Puerto Rico 2025 (1 Viewer)

[ISeeMostBirds]

Day 0 (2/18):
I had about 10 days in late February and was debating between Costa Rica and Puerto Rico as my birding destination. Since both Central America and the Caribbean would be new regions for me, I carefully considered my options.

Ultimately, I chose Puerto Rico, as I felt that both travel logistics and birding would be easier compared to Costa Rica. While Puerto Rico doesn’t have the same level of epic avian diversity as the Neotropics, I saw this as an advantage: it meant that identifying birds would be more manageable, and I wouldn’t need to hire a guide. Additionally, since I had already birded Florida, a lot of species in PR would already be familiar to me.

My goal was to see all 18 of PR’s endemic species and as many Caribbean specialties as possible. In the end, I managed to find 16 out of 18 endemics and recorded 85 total species: a result I was rather happy with.

A massive thanks to everyone who has written trip reports on Puerto Rico without those reports, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve these birding results.

I arrived in San Juan on 2/18 and spent some time sightseeing. Besides the Lesser Antillean Grackle and Zenaida Dove, both common in the urban areas of Old San Juan, there wasn’t much else of note in terms of birding.

 

[ISeeMostBirds]

Day 1 (2/19)
I chose El Yunque National Forest as my first birding destination on the island. I got a somewhat late start, leaving my hotel around 8 AM and arriving at the visitor center at 9:30 AM. Even though the center only opens at 9 AM, by the time I arrived, it was already packed with cars and visitors.

Just as I was about to take out my camera and start shooting, I realized I had left all my memory cards back at the hotel! With no way to photograph, I wandered toward the visitor center to see what it had to offer. To my surprise, there was a cage housing three Puerto Rican Amazons! Before coming to Puerto Rico, I had learned that this is a super rare endemic species that nearly went extinct, only surviving thanks to an extensive conservation effort. Currently, there are only two wild populations on the island: one in El Yunque and another in Rio Abajo State Forest further west. I had already planned to search for wild Puerto Rican Amazons in Rio Abajo, but I was still delighted to see some captive individuals here. If I fail to find them in the wild, at least I now know what this magnificent bird looks like. After seeing the parrots, I wanted to scout the visitor center trails for birding, but there were too many people around for any meaningful observations. So, I quickly left and returned to my hotel.

At around 2 I left my hotel again and went towards the Reserva Natural Medio Mundo y Daguao, a coastal reserve on the eastern coast of the isalnd. I parked my car at the gate and started walking. At this hour, the sun was strong and the temperature hot, nevertheless there was still some bird activity at the reserve. After about 10 minutes I saw a black and yellow bird perched on a branch a bit further down the road. I quickly took some photos and upon review I found out that this was a PR Spindalis, my first (wild) PR endemic! My main target here was the Scarlet Ibis, a stunningly crimson wetland bird most commonly found in South American and a vagrant here on the island. There were reports of one individual at the reserve in early Feb, but I’m not sure if it was still here. Despite my best efforts I couldn’t find it. Other notable species I saw at the reserve include a pair of PR Woodpeckers, an Adelaide’s warbler (a near PR endemics that also occurs on the Virgin Islands), and a Mangrove Cuckoo (a specie I searched for but missed in Florida).


After leaving Medio Mundo y Daguao, I headed to the Humacao Wetlands, hoping to continue birding there. However, when I arrived, I found the entrance closed, and from the outside, it looked more like a recreational park than a nature reserve. With no way to access it, I decided to head back to my hotel and call it a day.

 

[leif10]

Newton, I checked out your website. My goodness, those are some of the most spectacular, odd and unexpected bird species I have encountered in photos! Not to mention, fantastic photography as well. And some amazing captures and compositions. Looking forward to figuring out the species names at some point just out of curiosity. Perhaps a list at the bottom of each page might be easiest - just a thought.

 

[ISeeMostBirds]

Day 2 (2/20)

After experiencing how crowded El Yunque could get later in the day, I decided to arrive early. I got there around 7 AM, only to find the gate closed. Undeterred, I parked my car and walked toward the visitor center. Despite the pouring rain, I still managed to spot a few birds, including Red-legged Thrush, Bananaquit, and Pearly-eyed Thrasher. The highlights were a Puerto Rican Emerald and a Puerto Rican Mango, two of the island's endemic hummingbirds. However, my birding was cut short when the staff told me that I wasn't allowed to be there, forcing me to leave after about an hour.

Hoping for better luck, I headed to Reserva Natural Medio Mundo y Daguao for another attempt. By the time I arrived at 9 AM, the heat had already set in, and bird activity was rather low. A few White-cheeked Pintails were hanging out in the wetlands—an exciting sight, as I hadn't seen this species since visiting the Galápagos two years ago. I walked the entire length of the trail (about two miles) this time, but I didn’t encounter any of my target birds. My sightings were mostly common North American wetland species and a few warblers, making the visit somewhat disappointing.

Next, I drove to Cabezas de San Juan, a coastal reserve at the northeastern tip of the island. Upon arrival, I was unsure whether I was allowed to enter, as the gate was closed. After speaking with the guard, I learned that I simply needed to register my name. At the parking lot, I had excellent views of a tame Puerto Rican Woodpecker, far better than the fleeting glimpses I’d had the day before. A short walk along the trail rewarded me with more Adelaide’s Warblers, while the boardwalk through the mangroves was filled with Northern Waterthrushes—very vocal but frustratingly difficult to see.

My main targets here were the Antillean Crested Hummingbird and Green Carib, two species typical of the Lesser Antilles. Their westernmost range extends just into eastern Puerto Rico, making this my best chance to find them before heading west the next day. Unfortunately, despite my efforts, both hummingbirds eluded me.

 

[ISeeMostBirds]

Newton, I checked out your website. My goodness, those are some of the most spectacular, odd and unexpected bird species I have encountered in photos! Not to mention, fantastic photography as well. And some amazing captures and compositions. Looking forward to figuring out the species names at some point just out of curiosity. Perhaps a list at the bottom of each page might be easiest - just a thought.

Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. I do plan to add species names in the future, but it's quite a bit of work to organize everything properly. That said, it's definitely on my to-do list and I appreciate the suggestion!

 

[temmie]

Newton, I checked out your website. My goodness, those are some of the most spectacular, odd and unexpected bird species I have encountered in photos! Not to mention, fantastic photography as well. And some amazing captures and compositions. Looking forward to figuring out the species names at some point just out of curiosity. Perhaps a list at the bottom of each page might be easiest - just a thought.

I thought you were a bit over enthusiastic with your comment, but having checked Newton's site I have to say there are some very very aesthetically pleasing galleries (if not all) on that site.
Newton, if anything, make sure you have your site as a hyperlink in the footer of your posts, that will certainly help people click through more easily!
ps: did you already post some bird pictures from Puerto Rico? I didn't find them immediately.

 

[ISeeMostBirds]

I thought you were a bit over enthusiastic with your comment, but having checked Newton's site I have to say there are some very very aesthetically pleasing galleries (if not all) on that site.
Newton, if anything, make sure you have your site as a hyperlink in the footer of your posts, that will certainly help people click through more easily!
ps: did you already post some bird pictures from Puerto Rico? I didn't find them immediately.

Thanks so much for your words and suggestion, they mean a lot to me! I'm still in the process of sorting through the 30,000+ photos I took in PR, so it's taking some time but I hope to have them up soon.
Also is that a Cabot's Tragopan in your profile picture! Where did you get that?

 

[temmie]

Thanks so much for your words and suggestion, they mean a lot to me! I'm still in the process of sorting through the 30,000+ photos I took in PR, so it's taking some time but I hope to have them up soon.
Also is that a Cabot's Tragopan in your profile picture! Where did you get that?

It’s actually a Western tragopan, from great Himalaya national park. And I am fascinated by tragopans .
Your picture of Temmincks is very good but I was mostly blown away by your blood pheasant photos; excellent stuff!

 

[ISeeMostBirds]

Day 3 (2/21)

This was the day I set out to find the Puerto Rican Amazon. I left my hotel early, around 5:00 AM, and drove straight to Río Abajo State Forest, aiming to arrive by first light. Based on multiple trip reports and guides, I learned that this rare endemic parrot is only found in a small area near its breeding facility. Specifically, the best approach was to park at a yellow gate and bird along the road leading to the facility.

However, when I arrived, I found the yellow gate open. I cautiously drove in a short distance, parked on the roadside, and began birding. By 7:00 AM, the forest was alive with activity. Within minutes, I spotted my next few Puerto Rican endemics: Puerto Rican Vireo, Puerto Rican Oriole, and Puerto Rican Bullfinch.

While photographing these songbirds, I noticed several larger birds flying overhead, calling loudly. At first, I dismissed them as doves, but after a closer look, I quickly realized they were the PR Amazons I was searching for! One eventually landed in a tall tree beside me, allowing me to snap some photos of these spectacular parrots. As I continued my walk toward the breeding facility, more Amazons soared and called above. I had expected the search to be far more difficult, so I was pleasantly surprised by how relatively easy it was to find them. It was reassuring to see them thriving in this protected area, and I can only hope that their population continues to expand across the island.

After leaving Río Abajo, I headed north, birding along the north and west coast of the island. Some notable stops included Parque Eugenio María de Hostos, where many Red-tailed Tropicbirds were soaring gracefully over the ocean. At a beach in Boquerón, I observed a mix of Brown Pelicans, Sandwich Terns, and Royal Terns resting along the shoreline.

At around 3:30 PM, I arrived at Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge, located at the southwestern tip of the island. A short walk toward the lagoon quickly revealed an abundance of birdlife, including two West Indian Whistling-Ducks, a Sora, two Least Bitterns, dozens of Smooth-billed Anis, and a few PR Flycatchers, another island endemic. Introduced species like Monk Parakeets and Orange-cheeked Waxbills were also common, though they weren’t my main focus. Unfortunately, the lagoon was mostly dry at this time of year, and the majority of the wintering ducks were confined to a small, distant pool—far beyond reach for any worthwhile photography. I then went to the observation tower, only to find that the low water levels had rendered it practically useless, as the water was too far away for meaningful observations. One of my main targets here was the Masked Duck, but despite scanning the available habitat, none made an appearance.

 

[ISeeMostBirds]

Day 4 (2/22)
Maricao State Forest, approximately one hour from my Airbnb, was supposedly the best site in PR to find island endemics. A large number of them could potentially be seen there. I left early, intending to arrive by first light. According to the trip reports I had read, there were multiple birding spots along the road through Maricao State Forest. I chose km 16.8 as my first stop, as it was known as the easiest place to find Green Mangos and Elfin-woods Warblers—the latter being a species only recently described in 1972, with a range confined to the high-altitude forests of southwestern PR, making Maricao practically its only stronghold.

I started my walk along the trail at around 6:50 AM, and soon I spotted a Puerto Rican Tanager. Not only is this bird an endemic species, but it is also the only member of its genus, Nesospingus! Further along the trail, I encountered another new endemic: the Puerto Rican Tody. These small but brilliantly colored birds were very active at that hour, singing and flitting around along the trail. Puerto Rican Woodpeckers, Spindalis, and Bullfinches were also present.

My search for the Elfin-woods Warbler proved challenging. Although they were vocally active, they mostly remained hidden behind dense vegetation, making it extremely difficult to spot them, let alone take pictures. However, with some patience, I eventually managed to see and photograph an individual. Green Mangos, however, were a no-show. I then quickly scanned the headquarters area of the state forest. Besides an Ovenbird, nothing too interesting appeared.

Next, I moved on to La Parguera, a coastal town where the Yellow-shouldered Blackbird, another PR endemic, was supposedly easiest to find. Yeah, right! I spent two hours strolling through the town, but no blackbirds appeared. I then went to the hardware store, where they were reportedly often seen congregating in the parking lot. When I asked the owner if he had seen any birds recently, he simply said, “Hace mucho tiempo.” Exactly how much time?, I asked. Since last year. Meaning, he hadn’t seen the blackbirds in about three months.

Not the most promising situation, but I still held onto some hope, as there had been a few recent eBird reports suggesting the birds were still around. After two hours, I left but decided to return in the afternoon to search the neighborhoods in the western part of town. While scanning a tree filled with Lesser Antillean Grackles, hoping a blackbird might be mixed in, I suddenly saw a bird flying west over my head, with a flash of yellow on its wing. There! I was just quick enough to snap a few photos, and upon review, it was indeed a Yellow-shouldered Blackbird. I was relieved to have at least caught a glimpse of this species, but unfortunately, this was the first and last individual I would see on the entire trip.

After my somewhat questionable success with the blackbird, I moved on to Camino Hernández, followed by Cabo Rojo. The first location was a pond filled with wintering waterfowl and shorebirds, where I was particularly excited to see three Least Grebes, another Caribbean specialty. Cabo Rojo, a coastal national wildlife refuge, also produced a few shorebirds, though nothing particularly notable.