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Birds of Puerto Rico

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, located in the tropical latitudes of the northeastern Caribbean, has some 350 species of birds. 120 species regularly nest on the island. Of these, 17 are endemic. Several species, including the Puerto Rican Parrot, the Puerto Rican Nightjar, and the Yellow-shouldered Blackbird are endangered. 35 species have been introduced by man, and one third of the species that occur are stragglers that have been reported from time to time.

The variety of habitats ranging from tropical rainforest, wetlands, arid forests, thorn scrub, dry deciduous forests, shady coffee plantations, farmlands, tropical palms, mangrove coastlines, karst country, rocky shorelines and sandy beaches makes bird watching around the island so much more interesting.

The following photos represent some of the most commonly seen species on the island. These images were all captured during our Marian University Marine Biology Field School in March, 2012.

• One of the most common birds in Puerto Rico.

• Nests from Georgia and Florida through the Caribbean to Northern Columbia and Venezuela.

• Call, “Pitirre” is one of the most characteristic sounds of Puerto Rico.

• Very aggressive toward other pairs, hawks, falcons, egrets, gulls, cats and humans.

• The expression “Cada guaraguao tiene su Pitirre!” (Every hawk has its kingbird {pestering it}) reflects the aggressive nature of this species.

Figure 1 – Gray Kingbird

Figure 2 – A Loggerhead Kingbird being harassed by a Gray Kingbird

• Common

• Similar to the Gray Kingbird, but with a blackish head, yellow crown stripe and browner back.

• Forest clearings, shade coffee plantations

• Eats insects, frogs and lizards.

• Song is a loud bubbly “pi-ti-tity”

• Also found in the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, and Greater Antilles.

• Common except dense forest.

• Occurs throughout Caribbean south to Grenada, Yucatan.

• Formerly on Florida Keys.

• Consumes fruits and seeds of 77 plant species in Puerto Rico.

• Nests all year round.

Figure 3 – Zenaida Dove

Figure 4 – Pearly-eyed Thrasher

• Bahamas, Puerto Rico and most of eastern Caribbean.

• Common but patchy distribution.

• Rare in early 1900’s, but population has increased since.

• Attacks nests of other species to reduce competition for food and nest cavities.

• 43% of White-crowned Pigeon nests predated.

• Threat to endangered species such as the Puerto Rican Parrot.

• Occurs only in the Greater Antilles.

• Puerto Rican subspecies is larger than that found on Hispaniola.

• Found in all habitats except deep forest.

• Eats fruits, nectar, seeds, ticks, frogs, lizards, snails and even entertains diners as they scavenge human food scraps from the tables and floors of open air restaurants.

Figure 5 – Greater Antillean Grackle

Figure 6 – Venzuelan Troupial

• Introduced from South America

• Native to the Amazon Basin

• Reported in Puerto Rico since 1810.

• Common, especially in SW Puerto Rico.

• Although a cage bird, they are wary of humans.

• Habitat: dry deciduous forest, thorn scrub, open wooded country and palm groves.

• Endemic to Puerto Rico and the island of Vieques.

• Formerly found in the Virgin Islands.

• Excavates a tree cavity for breeding. These tree cavities are also used by the endemic Puerto Rican Flycatcher and the endangered Yellow-shouldered Blackbird.

• Sometimes nests in loose colonies.

• Eats beetle larvae, ants, earwigs, scorpions, lizards, and frogs. Also berries and palm fruits.

Figure 7 – Puerto Rican Woodpecker

Figure 8 – Scaley-naped Pigeon

• A Dark Gray pigeon with a dull purple head.

• White or cream eye ring

• Habitat: Moist forests

• Feeds on fruits, seeds, leaf buds, and snails.

• Breeds on most Caribbean islands except Bahamas and Jamaica.

• The most abundant bird in Puerto Rico.

• Population densities approach 10 birds per hectare in some areas.

• Occurs throughout the Caribbean, except Cuba. Also on mainland from Mexico south to Peru, Paraguay, northeaster Argentina and Southern Brazil

• Feeds on nectar, fruits, insects, and spiders.

• Noisy and active.

Figure 9 – Bananaquit

Figure 10 – Nest of the Bananaquit

• The nest is a unique ball of grasses, moss, find sticks, and non-vegetation matter.

• Entrance hole underneath or on the side.

• Often several nests are built as safe night time roosts.

• Sometimes builds near a wasp nest for protection, so approach with caution!

• Green above with an iridescent purple tail

• Found in lowlands around the coast.

• Replaced by the Green Mango in the highland forests.

• A total of 5 species of resident hummingbirds, more than any other West Indian Island:

  • Antillean Mango

  • Green Mango

  • Green-throated Carib

  • Vervain Hummingbird

  • Antillean Crested Hummingbird

Figure 11 – Antillean Mango (photo kindly provided by Kyle Downs)

Figure 12 – Brown Pelicans

• Placed on the Federal Endangered species list in 1970. DDT banned in 1972.

• Populations have increased, so removed from the list in 2009.

• Common on the coast. Often seen flying low over the sea to take advantage of “ground effect.”

• About 2,400 nesting pairs in the Caribbean.

Puerto Rico boasts some of the highest surf in the Atlantic, making this island a popular destination for surfers from around the world. Many species of sea birds, including Brown Pelicans, Magnificent Frigatebirds, Gulls, Sooty, Black, Sandwich and Gull-billed Terns, Brown Noddy and Bridled Terns, Shorebirds, and many other species make bird watching around the coast a worthy challenge.

Figure 13- Rough surf on the North Shore

Figure 14 – Tropical Rainforest

The El Yunque National Forest and forests in the central regions of the island are wonderful examples of tropical rainforest. The Elfin and Adelaide Warbler, Puerto Rican Parrot, and many other forest species inhabit these regions.

Introduced to the Caribbean from islands in the Pacific in the 1700’s, this edible plant was intended as cheap food for the slaves working in the islands.

Figure 15 – Breadfruit Tree

Figure 16 – Fan Palm

The fan palm is one of the many interesting species of palms that can be seen on the island. The tropical palm trees are important to man and to wildlife, and especially to many species of birds.

Lizards are abundant on Puerto Rico. A number of species of anoles and lizards occur here. Some species of birds feed on them, including the Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo.

Figure 17 - Puerto Rican Crested Anole

Figure 18 – Iguana

• A pest in some areas

• May have been introduced from Cuba

• Protected species, but efforts underway to control populations.

• No discussion of the wildlife on Puerto Rico would be complete without including the little tree frog called the Coquí.

• This little frog rates inclusion here because of their habit of laying their eggs on the leaves of Palm trees, and in the nests of certain species of birds, including the Banaquit, Puerto Rican Tody and the Puerto Rican Bullfinch.

• Its call, "ko-KEE," gives this little frog its name. The male Coquíes begin to sing when the sun goes down at dusk, singing all night long until dawn.

• When Puerto Ricans want to express their nationality, they say: "Soy de aquí como el coquí" (I'm as Puerto Rican as a Coquí

• To hear their call, click here.

Figure 19 – Coquí

Additional Reading

• Bond, James. 1971. Birds of the West Indies, A Field Guide to all the birds of the Caribbean Islands. 2nd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. 256 Pp.

• Cavalieri, N. and B. Kohn. 2011. Puerto Rico. 5th Edition. Lonely Planet Publications PTY LTD.

• Oberle, M. W. 2010. Puerto Rico’s Birds in Photographs. A Complete Guide and CD-ROM including the Virgin Islands. 3rd Edition. Editorial Humanitis, Seattle. 136 Pp. (The CD-ROM includes a complete bi-lingual Spanish/English text, 2,800 full color photos of the birds and 430 audio clips of the bird species songs and calls, essays on natural history and conservation, and other resources.)

• Raaffaele, H. A. 1989. A Guide to the Birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Revised Edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. 254 Pp.

• Raffaele, H., J. et al. 1998. A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. 511 Pp.

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