Tour Highlights:

• Search for all 33 of the Dominican Republic’s endemic bird species! The island of Hispaniola has more endemics than any other Caribbean Island, including Palmchat, Hispaniolan Trogon, Ridgway’s Hawk, White-fronted Quail-Dove, Eastern Chat-Tanager, and Hispaniolan Crossbill! 

• An additional 45+ bird species (or subspecies) that are more general Caribbean endemics and specialties are possible too! These include American Flamingo, White-tailed Tropicbird, Stolid Flycatcher, Antillean Siskin, Rufous-throated Solitaire, and Vervain Hummingbird!

• Explore the island’s varied and spectacular habitats! Some of the most pristine Caribbean highland forests can be found in Sierra de Bahoruco National Park!

• Night-birding for Ashy-faced Owl, Hispaniolan Nightjar, and Least Pauraque!

Brief Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrivals to Las Américas International Airport (SDQ), Santo Domingo. Check in at the airport hotel and enjoy dinner with Gabriel and the group. Night at Hampton Inn, Santo Domingo Airport. 

Day 2: Salinas de Baní wetlands, transfer to Barahona, Ashy-faced Owl search. Night at Hotel El Quemaito, Barahona.

Day 3: Eastern Sierra de Bahoruco, Lago Enriquillo and birding in Duvergé. Night at Duvergé Apartments.

Day 4: Full-day birding in the Zapotén highlands of Sierra de Bahoruco. Night at Duvergé Apartments.

Day 5: La Placa and endemic birding, return to Barahona. Night at Hotel El Quemaito, Barahona.

Day 6: Cachote Road birding, ~4 hour transfer to Santo Domingo. Night at Hampton Inn, Santo Domingo Airport. 

Day 7: Los Limones for Ridgway’s Hawk and Santo Domingo Botanical Garden. Night at Hampton Inn, Santo Domingo Airport. 

Day 8: Departures from Las Américas International Airport (SDQ), Santo Domingo, DR.

Tour Description:

The Dominican Republic is one of the Caribbean’s premier birding destinations with more endemic birds than any other Caribbean Island! The DR occupies the eastern two-thirds of the Island of Hispaniola, sharing the western third with Haiti. Hispaniola is the second-largest island in the Greater Antilles and offers an exceptional combination of endemic birdlife, dramatic landscapes, and warm hospitality!

This birding adventure spans multiple elevations and habitats around the island, from montane cloud forests and broadleaf evergreen woodlands to arid scrublands, limestone karst hills, and coastal wetlands. The Dominican Republic is home to a whopping 33 Hispaniolan endemics, including the charismatic Palmchat, the sole representative of the family Dulidae! 

A major focus of our tour is exploring the rugged Sierra de Bahoruco National Park, widely regarded as the most important birding region in the country. In the high-elevation forests, we will search for specialties like Eastern Chat-Tanager, White-fronted Quail-Dove, and La Selle Thrush. Broadleaf forests host Hispaniolan Spindalis, Green-tailed Warbler, and Narrow-billed Tody, while the island’s unique pine forests support Hispaniolan Crossbill, Golden Swallow, and Hispaniolan Trogon. These mountain forests are also the principal wintering grounds for the globally vulnerable Bicknell’s Thrush, which migrate here from a few isolated high-elevation areas of the northeastern United States and Canada.

Throughout the tour, we will search for the remarkable variety of endemic species, including Antillean Piculet, Bay-breasted Cuckoo, Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo, Hispaniolan Mango and Hispaniolan Emerald. After dark, we will look for Ashy-faced Owl, Hispaniolan Nightjar and Least Pauraque! The dry lowlands provide excellent opportunities to observe Hispaniolan Palm Crow, White-necked Crow, Hispaniolan Amazon, various hummingbirds, and both Narrow-billed Tody and Broad-billed Tody. This island has two endemic todys! Double the cuteness! We will also visit the island’s karst region in search of the critically endangered Ridgway’s Hawk, one of the Caribbean’s rarest raptors!

This is a fast-paced birding adventure for small groups, with a focus on the island’s endemic and specialty birds in a beautiful, tropical environment! Led by our Caribbean specialist, Gabriel Lugo, you are sure to find the birds and have a fun time!

Number of times run: 10+

Average species total: 107

Tour Combinations: 

If you are interested in birding more of the Caribbean Islands, note that some Dominican Republic departures may be combined with our other tours, including the following. Guests combining two Caribbean tours receive one complimentary hotel night between trips. Please contact us for more details!

• Puerto Rico

• Jamaica

Arrivals to Las Américas International Airport (SDQ), Santo Domingo at any time today and transfer to the Hampton by Hilton Santo Domingo Airport. There are taxis outside baggage claim, or contact Gabriel Lugo in case he can pick you up. Check big stick nests in palms for groups of Palmchats! Enjoy dinner as a group. Overnight at Hampton by Hilton, Santo Domingo Airport.

Today we begin our journey southwest toward Barahona. Along the way, we will stop at Salinas de Baní, an important coastal wetland where we may encounter a variety of terns, shorebirds, Clapper Rail and American Flamingo. In the evening, after dark, we will make a short (optional) evening excursion in search of one of Hispaniola’s most sought-after nocturnal endemics, the Ashy-faced Owl! Overnight at Hotel El Quemaito, Barahona.

An early departure from the lodging (at 3:30am) takes us into the broadleaf forests of the eastern slope of Sierra de Bahoruco, where we will search for the elusive Eastern Chat-Tanager at dawn. We will also visit a private property that offers excellent opportunities for White-fronted Quail-Dove and the endemic Hispaniolan subspecies of Sharp-shinned Hawk. 

Following a late breakfast and checkout, we continue toward Duvergé and the northern slope of Sierra de Bahoruco for afternoon birding. We will search for Hispaniolan Palm Crow and a variety of additional specialties, including Hispaniolan Oriole, Broad-billed Tody, Narrow-billed Tody, Hispaniolan Euphonia, Antillean Siskin, and many others. Overnight in Duvergé.

A very early start (5:00am) brings us to the high-elevation forests of Zapotén on the northern slope of Sierra de Bahoruco. Along the way, we will search for Hispaniolan Nightjar and Least Pauraque. As the morning progresses, we will focus on some of the island’s most prized endemic species, including La Selle Thrush, White-winged Warbler, Western Chat-Tanager, Green-tailed Warbler, Hispaniolan Crossbill, Hispaniolan Emerald, Hispaniolan Spindalis, White-fronted Quail-Dove, and many others. We will enjoy a snack lunch in the mountains before returning to Duvergé for a proper late lunch. After some rest, we may spend the evening searching for any remaining target species. Overnight in Duvergé.

Before departing the mountains, we will search for Bay-breasted Cuckoo, Flat-billed Vireo, Antillean Siskin, and any remaining endemic species still needed for the trip list. We will later return to Barahona and enjoy a relaxed afternoon and evening overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Overnight at Hotel El Quemaito, Barahona.

If necessary, we will make one final visit to Cachote Road in search of Eastern Chat-Tanager, White-fronted Quail-Dove, Flat-billed Vireo, or any other missed specialties. After breakfast, we depart Barahona and drive back to Santo Domingo - this is a ~4 hour drive, but we will make bathroom breaks and other stops! Overnight at Hampton by Hilton, Santo Domingo Airport.

At this stage of the tour, our primary target will likely be the critically endangered Ridgway’s Hawk. We will travel to the Los Limones area, just north of Santo Domingo, where this remarkable endemic raptor has one of its strongest populations. The area also provides opportunities to revisit several endemic species and potentially improve views of previously observed birds. Plain Pigeon is another new species we may encounter here. Depending on our success with the hawk, we will visit the Santo Domingo Botanical Garden in the afternoon. These urban gardens are an excellent location for finding West Indian Whistling-Duck and enjoying close views of Hispaniolan Parakeet, along with several other Caribbean specialties. Overnight at Hampton by Hilton, Santo Domingo Airport.

Departures from Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) at any time today! 

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• White-fronted Quail-Dove

• Bay-breasted Cuckoo

• Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo

• Least Paurakee

• Hispaniolan Nightjar

• Hispaniolan Mango

• Hispaniolan Emerald

• Ridgway’s Hawk

• Ashy-faced Owl

• Hispaniolan Trogon

• Broad-billed Tody

• Narrow-billed Tody

• Antillean Piculet

• Hispaniolan Woodpecker

• Hispaniolan Amazon

• Hispaniolan Parakeet

• Hispaniolan Elaenia

• Hispaniolan Pewee

• Flat-billed Vireo

• Hispaniolan Palm Crow

• White-necked Crow

• Golden Swallow

• La Selle Thrush

• Palmchat

• Hispaniolan Euphonia

• Hispaniolan Crossbill

• Western Chat-Tanager

• Eastern Chat-Tanager

• Black-crowned Palm-Tanager

• White-winged Warbler

• Green-tailed Warbler

• Hispaniolan Spindalis

• Hispaniolan Oriole

• Trails & Walking: We will walk a few miles per day on mostly flat, well-maintained paths, wide dirt tracks, sandy beaches, and other reasonable paths with minimal tripping hazards. However, some higher elevation locations include wet and rocky sections of trail.

• Pace: Fast-paced with frequent stops and some longer drives. Daily field time 6+ hours, with two very early mornings (Day 3 at 3:30am and Day 5 at 5:00am). Access right to the birding sites and never far from the vehicle. Good photo opportunities!

• Elevation: Sea level to 6,000ft.

• Weather: The Dominican Republic enjoys a sunny tropical climate with average temperatures between 76°F and 89°F (24°C–32°C) year-round. Lowland areas can be hot and arid, but coastal regions benefit from refreshing ocean breezes, while higher elevations are noticeably cooler. Rain showers are usually brief and localized, allowing outdoor activities to continue throughout most days. Please check the weather forecast ahead of travel, and consult with your guide(s).

• Logistics: Some of the mountain roads are very rugged, rocky, and bumpy. We use comfortable 4x4 SUVs and drive slow and carefully to make them a bit more manageable. The roads to access Zapotén and, to a much lesser extent, Cachote are particularly rough. Some portions of each day may be optional, but please review the itinerary carefully and consult with your guide(s).  There can be several military checkpoints outside of Santo Domingo and sometimes travelers will be asked to provide identification.

• Vehicle Seating: We use large 4x4 SUVs like Toyota Landcruiser or Nissan Armada, which allow all passengers to have a full door and window with maximum comfort on bumpy roads. There are no drives longer than 2 hours during the course of this tour. We make frequent bathroom breaks too!

• Lodging: This tour is based out of three accommodations, two locations are very nice (equal to US standards) but one location is very rustic and often lacking hot water and with limited wall outlets.