PO Box 9021, Wilmington, DE 19809, USA E-mail: font@focusonnature.com Phone: Toll-free in USA 1-800-721-9986  or 302/529-1876

Birds & Other Nature 

during the Focus On Nature Tour
in the Cayman Islands 

in December 2010



List compiled by Armas Hill, leader of the tour

Photo at right, the YUCATAN VIREO, 
The subspecies Vireo magister caymanensis 
is endemic to Grand Cayman Island.
Grand Cayman is the only place in the Caribbean
where this species occurs.
  


Dates:

December 1-4


Codes:

(t): a globally threatened or rare species, designated by Birdlife International.
    (t1): critical     (t2): endangered     (t3): vulnerable
(nt): a near-threatened species globally.

(i): introduced species

(neCY):   Cayman Island near-endemic


Links:

Birds during FONT Cayman Island Tours

A List & Photo Gallery of Birds of the Caribbean, in 2 Parts:
Part #1: Guinea Fowl to Hummingbirds
Part #2: Trogons to Buntings

Butterflies of the West Indies of the Caribbean  (with some photos)

Amphibians & Reptiles of the West Indies of the Caribbean

Marine Life of the Caribbean

Upcoming FONT Birding & Nature Tours in the Caribbean

1. Red Junglefowl (i)  
   Gallus gallus
   
   
2. West Indian Whistling Duck (t3)
   Dendrocygna arborea
   
   
3. Blue-winged Teal
   Anas discors
   
   
4. Lesser Scaup
   Aythya affins 
   
   
5. Pied-billed Grebe
   Podilymbus podiceps antillarum 
   
   
6. Brown Pelican
   Pelecanus o. occidentalis 
   
   
7. Magnificent Frigatebird
   Fregata magnificens   
   
   
8. Great Blue Heron   
   Ardea h. herodias
   
   
9. Western Cattle Egret
   Bubulucus ibis
   
   
10. Green Heron
    Butorides virescens maculata  
    
    
11. Tricolored Heron
    Egretta tricolor ruficollis 
    
    
12. Little Blue Heron
    Egretta caerula  
    
    
13. Snowy Egret
    Egretta thula brewsteri 
    
    
14. Great Egret
    Casmerodius (has been Ardea) alba egretta    
    
    
15. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
    Nyctanassa violacea bancrofti 
    
    
16. Least Bittern
    Ixobrychus e. exilis    
    
    
17. Peregrine Falcon
    Falco peregrinus
    
    
18. Merlin
    Falco c. columbarius
    
    
19. American Kestrel
    Falco sparverius sparveroides  (resident subspecies in Cuba, the Bahamas, & the Caymans)
    
    
20. Osprey
    Pandion haliaetus  
    
    
21. Northern Harrier
    Curcus (cyaneus) hudsonius
    
    
22. King Rail
    Rallus elegans    
    
    
23. Common Gallinule (or Moorhen)   
    Gallinula chloropus cerceris
    
    
24. American Coot     
    Fulica a. americana
    
    
25. Black-bellied Plover
    Plivialis squatarola cynosurae  
    
    
26. Black-necked Stilt  
    Himantopus mexicanus 
    
    
27. Greater Yellowlegs
    Tringa melanoleuca
    
    
28. Lesser Yellowlegs
    Tringa flavipes
    
    
29. Spotted Sandpiper
    Actitis macularia
    
    
30. Ruddy Turnstone
    Arenaria interpres morinella 
    
    
31. Gull-billed Tern
    Gelochelidon nilotica aranea
    
    
32. Royal Tern
    Thalasseus m. maxima
    
    
33. Feral Pigeon (i)
    Columba livea
    
    
34. Eurasian Collared Dove (i) 
    Streptopelia decaocto 
    
    
35. Zenaida Dove
    Zenaida aurita zenaida   
    
    
36. White-winged Dove
    Zenaida a. asiatica
    
    
37. Common Ground Dove
    Columbina passerina insularis 
    
    
38. Rose-throated (or Cayman) Amazon
    Amazona leucicephala caymanensis  (subspecies endemic to Grand Cayman Is.)   
    
    
39. Smooth-billed Ani
    Crotophaga ani
    
    
40. Barn Owl
    Tyto alba furcata
    
    
41. Eastern Whip-poor-will
    Caprimulgus vociferus   
    
    
42. Belted Kingfisher
    Megaceryle alcyon   
    
    
43. West Indian Woodpecker
    melaneropes superciliaris caymanensis  (subspecies endemic to Grand Cayman Is.)  
    
    
44. "Yellow-shafted" Northern Flicker
    Colaptes auratus gundlachi  (subspecies endemic to Grand Cayman Is.) 
    
    
45. Loggerhead Kingbird
    Tyrannus caudifasciatus caymanensis  (subspecies endemic to the Cayman Islands)   
    
    
46. LaSagra's Flycatcher
    Myiarchus s. sagrae 
    
    
47. Eastern Wood Pewee
    Contopus virens
    
    
48. Caribbean Elaenia
    Elaenia martinica caymanensis  (subspecies endemic to the Cayman Islands)  
    
    
49. Yucatan Vireo
    Vireo magister caymanensis  (subspecies endemic to Grand Cayman Is.)      
    
    
50. Barn Swallow 
    Hirundo rustica erythrogaster 
    
    
51. Northern Mockingbird
    Mimus  polyglottos orpheus   (resident subspecies in the Caribbean)  
    
    
52. Northern Parula
    Parula americana  
    
    
53. Black-throated Blue Warbler
    Dendroica caerulescens
    
    
54. "Myrtle" Yellow-rumped Warbler
    Dendroica c. coronata   
    
    
55. Vitelline Warbler  (species nearly endemic to the Cayman Islands)
    Dendroica v. vitellina  (subspecies endemic on Grand Cayman Is.)  
    
    
56. Palm Warbler
    Dendroica p. palmarum  
    
    
57. Ovenbird
    Seiurus aurocapillus  
    
    
58. American Redstart
    Setophaga ruticilla
    
    
59. Greater Antillean Grackle
    Quiscalus niger caymanensis  (subspecies endemic to Grand Cayman Is.)   
    
    
60. Bananaquit
    Coereba flaveola sharpei  (subspecies endemic to the Cayman Islands)
    
    
61. Western Spindalis
    Spindalis zona salvini  (subspecies endemic to Grand Cayman Is.)  
    
    
62. Cuban Bullfinch
    Melopyrrha nigra taylori  (subspecies endemic to Grand Cayman Is.)
    
    
63. Yellow-faced Grassquit
    Tiaris o.olivaceus  (subspecies of the Caymans, Cuba, & Jamaica)
    
    
    Other Wildlife during the FONT tour 
    in the Cayman Islands in December 2010
    
    (i): introduced species
    
    
    Mammals
    
    
64. Velvety Free-tailed Bat
    Molossus molossus tropidorhynchus
    
    
    Amphibians & Reptiles 
    
    
65. Cuban Treefrog
    Osteopilus septentrionalis
    
    
66. Hickatee (or Taco River Slider)
    Trachemys decussata angusta  (endemic subspecies in the Caymans)
    
    
67. Ground Gecko (or Wood Lizard)
    Sphaerodactylus argivus
    
    
68. Grand Cayman Blue Iguana
    Cyclura nubila lewisi  (endemic subspecies in the Caymans)
    
    
69. Green Iguana  (i)
    Iguana iguana
    
    
70. Brown Anole (or Bush Lizard)  (i: on Grand Cayman)
    Anolis sagrei
    
    
71. Curly-tailed Lizard (or Lion Lizard)
    Lelocephalus carinotus varius  (endemic subspecies in the Caymans)
    
    
72. Cuban Racer  (or Ground Snake)
    Alsophis cantherigerus caymanus  (endemic subspecies in the Caymans)
    
    
    Butterflies & Moths
    
    
73. Soldier
    Danaus eresimus tethys
    
    
74. Cuban Red Leaf Butterfly
    Anaea troglodyta cubana
    
    
75. Caribbean Buckeye
    Junonia genoveva 
    
    
76. White Peacock
    Anartia jatrophae jamaicensis
    
    
77. Gulf Fritillary
    Agraulis vanillae insularis
    
    
78. Julia (or Flambeau)
    Dryas iulia zoe  (this subspecies in the Cayman Islands described in 1992)
    
    
79. (Western) Pygmy Blue  (said to be the smallest butterfly in the world)
    Brephidium exilis thompsoni  (subspecies endemic to Grand Cayman Is.)
    
    
80. Hanno Blue
    Hemiargus hanno filenus
    
    
81. Lucas's Blue  
    Cyclargus ammon erembis  (subspecies endemic to the Cayman Islands)
    
    Further research could show Cyclargus ammon erembis to be specifically distinct, and thus the only butterfly species endemic to the Cayman Islands. 
    
    
82. Great Southern White
    Ascia monuste eubotea  (subspecies throughout the Greater Antilles & nearby islands) 
    
    
83. False Barred Sulphur
    Eurema elathea
    
    The also-small Little Sulphur, Pyristia lisa, has not been noted in the Cayman Islands since 2002. 
    
    
84. Cloudless Sulphur
    Phoebis s. sennae
    
    
85. Tantalus Sphinx Moth  (as a moth)
    Aellopos tantalus
    
    
86. Tetrio Sphinx Moth  (as a caterpillar)
    Pseudosphinx tetrio