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Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

Puerto Rican Woodpecker Melanerpes portoricensis ©Dubi Shapiro Website

Puerto Rico is a self-governing Caribbean archipelago and island organised as an unincorporated territory of the United States under the designation of commonwealth. Located about 1,600 km (1,000 miles) southeast of Miami, Florida, between the Dominican Republic in the Greater Antilles and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Lesser Antilles, it consists of the eponymous main island and numerous smaller islands. It covers an area of 13,792 km² (5,325 squares miles), 8,868 km² of which is land. With approximately 3.25 million residents, it is divided into 78 municipalities, of which the most populous is the capital municipality of San Juan, followed by those within the San Juan metropolitan area. Spanish and English are the official languages of the government, though Spanish predominates.

It consists of the main island of Puerto Rico and various smaller islands, including Vieques, Culebra, Mona, Desecheo, and Caja de Muertos. Of these five, only Culebra and Vieques are inhabited year-round. Mona, which has played a key role in maritime history, is uninhabited most of the year except for employees of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources. There are many other even smaller islets, like Monito, located near Mona, and Isla de Cabras & La Isleta de San Juan, both located on the San Juan Bay. The latter is the only inhabited islet with communities like Old San Juan and Puerta de Tierra, which are connected to the main island by bridges. The maximum length of the main island from east to west is 180 km (110 miles), and the maximum width from north to south is 64 km (40 miles). It is the smallest of the Greater Antilles.

Beach & coastline at Patillas – ©Oquendo CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The topography of the island is mostly mountainous with large flat areas in the northern and southern coasts. The main mountain range that crosses the island from east to west is called the Cordillera Central. The highest elevation in Puerto Rico, Cerro de Punta 4,390 feet is located in this range. Another important peak is El Yunque, one of the highest in the Sierra de Luquillo at the El Yunque National Forest, with an elevation of 3,494 feet. There are 17 lakes, all man-made, and more than 50 rivers, most of which originate in the Cordillera Central. Rivers in the northern region of the island are typically longer and of higher water flow rates than those of the south, since the south receives less rain than the central and northern regions. Puerto Rico lies at the boundary between the Caribbean and North American Plates and is therefore subject to potential earthquakes.

El Yunque National Forest – ©Geoff Gallice CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The climate of Puerto Rico is mostly tropical rainforest. Temperatures are warm to hot year-round, averaging near 29 °C in lower elevations and 21 °C in the mountains. Easterly trade winds pass across the island all year. There is a rainy season, which stretches from April into November, and a dry season stretching from December to March. The mountains of the Cordillera Central create a rain shadow and are the main cause of the variations in the temperature and rainfall that occur over very short distances. The mountains can also cause wide variation in local wind speed and direction due to their sheltering and channelling effects, adding to the climatic variation. Daily temperature changes seasonally are quite small in the lowlands and coastal areas.

Between the dry and wet seasons, there is a temperature change of around 3.3 °C) due mainly to the warm waters of the tropical Atlantic Ocean, which significantly modify cooler air moving in from the north and northwest. Coastal water temperatures during the year are about 24 °C in February and 29 °C in August. The average yearly precipitation is 66 in. Climate change in Puerto Rico has had a large impact on the ecosystems and landscapes and it is also in the hurricane belt.

Birding Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is home to three terrestrial eco-regions: Puerto Rican moist forests, Puerto Rican dry forests, and Greater Antilles mangroves. There are two biosphere reserves: Luquillo Biosphere Reserve represented by El Yunque National Forest and the Guánica Biosphere Reserve. Species endemic to the archipelago include 239 plants and 39 reptiles & amphibians including the coquí, a small frog easily identified by the sound of its call, from which it gets its name. El Yunque is home to more than 240 plants, 26 of which are endemic to the island. It is also home to 50 bird species, including the critically endangered Puerto Rican amazon. Puerto Rican moist forest ecoregion is also represented by protected areas such as the Maricao and Toro Negro state forests. These areas are home to endangered endemic species such as the Puerto Rican boa Chilabothrus inornatus, the Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus venator, the Puerto Rican Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus brunnescens and the Elfin Woods Warbler Setophaga angelae. The Northern Karst country of Puerto Rico is also home to one of the remaining rainforest tracts in the island, with the Río Abajo State Forest being the first focus for the reintroduction of the highly endangered Puerto Rican parrot outside of the Sierra de Luquillo.

Guánica Biosphere Reserve – ©Jesse Avilés CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons

The avifauna list for Puerto Rico includes about 380 species of birds. However, more than half of these are accidentals (stragglers from other locations that have only been reported a few times). Also, man has introduced 35 of them, and many of these may not have established sustainable breeding populations. About 120 bird species regularly nest in Puerto Rico, including native species, plus other birds that have been introduced by humans over the last few centuries. In addition to the local nesting avifauna, many other species of birds breed in North America and elsewhere, but spend the winter in the tropics, including Puerto Rico and other islands in the Caribbean. In fact, many of these migrants actually spend more time in Puerto Rico than on their breeding grounds. Puerto Rico is an incubator of evolution, with 20 surviving endemic bird species on an island only 100 by 35 miles in size. In the USA by comparison, the 48 contiguous US states have more than 800 times as much land area, but only 11 surviving endemic bird species. In addition, 25 species of birds endemic to the West Indies occur in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico has not escaped the Earth’s sixth mass extinction event. At least five endemic birds have become extinct in recent millennia in Puerto Rico – as many as in all of North America. Some of these recent extinctions may have been caused by climate change, others by the Taino Indians, while still modern inhabitants recently precipitated other extinctions. Puerto Rico had a large flightless rail that was hunted by the Taino Indians, an endemic woodcock, an endemic quail-dove, an endemic barn owl, and an endemic finch. In addition, several subspecies in Puerto Rico have become extinct recently.

Puerto Rican Oriole Icterus portoricensis – ©Dubi Shapiro

Some species that still survive elsewhere are now extinct in Puerto Rico. For example, the White-necked Crow ‘Cuervo pescueciblanco’ Corvus leucognaphalus was hunted to extinction in Puerto Rico by the mid-20th Century, but still survives on Hispaniola. The Limpkin ‘Carrao’ Aramus guarauna was still hunted in the 19th century in Puerto Rico, but has only rarely been reported on this island recently. Since bird bones are quite fragile and easily destroyed, we may never know about other birds that have become extinct in recent centuries, but have left no recognisable trace.

Recent studies have suggested that in all of the West Indies there were 50 to 60 species of endemic parrots, parakeets and macaws at the time humans arrived. Since the arrival of humans all but 12 of those have become extinct. These extinct species – some of which were once common birds – should remind all of us that we cannot take for granted that our children will have the benefit of interacting with the same birds who are co-occupying this planet with us now. If it were not for significant efforts by conservationists starting in the 1960s, the endemic Puerto Rican Parrot and the endemic Yellow-shouldered Blackbird would almost certainly be extinct.

Top Sites

Hacienda Juanita
Information Satellite View
At the nearby Parador Hacienda Juanita (tel: 838-2550) many of the tall trees on the grounds were toppled by Hurricane Georges in 1998, but you can still find Black-cowled Oriole, Green Mango, Puerto Rican Spindalis, and Loggerhead Kingbird, as well as other common forest species. There is a good loop trail leading downhill through the forest just west of the swimming pool where Puerto Rican Screech-Owls call at dawn and dusk.
El Yunque National Forest
Webpage Satellite View
Southeast of San Juan is locally called El Yunque. Its forest has many of the endemic bird species but is unique as the only place where the endemic Puerto Rican Parrot occurs. The main nesting area on the west side of the forest is off limits to visitors except by special arrangements with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Occasionally, parrots have been seen flying in late afternoon from the Tradewinds Trail, 1-2 miles west of PR 191, but that trail has frequently been closed due to landslides. They also have been seen recently flying over the Río Espíritu Santo overlook on PR 186.
Guánica State Forest
Information Satellite View
Puerto Rico.s dry forest can best be explored at Guánica State Forest. This area is good for Adelaide's Warbler, Puerto Rican Vireo, Puerto Rican Flycatcher, Puerto Rican Tody, Key-West Quail-Dove, Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo, and Mangrove Cuckoo. At night, the endemic Puerto Rican Nightjar can be heard along Puerto Rico 333.
Humacao Wildlife Refuge
Information Satellite View
East of the town of Humacao has many waterfowl, plus Least Bittern. It is the most reliable spot for West Indian Whistling-Duck, but you have to be lucky to glimpse them at dawn or dusk as they fly to or from foraging grounds.
La Parguera
Webpage Satellite View
To the east in the town of La Parguera, the grounds of the hotel Parador Villa Parguera often host the endangered Yellow-shouldered Blackbird which feeds on table scraps there, and can be seen at dawn and dusk in the non-breeding season flying to and from roosts on mangrove islands.
SF IBA Toro Negro
Information Satellite View
Toro Negro is located in the central mountainous region of Puerto Rico and it has a total area of 8,203.6977 cuerdas (3,224.3778 ha; 7,967.6110 acres). There are 30 species of birds reported, including 6 endemic species and two that are endangered: the Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus venator) and Puerto Rican broad-winged hawk (Buteo platypterus brunnescens). The Puerto Rican parrot (Amazona vittata), a critically endangered species, has also been seen in this forest.
South-western Puerto Rico
Satellite View
All of Puerto Rico's endemic birds, with the exception of the Puerto Rico Parrot, can be found in a few leisurely days of exploring south-western Puerto Rico. The habitat here varies from wet cloud forest on high mountain ridge tops, to the cactus-dotted subtropical dry forest in the lowlands, where the mountain ranges often block the prevailing north-easterly winds from delivering rain. Key sites in the southwest include the mountains at Maricao State Forest, e.g. on PR 120 near the picnic area at Km 16.2. This spot is one of the most reliable spots for the endemic Elfin Woods Warbler. Listen for its rattling trill of a song, or its odd, buzzy call note, as it explores the tree canopy, often in mixed flocks with other species. Also common here is Puerto Rican Vireo, Lesser Antillean (Puerto Rican) Pewee, Puerto Rican Bullfinch, Puerto Rican Tody, and Puerto Rican Tanager.
Southern Tip
Satellite View
At the south end of Puerto Rico 301 on the coast, follow the signs for the Cabo Rojo lighthouse (Faro). The mangroves and salt ponds in the wildlife refuge along the way are some of the best wetlands in the Caribbean for migrant shorebirds such as Stilt Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, and Whimbrel. The mangroves on the way have abundant Northern Waterthrush (winter) and Yellow Warblers. The shrubs along the trail harbor Troupials, Warbling Silverbills, and other dry scrub species

Contributors

Mark Oberle
Seattle, WA. USA | oberle@mindspring.com
Puerto Rico's Birds

Number of Species

Number of bird species: 386

(As at March 2025)
National Bird: Puerto Rican Spindalis Spindalis portoricensis

Endemics

Number of endemics: 20
Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo Saurothera vieilloti
Puerto Rican Nightjar Caprimulgus noctitherus
Green Mango Anthracothorax viridis
Puerto Rican Emerald Chlorostilbon maugaeus
Puerto Rican Screech Owl Megascops nudipes
Puerto Rican Tody Todus mexicanus
Puerto Rican Woodpecker Melanerpes portoricensis
Puerto Rican Amazon Amazona vittata
Puerto Rican Parakeet Psittacara maugei
Puerto Rican Flycatcher Myiarchus antillarum
Puerto Rican Vireo Vireo latimeri
Puerto Rican Peewee Contopus portoricenis
Puerto Rican Tanager Nesospingus speculiferus
Puerto Rican Spindalis Spindalis portoricensis
Puerto Rican Oriole Icterus portoricensis
Puerto Rican Euphonia Euphonia sclateri
Yellow-shouldered Blackbird Agelaius xanthomus
Elfin-woods Warbler Dendroica angelae
Adelaide's Warbler Dendroica adelaidae
Puerto Rican Bullfinch Loxigilla portoricensis

Sub-species that are Potential Splits:
Puerto Rican sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus venator
Puerto Rican broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus brunnescens

Checklist

Avibase
PDF Checklist
This checklist includes all bird species found in Puerto Rico , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them.
E-Bird
PDF Checklist
This checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.
Wikipedia
Annotated List
This is a list of the bird species recorded in the archipelago of Puerto Rico, which consists of the main island of Puerto Rico, two island municipalities off the east coast (Vieques and Culebra), three uninhabited islands off the west coast (Mona, Monito and Desecheo) and more than 125 smaller cays and islands.

Useful Reading

A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico & the Caymans

| By Guy Kirwan, Arturo Kirkconnell & Mike Flieg | Prion | 2010 | Paperback | 198 pages, Line illustrations, maps | ISBN: 9781871104127 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

| By Herbert A. Raffaele, Clive Petrovic, Sergio A Colón López, Lisa D Yntema & José A Salguero Faria | Princeton University Press | 2021 | Flexibound | 224 pages, 87 plates with colour illustrations; 2 b/w maps | ISBN: 9780691211671 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of Vieques Island Puerto Rico

| (Status, Abundance, and Conservation) | By Daphne deJersey Gemmill | Birds Caribbean | 2015 | Journal | 238 pages, colour photos | Out of Print | ISBN: 9780982105719 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Puerto Rico Birds

| (A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Species) | By James R Kavanagh & Raymond Leung | Waterford Press | 2022 | Edition 2 | Unbound | 12 pages, colour illustrations | ISBN: 9781620055311 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Puerto Rico's Birds in Photographs

| By Mark W Oberle | Sociedad Ornitologica Puertoriquena | 2nd edition | 2000 | Paperback | 129 pages, Colour photos | Out of Print | ISBN: 9780965010412 Buy this book from NHBS.com
The Birds of the West Indies

| By Guy M Kirwan, Anthony Levesque, Mark W Oberle & Christopher J Sharpe | Lynx Edicions | 2019 | 400 pages, 1600+ colour illustrations, 650+ colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9788416728176 Buy this book from NHBS.com

Birding Aps

Birds of the West Indies
Android
Explore the vibrant Caribbean islands with Birds of the West Indies – your pocket guide to Caribbean birdwatching!
Birds of the West Indies
Android
This bilingual, mobile field guide for the West Indies includes all 415 bird species of Puerto Rico and the northeastern Lesser Antilles: Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Saint Martin (Sint Maarten), Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Sint Eustatius, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Barthélemy (St. Barts), and Saba.
Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Birds in Photos and Audio
Apple iOS | Android
| Mark Oberle | 381 MB | Requires iOS 8.0 or later |

This bilingual, mobile field guide for the West Indies includes all 415 bird species of Puerto Rico and the northeastern Lesser Antilles: Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Saint Martin (Sint Maarten), Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Sint Eustatius, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Barthélemy (St. Barts), and Saba.

Useful Information

The Puerto Rico Breeding Bird Atlas
PDF The Puerto Rico Breeding Bird Atlas
Jessica Castro-Prieto, Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr., José Salguero-Faría, Sandra Soto-Bayó, Johann D. Crespo-Zapata, William A. Gould

Organisations

Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña
Facebook Page
La misión de SOPI es promover la preservación, conservación, restauración y manejo sostenible de lugares de importancia para las aves en Puerto Rico mediante el estímulo al estudio, la apreciación y la protección de las aves, aportando alternativas de carácter técnico y científico para aquellas acciones que puedan tener un impacto significativo en las aves.
Sociedad de Historia Natural de Puerto Rico
Facebook Page
La Sociedad de Historia Natural de P.R., organizada en 1960, es de los más antiguos grupos conservacionistas en Puerto Rico. Sus objetivos principales son la educación, conservación y aprecio de nuestro ambiente y recursos naturales, ofreciendo conferencias, excursiones y otras actividades de temas ambientales. Las charlas mensuales son seguidas por una excursión relacionada. La Sociedad también participa en programas de conservación y educación ambiental con otras instituciones y grupos comunitarios.

Reserves

Abbreviations Key

*List of protected areas of Puerto Rico
Information Satellite View
Interactive list of forests, parks, reserves NWAs etc.
NF El Yunque
Information Satellite View
The Forest contains rare wildlife including the Puerto Rican Parrot, which is largely green in coloration, about 12 inches long, and displays brilliant blue wings in flight. At close range a vivid red forehead is also visible. It is found only in this part of the island. Approximately 50 other bird species are found on the Forest.
NR Punta Santiago (was Humacao)
Information Satellite View
Road #3 Km 75.7 | Bo. Rio Abajo, Humacao 00791, Puerto Rico +1 787-397-1900
NR Reserva Natural Punta Cucharas
Information Satellite View
The Reserve consists of mangrove ecosystems, coastal sand dunes, a saline lagoon known as Laguna Las Salinas, open water, and a century-old local community. The lagoon occupies and area of 347,898 m2 (86 acres) Ecological protection is managed and enforced by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. Fifty-six bird species have been identified in the Reserve. Five of them are endemics, 44 are resident, five are migratory and one is introduced.
NWR Cabo Rojo
Information Satellite View
The Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1974 when 587 acres of land in the coastal plain of south-western Puerto Rico were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This area is classified as subtropical dry forest. Previous to the establishment of the refuge the vegetation was severely disturbed by cattle grazing. The Cabo Rojo NWR now includes tracts of secondary forest, grassland and brush habitats.
NWR Culebra
Information Satellite View
Culebra National Wildlife Refuge is one of over 400 wildlife refuges administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in the United States, Puerto Rico and US territories. These refuges, managed principally for migratory birds and other unique wildlife values, are part of the National Wildlife Refuge System in the Department of the Interior. The Culebra Refuge, which comprises about 1,480 acres, includes 23 islands and rocks in addition to the four tracts on the main island of Culebra. The refuge is well known as a nesting site for a variety of seabirds and preserves important habitat for endangered sea turtles and the Culebra giant anole.
NWR Desecheo
Information Satellite View
The refuge encompasses the entire rugged island. The island was used as a practice target for aerial bombardment(1940-1952) by the US War Department and (1952-1960) as a survival training area for the US Air Force. Although formerly containing a colony of 15,000 brown boobies and 10,000 red-footed boobies, currently no successful booby breeding is known to occur on the island. Feral goats are a problem.
NWR Laguna Cartagena
Information Satellite View
The present lagoon is a remnant of what was once a large open expanse of water and one of the most important freshwater habitats for migrating waterfowl and aquatic birds in Puerto Rico. Due to agricultural practices, about 90 percent of the lagoon is covered with cattail. Intensive cattle grazing and sugar cane production have greatly altered the original landscape. The area is a stopover for neotropical migrants and several species of waterbirds. The endangered yellow-shouldered blackbird and peregrine falcon have been reported on the refuge.
NWR Vieques
Information Satellite View
The refuge contains several ecologically distinct habitats including; beaches, coastal lagoons, mangrove wetlands, and upland forested areas. Some of the best examples of sub-tropical dry forest in the Caribbean can be found on refuge lands. The refuge and its surrounding waters are home to at least two plants and eight animals on the Federal endangered species list including; the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus), the brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), and four species of sea turtles.
SF IBA Guánica
Information Satellite View
The area was designated as a forest reserve in 1919 and a United Nations Biosphere Reserve in 1981. It is considered the best preserved, subtropical forest and the best example of dry forest in the Caribbean. Approximately half of Puerto Rico's birds and nine of sixteen the endemic bird species occur in the Guánica State Forest.

Sightings, News & Forums

eBird
Sightings
eBirding This Month

Guides & Tour Operators

AdvenTours
Local Tour Operator
Since 1992 we have been offering customized, guided outdoor itineraries for individuals and small groups looking for unique nature and soft 'green' educational experiences. We follow Green Globe and APIE Codes of Good Practices, plus Leave No Trace Principles
Anativa Tours
Local Day Trips
Rainforest El Yunque National Park
Bird Treks
Tour Operator
Puerto Rico Escape – Endemics and Island Birding
BirdQuest
Tour Operator
JAMAICA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC & PUERTO RICO – A feast of Caribbean endemic families and species
Birding Ecotours
Tour Operator
Birding Tour Caribbean: Puerto Rico Escape – Endemics and Island Birding
Birding Puerto Rico
Local Tour Operator
Located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, Puerto Rico is the smallest of the Greater Antilles, part of the Caribbean Biodiversity Hotspot
Eagle-Eye Tours
Tour Operator
Lots of endemics, including Puerto Rican Tody and Elfin Woods Warbler.
FieldGuides
Tour Operator
A week of respite to a very birdy and beautiful Caribbean island, a mix of North American and local culture and cuisine; 17 endemic birds and a number of other Caribbean specialties.
Gabriel Lugo
Local Tour Operator
Join me in the search for our beautiful birds here in Puerto Rico!
HeatherLea
Tour Operator
Nestled between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands, this lush Caribbean island is home to many Puerto Rican and other Caribbean endemics.
Naturalist Journeys
Tour Operator
When you take a Puerto Rico birding tour with Naturalist Journeys, you have the opportunity to explore America’s only tropical forest, 17 endemic birds
NatureTrek
Tour Operator
A 9-day winter birding break to tropical Puerto Rico in search of the island's endemics and its numerous Greater Antillean and Caribbean specialities.
PRDayTrips
Local Day Trips
Spend Some Time Bird Watching in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Birding Trips
Local Tour Operator
Puerto Rico Birding Trips offers Birdwatching Tours in Puerto Rico with its over 300 species including 17 endemics, Puerto Rico is a great and recommended destination for birdwatching
Rockjumper
Tour Operator
Puerto Rico - Forgotten Greater Antilles
Tropical Birding Tours
Tour Operator
Puerto Rico is known as the “Island of Enchantment” by virtue of its beautiful landscapes.
WINGS
Tour Operator
Puerto Rico, once a Spanish colony and now a U.S. territory and popular holiday destination, provides an easy week-long getaway for the visiting birder.
Wildside Nature Tours
Tour Operator
PUERTO RICO: Birding the Island of Enchantment
William Suarez Birding Tours
Tour Operator
Birding Puerto Rico is the best choice for a fantastic introduction to the Caribbean bird fauna. Don't miss our birdwatching trips!

Trip Reports

2016 [03 March] - Ross Gallardy - Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic
PDF Report
2016 [03 March] - Tom Johnson & Pepe Rojas
Report
...The tour started off in San Juan with an introductory dinner, but we retired to bed early to prepare for a predawn start the following day. We headed west to Rio Abajo, where we found Puerto Rican Screech-Owls, enjoyed a picnic breakfast, and then walked a forest road until we came to a good site to wait for Puerto Rican Parrots to arrive...
2017 [01 January] - Ann Duff
PDF Report
Our tour to Puerto Rico was booked with Julio Salgado Velez, a very enthusiastic young man who was recommended by Ian Merrill in his excellent January 2016 report. We e-mailed Julio a wish-list which included several tricky species as well as all the endemics. W
2017 [03 March] - Tom Johnson & Doug Gochfeld
Report
“Wow” is the first word that jumps to mind when thinking of this year’s Field Guides tour to Puerto Rico. We had a splendid time circumnavigating the island and finding all 17 of the endemic bird species (and the other endemic taxa currently considered subspecies), with smashing views of most. We had six days jam-packed with goodness, including good birds, good food, and good humor.
2017 [04 April] - Mark Van Beirs - Hispaniola & Puerto Rico
PDF Report
Our recent Greater Antilles island hopping tour produced all the single island endemics of Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and The Bahamas (with the exception of the very recently split Inagua Woodstar of the southern Bahamas) and all the participants on this sun-drenched tour saw these specialities 3 BirdQuest Tour Report: Hispaniola (Dominican Republic) & Puerto Rico with Jamaica & The Bahamas www.birdquest-tours.com very well.
2019 [05 May] - Rob Gordijn
PDF Report
...With plenty of time during our stay we also visited the east side of the island for the 2 Lesser Antilles Hummingbirds (Crested Hummingbird and Green-throated Carib)...
2020 [02 February] - Forrest Rowland
PDF Report
... Our first stops were random pullovers on the main highway for recently arrived Caribbean Martins, some posing Whitecrowned Pigeons, and our first true endemics – Puerto Rican Woodpeck...
2020 [03 March] - Sam Woods
PDF Report
...Bay-breasted Cuckoo; the same day closed with wonderful views of White-fronted Quail-Dove near our base lower down. The tour ended with some superb final birding day avian peaks, with the critically endangered Ridgway’s Hawk circling during the morning, and an Ashy-faced Owl by spotlight after dinner.
2020 [03 March] - Severin Uebbing
PDF Report
BE Río Abajo (Puerto Rican Parrot, Broad-winged Hawk, other endemics); farm field ponds SE of Arecibo (West Indian Whistling-Duck); BE Cambalache (Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo, other endemics); Flamingo pond in Yeguada (American Flamingo); Merendero de Guajataca (White-tailed Tropicbird); Faro de Rincón (Red-footed Booby); BE Guánica (Puerto Rican Nightjar).
2022 [02 February] - Gilles Delforge
PDF Report
.... Despite the fact that it was midday, we easily taped in Caribbean Elaenia a few hundred meters from our parking spot. We were also lucky to find 3 Yellow-shouldered Blackbird in the small forested area along playa Sucia...
2022 [03 March] - Hans Matheve
PDF Report
...Apart from a nice selection of waders, we saw some (Caribbean) Clapper Rails, (Puerto Rican) Antillean Mango and good numbers of Caribbean Elaenia...
2022 [03 March] - Zoothera Birding
PDF Report
... saw our first Puerto Rican Spindalis, Red-legged Thrush and tried hard to ignore the ubiquitous Greater Antillean Grackles all around us...
2023 [02 February] - Tom Johnson
Report
... Here we found a large diversity of the island's endemic birds including Puerto Rican Owl, Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo, Green Mango, and the endangered Puerto Rican Parrot...
2024 [02 February] - Bobby Wilcox
PDF Report
....We had barely set foot out of the van before being bombarded by both Puerto Rican and Green Mangoes battling...
2024 [03 March] - Paul Prior
Report
a very pleasant hour or so watching Grey Kingbirds, Black-faced Grassquits, and a small migrant songbird flock that held Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Parula, Northern Waterthrush and of course Bananaquits.
2024 [05 May] - Henry Detwiler
PDF Report
...The hike back was much more fun, especially when we heard our target birds screeching—a small flock of Puerto Rican Parrots! Farther along we heard them again, and eventually spotted the flock flying over the rainforest...

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

Birding Puerto Rico

Hacienda Juanita

El Yunque National Forest

Guánica State Forest

Humacao Wildlife Refuge

La Parguera

SF IBA Toro Negro

South-western Puerto Rico

Southern Tip

Mark Oberle

Number of bird species: 386

Number of endemics: 20

Avibase

E-Bird

Wikipedia

A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico & the Caymans

Birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Birds of Vieques Island Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Birds

Puerto Rico's Birds in Photographs

The Birds of the West Indies

Birds of the West Indies

Birds of the West Indies

Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Birds in Photos and Audio

The Puerto Rico Breeding Bird Atlas

Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña

Sociedad de Historia Natural de Puerto Rico

*List of protected areas of Puerto Rico

NF El Yunque

NR Punta Santiago (was Humacao)

NR Reserva Natural Punta Cucharas

NWR Cabo Rojo

NWR Culebra

NWR Desecheo

NWR Laguna Cartagena

NWR Vieques

SF IBA Guánica

eBird

AdvenTours

Anativa Tours

Bird Treks

BirdQuest

Birding Ecotours

Birding Puerto Rico

Eagle-Eye Tours

FieldGuides

Gabriel Lugo

HeatherLea

Naturalist Journeys

NatureTrek

PRDayTrips

Puerto Rico Birding Trips

Rockjumper

Tropical Birding Tours

WINGS

Wildside Nature Tours

William Suarez Birding Tours

2016 [03 March] - Ross Gallardy - Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic

2016 [03 March] - Tom Johnson & Pepe Rojas

2017 [01 January] - Ann Duff

2017 [03 March] - Tom Johnson & Doug Gochfeld

2017 [04 April] - Mark Van Beirs - Hispaniola & Puerto Rico

2019 [05 May] - Rob Gordijn

2020 [02 February] - Forrest Rowland

2020 [03 March] - Sam Woods

2020 [03 March] - Severin Uebbing

2022 [02 February] - Gilles Delforge

2022 [03 March] - Hans Matheve

2022 [03 March] - Zoothera Birding

2023 [02 February] - Tom Johnson

2024 [02 February] - Bobby Wilcox

2024 [03 March] - Paul Prior

2024 [05 May] - Henry Detwiler

Caribbean Birding Trail

Puerto Rican Parrot Amazona vittata

Puerto Rico Birding

Photographer - Gabriel Lugo