Aruba Nature Tours: Birds and wildlife in Aruba

Aruba has a little bit of something for each and everyone, including lovers of nature and wildlife.

It is rich in biodiversity- with several endemic species of flora and fauna. The island’s isolation from South America’s mainland promoted a unique evolution among its wildlife. Other factors such as geological formation, exquisite landscapes, and tropical white beaches result in a thriving alternate Aruba Eco tours economy.

Aruba Tours: Bird-Watching Tours

The act of bird-watching or ornithology draws in a significant number of tourists each year in Aruba. The entire island is filled with several species of rare exotic birds- many of which are endemic to the tiny island nation. The island is also home to several resident breeding birds. Examples include the Venezuelan Troupial and the Warawara.

This article will shed light on ten popular birds that are native to Aruba. Book an Aruba nature tours package and find as many as you can on private eco tours.

Eco-Tours Aruba | List of notable birds found in Aruba

1)   American Kestrel

Known as Kinikini in native Aruban Papiamento, the American Kestrel belongs to the falcon family usually found on eco tours aruba. Its average diet usually consists of mice, lizards, and insects. The American Kestrels use the nests of other birds for breeding purposes. Aruba tours offer exciting packages where you can go bird-watching. It is one of the aruba things to do.

Kestrels can become very aggressive to anyone it perceives as a threat to its younger offsprings. They are also excellent flyers, often seen performing acrobatic maneuvers to attract partners during the mating season.

2) Aruba’s Burrowing Owl

Aruban burrowing owls are popular among bird-watchers. They are the national symbol and a popular bird endemic to Aruba. In the local language, they are known as Shoco. They get their peculiar name owing to their nesting habits. The burrowing owls are expert diggers, capable of digging burrows up to 4 meters in depth for nesting purposes. They are social creatures, living in groups of up to 4 and feeding mostly on insects, lizards, and small mammals.

3) Bare-Eyed Pigeon

Known as ‘Ala Blanca’ or ‘Barbacoa’ in the Papiamento dialect, the bare-eyed pigeons feed mostly on fruits and millets. They are known for their high speed and agility- often flying off at the slightest sounds. Distinct identifying features include a small blue eye-ring around their orange-brown colored eyes. The eye-ring is further surrounded by an additional prominent black ring. The usual body color is green, with shades of white under their wings and you can spot them on eco tours aruba.

4) Blue-tailed Emerald Hummingbird

With an average total length of just 9 centimeters, the blue-tailed emerald hummingbird is the smallest bird on the entire island of Aruba. The native Aruban name for this bird is ‘Blenchi”. They are easy to spot owing to their bright blueish-green appearance and can mostly be found in gardens- sucking nectar out of flowers with their long beaks. You can find them when on aruba eco tours.

5) Brown Pelican

The largest bird in Aruba- the brown pelican is a seabird- swooping in to dive and catch live fish. The majestic bird, known as Ganshi or Pelicano in Papiamento, can be easily identified by its humongous beak and the underlying gular food pouch. They often work in small groups and build their nests around mangrove trees. Bird-watching is one of the aruba things to do.

6) Aruban Brown-Throated Parakeet

The second endemic Aruban bird species, ‘Prikichi’ or the brown-throated parakeet can be identified by its distinct pale brown breast. The bright-green colored birds usually fly in flocks, living off fruits and seeds. The parakeets often start using abandoned termite nests as their own-especially the ones hanging from trees.

7) Caribbean Flamingo

The vibrant pink-colored Caribbean flamingo is originally a native of Bonaire. They are kept on Renaissance Island as a commercial attraction. Their preferred natural habitat is the salt ponds, such as the Spanish lagoon. The chances of finding Caribbean flamingoes(known locally as ‘Chogogo’) in a natural habitat are rare but you can find them when on aruba tours. Protected by wildlife preservation groups, their distinct pink color is acquired from the pigment of consumed algae. Private eco tours include bird-watching in their packages where you can spot rare species of birds.

8) Magnificent Frigatebird

Known locally as ‘Skerchi’, the Magnificient Frigatebird is a large seabird with a distinctly forked tail and a huge wingspan of 2 meters. Excellent flyers, they often act as aerial bandits, robbing other birds of their catch. The frigatebirds often follow fishing boats in search of food.

9) Osprey

Osprey is an avid game-hunter. The fishing specialist can spot its prey from a distance of 40 meters. They grab their prey with their feet first- taking advantage of the large talons. In the Aruban Papiamento language, they are known as Gabidan Piscado.

10) Tropical Mockingbird

The tropical mockingbird is very common throughout Aruba island. They are known as Chuchubi in the Papiamento language. They live as resident breeding birds in many places. As their name suggests, the mockingbirds can mimic different types of local and migratory birds to a great extent. Their diet usually consists of seeds, berries, fruits, insects, or lizards.

CTA

Head over to Aruba Nature Tours for a one-of-a-kind bird-watching tour experience. The accompanying local guide is easy to talk to and is committed to bird-watching as well as preserving the Aruban ecosystem. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary in the tour package. So what are you waiting for?

Season Special 10% OFF
On All Tours

Book Now

$150