Bayahibe: Bird Watching & Cotubanama National Park

Quisqueya “Dominican Republic & Haiti” is an island  with a highly diverse avifauna of more than 300 species. In addition to 32 endemic bird species, the country hosts an impressive assemblage of permanent resident species, overwintering migrants, and other transient species that stop to rest and refuel enroute to more southerly wintering or northern breeding areas. The island of Hispaniola’s high level of endemism and its contribution to global biodiversity have earned it the highest ranking of biological importance in a worldwide assessment of bird protection priorities.  During this experience we will get to oversee Bayahibe, and Cotubanama National Park. 

Bayahíbe Área   

Bayahíbe is a town in the Dominican Republic, located about 10 miles (16 km) east of La Romana on the shore of the Caribbean Sea. Founded as a fishing village in 1874 by Juan Brito and his family, who came from Puerto Rico, Bayahibe is one of fastest growing tourist destinations in the country. It’s home to stunning beaches, world class hotels, villas, seafood specialty restaurants and the best scuba diving spots in the Dominican Republic.

These are some of the species of the area: Brown Pelican, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret and Osprey, Palmchat , Hispaniolan Woodpecker, Hispaniolan Parakeet, Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo , Black-crowned Palm-Tanager, Hispaniolan Mango and many more.

Cotubanama National Park 

There is a single trail here which begins at the guard house. The 3-km (1.9 mile) trail is at first sandy and skirts coastal habitats, but it then moves away from the immediate coast and passes over rough dogtooth limestone. This initial section of beachside trail is usually a very good area to see Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoos and Hispaniolan Woodpeckers. Wherever possible, look for small openings and side trails down to the beach where you might find shorebirds, waders, or seabirds further out.

The park also contains an extensive area of dry forest and adjoining mangrove habitat where you are likely to find White-crowned Pigeon, Hispaniolan Parrot, Mangrove Cuckoo, Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo, Broad-billed Tody, Antillean Piculet, Hispaniolan Woodpecker, Stolid Flycatcher, Flat-billed Vireo, Black-whiskered Vireo, and Greater Antillean Bullfinch.