branches over the water to catch insects on leaves or at the surface. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Fur Seal
Arctocephalus spp.
The South American fur seal, called lobo marino de dos pelos in Argentina to tell it from the sea lion, breeds on islands of the Patagonian coast. The main colonies are at Isla Escondida and the islands of Patagonia Azul in Chubut, and at Isla de los Estados in Tierra del Fuego, and boats from Ushuaia show it on the rocks of the Beagle Channel next to sea lions. It is smaller, with a pointed snout and thick, grayish fur. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
In Argentina humpbacks are seen every year in the Beagle Channel, next to Ushuaia, where they come to feed in summer and autumn, with the most sightings in March and April. They eat Fuegian sardines and squat lobsters, and they often approach the catamarans that sail the channel, alongside sei whales and sea lions. Their return to these waters after decades without hunting is one of the signs of their recovery in the South Atlantic. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Orca
Orcinus orca
Argentina has one of the most famous orca behaviors in the world. At Punta Norte, on Península Valdés, a small group of orcas rush onto the beach to grab South American sea lion pups and then wriggle back into the sea, mostly at high tide from late February to April, and again in October and November. The hunt is watched from a viewpoint on the shore. Orcas are also seen along the Patagonian coast and in the Beagle Channel. IUCN status: Data Deficient.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
In Argentina coastal bottlenose dolphins were once common along the province of Buenos Aires, but they almost disappeared from there in the twentieth century. Today small groups are seen in Bahía San Antonio and the Golfo San Matías, in Río Negro, and along the coast of northern Patagonia, while others live offshore. The coastal population is small and considered threatened in the country. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Common Dolphin
Delphinus delphis
In Argentina common dolphins are seen mostly in the warm months in northern Patagonia, when they enter Golfo Nuevo, near Puerto Madryn, and the waters of Golfo San Matías around San Antonio Oeste, where they are most often seen from about September to November. They travel in fast, compact groups and leap in unison, and they share these waters with dusky dolphins. Farther north they stay in open water offshore. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Elephant Seal
Mirounga spp.
Península Valdés has the only large southern elephant seal colony on a continental coast, and it can be seen from viewpoints at Punta Delgada and Caleta Valdés. Bulls arrive in late August, and pups are born in September and October. In 2023 bird flu killed more than 17,000 pups there, about 95 percent of that year's births, and only around a third of the adults came back the next season. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Sea Lion
Otariinae (six living species)
The South American sea lion, called lobo marino de un pelo in Argentina, breeds along the Patagonian coast. Colonies near Puerto Madryn, such as Punta Loma, and around Península Valdés can be visited from the shore, and in the Beagle Channel boats from Ushuaia pass the Isla de los Lobos. Valdés is also where orcas famously beach themselves to catch sea lion pups, from March to April. Argentina has about 90,000 of them. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Southern Right Whale
Eubalaena australis
Argentina has one of the world's great southern right whale nurseries at Península Valdés, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From about June to December the whales fill Golfo Nuevo and Golfo San José, and from El Doradillo beach they can be seen a few meters from shore. Boats leave from Puerto Pirámides, and the peak comes in September and October. Kelp gull attacks are a local problem. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Frequently Asked Questions
What animals live in Argentina?
Argentina is home to the jaguar, cougar, capybara, maned wolf, guanaco, vicuña, huemul, tapir, ocelot and giant anteater, along with birds such as the hornero, Andean condor, rhea, flamingo and Magellanic penguin. Its reptiles include caimans, the boa constrictor and the rattlesnake, and its coast has southern right whale, orca, sea lion and elephant seal.
Where can you see penguins in Argentina?
Punta Tombo, in Chubut, is the largest Magellanic penguin colony on the South American mainland, and its season runs from mid September to mid April, with chicks from December. There are also colonies near Puerto Madryn and on Isla Martillo, reached by boat from Ushuaia, where a few king penguins have been seen in recent years. The macaroni penguin only visits Argentine waters outside the breeding season.
What animals live in Patagonia?
The Patagonian steppe is home to guanaco, rhea, mara, armadillo, South American gray fox and cougar, with Andean condor flying over the cliffs. The Andean forests shelter the rare huemul, and in Tierra del Fuego there are beavers brought from Canada. On the coast of Chubut you can see southern right whales from about June to December, plus orcas, sea lions, elephant seals and Magellanic penguins.
What endangered animals live in Argentina?
The jaguar is one of the most threatened, with about 250 left in the country. The huemul, a deer of the southern Andes, has an estimated 350 to 500 animals in Argentina, scattered in small groups. The pampas deer and the marsh deer have also lost most of their habitat. Projects in Iberá are bringing back species that had vanished there, such as the jaguar and the giant anteater.
What deer live in Argentina?
Argentina has four native deer: the huemul of the Patagonian Andes, the pampas deer of the grasslands, the marsh deer of the northern wetlands and the small brocket deer of the forests. Red deer, brought from Europe in the early 1900s, is now the most common deer in northern Patagonia. Blackbuck, an antelope from India, was also released for hunting and lives wild in parts of the Pampas.
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .