Endemic birds of the Caribbean
Profiles of birds found nowhere else on Earth — from the parrots and hummingbirds of the Greater Antilles to the orioles and guans of the southern islands.
The Caribbean is home to more than 170 bird species found nowhere else on Earth. They range from familiar national birds — Jamaica’s Red-billed Streamertail, the Dominican Republic’s Palmchat, Grenada’s critically endangered dove — to little-known specialists of mountain forest and coastal wetland. Many are confined to a single island, which makes them both extraordinary and, too often, fragile. The profiles below introduce a selection of these endemics: how to recognise them, where they live, and how they are faring.
Elfin-woods Warbler
VulnerableSetophaga angelae · Puerto Rico
A black-and-white warbler of Puerto Rico’s misty mountain forests, the Elfin-woods Warbler was one of the last Caribbean birds to be described by science.
Grenada Dove
Critically EndangeredLeptotila wellsi · Grenada
Grenada’s national bird and one of the rarest doves on Earth, the Grenada Dove survives in a few fragments of dry forest on a single island.
Hispaniolan Parrot
VulnerableAmazona ventralis · Hispaniola (Dominican Republic & Haiti)
Known across Hispaniola as the “cotorra,” this white-fronted green Amazon is one of the most beloved birds of the Dominican Republic and Haiti — and one under steady pressure from habitat loss and the pet trade.
Montserrat Oriole
VulnerableIcterus oberi · Montserrat (Lesser Antilles)
The black-and-gold Montserrat Oriole is the island’s only endemic bird and its national symbol — a species whose survival has been bound up with volcanic eruption and recovery.
Palmchat
Least ConcernDulus dominicus · Hispaniola & satellite islands
The national bird of the Dominican Republic, the Palmchat is a sociable, palm-loving songbird endemic to Hispaniola — and the sole member of its own family.
Purple-throated Carib
Least ConcernEulampis jugularis · Lesser Antilles
A large, dark hummingbird with an iridescent purple throat and emerald wings, the Purple-throated Carib is a heliconia specialist of the Lesser Antilles.
Red-billed Streamertail
Least ConcernTrochilus polytmus · Jamaica
Jamaica’s “doctor bird” is the most celebrated hummingbird of the insular Caribbean — an emerald, red-billed jewel whose long black tail streamers trail behind it in flight.
Rose-throated Parrot
Near ThreatenedAmazona leucocephala · Bahamas, Cuba & Cayman Islands
A white-fronted, rose-cheeked Amazon found only in the Bahamas, Cuba and the Cayman Islands, the Rose-throated Parrot is one of the Caribbean’s most variable and most studied parrots.
Trinidad Piping-Guan
Critically EndangeredPipile pipile · Trinidad
Trinidad and Tobago’s only endemic bird, the Critically Endangered “Pawi” is a large forest guan clinging on in the island’s northern hills.
West Indian Whistling-Duck
VulnerableDendrocygna arborea · West Indies (Greater Antilles, Bahamas, northern Lesser Antilles)
The largest and rarest of the world’s whistling-ducks, this long-necked, tree-perching wetland bird is found only in the West Indies — and is a flagship for Caribbean wetland conservation.
Caribbean endemic birds: FAQ
What kinds of birds are endemic to the Caribbean?
Caribbean endemics span many families — Amazon parrots, hummingbirds such as streamertails and caribs, orioles, doves, warblers, the wetland West Indian Whistling-Duck, and unique one-off families like the Palmchat (Dulidae).
How many Caribbean endemic birds are there?
More than 170 bird species are found only in the Caribbean, ranging from single-island specialists to birds shared across several islands.
Which Caribbean endemic birds are most endangered?
Among the most threatened are the Critically Endangered Grenada Dove and Trinidad Piping-Guan, along with Vulnerable species such as the Montserrat Oriole, Hispaniolan Parrot and West Indian Whistling-Duck.
Where are most Caribbean endemics found?
The Greater Antilles — Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico — hold the largest share, but the Lesser Antilles and southern islands have many single-island endemics of their own.