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
BirdLife International (BirdLife International)
Picture by Alfredo Colón
Puerto Rico Wildlife