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World atlas

Los Cardones National Park

National Park · Argentina

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Photo © Bernard Gagnon

Photo © Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

ABOUT

Where the Andes descend into northwestern Argentina, Los Cardones National Park sprawls across nearly 1,200 square kilometres of one of South America's most distinctive high-altitude desert ecosystems. The park's defining feature is the cardón—a massive columnar cactus that dominates the skeletal landscape alongside spiny shrubs, xerophytic scrub, and drought-resistant small trees adapted to intense solar radiation and minimal rainfall. This is terrain of dramatic contrasts: rocky bajadas give way to canyon systems carved through stratified mountains, their pale stone faces catching the low-angle light in hues of rust, cream, and deep purple. The elevation gradient from around 1,600 to over 3,200 metres creates distinct ecological zones, each harbouring specialist wildlife. Birds of prey hunt the thermals above the ridges, while ground-dwelling birds and small mammals shelter among the cardón forest and rocky outcrops. Nocturnal predators and burrowing vertebrates emerge as temperatures drop, their presence revealed by tracks in the fine desert dust and the occasional sighting along quieter trails.

Website argentina.gob.ar/interior/ambiente/parquesnacionales/loscardones

WILDLIFE

Geranoaetus polyosoma

Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant

Agriornis montanus

Colaptes rupicola

Grey-hooded Sierra Finch

Rufous-collared Sparrow

Zonotrichia capensis

Rufous-banded Miner

Geositta rufipennis

Yellow-billed Teal

Anas flavirostris

Nothoprocta ornata

Cream-winged Cinclodes

Cinclodes albiventris

Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle

Geranoaetus melanoleucus

American Kestrel

Falco sparverius

Cordilleran Canastero

Asthenes modesta

Spot-billed Ground Tyrant

Muscisaxicola maculirostris

Cinereous Ground Tyrant

Muscisaxicola cinereus

Chiguanco Thrush

Turdus chiguanco

Golden-spotted Ground Dove

Metriopelia aymara

Tawny-throated Dotterel

Oreopholus ruficollis

Crested Caracara

Caracara plancus

Slender-billed Miner

Geositta tenuirostris

Buff-breasted Earthcreeper

Upucerthia validirostris

Cinnamon-bellied Ground Tyrant

Muscisaxicola capistratus

D'Orbigny's Chat-Tyrant

Ochthoeca oenanthoides

White-browed Chat-Tyrant

Ochthoeca leucophrys

Hellmayr's Pipit

Anthus hellmayri

Andean Hillstar

Oreotrochilus estella

Lesser Horned Owl

Bubo magellanicus

Streak-backed Canastero

Asthenes wyatti

White-browed Ground Tyrant

Muscisaxicola albilora

Brown-capped Whitestart

Myioborus brunniceps

Greenish Yellow Finch

Sicalis olivascens

Plumbeous Sierra Finch

Geospizopsis unicolor

Red-tailed Comet

Sappho sparganurus

Elegant Crested Tinamou

Eudromia elegans

Mountain Caracara

Daptrius megalopterus

White-tipped Plantcutter

Phytotoma rutila

Southern House Wren

Troglodytes musculus

Band-tailed Seedeater

Catamenia analis

Plain-colored Seedeater

Catamenia inornata

Brown-capped Tit-Spinetail

Leptasthenura fuliginiceps

Blue-and-yellow Tanager

Rauenia bonariensis

Moreno's Ground Dove

Metriopelia morenoi

Nothoprocta pentlandii

Patagonian Mockingbird

Mimus patagonicus

Band-tailed Sierra Finch

Rhopospina alaudina

Ash-breasted Sierra Finch

Geospizopsis plebejus

Mourning Sierra Finch

Rhopospina fruticeti

Streak-fronted Thornbird

Phacellodomus striaticeps

Least Seedsnipe

Thinocorus rumicivorus

Zimmer's Tapaculo

Scytalopus zimmeri

Rock Earthcreeper

Ochetorhynchus andaecola

White-winged Cinclodes

Cinclodes atacamensis

Spotted Nothura

Nothura maculosa

Yellow-billed Pintail

White-sided Hillstar

Oreotrochilus leucopleurus

Southern Giant Hummingbird

Black-winged Ground Dove

Metriopelia melanoptera

Southern Lapwing

Vanellus chilensis

Vanellus resplendens

Parabuteo unicinctus

Straight-billed Earthcreeper

Ochetorhynchus ruficaudus

Scale-throated Earthcreeper

Upucerthia dumetaria

Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail

Leptasthenura aegithaloides

Teledromas fuscus

Cliff Flycatcher

Hirundinea ferruginea

Yellow-browed Tyrant

Satrapa icterophrys

Southern Martin

Long-tailed Meadowlark

Sicalis flaveola

Rusty Flowerpiercer

Diglossa sittoides

Rhynchotus maculicollis

Darwin's Nothura

Nothura darwinii

Merganetta armata

Lophonetta specularioides

Spatula versicolor

Band-winged Nightjar

Systellura longirostris

White-collared Swift

Streptoprocne zonaris

Aeronautes andecolus

Sparkling Violetear

Colibri coruscans

Glittering-bellied Emerald

Chlorostilbon lucidus

White-bellied Hummingbird

Elliotomyia chionogaster

Picazuro Pigeon

Patagioenas picazuro

Spot-winged Pigeon

Patagioenas maculosa

Zenaida auriculata

Pardirallus sanguinolentus

Common Gallinule

Gallinula galeata

Fulica ardesiaca

White-winged Coot

Fulica leucoptera

Aramus guarauna

White-tufted Grebe

Rollandia rolland

Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe

Grey-breasted Seedsnipe

Thinocorus orbignyianus

Upland Sandpiper

Bartramia longicauda

Gallinago paraguaiae

Baird's Sandpiper

Calidris bairdii

Chroicocephalus serranus

Mycteria americana

Neotropic Cormorant

Nannopterum brasilianum

Buff-necked Ibis

Theristicus caudatus

Bare-faced Ibis

Phimosus infuscatus

White-faced Ibis

Plegadis ridgwayi

Whistling Heron

Syrigma sibilatrix

Sarcoramphus papa

Coragyps atratus

Cinereous Harrier

Circus cinereus

Rupornis magnirostris

Athene cunicularia

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

White-fronted Woodpecker

Melanerpes cactorum

Green-barred Woodpecker

Colaptes melanochloros

Aplomado Falcon

Falco femoralis

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Grey-hooded Parakeet

Psilopsiagon aymara

Mountain Parakeet

Psilopsiagon aurifrons

Mitred Parakeet

Psittacara mitratus

Geositta cunicularia

Geositta punensis

Chaco Earthcreeper

Tarphonomus certhioides

Furnarius rufus

Rusty-vented Canastero

Asthenes dorbignyi

Scribble-tailed Canastero

Asthenes maculicauda

Maquis Canastero

Asthenes heterura

Stripe-crowned Spinetail

Cranioleuca pyrrhophia

Steinbach's Canastero

Pseudasthenes steinbachi

White-throated Cacholote

Pseudoseisura gutturalis

Rufous-capped Antshrike

Thamnophilus ruficapillus

Olive-crowned Crescentchest

Melanopareia maximiliani

White-crested Elaenia

Elaenia albiceps

White-crested Tyrannulet

Serpophaga subcristata

Subtropical Doradito

Pseudocolopteryx acutipennis

Greater Wagtail-Tyrant

Stigmatura budytoides

Bran-colored Flycatcher

Myiophobus fasciatus

Rufous-naped Ground Tyrant

Muscisaxicola rufivertex

Spectacled Tyrant

Hymenops perspicillatus

Rufous-webbed Bush Tyrant

Cnemarchus rufipennis

Black-crowned Monjita

Neoxolmis coronatus

Streak-throated Bush Tyrant

Myiotheretes striaticollis

Lesser Shrike-Tyrant

Agriornis murinus

Grey-bellied Shrike-Tyrant

Agriornis micropterus

Machetornis rixosa

Pitangus sulphuratus

Tropical Kingbird

Tyrannus melancholicus

Fork-tailed Flycatcher

Tyrannus savana

Blue-and-white Swallow

Pygochelidon cyanoleuca

Orochelidon andecola

Hirundo rustica

Cistothorus platensis

White-banded Mockingbird

Brown-backed Mockingbird

Rufous-bellied Thrush

Turdus rufiventris

Passer domesticus

Yellowish Pipit

Short-billed Pipit

Anthus furcatus

Anthus brevirostris

Correndera Pipit

Anthus correndera

Spinus magellanicus

Fulvous-headed Brushfinch

Atlapetes fulviceps

Molothrus bonariensis

Greyish Baywing

Agelaioides badius

Embernagra platensis

Many-colored Chaco Finch

Saltatricula multicolor

Bluish-grey Saltator

Saltator coerulescens

Tucuman Mountain Finch

Ringed Warbling Finch

Microspingus torquatus

Black-capped Warbling Finch

Microspingus melanoleucus

Monte Yellow Finch

Sicalis mendozae

Puna Yellow Finch

Black-hooded Sierra Finch

Phrygilus atriceps

Red-backed Sierra Finch

Idiopsar dorsalis

Rufous-bellied Mountain Tanager

Pseudosaltator rufiventris

Thraupis sayaca

Coscoroba coscoroba

Red-gartered Coot

Fulica armillata

Black-necked Stilt

Himantopus mexicanus

Suiriri Flycatcher

Suiriri suiriri

Sayornis nigricans

Swainson's Thrush

Catharus ustulatus

Creamy-bellied Thrush

Turdus amaurochalinus

Anthus bogotensis

Purple-throated Euphonia

Euphonia chlorotica

Black-backed Grosbeak

Pheucticus aureoventris

Double-collared Seedeater

Sporophila caerulescens

Grassland Yellow Finch

Sicalis luteola

Lycalopex culpaeus

Common Mountain Viscacha

Lagidium viscacia

Screaming Hairy Armadillo

Chaetophractus vellerosus

Northern Huemul

Hippocamelus antisensis

View Complete List (192 more) →

COMMUNITY

0 Community observations

No community observations yet — be the first to log a sighting here.

Natural environment

Los Cardones National Park

Dry conditions dominate, with strong contrasts between day and night.

Usual climateCold desertHigh mountain

Average annual temperature 9.3 °C Average of the twelve monthly means

Average elevation 3,128 m High mountain

Climate pattern Cold desert Main environment around this hotspot

A year of temperatures

Monthly means, with the coldest and warmest highlighted

Monthly minimum · July 4.4 °C Monthly maximum · December 12.8 °C

Global temperature scale

−40°−20°0°20°40°

Terrain and elevation

3,128 m · High mountain

Average terrain elevation estimate. This hotspot also includes high-mountain areas; the figure does not represent its highest summits.

Elevation scale

3,128 m

02,0004,0006,0008,000m

High mountain

Long-term climate averages, not live weather.

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