As promised, I continue with my posts about my first Around-the-World trip. Iguazu Falls has a special place in my heart for the reason I listed here. As part of my series of posts on Buenos Aires, I suggested day trips to Tigre and Colonia if you have a couple of extra days to spare on your trip to Argentina. If you have a week in the area, however, there is no reason why you can’t hop aboard the short flight from the conveniently located domestic airport in Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazu. You can, of course, also go from Brazil, but for some of us that means obtaining a visa.

Of course, the main attraction here is the some 270+ waterfalls set in a beautiful jungle setting which we will get to, but the area is also a great place for wildlife watching, especially for ornithologists, amateur or professional. Early morning or early evening are the best times to see the animals, but it’s really a matter of luck and patience. You can see tropical birds, mammals such as the raccoon-like coatis, or monkeys, vultures, exotic butterflies, and the like. I spent but 24 hours in the area yet here is a sampling of some of the wildlife I encountered during my brief stay.

I’m not an ornithologist by trade. For more on bird-watching in Iguazu, this post by Harold Stiver I found seems like a good starting point. I have more photos of the falls themselves here, and my story of visiting this magical place here