Subequatorial Birdwatching: The Best Birding in The Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a birdwatcher's paradise. With no real predators apart from the birds themselves, the flighted community has been able to thrive and prosper for hundreds of years. It is a lush and vibrant setting full of biodiversity and exotic habitats that cater well to birds of all kinds, shapes, and sizes. In this article, we will soar through the birder's dream as we have a close look at Caribbean birdwatching on this tropical island.  

With 321 species of exotic birds that are thriving in their environment, 31 of which are endemic meaning that they only live here, this is the place for your next subequatorial birdwatching adventure. So come and discover a few of the birds that you can see in The Dominican republic. 

List of birds in the Dominican Republic.

Whilst we cannot list every single bird within the country, we can give you a good idea as to which bird species you can see by listing 75 different birds that are known to visit or live in The Dominican Republic. Let us take a look.

1. American Flamingo

2. Antillean Euphonia

3. Antillean Mango

4. Antillean Piculet

5. Antillean Siskin

6. Ashy-faced Owl

7. Barn Owl

8. Bay-breasted Cuckoo

9. Bicknell’s Thrush

10. Black crowned Palm tanager

11. Black necked Stilt

12. Bobo Bird

13. Broad Billed Tody

14. Brown Booby

15. Brown Noddy

16. Brown Pelican

17. Burrowing Owl

18. Caribbean Martin

19. Cave Swallow

20. Common Gallinule

21. Conspicuous Hispaniolan Pewee

22. Eastern Chat Tanager

23. Flat billed Vireo

24. Glossy Ibis

25. Golden Swallow

26. Great Egret

27. Greater Antillean Bullfinch

28. Greater Antillean Elaenia

29. Green Ebony

30. Green-tailed Warbler

31. Grey Heron

32. Hispaniolan Amazon

33. Hispaniolan Crossbill

34. Hispaniolan Emerald Hummingbird

35. Hispaniolan Highland Tanager

36. Hispaniolan lizard Cuckoo

37. Hispaniolan Nightjar

38. Hispaniolan Oriole

39. Hispaniolan Palm Crow

40. Hispaniolan Parakeet

41. Hispaniolan Parrot

42. Hispaniolan Spindalis

43. Hispaniolan Trogon

44. Hispaniolan Woodpecker

45. La Selle Thrush

46. Least Poorwill

47. Loggerhead Kingbird

48. Magnificent Frigatebird

49. Narrow billed Tody

50. Neotropic cormorant

51. Northern Pintails

52. Northern Potoo

53. Olive throated Parakeet

54. Palmchat (National bird of the Dominican Republic)

55. Pied-billed Grebes

56. Pine Warbler

57. Puerto Rican Nightjar

58. Red footed Booby

59. Ridgway Hawk

60. Roseate Spoonbill

61. Ruddy Quail Dove

62. Rufous throated Solitaire

63. Scaly-napped Pigeon

64. Sharp-shinned Hawk

65. Sooty Tern

66. Stygian Owl

67. Vervain Hummingbird

68. Western Chat Tanager

69. White Coquito Partridge

70. White Crowned pigeon

71. White fronted Quail Dove

72. White tailed Tropicbird

73. White winged Warbler

74. Yellow Warblers

75. Zeinada Dove

Top birdwatching spots in the Dominican Republic

Now you know what you can see, we also need to think about where to go and see these beauties. To help you find the best routes for subequatorial birdwatching where you can find some of the aforementioned Caribbean birds, here are three places that you should definitely consider. 

1. Punta Cana

Whilst the destination of Punta Cana is known mostly for its tourism and luxury resort accomodations, it is actually also the place where you will find the highest concentration of varied bird species in the entire country. 

Its prime location on the eastern coastline attracts both Caribbean and Atlantic bird species making it one of the best spots for birding in the Dominican Republic.  With over 116 bird species in this area alone, you can look forward to seeing commonly sighted birds which include the Hispaniolan lizard Cuckoos, Vervain Hummingbirds, Antillean Mangos, Hispaniolan Orioles, Hispaniolan Woodpeckers, and of course, plenty of Flamingos.

2. Cotubanamá national park

This gorgeous national park is full of almost 800 square kilometers of untouched subtropical rainforests, underground caves, and exotic shorelines. As the perfect habitat for a wide range of birds, this is a nice place to spend the day before returning to your All Inclusive resort. 

One of the most popular parts of this protected area is Isla Saona to the south where you can see Red footed Boobies, Ashy faced Owls, and of course, the Magnificent Frigatebird known for its sensational call.

3. El Seibo province

Ornithologists and birdwatchers alike have taken great interest in this province due to its interesting and enveloping ecosystem that creates an ideal environment for birds to flourish. With multiple national parks and national reserves to explore you can pull out your binoculars and start bird spotting. 

Notable in this location is Saldo De La Jalda which is the highest waterfall in all of the Caribbean. In this subequatorial birdwatching spot you are likely to see Northern Pintails, Pied billed Grebes, Roseate Spoonbills, Common Gallinule, Grey Herons, and the stunning Stygian Owl.

Where to stay for a birding vacation in the Caribbean.

Whether you are searching for endemic, migratory, or native birds you can book a vacation in Excellence Punta Cana for a great place to relax and come back to after a long day of birding in the Caribbean.

As the best spot for birding in the country, Punta Cana is the optimum place to stay for your birdwatching getaway. It is only a short drive away from both El Seibo parks and reserves as well as Cotubanamá national park meaning that you can easily take a day trip out to these birdwatching spots if you want to visit them. However, whilst you are not going out for day trips, you will still be able to enjoy the multitude of winged life around you in Punta Cana.