PUERTO RICO’S ENDEMIC BIRD SPECIES

 

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is located in NE Caribbean. This is the main island of an area where there are smaller islands such as Vieques, Culebra, Mona, Desecheo and Caja de Muertos. This area enjoys a tropical climate, but also suffers Atlantic hurricanes.
This large island of 13,790 square kilometers is mostly mountainous, with the highest peak “Cerro de Punta” (1,339 metres). But 17 man-made lakes and several rivers coming from the Cordillera Central provide freshwater to the island.  
Temperatures are fairly constant throughout the seasons. From June to November, the hurricane season brings strong winds and rain along the coasts.

The endemic species of Puerto Rico are mainly found on the main island. The tropical rainforest, El Yunque National Forest in the NW Island, is home to several bird species, including the Critically Endangered Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazon).

 

List of the 17 endemic species:

Adelaide's Warbler, Reinita Mariposera, Paruline d'Adelaide, Setophaga adelaidae

Elfin-woods Warbler, Reinita de Bosque Enano, Paruline d'Angela, Setophaga angelae

Green Mango, Zumbador Verde, Mango vert, Anthracothorax viridis

Puerto Rican Bullfinch, Comeñame, Sporophile de PR, Loxigilla portoricensis

Puerto Rican Emerald, Zumbadorcito, Emeraude de PR, Riccordia maugaeus

Puerto Rican Flycatcher, Juí, Tyran de PR, Myiarchus antillarum

Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo, Pájaro Bobo Mayor, Tacco de PR, Coccyzus vielloti

Puerto Rican Nightjar, Guabairo, Engoulevent de PR, Antrostomus noctitherus

Puerto Rican Oriole, Calandria, Oriole de PR, Icterus portoricensis

Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazon), Cotorra de Puerto Rico, Amazone de PR, Amazona vittata

Puerto Rican Screech-Owl, Múcaro, Petit-duc de PR, Megascops nudipes

Puerto Rican Spindalis, Reina Mora, Zéna de PR, Spindalis portoricensis

Puerto Rican Tanager, Llorosa, Tangara de PR, Nesospingus speculiferus

Puerto Rican Tody, San Pedrito, Todier de PR, Todus mexicanus

Puerto Rican Vireo, Bien-te-veo, Viréo de PR, Vireo latimeri

Puerto Rican Woodpecker, Carpintero de Puerto Rico, Pic de PR, Melanerpes portoricensis

Yellow-shouldered Blackbird, Mariquita, Carouge de PR, Agelaius xanthomus

 

Some other common species:

Antillean Euphonia, Organiste louis d’or, Jilguero del País, Euphonia música

Bananaquit, Sucrier à ventre jaune, Reinita, Coereba flaveola

Black-faced Grassquit, Sporophile cici, Gorrión negro, Tiaris bicolor

Broad-winged Hawk, Petite buse, Guaraguao de bosque, Buteo platypterus

Common Ground-Dove, Colombe à queue noire, Rolita, Columbina passerine

Grasshopper Sparrow, Bruant sauterelle, Gorrión chicharra, Ammodramus savannarum

Greater Antillean Grackle, Quiscale noir, Chango, Quiscalus niger

Grey Kingbird, Tyran gris, Pitirre, Tyrannus dominicensis

Lesser Antillean Pewee, Moucherolle gobemouche, Pibí Puertorriqueño, Contopus latirostris

Magnificent Frigatebird, Frégate superbe, Tijerilla, Fregata magnificens

Northern Mockingbird, Moqueur polyglotte, Ruiseñor, Mimus polyglottos

Plain Pigeon, Pigeon simple, Paloma sabanera, Patagioenas inornata

Western Great Egret, Grande aigrette, Garza real, Ardea alba

White-crowned Pigeon, Pigeon à couronne blanche, Paloma cabecinegra, Patagioenas leucocephala

Yellow-faced Grassquit, Sporophile grand-chanteur, Gorrión barba amarilla, Tiaris olivaceus

Yellow warbler or Mangrove Warbler, Paruline jaune, Canario de Mangle, Setophaga petechial

Zenaida Dove, Tourterelle à queue carrée, Tortola cardosantera, Zenaida aurita

 

More non-endemic bird species:

American Kestrel – Falco sparverius – Crécerelle d’Amérique

American Oystercatcher  – Haematopus palliates – Huîtrier d’Amérique

American Purple Gallinule - Porphyrio martinica – Talève violacée

American Redstart – Setophaga ruticilla – Paruline flamboyante

Antillean Crested Hummingbird – Orthorhynchus cristatus – Colibri huppé

Antillean Nighthawk - Chordeiles gundlachii - Engoulevent piramidig

Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon - Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique

Black-and-white Warbler – Mniotilta varia – Paruline noir et blanc

Black-crowned Night Heron – Nycticorax nycticorax – Bihoreau gris

Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus - Echasse d’Amérique

Blackpoll Warbler - Setophaga striata – Paruline rayée

Black-throated Blue Warbler - Setophaga caerulescens - Paruline bleue

Black Tern - Chlidonias niger - Guifette noire

Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors - Sarcelle à ailes bleues

Brown Booby – Sula leucogaster – Fou brun

Brown Noddy - Anous stolidus - Noddi brun

Brown Pelican - Pelecanus occidentalis - Pélican brun

Cape May Warbler - Setophaga tigrina - Paruline tigrée

Common Black Hawk - Buteogallus anthracinus - Buse noire

Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas -  Paruline masquée

Great Blue Heron – Ardea Herodias – Grand Héron

Greater Yellowlegs - Tringa melanoleuca - Chevalier criard

Green Heron – Butorides virescens – Héron vert

Green-throated Carib - Eulampis holosericeus - Colibri falle-vert

Grey Plover - Pluvialis squatarola - Pluvier argenté

Killdeer - Charadrius vociferous - Pluvier kildir

Laughing Gull - Leucophaeus atricilla - Mouette atricille

Least Bittern – Ixobrychus exilis – Petit blongios

Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla - Bécasseau minuscule

Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes - Chevalier à pattes jaunes

Little Blue Heron – Egretta caerulea – Aigrette bleue

Louisiana Waterthrush – Parkesia motacilla – Paruline hochequeue

Mangrove Cuckoo – Coccyzus minor – Coulicou manioc

Masked Booby - Sula dactylatra - Fou masqué

Mourning Dove – Zenaida macroura – Tourterelle triste

Northern Harrier - Circus cyaneus hudsonius - Busard d’Amérique

Northern Mockingbird – Mimus polyglottos – Moqueur polyglotte

Northern Parula - Setophaga americana - Paruline à collier

Northern Waterthrush - Parkesia noveboracensis – Paruline des ruisseaux

Osprey – Pandion Haliaetus – Balbuzard pêcheur

Ovenbird – Seiurus aurocapilla – Paruline couronnée

Pearly-eyed Thrasher – Margarops fuscatus – Moqueur corossol

Prairie Warbler – Setophaga discolor – Paruline des prés

Red-billed Tropicbird – Phaethon aethereus – Phaéton à bec rouge

Red-legged Thrush – Turdus plumbeus – Merle vantard

Red-tailed Hawk – Buteo jamaicensis – Buse à queue rousse

Royal Tern – Thalasseus maximus – Sterne royale

Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis – Erismature rousse

Sanderling – Calidris alba - Bécasseau sanderling

Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus – Gravelot semipalmé

Sharp-shinned Hawk – Accipiter striatus – Epervier brun

Short-eared Owl - Asio flammeus - Hibou des marais

Shiny Cowbird – Molothrus bonariensis – Vacher luisant

Smooth-billed Ani – Crotophaga ani – Ani à bec lisse

Snowy Egret – Egretta thula – Aigrette neigeuse

Solitary Sandpiper – Tringa solitaria – Chevalier solitaire

Sooty Tern - Onychoprion fuscatus - Sterne fuligineuse

Tricolored Heron – Egretta tricolor – Aigrette tricolore

Western Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis - Héron garde-bœufs

White-cheeked Pintail - Anas bahamensis - Canard des Bahamas  
 
White-tailed Tropicbird – Phaethon lepturus – Phaéton à bec jaune

White-winged Dove – Zenaida asiatica – Tourterelle à ailes blanches

Yellow-crowned Night Heron – Nyctanassa violacea – Bihoreau violacé

 

Sources :

Many thanks to Alfredo Colón for his special participation and his outstanding pictures of both Puerto Rican birds and landscapes. Most cards are illustrated by his works.

His website: Puerto Rico Wildlife

Aves de Porto Rico – Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña

Native and endemic bird species

Fauna de Puerto Rico 

Avibase (Lepage Denis)

BirdLife International (BirdLife International)

 

LANDSCAPES

AND

VEGETATION

Puerto Rican Spindalis

Picture by Alfredo Colón
Puerto Rico Wildlife