Bird Observation for the Eastern Region of the Dominican Republic - from San Pedro East

Prepared by Steve & Sandra Brauning ...Updated March 12, 2007

Please note that we do not have very good possibilities to provide guide services out East. It is too far for us to go for day trips, and it is not the best place for birding anyway (if we are going to do any extended trip, it would be to the Southwest(Bahoruco) - see that page please!!!) Please contact us a few months ahead of time to see if we can arrange something, but we cannot promise anything. However, we can provide the following information for the brave birder to use to venture out on his/her own.

1. Rio Cumayasa and Rio Soco

- around highway bridges, up and down; also upland at Ramon Santana/Cochoprimo area - semi-humid forest, transition forest, mangroves, canyon, swamp, salt marsh, beach, river mouth, etc.

This area is accessible as a day trip from Santo Domingo and/or areas in the East (San Pedro, La Romana, Bavaro, Higuey, Punta Cana). There are plenty of places to stay all through this area, since it is a tourist region. One would need just a regular car.

The Cumayasa canyon is located on the main coastal highway about 15KM west of La Romana. There is a crossroads just west of the bridge, at the top of the hill. Turning north onto the gravel road, one can drive down into the canyon to the river edge (caution on the windy gravel road). You can hike north along the river bed for at least 2 hours. It is rough terrain, sometimes flooded, and no real "trails". Just follow the river(which during the dry season is little more than a series of pools). This area has some of the uncommon forest birds like the Antillean Piculet, Greater Antillean Bullfinch, Loggerhead Kingbird, Broad-billed Tody, Black-whiskered Vireo, and so on(see list below). At one point you will reach a section with fairly steep cliffs on the sides: Red-tailed Hawks have been known to nest here.

Turning south of the highway at Cumayasa is Rancho Cumayasa, with a small restaurant, cabins, horseback riding, kayaks. It is a little messed up with the new bridge construction. There are Common Moorhens and possible other water birds down there.

Another attraction in the area is the "Cueva de Maravillas", a cave that the National Parks administers. It is along the main highway, a short distance west of the Cumayasa river, before the Soco river.

Next stop heading west is Boca de Soco, a town at the mouth of the Soco river. Turn south into town, and head to the river to look for water birds at the river mouth and around the mangroves(some disturbance there due to port construction). You can also head north along to river on a dirt road ito some pasture land.

Next area is Ramon Santana/Cochoprimo, for dry scrub forest and small patches of wetlands. Most common and some more scarce birds are there(BB Tody, Black-whiskered Vireo, Antillean Mango, Greater Antillean Grackle, Stolid Flycatcher, and so forth. Water birds, like Common Moorhens, Least Bittern

(photo by Eladio Fernandez).

and Limpkin are possible. Possible Rails: Black and Spotted.

This area is best reached by turning north on the new bypass highway just east of San Pedro, then turning east (right)on the old highway that crosses the new highway near the old sugar mill and railway crossing. That will take you through the town on Ramon Santana; keep heading out of town, on the dirt road until you see a right turn with a large girder bridge: turn there (this is the Soco river again). The next 2 KM or so has patchy woodlands and wetlands. When leaving this area, head back the same way.

This whole excursion would take a whole day, starting quite early (dawn) at Cumayasa, ending late afternoon in Ramon Santana.

The following list is not detailed: most of the birds are common all over the area, given appropriate habitat. Otherwise the spp. have notes.

Least Grebe

Pie-billed Grebe

(photo by Eladio Fernandez).

Brown Pelican

Magnificent Frigatebird

Green Heron

Snowy Egret

Great Egret

Little Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Least Bittern -Cochoprimo wetlands

Cattle Egret

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Limpkin -Cochoprimo wetlands

Red-tailed Hawk - Cumayasa canyon

American Kestrel

Merlin (Migratory -M)

Peregrine Falcon -M

Osprey -M

Turkey Vulture

Helmeted Guinea Fowl (I)

Northern Bobwhite (I)

Common Moorhen

Solitary Sandpiper -M

Spotted Sandpiper -M

Black-bellied Plover -M

Killdeer -M

Willet -M

Ruddy Turnstone -M

Black-necked Stilt

Least Tern ?

Royal Tern

Laughing Gull - Boca de Soco, uncommon

Ashy-faced Owl - Cochoprimo area (nighttime)

Zenaida Dove -Uncommon

Mourning Dove

Common Ground Dove

White-winged Dove

Mangrove Cuckoo

Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo

Smooth-billed Ani

(photo by Eladio Fernandez).

Antillean Nighthawk

Antillean Palm Swift

Antillean Mango

Vervain Hummingbird

Broad-billed Tody

Hisp. Woodpecker

Antillean Piculet - Cumayasa Canyon, Soco river, Parque del Este -uncommon

Belted Kingfisher - M

Gray Kingbird

Loggerhead Kingbird Cumayasa Canyon - uncommon

Stolid Flycatcher - Cumayasa canyon

Caribbean Martin

Barn Swallow M

Bank Swallow M

Cave Swallow

Northern Mockingbird

Red-legged Thrush

Palm Chat

Black-whiskered Vireo

Flat-billed Vireo --- Rare, unverified in Cumayasa since the 1960's

Yellow Warbler("Golden" family subspecies) Boca de Soco

Northern Parula M

(photo from Internet).

Cape May Warbler M

Yellow-rumped Warbler M

Black-throated Blue Warbler M pass-through migrant

Prairie Warbler M

Palm Warbler M

Blackpoll Warbler M pass-through migrant

Black & White Warbler M

American Redstart M

Ovenbird M

Louisiana Waterthrush M

Northern Waterthrush M

Common Yellowthroat M

Bananaquit

Black-crowned Palm Tanager

Yellow-faced Grassquit

(photo by Cursorius).

Greater Antillean Bullfinch Cumayasa canyon

Greater Antillean Grackle Boca de Soco & Cochoprimo

Village Weaver (I)

Nutmeg Mannikin (I)

Chestnut Mannikin(I)

2. Sugarcane fields and pastureland, all over: nighttime observations:

The trick here is to scout out during the day, where sugar cane is being cut. Then one must return to those fresh-cut cane fields and use headlights, spotlights and playback tapes, track down the night birds that congregate to feed on small creatures stirred up. This is possible mainly from about January through July. The rest of the year it is hit or miss.

Limpkin (in wetland, ravines)

Barn Owl

Ashy-faced Owl

endemic, found in wooded areas.

(photo by Eladio Fernandez).

Short-eared Owl

Double-striped Thick-Knee.

(photo by Eladio Fernandez).

Black Rail(?) Cochoprimo wetlands

Spotted rail (?) Cochoprimo wetlands

3. Parque del Este National Park

This area requires more preparation: preferably a pre-arranged tour with a guide (see our other pages about "Why/How to birdwatch..."). National Park entrance and movement usually requires prior permission, and a boat is needed to get to Saona.

One can get to into the fringes of the park at "Guaraguao", by car and on foot, by heading east along the coastal road from the town of Bayahibe. But there is a lot of tourism develpment there, besides that fact that the national park may require permits to get in.

Many of the above spp. plus:

Brown Booby -Open ocean

Greater Flamingo - Far point of Saona Isl. although colony may be extirpated

Brown Noddy -Open ocean

Caspian Tern

Great Black-backed Gull - Saona Isl.

American Oystercatcher - Saona Isl.

Plain Pigeon Inland, national park

White-crowned Pigeon - Mangroves

Ruddy Quail-Dove - Parque del Este

Hispaniolan Parrot - Bayahibe & Boca de Yuma entrances to National park

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Northern Potoo - uncommon and HARD to find, Parque del Este

(photo from Internet).

White-necked Crow - Occasional in Bayahibe, common on Saona

Cave Swallow

Pearly-eyed Thrasher Not substantiated

Greater Antillean Oriole - Coast, forest, Saona Isl.

Note: a highlight would be the "Mata de Pajaro" Frigatebird colony, in the area called "EL Caldero", accessible only by boat and only with previous permission from the National Parks. Hundreds of nesting "Man o' War" birds there, esp. Feb. and March.

4. Bavaro beach area

The problem here is that some of the wetlands and lagoons are INSIDE hotel properties and not accessible to the public. However, the Laguna Bavaro is accesible but limited to observations from the densely vegetated edge.

The list should include many of the above plus:

Ruddy Duck

Masked Duck

White-cheeked Pintail

Caribbean Coot

Purple Galinule

Northern Jacana

5. Los Haitises National Park

Ridgway's Hawk ("Gavilan") - Endemic

photo by Eladio Fernandez).

This area is accessible from the town of Sabana de la Mar: the Caņo Hondo eco-lodge is several miles west of the town, on the edge of the National Park. Then excursions on boat can be arranged to go along the coast, and to the "Los Naranjos" area, for the Ridgway's.

The list would include most of the above birds plus:

Hispaniolan Pewee (in remote wooded areas)

Several islands along the coast with nesting colonies of Black-crowned Night Herons, along with Brown Boobies, Brown Pelicans, Mag. Frigatebirds, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, etc.

The other area for Ridgway's Hawk is Los Limones, inland on the western edge of the national park, accessed through the town of Sabana Grande de Boya. It's a rough, long ride, but there is a Peregrine Fund nest monitoring project going on. E-mail Lance Woolaver - lancewoolaver@hotmail.com - he will be able to direct you and arrange access.

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