Dominican Republic, October 2025: Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, And Working Hard For Eastern Chat-Tanagers

October 19, 2025 (continued)

Where I last left off, we had just departed the Caño Hondo area in northeastern Dominican Republic, not even 24 hours after arriving in the country. Today's agenda was to drive, and drive, and drive; all the way to the mountains in the southwest. 

One week is not nearly enough time to do justice to the Dominican Republic from a naturalist's perspective. Heck, there are around 50 species of anoles, and it would likely take years to find all of them! But birders, if they are lucky, can find all of the endemic bird species in just a week's time. All but one of them (the Ridgway's Hawk) reside in the southwestern corner of the country. And so that is where we headed. With our Ridgway's Hawk already in the bag, we hoped to finish the endemic sweep in the upcoming days. 

Two-spotted Prepona (Archaeoprepona demophoon) - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

To break up the drive we detoured to the Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens. Traffic in the capital was relatively painless as it was a Sunday. But there was a long line of cars waiting to enter the gardens due to an orchid expo that was occurring. Hundreds of Dominicans were leaving with pots full of beautiful orchids. Eventually, we were able to park, pay our entrance fee to the gardens, and leave the throngs of people behind as we took snaking trails towards the back side of the expansive gardens. 

Antillean Palm-Swift - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

We had one main bird target here and we found them without any trouble. West Indian Whistling-Ducks are found throughout the Caribbean but they can be surprisingly difficult to bump into. Populations throughout the islands have crashed in recent decades, and the duck is getting difficult to find anywhere. I saw my first ones last March while leading a tour in Jamaica but those ducks were quite distant and the views were poor with the heat haze. However, the Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens is home to several dozen wild West Indian Whistling-Ducks. Surely this is the easiest place in the world to see them. 

West Indian Whistling-Duck - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

We found at least nine West Indian Whistling-Ducks along the creek that flows along the eastern edge of the gardens. It was a bit surreal to see these rare ducks up close! Didn't they know that they were supposed to be rare and difficult to see?

West Indian Whistling-Duck - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

West Indian Whistling-Duck - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

West Indian Whistling-Duck - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

This shady creek corridor provided a welcome relief from the scorching sun. Birds were rather numerous back here - Common Gallinules, Least Grebes, various herons, even a Solitary Sandpiper. 

Least Grebe - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

Taking a photo without piles of garbage in it was a little bit difficult, though.

Green Heron - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

The Least Grebes were clearly thriving as there was nesting evidence all over the place. 

Least Grebe on a nest - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

Baby Least Grebe - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

We found our first Dominican Sliders, a freshwater turtle that is endemic to the island. Some of the logs were so heavily laden that there was barely an inch to spare. 

Dominican Sliders (Trachemys stejnegeri vicina) - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

As expected given the hot and sunny conditions, anoles were rather numerous in the botanical gardens. We managed our first good photos of Bark Anoles and also found another endemic species, the Cordillera Oriental Stout Anole (Anolis higuey). 

Bark Anole (Anolis distichus) - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

Cordillera Oriental Stout Anole (Anolis higuey) - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

We found our only Green Iguana of the trip along the creek, too. 

Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

Some high pitched calls in the canopy alerted us to some Black-crowned Palm-Tanagers, an endemic species to the island. These aren't "true" tanagers of the family Thraupidae; they are actually in the family Phaenicophilidae along with three other species found only on Hispaniola. 

Black-crowned Palm-Tanager - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

Islands are well-known as laboratories for endemic species, since the barrier caused by the open ocean is enough to prevent individuals from adjacent islands to ever cross paths with each other. Over time, these populations become distinct enough from each other since there is no breeding between the populations, and thus, no gene flow. 

Regarding birds, there are 34 species that are widely considered to be endemic to Hispaniola. However, many of the other resident birds have unique races (or subspecies) in Hispaniola; they just haven't been separated long enough from adjacent islands for scientists to consider them different species. The American Kestrel is one example. The individuals in Hispaniola are non-migratory and have a unique look to their plumage. They are currently considered a subspecies of the American Kestrel and are called the Hispaniolan Kestrel. Neighbouring Cuba also has its own resident subspecies, called the Cuban Kestrel. Check back in another million years or so, and these two races may be distinct enough to be considered separate species. 

Hispaniolan Kestrel - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

Each year, eBird updates its taxonomy based on current research. This year, one of changes was the split of the Red-legged Thrush, a bird found in the Caribbean which I had seen many times before in Cuba. As I write this after the conclusion of our trip, eBird's annual update is occurring and one of the changes is that the Red-legged Thrush has been split into two species. I didn't know it at the time, but the Red-legged Thrushes that we observed in the Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens were a new species for me, the Eastern Red-legged Thrush! Unfortunately, this is the only photo I managed...

Eastern Red-legged Thrush - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

Our walk at the botanical gardens was quite birdy despite the time of day. What was supposed to be a quick stop to see the whistling-ducks turned into a two and a half hour amble. We found a few more birds, including Hispaniolan Parakeet (heard-only), Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo and Greater Antillean Grackle. Dan spotted a male Hooded Warbler which is a familiar species from back home, but one that had only been reported from these gardens a few times previously. It was great visit. 

Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

Greater Antillean Grackle - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

Hooded Warbler - Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic

A three hour drive still beckoned and so we eventually pulled ourselves away from the gardens. The rest of the drive was uneventful and in the early evening we arrived at our AirBnB in Polo, a town in the foothills. It had been a very full day but we stayed awake long enough to follow along to the end of the Blue Jays game against the Seattle Mariners (they won, forcing a game seven!). I have always been a massive fan of both baseball and the Toronto Blue Jays, so it was killing me a little bit that our trip coincided with the final games of the American League Championship Series. Hopefully the Blue Jays could pull out a win in game 7 the next night to send them to the World Series. 

October 20, 2025

The morning dawned calm and cool. This was a wonderful change from the previous morning and we enjoyed the crisp air of the foothills. The respite was brief since we would soon be huffing and puffing up a steep slope. 

Candy Cane Snail (Liguus virgineus) - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic 

Our destination for the morning was a gravel track called Camino de la Hoz. This rough road cuts through dry forest in the Sierra de Bahoruco, crawling up the mountainside from 590 m in elevation to some communications towers above 1,600 m in elevation.  A 4x4 vehicle could scramble up the loose gravel of this road. But our little Chevrolet SUV was not a 4x4 and certainly not up to the task. And so it fell on us to slog it on foot. 

Hispaniolan Pewee - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

The reason we subjected ourselves to such a tough climb was for a bird, of course. The Eastern Chat-Tanager has a limited range in the mountains of the Dominican Republic, where it resides at an elevation band which cannot be reached by good quality road. Most birders who visit here have a guide/driver with a proper 4x4, so seeing the Eastern Chat-Tanager is as simple as getting out of the vehicle and playing a tape for a few seconds. It would not be so easy for us!

I figured that we would have to reach approximately 1,100 m in elevation to have a chance at the chat-tanager. At a minimum, this would require a 500 m gain in elevation, possibly more. 

Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

The hike started off well. We were rested and eager for the lifers that lay ahead of us and the first hundred meters in elevation gain was a breeze. We were also seeing new birds for the first time, including our first Flat-billed Vireos. The soundtrack was provided by Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoos, Antillean Piculets and Hispaniolan Euphonias, the latter two being new species for us. A pair of Broad-billed Todies and a Hispaniolan Pewee were rather cooperative as well.

Flat-billed Vireo - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Broad-billed Tody - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

As we passed the 200 m and then the 300 m mark in elevation gained, we started to lose some steam. The birding remained steady though, and we eventually found a nice mixed flock that contained our first Green-tailed Warblers, a pair of Greater Antillean Bullfinches, and an Antillean Piculet. 

Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Green-tailed Warbler - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Though they would be a common voice throughout the trip, the Antillean Piculets were entirely unresponsive to tape and this would be the only one we would see. 

Antillean Piculet - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

I mentioned the todies in the previous post and how there are only five species in this family, all restricted to the Greater Antilles. Jamaica, Cuba and Puerto Rico each have one species, while two todies live in Hispaniola. We had already seen the lowland species called the Broad-billed Tody, but here at Camino de la Hoz, the mountain-loving Narrow-billed Tody can also be found. Apart from preferring higher elevations, the Narrow-billed can be easily told apart due to its white iris and narrower bill. 

Narrow-billed Tody - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Narrow-billed Tody - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

We kept climbing up and up, sweating as the sun crested over a ridge and shone directly on us. The bird life was quieting down and our slow birding pace meant that we were still below the proper elevation for the Eastern Chat-Tanager. Vervain Hummingbirds were one of the few species that were readily apparent here, and we found over a dozen during the course of the morning. By virtue of being a millimeter or two larger than the Bee Hummingbird, the Vervain Hummingbird lives in obscurity while the Bee Hummingbird is famous for being the smallest bird species in the world. 

Vervain Hummingbird - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

During our frequent rest breaks Dan and I photographed the butterflies which had become numerous along the track. 

Calisto sp. - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Hispaniolan Great King (Anetia pantheratus pantheratus) - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Lime Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus) - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Unfortunately, the Eastern Chat-Tanagers were not as easy here as I envisioned, even once we were safely within the suitable elevation band. My frequent trawling produced no hits. I worried that we were going to have a rather painful dip of this endemic species. 

 Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Stolid Flycatcher - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

The hot sun and steep climb had done a number on Laura and so she rested in a shady area at the side of the road. Dan and I continued further, hoping to connect with the chat-tanager higher up. Not five minutes later we found a gorgeous Hispaniolan Spindalis in a fruiting tree, which necessitated a call to Laura as this was one of her most wanted species for the trip. Luckily, the spindalis hung around for great views. 

Hispaniolan Spindalis - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Hispaniolan Spindalis - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Dan and I kept climbing and finally hit pay-dirt at 1,260 m in elevation (around 670 m higher than the start of our walk). We both managed poor but diagnostic views of a pair of Eastern Chat-Tanagers while we also took some decent recordings. They were being very shy though, and photos were not possible. But hey, a tick is a tick, I guess. 

A male Hispaniolan Emerald in this area was another new species for us. 

Hispaniolan Emerald - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

A pickup truck soon passed us along the road, the first one of the morning. Of course it happened to run over a beautiful Cope's Antilles Snake just a few meters down the road from us. What unfortunate timing.

We returned to Laura who was starting to feel much better after a rest and some water. She was not really in the mood to climb another 100 m or so in elevation to search for the Eastern Chat-Tanagers that Dan and I had just seen. Instead, she was happy to start back down the mountain. 

Black-crowned Palm-Tanager - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

By now, it was mid-day and the butterflies were out in full force!

Great Southern White (Ascia monuste) - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Caribbean Daggerwing (Marpesia eleuchea) - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Antillean Snout (Libytheana terena) - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

The walk back down was a little bit easier in some regards, but more difficult in others. It was less of a cardio workout but instead was tough on our quadriceps and calf muscles. The warm temperatures and direct sun didn't help matters, either. But we slowly made progress and by early afternoon had made it back down to the vehicle. Though the birding and butterflying had been good, and the scenery was wonderful, we were all very happy that this hike was now behind us! 

Desert Stout Anole (Anolis aridius) - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

Unidentified bee fly (subfamily Anthracinae) - Camino de la Hoz, Barahona, Dominican Republic

That afternoon we made the short drive over to Villa Barrancoli Ecolodge, our base for the next two nights. Surely many new birds, lizards, and snakes awaited us.

Dominican Republic, October 2025: Introduction and Parque Nacional Los Haitises

I have recently returned from an eight-day blitz of the Dominican Republic with my wife, Laura, and good friend, Daniel Riley. Now October isn't really an ideal time for a birding trip to the Dominican Republic for a few reasons. First, October is the off-season and few birds are breeding. This means that bird song is relatively quiet and playback doesn't work very well since most species couldn't be bothered with the idea of defending a territory. Second, October is one of the hottest months of the year, especially compared to January or February which is when most birders visit the country. This makes birding in the lowlands that much more uncomfortable, especially for us Canadians who are used to the cold. And third, October is well within the window for hurricane season. Though the 2025 hurricane season had been relatively quiet prior to our trip, this would change halfway through and would cause us to change our itinerary. More on that later!

That being said, we still had an amazing trip and found almost everything that we hoped to. The birds did not give themselves up easily, but we persisted and prevailed with almost every species. And the herping was phenomenal with many snakes, lizards, and frogs. Certainly, the rainier conditions assisted us in this regard. The mothing was also fantastic. As birds are only one of our interests, missing a couple of bird species in exchange for better herping and mothing conditions seemed to be a reasonable trade-off.

Ashy-faced Owl - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

 

October 18, 2025

One of the reasons why we picked the Dominican Republic in the first place is because of how easy it is to visit from Canada. Each day, there are multiple direct flights from Toronto and this was important as we only had an eight-day window to complete our trip. Laura's work rotation has a suitable gap, and so this was an opportunity for us to get away on a trip without her having to use any vacation time.

Our flight arrived on time and we quickly sorted out the rental vehicle through Enterprise at the airport. By 3 PM we were on the road, heading north along the coast towards the town of Sabana de la Mar and Parque Nacional Los Haitises. We had added our first lifers while procuring the rental car, species that would prove to be common throughout our week in the DR: Hispaniolan Woodpecker was a lifer for Laura and I, while Antillean Palm-Swift was a new one for just Laura. Dan had been to a resort in the Dominican Republic previously and so he had already seen some of the common bird species. 

The drive was uneventful and we kept a close eye on the clock as we slowly made our way through coastal towns with their innumerable speed bumps. The high clearance SUV was necessary for the speed bumps alone! By 5:30 PM we arrived at Paraíso Caño Hondo, our hotel at the edge of the national park. Unfortunately the drive had taken too long to manage much birding before dark, and so our number one target species, the Ridgway's Hawk, would have to wait until the following morning. Still, it was exciting to walk around at dusk and see new species, such as Green Bark Anole (Anolis dominicensis) and a neat mantis called Gonatista major. 

Green Bark Anole (Anolis dominicensis) - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Gonatista major - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

We checked into the hotel, set up the moth sheet, and went for a quick stroll around the property to familiarize ourselves with the area and to figure out where we needed to hike the following morning to search for the Ridgway's Hawk. Yellow Split-Toed Frogs (Eleutherodactylus flavescens) and Common Stout Anoles (Anolis hispaniolae) were quickly discovered. Both of these species are endemic to the island of Hispaniola. We also found our first of many tarantulas. This is one of the species in Phormictopus, a genus which is limited to Cuba and Hispaniola. 

Phormictopus sp. - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Yellow Split-toed Frog (Eleutherodactylus flavescens) - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Common Stout Anole (Anolis hispaniolae) - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

The vast majority of the plant life was unfamiliar to us as well. I snapped a few photos, mainly of ferns that were growing along an embankment. 

Pyramid Maidenhair (Adiantum pyramidale) - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Fragile Maidenhair (Adiantum pyramidale) - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Tropical Resurrection Fern (Pleopeltis polypodioides) - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

We wolfed down the hotel's buffet dinner (our first real food since breakfast) before procuring our gear for our first proper birding of the trip, a spotlighting session for Ashy-faced Owl. This species is closely related to the familiar and cosmopolitan Barn Owl, though it is restricted to the island of Hispaniola. Ashy-faced Owls are not particularly rare or range-restricted, but we hoped to find one here since the owling conditions were good this evening and a healthy population of owls resides in this area. If we struck out tonight, we would have to devote valuable evening or early morning hours later in the trip; hours better spent looking for boas, for example. Armed with flashlights, headlights and a thermal camera we headed out by car along the entrance road, making various stops to hunt for our target. 

The thermal camera picked up numerous heat signatures. Black Rats were the default culprits, though we also located a Black-whiskered Vireo, Limpkin and Bananaquit in this manner. Black Rats are introduced on Hispaniola and the population here sure seems to be quite healthy. I wonder if the Ashy-faced Owls are taking advantage of this relatively new food item on the menu. 

Black Rat (Rattus rattus) - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Finally, after over an hour of searching, we heard the characteristic hissing shriek of an Ashy-faced Owl. Success! Seeing them would prove difficult, but eventually a couple of dark shapes glided over the road, sihouetted by the moonlight. Our spotlight illuminated the pair of Ashy-faced Owls. 

Ashy-faced Owls - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

We couldn't have asked for better looks of this handsome owl species and we took a few photos of them lit up by the spotlight beam. Owling can be difficult, even with the assistance of a thermal camera, and any victory is one to be celebrated. Happy with our excursion, we returned to the hotel. 

Ashy-faced Owls - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Though we were all pretty tired due to the early wake-up required to make our morning flight, we still had one task to complete before our beds beckoned. Mothing! 

Brown-bordered Emerald (Synchlora cupedinaria) - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Celiptera levina - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

It was obvious to us that this corner of Hispaniola had received a fair bit of rainfall recently as the vegetation was lush and the streams were flowing quickly. In our experience, increased rainfall has a positive correlation with diversity on the moth sheet. This evening was another data point in that favour as the sheet was dripping with moths. 

Unidentified moth (subfamily Noctuinae) - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Eulepidotis hebe - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Black Witch (Ascalapha odorata) - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

There were just as many interesting beetles, caddisflies, and spiders, too. 

Chlorida festiva - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Chimarra gilvimacula - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Unidentified spider - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Oreodera glauca - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Unidentified caddisfly - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

If only we had more time to stay out later, as many new moths were appearing even as we were taking the sheet down. But we needed some rest before the Ridgway's Hawk search began, and that took priority. 

Phaedropsis stictigramma - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Atteva siderea - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

October 19, 2025

Sunrise at this time of year arrives late, yet by 6 AM all three of us were geared up and raring to go birding. We sipped a coffee at the hotel while the sky slowly lightened and the morning's first birds called out from the darkness: Bananaquits, Palmchats and Hispanoiolan Woodpeckers. Finally, by 6:30 AM it was light enough to see the birds. 

Palmchat - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

The Ridgway's Hawk is a species of Buteo that is most closely related to the Red-shouldered Hawk of Canada, the United States and Mexico. While formerly widespread across Hispaniola, this species has experienced a steady decline brought on by two strong factors: habitat loss (deforestation), and direct persecution by humans. When the hawks are hanging around homesteads and farms with chickens, they are often shot. The truth is that a fully-grown chicken is much too large a meal for a Ridgway's Hawk and these diminutive hawks primarily subsist on lizards, snakes and introduced rodents, but the unfair stigma has contributed to their decline. To make things worse, a botfly parasite has been found infecting Ridgway's Hawk chicks, causing reproductive rates to be barely sustainable to begin with.

Only a few hundred Ridgway's Hawks survive in the wild with the population stronghold being Parque Nacional Los Haitises. In recent years, the Peregrine Fund has helped establish two introduced populations. One is thriving in the Punta Cana area, while the other has been recently set up in Los Brazos. 

 

Sunrise at Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

The vast majority of birders who cross paths with Ridgway's Hawks either do around the resorts in Punta Cana, or they visit the Caño Hondo area at the edge of P. N. Los Haitises. We were more interested in seeing the "wild" birds, which is why we added a night here at the start of our trip. We set off on a wide trail near the hotel complex which accessed the mosaic of woodland and pasture home to a pair of Ridgway's Hawks. 

Searching for Ridgway's Hawks - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Early on our search was unsuccessful, but the birding was exciting nonetheless. After all, we were in a novel environment and many of the species were new and interesting to us. 

Western Cattle-Egret - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Some were familiar to us - the Western Cattle-Egrets working the fields and the Gray Kingbirds twittering from dead snags, for example. 

Gray Kingbird - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Others, such as the Plain Pigeons that flew overhead all morning, were new for Laura and Dan. I had seen this species previously in Cuba, but it was nice to be reacquainted with them. 

Plain Pigeon - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Laura picked out a Hispaniolan Pewee, a lifer for all three of us. Drab flycatchers are not at all her favourite (who can blame her?) and so I was quite proud of her correct identification of the pewee!

We were feeling anxious as the minutes ticked by and the sun rose higher in the sky. We had only budgeted one night here, and if we missed the Ridgway's Hawk this morning then it would be impractical to change our itinerary to spend an extra night. But Dan came through. His scanning of a distant hillside produced a curious small hawk sitting in a cecropia. Indeed, it was our first Ridgway's Hawk!

Ridgway's Hawk in Trumpetwood (Cecropia schreberiana) - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Here is a slightly closer photo of the same bird. Though the views were a little bit distant, we were thrilled to see such a rare species. We heard a second Ridgway's Hawk vocalizing from the edge of a pasture and headed over there for a peek, but it vanished. As did the original one before we could approach for a closer view. That was all we were going to get from the birding gods, but our Ridgway's Hawk experience was much better than nothing.

Ridgway's Hawk - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

We all had more spring in our step as we headed back to the hotel for a well-deserved breakfast. Many other birds came out of the woodwork - Louisiana Waterthrushes along the creek, Yellow-faced Grassquits buzzing from the grasses, and White-winged Doves feeding on a fruiting tree. 

Louisiana Waterthrush - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Yellow-faced Grassquit - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

White-winged Dove - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

I even stopped to take a photo of one of the ubiquitous Turkey Vultures. It is definitely a bird species that gets better looking the further away it is. 

Turkey Vulture - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Another highlight was a group of Caribbean Martins cruising overhead. These birds vacate Hispaniola in October, though small numbers can hang around, and it was one species that could be easily missed on our trip. 

Caribbean Martin - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

We also saw a few of the common endemic bird species including Hispaniolan Mango, White-necked Crow and Broad-billed Tody. The todies are a well-loved family of birds that only contains five living species, all found in the Greater Antilles. Todies are most closely related to the clade that includes motmots and kingfishers. Laura's favourite bird family is the motmots, so it was no surprise that she was enamoured by her first tody, too.

Broad-billed Tody

We enjoyed a hearty breakfast, packed up and headed out under blue skies and hot temperatures. We had a long driving day ahead of us but made sure to make a few birding stops along the entrance road to Caño Hondo. This paid off as Dan noticed a few Tricolored Munias feeding on roadside grasses, a life bird for him. This was the first time that Laura and I had seen this adaptable species outside of southeast Asia. 

Tricolored Munia - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Tricolored Munia - Caño Hondo, Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic

Our time at the edge of Parque Nacional Los Haitises had been brief, but it had been immensely productive. Ashy-faced Owls and Ridgway's Hawks, lifer frogs and lizards, and even a great mothing session. The clock was ticking, and it was now time to drive through Santo Domingo to the southwestern part of the Dominican Republic.