There are about 200 birds seen in Dominica. The reason behind this relatively low diversity compared to other West Indian countries is due to the isolated location of the nation. This isn’t helped by the fact that illegal logging and natural disasters like hurricanes may lead to these avian species losing their homes someday.
The rare endemic Imperial Amazon parrot is the national bird of Dominica. Other notable species in the country include the Red-necked Parrot, the Caribbean Elaenia, and the Purple-throated Garib.
List of Common Birds Found in Dominica
Native Birds
- American Kestrel
- Antillean Crested Hummingbird
- Antillean Euphonia
- Bananaquit
- Barn Owl
- Black-capped Petrel
- Black-crowned Palm-tanager
- Black-faced Grassquit
- Black-necked Stilt
- Black Swift
- Black-whiskered Vireo
- Blue-headed Hummingbird
- Bridled Quail-dove
- Broad-winged Hawk
- Brown Pelican
- Brown Trembler
- Caribbean Dove
- Caribbean Elaenia
- Caribbean Martin
- Common Black Hawk
- Common Ground Dove
- Common Nighthawk
- Golden Swallow
- Gray Kingbird
- Gray Trembler
- Great Egret
- Green Heron
- Green-throated Carib
- Green-throated Mango
- Green-winged Teal
- Herring Gull
- Imperial Amazon Parrot
- Laughing Gull
- Lesser Antillean Bullfinch
- Lesser Antillean Pewee
- Lesser Antillean Swift
- Lesser Antillean Tanager
- Lesser Yellowlegs
- Little Green Heron
- Magnificent Frigatebird
- Mangrove Cuckoo
- Mountain Whistler
- Pearly-eyed Thrasher
- Plumbeous Warbler
- Purple-throated Carib
- Purple-throated Mountain-gem
- Red-legged Honeycreeper
- Red-legged Thrush
- Red-necked Amazon Parrot
- Royal Tern
- Ruddy Quail-dove
- Rufous-breasted Hermit
- Rufous-throated Solitaire
- Sabine’s Gull
- Scaly-breasted Thrasher
- Scaly-naped Pigeon
- Semipalmated Sandpiper
- Shiny Cowbird
- Short-tailed Swift
- Smooth-billed Ani
- Spectacled Thrush
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Stolid Flycatcher
- Tropical Mockingbird
- Whimbrel
- White-breasted Thrasher
- White-collared Swift
- White-crowned Pigeon
- Wilson’s Plover
- Wilson’s Storm-petrel
- Yellow-bellied Elaenia
- Yellow-crowned Night Heron
- Yellow-shouldered Grassquit
- Yellow Warbler
- Zenaida Dove
Non-native Birds
- African Collared-dove
- Antillean Euphonia
- Blackburnian Warbler
- Bobolink
- Brown-throated Parakeet
- Cape May Warbler
- Caspian Tern
- Cedar Waxwing
- Cliff Swallow
- Common Yellowthroat
- Eastern Kingbird
- Eurasian Collared-dove
- Franklin’s Gull
- House Sparrow
- Indigo Bunting
- Least Tern
- Ovenbird
- Rock Pigeon
- Scaly-breasted Munia
- Scarlet Tanager
- Venezuelan Troupial
- Yellow-throated Vireo
- American Redstart
- Louisiana Waterthrush
- Northern Waterthrush
- Prothonotary Warbler
Some of the best birdwatching sites include Morne Diablotin National Park, Syndicate Nature Trail, and Cabrits National Park. The best time to see birds in Dominica is during the dry season, typically from December to May. The weather is generally more stable during this period, with lower rain chances and better birdwatching visibility.
