The Best Amazonian Bird Watching - Ecuador

Ecuador is a prize destination for those nature lovers dedicated to exotic bird watching. Ecuador is considered one of the world’s most bio-diverse regions and offers numerous opportunities for wildlife and avian sightings. The Napo River Basin, which is a slow moving river that meanders through the northeastern region of the country, is particularly popular with visitors seeking out the country's Amazonian bird species.

A Bird Watcher’s Paradise

The Napo River Basin is largely protected by 962,000 hectares of the Yasuni National Park, the country's largest reserve through which it runs. Much of Yasuni National Park is very remote and only accessible by boat. However, this area alone is said to be home to over 600 species of birds, guaranteeing excellent opportunities for bird watching. Ecuador is one of the three countries the Napo River flows through and, during its journey, the river passes through two separate biosphere reserves, Yasuni and Sumaco, where just a few hectares supports more species of flora and fauna than the whole of North America.

Opportunities Abound

There are few places on earth that offer up such a wealth of sighting opportunities for bird watching. Ecuador, and the Napo River Basin in particular, not only supports hundreds of different species of birds but also over 6000 types of plants and trees and over 204 different species of mammals. Most visitors explore the Napo River by boat and along the way will frequently spot Swallow-wings and sometimes even a rare sighting of an Orange-breasted Falcon. Although much of the river is viewed from the water, there are frequent observation towers and raised walkways to stop at, which offer excellent viewing posts for observing the canopy birds of the forest.

Further along the trail of the Napo River, travellers can visit many natural habitats that attract a wide array of parrots. Sightings usually include large numbers of Dusky-headed Parakeets, Mealy Amazons, Blue-headed Parrots and Yellow-crowned Amazons. Smaller clay-licks further down the river attract Orange-eared Parrots, Cobalt-winged Parakeets and, sometimes, magnificent Scarlet Macaws. During a typical four-day visit to the Napo River, visitors can expect to see anywhere from 160 to 180 different species of birds along their travels.

Excellent Destination

The Napo River Basin is an excellent destination for bird watching. Ecuador and its colourful array of Amazonian bird species is a constant source of entertainment for the beginner and seasoned bird watcher alike. With a knowledgeable guide to lead the way, exploring the Napo River is simply a one of a kind experience.