Essential stop for Caribbean families: Hispaniola
Hispaniola of the Greater Antilles is the best Caribbean destination for bird families. Two countries share this Island, and birding in Dominican Republic seems easier than in Haiti. Three endemic families: Palmchat monotype and Dominican Republic national bird, which is everywhere on the island, Hispaniolan Tanagers and Chat-Tanagers. Zapoten reserve on the west border of DR (Parque Nacional Sierra De Baoruco) is the best place for the more hard-to-get endemics. Out of 4 Hispaniolan Tanagers I got Black-crowned Palm-Tanager already in Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, White-winged Warbler and Green-tailed Warbler in Zapoten. Western Chat-Tanager in Zapoten.
The two other families ticked on that trip, also in Zapoten, are Greater Antilles endemic families: Todies (out of 5 species 2 are in Hispaiola: Narrow-billed Tody & Broad-billed Tody) and Spindalises (Hispaniolan Spindalis).
Another family to be mentioned: Tropicbirds – White-tailed Tropicbird at Santo Domingo east beach.
209. Family #88: Todies (Todidae) | Narrow-billed Tody
210. Family #217: Palmchat (Dulidae) | Palmchat
211. Family #239: Chat-Tanagers (Calyptophilidae) | Western Chat-Tanager
212. Family #240: Hispaniolan Tanagers (Phaenicophilidae) | Green-tailed Warbler
213. Family #242: Spindalises (Spindalidae) | Hispaniolan Spindalis
| West Indian Whistling-Duck | Dendrocygna arborea | SD Botanical Gardens |
| White-tailed Tropicbird | Phaethon lepturus | SD east beach |
| Magnificent Frigatebird | Fregata magnificens | Barahona area |
| Brown Pelican | Pelecanus occidentalis | @Barahona area |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Western Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | Barahona area |
| Green Heron | Butorides virescens | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Nyctanassa violacea | Barahona Area |
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | Barahona area |
| Red-tailed Hawk | Buteo jamaicensis | @Zapoten area |
| Purple Gallinule | Porphyrio martinicus | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Common Gallinule | Gallinula galeata | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Limpkin | Aramus guarauna | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Solitary Sandpiper | Tringa solitaria | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Laughing Gull | Leucophaeus atricilla | @Baharona area |
| Rock Pigeon | Columba livia | @SD Zone Colonial |
| Plain Pigeon | Patagioenas inornata | @Zapoten |
| White-winged Dove | Zenaida asiatica | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Mourning Dove | Zenaida macroura | SD Zone Colonial |
| Common Ground-Dove | Columbina passerina | SD Botanical Gardens |
| White-fronted Quail-Dove | Geotrygon leucometopia | @Rabo de Gato |
| Mangrove Cuckoo | Coccyzus minor | near Puerto Escondido |
| Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo | Coccyzus longirostris | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Smooth-billed Ani | Crotophaga ani | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Burrowing Owl | Athene cunicularia | @Rabo de Gato |
| Antillean Nighthawk | Chordeiles gundlachii | @Rabo de Gato |
| White-collared Swift | Streptoprocne zonaris | @Baharona Area |
| Antillean Palm-Swift | Tachornis phoenicobia | @SDQ |
| Antillean Mango | Anthracothorax dominicus | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Vervain Hummingbird | Mellisuga minima | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Hispaniolan Emerald | Chlorostilbon swainsonii | @Zapoten area |
| Hispaniolan Trogon | Priotelus roseigaster | @Zapoten area |
| Broad-billed Tody | Todus subulatus | @Rabo de Gato |
| Narrow-billed Tody | Todus angustirostris | @Zapoten area |
| Antillean Piculet | Nesoctites micromegas | @Zapoten area |
| Hispaniolan Woodpecker | Melanerpes striatus | @SD Zone Colonial |
| American Kestrel | Falco sparverius | @SD Zone Colonial |
| Hispaniolan Parakeet | Aratinga chloroptera | @SD Zone Colonial |
| Hispaniolan Parrot | Amazona ventralis | @Rabo de Gato |
| Greater Antillean Elaenia | Elaenia fallax | @Zapoten area |
| Hispaniolan Pewee | Contopus hispaniolensis | @Rabo de Gato |
| Stolid Flycatcher | Myiarchus stolidus | near Lago Enriquillo |
| Gray Kingbird | Tyrannus dominicensis | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Loggerhead Kingbird | Tyrannus caudifasciatus | @Zapoten area |
| Flat-billed Vireo | Vireo nanus | @Rabo de Gato |
| Black-whiskered Vireo | Vireo altiloquus | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Palm Crow | Corvus palmarum | near Lago Enriquillo * palmarum (Hispaniolan) |
| White-necked Crow | Corvus leucognaphalus | @Rabo de Gato |
| Caribbean Martin | Progne dominicensis | @Lake Enriquillo |
| Golden Swallow | Tachycineta euchrysea | @Zapoten area |
| Rufous-throated Solitaire | Myadestes genibarbis | @Zapoten area |
| La Selle Thrush | Turdus swalesi | @Zapoten area |
| Red-legged Thrush | Turdus plumbeus | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Northern Mockingbird | Mimus polyglottos | @SD Zone Colonial |
| Palmchat | Dulus dominicus | @SD Zone Colonial |
| Ovenbird | Seiurus aurocapilla | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Black-and-white Warbler | Mniotilta varia | SD Botanical Gardens |
| American Redstart | Setophaga ruticilla | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Cape May Warbler | Setophaga tigrina | SD Botanical Gardens. &near Puerto Escondido |
| Northern Parula | Setophaga americana | near Puerto Escondido |
| Blackpoll Warbler | Setophaga striata | @Zapoten area |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | Setophaga caerulescens | @Rabo de Gato |
| Palm Warbler | Setophaga palmarum | @Lake Enriquillo |
| White-winged Warbler | Xenoligea montana | @Zapoten area |
| Green-tailed Warbler | Microligea palustris | @Zapoten area |
| Bananaquit | Coereba flaveola | @SD Zone Colonial |
| Yellow-faced Grassquit | Tiaris olivaceus | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Black-faced Grassquit | Tiaris bicolor | @Zapoten area |
| Greater Antillean Bullfinch | Loxigilla violacea | near Puerto Escondido |
| Black-crowned Palm-Tanager | Phaenicophilus palmarum | SD Botanical Gardens aka Black-crowned Tanager |
| Western Chat-Tanager | Calyptophilus tertius | @Zapoten area |
| Hispaniolan Spindalis | Spindalis dominicensis | @Zapoten area |
| Greater Antillean Grackle | Quiscalus niger | SD Botanical Gardens |
| Shiny Cowbird | Molothrus bonariensis | @Lake Enriquillo |
| Hispaniolan Oriole | Icterus dominicensis | near Puerto Escondido |
| Antillean Euphonia | Euphonia musica | @Zapoten area |
| Antillean Siskin | Spinus dominicensis | @Zapoten area |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | @SD Zone Colonial |
| Village Weaver | Ploceus cucullatus | near Lago Enriquillo & @SDQ |
