Palmchat bird, the National bird of Dominican Republic, on Saona Island

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Palmchat bird, the National bird of Dominican Republic, on Saona Island

Whether you will be a casual animal watcher or perhaps a severe birder, you will surely you will be positively surprised by the presence of beautiful living beings, such as fish and birds, who will accompany you during your excursion to the islands of Saona or Catalina in the Dominican Republic, inside the East National Park, a large protected natural area. If you are planning a vacation to Punta Cana, Bayahibe, La romana, Juan Dolio or Boca Chica, maintain mind that to take from your hotel to Saona Island to view these amazing birds and other animal species in their habitat.

Saona Island is simply a few of miles off the southeast tip of the Dominican Republic. However, there are no roads going to the land so you have got to go there by boat (catamaran and/or speedboat) and you will likely leave within the Bayahibe port. Mangroves edge Saona Island and there you will see countless birds, including big roosting colonies of Magnificent Frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) plus Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis). Frigatebirds are related to pelicans plus have lengthy beaks plus a big bright red pouch that the guys may inflate out to attract a female. It is very anything to see. You may also view a Red-footed Booby (Sula sula), another relative of the pelican. It is a striking pet with a blue beak, bright red orange webbed feet, plus a blue plus cut throat pouch useful for courtship.

Closely associated with the palm trees coating the beaches of Saona Island in the Dominican Republic, there are the Palmchat, the Cigua Palmera in Spanish, is the national bird of Dominican Republic, and its scientific name is Dulus Dominicus. These birds have a fairly limited range plus are just found in the Dominican Republic plus neighboring Haiti. It forms noisy communal nests. It is a long-tailed passerine whose body looks to me a little like a Pine Siskin however, it really is considered many carefully related to the waxwings. However, it really is strange sufficient taxonomically communicating that it must be placed allalone in its obtain family. So, maintain mind whenever you view the Palmchat you are seeing at a actual oddball from a scientific perspective.

* More about the Palmchat bird:

This family is endemic of La Hispaniola. The Cigua Palmera lives in any environment but prefers settling in the palm plantations. There are many of these on the Saona Island.

The Palmchat is mostly small. Its plumage is gray and black, and, sometimes, we find olive-green in it. It is more or less 20 cm wingspan, its beak is resistant and yellow. It has long fingers.

It’s pretty easy and usual to see a Cigua Palmera, since it lives almost in all the island, but we can find it more easily on the top of palm trees.

The Palmchat is a singer bird, joyful and noisy that only exists on the island of La Hispaniola. By hazard, these birds are numerous, thanks to their ability of adaptation to their habitat and their faculty to reproduce and feed themselves.

This bird lives in group. It reproduce itself in a large nest that has internal separation as rooms in a house. It feeds itself with small fruits, flowers and insects as earthworms it catches flying.

The Cigua Palmera builds its nest on the palm branches with twigs. Its nest is pretty large when compared with the size of the palm tree and the size of the bird itself.

The Palmchats live in family, and the nest has many compartments and internal passages that transforms it in an very interesting natural architecture example.

In the country, it lives everywhere, but mostly where there are palm trees. It doesn’t live in high mountains and doesn’t like living in very dense forests. We can find it in the cities, next to the green spaces.