Traditional bird count in the Manglares Churute Ecological Reserve, in the Gulf of Guayaquil

In Guayas there are magical places where nature reigns and humans can only enter as a guest observer. And it is quite an honor! This happened in mid-December when this journalist accompanied, at the invitation of the Guayas Prefecture, a group of fans and specialists to enter the Churute Mangrove Ecological Reserve, territory of the howler monkeys whose sound could be heard from the hills like a stadium tribune.

On this occasion, however, the tour focused on the sighting and counting of birds typical of the area, an activity called Christmas Bird Count and which is endorsed by the National Audubon Society. This count is replicated in other areas of the province (Cerro Paraíso, Cerro Blanco and Rancho Alemán) to monitor the bird population and the health status of the various species.

To observe and listen to them, our guide, Jairo Lara, chose a path not open to tourists that began in the vicinity of the Cimalón and Perequeté hills and that led us to the edge of the El Canclón lagoon and the dry forest.

“Canclón, canclón!”. If you listen carefully, it seems that this bird actually pronounces the name with which it was baptized and that also stands out for its large size. It was one of the first, of 48 species, that managed to captivate us on our journey.

Looking for the other species

Churute receives tourists interested in getting to know this area on a daily basis. “It is always recommended visit the authorized trails, respect the nests, do not make noise or bring pets”, Recommends the naturalist guide Jairo Lara.

But let’s go to the counting results. Among the species observed this year in the Canclón lagoon, the most numerous species are the canelo wigeon (Dendrocygna bicolor) and the black-winged wigeon (Dendrocygna autumnalis), with 200 specimens each, followed by the sand or river martin (Repair repair) and the Ecuadorian terrestrial dove (Columbina buckleyi). On the other hand, of certain birds such as the Guayaquil woodpecker (Campephilus gayaquilensis), the laughing hawk (Herpetotheres cachinnans) and the garzón cocoi or heron (Burning cocoon) barely an individual has been sighted.

Three ecological tours

Rómulo Gainza is a technician at the Churute reserve, and explains that the tourist sector of the protected area is divided into three zones: the mangrove, the mountainous and the lagoon. In the first one, canoeing for bird watching and learning about the mangrove ecosystem and the extraction of the red crab, and occasionally, when conditions permit, observation of crocodiles.

In the mountainous area we also have trails that cross the dry forests in the lower part of the hills, where you can see the black howler monkey, squirrels, sloth anteaters, and appreciate the timber and medicinal vegetation.

In the lagoons, which collect rainwater from the hills and underground water, there are very few water mirrors, because the vegetation (lechuguines) covers almost the entire surface. “In the rainy season the mirrors increase,” says Gainza. “The famous bird for us is the canclon, which is in danger of extinction and it has characteristics that indicate that it has evolved little over time ”.

Also in Guayaquil

Since 2015, the Municipal Public Company for Tourism, Civic Promotion and International Relations, chaired by Gloria Gallardo Zavala, has focused its efforts on promoting and developing the practice of avitourism in the urban circuit as a local and international alternative available to everyone.

A statement from that entity indicates that in 2017 the first Christmas bird count was organized with a registered number of more than 30 species. The Christmas Bird Count 2021, called “Between feathers and mangroves”, took place on Wednesday, December 29 with 41 participants divided into three groups, each with one hour of observation.

The result was approximately 36 species of birds sighted from the Rodolfo Baquerizo Moreno square, La Bota, El Pasaje de los Escritores, El Velero bridge, the Monumental fountain and back to the starting point with a low tide condition.

This site registers 7 sectors, 22 observation sites and 80 species of birds, as available in the guide Guayaquil is my destination to observe birds on the boardwalk of the Salado estuary and linear parks.

The most observed species they were the northern tyrant (tyrant tyrant), migratory bird with a number of 55 individuals observed only during the first hour of observation, and the ruficollareja swallow (Petrochelidon rufocollaris), which is native to the coast and nests in the Malecón sector of the Salado estuary; More than 500 individuals were observed in search of their food, which are mosquitoes and other insects.

“Birdwatching is the fastest growing outdoor activity in the world and there is an increasing number of observers who travel to other long-distance destinations, in order to detect new birds that cannot be seen in their own country or region “, indicates the Public Municipal Tourism Company (EPM de Turismo) .

The city of Guayaquil has the advantage of being between two natural ecosystems with a great diversity of habitats and, therefore, species of fauna and flora, the mangrove and the tropical dry forest, plus the urban ecosystem given by the parks, flower beds, avenues. trees and gardens of the city that allow the flow of species of birds and their prey between the dry forest and the mangrove swamp and invite the abundance of species of flora and fauna.

According to information collected between the years 2015 and 2021, Guayaquil has around 250 species of birds registered in its urban and rural areas. “Bird tourism is a priority product for the EPM de Turismo and for this a consultancy led by the expert ornithologist Nancy Hilgert is being hired, which will contain a new guide and the structuring of 20 birdwatching routes in Guayaquil, 10 main and 10 complementary, ”the statement added. (I)