The plateaus of southwest Patagonia, one of the harshest and least protected ecoregions in South America, are home to biodiversity of great conservation value. The Hooded Grebe (Podiceps gallardoi) is endemic to Santa Cruz province (Argentina) and today, only 40 years from its discovery, it is listed as critically endangered (BirdLife International / UICN) and facing extinction. The Hooded Grebe Project consists of a professional and committed team that works extensively in the area since 2009, studying the grebes’ biology, identifying the root causes of its greatest threats and generating direct-action programs and conservation strategies that have already helped the population to start recovering. The conservation measures include intense fieldwork (specifically research and control