PUERTO RICOA week of respite to a very birdy and beautiful Caribbean island, a mix of North American and local culture and cuisine; 16 endemic birds and a number of other Caribbean specialties.
$1975 (2008 fee). 7 days See our triplist for 2007 or 2006 or 2005
Our tour will explore stretches of intact habitat ranging from montane rainforest to dry coastal forest and scrub. We’ll begin in the north, in the “haystack hills” and state forests west of the capital, in search of our first birds, such as Puerto Rican Flycatcher, Scaly-naped Pigeon, Puerto Rican Vireo, Antillean Mango, and Adelaide’s Warbler, with a good chance of Mangrove Cuckoo and probably Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo. The charming, relaxed southwestern corner of the island will be our next destination, with birding in the Guanica State Forest west of Ponce. There we’ll look for the striking, tiny Puerto Rican Tody, Caribbean Elaenia, Puerto Rican Bullfinch, Pearly-eyed Thrasher, and Puerto Rican Emerald, with an outing for the uncommon and local Puerto Rican Nightjar. We’ll also hope to see the critically endangered Yellow-shouldered Blackbird in this area, along with more widespread but jazzy Caribbean species, such as Venezuelan Troupial and Caribbean Martin, before heading up to our next digs in the wooded foothills near Maricao State Forest. It’s here that we hope to find the Elfin-woods Warbler (discovered in 1971), as well as a few other specialties: Puerto Rican Pewee, Greater Antillean Oriole, Puerto Rican Spindalis, Antillean Euphonia, Green Mango, and the unusual Puerto Rican Screech-Owl. Toward the end of the tour, we’ll stop in at the lowland Humacao refuge to search for West Indian Whistling-Duck, White-cheeked Pintail, and Caribbean Coot in the marshes there, along with Least Bittern, the fetching Antillean Crested Hummingbird, Green-throated Carib, and Orange-cheeked Waxbill. We’ll be watching for Puerto Rican Tanager, migrant warblers, and any highland species that might have given us the slip elsewhere. Puerto Rican birding is a delight, an easy introduction to the Greater Antillean avifauna—and a must for anyone who loves island birding anywhere.
Contact our office by e-mail in Austin, Texas at fieldguides@fieldguides.com.
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