October Big Day 2026: Birdwatching on Costa Rica Island, Southern Ecuador
On October 10, 2026, I traveled from Huaquillas to Puerto Hualtaco and continued by boat for approximately 45 minutes to Costa Rica Island, in the Jambelí Archipelago, El Oro Province, Southern Ecuador. My visit was a personal birdwatching outing during October Big Day, offering an opportunity to observe the region’s coastal birdlife and document the diversity of birds found in this lesser-known destination.
October Big Day: Exploring the Coastal Birdlife of Southern Ecuador
October Big Day brings birdwatchers around the world together through a shared interest in observing birds and documenting their diversity. On October 10, 2026, I spent the day exploring Costa Rica Island, part of the Jambelí Archipelago in El Oro Province, southern Ecuador.
My journey began in Huaquillas, continued to Puerto Hualtaco, and then by boat to the island, approximately 45 minutes away. This personal outing offered an opportunity to explore a coastal environment that receives less attention than Ecuador’s better-known birding destinations.
The experience was a reminder that birdwatching in Ecuador extends far beyond the Andes and the Amazon. The southern coast also holds interesting opportunities for discovering coastal birds, observing wildlife in its natural habitats, and photographing species in a distinctive landscape.
Birds Observed on Costa Rica Island
Costa Rica Island offered an opportunity to observe a variety of coastal birds in the Jambelí Archipelago. Among the highlights of my visit were the Magnificent Frigatebird, Inca Tern, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, White Ibis, Whimbrel, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Roseate Spoonbill and Kelp Gull. Each species added to the experience of exploring this coastal environment and appreciating the diversity of Ecuador’s southern coastline.
Observing these birds during my October Big Day outing highlighted the value of exploring lesser-known birding destinations. Costa Rica Island provides an interesting setting for birdwatchers and wildlife photographers interested in discovering the coastal avifauna of southern Ecuador.
Bird Checklist
Magnificent Frigatebird
Neotropic Cormorant
Blue-footed Booby
Brown Pelican
Anhinga
Striated Heron
White Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Cattle Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Cocoi Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Black-necked Stilt
American Oystercatcher
Semipalmated Plover
Baird's Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Spotted Sandpiper
Kelp Gull
Inca Tern
Rock Pigeon
West Peruvian Dove
Croaking Ground Dove
Pacific Parrotlet
Groove-billed Ani
Common Pauraque
Amazilia Hummingbird
Green Kingfisher
Ringed Kingfisher
Scarlet-backed Woodpecker
Southern Beardless Tyrannulet
Tumbesian Tyrannulet
Myiarchus sp.
Tawny-crowned Pygmy Tyrant
Vermilion Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Gray-breasted Martin
Southern Rough-winged Swallow
House Wren
Superciliated Wren
Rufous-browed Peppershrike
Yellow Warbler
Blue-gray Tanager
Saffron Finch
Parrot-billed Seedeater
Great-tailed GrackleFregata magnificens
Nannopterum brasilianum
Sula nebouxii
Pelecanus occidentalis
Anhinga anhinga
Butorides striata
Eudocimus albus
Platalea ajaja
Ardea alba
Egretta thula
Bubulcus ibis
Egretta caerulea
Egretta tricolor
Nyctanassa violacea
Ardea cocoi
Coragyps atratus
Cathartes aura
Himantopus mexicanus
Haematopus palliatus
Charadrius semipalmatus
Calidris bairdii
Calidris pusilla
Calidris minutilla
Tringa melanoleuca
Tringa flavipes
Actitis macularius
Larus dominicanus
Larosterna inca
Columba livia
Zenaida meloda
Columbina cruziana
Forpus coelestis
Crotophaga sulcirostris
Nyctidromus albicollis
Amazilis amazilia
Chloroceryle americana
Megaceryle torquata
Veniliornis callonotus
Camptostoma obsoletum
Nesotriccus tumbezanus
Myiarchus sp.
Euscarthmus meloryphus
Pyrocephalus rubinus
Tyrannus melancholicus
Progne chalybea
Stelgidopteryx ruficollis
Troglodytes aedon
Cantorchilus superciliaris
Cyclarhis gujanensis
Setophaga petechia
Thraupis episcopus
Sicalis flaveola
Sporophila peruviana
Quiscalus mexicanusCosta Rica Island: A Destination for Birdwatching and Photography
Located in the Jambelí Archipelago in El Oro Province, Costa Rica Island offers an interesting setting for exploring the coastal birdlife of Southern Ecuador. Its island environment provides a different birdwatching experience from the Andean forests and highland reserves that attract many visitors to Ecuador.
My visit on October 10, 2026, highlighted the potential of this area for birdwatchers and wildlife photographers interested in coastal species and less familiar destinations. Exploring places like Costa Rica Island also helps draw attention to the diversity of birdlife found along Ecuador’s southern coast.
For travelers interested in discovering Ecuador beyond its traditional birding routes, this region deserves a place on the map of potential birdwatching destinations.
Discover the Birdwatching Potential of Southern Ecuador with Exploraves
Costa Rica Island is just one of the many places that make the coastal region of El Oro Province worth exploring. Its birdlife forms part of a broader natural landscape that includes mangroves, estuaries, coastal wetlands, dry forests and other important habitats. Together, these environments offer opportunities to discover a remarkable variety of birds and experience a different side of Ecuador’s biodiversity.
Other areas, including La Tembladera Wetland and the Arenillas Ecological Reserve, illustrate the diversity of habitats found across this region. Exploring these destinations together could provide a more complete picture of the birdlife of Southern Ecuador, from coastal and wetland species to birds associated with the region’s dry forests. La Tembladera, in particular, is recognized as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. <Cite refs={[«turn883062search0″,»turn883062search35»]}/>
At Exploraves, we see great potential for developing multi-day birdwatching and bird photography programs that connect Costa Rica Island with other coastal destinations in El Oro Province. A program of three nights and four days could combine boat excursions, wetland birdwatching and exploration of dry-forest habitats, depending on local access, conditions and the interests of each group.
Our goal is to help birdwatchers and wildlife photographers discover Ecuador beyond its better-known destinations, while highlighting the richness of its southern landscapes and the birds that inhabit them.
Explore Ecuador with Exploraves and discover the extraordinary birdlife of its southern coast.
More Information
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