Whilst the weekend’s post (Puerto Rico: A quick overview) gave - as the title suggested - an overview of Puerto Rico’s biodiversity (and, yes, it was quick - the post could have been three times as long), we are a bird blog primarily, so it’s definitely time to focus on the archipelago’s birds and to post some of those fantastic photos we’ve been given permission to use that I hinted at previously.

When the first edition of Mark Oberle’s excellent “Puerto Rico’s Birds in Photographs” (a review to follow, though the descriptor “excellent” probably gives away the direction the review will go!) was published in 2000, the author wrote that

“The avifauna of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands includes 350 species of birds. However a third are ‘accidentals’ (stragglers that have only been reported a few times) [and] 35 of the total…have been introduced by man…

About 120 bird species regularly nest in Puerto Rico…Sixteen of Puerto Rico’s nesting species are considered ‘endemic’ to Puerto Rico - that is, they are basically found nowhere else (although a few of these also occur in the Virgin Islands)…[and] scientists soon may ‘create’ two other species endemic to Puerto Rico, once taxonomists decide whether to elevate the island’s subspecies [of Lesser Antillean Peewee and Greater Antillean Oriole] to full species status…

In addition to the local nesting avifauna, many other species breed in North America and elsewhere but spend the winter in the tropics, including Puerto Rico and other islands in the Caribbean.

350 species is not a bad tally for such a small area (not bad at all, even if it does include introductions like the House Sparrow!) and it’s probably valid to ask whether the list would be higher if there were more local and visiting overseas birders. (In itself just ‘increasing the list’ isn’t important of course, but a good number of the birds found in Puerto Rico are globally scarce or threatened, and - as we’ve argued on 10,000 Birds many times - without data it’s impossible to convince legislators that sites need protecting: it can’t be stressed enough that any overseas birders fortunate enough to visit Puerto Rico should let conservation organisations like Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña, Inc (SOPI) know about their sightings…it would be terrible if more species were to join the list of endemic and now extinct birds which includes the flightless Antillean Cave-rail Nesotrochis debooyi and the Puerto Rican Barn Owl Tyto cavatica, because local authorities could claim they hadn’t the data to make the correct decisions on developments or habitat changes etc.)

Looking in a little more detail at that total of 350 it’s apparent immediately that many of the species are of interest to visiting birders.

Some are common residents on the island (and widespread throughout the region but more difficult - or impossible - to see outside of it) such as the Brown Booby Sula leucogaster, White-cheeked Pintail Anas bahamensis, Mangrove Cuckoo Coccyzus minor, Zenaida Dove Zenaida aurita, Antillean Mango Anthrocothorax dominicus, Antillean Crested Hummingbird Orthorhynchus cristatus, Loggerhead Kingbird Tyrannus caudifasciatus taylori (the subspecies is endemic to Puerto Rico), Caribbean Elaenia Elaenia martinica, Bananaquit Coereba flaveola, Pearly-eyed Thrasher Margarops fuscatus, and the gorgeous Red-legged Thrush Turdus plumbeus.

Others are common only at certain times of the year but easy to see by a well-organised birder, such as the Caribbean Martin Progne dominicensis, Antillean Nighthawk Chordeiles gundlachii, and Black-whiskered Vireo Vireo altiloquus (all three of which breed in Puerto Rico but migrate south for the winter), or those which visit outside the northern breeding seasons such as the Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia, Northern Parula Parula americana, Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia, Prairie Warbler Dendroica discolor, and the Black-throated Blue Warbler Dendroica caerulescens.

Antillean Nighthawk Chordeiles gundlachii.
Photo © Gabriel Lugo

Antillean Crested Hummingbird Orthorhynchus cristatus.
Photo © Kevin Loughlin

Mangrove Cuckoo Coccyzus minor.
Photo © Kevin Loughlin

Red-legged Thrush Turdus plumbeus.
Photo © Mike Bergin

Black-throated Blue Warbler Dendroica caerulescens.
Photo © Gabriel Lugo

A fairly high proportion of sought-after species, though, are particularly important in global terms and (IMHO) combine with the above to make Puerto Rico particularly attractive to the overseas birder.

We’ll be looking at a number of these species in more detail as the month progresses, but they include endemic full species such as the Critically Endangered Puerto Rican Parrot Amazona vittata (which had a recorded population of just 23 individuals in 1989, but after intense conservation efforts as of 2008 there were about 60 in the wild, 89 in captivity in the Iguaca Aviary, and 137 in captivity in the Rio Abajo (Vivaldi) Aviary), the Critically Endangered Puerto Rican Nightjar Caprimulgus noctitherus (down to about 1,400 - 2,000 pairs and threatened by habitat loss and degradation especially from residential, industrial and recreational expansion), and the Endangered Yellow-shouldered Blackbird Agelaius xanthomus; and endemic subspecies, such as the Puerto Rican form of the Near Threatened Plain Pigeon Patagioenas inornata wetmorei which was nearly eradicated by forest clearance and thought extinct until a small population was discovered in 1958, a localised form of Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum borinquensis, and the Endangered forms of Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus venator and Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus brunnescens.

Puerto Rican Parrot Amazona vittata.
Photo © Ricardo Valentin

Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum borinquensis.
Photo © Gabriel Lugo

Additionally there are a small number of non-endemic but very scarce species which can be seen on Puerto Rico, including the Near Threatened Caribbean Coot Fulica caribaea and a significant breeding population (35–40 individuals) of the Vulnerable West Indian Whistling-duck Dendrocygna arborea (both classified as Vulnerable by The Department of Natural and Environmental Resources of Puerto Rico (DNER)): the duck can be found eg at the Ciénaga Las Cucharillas IBA just to the west of the capital, San Juan. (We’re planning a post on the West Indian Whistling-duck incidentally, but in the meantime have a look at the page on the BirdLife International website.)

Caribbean Coot Fulica caribaea.
Photo © Gabriel Lugo

Other species that fall into this category would include the island’s small population of Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii, a species that though found worldwide is nowhere common and in many regions is declining, and the small and very local population of White-crowned Pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala, a species that while stable in many areas, is suffering from habitat loss and is declining in numbers across its range (it’s listed as a Red Watchlist species by the Audubon Society for example). Small numbers of the Vulnerable Bicknell’s Thrush Catharus bicknellii also winter in the mountains of Puerto Rico though it is by no means an easy species to see here (the stronghold in the Caribbean is the Dominican Republic - especially the Sierra de Baoruco and Cordillera Central).

Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii.
Photo © Gabriel Lugo

Despite all these goodies I have a feeling that it’s the full roster of endemic species that will be of the most interest. We’re intending to look in more detail at each/as many of these endemics in turn, so for now I’ll just re-post the list I put up yesterday and leave it at that until tomorrow…
(Key: LC = Least Concern, VU = Vulnerable, EN = Endangered, CR = Critically Endangered)

Endemic birds of Puerto Rico

1. LLOROSA DE PUERTO RICO
   (LC) Puerto Rican Tanager Nesospingus speculiferus
2. PÁJARO BOBO MAYOR DE PUERTO RICO
   (LC) Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo Coccyzus vieilloti
3. MUCARITO DE PUERTO RICO
   (LC) Puerto Rican Screech Owl Megascops nudipes
4. COTORRA (IGUACA) DE PUERTO RICO
   (CR) Puerto Rican Parrot Amazona vittata
5. COMEÑAME DE PUERTO RICO
   (LC) Puerto Rican Bullfinch Loxigilla portoricensis
6. CALANDRIA DE PUERTO RICO
   Puerto Rican Oriole (Not recognised as a separate species by BirdLife)
7. MARIQUITA DE PUERTO RICO
   (EN) Yellow-Shouldered Blackbird Agelaius xanthomus
8. CARPINTERO DE PUERTO RICO
   (LC) Puerto Rican Woodpecker Melanerpes portoricensis
9. REINITA MARIPOSERA
   (LC) Adelaide´s Warbler Dendroica adelaidae


Adelaide’s Warbler.
Photo copyright Vanessa Ortiz

10. REINITA DE BOSQUE ENANO
    (VU) Elfin Woods Warbler Dendroica angelae
11. REINA MORA DE PUERTO RICO
    (LC) Puerto Rican Spindalis Spindalis portoricensis


Male Puerto Rican Spindalis.
Photo copyright Karoline Mena (karomc80@yahoo.com)

12. SAN PEDRITO DE PUERTO RICO
    (LC) Puerto Rican Tody Todus mexicanus
13. ZUMBADOR VERDE
    (LC) Green Mango Anthracothorax viridis
14. ZUMBADORCITO DE PUERTO RICO
    (LC) Puerto Rican Emerald Chlorostilbon maugeaus
15. JUÍ DE PUERTO RICO
    (LC) Puerto Rican Flycatcher Myiarchus antillarum
16. BIENTEVEO DE PUERTO RICO
    (LC) Puerto Rican Vireo Vireo latimeri
17. GUABAIRO DE PUERTO RICO
    (CR) Puerto Rican Nightjar Caprimulgus noctitherus
18. BOBITO DE PUERTO RICO
    (LC) Lesser Antillean Pewee Contopus latirostris
    or Puerto Rican Pewee Contopus portoricenis

• Like to see what else we’ve posted for ‘Puerto Rico Month’? Just click http://10000birds.com/tag/puerto-rico-month

 

• If you live in Puerto Rico or have visited PR and would like to contribute photos or a guest post (return traffic to your blog/website should be good, folks) then please mail charlie10000birds AT gmail DOT com

How would you and a partner/friend like to win a 5 day ‘Endemic Dash’ around Puerto Rico with Kevin Loughlin’s WildSide Nature Tours?

You would? Read on…

Kevin (whose photographs of Puerto Rican Woodpecker and Green-throated Carib grace this post) has been organising trips to the Caribbean for many years and is generously offering two places on an Endemic Dash, one of his popular short trips around Puerto Rico on which participants will be taken to see as many of the island’s endemics as possible.

The Tour starts in San Juan - so you’ll need to get there (flights are frequent and cheap from many major US cities) - but all guiding fees, accommodations, ground transportation, and meals from dinner on day of arrival through breakfast on day of departure are included!

That would normally cost two people around 2500USD - enter and win and it’ll cost you just your passport fees, airport taxes, alcoholic beverages, laundry, phone calls or anything else of a purely personal nature! Which - if you go easy on the celebratory beers, wear the same socks for a few days, and keep short the gloating phone calls to your jealous mates back home - really won’t amount to very much at all…

We’ll be posting more info about this fantastic competition during Puerto Rico Month - yes, okay, not posting the questions now is our way of making sure you come back to visit us, but why would you want to miss some truly exceptional photographs of Puerto Rico’s endemics and some of the most up-to-date info on Puerto Rico’s biodiversity on the net anyway?