Skyviews - Maps & Guides - Islands Advisor - Bonaire - Articles & News

Pink birds, giant lizards...

flamingos Despite Bonaire's relatively low rainfall, it is teeming with life. Bonaire's resultant vegetation, especially in the flatter areas, is reminiscent of Arizona in the U.S.A. with its tall cacti and bushes. The locals make a tasty soup out of the cactus (with the thorns removed, thankfully!). Birdlife is highly varied due to the surprisingly large number of different environments that exist: there are large salt flats and lagoons, rocky coastlines, desert areas, grasslands and Savannah, plus freshwater dams all attracting different species. Bonaire also has iguanas (being the somewhat smaller relatives of Godzilla) and, rather interestingly, donkeys that roam freely across the island. The Donkey Sanctuary is helping to look after these peculiar reminders of Bonaire's history. Arguably the best place to see Bonaire's wildlife is in the Washington/Slagbaai National Park. If you are a keen birdwatcher, you should visit the Birds of Bonaire website where you can see Bonaire's surprisingly varied and beautiful birdlife and all the info on how you can get to see them.

Birdlife

Itinerant visitors: Bonaire has a large number of itinerant visitors. There are 90 migrant species from North America, 25 from South America and 25 sea birds. Bonaire is a stepping stone between continents for many birds and gives them a chance for a safe place to rest before they continue their migration.

Permanent resident birds of Bonaire are an interesting bunch. Whilst outnumbered by their migrant visitors, they make up for it in their individuality of colours, shapes and sizes making honks, screeches, squawks and songs to match. Here is a brief summary of those you can expect to see all year round whilst in Bonaire:

The Greater Flamingo: Bonaire has the largest natural flamingo sanctuary in the Western Hemisphere. There are 7,000 of them at any one time on Bonaire and a number of them come, every day, from the Venezuelan mainland some 100 kilometers away in order to breed and tend to their young. They are not difficult to spot. They also like to gather and breed in large groups so when you spot one you are likely to see many others. Populations are concentrated at Pelkemeer (the exclusive breeding ground of the Southern Caribbean Flamingo) on the salt flats in the South and at Gotomeer in the North. Flamingos' nests are about 2 feet (65cm) across and about 1 foot (32cm) high. The nests taper at the top and hold one egg. When the eggs hatch there are as many as 2500 hungry chicks clamouring for food. There is not enough food on Bonaire alone to feed all the flamingos so a number of adults (numbering a few hundred) leave in the morning and the late afternoon, bound for the mainland. Chicks can fly after about 3 months and fly with the adults to Venezuela. Chicks remain there for 4 to 5 years until they reach sexual maturity and return to Bonaire to breed.
The Bananaquit (locally known as the chibichibi): It has a black body and a bright yellow chest with noticeable white eyebrows. They are cheeky and will eagerly hop around your sugar bowl - hence they are also known as the sugar bird. These are by far the most common birds in Bonaire.
The Ground Dove (totolika): Often see these sparrow-sized birds bobbing about in gardens and have a distinctive chestnut patch on their wings. Breeds throughout the year and produces a clutch of two white eggs.
The Tropical Mockingbird ( chubichubi): By far the best singer in Bonaire and closely related to the American Mockingbird. Its colour ranges from a white to a dark grey and builds a nest of thorny branches and twigs with an inside lining of dry stems and grass. It produces a clutch of about 3 eggs that are green with small grey-violet spots. It is highly territorial.
The Black-Faced Grassquit (Moffi): Looks much like a finch.
The Caribbean Parakeet (prickichi): Bright green in colour with a yellow head and neck, often seen in pairs.
The Yellow Warbler: Often seen in small group by the edge of ponds and lagoons and are easy to spot as they are bright yellow.
The Orange Trupial: Striking bird with a black head, startling eyes, black wings & tail with a white stripe and a deep yellow chest. Might see it standing atop a cactus having a look around.
The Yellow Oriole: Those of you familiar with Orioles will recognise this species easily, despite it being yellow like several other birds in Bonaire.
Shore Birds: A good variety of these, mostly on the beaches of the West Coast below the airport. You can expect to see sandpipers, plovers, turnstones, sanderlings and the occasional oystercatcher. Where waters are deeper you can expect to see snowy egrets, reddish egrets, green herons and tri-coloured herons, blackwinged stilts, yellowlegs, dowitchers and terns.
The Caracara: All other birds keep a close eye on this one. It is a bird of prey and you may be able to get close, if you are quiet, and see it strutting about like a chicken in the Washington/Slagbaai National Park.
The Pearly-Eyed Thrasher: Endemic species that has excellent tree camouflage but will break cover if you offer it some breadcrumbs. Mainly in the wooded areas of the Washington/Slagbaai National Park.

One respectful request is to avoid the temptation to approach the flamingos or try to get very close. They come to Bonaire to find peace and safety and they will easily be startled. Remain in your cars, please, when travelling near their breeding grounds in Pelkemeer. You can get closer to them up in Gotomeer so aim to take your close-up camera shots there.

Iguanas

If you saw the film Godzilla, you already know what iguanas look like. Fortunately the ones on Bonaire are much smaller, but no less impressive. Though fearsome looking, they are rather shy, retiring creatures and tend not to cavort about in front of the camera; during they day they often lie well-camouflaged and motionless in trees and are difficult to spot. Visit our Washington/Slagbaai page for more information about them.