The Yaguarón River and its surrounding wetlands and rice paddies form part of the extended eastern Uruguayan wetland system — a vast lowland landscape of shallow lakes, marshes, and flooded grasslands that connects eventually to the Lagoa Mirim and the Atlantic coast. The area around Río Branco is one of the less-visited parts of this system, which means that during the spring and autumn migration seasons you can watch waterbirds without competition from other birders.
Expect herons, egrets, ibises, and caimans in the river margins. During austral summer, southern lapwings, southern screamers, and roseate spoonbills appear regularly. The best approach is simply to drive or cycle along the river road southeast of town and stop wherever the vegetation opens up near the water. There are no formal hides or viewing points, but the flat landscape makes it easy to scan large areas from a car window.