The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico

Site of the oldest European city in the New World, the Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola, second largest of the Greater Antilles. Dominated by the highest mountains in the Caribbean and ringed by a startlingly beautiful coastline, this varied landscape is home to 23 endemic bird species including an endemic family, the Palm-Chats. Our search for the endemics and regional specialities will take us to the cloud forest and thorn scrub of the rugged Sierra de Bahoruco as well as the bizarre cactus forest of the Lago Enriquillo basin. The lake itself is home to flocks of flamingos, herons, waders and waterfowl. Our visit to the Dominican Republic will be enriched by the gracious hospitality of its people and their excellent Spanish-style cuisine.

A short flight to the east lies Puerto Rico, once a Spanish colony, now a U.S. territory and popular holiday destination. With an excellent road system giving easy access to its many forest reserves, Puerto Rico offers some of the easiest and most enjoyable tropical birdwatching anywhere. In our quest for the island's 14 endemics and more than two dozen Caribbean specialities we'll visit every habitat from the windswept elfin woods of Maricao to the bird-rich thorn scrub of the Guanica Dry Forest.

Saturday 5 April to Tuesday 15 April

with Judy Davis, and Kate Wallace (DR) and José Colón (PR) as leaders.

Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico bird list
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Day 1: The tour begins in London with a flight, via Miami, to Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Night in Santo Domingo.

Day 2: Our hotel garden is the location of Santo Domingo's main roost of Hispaniolan Parakeets, so we'll start the day with excellent views of one of the scarcer endemics. We'll then visit the extensive and beautifully maintained botanical garden, centred on a densely forested canyon. A morning walk here provides a good introduction to the island's birds. In addition to the ubiquitous Zenaida Dove and Hispaniolan Woodpecker we should find Vervain Hummingbird (one of the world's smallest birds), Antillean Palm-Swift, the adorable Broad-billed Tody, Red-legged Thrush, Black-crowned Palm-Tanager, Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo, and perhaps even a West Indian Whistling-Duck. We can also expect to see the bizarre Palm-Chat, in a family unto itself that builds enormous communal nests in palm trees. After lunch we'll make the long drive to Barahona on the southwestern coast. Night in Barahona.

Day 3: We'll make a very early start to visit the northern slopes of Sierra de Bahoruco National Park. Our main target just after dawn will be the very local La Selle Thrush, which lives in a beautiful but restricted patch of cloud forest. Other highlights in this forest should include Hispaniolan Emerald, Hispaniolan Parrot, Hispaniolan Trogon, Narrow-billed Tody, Greater Antillean Elaenia, Green-tailed Ground-Warbler, White-winged Warbler, Western Chat-Tanager, Hispaniolan Spindalis, and Greater Antillean Bullfinch. We'll gradually work our way back down hill into drier forest where we'll search for the peculiar Antillean Piculet, the only member of its genus, as well as Flat-billed Vireo and the rare Bay-breasted Cuckoo. After lunch we'll visit Lago Enriquillo. Lying more than 40 metres below sea level, this intensely saline lake is the remnant of a channel that once divided Hispaniola into two islands. Our main goal is a glimpse of the lake's resident Greater Flamingos though we can also expect to find an interesting assortment of waders and hopefully Plain Pigeon and Hispaniolan Palm Crow. In the afternoon we'll drive back to Barahona for the night.

Day 4: Today we'll focus on the south side of the Sierra de Bahoruco. The extensive pine forest here is home to Golden Swallow, Pine Warbler, Antillean Siskin, and one of the most enigmatic Caribbean birds, the endemic Hispaniolan White-winged Crossbill. In the afternoon we'll visit various coastal pools and mangroves in search of waterbirds including Roseate Spoonbill, White Ibis, and Wilson's Plover. Night in Barahona.

Day 5: We'll leave early once again for a second visit to the north slope of Sierra de Bahoruco. Arriving pre-dawn we'll try for Greater Antillean Nightjar and Least Poorwill. We'll then search for any species missed during our previous visit which might include Bay-breasted Cuckoo, White-necked Crow, or Hispaniolan Euphonia all of which can prove elusive, and will also have time for a second visit to Lago Enriquillo should we wish. Night in Barahona.

Day 6: After a leisurely breakfast we'll drive back to Santo Domingo in time for lunch. In the afternoon we'll go sightseeing in the Colonial Zone of the oldest 'European' city in the New World. We'll spend the night at an atmospheric hotel in the old city. Night in Santo Domingo.

Day 7: Today we'll take a short flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and then travel to La Parguera on the south coast. In the palms behind our hotel is a roost of Yellow-shouldered Blackbirds, of which only about 800 or so remain in the world. In the evening we'll visit the nearby Guanica Dry Forest to look for the very local Puerto Rican Nightjar and Puerto Rican Screech-Owl. Night at La Parguera.

Day 8: We'll spend the early morning at Guanica, where Antillean Mango, Puerto Rican Tody, Puerto Rican Woodpecker, Caribbean Elaenia, and Adelaide's Warbler are just a few of the many species present. Later we'll drive to Maricao, where we'll spend the afternoon birding the grounds of our hotel. The residents here include Green Mango, Loggerhead Kingbird, Puerto Rican Flycatcher, Lesser Antillean Pewee, Puerto Rican Tanager, Puerto Rican Spindalis, and Greater Antillean Oriole. Night in Maricao.

Day 9: Just a few minutes' drive from our hotel is the Maricao State Forest, a lush montane forest that is home to Scaly-naped Pigeon, Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo, Puerto Rican Emerald, Puerto Rican Vireo, and many others. The star attraction, however, is the Elfin Woods Warbler, first discovered in 1971. We'll have virtually the whole day to make sure we see this elusive creature as well as anything previously missed. Night in Maricao.

Day 10: Today we'll visit a colony of White-tailed Tropicbirds. Few sights in nature equal the grace of a dozen or more tropicbirds in flight against an azure sea. We'll return to San Juan for lunch. In the early afternoon we'll visit the dry forest around Cabo Rojo, where we may see two splendid hummingbirds, Green-throated Carib and Antillean Crested Hummingbird. In the late afternoon we'll catch a flight to Miami, where we'll connect with an overnight flight to London.

Day 11: The tour ends this morning in London.

Cost - not yet known

Single Room Supplement - not yet known.

Maximum group size: 16 participants and 2 leaders.

Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico bird list
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