­Caribbean – Puerto Rico: Set Departure Trip Report, February 2024

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23 – 29 FEBRUARY 2024

By Jacob Roalef

We enjoyed this Puerto Rican Amazon as it ate breakfast.

Overview


This seven-day birding adventure of the “La Isla del Encanto” circled the entire island of Puerto Rico and explored many of the amazing birding and natural areas on offer. We began in San Juan and headed west across the northern shore, with dips into the interior to visit Bosque Estatal de Rio Abajo and Bosque Estatal de Cambalache, then south along the western shore and ended up in La Parguera. From here we explored the southwest portion of Puerto Rico as we visited Bosque Estatal de Maricao, Cabo Rojo salt flats, Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge, and Bosque Estatal de Susua. From here we headed east across the southern coast of Puerto Rico and ended up on the southern edge of El Yunque National Forest for two nights. We explored this amazing tropical rainforest as well as some coastal habitats along Roosevelt Roads before heading back to San Jaun to conclude the trip and complete our circle of the island.

The birding was a huge success as we scored on all the endemic species as well as the other Caribbean specials. These included Puerto Rican Amazon, Puerto Rican Tody, Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo, Yellow-shouldered Blackbird, Puerto Rican Tanager, West Indian Whistling Duck, Plain Pigeon, Puerto Rican Owl, and Elfin Woods Warbler. In addition to these special species, we enjoyed many resident, wintering, migrant, and even some established exotics that have a more widespread range, such as Smooth-billed Ani, Purple Gallinule, Wilson’s Plover, Magnificent Frigatebird, Grey Kingbird, and Venezuelan Troupial.

A total of 123 bird species were seen with one more heard only, bringing our total recorded to 124 species for the trip. As is often the case with islands, very few mammals are possible, and Puerto Rico is no exception. Only one mammal species was encountered on the trip, the Small Indian Mongoose. Full bird and mammal checklists can be found at the end of the report.

Puerto Rican Woodpecker was nearly a daily occurrence for our group.

Detailed Report

Day 1, 23rd February 2024. Arrival and San Juan Central Park

All participants arrived on the same mid-afternoon flight and were met by Jacob at the airport, before being transferred to the hotel for check-in. After a brief rest to recover from the flight, with two hours until dinner, we headed off to San Juan Central Park for our first taste of Puerto Rican birding. This extra birding provided an excellent opportunity for some study of the more common species on the island, like Zenaida Dove, Red-legged Thrush, Pearly-eyed Thrasher, and Bananaquit. We quickly got onto a group of Monk Parakeets in the treetops, where a single White-winged Parakeet was picked out as well. We continued our pleasant walk in the park and stacked up more species, including our first endemic, Puerto Rican Woodpecker, as well as White-crowned Pigeon, White-winged Dove, Magnificent Frigatebird, and Black-faced Grassquit. We decided to stake out a nice flowering tree for  hummingbirds, this proved fruitful as a Green-throated Carib made a few brief appearances. Our lovely birding introduction was now complete, and we headed back to the hotel for dinner and proper group introductions and to discuss the trip ahead.

It was great to get familiar with Zenaida Dove at San Juan Central Park.

Day 2, 24th February 2024. Rio Abajo and Cambalache State Forests.

Today was an early morning to beat the traffic and get in position for our first target near sunrise, so we loaded up the vehicle and left San Juan. After a quick stop for coffee and breakfast, we pulled into the parking area of Rio Abajo just after sunrise. We unloaded from the vehicle, started up the trail, and were greeted by Bananaquit, Scaly-naped Pigeon, and Black-whiskered Vireo. A little further up the trail we had our first encounter with the adorable Puerto Rican Tody, a species one can never get tired of seeing. All of these were great birds, however, our focus this morning was parrots, so we continued hiking up the trail. Suddenly, we all heard the loud and unmistakable calls of a group of parrots, and we quickly hurried up the trail to a section with a more open view. Several Puerto Rican Amazons flew overhead and moved back and forth along the canopy. We eventually spotted one foraging in the trees and had some excellent viewing opportunities. Huge success with this Critically Endangered species. While we watched these incredible birds, we picked up several other great species, such as Lesser Antillean Pewee, Puerto Rican Vireo, and Puerto Rican Emerald. It was time to say goodbye and good luck to the parrots, so we turned and birded our way back to the vehicle. On the way back we scored three more endemic species, Puerto Rican Bullfinch, Adelaide’s Warbler, and Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo,as well as the endemic subspecies of Broad-winged Hawk! A fantastic start to our trip.

Adelaide’s Warbler was seen on several days of the trip.

It was now late morning, so we headed back to the café to pick up some lunch for a picnic at our next destination, Cambalache State Forest. We enjoyed a quick bite to eat here and birded around the grounds, but it was a bit quiet at this time of day. Despite the lack of birds, we did score an Indigo Bunting and Mangrove Cuckoo as new species for our trip. We loaded back into the vehicle and did some birding around some local towns and little ponds in the area. This proved to be very fruitful, and we ticked loads of new species, like White-cheeked Pintail, Loggerhead Kingbird, Bronze Manakin, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Little Blue Heron, Wilson’s Snipe, Glossy Ibis, and the top highlight of the area, West Indian Whistling Duck. After a great day of birding, we had a long drive ahead of us to the southwest corner of the island and our next hotel, in La Parguera.

We made one quick stop at the Guajataca Cliffs, which didn’t offer much besides a pretty view of the ocean. After arrival at our hotel, we checked in, dropped off our bags, and headed back out to Playita Rosada. Here we managed to hear several Puerto Rican Nightjars, but any visuals eluded us this evening. After one too many mosquito bites, we decided to call it a night and get some much-needed rest.

Day 3, 25th February 2024. Maricao State Forest and Laguna Cartagena

Today was another pre-dawn departure and we headed into town to grab some breakfast and coffee at what would become our go-to morning spot. After we filled up, we headed up the mountains to Maricao State Forest. The forest was alive with birds! We were greeted by some noisy Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoos, Puerto Rican Orioles, and Pearly-eyed Thrashers. It wasn’t long before we were on the unique Puerto Rican Tanager, a monotypic family. We watched a small family of three birds chase each other around all morning. All this bird action was just around the parking area! We hiked up the hill a little until the trees opened, revealing an incredible view of Puerto Rico below. From here we spotted a Lesser Antillean Pewee, which gave some excellent views, and a pair of Puerto Rican Euphonias. Despite all this incredible bird activity, we were still missing our top target, so we headed down a trail in hopes of discovery. Another Puerto Rican Tody made a brief appearance, and several Puerto Rican Bullfinches were calling, and then suddenly along the trail was an Elfin-Woods Warbler! The bird was close but always mostly hidden in the dense vegetation. With some patience, we all managed views of this secretive endemic warbler. We hiked back to our vehicle and the rain started coming down as we closed the door. Perfect timing after a perfect morning for birds.

Puerto Rican Tanager is the sole member of its family and endemic.

From our mountain view we could see where it was raining, so we drove back down the mountain dodging the storms. After a quick stop to pick up food for lunch we headed out, desperate to get in as many birds as possible while not raining. We enjoyed our picnic-style lunch at a local pond that was loaded with water birds, like White-cheeked Pintail, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Stilt Sandpiper, Black-necked Stilts, and Lesser Yellowlegs. A curious group of Smooth-billed Anis foraged in the fields behind us while we ate. Just down the road we got onto a group of the endangered and endemic, Yellow-shouldered Blackbird, another great species. We packed up and headed to our final birding stop of the evening, Laguna Cartagena. It began drizzling as we parked our vehicle, but we guessed the water birds wouldn’t mind, so we headed out. This freshwater marsh held many amazing species like Masked Duck, Purple Gallinule, Green Heron, Sora, and some of us even saw a Yellow-breasted Crake for a split second. On our way out, we spotted a very wet Merlin, waiting for the rain to stop.

 After our dinner back in town, we changed and headed out for our optional bonus excursion, a boat ride and swim in one of the bioluminescent bays. This was an incredible experience, despite the brightness of the full moon. A great way to cap off our fantastic bird sightings.

Day 4, 26th February 2024. Cabo Rojo salt flats

After a few long days and early starts, today we enjoyed a little extra sleep before heading off. Our first stop after breakfast was the salt flats of Cabo Rojo, where we were greeted by a pair of American Kestrels next to the observation tower, as well as a very vocal Adelaide’s Warbler in the nearby bushes. Luckily the gate to the tower was open today, so we decided to climb up and  scan from the top. Unfortunately, the tides were not very cooperative, so birds were slim at the top, nevertheless, we did manage to get our first Caribbean Elaenia for the trip. We descended the tower, grabbed some water to help with the heat, and then headed off for a short walk around the salt ponds. This proved to be much more fruitful, with a nice mixed flock,  including American Yellow and Prairie Warblers, Venezuelan Troupial, Bananaquit, and the endemic Puerto Rican Flycatcher, a first for the trip! As we continued our walk, we approached the nearby water and picked up some water species such as Royal Tern, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Belted Kingfisher, and both Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs. By now we were well into mid-morning, and it was getting hot down in the coastal lowlands, so we headed back to the vehicle.

From here we continued towards the coast, in hopes of some shorebirds, sadly the road was blocked due to flooding. We hopped out and scanned along the road. This produced several excellent species like Hudsonian Whimbrel, Clapper Rail, Ruddy Turnstone, Black-bellied, Semipalmated, and Wilson’s Plovers, and Stilt Sandpiper. This was highly productive for our short stop in the heat. It was time to cool off, so we headed off for an hour’s drive north and picked up some lunch and tasty coffee. We enjoyed our drinks and food at the Punta Boca marina, where we watched a large group of Sandwich Terns, a distant Brown Booby and a Spotted Sandpiper as it worked along the rocky shore. We then headed back to the hotel to have a few hours’ break in the afternoon and heat of the day, before meeting again for dinner in town. After dinner, a few of us headed out to Playita Rosada again, to give the Puerto Rican Nightjar another chance. This time we managed to have great success and scored excellent views of one, while we heard several others. A great end to the day!

It was great to finally catch up with a Puerto Rican Flycatcher.

Day 5, 27th February 2024. Susua State Forest and coastal birding

After another tasty breakfast at our usual spot, we headed off to Susua State Forest, arriving right around opening time. Immediately upon exiting the vehicle we heard the elusive Key West Quail Dove, a top target for this area and a species that has become incredibly difficult since some recent hurricanes. Despite searching intensely for an hour and a half, we only managed to hear about five of these birds, never laying eyes on one, but it was still nice to hear so many. There were still other species to see, like Puerto Rican Vireo, Black-and-white Warbler, Pearly-eyed Thrasher, and Scaly-naped Pigeon. From here we had a long journey across the southern edge of the island to our next lodge but, of course, we had several stops planned along the way. The rain finally caught up with us at our next location, but it didn’t stop the little Antillean Crested Hummingbird from making several appearances, which we viewed from the dry vehicle. Eventually the rain began to die down and we pressed onwards.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent making several stops along the southern coast in search of more shorebirds and other waders. We managed to find a few new trip birds, including Tricolored Heron and American Oystercatcher, as well as other nice to see species like Black-bellied Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Brown Booby, Royal Tern, and some excellent views of a Puerto Rican Woodpecker. We left the coastal areas and headed into the mountains to our lodge where we would spend the next few nights. After getting settled in, we headed back to town for a tasty dinner and to wait for darkness. Back at the lodge, we walked along the road a bit and,  before long, we heard the calls of a Puerto Rican Owl. We hung around in the area and eventually managed some stellar views of this bird, the final endemic needed for the trip! It was time to rest and fall asleep to the sounds of the Coqui Frogs.

We managed some stellar views of Puerto Rican Owl near our lodge.

Day 6, 28th February 2024. Roosevelt Roads and Caguas urban birding

Since we had nailed the final endemic bird last night, this morning we ate  a leisurely breakfast at our lodge,  enjoying the amazing view and birds here. While we ate and sipped coffee, we noted Loggerhead Kingbird, Puerto Rican Spindalis, Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo, Puerto Rican Oriole, and of course, Bananaquit. After breakfast, we loaded up, headed down the mountain and back towards the coast. En route we ticked our first Scaly-breasted Munia of the trip near a river crossing, and eventually arrived at Roosevelt Roads. Our two-mile hike began with us walking through some forested and mangrove habitats, where we were treated to excellent views of Caribbean Elaenia, Adelaide’s Warbler, and Black-faced Grassquit. We had to work extremely hard before everyone managed views of the sneaky Northern Waterthrush. The brushy habitat opened to show off the expansive wetlands behind it. Here we scanned through loads of shorebirds and other wetland species for quite a while. A great variety was present, including White-cheeked Pintail, Little Blue Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Semipalmated, Least, and Stilt Sandpipers, Willet, Short-billed Dowitcher, and Wilson’s Plover. Finally, after much scanning and waiting, three American Flamingos appeared along the very distant mangroves. It was getting quite hot, so we trekked back to the car.

We made a quick stop at the nearby store to get lunch, and then drove back up the mountain to enjoy our food and a short break at the lodge. As the afternoon turned into early evening, we loaded up and headed off to the town of Caguas to search for our final target of the trip. As evening approached and temperatures cooled, the bird activity picked up. We scoured the town and along the nearby river. While not finding our target, we did manage to see other nice birds, like Snowy Egret, Green Heron, and Scaly-naped Pigeon. We began losing faith in our quest, so hiked up a nearby hill to have a better view over the town below. Just as we were ready to call it quits, we turned around and boom, there it was, a Plain Pigeon perched nicely in the open! High fives were had all round, as well as some good laughs about celebrating a pigeon. We hiked back down and managed closer views, only to discover four different Plain Pigeons. It was now time for our final dinner together to celebrate a great trip and enjoy a scenic view from the mountain.  

Our patience was rewarded with this awesome Plain Pigeon!

Day 7, 29th February 2024. El Yunque National Forest and Departure

On our final day, everyone had late afternoon flights home, so we still had a few hours to enjoy the island of enchantment. We started with another leisurely breakfast and enjoyed many of the same species from the previous morning, like Puerto Rican Oriole and Puerto Rican Spindalis. After some extra time to get properly packed for the airport and travel, we said goodbye to our lodge and headed back towards San Juan. Of course, we still had a few hours, so we had to make a stop at the El Yunque National Forest visitor’s center. It was a treat to learn more about the tropical rainforest here, about how recent hurricanes have impacted life here, and how quickly the forest can bounce back. We also had some close-up views of a few Puerto Rican Amazons that were part of the reintroduction and breeding program. After a proper exploration of the center, we hiked one of the nearby trails which showcased some of the local art and culture of Puerto Rico. On the hike we were treated to one final view of the adorable Puerto Rican Tody, a lovely farewell to what was a fantastic trip on this Caribbean island. It was then finally time to head off to the airport and say our goodbyes.

We all enjoyed seeing Puerto Rican Tody again on our final day.

Bird ListFollowing IOC (14.1)

Birds ‘heard only’ are marked with (H) after the common name, all other species were seen.

The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following BirdLife International: CE = Critically Endangered, EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable.

Common NameScientific Name
 
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl (Anatidae)
West Indian Whistling DuckDendrocygna arborea
Muscovy Duck (Introduced)Cairina moschata
Blue-winged TealSpatula discors
White-cheeked PintailAnas bahamensis
Lesser ScaupAythya affinis
Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
Masked DuckNomonyx dominicus
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensis
 
Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies (Phasianidae)
Red Junglefowl (Introduced)Gallus gallus
 
Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
Puerto Rican MangoAnthracothorax aurulentus
Green Mango (Endemic)Anthracothorax viridis
Green-throated CaribEulampis holosericeus
Puerto Rican Emerald (Endemic)Riccordia maugaeus
Antillean Crested HummingbirdOrthorhyncus cristatus
  
Cuckoos (Cuculidae)
Smooth-billed AniCrotophaga ani
Mangrove CuckooCoccyzus minor
Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo (Endemic)Coccyzus vieilloti
  
Pigeons and Doves (Columbidae)
Rock Dove (Introduced)Columba livia
White-crowned PigeonPatagioenas leucocephala
Scaly-naped PigeonPatagioenas squamosa
Plain PigeonPatagioenas inornata
Eurasian Collared Dove (Introduced)Streptopelia decaocto
African Collared Dove (Introduced)Streptopelia roseogrisea
Common Ground DoveColumbina passerina
Key West Quail-Dove (H)Geotrygon chrysia
Mourning DoveZenaida macroura
Zenaida DoveZenaida aurita
White-winged DoveZenaida asiatica
 
Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae)
Clapper RailRallus crepitans
SoraPorzana carolina
Common GallinuleGallinula galeata
American CootFulica americana
Purple GallinulePorphyrio martinica
Yellow-breasted CrakeLaterallus flaviventer
  
Limpkin (Aramidae)
LimpkinAramus guarauna
  
Grebes (Podicipedidae)
Least GrebeTachybaptus dominicus
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podiceps
 
Flamingos (Phoenicopteridae)
American FlamingoPhoenicopterus ruber
  
Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae)
American OystercatcherHaematopus palliatus
  
Stilts, Avocets (Recurvirostridae)
Black-necked StiltHimantopus mexicanus
  
Plovers (Charadriidae)
Grey (Black-bellied) PloverPluvialis squatarola
KilldeerCharadrius vociferus
Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatus
Wilson’s PloverAnarhynchus wilsonia
  
Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae)
Hudsonian WhimbrelNumenius hudsonicus
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseus
Wilson’s SnipeGallinago delicata
Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitaria
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipes
WilletTringa semipalmata
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleuca
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopus
Least SandpiperCalidris minutilla
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusilla
  
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers (Laridae)
Cabot’s TernThalasseus acuflavidus
Royal TernThalasseus maximus
  
Frigatebirds (Fregatidae)
Magnificent FrigatebirdFregata magnificens
  
Gannets, Boobies (Sulidae)
Brown BoobySula leucogaster
  
Ibises, Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae)
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
  
Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae)
Yellow-crowned Night HeronNyctanassa violacea
Black-crowned Night HeronNycticorax nycticorax
Little Blue HeronEgretta caerulea
Tricolored HeronEgretta tricolor
Snowy EgretEgretta thula
Green HeronButorides virescens
Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
Great EgretArdea alba
Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
  
Pelicans (Pelecanidae)
Brown PelicanPelecanus occidentalis
  
New World Vultures (Cathartidae)
Turkey VultureCathartes aura
  
Ospreys (Pandionidae)
OspreyPandion haliaetus
  
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites (Accipitridae)
Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
 
Owls (Strigidae)
Puerto Rican Owl (Endemic)Gymnasio nudipes
 
Kingfishers (Alcedinidae)
Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon
  
Todies (Todidae)
Puerto Rican Tody (Endemic)Todus mexicanus
  
Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Puerto Rican Woodpecker (Endemic)Melanerpes portoricensis
 
Falcons and Caracaras (Falconidae)
American KestrelFalco sparverius
MerlinFalco columbarius
  
African & New World Parrots (Psittacidae)
Monk Parakeet (Introduced)Myiopsitta monachus
White-winged Parakeet (Introduced)Brotogeris versicolurus
Puerto Rican Amazon (Endemic) – CRAmazona vittata
 
Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura (Tyrannidae)
Caribbean ElaeniaElaenia martinica
Lesser Antillean PeweeContopus latirostris
Grey KingbirdTyrannus dominicensis
Loggerhead KingbirdTyrannus caudifasciatus
Puerto Rican FlycatcherMyiarchus antillarum
 
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers (Vireonidae)
Black-whiskered VireoVireo altiloquus
Puerto Rican Vireo (Endemic)Vireo latimeri
 
Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae)
Caribbean MartinProgne dominicensis
Cave SwallowPetrochelidon fulva
 
Mockingbirds, Thrashers (Mimidae)
Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos
Pearly-eyed ThrasherMargarops fuscatus
 
Thrushes and Allies (Turdidae)
Red-legged ThrushTurdus plumbeus
  
Old World Sparrows (Passeridae)
House SparrowPasser domesticus
  
Waxbills, Munias & Allies (Estrildidae)
Bronze Mannikin (Introduced)Spermestes cucullata
Indian Silverbill (Introduced)Euodice malabarica
Scaly-breasted Munia (Introduced)Lonchura punctulata
Orange-cheeked Waxbill (Introduced)Estrilda melpoda
 
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies (Fringillidae)
Puerto Rican Euphonia (Endemic)Chlorophonia sclateri
 
Puerto Rican Tanager (Nesospingidae)
Puerto Rican Tanager (Endemic) – VUNesospingus speculiferus
  
Spindalises (Spindalidae)
Puerto Rican Spindalis (Endemic)Spindalis portoricensis
  
Oropendolas, New World Orioles, Blackbirds (Icteridae)
Venezuelan Troupial (Introduced)Icterus icterus
Puerto Rican Oriole (Endemic)Icterus portoricensis
Yellow-shouldered Blackbird (Endemic) – ENAgelaius xanthomus
Shiny CowbirdMolothrus bonariensis
Greater Antillean GrackleQuiscalus niger
  
New World Warblers (Parulidae)
Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensis
Black-and-white WarblerMniotilta varia
Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
Elfin Woods Warbler (Endemic) – ENSetophaga angelae
American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla
Northern ParulaSetophaga americana
American Yellow WarblerSetophaga aestiva
Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescens
Prairie WarblerSetophaga discolor
Adelaide’s Warbler (Endemic)Setophaga adelaidae
  
Cardinals and Allies (Cardinalidae)
Indigo BuntingPasserina cyanea
  
Tanagers & Allies (Thraupidae)
BananaquitCoereba flaveola
Yellow-faced GrassquitTiaris olivaceus
Puerto Rican Bullfinch (Endemic) – VUMelopyrrha portoricensis
Black-faced GrassquitMelanospiza bicolor
  
Total Seen123
Total Heard1
Total Recorded124

Mammal List

Common NameScientific Name
Herpestidae (Mongoose)
Small Indian MongooseHerpestes javanicus
  
Total Seen1

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