Trips

Bird Watching Isla Corazon

August 27, 2011 by Renato 3 Comments

Isla Corazon was formed by sediment deposition of the Rio Chone on its way out to the ocean to the central coast of Ecuador.  The estuary of this river had been populated by mangroves for centuries but most of it has been destroyed to give way to shrimp farming, luckily the local community of Puerto Portobelo became interested in the protection of the mangroves since they have been local fishermen who have benefited from the mangroves for many generations. The mangroves have been part of their lifes and therefore decided to work together as a community and try to save a small piece of the biodiversity that once proliferated the Rio Chone estuary.

Isla Corazon Tours

Birdwatching around this area can be very productive, instructive, and also provide a means of survival to the small community of fishermen that love Isla Corazon.  As a supporter of conservation and eco-tourism we have been there multiple times and found their conservation work impressive and deserving of more press.  As in many other community birdwatching places our latest National Plan for Sustainable Development of Birdwatching Tourism in Ecuador  ignores these important birdwatching areas so we have chosen to presented here for the benefit of the un-benefited.

Here are some of the best birds I have seen at Isla Corazon:


Cocoi Heron


Croacking Groud dove


Little Blue Heron


Magnificent Frigatebird


White Ibis


Yellow-crowned Night Heron


Boa Constrictor

Written by Renato
Renato was born in Quito, Ecuador and quickly flew to the USA to learn all about engineering and climbing company ladders. After getting his engineering degree from the University of Minnesota he worked in the Standard-American-Rat-Race-Company for fifteen years. After climbing the ladder to where he could no longer see the ground, he decided to jump off the ladder and migrate south like all normal birds do. To his surprise home did not look like it did when he left as a young fledgling; the towns were bigger, most of his friends had nests of their own, and the countryside was changed. Shocked by all the change he searched for a new life and a new wife. He stumbled across a vivacious young chick who would accompany him inside a volcanic crater to set up a love nest. So, after eight years of nesting inside the crater a new love for nature and birds has sprung a career in environmental conservation and birding tours. Finally this bird has come home to roost!