Milpe Bird Sanctuary is a 62 hectare sanctuary protecting one of the most important remnant forests in the Choco Endemic Area of Ecuador. The sanctuary encompasses a steep forested valley between two small rivers and offers a network of trails along with hummingbird feeders, an orchid nursery, a birding viewpoint, and a visitor center with cafeteria. The reserve is a mixture of primary forest, regenerating forest, and pasture. Since the reserve is some 500 meters lower in elevation than Mindo, it harbors many endemic birds not found in the Mindo Valley.
Many birders consider the Milpe Bird Sanctuary one of the finest birding sites on the west slope of the Andes because of the many lowland specialties and Choco endemics that can be seen.
Birding along the roads near within the bird sanctuary on the Rio Milpe offers unique opportunities to see many lowland endemics and specialty birds that can't be seen at higher elevation sites.
