The Napo River is a slow-moving river through the lowlands of northeastern Ecuador. A large part of the basin is protected by the 962,000 hectare Yasuni National Park, Ecuador's largest mainland reserve. Additional areas are protected as private reserves owned by the various ecolodges. Much of Yasuni National Park is extremely remote and reachable only by boat. Many birds can be seen along the Napo River during the boat trips to and from Napo Wildlife Center.
Napo Wildlife Center itself offers a variety of birding opportunities and is one of the premier places for birders along the Napo River. Certainly one of the highlights is the 120-foot tall observation tower where guests can get a birds-eye view of rainforest canopy birds. Toucans, parrots, tanagers, and many other birds as well as mammals such as monkeys and sometimes sloths can be readily seen from the tower. Another highlight is the salt-lick, one of the most accessible in Ecuador, where up to thousands of parrots of several species gather every morning. Other birding opportunities include short canoe trips into the varzea or seasonally flooded forest and hiking trails in the terra firme or dry forest. Over 500 species of birds have been recorded at Napo Wildlife Center and neighbording Yasuni National Park.
