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© Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos

Bahía de Jiquilisco Biosphere Reserve & RAMSAR Site

13.23025 , -88.53413

El Salvador

The Jiquilisco Bay Biosphere Reserve is located on the southeast Pacific coast of El Salvador. It was declared a Ramsar site on October 31, 2005. The Reserve covers approximately 400 square kilometers, including 50 km of coastline, and is located between the mouth of the river Lempa and the Jucuarán mountain range. The main canal leading into the bay measures over 43 km long and 3 km wide. Bahia Jiquilisco is also one of two primary hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting habitats in the eastern Pacific Ocean. 

Delete exact location

The introductory text should contain general information about the site, which may include for instance:
• geographic/ biogeographic location
• habitat and vegetation
• typical bird species/bird communities
• protection status
• land use and history
• importance for birdwatching

Site name was changed by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos into "Bahía De Jiquilisco Biosphere Reserve & RAMSAR Site" (2021-08-01 12:36:39 )

Coordinates were set by Mathias Ritschard (Admin) : 13.2303/-88.5341 (2021-01-22 17:43:11 )

Site name was set by Mathias Ritschard (Admin) as "Bahía De Jiquilisco" (2021-01-22 17:43:11 )

Edited by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos on 2021-08-01 11:54:20
The Jiquilisco Bay Biosphere Reserve is located on the southeast Pacific coast of El Salvador. It was declared a Ramsar site on October 31, 2005. The Reserve covers approximately 400 square kilometers, including 50 km of coastline, and is located between the mouth of the river Lempa and the Jucuarán mountain range. The main canal leading into the bay measures over 43 km long and 3 km wide. Bahia Jiquilisco is also one of two primary hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting habitats in the eastern Pacific Ocean. 

  • Top species

List up to ca. 25 species that:
• have a limited distribution range and/or are rare on a global level
• are most sought-after by birdwatchers at this site
• and are relatively easy to see at this site (year-round or seasonally)

American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus)
Bare-throated Tiger-Heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum)
Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius)
Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)
Black-headed Trogon (Trogon melanocephalus)
American Pygmy Kingfisher (Chloroceryle aenea)

Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) was added by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos (2021-08-01 12:36:03)

American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) was added by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos (2021-08-01 12:33:34)

American Pygmy Kingfisher (Chloroceryle aenea) was added by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos (2021-08-01 12:33:11)

Black-headed Trogon (Trogon melanocephalus) was added by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos (2021-08-01 12:32:28)

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum) was added by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos (2021-08-01 12:32:15)

Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius) was added by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos (2021-08-01 12:31:55)

  • Timing and strategy

The whole area is huge, so if you really want to explore is better if you stay in the area. Puerto Barillas has nice rooms if you want to stay in the middle of nature. But also you can find a nice hotel in the nearby city of Usulutan, The best times to do visits are early in the morning or after 3 p.m if you visit salt pans or shrimp farms. If you visit La Cruz Canal for the Boat-billed Heron colony it has to be done before the lowest point of the tide same case for visiting Isla Pajarito and Golfo de la Perra.

Give recommendations for making your visit as productive as possible.
This may include for instance:
• best season
• best time of the day
• how much time to spend at the site
• best means of locomotion within the site
• recommended routes / areas within the site
• guiding

Edited by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos on 2021-08-01 12:16
The whole area is huge, so if you really want to explore is better if you stay in the area. Puerto Barillas has nice rooms if you want to stay in the middle of nature. But also you can find a nice hotel in the nearby city of Usulutan, The best times to do visits are early in the morning or after 3 p.m if you visit salt pans or shrimp farms. If you visit La Cruz Canal for the Boat-billed Heron colony it has to be done before the lowest point of the tide same case for visiting Isla Pajarito and Golfo de la Perra.
  • How to get there

The bay can be accessed by two points Puerto El Triunfo and Puerto Parada, both places offer piers and local boats to go around the canals of the bay, For birding purposes the best of them is Puerto Parada though, since the birding hotspots are better accessed from it and also there are birding spots around the Puerto even without taking a boat. You can travel by bus taking a bus at "Terminal del Sur" from San Salvador to Usulutan (Bus 302) and then taking the bus to Puerto Parada (350). If you do it by car you need to take the Airport Highway and then take the detour to Zacatecoluca then you follow the road till Usulutan city, The total distance from San Salvador is about 135 kilometers and it can be done in 2 hours an a half.

Explain from where and how to get to this site with private and public transport.

Edited by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos on 2021-08-01 12:25
The bay can be accessed by two points Puerto El Triunfo and Puerto Parada, both places offer piers and local boats to go around the canals of the bay, For birding purposes the best of them is Puerto Parada though, since the birding hotspots are better accessed from it and also there are birding spots around the Puerto even without taking a boat. You can travel by bus taking a bus at "Terminal del Sur" from San Salvador to Usulutan (Bus 302) and then taking the bus to Puerto Parada (350). If you do it by car you need to take the Airport Highway and then take the detour to Zacatecoluca then you follow the road till Usulutan city, The total distance from San Salvador is about 135 kilometers and it can be done in 2 hours an a half.

Provide information on how to enter this site, which may include:
• entry points
• entry permits / entry tickets and fees
• opening hours / opening season
• other restrictions

Note that this section should only contain information on how to ACCESS (= enter) a site. Info on how to REACH a site should be added to "How to get there" section.

Not available yet
  • Other attractions

There a couple of interesting attractions in the area. One of them is Puerto Barillas´ Spider Monkey Tour which an very unique experience. A colony of Spider Monkey inhabit a patch of forest and they have been really well adapted to human presence. So you do a visit and then you have the chance to interact with them.

The other interesting attraction in the area is the Procosta Sea Turtle Conservation Program that offers a Cat & Release Tour which consist on looking for either Green Turtle or Hawksbill Turtles (dependind on tide times) catch individuals and do the scientific process. DNA analysis, tagged them (If they are not), measure them and weight them, all the with the tourist help. After all these, release them back to the bay waters. A large percentage of the fee of this experience goes to their conservation program. There is also the possibility to do a paid volunteering visit at the facilites of the program in Isla La Pirraya.

Add information about other attractions at this site, including
• wildlife (apart from birds)
• sights (natural, cultural, archaeological, etc.)
• activities (e.g. for non-birding companions)

Edited by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos on 2021-08-01 12:31
There a couple of interesting attractions in the area. One of them is Puerto Barillas´ Spider Monkey Tour which an very unique experience. A colony of Spider Monkey inhabit a patch of forest and they have been really well adapted to human presence. So you do a visit and then you have the chance to interact with them. The other interesting attraction in the area is the Procosta Sea Turtle Conservation Program that offers a Cat & Release Tour which consist on looking for either Green Turtle or Hawksbill Turtles (dependind on tide times) catch individuals and do the scientific process. DNA analysis, tagged them (If they are not), measure them and weight them, all the with the tourist help. After all these, release them back to the bay waters. A large percentage of the fee of this experience goes to their conservation program. There is also the possibility to do a paid volunteering visit at the facilites of the program in Isla La Pirraya.

Provide information about what type of facilities are available at
or near this site, including:
• information centers / information points
• catering
• accommodation
• hides and watchtowers
• restrooms / toilets

Not available yet

Are there any security issues or other annoyances at this site? For
instance, these may include:
• offenses like robbery or theft
• natural hazards
• dangerous or annoying animals or plants (mosquitoes, leaches, thorn bushes, etc.)
• noise pollution

Edited by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos on 2021-08-01 12:31
All information about this site was contributed by Orniverse users. Neither Orniverse nor the contributors accept responsibility for the completeness and accuracy of the information provided.

Local guides

Gallery

Reports

Season:
to
Species:
2021-11-24 to 2021-11-30 Birding El Salvador with Nigel Marven 2021 Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos
2020-01-07 to 2020-01-08 Birding & Photo Tour with Stephon Sterns Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos
2018-06-28 Handal's Salt Pans at Jiquilisco Bay & El Jocotal Lagoon with David Palmer Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos
2020-02-19 to 2020-02-22 Lorenz Hintz Birding Tour Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos
2019-11-08 to 2019-11-11 Chris Fischer's 2019 Central American Big Year El Salvador Trip 2 Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos
Bahía de Jiquilisco Biosphere Reserve & RAMSAR Site - Orniverse