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Virgin Islands of the United States

Bananaquit Coereba flaveola ©Dubi Shapiro Website

The United States Virgin Islands are a group of Caribbean islands and a territory of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. They are in the Atlantic Ocean, about 64 km (40 miles) east of Puerto Rico and immediately west of the British Virgin Islands. They share the Virgin Islands archipelago with the Puerto Rican Virgin Islands of Vieques and Culebra (administered by Puerto Rico), and the British Virgin Islands. They consist of the main islands of Saint Croix, Saint John, and Saint Thomas and 50 other surrounding minor islands and cays. The main islands have nicknames often used by locals: Twin City (St. Croix), Rock City (St. Thomas), and Love City (St. John). The total land area of the territory is just over 346 km2 (c.134 square miles) with a population of around 84,000 people. The territory’s capital is Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas.

Mandahl Bay Salt Pond, St Thomas – ©Gruepig Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

The primary economic drivers on the islands are tourism and related activities. They are known for their white sand beaches, including Magens Bay and Trunk Bay, and deepwater harbours along the Anegada Passage, including Charlotte Amalie and Christiansted.  Like most Caribbean islands, most of the islands of the US Virgin Islands, including St. Thomas and St. John, are volcanic in origin and hilly. The highest point is Crown Mountain on St. Thomas at 1,555 feet. St. Croix, the largest of islands, lies to the south and has a flatter terrain because of its coral origin.

They have a tropical climate, with little seasonal change throughout the year. Rainfall is concentrated in the high-sun period (May through October), while in the winter the northeast trade winds prevail. Summer and winter high temperatures differ by 3 °C or less on average.

Birding the US Virgin Isles

The Islands have Leeward Islands moist forests and Leeward Islands xeric scrub terrestrial eco-regions.

The National Park Service manages more than half of St. John, nearly all of Hassel Island, and many acres of coral reef. There are several national park sites, such as the Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, Buck Island Reef National Monument, Christiansted National Historic Site, and Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve.

Hassel Island – ©Smallbones Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

The only native land mammals are six species of native bats: the greater bulldog bat, Antillean fruit-eating bat, red fruit bat, Brazilian free-tailed bat, velvety free-tailed bat and the Jamaican fruit bat.

The island of Saint Croix has several species of animals endemic to the island, including the Saint Croix ground lizard, the Saint Croix’s anole. Extinct endemics include Saint Croix racer and Saint Croix macaw.

St Thomas Conure Aratinga pertinax – ©Alexander Yates via Wikimedia Commons

Some of the bird species include Brown-throated Parakeet (locally known as St Thomas Conure), Hispaniola Parrot and three species of hummingbirds: Green-throated Carib, Antillean Crested Hummingbird and Puerto Rican Mango. Raptors include four species of hawks: Osprey, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Red-tailed Hawk, and three species of falcons, including the American Kestrel, Merlin and Peregrine Falcon, as well as two species of owls, the Puerto Rican Owl and the Short-eared Owl.

Saba Island, three miles south of Charlotte Amalie, has the largest colony of seabirds in the Virgin Islands Archipelago with more than 30,000 Sooty Terns and smaller populations of Roseate Terns, an endangered species, as well as Brown Noddies, Bridled terns, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Black-necked Stilts and Yellow Warblers. Another popular area for bird watching, particularly during winter time, is Francis Bay on Saint John, which has recorded more than 160 species of birds.

Contributors
Number of Species

  • Number of bird species: 269

    (As at February 2025)

    National Bird: Bananquit Coereba flaveola

Checklist

  • Avibase

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in United States Virgin Islands , 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 US Virgin Islands. The avifauna of the US Virgin Islands included a total of 267 species as of July 2022, according to Bird Checklists of the World.[1] Of them, 18 have been introduced by humans and 176 are rare or accidental. Three species on the list have been extirpated and five are globally threatened.
Useful Reading

  • 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
    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.

  • Birds of the West Indies

    Apple iOS |
    Explore the vibrant Caribbean islands with Birds of the West Indies – your pocket guide to Caribbean birdwatching!

Organisations

  • Friends of Virgin Islands National Park

    Website
    The Friends of Virgin Islands National Park advances the protection and preservation of the natural and cultural resources of Virgin Islands National Park and promotes the responsible enjoyment of this unique national treasure while educating and inspiring adults and children to be stewards of the environment.

  • National Park Service

    Webpage
    Discover Bird Watching in the Virgin Islands

  • St. Croix Environmental Association

    Webpage
    Conservation, Education & Advocacy! A non-profit, membership driven organization, SEA is committed to protecting and conserving the beautiful island environment of St. Croix.

  • Virgin Islands Audubon Society

    Facebook Page
    This society is based on St John. The main goal of VIAS is to foster an appreciation for the wildlife in the VI and Caribbean and to protect the habitats. Education is a large component of this effort...
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • *Protected areas of the United States Virgin Islands

    InformationSatellite View
    Interactive list of parks and wildlife regiuges etc.

  • ER Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve

    InformationSatellite View
    …Many wading birds (herons, stilts, sandpipers, and sometimes, flamingos) and waterfowl (ducks, teal, coots) feed on organisms in the ponds. Other birds (kingbirds, martins, and swallows) feed on insects that fly over the ponds, and many nest or roost in the surrounding vegetation. Insect and fish-eating bats also frequent ponds in the evening…

  • NP Virgin Islands National Park

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Virgin Islands National Park, renowned throughout the world for its breathtaking beauty, covers approximately 3/5 of St. John, and nearly all of Hassel Island in the Charlotte Amalie harbor on St. Thomas. Within its borders lie protected bays of crystal blue-green waters teeming with coral reef life, white sandy beaches shaded by seagrape trees, coconut palms, and tropical forests providing habitat for over 800 species of plants. Also see the Facebook page.

  • NWR Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge

    InformationSatellite View
    The island was transferred to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service due to "its value for migratory birds."

  • NWR Green Cay National Wildlife Refuge

    InformationSatellite View
    The wildlife refuge preserves habitat for the largest remaining population of the endangered Saint Croix ground lizard.

  • NWR Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge

    InformationSatellite View
    Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge measures 380 acres in size and is surrounded on three sides by the beautiful turquoise Caribbean Sea. It was established in 1984 for the protection of nesting leatherback turtles. Inland from its sandy beaches, which are critical habitat for sea turtles, littoral woodlands, scrub plant communities and wetlands, of value to assorted species of birds, dominate. At least 100 species of birds have been observed on the refuge of which 22 species have been found nesting here…

  • WS Frank Bay Pond

    Observatory WebsiteSatellite View
    Frank Bay Pond was dedicated as a bird sanctuary in March 2000; it is an urban salt pond located one half mile southwest of the Cruz Bay Ferry Dock. It is easily reached by following the paved road keeping the ocean on your right…
Guides & Tour Operators

  • Virgin Islands Ecotours

    Local Guiding
    We recommend you join us for a guided kayak and/or hiking tour (available on both St. Thomas and St. John) to enjoy the benefit of a local’s eye.
Trip Reports

  • 2021 [08 August] - Robbie Lisa Freeman

    Report
    Island Hopping: Birding the U.S. Virgin Islands, Part 1: St. Croix

  • 2021 [11 November] - Robbie Lisa Freeman

    Report
    Island Hopping: Birding the U.S. Virgin Islands, Part 2: St. John — An Island Park

  • 2022 [01 January] - Robbie Lisa Freeman

    Report
    Island Hopping—Birding the U.S. Virgin Islands, Part 3: St. Thomas — Gateway to the Caribbean
Places to Stay

  • The Buccaneer

    Accommodation
    Jogging and Nature Trail - A rolling and meandering two-mile trail that includes Par Course work-out stations and signs identifying trees and plants.
Other Links

  • 10 Places to Bird Watch in the USVI

    Webpage
    Have you been daydreaming about USVI bird watching and hitting some of the best bird watching trails?

  • Best bird watching trails in US Virgin Islands

    Webpage
    Explore the most popular bird watching trails in US Virgin Islands with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions...

  • St. Croix Bird Watching

    Webpage

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