Buenos Aires has many options for nature lovers; not least in the great variety of bird life native to the city.

Where to go?

Riverside areas along the Rio de la Plata, public squares and parks, and protected reserves all attract birdwarching enthusiasts and experts. The greatest variety can be found at the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, where 320 native and migrating species have been spotted. The reserve is the most important in the city and one of the most important urban reserves in the world. It has been declared an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International and Ramsar, the convention for the protection of wetlands.

Experts lead a guided birdwatching circuit on the second Friday of every month, starting at 9am at the entrance to the reserve in Calle Viamonte. You can reserve a place by emailing visitasguiadas_recs@buenosaires.gob.ar.

Some highlights to look out for in the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve:
In the lagoons: Rufescent Tiger-heron (Tigrisoma lineatum), White-faced Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna viduata), Coscoroba Swan (Coscoroba coscoroba), Black-necked Swan (Cygnus melancoryphus), Ringed Teal (Calloneta leucophrys), Wattled Jacana (Jacana jacana), Scarlet-headed Blackbird (Amblyramphus holosericeus).
Elsewhere in the reserve: Gray-necked Wood-rail (Aramides cajanea), Black-hooded Parakeet (Nandayus nenday), Guira Cuckoo (Guira guira), Scissor-tailed Nightjar (Hydropsalis brasiliana), Checkered Woodpecker (Veniliornis mixtus),Sooty-fronted Spinetail (Synallaxis frontalis), Freckle-breasted Thornbird (Phacellodomus striaticollis), Spectacled Tyrant (Hymenops perspicillatus), Masked Gnatcatcher (Polioptila dumicola), Blue-and-yellow Tanager (Thraupis bonariensis), White-lined Tanager (Tachyphonus rufus), Black-and-rufous Warbling-finch (Poospiza nigrorufa), Red-crested Cardinal (Paroaria coronata), Golden-billed Saltator (Saltator aurantiirostris), Solitary black Cacique (Cacicus solitarius).

Other places to enjoy birdwatching include the Tres de Febrero park  in Palermo, Parque Sarmiento in Saavedra and the Parque Agronomía.

To find out more

For anyone interested in learning more about the great diversity of birds in Argentina, the Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Science Museum has an innovative birds room with representations of five different environments from around the country. You can even listen to recordings of the calls of 50 different birds. The museum is open every day, 2pm - 7pm.