Puerto Rico - Caribbean Gem

Elfin-woods Warbler, a Puerto Rican endemic.

We are now on day 3 of our Puerto Rico: Caribbean Gem 8-day itinerary. And first thing this morning, at the Maricao State Forest, we got the target for the region... the Elfin-woods Warbler. This was my only shot, just as it decided to fly off and disappear.

This quiet warbler had been passed by for decades, until 1972 when it was discovered by science! It is only found regularly in the mountains of Maricao and El Yunque. It never sings, and only offers fine, plaintiff chips which one must listen for quite intently, especially on windy days like we had today.

text and photo © Kevin Loughlin