Puerto Rico: Enchanted Island Endemics

Day 1: San Juan to Manati
Following an early afternoon arrival in the Puerto Rican capital, at 1:00pm, we will check a local garden for Green-throated Carib, then drive west towards Manati. Near there, we will search forested roadsides for Adelaide’s Warbler, Puerto Rican Woodpecker, Green and Puerto Rican Mangos, Puerto Rican Tody, and Puerto Rican Oriole. In the evening we will make our first foray into night birding, checking a local forest for the endemic Puerto Rican Screech-Owl. A single night will be spent in a good hotel in Manati.

Day 2: Manati to Southwest Puerto Rico
The first option of the morning will depend on local regulations at the time. If possible, we will check a local protected area for Puerto Rican Amazon. This is the toughest and rarest of the endemics, Critically Endangered with a global population numbering in the low hundreds, this is one of Earth’s rarest birds. While on the hunt for that specialty, we may also find Loggerhead Kingbird or Puerto Rican Vireo. After this stop, we will take lunch in a coastal area where the cliffs are home to nesting White-tailed Tropicbirds. In the afternoon we will head to the drier southwest corner of the island and check into the coastal town of Guanica, for a three-night stay. On this or the next night, we will have our first try at finding our second endemic nightbird, the Puerto Rican Nightjar.

Day 3: Maricao State Forest and Southwest Puerto Rico
In the morning we will visit the highland site of Maricao State Forest, just north of our base in southwest Puerto Rico. This beautiful area of montane forest hosts some real top-quality specialties. This is our only site for Elfin Woods Warbler our primary target we will be seeking in this area, along with small, active groups of Puerto Rican Tanagers roaming the mid-story. Other island specialties we will be seeking there, include Puerto Rican Euphonia, Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo, Puerto Rican Bullfinch, and Puerto Rican Spindalis.Wintering warblers from the boreal north may also be present, like Black-throated Blue and Cape May Warblers, and American Redstart. In the afternoon, we may visit one of the wetland sites in the area, for birds like Masked Duck (if present – they are not reliable every year), or tidal flats for migrant shorebirds (and Caribbean Elaenia in the nearby scrub). At the end of the afternoon, we will visit the town of La Parguera, covering a mangrove site where the endemic Yellow-shouldered Blackbird comes in to roost daily.

Day 4: Wildcard day in Southwest Puerto Rico
Today is a “wildcard day”, which has been deliberately left open so we can roam wherever we need to, depending on what Puerto Rican specialties we are still seeking. From our base in Southwest Puerto Rico we are within reach of varied sites, including freshwater wetlands, mangroves, montane forest, coastal scrub, lowland rainforest, and lowland dry forest, and so there are plentiful options open to us. Whatever, we decide, we will return to Guanica on the south coast for a final night, (where we can still go for Puerto Rican Owl or Puerto Rican Nightjar too, if we are still seeking one of them).

Day 5: Guanica to Northern Puerto Rico
On this day we will make our way from the dry far southwestern corner of Puerto Rico back to the outskirts of San Juan on the wetter north coast. Our route can take us via a number of birding hotspots, depending on what we still need. It take us via the best site on the island for Antillean  Crested Hummingbird, (which is also a good spot for Green-throated Carib), and also through an area for the scarce Plain Pigeon too, as we make our way to the north coast, where a single night will be spent on the outskirts of San Juan, well placed for flights out the next day.

Day 6: Departures from San Juan
The tour ends this morning in San Juan. No birding is planned for today, so you are free to leave when you wish to. Please note that there is no free transfer provided on this day, but a shuttle can be arranged for a small extra fee.

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Trip Considerations

PACE: Moderate. While early starts and long days are required, this is not a physically difficult tour. Sunrise is at around 7am in this season, so generally breakfasts are likely to be taken at around 6am with a 6:30am departure. On day 2, there will be an earlier start, and breakfast will be taken in the field, in order to be at the best place for the Puerto Rican Amazon at the best time. This is the only field meal of the tour. Sunset is at around 6pm. There will be several nights of the tour dedicated to finding the two local endemic nightbirds, though these are optional and those not wishing to take part do not have to do so. There are no long drives on this tour, with the longest drives being only around 3 hours from one end of the island to another. However, as these pass by birding spots enroute, we will take longer over this to bird between the furthest points. Most of the roads are paved in Puerto Rico, although there are winding roads in some mountainous areas (e.g., the amazon site, and also at Maricao), and there will be some unpaved roads used for short periods only.

PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy. The walking on this trip is generally easy, with no long steep, or difficult hikes. Most of the walks will be on roads, or on short, forest trails. There may be some steep sections on some of these, though these are taken very slowly and never for very long periods. There are no especially high elevations on this tour, even in the mountains. The highest point of the tour will be at Maricao, at only 2600ft /800m.

ACCOMMODATION: Good to very good throughout. All places have en-suite bathrooms, full-time electricity, and reliable Internet.

CLIMATE: At this time of year, some of the coolest temperatures are recorded, and it is typically the driest time of year. In short, this is the most pleasant time to visit, as it is not so hot, and avoids the rainy season. That said, it is still hot and humid in the lowlands. Average temperatures in the lowlands at this time of year through the region are 72F – 84F (22 – 29C), so it is still very hot in the lowlands of the Caribbean, even in this cool, dry season. In spite of it being the dry season, we may still experience rainfall (and rain gear is therefore still required), particularly in the mountains (i.e., Maricao).

WHEN TO GO:  This part of the Caribbean is generally cooler and drier at this time of year and therefore this tour is generally timed for the most pleasant time to be birding in Puerto Rico (i.e. December to April). This is also the time of year when the Caribbean residents are supplemented by a number of boreal migrants wintering from North America, making this arguably the optimum birding season. However, if this time of year does not work for you, a private/custom tour targeting the endemics, which are residents, can be taken at other times of year. August to November are the wettest months of the year and should be avoided, as that is also hurricane season in the Caribbean too.

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Other Information

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:

Entry requirements are the same as for the United States. For US citizens, there are no special travel requirements. (Tropical Birding cannot be responsible for changes in entrance policy or restrictions levied by the US government). Citizens of 42 countries on the visa waiver list (including Canada, the UK, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and Japan), you can enter the US without a visa, with a valid passport and a completed Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which needs to be applied for online well before travel to the USA. This must be submitted by 72 hours before travel to the USA. However, it is best to apply for this immediately after you have purchased your flight tickets. For a list of Visa Waiver Countries, please see here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visa-waiver-program.html

For all passports, the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Citizens of all other countries will need to apply for a US visa. Travel requirements are subject to change; please double check with the nearest embassy or consulate or ask our office staff if you are unsure. Whether you are applying for a visa or an ESTA, this should be done long before you travel to the USA.

WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Accommodation from night of day 1 through night of day 5; meals from dinner on day 1 through to dinner on day 5; safe drinking water throughout; one group arrival airport pick-up (pick up will be from the airport hotel right at the airport-the office will confirm details); Tropical Birding tour leader from the afternoon of day 1 to the evening of day 5; ground transport to all the sites listed on the itinerary in a suitable modern rental vehicle with the tour leader driving from the afternoon of day 1 to the afternoon of day 5; entrance fees to all sites on the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance).

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the Tropical Birding tour leader; tips for any luggage porters (if you require their services); any flights; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included (drinking water is the only included drink); alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included; expenses that could arise due to the delay, change, or extension of the trip due to circumstances beyond Tropical Birding’s control (weather, flight delays/cancellations, lost luggage, road closures, etc.).