During this tour, our objective is to see as many as we can of the 
species of endemic birds and other bird specialties, 
as we enjoy the beautiful Puerto Rican countryside.

Good Birds & a Good Time!

Links:

Birds during previous FONT tours in Puerto Rico   

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

Rare Birds of the Caribbean, Now & in the Past

Butterflies of the Caribbean_(with some photos)  

Mammals of the Caribbean  (Land & Marine)

Marine Life of the Caribbean  (including sea turtles, fish, corals, jellyfish, mollusks, arthropods)

Amphibians & Reptiles of the Caribbean  (with some photos)

Tropical Plants of West Indian Islands, including Puerto Rico  (with some photos)

Some Past Puerto Rico Tour Highlights

Tour Registration Form

Itinerary & price follows.



The "endemic birds" to Puerto Rico include a few that occur (or formerly occurred) in the nearby Virgin Islands. 
During our Puerto Rican tours we've seen all of them.  

Now, the rarest and most difficult of them to find (in the wild)  
is the Puerto Rican Parrot. It's very rare and only in 
a restricted area. 
In years gone by, we've seen as many as a dozen. 
And other times, less. 

 

During all of our recent Puerto Rico tours, we've had excellent looks at the rather elusive Elfin Woods Warbler, a species discovered as recently as 1971.

And we've heard or seen another rarity, the localized Puerto Rican Nightjar. That species was re-discovered in 1961.    
At dusk, or after dark, we always hear the assortment of sounds made by the  Puerto Rican Screech-Owl, that we often see. (The Puerto Rican Screech Owl is in the upper right photo.) 

Other notable endemics that we see during our Puerto Rico tours include the very rare Yellow-shouldered Blackbird, the Puerto Rican Tanager, and the Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo. 
To date, a cumulative 186 species of birds have been seen during the FONT Puerto Rican tours.

"Endemic butterflies" in Puerto Rico include the Puerto Rican Yellow, Puerto Rican Harlequin (or Checkerspot), Puerto Rican Leafwing, and Puerto Rican Calisto, and the Puerto Rican Skipper. 
These are among about 100 species of butterflies that occur in Puerto Rico.

The nominate subspecies of two popular longwings,
the Julia & the Zebra,
both occur in Puerto Rico.
Respectively, Dryas iulia iulia,
and heliconius charitonius charitonius.

Tour starts and ends in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Itinerary:

Sun: Feb 21  Mid-day arrival in Puerto Rico. Travel from the San Juan area to the southwestern corner of the island, an area rich with good birds, including a number of the endemics. West of Ponce, before dinner, we'll have some nice birding in the dry Guanica Forest by the coast. Adelaide's Warbler, Mangrove Cuckoo, Puerto Rican Tody and Puerto Rican Bullfinch, as well as the Puerto Rican Flycatcher and Caribbean Elaenia, occur. It should be a nice start to our birding and nature tour.
After dinner, we'll try (with hopefully the same success we've had during previous tours) to hear and see the rare Puerto Rican Nightjar. (This species was thought to be extinct until 1961).
During this day, butterflies that we may see would be the rare Antillean White, the Antillean Snout, and the Cramer's Scrub-Hairstreak.   
Overnight in the attractive coastal town of La Parguera.

Puerto Rican Tody

Mon: Feb 22  Morning birding in the area of La Parguera. Our prime target will be the very rare Yellow-shouldered Blackbird (which we've had extremely good luck finding, often with ease, over the years). There will also be a visit to a place nearby that's been good for shorebirds including Wilson's Plover, the Antillean race of the Clapper Rail, and the colorful Troupial.
Butterflies that we may see this day include the Puerto Rican Leafwing, Pale Cracker, and the Dusky, or Schaus' Swallowtail.    
During the afternoon, we'll begin our time in a region of wooded hills and coffee plantations near the town of Maricao. Our overnight, in that nice area, will be at a parador, or "country inn", this one very much "in the country" and quite attractive, and located in a particularly good area for Puerto Rican Screech-Owls.

Tue: Feb 23  Birding in the morning in the Maricao Forest, an area of wooded hills. Our most pertinent quest will be the Elfin Woods Warbler, a species not known before 1971. We'll go early to a place where we've had fine looks at the warbler during previous tours. With good fortune, we may see there the Bridled Quail-Dove and Antillean Euphonia. 
Endemics in the region include Green Mango and Puerto Rican Vireo. 
The mango, a hummingbird, is all-green. Vireo, of course, means "I am green". 
With a lot more than just green coloration, in that region is the Puerto Rican Spindalis (a "split" from what was the Stripe-headed Tanager).  
And also in the area is the dapper Puerto Rican Pewee (another recent split).  
So, not only will there be breakfast at the parador, but also some nice birds, including the Loggerhead Kingbird and endemic Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo.
Butterflies that would be possible include the Puerto Rican Calisto and Puerto Rican Yellow, both endemic, and the Two-spotted Prepona and Antillean, or Drury's Broken-Dash. These in addition to the Malachite, that can be common.   
In the afternoon, we'll head toward the northwestern Puerto Rican coast, where we'll overnight, by the sea, in Rincon.

Wed: Feb 24  This morning we'll take a boat-trip offshore to observe seabirds and other marine life. Among seabirds that we've seen during this trip in the past, there have been as many as 6 species of Terns (including Bridled, Sooty, Roseate, Common, Royal, & the Brown Noddy), as many as 3 species of Boobies (Brown, Red-footed, & Masked), as well as White-tailed Tropicbird and Black-capped Petrel. 
Among other marine life during our previous trips, we've seen various species of dolphins and the Whale Shark. 
In the afternoon, we'll travel east, across the island, to the area of Fajardo, where we'll overnight.

Thu: Feb 25  A full-day of birding in northeastern Puerto Rico, including a visit to a wildlife refuge near Humacao that's good for waterbirds. The rarest of them is the West Indian Whistling-Duck (which we've seen during many of our visits). Also occurring there are the White-cheeked Pintail and Caribbean Coot. 
We'll also visit the Luquillo National Forest, particularly the area of El Yunque, the rainforest, and the last haunt of the gravely endangered Puerto Rican Parrot. This bird, though now hard to find because of its low population, has been seen during a number of our previous tours.
Another endemic that's present in this area is the Puerto Rican Tanager.
Butterflies that can be found in northeastern Puerto Rico, in the area of El Yunque, include the Antillean Mimic-White, Antillean Crescent, Antillean Mapwing, Red-and-black Leafwing, and the Puerto Rican Skipper.     
Overnight, again, in northeastern Puerto Rico (or not far from the airport near San Juan).

Fri: Feb 26  Some final early morning birding in the San Juan area (as time permits for those without early morning flights). Flights home from Puerto Rico.  
 

Tour to be led by Armas Hill.