“Our extraordinary Caribbean island birding saga
commenced with sightings of the enigmatic Palmchat, sole representative of an
endemic family, from our hotel grounds in Santo Domingo and the fun did not end
until our final departure from San Juan ten days later. Within 24 hours of our arrival, we had
recorded no less than nine paniolan endemics including Broad-billed Tody,
Antillean Piculet (a monotypic genus), and the second smallest hummingbird in
the world, Vervain. Bay-breasted and
Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo sightings compensated for the two flats within 15
minutes that aborted our attempts to reach our destination following a 02:30
start on our first visit to Bahoruco National
Park and kept us birding at the lower altitudes throughout the day. Patience was rewarded during a vigilant
watch of the pine forest near the watering hole along the Alcoa Road when a
flock of Hispaniolan Crossbills finally appeared. To see a representative of a group normally associated with
northern temperate forests on a tropical Caribbean island stimulated
conversations of species evolution for much of the day. Our second ‘oh-so-early’ morning (or perhaps
more aptly described late-night start) was rewarded with stunning views of La
Selle’s Thrushes placidly appearing on the roadside as we watched dawn break
the sky between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, enjoyed Narrow-billed Todys’
antics in the early morning, and with a momentary shock as we discovered a bird
in our ‘scopes was the sought-for Western Chat-Tanager.
Endemics may have been our focus during our short
stay in the Dominican Republic but did not constitute our entire birding
experience as we enjoyed sightings of late migrant waders and Dendroica wood-warblers and a pair of
West Indian Whistling-Ducks, an increasingly rare species on the DR. And, a quick trek across the border into
Haiti added another country to a growing list for some with a few birds ticked
along the way. A final afternoon
strolling around the colonial sector of Santo Domingo provided a chance to
ponder on the historic past of this island with a few bird sightings during the
walk that included a Peregrine Falcon.
Puerto Rico was a diametric contrast to Dominican
Republic with easy access to sites, good road conditions and excellent
infrastructure making our short time there an intense birding experience. As in Dominican Republic, we had barely
landed on the island before we were sighting both endemic hummingbirds and all
things “Puerto Rican” including lizard-cuckoos, todys and a very obliging
screech-owl before we even checked into our hotel our first afternoon. The Yellow-breasted Crake seen by all on our
first morning may not have been an endemic but was certainly an unexpected
treat. As we wound our way around the
island, endemics continued to be the focus although sightings of other species
including White-tailed Tropicbirds and Masked Ducks were also highlights of the
day. An exceptional day’s birding
concluded with a spotlighting trip to Guanica Forest for Puerto Rican
Nightjar.
Elfin Woods Warbler, described as recently as 1972,
was the focus of a pre-breakfast trip our second day, superficially similar but
with different behaviors to Black-and-white Warbler. Not-so-secretive Key West Quail-Doves walking around the picnic
area of Susua Reserve capped a remarkable last day birding the forested areas
of Puerto Rico.
Denizens of islands—Palmchat, a monotypic
family found only on the island of Hispaniola, todys—five species on four islands
(we saw three), and lizard-cuckoos (our sightings included two of four species
in the world). The Dominican Republic
and Puerto Rico offered us as birders a rare insider’s insight into the
uniqueness of island biogeography with sightings of a monotypic family,
endemics, red-data listed birds, and species that provoke thoughts of
definition of species, extinction and evolution. With the expert knowledge of our local leaders, Kate and José,
the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico provided us with phenomenal birding and
sightings of key species in relative comfort during a short period of time
making for a highly successful and enjoyable birding experience.” Judy Davis.
Column 1 = number of days recorded
Column 2 = greatest daily total
D = Dominican Republic only
P = Puerto Rico only
H = heard only
(H) = mostly heard
N = evidence of nesting
(I) = introduced
|
Helmeted Guineafowl |
|
|
(I) |
Numida meleagris |
|
Least Grebe |
1 |
12 |
D N |
Tachybaptus dominicus |
|
Pied-billed Grebe |
2 |
2 |
P |
Podilymbus podiceps |
|
White-tailed Tropicbird |
1 |
15 |
P |
Phaethon lepturus |
|
Brown Booby |
2 |
2 |
|
Sula leucogaster |
|
Brown Pelican |
5 |
10 |
|
Pelecanus occidentalis |
|
Magnificent Frigatebird |
7 |
6 |
|
Fregata magnificens |
|
Least Bittern |
1 |
3 |
P |
Ixobrychus exilis |
|
Great Blue Heron |
2 |
2 |
|
Ardea herodias |
|
Great Egret |
6 |
20 |
|
Ardea alba |
|
Snowy Egret |
5 |
40 |
|
Egretta thula |
|
Little Blue Heron |
3 |
2 |
|
Egretta caerulea |
|
Tricolored Heron |
3 |
3 |
|
Egretta tricolor |
|
Cattle Egret |
9 |
‘00s |
|
Bubulcus ibis |
|
Green Heron |
4 |
2 |
|
Butorides virescens |
|
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron |
1 |
1 |
P |
Nyctanassa violacea |
|
White Ibis |
1 |
4 |
D |
Eudocimus albus |
|
Roseate Spoonbill |
1 |
25 |
D |
Platalea ajaja |
|
Greater Flamingo |
1 |
35 |
D |
Phoenicopterus ruber |
|
West Indian Whistling-Duck |
1 |
2 |
D |
Dendrocygna arborea |
|
White-cheeked Pintail |
3 |
8 |
|
Anas bahamensis |
|
Ruddy Duck |
1 |
2 |
P |
Oxyura jamaicensis |
|
Masked Duck |
1 |
6 |
P |
Nomonyx dominicus |
|
Turkey Vulture |
3 |
50 |
P |
Cathartes aura |
|
Osprey |
2 |
2 |
|
Pandion haliaetus |
|
Sharp-shinned Hawk |
2 |
3 |
D |
Accipiter striatus |
|
Red-tailed Hawk |
7 |
5 |
|
Buteo jamaicensis |
|
Peregrine Falcon |
1 |
1 |
D |
Falco peregrinus |
|
Merlin |
2 |
1 |
|
Falco columbarius |
|
American Kestrel |
7 |
5 |
|
Falco sparverius |
|
Yellow-breasted Crake |
1 |
1 |
P |
Porzana flaviventer |
|
Clapper Rail |
1 |
4 |
P N |
Rallus longirostris |
|
Purple Gallinule |
1 |
5 |
P |
Porphyrula martinica |
|
Common Moorhen |
5 |
15 |
|
Gallinula chloropus |
|
Caribbean Coot |
2 |
20 |
P |
Fulica caribaea |
|
Limpkin |
1 |
1 |
D H |
Aramus guarauna |
|
Black-bellied (Grey) Plover |
2 |
2 |
|
Pluvialis squatarola |
|
Snowy Plover |
1 |
4 |
P |
Charadrius alexandrinus |
|
Wilson’s Plover |
3 |
3 |
N |
Charadrius wilsonia |
|
Semipalmated Plover |
3 |
8 |
|
Charadrius semipalmatus |
|
Killdeer |
5 |
5 |
|
Charadrius vociferus |
|
Black-necked Stilt |
4 |
50 |
|
Himantopus mexicanus |
|
Greater Yellowlegs |
3 |
4 |
|
Tringa melanoleuca |
|
Lesser Yellowlegs |
3 |
2 |
|
Tringa flavipes |
|
Solitary Sandpiper |
1 |
2 |
D |
Tringa solitaria |
|
Spotted Sandpiper |
2 |
4 |
P |
Actitis macularia |
|
Willet |
1 |
7 |
D |
Catoptrophus semipalmatus |
|
Ruddy Turnstone |
4 |
40 |
|
Arenaria interpres |
|
Semipalmated Sandpiper |
1 |
15 |
P |
Calidris pusilla |
|
Western Sandpiper |
1 |
2 |
D |
Calidris mauri |
|
Least Sandpiper |
2 |
50 |
|
Calidris minutilla |
|
Stilt Sandpiper |
1 |
5 |
P |
Calidris himantopus |
|
Short-billed Dowitcher |
1 |
5 |
P |
Limnodromus griseus |
|
Laughing Gull |
4 |
50 |
|
Larus atricilla |
|
Royal Tern |
3 |
6 |
|
Sterna maxima |
|
Least Tern |
3 |
4 |
|
Sterna Antillarum |
|
Sandwich Tern |
1 |
3 |
P |
Sterna sandvicensis |
|
Gull-billed Tern |
1 |
4 |
D |
Sterna nilotica |
|
Roseate Tern |
2 |
100 |
P |
Sterna dougallii |
|
Brown Noddy |
1 |
2 |
P |
Anous stolidus |
|
Rock Pigeon |
|
|
(I) |
Columba livia |
|
Scaly-naped Pigeon |
7 |
25 |
|
Columba squamosa |
|
White-crowned Pigeon |
2 |
7 |
D |
Columba leucocephala |
|
Plain Pigeon |
1 |
1 |
D |
Columba inornata |
|
Ringed Turtle-Dove |
|
|
P (I) |
Streptopelia risoria |
|
White-winged Dove |
5 |
20 |
|
Zenaida asiatica |
|
Zenaida Dove |
7 |
20 |
|
Zenaida aurita |
|
Mourning Dove |
9 |
10 |
|
Zenaida macroura |
|
Common Ground-Dove |
9 |
30 |
|
Columbina passerina |
|
Ruddy Quail-Dove |
2 |
2 |
D H |
Geotrygon montana |
|
Key West Quail-Dove |
3 |
4 |
|
Geotrygon chrysia |
|
Monk Parakeet |
|
|
P (I) |
Myiopsitta monachus |
|
Hispaniolan Parakeet |
1 |
100 |
D |
Aratinga chloroptera |
|
Olive-throated Parakeet |
|
|
D (I) |
Aratinga nana |
|
Hispaniolan Parrot |
3 |
20 |
D |
Amazona ventralis |
|
Mangrove Cuckoo |
4 |
4 |
(H) |
Coccyzus minor |
|
Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo |
3 |
4 |
P (H) |
Saurothera vieilloti |
|
Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo |
5 |
6 |
D (H) |
Saurothera longirostris |
|
Bay-breasted Cuckoo |
2 |
1 |
D |
Hyetornis rufigularis |
|
Smooth-billed Ani |
9 |
8 |
|
Crotophaga ani |
|
Puerto Rican Screech-Owl |
1 |
1 |
P |
Otus nudipes |
|
Burrowing Owl |
2 |
5 |
D |
Athene cunicularia |
|
Short-eared Owl |
1 |
1 |
P |
Asio flammeus |
|
Least Poorwill |
1 |
2 |
D |
Siphonorhis brewsteri |
|
Antillean Nighthawk |
3 |
1 |
H |
Chordeiles gundlachii |
|
Puerto Rican Nightjar |
1 |
3 |
P |
Caprimulgus noctitherus |
|
Greater Antillean Nightjar |
1 |
4 |
D H |
Caprimulgus cubanensis |
|
White-collared Swift |
1 |
4 |
D |
Streptoprocne zonaris |
|
Antillean Palm-Swift |
6 |
20 |
D |
Tachornis phoenicobia |
|
Antillean Mango |
5 |
6 |
D |
Anthracothorax dominicus |
|
Green Mango |
3 |
2 |
P |
Anthracothorax viridis |
|
Green-throated Carib |
1 |
1 |
P |
Eulampis holosericeus |
|
Hispaniolan Emerald |
3 |
3 |
D |
Chlorostilbon swainsonii |
|
Puerto Rican Emerald |
3 |
2 |
P |
Chlorostilbon maugaeus |
|
Vervain Hummingbird |
4 |
4 |
D |
Mellisuga minima |
|
Hispaniolan Trogon |
3 |
6 |
D |
Priotelus roseigaster |
|
Broad-billed Tody |
5 |
30 |
D |
Todus subulatus |
|
Narrow-billed Tody |
1 |
6 |
D |
Todus angustirostris |
|
Puerto Rican Tody |
2 |
4 |
P |
Todus mexicanus |
|
Belted Kingfisher |
1 |
1 |
P |
Ceryle alcyon |
|
Antillean Piculet |
4 |
5 |
D (H) |
Nesoctites micromegas |
|
Puerto Rican Woodpecker |
2 |
7 |
P |
Melanerpes portoricensis |
|
Hispaniolan Woodpecker |
5 |
30 |
D |
Melanerpes striatus |
|
Caribbean Elaenia |
2 |
2 |
P |
Elaenia martinica |
|
Greater Antillean Elaenia |
1 |
3 |
D |
Elaenia fallax |
|
Hispaniolan Pewee |
3 |
4 |
D N |
Contopus hispaniolensis |
|
Puerto Rican Pewee |
1 |
2 |
P |
Contopus portorincensis |
|
Stolid Flycatcher |
4 |
10 |
D |
Myiarchus stolidus |
|
Puerto Rican Flycatcher |
3 |
3 |
P |
Myiarchus antillarum |
|
Gray Kingbird |
9 |
50 |
|
Tyrannus dominicensis |
|
Loggerhead Kingbird |
4 |
2 |
|
Tyrannus caudifasciatus |
|
Caribbean Martin |
5 |
10 |
|
Progne dominicensis |
|
Golden Swallow |
2 |
4 |
D |
Tachycineta euchrysea |
|
Cave Swallow |
3 |
20 |
|
Pterochelidon fulva |
|
Barn Swallow |
2 |
5 |
|
Hirundo rustica |
|
Hispaniolan Palm Crow |
1 |
8 |
D |
Corvus palmarum |
|
White-necked Crow |
1 |
6 |
D |
Corvus leucognaphalus |
|
Rufous-throated Solitaire |
1 |
5 |
D |
Myadestes genibarbis |
|
La Selle Thrush |
1 |
4 |
D |
Turdus swalesi |
|
Red-legged Thrush |
9 |
15 |
N |
Turdus plumbeus |
|
Bicknell’s Thrush |
1 |
2 |
D |
Catharus bicknelli |
|
Northern Mockingbird |
9 |
25 |
|
Mimus polyglottos |
|
Pearly-eyed Thrasher |
4 |
3 |
P |
Margarops fuscatus |
|
Palmchat |
5 |
50 |
D N |
Dulus dominicus |
|
Puerto Rican Vireo |
1 |
1 |
P |
Vireo latimeri |
|
Flat-billed Vireo |
1 |
2 |
D |
Vireo nanus |
|
Black-whiskered Vireo |
7 |
6 |
N |
Vireo altiloquus |
|
Northern Parula |
1 |
1 |
D |
Parula americana |
|
Yellow Warbler |
3 |
6 |
|
Dendroica petechia |
|
Magnolia Warbler |
2 |
1 |
D |
Dendroica magnolia |
|
Cape May Warbler |
2 |
2 |
D |
Dendroica tigrina |
|
Black-throated Blue Warbler |
2 |
10 |
D |
Dendroica caerulescens |
|
Adelaide's Warbler |
3 |
6 |
P (H) |
Dendroica adelaidae |
|
Pine Warbler |
2 |
4 |
D (H) |
Dendroica pinus |
|
Palm Warbler |
1 |
1 |
D |
Dendroica palmarum |
|
Blackpoll Warbler |
2 |
3 |
D |
Dendroica striata |
|
Elfin Woods Warbler |
1 |
4 |
P |
Dendroica angelae |
|
American Redstart |
3 |
4 |
D |
Setophaga ruticilla |
|
Ovenbird |
2 |
3 |
D |
Seiurus aurocapillus |
|
Northern Waterthrush |
1 |
1 |
P |
Seiurus noveboracensis |
|
Common Yellowthroat |
1 |
1 |
D |
Geothlypis trichas |
|
Green-tailed Ground Warbler |
2 |
2 |
D |
Microligea palustris |
|
White-winged Warbler |
1 |
3 |
D |
Xenoligea montana |
|
Bananaquit |
9 |
30 |
|
Coereba flaveola |
|
Antillean Euphonia: |
|
|
|
Euphonia musica |
|
Hispaniolan |
3 |
7 |
D |
Euphonia musica musica |
|
Puerto Rican |
1 |
1 |
P |
Euphonia musica sclateri |
|
Puerto Rican Stripe-headed Spindalis |
3 |
6 |
P |
Spindalis portoricensis |
|
Hispaniolan Stripe-headed Spindalis |
3 |
6 |
D |
Spindalis dominicensis |
|
Black-crowned Palm-Tanager |
5 |
20 |
D |
Nesospingus speculiferus |
|
Western Chat Tanager |
1 |
2 |
D |
Calyptophilus tertius |
|
Puerto Rican Tanager |
1 |
3 |
P |
Nesospingus speculiferus |
|
Yellow-faced Grassquit |
3 |
6 |
P |
Tiaris olivacea |
|
Black-faced Grassquit |
2 |
8 |
P |
Tiaris bicolor |
|
Puerto Rican Bullfinch |
4 |
6 |
P |
Loxigilla portoricensis |
|
Greater Antillean Bullfinch |
4 |
6 |
D |
Loxigilla violacea |
|
Grasshopper Sparrow |
1 |
4 |
P |
Ammodramus savannarum |
|
Yellow-shouldered Blackbird |
2 |
15 |
P |
Agelaius xanthomus |
|
Greater Antillean Grackle |
8 |
‘00s |
|
Quiscalus niger |
|
Shiny Cowbird |
1 |
1 |
P |
Molothrus bonariensis |
|
Greater Antillean Oriole |
2 |
10 |
|
Icterus dominicensis |
|
Venezuelan Troupial |
|
|
P (I) |
Icterus ridgwayi |
|
Hispaniolan Crossbill |
1 |
8 |
D |
Loxia leucoptera |
|
Antillean Siskin |
2 |
4 |
D |
Carduelis dominicensis |
|
House Sparrow |
|
|
(I) |
Passer domesticus |
|
Village Weaver |
|
|
D (I) |
Ploceus cucullatus cucullatus |
|
Bronze Mannikin |
|
|
P (I) |
Lonchura cucullata |
|
Black-rumped Waxbill |
|
|
P (I) |
Estrilda troglodytes |
|
Orange Bishop |
|
|
P (I) |
Euplectes franciscanus |