May 10 - 17, 2011
Chris Gibson
My partner Sandra and I visited this beautiful island in May. We chose Aruba as it seemed an
ideal Caribbean island for a relaxing break and in addition some very good birding to be had.
We were not dissapointed as the island proved to meet both criteria and was exactly how
we had hoped it would be. We are from the UK and this was my first serious attempt at birding
in the New World. Although the island did not have an extensive list of birds it did hold an
interesting mix of both North and South American species as well as plenty of Caribbean birds,
too. As a previous report had stated, the island is indeed very "birdy."
We opted to stay at the Riu Palace, which is very close to the Bubali nature reserve and is in
fact the perfect location for birding the whole island as it is very central, with the Bubali on
its doorstep, the Arikok natural park to the East and the Californian Lighthouse to the North.
Behind the main road opposite the Riu Palace hotel was a small lake plus an untouched wild
area of dried out lake bed and vegetation that was literally teeming with birds. It was here
plus Bubali where I did most of my birding and almost all of the species on my trip list were
spotted within a mile of the Riu Palace hotel.
Around the hotel and in fact all along the coast there were Magnificent Frigatebirds and Brown
Pelicans to be seen. You can't miss them, just look up. Common birds that we saw in most
places without trying hard were Laughing Gull, Bare-eyed Pigeon, Eared Dove, Tropical,
Mockingbird, Bananaquit, Black-faced Grassquit, Carribean Grackle, and House Sparrow. One
bird that I thought would be a lot harder to find was a Troupial, which we spotted within a
100 yards of leaving the hotel although for the rest of the holiday we only really got them in
more rural areas such as the Californian Lighthouse and Arikok National Park.
Troupial by Chris Gibson
The Bubali nature reserve is a fantastic place. A huge area untouched by any development set
aside for the large amount of waterbirds that use it. However, there was a large building site
between the main road and the opposite side of the lake from the observation tower so how
much impact this will have remains to be seen. The building site was very close to where the
birds roost so if it is to be another large resort hotel, that could affect whether those birds
choose to remain where they are. The observation tower had clearly been rebuilt as it was
not in the least bit hazardous and was very effective for views across the whole reserve.
However, I did feel it was a long way from the "action" and good views of the roosting birds
were unobtainable unless you had a scope (I didn't). However, birds in flight were easier to
spot and there was always stuff coming in a bit closer now and then to keep you busy.
Highlights were Great Egret, White-cheeked Pintail, an Osprey that roosted everyday and was
also seen hovering over the lake, Yellow Warbler, Brown-throated Parakeet, Common
Yellowthroat, and a Purple Gallinule that popped out of the reeds among the moorhens.
Groove-billed Anis were also spotted on the edge of the reserve close to the main road.
Brown-throated Parakeet by Chris Gibson
It was on the building site that I had previously mentioned that I had cracking views of an adult
Crested Caracara.
Crested Caracara by Chris Gibson
This was a real thrill as it was a bird that was top of my list and I didn't want to miss out on seeing
one. Also along the main road is the butterfly farm. This was a great place to spot the Blue-tailed
Emerald hummingbird as there were lots of bushes and small trees around in full bloom.
The lake across the main road from the Riu Palace was a really great find and a place that I'm
not sure had been mentioned before in a report. Forgive me if I'm wrong. The place was teeming
with birds. Herons, egrets, cormorants, pelicans, and waders. The biggest surprise was the flock
of 16 Black Skimmers that were resident everyday. Just to see one or two would have been great
but there they were in all their glory mainly roosting but occasionally two or three would go off
feeding providing a great spectacle.
Black Skimmers by Chris Gibson
Green Herons were everywhere as were Black-necked Stilts. They were the noisiest birds around by far as
one or two pairs had chicks around them and they didn't take too kindly to me or the large Great Blue Heron
that was bothering them. Black-crowned Night-herons and Snowy Egrets were also numerous as were
Neotropic Cormorants. Several Southern Lapwings were also a great surprise as I wasn't expecting those.
They proved that with Aruba being so close to the South American mainland the type of birds seen here
could be very different from those farther north in the Caribbean.
Green Heron by Chris Gibson
On our second day we took a trip up to the Californian Lighthouse. From the cafe we attempted to
get closer to the golf course as I thought this could be a good spot. As we edged closer a
medium-sized brown bird flew up from the ground and across to the other side of a small bush. We
both froze and soon realized we were walking toward a family of three Burrowing Owls.
Burrowing Owl by Chris Gibson
We kept our distance, and thankfully the owls stayed put to give us some great views and pics. After
that we didn't really bother with the golf course, we just explored the other side of the lighthouse toward
the sea. Highlights were a Peregrine Falcon, an American Kestrel and a small flock of Least Terns fishing.
Farther along the main road from the Riu Palace heading north, I found another small lake that was on
the opposite side to the Marriot complex just a bit farther up. There were several species of waterbirds
that I got here that I didn't see at Bubali or the lake opposite the Riu Palace. These included Tri-colored
Heron, Reddish Egret, Sandwich Tern, Whimbrel, and Greater and Lesser yellowlegs.
Another trip we took was to the Arikok National Park, which was a super place to explore but
unfortunatly the midday sun got the better of us. Probably best to visit early in the morning. I spotted
a pair of Crested Caracaras soaring in the distance, and there were hummers, Troupials, and Mockingbirds
around but nothing that we hadn't seen closer to the hotel.
The following day we drove to Roger's Beach and Baby Beach. Here just offshore from the old oil refinery
is a small islet that was clearly packed out with breeding Terns. Unfortunately without hiring a boat we
couldn't get close views so I had to console myself with standing as close as I could to the sea at Roger's
Beach so as I could just make out the many Sooty Terns and Brown Noddys that were flying to and from
the islet. Another highlight here was a close view of a resting juvenile Crested Caracara and a Shiny Cowbird.
The last place we visited was the capital Orangestaad, where I enjoyed watching the Common Terns and
Brown Pelicans fishing in the harbour and also managed to find a Royal Tern.
All in all it was a very enjoyable holiday with many birding highlights, and I would thoroughly recommend
Aruba as a birding destination if you wanted to try somewhere that wasnt too challenging but provides a
good mix of Caribbean birds with a few surprises thrown in.
Date: __10/5/11 to 17/5/11_________________________
Time: ___________________________
Locality: _____Bubali, lake and wild area behind riu palace, Lake near Marriot, Californian lighthouse, Arikok, Roger;s beach, Baby Beach________________________________
_____________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
Observers:___Chris Gibson________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Abbreviations: Status in appropriate habitat is indicated in parentheses by single letter code. C = common, U = uncommon, R = rare, V = vagrant. An asterisk (*) indicates that the species is known to have bred on the island.
Podicipedidae - Grebes
__4__ Pied-billed Grebe* (C ) Bubali
____ Least Grebe (U)
Procellariidae - Petrels and Shearwaters
____ Black-capped Petrel (R)
____ Audubon's Shearwater (U)
Hydrobatidae - Storm-Petrels
____ Wilson's Storm-Petrel (R)
____ Leach's Storm-Petrel (V)
Sulidae – Boobies and Gannets
____ Masked Booby (V)
__1_ Brown Booby (C) offshore near lighthouse
____ Red-footed Booby (U)
Pelecanidae - Pelicans
___30 -40_ Brown Pelican* (C) all along coast
Phalacrocoracidae – Cormorants
__40-50__ Neotropic Cormorant* (C) Bubali and other lakes
Fregatidae - Frigatebirds
___30-40_ Magnificent Frigatebird (C) all along coast
Ardeidae – Herons and Egrets
____ Pinnated Bittern (V)
__3__ Great Blue Heron (U) Bubali
__30__ Great Egret (C) Bubali and lake behind Riu palace
__30_ Snowy Egret* (C) Bubali and lake behind Riu palace
____ Little Blue Heron (C)
___4_ Tricolored Heron* (C) Lake near marriot
_1 ___ Reddish Egret (R) Lake near marriot
___5_ Cattle Egret* (C) Bubali and lake behind riu palace
___30+_ Green Heron* (C) Bubali and other lakes
_25+___ Black-crowned Night-Heron* (C) Bubali and lake behind riu palace
____ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron* (U)
Threskiornithidae - Ibises
____ White Ibis (R)
____ Scarlet Ibis (R)
____ Glossy Ibis (R)
____ White-faced Ibis (V)
____ Roseate Spoonbill (V)
Ciconiidae - Storks
____ Wood Stork (V)
Phoenicopteridae – Flamingos
____ Greater Flamingo (V)
Anatidae – Ducks, Geese, and Swans
____ White-faced Whistling-Duck (V)
____ Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (V)
____ Fulvous-Whistling Duck (V)
____ Greater White-fronted Goose (V)
____ Comb Duck (V)
____ American Wigeon (R)
____ Blue-winged Teal (C)
____ Northern Shoveler (V)
_25+___ White-cheeked Pintail* (C) Bubali and lake behind riu palace
____ Northern Pintail (V)
____ Lesser Scaup (U)
Accipitridae – Eagles, Hawks, and allies
__1__ Osprey (C) Bubali
____ White-tailed Kite (V)
____ White-tailed Hawk* (R)
Falconidae – Falcons
__4__ Crested Caracara* (U) Bubali, Arikok and Baby Beach
__2__ American Kestrel* (C) Californian lighthouse and lake near marriot
____ Merlin (U)
__1__ Peregrine Falcon (U) Californian lighthouse
Odontophoridae - Quail
__6__ Crested Bobwhite* (C) Californian Lighthouse
Rallidae – Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
____ Sora (U)
_1___ Purple Gallinule (R)
__10+__ Common Moorhen (C) Bubali and other lakes
__25+__ Caribbean Coot (C) Bubali and other lakes
Aramidae – Limpkins
____ Limpkin (V)
Charadriidae – Plovers
__5__ Southern Lapwing (V) Lake behind Riu Palace and Californian Lighthouse
__1__ Black-bellied Plover (C) Edge of Arikok park by the coast
____ American Golden-Plover (U)
____ Collared Plover (R)
____ Snowy Plover (R)
____ Wilson's Plover (R)
____ Semipalmated Plover (C)
_6___ Killdeer (C) Bubali and Baby Beach
Haematopodidae - Oystercatchers
____ American Oystercatcher (U)
Recurvirostridae - Stilts
_10___ Black-necked Stilt (C) Lake behind Riu palace and near Marriot
Scolopacidae – Sandpipers and allies
_15___ Greater Yellowlegs (C) Lake behind Riu palace and near marriot
___1_ Lesser Yellowlegs (C) Lake near marriot
____ Solitary Sandpiper (U)
____ Willet (U)
____ Spotted Sandpiper (C)
____ Upland Sandpiper (V)
__3__ Whimbrel (C) Lake near marriot and baby beach
____ Hudsonian Godwit (R)
__6__ Ruddy Turnstone (C) beach opposite bubali
____ Red Knot (R)
_1___ Sanderling (C) edge of arikok park near the coast
____ Semipalmated Sandpiper (C)
____ Western Sandpiper (U)
__1__ Least Sandpiper (C) Lake behind riu palace
__3__ White-rumped Sandpiper (R) Lake near marriot
____ Baird's Sandpiper (R)
____ Pectoral Sandpiper (R)
____ Stilt Sandpiper (U)
____ Short-billed Dowitcher (U)
____ Long-billed Dowitcher (R)
____ Common Snipe (C)
Laridae – Jaegers, Gulls, and Terns
____ Pomarine Jaeger (R)
____ Parasitic Jaeger (R)
__50+__ Laughing Gull* (C) numerous along the coast
____ Franklin’s Gull (V)
____ Ring-billed Gull (V)
____ Herring Gull (V)
____ Lesser Black-backed Gull (V)
____ Great Black-backed Gull (V)
____ Gull-billed Tern (R)
____ Caspian Tern (R)
__1__ Royal Tern (C) Orangestaad harbour
__10+__ Sandwich “Cayenne” Tern* (C) lake near marriot
____ Sandwich Tern (U)
____ Roseate Tern* (U)
__6_ Common Tern* (C) Orangestaad harbour
__8__ Least Tern* (C) Californian lighthouse
____ Bridled Tern* (U)
_100+___ Sooty Tern* (C) Rogers beach
____ Large-billed Tern (V)
____ Black Tern (R)
_100+___ Brown Noddy* (C) Rogers beach
____ Black Noddy* (U)
Columbidae – Pigeons and Doves
__25+__ Rock Dove (C) orangestaad
_100+___ Bare-eyed Pigeon (C) All over the island
__100+__ Eared Dove (C) All over the island
_50+___ Common Ground-Dove (C) All over the island
____ White-tipped Dove (U)
Psittacidae - Parrots
_25+___ Brown-throated Parakeet (C) Mainly around bubali but common elsewhere too
Cuculidae – Cuckoos and Anis
____ Yellow-billed Cuckoo (U to C)
____ Mangrove Cuckoo (U)
__6__ Groove-billed Ani (U) Bubali
Strigidae – Typical Owls
_3___ Burrowing Owl (R) Californian lighthouse
Steatornithidae – Oilbirds
____ Oilbird (V)
Caprimulgidae - Goatsuckers
____ Common Nighthawk (R)
____ Chuck-will’s Widow (R)
____ White-tailed Nightjar* (R)
Apodidae - Swifts
____ Chimney Swift (V)
Trochilidae - Hummingbirds
____ White-necked Jacobin (V)
____ Ruby-topaz Hummingbird (U)
_8___ Blue-tailed Emerald (C) Bubali, arikok and californian lighthouse
Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
____ Amazon Kingfisher (V)
____ Ringed Kingfisher (V)
____ Belted Kingfisher (U)
Picidae – Woodpeckers
____ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (R)
Tyrannidae – Tyrant Flycatchers
____ Caribbean Elaenia (R?)
____ Small-billed Elaenia (V)
____ Scrub Flycatcher* (U)
____ Eastern Wood Pewee (R)
____ Vermilion Flycatcher (V)
____ Cattle Tyrant (V)
____ Brown-crested Flycatcher* (U)
____ Tropical Kingbird* (R)
____ Gray Kingbird (U)
____ Eastern Kingbird (R)
____ Fork-tailed Flycatcher (U)
Vireonidae - Vireos
____ Philadelphia Vireo (V)
____ Red-eyed Vireo (R)
____ Black-whiskered Vireo (R)
Hirundinidae – Martins and Swallows
____ Brown-chested Martin (R)
____ Purple Martin (R)
____ Caribbean Martin (R)
____ Bank Swallow (C)
____ Cliff Swallow (R)
__20+__ Barn Swallow (C) Bubali
Mimidae – Mockingbirds and Thrashers
__50+__ Tropical Mockingbird* (C) numerouse across the island
Sturnidae – Starlings
____ European Starling (V)
Bombycillidae - Waxwings
____ Cedar Waxwing (V)
Parulidae – Wood Warblers
____ Northern Parula (R)
___20+_ Yellow Warbler* (C) Bubali
____ Chestnut-sided Warbler (R)
____ Magnolia Warbler (V)
____ Cape May Warbler (R)
____ Black-throated Blue Warbler (V)
____ Yellow-rumped Warbler (V)
____ Black-throated Green Warbler (V)
____ Blackburnian Warbler (R)
____ Prairie Warbler (V)
____ Palm Warbler (V)
____ Bay-breasted Warbler (R)
____ Blackpoll Warbler (C)
____ Black-and-white Warbler (U)
____ American Redstart (U)
____ Prothonotary Warbler (U)
____ Ovenbird (R)
____ Northern Waterthrush (C)
____ Louisiana Waterthrush (R)
____ Kentucky Warbler (R)
____ Connecticut Warbler (R)
__1__ Common Yellowthroat (R) Bubali
____ Hooded Warbler (U)
____ Canada Warbler (V)
Coeribidae - Bananaquit
__50+__ Bananaquit* (C) numerous across the island
Thraupidae - Tanagers
____ Scarlet Tanager (U)
Emberizidae – Seedeaters and allies
_50+___ Black-faced Grassquit* (C) numerous across the island
____ Saffron Finch* (C)
____ White-throated Sparrow (V)
____ Rufous-collared Sparrow* (U)
Cardinalidae – Grosbeaks and Buntings
____ Rose-breasted Grosbeak (U)
____ Indigo Bunting (R)
____ Dickcissel (U to C)
Icteridae - Blackbirds
____ Bobolink (C to U)
__50+__ Carib Grackle* (C) numerous across the island
___1_ Shiny Cowbird (U) rogers beach
____ Baltimore Oriole (R)
__6__ Troupial* (C) Bubali, arikok and Californian lighthouse
____ Yellow Oriole* (U)
Passeridae – Old World Sparrows
_50+___ House Sparrow* (U) numerous across the island
Other species
Northern Scrub Flycatcher 1 seen at Bubali________________________________Black Skimmer A flock of 16 seen at the lake behind the riu palace____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Total Species: _60__________
