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All bird walks are rain or shine events. Come prepared for bad weather, sun, and bugs. Wear sturdy shoes, too, and old ones if you hae them, as we usually find mud along the way.
eBird and Merlin are two of the most respected and frequently used birding apps in the world. Both are available for free and are highly recommended. Please download them before you arrive and give them a trial run. You can also see the eBird Tips section of our website.
Most birds are diurnal (active during the day) so daytime comes to mind, and then morning. Just like humans, when birds wake up they are hungry. Of course, it depends on the weather, tides, and season. As for the best time of year, it depends on the species (and all of the factors above, including habitat and the availability of food). You can find birding facts at eBird and on other birding resource sites regarding migration, breeding, and seasonality.
We respect and encourage all persons with different abilities to participate in our Bird Walks and the Christmas Bird Count, but pets and service animals are never a good idea. Please leave your pets and service animals at home.
We are unable to provide transportation, but if you show up for a bird walk and don't mind riding with someone, you can almost always find a ride.
It depends! We try to visit birds in and around Esperanza, but group size, weather, abilities and (dis)abilities, and questiosn (we love questyions, by the way) often get in the way. We almost always travel by car between two or more sites. Plan on 90 minutes minimum, with two hours about average.
It depends! on the season, on the weather, and on who is looking, but we have a page for you! Check out the Top Five List and go exploring!
Everywhere! Just stop, look, and listen. You can find birds in their natural habitat in our wet lands, our forests, our pastures, and even in Isabel Segunda or Esperanza. Just take a few mintues and stop, look, and listen. For information on specific birding sites, see eBird our our Resource page!
For specific local insight, we recommend Birds of Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, by our very own Daphne Gemmill, which is often available at the VCHT gift shop.
Other top field guides for birding in Vieques include the comprehensive Birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands (Princeton Field Guides) by Herbert A. Raffaele and Puerto Rico's Birds in Photographs by Mark W. Oberle.
There are many great resources available, including Ticatove, and don't forget the apps, like eBird, Merlin, and All Birds PR--->Antigua!
Yes! We have a few pair that we loan, but for best results, bring your own or borrow a pair before your bird walk!
Most bird walks involve less than one half of a mile of walking. Depending on the route, we walk from the car to a lagoon or farm pond and back again. Sometimes you can actually see the water. Some walks involve a mild hill climb, but it is easy walking for the most part, and we do stop frequently to look at birds. Sometimes you have to duck under tree branches or lift your legs over fallen logs, but most 70 and 80 year olds can do our walks with ease.
Ah, the impossible question! We have so many little shorebirds, so check out this great resource and go birding!
Children love birds, and Vieques has many easy-to-identify species that are both easy to find and interesting. The bigger the bird, the easier it is to identify, so think about our wonderful Pelicans, Western Cattle Egrets, Kingbirds, Magnificent Frigate Birds, and Osprey. You can find many of these birds along the ocean or near a lagoon, and there are always Western Cattle Egrets mixed in with the horses, especially at Sun Bay. If you are planning ahead, download Birds Caribbean’s coloring book and come prepared to be your child's best teacher!
Vieques serves as a vital wintering ground and stopover for over 100 migratory bird species that breed in the United States and Canada, particularly shorebirds and warblers. Key migrants found in both locations include the Piping Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Peregrine Falcon, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Least Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Belted Kingfisher, Common Nighthawk, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Baltimore Oriole, Summer Tanager, and Swainson's Thrush, to name a few!