Puerto Rico: Birds and Tropical Islands

Puerto Rico, once a Spanish colony now a U.S. territory and popular holiday destination, is the easternmost and smallest of the Greater Antilles. Harboring 19 species of birds found nowhere else on earth, it’s as exciting as a birding destination can get. Additionally, as a US-associated Commonwealth, it features fine facilities with a good road system providing convenient access to its many forest reserves. Conditions that make birding across Puerto Rico—every habitat from windswept elfin woods to bird-rich thorn scrub—a comfortable and rewarding experience.

We’ll begin our Puerto Rican birding odyssey on the eastern end of the island staying near the Caribbean National Forest: “El Yunque”. Holding one of the largest remaining tracts of native forest in Puerto Rico, the forest holds some of the island’s least-known landbirds. Roads and trails bisect the forest providing access to both tall, wet Caribbean rainforest on the lower slopes of this mountainous region and to the restricted elfin forest of the higher ridges. Our time here should provide us with a good chance to see these habitats and their inhabitants. Unfortunately the rarest species, the Puerto Rican Parrot, has declined precipitously in the wild in recent years and sighting one of these is virtually impossible—though of course we’ll keep our eyes peeled just in case!

Traveling to the near offshore island of Vieques, we’ll experience one of the world’s brightest bioluminescent bays intimately and up close! Birds aren’t left out, two hummingbird species—Green-throated Carib and Antillean Crested Hummingbird—are notable. Add beautiful, remote shores and a host of Caribbean specialty birds and it quickly becomes obvious Vieques has much to offer the visiting birder.

Returning to the mainland, We’ll stop near Humacao to search for West Indian Whistling-Duck, White-cheeked Pintail, Orange-cheeked Waxbill and Caribbean Coot in a nearby reserve’s marshes and impoundments. We’ll soon resume our journey to the charming and relaxed southwestern corner of the island. This corner of Puerto Rico is home to the awesome Guanica State Forest. To thoroughly explore the region, we’ll spend four nights at the waterfront, and thoroughly charming, Villa Parguera. The forest reserve lays atop a coastal range of hills and consistently produces an amazing variety of birds, including most of the island’s endemics. A short list would include Puerto Rican Emerald, Puerto Rican Flycatcher, Caribbean Elaenia, Puerto Rican Tody, Mangrove and Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoos, Adelaide’s Warbler, Puerto Rican Bullfinch and perhaps a Key West Quail-Dove. We’ll explore the area under darkness on evening or predawn visits for the uncommon and local Puerto Rican Nightjar. Near our lodge in Parguera, we hope to find endangered Yellow-shouldered Blackbird, Antillean Mango, Puerto Rican Spindalis and possibly a few introduced species such as Indian Silverbill, Orange Bishop or Venezuelan Troupial.

We’ll end our tour of “The Island of Enchantment” with a stroll around Old San Juan with its colorful streets, interesting shops and historic forts, churches and lighthouses.

 Caribbean National Forest: “El Yunque” – One of the largest remaining tracts of native forest in Puerto Rico, the forest around Luquillo is home to some of the island’s least-known landbirds. A fine system of roads and trails bisect the forest and give access to both tall, wet Caribbean rainforest on the lower slopes of this mountainous region and to the restricted elfin forest of the higher ridges. Rain is abundant in this part of the island and we’ll be flexible in our plans to take into account the weather conditions. 

Humacao wetlands – A small refuge but one with a nice variety of habitats, including freshwater, brackish and saltwater ponds, lagoons and ocean shore. Though known as a good site for the shy and endangered West Indian Whistling-Duck and the similarly endangered Caribbean Coot, the refuge’s diked impoundments are highly variable in their quality from one week to the next. While we’ve seen the whistling-ducks only sporadically, the refuge works well to break up our travels. We’ll stop by and see what we can turn up. Birds should include various waterfowl, warblers and Orange-cheeked Waxbill and Nutmeg Mannikin.

Guanica Dry Forest Reserve – Most of the subtropical dry coastal forest in Puerto Rico has been cleared for farming and other interests by the island’s growing population. One of the last remaining patches of this threatened habitat is protected in this reserve. While small, Guanica is listed as a World Biosphere Reserve and is home to 11 of Puerto Rico’s endemic birds. The most elusive endemic is the rare, local and endangered Puerto Rican Nightjar. Puerto Rican Toad is also found here, one of the few breeding sites known for this endangered amphibian. We’ll enjoy several visits to this amazing reserve, including at least one early morning (predawn) exploration.

The Southwestern Coast – The southwestern corner of Puerto Rico is now mostly pasture and farmland, with the immediate coastal area dominated by extensive mangrove wetlands. These mangroves, although not terribly localized, are seriously threatened with development and is the last stronghold of the endangered Yellow-shouldered Blackbird. If time permits, we’ll organize outings to a few of the small refuges in this corner of Puerto Rico, such as Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge and Boqueron Wildlife Refuge. 

Maricao Forest Reserve and highlands – During our time in the southwest, we’ll have ample time to explore the highland forests near the town of Maricao for several often-difficult endemic species, among them the Elfin-Woods Warbler. The forest reserve boasts some of the best wet mountain forest and cloud-forest habitat in Puerto Rico and holds a series of good trails for the warbler, as well as Puerto Rican Screech-Owl, Green Mango, Puerto Rican Spindalis along with the now familiar endemic pewee, lizard-cuckoo, tody and vireo. 

Birdlife here includes over 55 species and one should expect 30-40 species on a good morning’s visit. Puerto Rico’s endemic birds are particularly well represented, spectacular examples include Puerto Rican Vireo, Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo, Puerto Rican Bullfinch, Puerto Rican Tody and Adelaide’s Warbler. Cambalache also acts as a primary birding location for Caribbean specialties like Greater Antillean Oriole, Antillean Euphonia, Key West Quail Dove and Red-legged Thrush. Migratory passerines winter and thrive in the forest. With luck, Bicknell’s Thrush may be found hoping along some of the forest’s interior trails. Other typical wintering migrants might include Northern Parula, Black-and-white, Cape May and Prairie Warblers. Along forest borders it’s possible to find native and introduced seedeaters like Yellow-faced Grassquit, Black-faced Grassquit and Nutmeg and Bronze Manikins. It’s likely that you’ll encounter local flocks of Red-masked or Monk Parakeets, both species established introductions from South America.