Parque Das Aves: Review of The Iguazu Falls Bird Park
Iguazu Falls is one of the most spectacular natural wonders in the world. But beyond the falls, there’s so much more to explore. Just minutes away from the Brazilian side is one of the world’s best bird parks – Parque das Aves.
Home to over 1,500 birds from 150 species, the Iguazu Falls bird park is set in a lush rainforest and offers an up-close encounter with some of the world’s most beautiful and rare birds.
Here is my full review of Parque das Aves and everything you need to know before visiting this beautiful bird park.
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Parque Das Aves – The Iguazu Falls Bird Park
About the Bird Park
- Opening Times: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm daily
- Location: Av. das Cataratas, 12450, Foz do Iguaçu
- Tickets: Can be purchased online in advance or onsite
- Price: R $80 per person (park entry only)
- Reservations: Not needed
- Time Needed: Allow yourself at least 2 hours
Parque das Aves is a privately owned bird shelter and sanctuary, set within 16 hectares of rainforest. It’s located near the entry to Iguaçu National Park and the stunning Iguazu Falls, in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil.
It’s actually the only park in the world which focuses on the conservation of Atlantic Rainforest birds. So you can see some really spectacular and unique birds here!
The Iguazu Falls bird park was opened in 1994. It houses 130 different species of birds (around 1,300 birds in total), of which over half are rescued. It also has a large butterfly enclosure and is home to a number of reptiles, including lizards, tortoises, crocodiles and snakes.
My Experience at Parque Das Aves
I didn’t really know what to expect from the bird park. But after spending nearly two hours there, I was in awe and really wished we had allowed ourselves more time.
Arriving at the Park
The park is easy to find, as it’s located right opposite the helipad, where you can get a panoramic helicopter flights over Iguazu Falls. There is a car park at the bird park, which costs R $25 for the day, and a bus stop at the front.
When you get to the bird park, you can either queue to buy tickets or, if you bought them in advance, head straight to the entry.
Once you enter Parque das Aves, follow the signs which lead you to the start of the trail through the park. An employee will greet you here and give you a park map. You will then be allowed to pass through some doors to start the trail in the first bird enclosures.
Pro Tip – Every time you pass from one enclosure to the next, there are two sets of doors to pass through. Always make sure the first door is closed behind you before you open the second door!
Trail through the Park
The trail in Parque das Aves takes you through 12 enclosures, each with different types of birds. Some of the enclosures have birds roaming freely, whereas others are in cages. Although the cages are HUGE and give the birds plenty of room to roam around, fly and go about their business away from people.
The map of the bird park shows the different enclosures you will pass through:
Exploring The Different Enclosures
There is so much to see inside the bird park! We were enjoying ourselves so much in the first couple of enclosures that we lost track of time and unfortunately had to rush through the final couple of sections, to move on to our next activity for the day.
At the beginning of the trail you get to see a flock of flamingos, followed by an enclosure, where there are multiple species (including some quite large birds) roaming around freely. Many of them were even relaxing right on the side of the path, as were some tortoises, so we got some great photos!
Moving on through the different enclosures, there were birds of all different colours, some which you could interact with and others which you could observe from afar. You will get to see everything from toucans and parrots to owls eagles, and even a huge cassowary!
About halfway through the park there’s also a reptile section, where you can see snakes, crocodiles and turtles. Although don’t worry, you won’t interact with the reptiles! They are all kept safely away from visitors, in their own enclosures.
There were also signs throughout the park with interesting facts about the animals, plants and the conservation work the bird park is doing. It was interesting to learn more about this along the way.
A highlight of the bird park was the macaws enclosure. These spectacular colourful birds roam freely around you and are very active. It was great to be able to see them climbing, eating and interacting with each other. They were fascinating, funny and beautiful birds to see.
One of the final enclosures you walk through is the butterfly house. This was a really beautiful and peaceful enclosure, with butterflies of all different species, sizes and colours floating around.
The butterfly house was followed by the owl enclosure which was also very relaxed, as many of them were sleeping. But they were really cool to see and a nice way to end the visit.
Amenities Inside the Bird Park
Another reason why it’s good to allow yourself a bit of extra time at the Iguazu Falls bird park is because there is also an onsite gift shop, a café and a little restaurant.
The restaurant is located halfway along the trail through the different enclosures, surrounded by rainforest and the sound of birds chirping. It’s a beautiful spot to stop for lunch or coffee, and to spend some time relaxing.
You will probably reach the restaurant about an hour into your visit to Parque das Aves, which is a great time to take a break!
The café and gift shop is at the end of the trail, before you exit the park. The shop had some really beautiful bird themed gifts and souvenirs, so you may want to allow yourself some time to browse.
There are also washrooms throughout the park, so just keep your eyes out for them.
My Review
The Iguazu Falls bird park is truly a spectacular experience. I loved seeing so many different species of birds, learning more about them and even getting to interact with them. In my opinion, visiting the Parque das Aves is a must-do activity at Iguazu Falls!
We saw so many exotic and rare birds, some of which I had never even heard of before, of all different sizes and colours. I probably could have spent all day there admiring them.
Plus, it was nice knowing that the bird park does a lot of good work. It’s not like visiting a zoo where you see animals kept in captivity. Instead, it’s a sanctuary focused on conservation, and the enclosures are huge with plenty of space for the animals to roam freely.
The one thing I would do differently next time I visit, is to allow myself more time. We spent nearly 2 hours in the bird park and got to see everything. But I did feel a bit rushed towards the end. Next time I would allow 3 hours, so we could take our time in each enclosure, and even stop for a coffee or lunch inside the park.
How to Book Your Tickets to the Iguazu Falls Bird Park
Tickets to the Parque das Aves can be bought in advance online, or upon arrival at the park. You may also be able to buy them through your hotel in Foz do Iguaçu or Puerto Iguazu.
The base price to enter the park is R $80 per person, although children under 8 are free.
I would always recommend buying tickets in advance, to save time on the day. However, the Parque das Aves website doesn’t always work smoothly to purchase tickets. And sometimes there can be issues with processing foreign credit cards.
As an alternative option, you can book your tickets through a tour company online. The benefit of this is that the tour comes with hotel transfers to make your visit even easier. Plus, the price difference is minimal and this actually works out cheaper than booking a transfer or taxi separately.
Plus, some of the tours also include a professional guide, to provide you with more detailed information about the park and the birds. Although we didn’t do a guided tour, I have heard really great things about it and the tour is highly rated!
Package Tours (Recommended)
The bird park is not the only Iguazu Falls experience I recommend. During my recent trip, I also had the opportunity to do the Macuco Safari boat ride and the panoramic helicopter flight over Iguazu Falls. Both of these experiences were absolutely phenomenal and I highly recommend adding them to your itinerary if you can.
The best way to ensure you fit everything in (and to make things as easy for you as possible) is to book a complete tour of Iguazu Falls Brazil side. This includes the helicopter flight, boat ride, entry to the bird park, hotel transfers and a professional guide.
This option is especially good if you’re staying in Puerto Iguazu on the Argentinian side of the falls, as the border crossing goes quicker as part of a tour. Plus the guides take care of all the logistics to ensure a seamless border crossing. So it really takes the stress out of it!
FAQs
Yes, the bird park is definitely worth a visit! This is one of the top activities to do when visiting Iguazu Falls. It’s a great way to learn more about the local wildlife, see rare and exotic birds you wouldn’t be likely to encounter in the wild, and even interact with them!
The base price to enter the Parque das Aves is R $80 per person. There is free entry for children under 8 years of age. However, starting at $23 USD you can book a tour which includes entry to the bird park and hotel transfers.
The bird park is open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm daily. You should allow yourself at least 2 hours to experience all the different enclosures in the park. However, if you have the time, I would recommend spending closer to 3 hours in the park, so you can take your time, as there’s so much to see!
You can pay an additional R $20 fee to feed some of the parrots inside the Parque das Aves. There is a dedicated area You can’t book this in advance. Instead, just look out for information about it upon arrival to the park.
Yes, absolutely! The best way to do this is to combine it with your visit to the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls. I recommend booking a complete tour of Iguazu Falls Brazil. This includes all your activities on the Brazilian side, as well as hotel transfers which makes the border crossing quick and seamless.
You can get to the Parque das Aves by car or bus. There is a carpark onsite which costs R $25 for the day, or you can get a hotel transfer, taxi or Uber to the park. Alternatively, if you prefer to get the bus, line 120 goes from downtown Foz do Iguaçu to the Parque das Aves for R $5 per person each way.
Yes, this is the recommended way to visit the Parque das Aves, since it is right by the entrance to Iguaçu National Park. Therefore, it’s easy to visit both the falls and the bird park in the same day. Although if you have an extra day to spare in Foz do Iguaçu, then you can always visit the bird park then, to allow yourself more time.
There are more than 130 different species of exotic, rare and endangered birds at the Park das Aves. They include flamingos, toucans, owls, hummingbirds, eagles, vultures, parrots, macaws, cranes, tanagers, cassowaries, and many more!
Final Thoughts on Parque das Aves
Visiting Parque das Aves was one of the highlights of my trip to Iguazu Falls. I was really impressed by how much there was to see inside the park, and how much we got to interact with the birds.
With so many unique, colourful and exotic birds to see, you definitely won’t get bored at the Iguazu Falls bird park!
