The Birds of Puerto Rico

Home , Antillean mango, Bananaquit, Elfin woods warbler, Lesser Antillean pewee, Puerto Rican flycatcher, Puerto Rican nightjar

Naturetrek Tour Report 2nd – 10th March 2020

Puerto Rican Tody Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo

Loggerhead Kingbird Mangrove Cuckoo

Report by Paul Tucker, images by Allen Worgan, Robin Duska and Paul Tucker

Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk

Tour Report The Birds of Puerto Rico

Tour participants: Gabriel Lugo (leader), Paul Tucker (Naturetrek) with nine Naturetrek clients

Day 1 Monday 2nd March

It was an early start for those of us travelling from UK on this inaugural trip to Puerto Rico. We needed to check in on time for our 8.50 Virgin Atlantic Airbus 350-1000 flight to New York's JFK airport where we transferred to Delta's flight to San Juan. In comparison to the prolonged immigration procedure at JFK, we waltzed through Baggage Reclaim at San Juan and, if we had not already met, soon became acquainted with the rest of our party before meeting our local guide, Gabriel Lugo, who whisked us off to Old San Juan’s Sheraton Hotel. Tom and Kristine from USA were in reception waiting to say 'Hello!’ It had been a long day!

Day 2 Tuesday 3rd March

Even so, the four hours difference between UK and PR times made it relatively easy for us to be up for breakfast at 6am, to meet Meret and Robin also from USA, and to load up our 12-seater bus at 6.45.

After spotting Caribbean Martins wheeling overhead as we loaded the bus and some squabbling Greater Antillean Grackles on the road in front of us, we headed west on PR2 while, it seemed, thousands of commuters were heading east into San Juan. Cave Swallows were seen from the bus and, after a short journey, we stopped in a service station where Gabriel reckoned that we would see our first good list of birds. He was correct, as we soon ticked off White-winged, Common Ground and Zenaida Doves, Red-legged Thrush, more grackles and Shiny Cowbirds, and both male and female Puerto Rican Spindalis – the male looking resplendent in the low, still early morning sunshine.

Having read the notes in our itineraries, we knew much about the importance and what to expect when we entered the karst region: holding the most extensive forest canopy cover on the island; harbouring the richest biodiversity in Puerto Rico, with more than 1,300 species of plants and animals found here; being prime habitat for most of the native and endemic species of wildlife, including 30 federally listed threatened and endangered species. We headed to Barceloneta and to Gabriel’s favourite ‘secret’ location – so important to him that he requested any e-birders not to divulge the exact location. Within minutes of stepping off the bus, we had spotted White-headed and Scaly-naped Pigeons, good views of Puerto Rican Woodpecker, Puerto Rican Flycatcher and Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo and, for some, one of the highlights of the entire trip, lovely close-up views of Adelaide’s Warbler – what a beautiful bird.

Adelaide’s Warbler

The Birds of Puerto Rico Tour Report

A short ride further to Arecibo took us to another of Gabriel’s secret places where we stopped at the top of a hill on a narrow lane. The search for an elusive Northern Parula was called off when shouts from Gabriel took us to good views of our first Puerto Rican Vireo. A little further on, we stopped by a pond which, according to Gabriel, may or may not have had anything good, but we were rewarded with West Indian Whistling Duck, Least and Pied-billed Grebes, Green, Great and Little Blue Herons, Bronze Mannikin and nice but distant views of Yellow-faced Grassquit.

After lunch, a quick stop at Arecibo beach produced our first Brown Pelicans and Royal Terns and another pond stop at Camuny produced Blue-winged Teal, White-cheeked Pintail, hundreds of Black-necked Stilts and Glossy Ibis, African Collared Doves and hunting Peregrine and Merlin. A stop on the cliffs at Quedrabillas gave us views out to sea and three White-tailed Tropicbirds.

By late afternoon, we reached our hotel at Hatillo and, for this participant, a cool swim in the pool. In temperatures between 80 and 90°F, it had been an eventful birding day. By the end of the trip, we will have listed 105 species. With Puerto Rican Oriole and Puerta Rican Bullfinch, 56 of those had been seen on our first day!

Day 3 Wednesday 4th March

It was a cloudy day with plenty of sun also but some showers and, after breakfast in a local bakery, we moved to Cambalache Forest Reserve. We soon saw terrific views of Puerto Rican Tody, probably the bird that all of us wanted to see most and, at the end of the trip, it was voted ‘favourite bird’. There was one other particular bird on Gabriel’s mind, and it took some patience to find it as we walked very steadily and quietly along a track through the forest. At quite a distance ahead of us, we saw it as it moved shyly away from us. There was also an Ovenbird which was a first, but the bird that was top of the list was Key West Quail-Dove. Stealthily, we moved closer, but the bird stayed well ahead. Then, all of a sudden, another was right next to us, flew alongside and over the track giving us hardly a glimpse. As we got back on our bus and just moving out of the reserve, a few Smooth-billed Anis were seen on the grass.

Another treat awaited and, for some another highlight, when Gabriel took us to Utuado and the home of his friends, Pepe and Fela. This was an amazing place. Pepe and Fela have created their own private mini reserve with a veranda overlooking a wooded garden that slopes away and with sugar liquid feeders scattered around. There are also feeders placed around the veranda. Bananaquits (of course) were plentiful but we really wanted to see the hummingbirds and were not disappointed: Green Mangos abounded and Puerto Rican Emeralds, though fewer, gave us close-up opportunities to see the differences between the two, especially in size. Pep’s and Fela’s hospitality was superb with soft drinks, coffee and biscuits and we were all just so absorbed in this wonderful haven.

Green Mango Puerto Rican Emerald

2 © Naturetrek July 20

The Birds of Puerto Rico Tour Report

During the afternoon, we reached our next overnight destination, the wonderfully and atmospherically named Hacienda Juanita. We settled in very quickly with time enough to wander around the gardens. Pearly-eyed Thrasher was a new tick for the trip followed by Antillean Euphonia and, down in the valley below us, a large flock of the introduced Orange-cheeked Waxbills. A male American Kestrel amused(?) and fascinated us as it perched in a tree very close by and, bit-by-bit, tore apart and devoured a lizard.

After dark, dinner was taken al fresco and we all then went the short distance in the grounds where we did not have a long wait to find the Puerto Rican Screech Owl which eyed us curiously but remained non- perturbed by our presence.

Puerto Rican Screech Owl

Day 4 Thursday 5th March

After breakfast in a local bakery in Maricao, we had a short drive to a road-side pull-in, an Área Natural Protegida, where we saw two similar birds that gave us a great opportunity to see the differences. The endemic Elfin Woods Warbler showed well, and we were reminded that this species was first observed in 1968 by Cameron and Angela Kepler while they were conducting observations on Puerto Rican Parrot and Puerto Rican Tody. On May 18, 1971, a specimen was captured in El Yunque National Forest. A year later Kepler and Parkes described and named the species making it the most recent addition to the large and familiar genus Setophaga. It was the first species described in the Caribbean since 1927 and the first Puerto Rican species described in the 20th century. The species name, angelae, is a tribute to Angela Kepler. Reinita de Bosque Enano (little queen of the dwarf forest) is the Spanish name. Close by, we found the similar Black-and-white Warbler displaying its habit of climbing on tree trunks similar to our European Treecreepers. Puerto Rican Tanager was another nice species to add to the list before we paid a quick visit to the Visitor Centre but were a bit disappointed that the local Sharp-shinned Hawk was not around.

Not to worry, there was plenty more to see today. We drove on towards the Cabo Rojo salt flats but, just out of the corner of his eye, Gabriel saw something that made him stop quickly. Not exactly a housing estate but with houses all around and, flying all over were a flock of Yellow-shouldered Blackbirds. Gabriel had not seen them there before but one of the locals said they were always around and in his garden. A nice and surprising find. Cathryn left us for the afternoon in La Parguera to go diving and the rest of us had an excellent lunch at Rest. El Turrumoto.

Yellow-shouldered Blackbirds

The Birds of Puerto Rico Tour Report

Driving towards the lighthouse and on the road across the salt flats, we parked up at Bosque Estatal de Boqueron Area Natural Los Morrillos – El Faro to find the target bird of the area, Caribbean Elaenia, a remarkably nondescript bird but with the two white wing bars differentiating it from the other flycatchers that we had seen. We could not leave the area without scanning the salt flats and were rewarded with plenty of Least Sandpipers, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs in the same view, which was nice, and a pair of Wilson’s Plovers. As we drove back towards La Parguera, a roadside stop was designed for us to get great views of a pair of Clapper Rails as well as Spotted Sandpiper and a very brief glimpse of Northern Waterthrush as it whizzed across the road.

Clapper Rail

Yellow/Mangrove and Prairie Warblers had also been seen during the afternoon so it was becoming a good day and, as the sun went down, we all went back to El Turrumoto for a quick dinner before heading out of town and a search, albeit a relatively easy search, for Puerto Rican Nightjar. It was perched across the road and showed really well in Gabriel’s torch beam. We did not disturb it for too long and, indeed, the evening was not yet over. Back in La Parguera, we boarded a boat along with quite a few others and motored out to the Bioluminescent Bay to see one of the most spectacular natural shows. Bioluminescent Bay (often called Bio Bay) is one of the Puerto Rico’s key tourist attractions where the water luminescence is triggered by dinoflagellates, oceanic plankton which is able to generate an emerald green and ultramarine illumination when water is physically disturbed. Dinoflagellates are incredibly delicate microorganisms and are very sensible to environment conditions such as balance of salt in the water, local climate, water depth, air and water pollution, etc. The bright, three- quarter moon was not conducive to seeing this spectacle at its best, but it was an interesting trip, especially for those of us who really had no idea of what we were going to see.

We had been out since 7am and it was 10.30pm when we finally got back to Hacienda Juanita. Another long, very eventful and great birding day.

Day 5 Friday 6th March

After breakfast in the same bakery as yesterday, we went straight back to the Maricao Forest Visitor Centre and, within minutes, the male Sharp-shinned Hawk that we missed yesterday showed really well for us as it busied itself collecting sticks for its nest. We then headed back towards Cabo Rojo and the Refugio de Vida Silvestre Iris L. Almeda de Boqueron in Boqueron State reserve where we searched in vain for Lesser Antillean Pewee. There were very brief views of Northern Waterthrush again but, with the temperature reaching 93°F, we did not stay out too long. For the photographers, there was an excellent opportunity to record Green Iguana as it slowly climbed a tree. We had a very nice and refreshing stop for a fresh fruit drink or fruit salad at a La Fruteria road-

4 © Naturetrek July 20

The Birds of Puerto Rico Tour Report

side stall and then, close by, we searched, again in vain, for Grasshopper Sparrow – the fairly stiff breeze keeping it from showing in the long hay grass.

Cabo Rojo

Never mind! We drove onwards in changing weather to Caguas for Plain Pigeon which eventually showed itself – male and female – and then on to our next night’s accommodation at the lovely Fajardo Inn in Fajardo. We had moved from the south-west to the east coast of the island. New birds and a new experience awaited.

Day 6 Saturday 7th March

We were entertained by another American Kestrel on its usual perch and a one-legged grackle as we had breakfast on the veranda before setting off on a day that would provide us with something completely different. Just before boarding the bus, though, we had a quick walk in the hotel gardens and picked up Antillean Mango and Green-throated Carib, the latter being a first for the trip.

Down on the waterfront, we were greeted by skipper, Mike, and dive instructor, Tony. We were kitted out with flippers and boarded our home for the day, the vessel Day Off!. On board, we were also kitted out with snorkels (and diving gear for Cathryn). We had our safety instructions and, at 20 knots, headed 17 miles out on a sea that was a bit bumpy at times and towards the island of Culebra. Whether diving or snorkelling, we were transported for an hour, or as long as we wanted, into a magical, underwater world of a coral reef. Whatever the number of different bird species we had seen already, it was outnumbered by the fish species of beautiful colours and sizes. (I was later told that, on one occasion, I had a Barracuda swimming right by my side. No, I didn’t see it – thankfully!) Fresh fruit and crisps/chips snacks were prepared for us and then lunch of turkey and ham rolls before we were off round a headland to another bay and another half-hour’s snorkelling.

Culebra [Word of warning for anyone reading this and contemplating going in future: wear a t-shirt while snorkelling. While in the water, you will not realise how much the sun is burning your back!]

The Birds of Puerto Rico Tour Report

Realising we were all birders, Mike and Tony took us back to Fajardo via Cajos Cordillera sea reserve. A trip highlight for one of us was seeing 20 - 30 Brown Boobys flying alongside us - even racing us - and, for another, a Masked Booby sitting on one of the small islands. For Gabriel, Red-billed Tropicbirds was one of his highlights.

Back on land, with photos taken, we had almost run out of time to see another target species and would probably not have another chance. The wonderful day at sea may have already been enough for us but, to see the bird, we needed a 45-minute journey in each direction to Las Palmas del Mar resort and the Pterocarpus Forest. Gabriel knew pretty-well which bush to head for and, after very fleeting views, we eventually got reasonably good views of Antillean Crested Hummingbird - the one remaining unseen hummingbird of the trip. Just as we were leaving the resort, two Killdeer were seen.

Day 7 Sunday 8th March

The day dawned overcast and, with rain in the air, we loaded the bus and were off again, this time to El Yunque. A quick stop for another chance to see Lesser Antillean Pewee and possible Prothonotary Warbler proved unfruitful.

At El Yunque Visitor Centre, we were met by our guide for the trip, Frankie, and, in his bus, entered the reserve. Frankie gave us an interesting introduction to the cloud forest as we were transported higher and higher. We still had Gabriel with us so had the best of both worlds: Frankie’s local knowledge and Gabriel’s wildlife knowledge. That included the finding of a fascinating microscopic orchid Lepanthes woodburyana and the small and pretty lizard, Highland Grass Anole. Some of us climbed the Yokahu observation tower while others stayed below to get excellent views of Black-whiskered Vireo.

Lunch was taken in the reserve and we left Frankie to head into San Juan but stopping in a supermarket car park along the way at Canobanas where, close by, we may have been able to see a Limpkin. We certainly heard it, but it didn’t want us to see it. One of us had a brief glimpse of a Common Yellowthroat.

And so, we came full circle and back to Old San Juan’s Sheraton Hotel with plenty of time to relax or walk around. We had an excellent dinner in a local restaurant and then our final check list back at the hotel.

The clientele on the trip had been great: nobody got lost; nobody was late; nobody was ill; nobody was injured; nobody fell out of the bus or off the boat! That all helped to make a successful trip and friendships were made along the way. Gabriel had been a superb leader and guide: his powers of staying awake while the rest of the bus dozed; his ordering of food in restaurants for us; his patience in making sure we all saw the birds he found; and, of course, his local knowledge of bird calls, identification and places to go. Excellent!

Day 8 Monday 9th March

While Gabriel spent part of the morning taking Meret and Robin to the airport, Frankie was our guide again for a tour of Old San Juan. It was meant to be a walking tour, but the rain put us off and we went in his bus with many stop-off points on a very interesting tour.

The Birds of Puerto Rico Tour Report

Back at the hotel, we all checked out and Gabriel took us back to the airport in plenty of time for our flight back to JFK where we said goodbyes to Tom and Kristine and our onward flight back to London’s Heathrow..

Day 9 Tuesday 10th March

As The flight landed at 11am, and our trip reached its conclusion.

We conducted a survey amongst us and Gabriel to find which three birds we had enjoyed most: not necessarily which we thought most important; not necessarily what was most rare; nothing scientific about it; nothing official about it; no right or wrong answers. Just which three birds we enjoyed most. From a trip list of 103 species, nineteen made it onto the ‘favourites’ list as follows, giving a favourite 3 points, a second favourite 2 points and a third favourite 1 point:

1. Puerto Rican Tody (won by a mile!) 2. Yellow-shouldered Blackbird 3. Masked Booby 4. Adelaide’s Warbler 5= Puerto Rican Nightjar 5= Sharp-shinned Hawk 5= Scaly-naped Pigeon 5= Brown Booby 9= Puerto Rican Woodpecker 9= Black-and-white warbler 9= Puerto Rican Screech Owl 9= American Kestrel 9= Green-throated Carib 9= Elfin Woods Warbler 15= Greater Antillean Grackle 15= Puerto Rican Tanager 15= Puerto Rican Oriole 15= Green Heron 15= Red-billed Tropicbird

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Tour Report The Birds of Puerto Rico

Species Lists

Birds (H = heard only)

E=Endemic, N=Near-endemic I=Introduced March Common name Scientific name Trip 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 West Indian Whistling Duck Dendrocygna arborea X X 2 Blue-winged Teal Spatula discors X X 3 White-cheeked Pintail Anas bahamensis X X 4 Puerto Rican Nightjar - E Antrostomus noctitherus X X 5 Antillean Mango - N Anthracothorax dominicus aurulentus X X X 6 Green Mango - E Anthracothorax viridis X X X X 7 Green-throated Carib Eulampis holosericeus X X 8 Antillean Crested Hummingbird Orthorhyncus cristatus X X 9 Puerto Rican Emerald - E Chlorostilbon maugaeus X X 10 Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani X X X H 11 Mangrove Cuckoo Coccyzus minor X X X 12 Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo - E Coccyzus vieilloti X X X H 13 Rock Dove - I Columba livia domestica X X X X X X X 14 White-crowned Pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala X X X 15 Scaly-naped Pigeon Patagioenas squamosa X X X X X X X 16 Plain Pigeon Patagioenas inornata X X 17 African Collared Dove - I Streptopelia roseogrisea X X X X 18 Common Ground Dove Columbina passerina portoricensis X X X X X X X 19 Key West Quail-Dove Geotrygon chrysia X X 20 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura X X 21 Zenaida Dove Zenaida aurita X X X X X X X 22 White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica X X X X X X X 23 Clapper Rail Rallus crepitans caribaeus X X 24 Common Gallinule Gallinula galeata X X X 25 American Coot Fulica americana X X 26 Limpkin Aramus guarauna H H 27 Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus X X 28 Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps X X 29 Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus X X

The Birds of Puerto Rico Tour Report

30 Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola X X 31 Wilson's Plover Charadrius wilsonia X X 32 Killdeer Charadrius vociferus X X 33 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres X X 34 Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla X X 35 Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius X X 36 Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes X X X 37 Willet Tringa semipalmata X X X 38 Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca X X X 39 Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus X X X X X 40 Cabot's Tern Thalasseus acuflavidus X X X 41 Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus X X 42 White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus X X 43 Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens X X X X 44 Masked Booby Sula dactylatra X X 45 Brown Booby Sula leucogaster X X 46 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus X X X 47 Yellow-crowned Night Heron Nyctanassa violacea X X 48 Green Heron Butorides virescens X X X X 49 Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis X X X X X 50 Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias X X 51 Great Egret Ardea alba X X X X X X 52 Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea X X X 53 Snowy Egret Egretta thula X X X 54 Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis X X X X X 55 Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura X X X X X 56 Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus X X X X 57 Sharp-shinned Hawk - E Accipiter striatus venator X X 58 Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis jamaicensis X X X X X X X 59 Puerto Rican Screech Owl - N Megascops nudipes X X 60 Puerto Rican Tody - E Todus mexicanus X X X X 61 Puerto Rican Woodpecker - E Melanerpes portoricensis X X X X X X 62 American Kestrel Falco sparverius caribaearum X X X X X X X 63 Merlin Falco columbarius X X X

The Birds of Puerto Rico Tour Report

64 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus X X X 65 Monk Parakeet - I Myiopsitta monachus X X X 66 White-winged Parakeet - I Brotogeris versicolurus X X X X 67 Orange-fronted Parakeet - I Eupsittula canicularis X X 68 Caribbean Elaenia Elaenia martinica riisii X X 69 Lesser Antillean Pewee - E Contopus latirostris blancoi X X 70 Grey Kingbird Tyrannus dominicensis X X X X X X X 71 Loggerhead Kingbird - E Tyrannus caudifasciatus taylori X X X H 72 Puerto Rican Flycatcher - E Myiarchus antillarum X X X X X X 73 Puerto Rican Vireo - E Vireo latimeri X X H X 74 Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons H H 75 Black-whiskered Vireo Vireo altiloquus X X H X 76 Caribbean Martin Progne dominicensis X X X X X 77 Cave Swallow - E Petrochelidon fulva puertoricensis X X X X X 78 Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos X X X X X X X 79 Pearly-eyed Thrasher Margarops fuscatus X 80 Red-legged Thrush - N Turdus plumbeus ardosiaceus X X X X X X 81 House Sparrow - I Passer domesticus X X X X 82 Northern Red Bishop - I Euplectes franciscanus X X 83 Orange-cheeked Waxbill - I Estrilda melpoda X X X 84 Bronze Mannikin - I Lonchura cucullata X X X 85 Antillean Euphonia Euphonia musica sclateri X X 86 Puerto Rican Tanager - E Nesospingus speculiferus X X X 87 Puerto Rican Spindalis - E Spindalis portoricensis X X X X X 88 Puerto Rican Oriole - E Icterus portoricensis X X X X 89 Yellow-shouldered Blackbird - E Agelaius xanthomus X X 90 Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis X X X X X 91 Greater Antillean Grackle - E Quiscalus niger brachypterus X X X X X X X 92 Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla X X X 93 Northern Waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis X X H H 94 Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia X X X 95 Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas X X 96 Elfin Woods Warbler - E Setophaga angelae X X 97 American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla X X

The Birds of Puerto Rico Tour Report

98 Cape May Warbler Setophaga tigrina X X 99 Northern Parula Setophaga americana X X H X 100 Mangrove Warbler Setophaga petechia bartholemica X X 101 Prairie Warbler Setophaga discolor X X X 102 Adelaide's Warbler - E Setophaga adelaidae X X X 103 Saffron Finch - I Sicalis flaveola X X 104 Bananaquit - E Coereba flaveola portoricensis X X X X X X X 105 Yellow-faced Grassquit - E Tiaris olivaceus bryanti X X 106 Black-faced Grassquit Tiaris bicolor omissus X X X X X 107 Puerto Rican Bullfinch - E Loxigilla portoricensis X X X X

Our tour checklist follows the names and taxonomy (including species order) of the International Ornithological Congress list of the birds of the world (version 10.1, January 2020) which seems destined to become the global standard in future. The species included are based on those thought most likely to be recorded together with what has been seen on previous tours.

Other taxa

Common name Scientific name Trip 1 Puerto Rican Slider Dendrocygna arborea X 2 Green Iguana Spatula discors X 3 Puerto Rican Razor Anas bahamensis X 4 Highland Grass Anole Antrostomus noctitherus X Mammals Anthracothorax dominicus aurulentus X 5 Mongoose Anthracothorax viridis X Butterflies Eulampis holosericeus X 6 Puerto Rican Harlequin Orthorhyncus cristatus X 7 Malachite Chlorostilbon maugaeus X 8 Julia Crotophaga ani X Fish Coccyzus minor X 9 Baracuda Coccyzus vieilloti X

Plants Columba livia domestica X 10 (an Orchid) Patagioenas leucocephala X