Itinerary

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN SANTO DOMINGO

Welcome to the Dominican Republic! Upon arrival at the airport, we will meet you and transfer you to your nearby hotel in the lovely Zona Colonial – the historic heart of Santo Domingo. Depending on your arrival time, you can get settled into your room and may have some free time to explore the history and culture of this bustling neighborhood. This evening, we will enjoy our first dinner together at a local restaurant.

DAY 2: SANTO DOMINGO AND PEDERNALES

Today, we will enjoy an early breakfast before heading to the National Botanical Gardens. We will spend our morning enjoying the lovely gardens while we begin to search for our first endemics of the trip. Palmchat, Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo, Hispaniolan Mango,  Hispaniolan Woodpecker, Black-crowned Palm-Tanager, Hispaniolan Parakeet, and Broad-billed Tody can all be found here. Other species we may also spot include American Kestrel, Ovenbird, Black-whiskered Vireo, American Redstart, and Common Yellowthroat, among many others.  After lunch, we will begin our afternoon drive to the western town of Pedernales.

DAYS 3 & 4: SIERRA DE BAHORUCO NATIONAL PARK

Over these two days, we will get very early starts as we explore the southern slope of Sierra de Bahoruco National Park. Here we will enjoy some high elevation birding at the La Charca and Aceitillar Pine Forest sites, and Hoyo de Pelempito. Here we will search for some more endemics including Narrow-billed Tody, Hispaniolan Pewee, Hispaniolan Amazon, Green-tailed Warbler, Hispaniolan Crossbill, and more. One of these evenings, we will do some night birding to look for Burrowing Owl and the endemic Ashy-faced Owl. 

DAY 5: LAGUNA DE OVIEDO

Today we will visit Jaragua National Park, one of the most important national parks in the Dominican Republic, focusing on Laguna de Oviedo, the largest lagoon in the country. Here we will enjoy the unique landscapes, which encompass about 1,295 square kilometers and are home to tropical forests, xeric landscapes, mangroves, and wetlands.  Over 130 species of birds thrive, 10 of which are endemic. Here we will search for White-crowned Pigeon, White Ibis, Vervain Hummingbird (the second-smallest bird in the world), Flat-billed Vireo, Scaly-naped Pigeon, American Flamingo, Roseate Spoonbill, Royal Tern, and more. This area is also home to the endemic, endangered Rhinoceros Iguana.

DAY 6: CACHOTE CLOUD FOREST

We will start before dawn as we prepare for our 4×4 drive up to the Cachote Cloud Forest. Here we will look for Eastern Chat-Tanager, Rufous-throated Solitaire, White-fronted Quail-Dove, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Antillean Piculet, and more. We will return to Barahona for lunch, and then continue making our way to Duverge.

DAY 7: ZAPOTEN CLOUD FOREST

Very early pre-dawn start and 4×4 drive up a rugged road to Zapoten cloud and pine forest with night birding en route, followed by early morning to early afternoon high elevation birding. We will search for Hispaniolan Trogon,  Hispaniolan Euphonia, Antillean Siskin, White-winged Warbler, Hispaniolan Spindalis, Black-faced Grassquit,  Le Selle Thrush, White-fronted Quail-Dove, Olive-throated Parakeet, and more. Then we will drive back down to Duverge for free time to rest at the hotel, followed by late afternoon birding in the area of Puerto Escondido.

DAYS 8 & 9: PUERTO ESCONDIDO & LAKE ENRIQUILLO NATIONAL PARK TO SANTO DOMINGO

Over the next two days, we will bird the nature trails at Puerto Escondido, and visit the shores of Lake Enriquillo National Park. Here we will look for even more endemics and regional specialties including the Hispaniolan Palm Crow, Greater Antillean Bullfinch, Hispaniolan Woodpecker, Stolid Flycatcher, Golden Swallow, Hispaniolan Spindalis, and more. After lunch on day 9, we will begin our drive back to Santo Domingo. 

DAY 10: SANTO DOMINGO TO PUNTA CANA

After breakfast, we will head east to Punta Cana. Here we will have a chance to see one of the most critically endangered raptors in the world, the Ridgway’s Hawk. We can also search for some lowland endemics we may have missed, or hope for better looks. Here we can spot Broad-billed Tody, Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo, Palmchat, Hispaniolan Mango, and Black-crowned Palm-Tanager. We can also find some additional species including the White-crowned Pigeon, White-cheeked Pintail, Ruddy Duck, Black-necked Stilt, and other waterbirds.

DAY 11: DEPARTURE FROM PUNTA CANA

After breakfast , we will drop you off at the Punta Cana International Airport where our Dominican Republic endemics bird tour will conclude.