Day 98: Puerto Rican Woodpecker

The Puerto Rican Woodpecker is one bird I wish I would have seen up close, but it wasn't meant to be. Jared and I saw the woodpecker, which is endemic to the island, on our first day (we were driving around a small town and spotted one on a pole).

Later, I also heard a woodpecker thumping from the porch of the house we were staying at. There was a very sharp incline to the trees behind the house, but I managed to shimmy down with the hopes of spotting it. Sure enough, I found it thumping away on a tree, but was only able to get so-so photos before it flew off. Those were my only two encounters with the woodpecker on our trip, unfortunately.

The Puerto Rican Woodpecker is striking and looks very different than most of the woodpeckers we're used to seeing in the U.S. It has a black body with a bright red throat and breast, along with a white patch that runs across the head from eye to eye.

Day 97: Gray Kingbird

We saw Gray Kingbirds everywhere while in Puerto Rico. They are one of the most common birds on the island, but they also happen to be pretty cute and entertaining to watch. They have a very distinct call and will aggressively defend their territory against intruders. They're also not very shy; we were able to get pretty close to several without them flying away.

Gray Kingbirds breed from the very southeast part of the U.S. through Central America and the Caribbean. They've been found with increasing numbers in Florida, in recent years.

Day 96: Bronze Mannikin

The Bronze Mannikin is a dark colored finch and another species that was introduced to Puerto Rico from Africa. They are small birds, with a long black tail, brown upperparts, a dark purple head, and a white belly.

Bronze Mannikins mostly eat seeds and are frequently found in open country and cultivation, especially near water. They build communal roosting nests, used overnight and dismantled and rebuilt daily.

Day 95: Black-whiskered Vireo

The Black-whiskered Vireo is a handsome little bird, and we were fortunate to get close enough for some good shots! We saw one on a trail near a lagoon in the southwestern part of the island. They breed in southern Florida and islands in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico.

Adult Black-whiskered Vireos are dull olive-green with white underparts and red eyes. There is a dark line through the eyes and a white eyebrow stripe. They also have a distinctive black line (the “whisker”) on the side of the neck.

Day 94: Lesser Antillean Pewee

The Lesser Antillean Pewee is a cute, big-eyed flycatcher that is endemic to the islands of Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, and St. Lucia. It is dark olive-brown on top, with a small crest on its head, and a buffy chest.

Day 93: Magnificent Frigatebird

Another bird that I was really excited to see on our trip is the Magnificent Frigatebird. Some of you may not recognize it by name, but if you've ever watched a nature show, you'll know what I'm talking about; during breeding season, males have a bright red inflated throat pouch.

It was awesome to see the Magnificent Frigatebirds flying around in the sky. They have mostly black plumage, with a very long wingspan and a forked tail. Females have a white throat.

Magnificent Frigatebirds feed mainly on fish, but will also attack other seabirds that have already caught a meal. Frigatebirds never land on water, and always take their food items in flight. They spend most of their time, day and night, flying over the ocean.

Here's a picture of a breeding male bird, since we only saw them flying from afar (not our photo):

Source

Day 92: Orange-cheeked Waxbill

The Orange-cheeked Waxbill is another species of bird, native to Africa, that was introduced to Puerto Rico. Both males and females have bright orange cheeks, as their name suggests, making them easy to spot.

Orange-cheeked Waxbills seem to live in family parties or small flocks. We saw a few flocks, but they were pretty skittish, so it was difficult to sneak up on them. Orange-cheeked Waxbills like grass habitat and eat grass seeds and insects.