Continuing with the Caribbean thread - I have been to the Caribbean a number of times, visiting Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic on at least three occasions. I had seen all the available extant endemics and near endemics (ie: Cuban Kite and Zapata Rail don't make the list as they are either very rare and isolated, or a complete enigma). However, I had failed to visit Puerto Rico - and consequently my Greater Antillean puzzle was a piece short. I had been scheduled to lead a tour to the island in 2015, but limited client interest meant that if I was to go - I would have to do so myself.
I spent all of 6 days in Puerto Rico, racing about twitching every island endemic - spending most nights sleeping in the back of the car. The bird I wanted the most was Puerto Rican Tody. The Tody's are a small family of 5 species endemic to the Caribbean. These tiny colourful jewels - related to kingfishers can be surprisingly confiding when you find them (in Old World terms, they behave somewhat similarly to Batises). Near enough the very first bird I saw on the island was indeed my last Tody, alongside a hatful of other endemics at Camberlache State Forest.
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| Puerto Rican Today, Camberlache, Puerto Rico. 2015. |
